Mesa Rosette

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Always tempted with "Mesa" on the front!

Looks really great but I already have Fishman Artist for my piezo needs so I am not sure I could drop the cash for this. Maybe after my Mark V purchase.

Needs a 3rd channel called "Extreme Acoustic" :lol:


On second thought, I move to Florida in 1 week from Delaware. I should buy this before I have to pay sales tax...... hmmmmmm.
 
I'm interested. I have an electric guitar with piezos that I don't take advantage of because I run too much gain on my clean channel for the piezo to sound their best. The guitar has a second output and I've been thinking about getting an acoustic amp for a while, but nothing has really grabbed my attention. Being a Mesa fanboy this has my attention by default, and at 300w it'll be legit as an onstage monitor.
 
Here is Mesa's other offering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XZDc9-9atU
(Props to Mesa for using the Prelude from the PFA (BWV998) as an example! 8) )
 
I think this is an interesting pair of products and an interesting market Mesa has decided to enter.

"The ROSETTE line is a dedicated acoustic instrument platform designed not just for acoustic guitars, but also for mandolin, ukulele, violin/fiddle, dulcimer, cello, upright bass and other uniquely acoustic instruments."

The Grace Design Felix was the first product I had ever seen that could be considered an acoustic instrument platform. The Rosette 300 preamp appears simpler when it comes to turning knobs but has some cool I/O features I have never seen before and certainly not in one place. However, the obvious advantage of the Rosette is it is a complete 300-watt amplifier. The Felix is only a preamp, though, it is one heck of a preamp!

The quote above is rather important. Mesa/Boogie is a guitar amplifier company. I do not know how many dulcimer players who keep tabs on Mesa's product line but I bet the number is not high. As far as I know, there are no dulcimer amplifier companies.The same goes for mandolin, ukelele, and bowed string instruments. Ironically, these are the instruments (and players) that need something like the Rosette 300 far more than acoustic guitarists. The first reason is they do not have any products of this nature marketed towards them. The second reason is they play the few instruments that actually sound good with piezo-electric pickups, which is how most of them are amplified assuming the instrument has them installed. The microphone company DPA has spent a lot of time and energy developing instrument-specific microphones. They are very small and clip onto the instrument. Ultimately, the signal ends up at the end of an XLR cable which is connected to a mixer, PA, or some type of amplification. I suspect Mesa was thinking more along the lines of a singer/guitar player set up, but the idea to add an XLR connection with 48v phantom power was a good one.

I think there a number of problems when piezo pickups are used to amplifier both acoustic and electric guitars. Actually, there is really only one problem: they sound bad. I do not know if it is something that can be fixed either. I like how Mesa is doing their part to make sure the amplifier is the strongest link in the chain though. :lol:
 
Still on the “thinking about it” fence. I have some outdoor, social distancing gigs in the next few months, and m trying to convince myself that the Rosette is easier than running direct.
 
Tiki295 said:
Still on the “thinking about it” fence. I have some outdoor, social distancing gigs in the next few months, and m trying to convince myself that the Rosette is easier than running direct.

Did you end up getting one? I have used the 2x8 for many small to medium outdoor gigs. I started to get a lot of compliments on my tone from other musicians when I switched to this amp. Previously I was using a Fender Acoustasonic SFXII, which is totally a fine acoustic amp but the difference between the two is striking.

I have also used it as a DI/monitor indoors and got equally good results.
 
thirstypirate said:
Did you end up getting one? I have used the 2x8 for many small to medium outdoor gigs. I started to get a lot of compliments on my tone from other musicians when I switched to this amp. Previously I was using a Fender Acoustasonic SFXII, which is totally a fine acoustic amp but the difference between the two is striking.

I have also used it as a DI/monitor indoors and got equally good results.

Not yet, but I think I'd better before Gibson gets a hold of it. I'm looking at the 2x8, too.
 
Tiki295 said:
Not yet, but I think I'd better before Gibson gets a hold of it. I'm looking at the 2x8, too.

It really is fantastic and I hope you like it as much as I do. The controls are something you need to get used to before you take it out to a gig for the first time but it's nothing someone who is posting on The Boogie Board can't handle, haha. It's best to use subtractive eq with the mids. I boost them one at a time, do a sweep and find the most offensive frequency, then slightly cut it to get started. After that I just tweak them a little to get the most natural sounding tone. I loved having the hi-pass filter on the amp when I was playing with a 6 piece acoustic band and needed a narrower tonal slice. This thing is just killer sounding for a gigging acoustic musician.

I'm looking over at it now wondering if I'll ever play an acoustic gig again! What a year.
 

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