Available Now at Northeast Music Center!
MESA/Boogie Badlander 100 Watt All-Tube Guitar Amplifier HeadMassive Rectifier authority with a tighter, faster and more articulate response. The MESA/Boogie Badlander 100 combines four EL34 power tubes, selectable 100/50/20-watt operation, two identical channels with Clean, Crunch and Crush modes, and built-in CabClone IR technology to create one of MESA's most versatile modern high-gain amplifiers.
The MESA/Boogie Badlander 100 takes the legendary Rectifier lineage in a distinctly modern direction.
Rather than simply delivering more gain, MESA engineered the Badlander around tighter low-frequency response, aggressive midrange character, harmonic complexity and immediate attack. The result is an amplifier capable of enormous high-gain tones without sacrificing the articulation and responsiveness serious players demand.
With four EL34 power tubes and three selectable power levels—100, 50 or 20 watts—the Badlander 100 has the authority and headroom of a full-sized professional tube amplifier while remaining surprisingly adaptable for different stages, studios and playing environments.
Available from Northeast Music Center, the Badlander 100 is an exceptional choice for players who want the physical impact of a 100-watt MESA with the precision, versatility and direct-recording capabilities expected from a modern amplifier.
KEY FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS:• 100 / 50 / 20-watt selectable all-tube amplifier head
• 2 fully independent footswitchable channels
• Clean / Crunch / Crush available on BOTH channels
• MESA Channel Cloning™ architecture
• 4 × MESA EL34 power tubes
• 6L6 compatible via Bias Select switch
• 5 × MESA 12AX7 preamp tubes
• Class A/B power section
• Silicon-diode rectification
• Full Power / Variac Power™ operation
• Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Master controls per channel
• Built-in CabClone™ IR Cabinet Simulator
• 8 onboard MESA cabinet IRs
• Independent IR selection for each channel
• USB connectivity 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: 41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9⅝" H × 22¾" W × 10⅜" D
• Hand-wired in Petaluma, California
The Badlander carries one of the most important names in MESA history: Rectifier.
But this isn't simply another version of the Dual Rectifier.
MESA approached the Badlander with a different objective.
The low end is tighter. The midrange is more forward. The attack is quicker. Harmonic detail is increased, and the amplifier maintains definition even when substantial amounts of gain are being used.
That's particularly important for modern playing styles.
Fast rhythm work stays articulate.
Palm-muted notes hit with authority without becoming excessively loose.
Complex chords retain separation.
Lower tunings remain controlled.
And single-note lead work still has the sustain and harmonic richness expected from a serious MESA tube amplifier.
TWO IDENTICAL CHANNELS — CLEAN, CRUNCH OR CRUSHOne of the Badlander 100's greatest strengths is its Channel Cloning™ architecture.
Both channels provide the same three modes:
CLEAN
CRUNCH
CRUSH
Each channel also gets independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Master controls.
This means you're not locked into a conventional clean-channel/high-gain-channel configuration.
Set it up as:
Channel 1 — Clean / Channel 2 — Crush
for maximum versatility.
Or:
Channel 1 — Crunch Rhythm / Channel 2 — Crunch Lead
for two versions of the same fundamental voice.
For heavier music:
Channel 1 — Crush Rhythm / Channel 2 — Crush Lead
may be exactly what you want.
That flexibility makes the Badlander particularly effective for working musicians who need several carefully tailored sounds without navigating an overly complicated control system.
CLEAN — DON'T OVERLOOK ITThe Badlander may have been designed with serious gain in mind, but Clean mode deserves attention.
It's clear, responsive and dynamic enough to make the amplifier useful for much more than aggressive music.
There is plenty of room for pedals, and because either channel can be assigned to Clean, you can even create two different clean sounds if your music calls for it.
That's one of the advantages of Channel Cloning.
You decide what each channel does.
CRUNCH — FAR MORE RANGE THAN THE NAME SUGGESTSCrunch is one of the Badlander's most versatile modes.
At lower Gain settings, it provides open, muscular overdrive with excellent dynamic response.
Turn the Gain upward and Crunch moves naturally through classic rock, hard rock and into substantially heavier territory.
There's enough saturation to make it aggressive, but enough openness to let the guitar and player's touch remain part of the sound
For many players, Crunch could easily become the mode they use most.
CRUSH — MODERN MESA AUTHORITYCrush is where the Badlander reveals its most aggressive personality.
There's serious gain available.
But the defining characteristic isn't simply saturation.
It's control.
The low end remains focused.
Attack stays immediate.
Individual notes remain identifiable.
Palm-muted riffs have physical impact without turning into an indistinct wall of low frequencies.
For modern rock, progressive music, metal, lower tunings and technically demanding rhythm playing, this is exactly where the Badlander's design philosophy pays off.
100 / 50 / 20 WATTS — THREE DIFFERENT POWER OPTIONSThe Badlander 100 gives the player considerably more power-section flexibility than a traditional fixed-output 100-watt head.
Choose:
100 Watts
for maximum headroom, authority, low-frequency punch and stage power.
Switch to:
50 Watts
when you want much of the big-amplifier response with reduced output and a different relationship between preamp and power section.
Then move down to:
20 Watts
for easier power-section involvement and a more yielding feel.
This isn't simply about making the amplifier quieter.
Changing power levels alters the way the amplifier responds underneath your hands.
That's one reason the Badlander 100 can make sense even for players who don't necessarily need 100 watts all the time.
When you need it, it's there.
When you don't, you have options.
FOUR EL34 POWER TUBESAt the heart of the Badlander 100 are:
4 × MESA EL34 power tubes.
That's an important part of this amplifier's personality.
The EL34 contributes to the Badlander's aggressive midrange character, harmonic complexity and authoritative attack while distinguishing its power-section personality from traditional 6L6-powered Rectifier designs.
But MESA gives you another option.
EL34 OR 6L6A rear-panel Bias Select switch allows the Badlander 100 to operate with compatible EL34 or 6L6 power tubes.
That means the player isn't permanently locked into one power-tube family.
The stock EL34 configuration is fundamental to the Badlander's intended voice, and that's where we'd recommend starting.
But experienced players who enjoy experimenting with power-section response have another legitimate avenue for tailoring the amplifier.
FULL POWER / VARIAC POWERThe Badlander also incorporates MESA's Full Power / Variac Power switching.
Variac Power reduces the internal operating voltage and changes the feel of the amplifier.
Full Power provides maximum immediacy and authority.
Variac introduces a softer, more yielding response with additional sag and a different harmonic character.
Combine that with:
100 / 50 / 20 watts
and:
Clean / Crunch / Crush
and the Badlander offers considerably more tonal flexibility than its straightforward front panel initially suggests.
CABCLONE IR — BUILT INTO THE AMPLIFIEROne of the Badlander's most useful modern features is MESA's CabClone IR system.
Built directly into the amplifier, CabClone IR provides:
8 onboard MESA cabinet impulse responses
Independent IR assignment for each channel
Balanced XLR Direct Output
USB connectivity
Headphone output
IR Output Level control
Ground Lift
and importantly:
An internal reactive amplifier load.
That last feature is critical.
The internal load allows the Badlander to be operated without a physical speaker cabinet when properly configured for silent/direct use.
A REAL TUBE AMP FOR DIRECT RECORDINGThat's what makes CabClone IR particularly valuable.
You're not replacing the Badlander with an amplifier model.
You're still playing through:
Five 12AX7s.
Four EL34s.
The Badlander's actual preamp.
The Badlander's actual power amplifier.
CabClone IR then provides the cabinet impulse response and direct connectivity necessary to capture that amplifier without requiring a microphone in front of a physical cabinet.
For home studios, professional recording environments and modern live rigs, that's enormously useful
You can run the Badlander traditionally through a speaker cabinet one night and take an XLR direct signal the next.
EIGHT MESA CABINET IRsEight MESA cabinet IRs are stored onboard.
And because each channel can have its own IR assignment, your direct clean tone doesn't have to use the same virtual cabinet as your Crush tone.
That opens up some very useful possibilities.
You might choose a more open-sounding cabinet IR for Clean and a Rectifier-style closed-back cabinet for Crush.
The amplifier changes channels—and your direct cabinet sound changes with it.
That's an extremely useful feature for recording and live performance.
BUILT FOR A RECTIFIER CABINETPut the Badlander 100 on a MESA Rectifier cabinet and the entire concept comes together.
A Horizontal Rectifier 2x12 gives you substantial sealed low-end authority and the classic punch of dual Vintage 30s.
A Vertical Rectifier 2x12 gives you similar authority with a narrower footprint and angled upper speaker.
And for players who want the complete experience, an appropriate Rectifier 4x12 gives the Badlander 100 all the physical cabinet volume it could ask for.
The amplifier provides:
1 × 8-ohm speaker output
2 × 4-ohm speaker outputs
for compatible cabinet configurations.
100 WATTS — ONLY 41 POUNDSThis is an impressive specification.
41 lbs.
That's the weight of the Badlander 100 head.
And inside that 41-pound chassis you're getting:
Four EL34s
Five 12AX7s
100/50/20 watts
Two channels
Six total mode possibilities
CabClone IR
Internal reactive load
Tube effects loop
That's remarkably manageable for a genuine 100-watt professional tube head.
Dimensions are:
9⅝" H × 22¾" W × 10⅜" D
So the Badlander 100 retains traditional full-size MESA presence without becoming unnecessarily difficult to transport.
HAND-WIRED IN PETALUMA, CALIFORNIAThe Badlander 100 is hand-wired in MESA's Petaluma, California facility.
That matters at this level.
A customer purchasing a premium MESA amplifier isn't simply buying gain and wattage.
They're buying an amplifier engineered and constructed to become part of a serious working rig.
That's something we believe is worth emphasizing at Northeast Music Center.
The Badlander isn't designed to be disposable technology.
It's a genuine American-built tube amplifier designed around decades of MESA experience.
BADLANDER 50 OR BADLANDER 100?This is a question worth addressing because Northeast Music Center offers both.
The Badlander 50 gives you a more compact 50/20-watt platform with two EL34s.
The Badlander 100 steps up to:
Four EL34s
and:
100 / 50 / 20-watt operation.
The 100 is the choice for players who want maximum low-frequency authority, clean headroom and the physical response that comes from a full four-tube power section.
But because you can reduce it to 50 or 20 watts, buying the Badlander 100 doesn't mean you're committing yourself to running at full output every time you turn it on.
That's the beauty of the design.
THE FULL-SIZED BADLANDER EXPERIENCEFor the player who wants the Badlander concept without compromise, this is it.
Four EL34s.
100 / 50 / 20 watts.
Two independent channels.
Clean, Crunch and Crush on either channel.
CabClone IR.
Internal reactive load.
Tube effects loop.
41 pounds.
And underneath all of the technology is what ultimately matters: a responsive, authoritative tube amplifier that can deliver serious MESA gain without sacrificing articulation.
At Northeast Music Center, that's why we see the Badlander 100 as much more than another high-gain amplifier.
It combines the physical authority players expect from a 100-watt MESA with the tighter response and modern functionality today's guitarists increasingly demand.
Big when you need it. Tight when it matters. Versatile enough to leave the studio and go directly onto the stage.
The Rectifier lineage—evolved.
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.
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