Available Now at Northeast Music Center!

 

MESA/Boogie Badlander 50 Watt All-Tube Guitar Amplifier Head

Tight, aggressive, articulate, and unmistakably MESA. The MESA/Boogie Badlander 50 takes the legendary Rectifier lineage in a more focused direction, combining 50/20-watt EL34 power with two identical channels, Clean/Crunch/Crush modes, CabClone IR, and the fast, percussive response modern players demand.

The MESA/Boogie Badlander 50 isn't simply a lower-powered version of a traditional Rectifier. It represents MESA's evolution of the Rectifier concept—retaining the authority and gain players expect while tightening the low end, pushing the midrange forward, and increasing articulation and harmonic detail.

With two EL34 power tubes, 50- or 20-watt operation, two fully independent channels, and Clean, Crunch, and Crush available on either channel, the Badlander 50 can move from articulate cleans and muscular rock rhythm tones to seriously aggressive modern gain without becoming complicated to operate.

And with built-in CabClone IR, an internal reactive load, eight onboard MESA cabinet IRs, balanced XLR output, USB connectivity, and headphone output, this is every bit as comfortable in a modern recording environment as it is sitting on top of a Rectifier cabinet.

Available from Northeast Music Center, the Badlander 50 is an exceptional choice for the guitarist who loves the authority of MESA high gain but wants a tighter response, more immediate attack, and a 50-watt platform that's easier to put to work.

KEY FEATURES:

• 50 / 20-watt selectable all-tube amplifier head
• 2 fully independent footswitchable channels
• Clean / Crunch / Crush available on BOTH channels
• MESA Channel Cloning™ architecture
• 2 × MESA EL34 power tubes
• Compatible with 6L6 power tubes via Bias Select
• 5 × MESA 12AX7 preamp tubes
• Class A/B power section
• 50W Pentode / 20W Triode operation
• Silicon-diode rectification
• Full Power / Variac Power™ switch
• Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Master per channel
• Built-in CabClone™ IR Cabinet Simulator
• 8 onboard MESA cabinet IRs
• Independent IR selection for each channel
• USB connection for IR management
• Internal reactive load for cabinet-free operation
• Balanced XLR IR Direct Output
• Headphone Output
• IR Output Level control
• Ground/Lift switch
• Fully buffered Series Tube Effects Loop
• One 8-ohm and two 4-ohm speaker outputs
• 1-button Channel footswitch included
• Fitted slipcover included
• Weight: 36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9⅝" H × 22¾" W × 10⅜" D
• Hand-wired in Petaluma, California

A DIFFERENT KIND OF RECTIFIER

The Rectifier name carries considerable history.

For decades, those amplifiers have helped define enormous rock and high-gain guitar tones. But MESA didn't design the Badlander simply to reproduce the sound of an earlier Rectifier.

They moved the concept forward.

MESA describes the Badlander as having a tighter low end, more aggressive midrange character, enhanced harmonic content, and a more percussive response than its Rectifier predecessors.

That's what makes the Badlander particularly interesting.

There's plenty of gain.

But the amplifier isn't relying on sheer saturation to sound heavy.

Notes retain their edges.

Palm-muted passages remain controlled.

Complex chords maintain separation.

Fast rhythm playing stays articulate.

And the amplifier responds immediately to what the player puts into it.

TWO IDENTICAL CHANNELS — CLEAN, CRUNCH OR CRUSH

One of the Badlander's smartest features is its Channel Cloning™ architecture.

Both channels offer the same three modes:

CLEAN

CRUNCH

CRUSH

Each channel also gets independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Master controls, along with independent CabClone IR selection from the rear panel.

That means you're not forced into a traditional clean-channel/lead-channel arrangement.

You could configure:

Channel 1 — Clean / Channel 2 — Crush

for maximum contrast.

Or:

Channel 1 — Crunch Rhythm / Channel 2 — Crunch Lead

for two variations of the same fundamental voice.

Or even:

Channel 1 — Crush Rhythm / Channel 2 — Crush Lead

when the entire gig lives in higher-gain territory.

The amplifier gives you the building blocks and lets you decide how the two channels should work.

CLEAN — MORE THAN A TOKEN CLEAN CHANNEL

With an amplifier carrying the Rectifier name, it's easy to jump immediately to the gain modes.

Don't overlook Clean.

The Badlander provides an articulate clean voice with enough clarity and dynamic response to make the amplifier useful well beyond aggressive music.

It also provides a strong platform for pedals.

That matters because a truly versatile amplifier shouldn't require the player to sacrifice one end of the tonal spectrum to get the other.

CRUNCH — ONE OF THE BADLANDER'S SECRET WEAPONS

Crunch may be one of the most rewarding modes in the entire amplifier.

Turn the gain down and there's muscular, open overdrive.

Push it harder and the sound moves naturally through classic rock and hard rock into considerably heavier territory.

The EL34 power section contributes the bite, harmonic complexity, and midrange character many players associate with great British-inspired power-amp response, while the Badlander preamp keeps everything firmly within MESA territory.

Crunch is where players who assume the Badlander is exclusively a modern-metal amplifier may be pleasantly surprised.

CRUSH — WHERE THE BADLANDER EARNS ITS NAME

Then there's Crush.

This is where the amplifier becomes serious.

Crush provides substantial saturation, but the important part is what happens inside all that gain.

Definition remains.

Attack remains.

Low frequencies stay controlled.

Fast passages remain intelligible.

That's exactly why the Badlander has become such an attractive MESA platform for modern rock, progressive music, metal, lower tunings, and technically demanding playing.

The amplifier can sound huge without becoming loose.

50 WATTS — EL34 PENTODE POWER

At full power, both EL34s operate in Pentode configuration, producing 50 watts of Class A/B power.

This is where the Badlander delivers maximum punch, headroom, low-frequency authority, and immediacy.

MESA describes this setting as providing its "big-block" power and punch.

For stage use, rehearsal, or simply when you want the amplifier to respond with maximum authority, 50 watts gives the Badlander its strongest voice.

20 WATTS — SAME TWO EL34s, DIFFERENT CHARACTER

Switch to 20 watts and something more interesting happens than simply reducing volume.

Both EL34s remain active but are rewired into Triode operation.

MESA describes this setting as having greater clipping potential with a more harmonic-rich response.

So think of the switch as:

50W — bigger, tighter, more authoritative

20W — sweeter, easier to push, more yielding

rather than simply:

Loud versus quiet.

That gives the Badlander 50 two genuinely useful power-section personalities.

FULL POWER / VARIAC POWER

There's another layer of feel available from the Badlander.

Its Full Power / Variac Power switch allows reduced-voltage operation in the Variac position, changing the amplifier's response and giving it a softer, saggier feel with a different EQ character.

Combine that with 50/20-watt operation and the three preamp modes, and there are considerably more textures available here than the straightforward front panel initially suggests.

EL34 OR 6L6 — YOUR CHOICE

The Badlander 50 ships with:

2 × MESA EL34 power tubes

But MESA also includes a Bias Select switch for EL34 or 6L6 operation.

That's a significant feature for players who enjoy experimenting with the character of the power section.

The stock EL34s reinforce the Badlander's aggressive midrange and distinctive personality.

But the ability to properly run compatible 6L6 tubes gives the player another avenue for tailoring the amplifier.

CABCLONE IR — A SERIOUS RECORDING TOOL BUILT IN

This is one of the most valuable features on the Badlander.

MESA's CabClone IR system gives you 

8 onboard MESA cabinet impulse responses

Independent IR assignment for each channel

Balanced XLR direct output

USB connectivity for IR management

Headphone output

IR output level control

Ground Lift

and, critically:

An internal reactive amplifier load.

That internal load allows the Badlander to be used properly without a physical speaker cabinet when configured for silent/direct operation.

So you can use the Badlander traditionally:

Badlander → Speaker Cabinet

Or:

Badlander → CabClone IR → Recording Interface

Or:

Badlander → CabClone IR → Front of House

Or simply use headphones when appropriate.

You're still playing through a genuine all-tube MESA amplifier.

CabClone IR simply gives you modern ways to capture and use that sound.

EIGHT MESA CABINET IRs — AND ROOM FOR YOUR OWN

The Badlander includes eight factory MESA cabinet IRs selected to provide useful recording and live options.

MESA also designed CabClone IR as an open system capable of working with compatible third-party impulse responses, with USB access for IR file management.

That means you're not permanently locked into the factory cabinet selections.

For recording guitarists in particular, that's a major advantage.

BUILT TO PAIR WITH A SERIOUS CABINET

Put the Badlander 50 on a MESA Horizontal Rectifier 2x12 and you get enormous sealed low-end authority.

Use a Vertical Rectifier 2x12 and you gain the projection of the angled upper speaker.

Pair it with an appropriate 1x12 and the entire rig becomes considerably easier to transport.

The head provides:

One 8-ohm output

Two 4-ohm outputs, giving it flexibility with compatible speaker configurations.

That's one of the reasons the Badlander 50 makes such a strong foundation for building a complete professional rig.

ONLY 36 POUNDS

Here's another advantage of choosing the 50.

36 lbs.

That's the published weight of the Badlander 50 head.

Dimensions are:

9⅝" High

22¾" Wide

10⅜" Deep

You're getting a genuine two-channel, EL34-powered, American-built MESA tube amplifier with CabClone IR and an internal reactive load in a head that remains entirely realistic for one person to transport.

For a working guitarist, that's meaningful.

BUILT IN PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA

The Badlander 50 is hand-wired in Petaluma, California, continuing the MESA tradition of building its professional tube amplifiers in the United States.

That's something we think deserves to be communicated clearly at Northeast Music Center.

Customers buying an amplifier at this level aren't simply shopping by wattage and gain.

They're buying construction quality, engineering, serviceability, feel, reliability, and an amplifier they may own for decades.

THE SWEET SPOT OF THE BADLANDER FAMILY

For many players, the Badlander 50 may be the sweet spot.

You still get:

Two independent channels.

Clean, Crunch and Crush on both.

Two EL34s.

50/20-watt operation.

Variac Power.

CabClone IR.

Internal reactive load.

Tube effects loop.

But you get it in a 36-pound head with 50 watts of full-power authority.

At Northeast Music Center, that's what makes the Badlander 50 such an easy amplifier to recommend to players who want serious MESA performance without automatically stepping into a 100-watt platform.

It's aggressive when you need it to be.

It's surprisingly versatile when you don't.

And underneath all the gain and technology is the thing that matters most:

It responds like a great tube amplifier.

50/20 watts. Two EL34s. Two channels. Clean, Crunch and Crush. CabClone IR. 36 pounds. Hand-wired in Petaluma.

The Rectifier evolved—tighter, faster, and ready for the modern player.

 

 

Northeast Music Center is a full line Music retailer located in Northeast Pennsylvania- We are an Authorized Mesa Boogie Dealer and purchase these products direct from MESA HEADQUARTERS IN PETALUMA CALIFORNIA. We do not obtain our MESA AMPLIFIERS or other MESA products from "jobbers" or other dealers. Our MESA AMPLIFIERS AND CABINETS come to you in the factory boxes with factory packing material. We will, upon request, and also randomly, open the box prior to shipping to check that all contents are included and that no damage has been found in shipping from MESA to our Store location. Northeast Music Center does reserve the right to sell these products in our store to daily walk in customers. It is our goal to always have this product in stock and if for any reason we sell out, we will reorder immediately as long as this MESA AMPLIFIER is currently produced for resale by the company. We will order the amplifier in a ample quantity to fill your order. It is our goal to make your experience a good one; We invite you to ask any and all questions about this product.  Please do not purchase this item if you can not pay. This is a new Mesa with full 5 Year factory warranty to the Original Owner. 3 Year Warranty on Speakers.