Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head Triple Channel

My MESA DR 3CH was made in 2005. I play rock/metal it suites just fine... i fool around with other musical style... blues, funk, trash, etc... u name it... mesa delivers... not the best clean sound... but.. then again... just Fender clean will smash this little beast... it has tones of features... just try them all, figure out what they do n u'll see these r all useful.. it has 100W ... believe me.. enough horse power!!!

3 channels... 1 clean, 2 dirty... ch3 is has more muscle than ch2. ch2 is more bright.. and clean is just so sweet.. just use the EQ ;)

this baby has some heavy distortion... just turn it to modern sound (i prefer the vintage one...) and u can't go full gain!! its just so heavy.. :)

i own a Jackson soloist with emg 81/85. rhythm great.. solos awesome!

this Mesa can get very noisy using the FxLoop. u just have to figure out how to use the back controls for the FxLoop... and the noise will almost go away... add a noise gate and u'll be just fine...

harder than a rock... built for life... i gig with no backup... just my Mesa DR.

not yet... ;)

before i had this amp i tried other amps... some can level with mesa... not many... i like Wizard, Marshall, Diezel, Carvin... but i chose Mesa... I've been playing with my Mesa for 2 years now... i would not change this amp...

Made in 2003.

Excellent features. These has been covered. I gave it a 9 b/c of the lack of reverb. I use a Holy Grail verb through the loop - sounds good.

Plenty of power. Almost too much power, but sounds good at medium volumes.

I've had this amp for a few years and have been waiting for the right time to review. Had a Marshall TSL beforehand. Recently I bought another TSL as a backup and decided to use it ata gig for a change of pace and a reference point. The TSL sounds great, but now I remember why I bought the Mesa in the first place. Much fuller, warmer, rounder sound. I can live with both - some guys are Mesa guys and some guys are Marshall guys. To me, they both sound great, are versatile and useful enough, and I like using both of them depending on my mood.

It was a little hard getting past the stereotype that this amp brings. It is much more than a nu-metal amp. I use the amp for classic rock (no Nu-Metal stuff, just 70's, 80's, & 90's bar rock stuff). I also put JJE34L's and the ECC803S's and what a difference from stock Mesa tubes. The amp retains the darker tonal color but can be lively when dialed in right. The new tubes made all the difference in the world. EL34's don't make this sound like a Marshall, but do brighten the sound a bit. Less 'sonic destruction' and a little more musical.

I use a Strat with a Duncan Pearly Gates 'bucker in the bridge position. Beatiful, smooth sound. I couldn;t be happier.

Channel 1:
Keep on clean, not pushed. Generally keep all controls at 12:00.

Channel 2:
Vintage Mode. Excellent classic rock sound. I play this channel mostly with gain around 11:00.

Channel 3:
Also Vintage Mode, mostly for my lead tone. I keep the settings the same as channel 2 but with a little more gain to help disguise my poor chops.

I mix and match cabs & speakers (both 2X12, 1 open back & 1 closed back). They have Vintage 30's, G12T-75's, or a combination of the two.

I also have it set to Rectifier mode and Bold. The amp is a little tighter this way than Spongy mode, but still has a nice, liquidy feel to it. great for single note riffing.

The thing about this amp is that I first found it difficult to dial in a good sound. Some nights it sounded great, others sounded terrible. Once I got used to the dynamic EQ and got used to the different rooms we work, I figured out how to get a consistent sound that I am very happy with (it only took a few years).

I only use a reverb pedal, otherwise, its a pure signal path. This is an extremely quiet amp for such a thick distorion.

So many times at a gig people approach me and say "I've never heard a Dual Rec sound like that. What have you done to it?" I realize I'm in the minority when I use a Strat and play classic & pop rock, but I LOVE the sound I get from this amp. Couldn't be happier these days. (BTW - Like the PRS, My Les Paul sounds KILLER through the amp, its just not right/practical for what we do as a band).

Tank!!!!

I still bring a backup. Afterall, this is still an all-tube amp.

Haven't needed them.

Been playing for 25 years, mostly Marshalls.

I would replace this amp with a Mesa MarkIV. A little less 'recto' sounding and more versatile for what I need, but I still whole-heartedly recommend this amp.

I wish it had a power reduction feature or built-in attenuator. Using Spongy (lowers internal voltages) or pulling two tubes does not help the amp for lower volume applications.

Its funny reading the reviews here. I read all of them before I purchased. Of course, my ears were the ultimate judge, but I always find these reviews helpful. I think people either love this amp or hate it. All tastes are different. But I do know this: this amp needs patience, understanding, and tweaking. Unlike Marshalls which can be dialed in very easily, this amp is work. Sometimes too much work. But once it is understood, it is glorious.

This amp has everything that a rocker could ask for. The key is that you truly sit down and spend some time tweaking the sound on each channel. This thing costs a bunch, and its worth it, but you have to spend some time to get the sound your looking for.

To those who would rate this amp with nothing but 1's, I suggest you pick up a nice little Fender, or maybe a cool Crate and feel good about yourself. So many millionaires have been made by the sound this amp puts out that it boggles the mind. Obviously you have an ax to grind, but your bitterness falls onto deaf ears. The 3 channels on this amp will give you any sound one could imagine. You can make a Mesa sound like a Marshall, but there is NO way you can make a Marshall sound like a Mesa. Enough said!

I have owned a single Rec and now a Dual Rec. The single NEVER let me down, as I trust the dual never will. Built like tanks.

Never needed to contact them. I don't misuse my equipment, so chances are I will never need them.

I have been playing since 1969, so I'm no spring chicken, but I like my Mesa. I have spent a lifetime looking for the crunch Mesa has. If anyone tried to steal my amp my mixed-breed maniac mutt would have a chunk of his ass for dinner. So try...just try to relieve me of this tone monster...good luck!

100W head, made in 2006 (according to seller). 3 channels with different voicings (toggle) on each channel. Too many controls to count, but anyone reading this already knows that this is a professional amp with enough features for almost anyone.

From my experience, this amp can do absolutely anything. Granted, I bought it to play hard rock and it does that incredibly well (think Thrice, deftones, Norma Jean, Underoath). But it could just as easily be used for crystal clear cleans, soulful blues, country, death metal and anything you can throw at it.

There's plenty of power (too much really... i may pull tubes) to do almost anything. It's loud as hell.

Each of the three channels built into this amp are practically an amp in their own right. Unlike many other amps I've played though, it has a Jekyll and Hyde quality to it from the switches on the back. Flipping the tubes from "Spongy" to "Bold" opens up a set of sounds that just don't exist anywhere.

First, the clean. It comes with two voicings, clean and pushed. In the clean setting with the treble and presence rolled up, it's crisp, clean and almost fenderish. Still, the low end comes through really well, so, it's not so much a fender twin sound. On the pushed setting, this thing is a beast. This is the rhythm channel to use for awesome bluesy rhythm. The gain control on this channel is very responsive and gives great saturation to the sound so it breaks up rather nicely. the clean channel sounds best with tube rectification switched on and with tubes set to "Spongy"

Channel 2 is all about tone. Left in the "Vintage" voicing there's nothing it can't do. Anything from Santana-esque sustain to Metallica and Slayer growl.

Channel 3 is a fire-breathing monster. The presence control is even hotter than Channel 2 and when set above 12:00 with Gain above 12:00 is the definitive modern hard rock sound. It's just unparalleled.

never gig without a backup. never gig without spare tubes.

But i expect the amp to work for a while without problems.

I called them once before buying this to compare the triple rectifier head to the dual rec. I didn't reach them directly and was forced to leave a message. Their recording said "they call everyone back". I was pretty impressed when a bit later in the day a very knowledgeable guy from Mesa called me and answered all my questions.

been playing about 10 years and this is the first "good" amp I've owned. If someone stole it, I'd be pissed. It would be immediately replaced with a clone paid for by insurance.

This is a 2006 made amp. It would be in fact versatile, except that it really sounds disgusting in ALL three channels. This is the second one I purchased (unfortunately). The first one I purchased used, so I thought it was too beat up for it to sound good. However, I purchased the second one new and it still blows. I tried putting in expensive NOS tubes in it, and it still blows. Then I changed the preamp tubes to more expensive NOS preamp tubes and it still blows. The effects loop went bad after a few weeks of use and sounds horrible. There is too much noise added (and I know for a fact that is not due to my pedals, which are top of the line and all have true bypass in them). I really wish it was cleaner. This amp is ONLY good for that non-sense nu-rock BS that modern bands are coming up with. There is no sound definition at all. It does have a lot of power, but every tiny bit that you bring up the volume, it will add loads of noise. This was a major waste of money.

The sounds that come out of this thing very poor, toneless. The clean chanel totally blows, it doesnt even sound clean at all. The distortion is brutal, but it is not defined. My 5150 does a better job than that. My guitars are mostly custom made. I own a Jackson RR1 with EMG-KFK set in it, a gibson les paul studio with burstbuckers, a washburn idol, a fender strat with rio grande single coil set, and a custom made guitar with rio grande crunchbox and rio grande fat bastard pickups. All of the past guitars are awesome and beautifully set up. I used to have a ESP, but I sold it years ago. None of these guitars sounded good through a recto. In regards to noise, it blows!! is TOO NOISY!!.

My footswitch cable went bad in the middle of a concert (they are really cheap and bad constructed). Few weeks after that my fooswicth stopped working (on the chanel buttons). I had to get it replaced. The effects loop in the amp stopped working after a while. Had to get it fixed. An input jack went bad so I had to get it fix as well. The pots are now all loose, so I tighten them up again. Its pathetic. Poor construction.

This is by far the worst feature of mesa. Their customer service is the worst. Is really hard to deal with them. They never took responsibility of fixing my amp. In addition, I have placed several orders from the store and they have taken up to two months to get my stuff. They are really cocky and disrespectful over the phone. Try calling and they will transfer you to an answering machine. Is sad, is pathetic.

Mesa/Boogie blows!! dont spend your valuable money in this non-sense. Buy something else. There are many alternatives in the market that are better than mesa.

I WAS a GAS (Gear Aquisition Syndrome) sufferer, until I got this amp!! This is one of the newer three channel versions. Plenty of headroom!! Loads of sounds available with the various modes (Clean/Pushed or Raw/Vintage/Modern) and with adequate control of prescence. This is clearly a more Rock/Metal amp. More difficult to attain a light crunch sound (other than in Ch1 one with pushed mode, but then you've got no clean!). I will keep this amp until one of us dies! I've sold all my rack gear, bought a few boss pedals and refound my love for guitar PLAYING and not just gear BUYING!

I play a Ibanez RG570 with original Ibanez pickups and a Les Paul Standard (also original pick-ups).

The best channel is CH2 in Vintage mode. A really nice singing solo sound with a good audible level of pick attack. You wont find a modelling guitar amp that can match it (trust me, ive tried).

CH3 IS that Recto sound (everything from Foo Fighters to Metallica). Dont go looking for it somewhere else, BUY a Rectifier! Brutal Distortion but still musical!

CH1 is possibly the only drawback to this amp (but it still gets a 10). The new roadster and road king have adopted the Lonestar clean channel for a reason. The Rectifier is much more bassy and if not trimmed carefully, you can end up with a tinny sound or too muddy to cut through the mix. The right sound is in there (providing your using a Rectifier cabinet) but it's not a simple to find as the other channels.

One short note to the Roadster and Road King. There both great amps (with great prices!) but they pop when switching channels! Especially between channels 2 & 3 (regardless of volume setting). Mesa know about this but I havent heard of any recalls or modifications for this. Threrfore, if you've got a tight budget and want that Recto sound buy an original Rectifier. You can easily use an overdrive pedal to get that extra light crunch sound.

Not had it long enough to say, but its built like a brick sh$thouse!

Never spoke with them.

I have been playing for 26 years. Owned a lot of other Mesa/Marshall gear. I've been looking for "that Sound" for 3 years and I am sure that I have finally found it! Tried all the different Modelling gear (GT-Pro/GX700/PODXT etc) but it isn't real. Valve amps are not as forgiving as a solid state pre-amp. The solid state high High frequencies and dynamics are not as transparent. But if you master your picking technique then the sound achievable from a Valve (or tube) amp is truly Fantastic!! In the end its not the guitar, effects or amp that make the quality of sound, it's the quality of the player! :0) The Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head is the most flexible, dynamic and best value amp for the hobby and professional player.

I purchased my dual rec in 2002 and after taking it home and messing around with the settings for a while I got an amazing tone out of it. As you all probably already know it has three channels with different tone selection modes on each channel as well as seperate eq settings for each channel. I really enjoy the ability to swap out the rectifier tubes without having to rebias anything. Also the raw power of this amp is amazing. At times it almost feels like too much for certain settings. It has a versatile effects loops but I have never used it because it doesn't fit my playing style or needs. To be honest I wish I had just gotten the 2 channel because I rarely ever use two channels much less 3. But alas that is all they had in stock and I was inpatient. It is a great sounding amp if you are looking for high gain.

As stated above this ap sounds great for any metal, hardcore or rock high gain sound you are going after. The clean channel sounds a little to thin for my taste but I hardly ever use the thing. On the positive side tho as long as the gain isn't really high on the clean channel the sound wond distort even at high volumes. I have been playing guitar for 6 or 7 years and always played through a gibson les paul standard. I think that the two complimented very well for the genre of music I play. I am in a post hardcore/hard rock band and this amp meets all my needs. Our other guitar player is running a gibson sg through an orange otr 120 head and orange cab and the two amps really sound great together.

I've been in a nationaly touring band for the past 4 years and have taken this head on the road with me for long periods of time with no backup and never had any problems. In fact our manager at the time dropped it from about 5 feet onto cement and other then some dings nothing was wrong with it. I've never had any tube or fuse problems because I regulary clean and take care of it. I would trust this amp to last me on the road without a backup. It has done just that for years and I bet it will for many more.

I've never had to deal with this. I've heard good things though.

All in all I really love this amp. Its not for every style and every player. It is made to be loud and sound great with high gain settings. Recently I switched to synth in our band because I've been programming and playing them for much longer than guitar and we have a new guitarist who uses my mesa rig. If it were broke or stolen I would make him help me buy another one. Maybe this time though only the 2 channel because this amp has more than I need. I would also think about buying an orange because I love their tone. When compared to marshalls though this head kills them hands down. Try it out before you buy one because it might not be what u need. Make sure u run it through a good cabinet and have the volume turned up because otherwise it doesn't showcase the sound it can create properly.

This amp was made in 2005
I play thrash metal, hard, fast heavy and brutally distorted, but I also play blues for fun. For the metal the amp is unparalleled, tyhe best money can buy, for blues it's a different story, I can still get that deep tube tone for blues, but not quite like the amazing tone of say eric clapton. but then again, it's a metal amp NOT a blues amp, with a few effects it can get a really amazing blues sound. It obviously has 3 channels, 2 different modes for the first, and 3 different modes for the second 2. an effects loop, a preamp out, a rectifier selector switch and a few other need doodads.
I use to play in a band and did a buncha show with the amp and it excelled, the amount of power this amp has is unbelievable.
The one feature I wish it had come with is a headphone jack, but I can't complain because you could never get the amazing tone you get out of a 4x12, through headphones. I give it a nine for the lack of headphones.

For an amp that isn't supposed to be a 'jack of all trades' the dual rectifier does a wide variety of sounds. the clean channel isn't anything to call home about but it's still a great sounding versitile channel that doesn't get distorted at high volumes.
The distortion is amazing, at high volumes the tone just melts out of the tubes and pools at your feet. I can not begin to describe how amazing this thing sounds. I use the 2nd channel on the modern mode. the 3rd channel is too bright for me. but be warned, it is not an amp that will have your dream tone programmed into it out of the box, you need to sit down with it and really get the feel of the amp, read the manual. Too really understand the EQ I had to sit down, read the manual and find out where each EQ fits in the circuitry, for example, the treble knob is at the front of the circuitry, therefore the treble knob will have more of an effect on your tone overall than say your presence knob.
Through the amp I play a Dean ML-X with an EMG-81 in the bridge and 60 in the neck, my guitar is best suited for metal, as is the amp.
The amp is quite noisy, but nothing a Noise gate doesn't fix easily. I give it a 10 because it is Not a one trick pony by anymeans, it is a versitile amp that sounds mind blowing for the music I play

I've had the amp for a year now, played a bunch of gigs with it, bashed it around, dropped it etc etc, and it has only ever had one problem. the problem it had was my drummer set up the amp before I arrived, and he plugged the speaker cab through the slave out, there was no load and therefor blew the fuse and a tube, that could be under the neglect catagory.
The lesson kids, let drummers stick with there acoustic drums.
Despite the one problem I'm still giving this amp a 10, because the failure wasn't because of the workmanship, it was because of improper use.

As stated above I blew the tube, I took it to an authorized mesa repair shop (Ho's Electronics in Vancouver, BC) and he fixed it under warrenty. In vancouver Ho has been refered to as 'Dr Ho' because he performs amazing surgeries on guitar amps, and he's a really nice guy to boot.

I've been playing 8 years now and I love this amp
before it I owned a Line 6 spider 112 combo, and although satisfied with the spider, I needed to upgrade to a more proffessional amplifier.
If this amp was lost or stolen I would easily buy a new one, although I am curious about the Mesa Mark IV, but I don't think anything can come close to touching this, except maybe the triple rectifer but thats just obserd.
This is not a practice amp that sounds great at low volumes. It needs be cranked, it's like a lambourghini, the full potential isn't met until it's taken out on the road and opened up.
again, it's not a one trick pony, but it's also not a 'jack of all trades but a master of none'. it's a well rounded versitile amp that sounds INCREDIBLE for metal.

First off, this amp is extremely versatile. It has all the features you could ever need, 3 channels, 8 modes and the best effects loop I've seen... Sure, some people might even say it's "too much!" Those are the people that shouldn't buy one! :) Anyways, like said this amp is very versaltile... It can cover just about any style of music but it excells in the area of hard rock!

I mainly use 2 PRS Singlecut's with #7 pickups, and a PRS custom 24 with HFS pickups live. I play modern hard rock and the combination between my guitars and this amp are perfect for my style. As far as my effects are concerned I use a TC Electronics Chorus/Flanger, a Boss Phaser, Boss Delay, Boss Reverb and a BBE Sonic Maximizer (rack mount) through the effects loop. I also use a Morley Power Wah and a Boss Acoustic Simulator wich run straight in after my guitar (I like to have options) I run the amp through (2) Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Recto Cabs... I also have this baby stocked with EL34 power tubes rather than the 6L6's. Mainly it tightens the low end and gives the amp more of a touch sensative feel. It's really a matter of opinion on what kind of tubes you use and it also has alot to with your playing style. I suggest you try the amp with both kinds of power tubes before you settle. Anyways here's my take on the sound:

CHANNEL 1

I leave this channel set on clean mode... I get a good clean sound out of this amp. It's not the best I've ever heard but it sounds good! So as long as you don't have your gain set too high like an idiot, it wont distort. Not even at high volumes!!

CHANNEL 2

I leave this channel set on vintage mode... I keep the presence only about a quarter of the way up and I do not "scoop" the mid, I keep it about half way up. It produces a dark creamy sound covered with sustain. I mainly use it for slower-phrased soloing, as well as for slow-less aggressive rhythms... All in all this channel kicks ass!!

CHANNEL 3

I leave this channel set on modern mode... This is the channel I depend on the most! I keep my gain alittle over half way up, my presence about half way up and it produces a crunch that is too sweet to describe... I use it as my main rhythm and with one step of the solo boost it also becomes my main lead channel as well (quick scale runs & sweep picking sound superb!!)

Just remember how important the PRESENCE nob is when you first go to tweak it... If you don't know how to properly set your presence your going to sound like shit! Also, don't use a shitty cab or a shitty guitar with this amp because it'll show through!! I give this amp a 9 on sound quality mainly because there are alot of high gain amps with better clean channels...

Never had a problem...

Mesa/Boogie is a very good company that takes pride in there amps... They will help you anyway they can!

I'm 22, I've been playing for 10 years. I'm a full time musician and the band I play for is currently touring on a national level. So as you can imagine I've owned and played many amps. I use a Dual Rectifier because it sounds good, it's built tough, and most of all it's versatile. I own a total of 2 Dual Rectifiers... I would be lieing if I said that this was the best high gain amp I've ever played through... There are indeed a few that I think sound better but they all cost over $4,000 and aren't very road worthy or versatile... So I think if the amp suites your playing and/or genre then it's the best amp you can find for the quality and price. Go for it!! If either were stolen I'd get a new one :)

First off, this amp is extremely versatile. It has all the features you could ever need, 3 channels, 8 modes and the best effects loop I've seen... Sure, some people might even say it's "too much!" Those are the people that shouldn't buy one! :) Anyways, like said this amp is very versaltile... It can cover just about any style of music but it excells in the area of hard rock!

I have mainly use 2 PRS Singlecut's with #7 pickups, and a PRS custom 24 with HFS pickups live. I play modern hard rock and the combination between my guitars and this amp are perfect for my style. As far as my effects are concerned I use a TC Electronics Chorus/Flanger, a Boss Phaser, Boss Delay, Boss Reverb and a BBE Sonic Maximizer (rack mount) through the effects loop. I also use a Morley Power Wah and a Boss Acoustic Simulator wich run straight in after my guitar (I like to have options) I run the amp through (2) Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Recto Cabs... I also have this baby stocked with EL34 power tubes rather than the 6L6's. Mainly it tightens the low end and gives the amp more of a touch sensative feel. It's really a matter of opinion on what kind of tubes you use and it also has alot to with your playing style. I suggest you try the amp with both kinds of power tubes before you settle. Anyways here's my take on the sound:

CHANNEL 1

I leave this channel set on clean mode... I get a good clean sound of this amp. It's not the best I've ever heard but it sounds good! So as long as you don't have your gain set too high like an idiot, it wont distort. Not even at high volumes!!

CHANNEL 2

I leave this channel set on vintage mode... I keep the presence only about a quarter of the way up and I do not "scoop" the mid, I keep it about half way up. It produces a dark creamy sound covered with sustain. I mainly use it for slower-phrased soloing, as well as for slow-less aggressive rhythms... All in all this channel kicks ass!!

CHANNEL 3

I leave this channel set on modern mode... This is the channel I depend on the most! I keep my gain alittle over half way up, my presence about half way up and it produces a crunch that is too sweet to describe... I use it as my main rhythm and with one step of the solo boost it also becomes my main lead channel as well (quick scale runs & sweep picking sound superb!!)

Just remember how important the PRESENCE nob is when you first go to tweak it... If you don't know how to properly set your presence your going to sound like shit! Also, don't use a shitty cab or a shitty guitar with this amp because it'll show through!! I give this amp a 9 on sound quality mainly because there are alot of high gain amps with better clean channels...

Never had a problem...

Mesa/Boogie is a very good company that takes pride in there amps... They will help you anyway they can!

I'm 22, I've been playing for 10 years. I'm a full time musician and the band I play for is currently touring on a national level. So as you can imagine I've owned and played many amps. I use a Dual Rectifier because it sounds good, it's built tough, and most of all it's versatile. I own a total of 2 Dual Rectifiers... I would be lieing if I said that this was the best high gain amp I've ever played through... There are indeed a few that I think sound better but they all cost over $4,000 and aren't very road worthy or versatile... So I think if the amp suites your playing and/or genre then it's the best amp you can find for the quality and price. Go for it!! If either were stolen I'd get a new one :)