MrSuperstar

Blues Lawyer
Joined
Feb 25, 2021
Messages
118
Location
Napoli, Italy
Hi guys, today I want to tell you about a brand that - just like PRS - is taking a product to a higher level by raising standards.
The company I'm talking about is Mezzabarba: an Italian builder of boutique amps (some even point-to-point) with their own sound.

I've been enjoying the knobs of my amp (Z-18 point-to-point) for a year now, and is capable of delicious juicy incredible tones.
It blew away the competition (from Dr. Z, Bad Cat, Friedman, to many others). The only builder that has impressed me that much is Milkman, whose amps I love.
I want to clarify that I've no relations of any kind with this company, but I think it's appropriate to commend a builder from my country that IMVHO is doing a crazy job.
In fact it didn't surprise me to know that also a lot of serious names chose to play these amps: Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Mark Tremonti, George Lynch, Trent Reznor and Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails), Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden), John Jorgenson (Elton John, The Hellecasters), Eric Steckel and a lot of others.

And you? Do you know these amps? Opinions?

 
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Hi guys, today I want to tell you about a brand that - just like PRS - is taking a product to a higher level by raising standards.
The company I'm talking about is Mezzabarba: an Italian builder of boutique amps (some even point-to-point) with their own sound.

I've been enjoying the knobs of my amp (Z-18 point-to-point) for a year now, and is capable of delicious juicy incredible tones.
It blew away the competition (from Dr. Z, Bad Cat, Friedman, to many others). The only builder that has impressed me that much is Milkman, whose amps I love.
I want to clarify that I've no relations of any kind with this company, but I think it's appropriate to commend a builder from my country that IMVHO is doing a crazy job.
In fact it didn't surprise me to know that also a lot of serious names chose to play these amps: Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Mark Tremonti, George Lynch, Trent Reznor and Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails), Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden), John Jorgenson (Elton John, The Hellecasters), Eric Steckel and a lot of others.

And you? Do you know these amps? Opinions?

MezzabarbaTrinity50whead_c483fccf-e5be-4cb6-81d3-cc10361e075b.jpg

I've seen Eric Steckel demo them here and there and they sound killer.
 
I've seen Eric Steckel demo them here and there and they sound killer.
yes, from what I see on the official website, Steckel was the first artist to launch a custom model amp with Mezzabarba. It looks and sounds jawdropping.


To me, it’s an ultra-modernized Soldano SLO-100.
I would love to compare it in person to my SLO.
Mmmh... I don't understand.
Mezzabarba currently has 8 different amps available and a total of 13 different models.
Each amp is very different from the others: wattage; soldering methods (point-to-point and PCB); musical genre for which they are designed; features (Presence, Brill, Depth, Feedback knobs; also some amps are single-channel, others even have 3 channels).
So, what would look like the Soldano SLO?
 
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yes, from what I see on the official website, Steckel was the first artist to launch a custom model amp with Mezzabarba. It looks and sounds jawdropping.



Mmmh... I don't understand.
Mezzabarba currently has 8 different amps available and a total of 13 different models.
Each amp is very different from the others: wattage; soldering methods (point-to-point and PCB); musical genre for which they are designed; features (Presence, Brill, Depth, Feedback knobs; also some amps are single-channel, others even have 3 channels).
So, what would look like the Soldano SLO?
The MZero Overdrive is the model I’m referring to.
The features, and from what I have heard (NOT in person), put the MZero right into SLO territory.
Are there 2 different versions of the MZero?
 
The MZero Overdrive is the model I’m referring to.
The features, and from what I have heard (NOT in person), put the MZero right into SLO territory.
Are there 2 different versions of the MZero?
Yes, there is the MZero Standard and the MZero Overdrive.
Both are 100W "point to point", but the MZero Standard has only a single channel and comes with 4x12AX7 (preamp tubes) and EL34 (power tubes). The MZero Overdrive has a first channel based on the MZero Standard and a second channel dedicated only at the overdrive, with 5x12AX7 (preamp tubes) and EL34 (power tubes).
As far as I understand, the builder relied on 3 types of amps: Marshall, Soldano and Dumble, developing his own style for his amps (for example for the clean it reminds me a lot of old vintage Fender Tweeds!).
 
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I found out about Mezzabarbra amps a few years ago when I met an Italian friend who uses them. I love the tone he gets from his. Its like a spicey modded Marshall / Soldano let me riff till I die tone.
 
Like others, I heard about Mezzabarba a few years ago, as well. Absolutely LOVE the tones coming out of these amps.
Still have yet to see someone put a PRS through one, though....would love to hear a Custom 24 through an MZero Overdrive - maybe with the "M" pickups.

Faces would melt, no doubt.
 
Like others, I heard about Mezzabarba a few years ago, as well. Absolutely LOVE the tones coming out of these amps.
Still have yet to see someone put a PRS through one, though....would love to hear a Custom 24 through an MZero Overdrive - maybe with the "M" pickups.
Faces would melt, no doubt.
Found this video (ok the guy is italian but music has no nation), literally absurd sound.
Go directly to 06:25.

 
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They've sold amplifiers without AC earth connections, which is illegal and dangerous
 
They've sold amplifiers without AC earth connections, which is illegal and dangerous
That's downright scary. Anyone who has one should take it to a good amp tech to have that fixed.

The sister of an old friend was electrocuted by an ungrounded PA, and she died immediately. This stuff happens, and it's not merely theoretical.
 
That's downright scary. Anyone who has one should take it to a good amp tech to have that fixed.

The sister of an old friend was electrocuted by an ungrounded PA, and she died immediately. This stuff happens, and it's not merely theoretical.
I've seen a singer get knocked down by a mic. It wasn't pretty. Got hurt worse hitting the floor because it basically made him pass out so he didn't brace for it and busted his head wide open.

If that video is true, it's inexcusable!
 
I've seen a singer get knocked down by a mic. It wasn't pretty. Got hurt worse hitting the floor because it basically made him pass out so he didn't brace for it and busted his head wide open.

If that video is true, it's inexcusable!
At the very least it speaks to lack of quality control, even if it's an assembly error.
 
Ah Italians bless 'em. The look, the design, the performance is all important. Little details about function and safety not so important
The crumple zones in my 1978 Alfa Romeo Spyder saved my life once. The car gave itself up for me when a steel hauling 18 wheeler truck ran a red light and crashed into my car. Not sure I'd have survived that one in the other cars I had during that era.

So I kinda like whatever it was that Italy did there. :)

Let's give Italy some credit:

Heck, the Pantheon in Rome is 2000 years old. You can still walk around inside it. Still looks nice. Even the dome still works. I've had to have my stinkin' USA roof replaced every ten years! I guarantee no one will be walking around in my condo in the year 4020.

Talk about engineering expertise, the ancient Romans invented concrete that cured underwater! Roman walls are still up where they didn't tear them down, after 2000 years, and the cisterns they built in Constantinople in 330 AD still work. Not to mention aqueducts!. I mean, those worked forever. People still use Roman bridges.

Europe still uses laws based on Justinian's Code.

The Romans had plumbing in their houses and in the Colosseum. They had glass windows in their apartment buildings, and paved roads when the rest of the world had mud cart roads and huts made of dung, sticks and straw.

So I'm all about Italy. But in this case, they forgot that QC thing... ;)
 
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The crumple zones in my 1978 Alfa Romeo Spyder saved my life once. The car gave itself up for me when a steel hauling 18 wheeler truck ran a red light and crashed into my car. Not sure I'd have survived that one in the other cars I had during that era.

So I kinda like whatever it was that Italy did there. :)

Let's give Italy some credit:

Heck, the Pantheon in Rome is 2000 years old. You can still walk around inside it. Still looks nice. Even the dome still works. I've had to have my stinkin' USA roof replaced every ten years! I guarantee no one will be walking around in my condo in the year 4020.

Talk about engineering expertise, the ancient Romans invented concrete that cured underwater! Roman walls are still up where they didn't tear them down, after 2000 years, and the cisterns they built in Constantinople in 330 AD still work. Not to mention aqueducts!. I mean, those worked forever. People still use Roman bridges.

Europe still uses laws based on Justinian's Code.

The Romans had plumbing in their houses and in the Colosseum. They had glass windows in their apartment buildings, and paved roads when the rest of the world had mud cart roads and huts made of dung, sticks and straw.

So I'm all about Italy. But in this case, they forgot that QC thing... ;)
Ha ha, good story Les, and seriously I don't want to bash Italians. I work in an Italian owned engineering company and my boss is Italian. I've worked fairly closely with them for the last 15 years or so. They have a different approach to engineering and beauty is very much at the forefront. Us Brits are very much cobble it together and make it work because the finance department won't give us enough money to do the job properly - so we have to be inventive, but beauty gets sacrificed for function.
 
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