I have played the TC-50 combo a couple of times now. I'll briefly share my impression of the amp.
The first time I played the TC-50 I was the first person to play it. The amp had been delivered 30 minutes earlier and, knowing I like Mesa/Boogie, the employees unboxed it and let me be the first person to play through it. I was using was an Ibanez JS2450 which is Satriani's MIJ signature model for those of you who are unfamiliar with Ibanez model names. (It's not you, it's them. :shock: )
Channel 1:
Mesa describes Channel 1 as a "Mark I" type clean tone so if that means anything to you, I would take them at their word. I love clean channels, especially great channels! However, I did not spend too much time on Channel 1 because Channel 2 and 3 were waiting. I will say this: harmonics are plentiful, beautiful, and a recurring theme with this amp.
Channel 2:
With the Gain set to 2:00 - 4:00, the Master Volume at 10:00-11:00, and the Presence at around 10:00, this could be a lead tone or a crunchy rhythm tone depending on whether the mini toggle is set to "Tight" or "Loose." Even with plenty of distortion, the tone controls were still very powerful, especially the Mid and Presence controls. Interestingly enough, I tried turning the Treble control all the way off with the Mid, Bass, and Presence controls dialed in; the effect was not nearly as drastic as it is on my Roadster. The Mid range did not really become dominate. There was a slight boost which compensated for the missing Treble frequencies but no significant tonal change that I was aware of. The theme of harmonics was ever present and the amp was really becoming effortless to play.
Channel 3:
The second time I play the TC-50 I was playing an EBMM JP Majesty. This guitar has an onboard preamp that provides a +20 db gain boost. When you combine that guitar with the TC-50's Channel 3 Gain set to 1:00, the Master at about 12:00, and the other controls at something reasonable, pinch harmonics, well beyond anything you normally hear, were easy. That is one trait I have never heard from a Mesa amp. With the mini toggle set to "Loose" the guitar pretty much played itself. I did not have to work and it felt good. However, at this point, there was a little too much gain in the signal. The tone was still remarkably clear, but there is such a thing as "too much gain" with this amp. elvis mentioned running the tone controls at extremes and not getting a lousy tone and I concur. The TC-50 handles itself, and whatever you might throw at it, quite well. 8)
Weight:
I have a Roadster 2x12 Combo. It is heavy, except for the UPS man who delivered it. :shock: The TC-50 is 56 lbs. I hesitate to call it "portable" so I'll say most people will probably be able to get the amp where it needs to be when it needs to be there without complaint.
Overall:
I am really impressed with the TC-50. It is not clever or complicated, it just sounds good and is easy to play. The fact it is relatively lightweight is a huge added bonus.