Congratulations! You are now the owner of an innovative yet classic kind of power amplifier, designed and built exclusively for the guitarist: the Stereo Simul-Class 295. Like
all MESA/Boogie amps, it's an all-tube circuit, because there just isn't a better-sounding way to build a guitar amp. And it features our patented "Simul-Class" circuitry, which combines two separate and different kinds of amplification - "vintage" Class A and "modern" Class AB power - on the same chassis. Using the 295 in conjunction with one of our superb pre amps
-the Studio Preamp or the Quad Preamp - and a pair of MESA/Boogie speaker cabs, you've got the makings of state-of-the-art guitar sound, in stereo!
VACUUM TUBE AUDIO. People who don't know about MESA/Boogie are usually surprised when they learn that we make amplifiers using vacuum tubes. They think tubes are an obsolete relic of a primeval electronic age, long ago faded from the earth. And that's largely true - but with two notable exceptions: TV picture tubes, and audio.
Have you ever heard of a tube amp claiming to have "that great transistor sound"?' Neither have we! And therein lies a clue that many knowledgeable types - even the latest MOS-FET designers - hold good tube sound as the standard for comparison. That's why we designed the Stereo Simul-Class 295: to provide a dedicated power amp for the guitarist that has all the magnitude - but not the "transistor-ness" - of a high power solid-state amp, and without the price tag of those few fabulously expensive "esoteric" tube amps.
WHAT IS "SIMUL-CLASS"? Simul-Class power is like having two different kinds of power operating simul-taneously on each channel of the amplifier. One power section is wired in "Class A Triode" and uses two EL-34 tubes. "Class A” power is the oldest and purest form of amplification; it’s warm and "vocal" tone is the heart of the Simul-Class circuit. The other power section uses two 6L6 tubes, wired in the more modern and efficient "Class AB" configuration; this section provides the bulk of the "muscle" in the amplifier. And by combining these two "classes" of power design, the Simul-Class circuit reaps the rewards of both. The 30 watts of vintage Class A tone combines with 65 watts of efficient Class AB power to produce a total of 95 watts per channel of the warmest, most musical power you've ever heard! Or you can use the "Class A/Simul-Class" switch to turn off the Class AB (6L6) sections, and run the Class A (EL-34) sections by themselves. This allows you to drive the amp harder for greater power amp distortion, but at volume levels you can more easily control.
Now that we've briefed you on the 295 "philosophy", here are some specifics on its operation.
