Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head

This one was made in 2003, I bought it used, have it about 9 months. It is versatile amp, can get many different tones. 3 Channel amp, ef loop, nice features, solo option. Have more power than you will ever need, this is actually the bad thing. You must crank it up to get that really warm tone, but that is impossible. When you turn the volume to 9 o'clock, you will be the only one that is heard in the band.

I use a PRS Custom 24 guitar. I wanted this amp for so long. I was the biggest mesa fan of all times. But now that I got it...not so impressed. Clean channel is ok. Can get some good tones, but far away from really good. Distortion is not even close as you would think. Moody as hell, much bass. Even when you put it down on 9 o'clock, it still has more than you need. Distortion...i can't describe it...defenetlly not for metal. In a bad way too loud, screaming in a bad way.

You can depend on it, as much as on any other tube amp.

Had a few questions, they never answered me.

This amp is not even close as you think it should be. Could be used only for some classic rock sound. But if you are in to that, better go for a marshall, or some mark series amp.
If you are into hi gain sounds, go for peavey, engl, or something like that. You get better, and fatter tone quality for half a price.

Ok amp, but way way overrated. It should cost around 1000 ???, not 2300???. It doesn't mean it is good if everybody plays it. I made that mistake, don't you made it too. Way overrated and overpriced, better go for something else.

I have owned the 2001 3-Channel Dual Recto for 8 years. ALL TUBE!!!

*POSITIVE*
The front panel is very straight-forward. 3 channels - independent master, gain, prescence and 3-band EQ on each channel. Each channel is also equipped with a mode toggle switch so you can play around with different tones.
The back panel is a tad bit more confusing, but if you take it one section at a time, it's very easy to understand.
*The slave out if very handy for direct recording or running a seperate power amp.
*Speaker output jacks are self explanatory.
*The effects loop section is where I got lost when i first got the amp. Everyone's tone tastes differ so just experiment with some different effect units and see what you like. I typically run my amp completely dry w/ no effects in the chain.
*The external switching jacks are used with MIDI devices that utilize a switching system(ie, Voodoo Labs GCX)...very handy when you're using multiple preamps, effects...
*My favorite part about this amp is the fixed bias switching, along with the selectable rectifier mode and power setting(bold or spongy).

*NEGATIVE*
*This amp doesn't have a ground lift, so if you run a switching system like I mentioned above, you may get a little his...it's a bit annoying, especially when you're in the studio.
*This thing needs reverb!!! If you're like me, and you don't use any effects at all, it's still nice to have a nice big sound that only reverb can provide.

Even though the good outweighs the bad, but because of that I can only give it a 9 for the features.

*First off, as it is with all tube amps, do not expect this to turn you into a guitar virtuoso. It's the exact oppsosite. Tube amps expose every single flaw with your guitar playing. You have to work to get those solos to sound good.*

Let's get techy! I play in a hard rock band(nickelback, sevendust) and I need tight punchy rhythms with searing leads. This is how I run my Dual Recto:
Tube selection play a HUGE roll in tone!

** PLAY IN THE 6L6 POSITION, TUBE RECTIFIER MODE W/ THE BOLD SETTING**
PRE AMP
V1 - JJ ECC83(standard)
V2 - JJ ECC83(high gain)
V3 - Tung-Sol 12AX7(standard)
V4 - Tung-Sol 12AX7(standard)
V5 - JJ ECC83(standard & balanced)

POWER AMP
2 - JJ GZ34(rectifier tubes)
2 - JJ KT88(outer sockets)
2 - JJ KT66(inner sockets)

FRONT PANEL:
Red Channel(great rhythm tone)
PRESENCE: 10:00
GAIN: 2-3:00
LOW: 9:00
MID: 12-1:00
HIGH: 10-12:00

Orange Channel(fabulous lead tone)
PRESENCE: none
GAIN: 3:00-max
LOW: 12:00
MID: 2:00-max
HIGH: none

Green Channel(best clean tone)
PRESENCE: 1:00
GAIN: 12:00
LOW: 11:00
MID: 12-1:00
HIGH: 2:00

I've experimented with all makes and models, and have read extensive reviews...simply put, I did my homework! This combination of tubes sounds great for a good solid rhythm, tight and focused leads, and the cleanest, warmest, fattest clean you'll ever hear!


I run an Ibanez S7320, equipped with a Seymour Duncan Distortion in the bridge postion, and a Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck position, into the Mesa Dual Rectifier, into a Marshall 1960A 4X12 w/ Celestion Vintage 30's. If you play a similiar setup, you will not be disappointed!

I've gigged extensively all over the country and have never had any problems. But I do carry extra tubes with me just in case! The mesa workmanship and craftsmanship is second to none, so I never worry about it breaking down.

A buddy of mine, who was faithful Marshall player told a joke. "You always have to have two Marshall heads. One on stage, and one in the shop!" That is not the case at all with my mesa head, or any I've ever owned.

I've contacted the techs at Mesa and have gotten swift responses to my question...usually in the same day...it was always about tubes and channel settings.

I've never had my Dual Recto worked on, nor has it ever been in the shop. Just remember, a tube amp will turn on you in a split second of you don't treat it kindly and gently.

I would buy it again in a heartbeat if it was stolen! Overall I can only give it a 9, but only because there is no reverb option, or a ground lift. Other than those two items, this thing is a 10!

100 watts, 3 channels, loads of gain, decent sustain. It is a very versitile amp. I liked the cleans. As for everything else, complete garbage. This amp is the most TONELESS amp on the market. Absolutely NO note definition, sounds like a hair dryer, and much too much bass that can never be dialed out. And incredibly overrated. Just because ever band you see uses one does not make it a great amp.

This amp has no tone. If you're playing only one note, that's fine. Anytime you play more than 2 notes, they blend and become one sound, not two notes played as a chord. There enters the ****** "hair dryer" distortion that isn't even great for metal. It's loose as hell. And too much woofy bass that refuses to be dialed out, even with the bass at 2. People say that it sounds great cranked, but with 100 watts it's almost impossible to turn it past 4. Most people today are complete idiots. The most wattage you will EVER need is 40 to 50. It's impossible to get power amp break up with this amp.

Overall, terrible tone. Buy a 6505 or 5150, you'll achieve your goal better sounding and cheaper.

Never dealt with.

Again, never dealt with.

All hype, absolutely NO NOTE DEFINITION or TONE. Awful bass, takes a year by itself to actually find a decent setting. An overrated piece of ****, shame Mesa. I am a Mesa fan, but more along the Stiletto lines or Lone Star.

All you little metal/posthardcore *******, go with a 6505. And you'll actually sound good.

I have read certain reviews stating that this amp has more features than necessary, I find this hard to believe as I am a total novice when it comes to understanding amps and this one is VERY easy to understand and very useful to use. The 3 channel, five button floorboard is a doddle to set up and comes with enough instructions to use with immediate effect. I still have a bit of trouble with the effects loops (a bit of squealing going on) but I take that as my limitations, not the amps. It's a bit unusual not to see a reverb function, but I am not complaining because I have other things to look after that side.

I am using a Paul Reed Smith CE 22 which I serious considered parting company with due to dissatisfaction with the sound I was getting out of my Randall Head. As soon as this thing went into the dual rec it was like instrument sexual magnetism... These two were made for each other and should spend the whole of there lives together. The sound of the amp can best be described as Schitzophrenic... The clean sound is stunning clear,warm and bright. Anyone who barks out that this baby is a one high gain trick pony truly is as dumb as a bag of hammers. But the reputation of the High gain sound is warranted and then some!! The shear anger and agressiveness of the crunch is awesome... It sends shivvers down my spine just thinking about it. Plus the extra features of he Vintage and Raw sounds really round up the plusses and I cant fault the sounds at all.

Obviously the amp is spanking new so I really hope I dont need to comment on this for a while yet.

Not had to deal with Mesa yet

I will probably never own another make of amp again...

Has most of the standard features, however it is missing a reverb. 2 channels, orange and red which are footswitchable.

I'm playing an esp ec1000 with an emg 85 in the bridge. It is a very revealing amp, so if you're a sloppy player you'll definitely hear it. The clean channel is nice. Not fender clean but that is to be expected. The gain channel is what this amp is all about and this is where it shines. Nice bottom end with suprising top end clarity. I'm not going to name the artists that use this amp, but the list of hard rock and metal artists rocking this piece of equipment is quite lengthy.

I've owned this amp for 2 years and the only I've had to do is replace the tubes. It seems to be of a solid build and I expect it to last for a long time.

I bought this amp from http://mesaboogieonline.com and have had to call Mesa once. They walked me through the problem (tubes were dead) and were very easy to deal with.

I've played on and off for 10 years and out of all the amps that I have owned, this would be on the top of the list. For hard rock or metal I don't see how you can go wrong.

at first glance the amp looks pretty bare, volume presance bass mid treble gain. and for the first two days that you own the amp you'll think to yourself "what the ****! No reverb?" untill you read the manual and lear how to used the back of the amp. the spongy/bold and rectifier switches switch turns your amp from a low headroom tube monster that bares its fangs as they drip with saturated vaccume tube ditortion into a gain addict hell bend on getting its next fix and then into a slick haird salesman whose clean lines will make you buy anything. add in the baziliion combinations of vintage/clean/raw/pushed/modern variations and tehres enough variety to make your head spin. 9 because of the non traditional features, not a 10 because of the lack of traditional features. yes, it has no reverb =[

if you bought the amp you already know what kind of sound you want. you just dont go out on a whim and throw 1.5k down on somthing you havent researched.

it sounds great with all the guitars ive played through it, each one has its own unique quirks to it, youll just have to play around with it.

but believe the hype, the brutal distortion is there, the bassy punch, the raunchy mids, the singing gains... all of it



the best advice i can gove on getting the saound you want form it is to
1. read the manual

and
2. call a friend who plays the drums and jam. Its 100000% easier to find that sweet tone you want when you can tune the amp against the sound of a drummer.

the amp is not a one trick pony as some people say, but youll never find that out untill you crank it. people who buy this amp for bedroom shred and so on will be pissed off when thay realize that this amp sounds liek **** with the volume on .5

in terms of tones its got everything that I've found i need, a clean chanel that distorts nicely for some kick *** blues and jazz

a pused channel for that long-haired-tight pants 70's and 80's rock

to a gain thats is so raounchy that you feel as though you should appologize. like after every palm mute you feel as though you should find and old woman and say "excuse me but im so sorry that my amp sounds so damn bad***." then because of how bad*** it sounds you'll continue to chug the shit out of whatever instrument your runnign through that beast.



but seriously the amp nails all the tones that youve heard people on the raidion play it for


metallica, the darkness, all time low just to name a few

so many tones are possible with this amp


JUST MAKE SURE TO READ TEH MANUAL!

built like a motherf****** level 70 warrior speckin prot and fury

for non -WoW players


its built liek a tank. ive had no trouble

havent had to deal with them

hell of a sweet amp, betles cover bands probably wont liek it, but then again, ive never seen a beatles cover band buy mesas, so i guess thats a problem noone will ever have


the average rocker will love this thing to death

so will metal heads, blues masters and just anyone looking for great tone and great playability

for being made in the mid 90's it has alot of features

Ok first thing is first change out the ****** Mesa Tubes because they make the amp sound very grainy and who ever leaves them in and thinks that the stock tubes sound good does not know what they're talking about. So my secret for my tone that I get from mine is from the JJ tubes that I ordered from eurotubes.com and right now I have (5) high gain 12ax7's and (4) 6L6GC's which will truly bring the amps true tones out. And the orange channel either on crunch mode or clean mode is actually really full sounding after I swapped the tubes out, and the red channel is really amazing with brutal lows and the way to sparkling highs and also what I have noticed is that Eminence speakers sound better with this head than Celestions in my opinion.

Mine was made in the mid 90's and still preforms like a champ

Any time I have called Mesa to ask simple questions they always are very polite and if they have do some research about a certain question they will call you with in that hour.

For the price range you can not go wrong also you can run the amp in solidstate mode or all tube mode and the amp can take almost every tube for the power section. I have owned a 2005 peavey Jsx, 2002 Mesa Road King Series 1 which is probly one of the most versatile amps ever made and now I currently own a Rivera K TRE and this Dual Rectifier and of course the Rivera has more gain but also alot more money and the Rivera is spec out for certain speakers and is not a fixed bias amp like the dual rec but I like each amp because is good in it's own way.

This is a 1999 model, so it is a 2 channel example (not the later 3 channel models). The channels are named 'Orange' and 'Red'. My configuration is currently set at 'Orange' for clean sounds and 'Red' for gain settings. The channels are assignable. By this I mean that each channel can be given a tonal characteristc - such as 'Vintage', 'Modern', 'Clean' or 'Variable High Gain'. This function is accsessed via a switch on the back of the head and allows for customisation of your channel settings. This is made easier by the fact that each channel has the same controls (Gain, Treble, Middle, Bass, Presence, Master) and channels are footswitchable.

Regarding the effects loop, Mesa are quite renowned for their complex operating systems. Shared by both channels is the 'Active Loop Master control' which controls the over all level of effects. When it is engaged in this function, a yellow LED on the front panel illuminates. There are various settings for the effects loop (which can be altared via a pot on the back of the head), but I have settled on the setting 'Red Auto' - which just seems to push the valves more.

Speaking of valves, this model comes with 5 12AX7 preamp valves, 4 6L6 power amp valves and the two rectifier valves, of which the designation escapes me. There is a feature that allows you to switch the bias between 6L6 and EL34's (again, via the rear of the head). Thus adding to the flexability of the amp. There is no denying the fact that Mesa amps are loaded with features, and all the supporting paraphenalia from Mesa does a good job of explaining the features, but the only real way to get to grips with the features on offer is to get out there and play one (if you can!).

I would not say that I have a simple set up, but I do not have over kill either, before I start, here is a list of effects I use:

ProCo Turbo Rat
Boss Bass Flanger
Electro Hamonix Small Stone Phaser
Electro Harmonix Mini Q-Tron Envelope Filter
Jim Dunlop Crybaby Wah
Boss Pro 21 Band Graphic EQ (Rack)
Boss Pro Stereo Noise Surpressor (Rack)

In terms of Guitars, I play a 1990's Fender Japanese Strat (with Stock Pickups), a 2003 Mexican Fender Tele (again with stock Pickups), a 2005 Gibson SG Special (Open Coil Stock Pickups) and a 19?? Gibson Les Paul Standard with EMG 81's and 85's.

The first thing I noticed with this amp is that IT WILL NOT COVER DODGY PLAYING *cough cough*. Every sound your guitar makes will come through your speakers. At the risk of sounding unimaginative, the Strat sounds like a Strat, clean and bright and the Tele sounds choppy and sharp. The clean setting on the Mesa really brings out the character of these guitars, as when set right, the clean comes very close to a Fender clean - I could imagine running this head on clean through an old Blonde 4x10 and not being a million miles away from a Bassman. Increasing the gain adds a little purr behind the clean so we are now into Plexi clean territory, and with the gain pushed all the way, you can do your best Hendrix impression until you achieve Rock superstar status or you asphixiate on your own sick - either way it sounds rather nice. The Strat and Tele when used with the high gain settings do not translate well. This is only my opinion and preference, but I do not like single coils when played through a high gain setting - they squeal, hiss and general sound brittle - however like I said this is only my personal preferance. I am sure if you like the sound of high gain single coils, this would work wonders.

The SG just sings through this amp - the cleans are warm and full, giving just a little bit of break up when pushed, but the real joy on this channel with the SG comes when the clean gain is set to 10 - it does not do a bad impression of a JCM 800, only with a little more gain, and with my TurboRat in the front end, I can get all those desirable classic rock tones - lets break out the big haircuts and little trousers people!

Channel 2 is pure Mesa - you know the tone that every amp emulator tries to tries to copy? This is it. Humbuckers make this channel - I find gain set to about 3'clock is the best setting, as (with the right EQ) you get all the gain, bottom end and top end definition and well as mid punch. Push the gain any ore than this and you get a horrible kind of 'mush' sound where you tend to lose your tone for the sack of bags of gain. Again this is down to taste, but I like to keep my tone, even when I am playing at higher gain settings. There is no doubt about it, Mesa's forte is the high gain sound, but for me the real surprise is the clean channel and how versatile it is.

Before I go any further I must apologise to Active Pickup enthusiasts -but my Les Paul with the EMG's does sound awful through this amp. I bought the guitar with the Pickups already installed because it was a bargin price at a closing down sale. I was using a Carlsbro Nu-Tone Stack at the time and thought the guitar sounded bad because I was not playing through a great amp. I think I was wrong because it still sounds bad through the Mesa. For me, the highs are too harsh, the lows to wooly and the mids do not exist - maybe I have a duff set of Pickups, I change the battery in a regular basis and it still sounds pap.

I would not say that I have a musical style, I just like good tone, and the Mesa does deliver - you have to spend a little time getting your head around all the features and find 'your sound', but the reassuring thing is, you WILL find YOUR sound. It is plenty loud enough for any gig and still sounds good at lower levels for rehershals etc.

I am giving this a 9 only because of the potential pitfalls of too much high

Soild construction, no tears (as I bought it flight cased) and looks like it is 9 months old, not 9 years. I would gig without a back up as it has just been seviced by a qualified Mesa Engineer in Suffolk. Needed revalving - but it was the first time since the amp was new, so I guess its pretty awsome.

Well well well, it can't be all good can it?

Bought the amp used of eBay - it did not come with a footswitch - not a problem I thought, I will buy one. Could not buy from Mesa online as they will only ship to the US. Had to speak to the UK distributor, and despite the fact I was dealt with by a very friendly operative, was staggered to find out that a single button, single function 1/4" Mono jack foot switch with the words 'Mesa Engineering, Rectifier' printed on the cost ??79.95 plus postage and packaging. Come on Mesa, we all know your gear is pricey, but nearly ??100 (including postage) for a footswitch? Thats a bit like daylight robbery.

I am giving a five for the friendly, almost apologetic operative, but thats only because he was nice - Mesa's approach to the niche market leaves a bit to be desired.

Been playing 15 years, I have listed my guitars and effects, so I wont list those again, but in terms of amps I own:

Mesa Dual Rectifer Solo Head,
Marshall JCM 800 2204 with JCM 800 4x12,
Marshall JCM 900 4100 Dual Reverb with JCM 900 4x12,
Vibtage 1970 Marshall 4x12 with Original Celestion 25watt Greenbacks
Orange PCC 4x12 with Celestion Vintage 30s
Carlsbro NuTone 250watt Head with 600watt 2x12 Flared and 400watt 1x15 Nutone cabs
Randall RG 200 2x12 combo.

To be honest, the Mesa stands out from them all - it has the growl and headroom of the JCM800 and the gain of the Randall. It is like all my other amps rolled in to one. There is a reson great amps become great amps (Fender Bassman, Fender Twin, JCM800, Plexis et al) and I firmly believe that in years to come, this amp will be up there with the greats, if it is not already. I only wish it had reverb. If it were lost of stolen, I hope my insurance would pay out, because I would get another one.

three channel amp each with three modes, pretty good, at least better than most amps for the price.

The myth about mesa/boogie amps is that they are muddy, boomy, and just harsh sounding, but that is not true. I bought this amp in search of that gut-wreching punch and high slice, i found it. mesa's take alot of time to get the sound you want, you have to play around with it for days, but once you dial in that tone, its perfect. clean channel is not that impressive, you realy cant get it super clean at high volumes, but when on the pushed mode, its a very classic, mild gain, just perfect for that older stuff. I play metal and blues and this amp works perfect. like i said you have time and paitence.

very reliable, i dropped the head and cab down the stairs and worked perfect the next day.

mesa sure beats the competion for the price.i've owned alot of different amps and mesa seems to have such an aggresive sound to it. most amps out there try to get the gain through the roof, but mesa works on the heaviness and the crushing tone. if yo have to the money buy it now. take my word, go to a mesa dealer and try one, you'll love it.

This amp was made in 2005 or 2004. I got it in early 2005. This amp is not versatile at all. It is a one or two trick pony. However those two tricks it happens to do very well. This is a 3 channel amp, FX loop, no headphone jack. It has more than enough feautres for me. (I dont use the FX loop that often). I use this amp at home, band practise, and at club shows. It has WAY more than enough power. This thing could shatter your ears if you're not careful.

As I said above, this amp has 1 or 2 usable sounds. I have had it for 2 years now and Im just beginning to unlock all the tonal possibilites with Channel 3, in my opinion the only channel worth using. The distortion, especially in the modern setting, is absolutely brutal (in a good way) and shrill. I do not like this setting as I am not a metal player. I switched to Vintage mode on this channel and I find it much tighter, punchier, and well-rounded.

I play 2 guitars through this amp and they both sound very good, although a lot (and I mean a lot!!) of tweaking is needed to get maximum tones. The two I play are a PRS Custom 24 with HFS pickups and a Vintage Hot Rod Tele with a single coil, and a Seymour Duncan mini humbucker. Most on the tele I use the bridge pickup and it sounds great. Switch to neck and it sounds REAL creamy and fat. Almost Les Paul-like (no kidding!) I mainly use the bridge/neck pickups on the PRS. Depending on what I am going for they each have different sounds.

The style of my band is along the lines of Tool, Deftones, nine inch nails, and the like. That is why I dont use the 'modern' setting as I feel it just rubs my tone right out. I do a lot of rythym/lead combos (only guitarist) and I need to hear those notes as does my band. I run the presence quite high on channel three. (About 3 o'clock).

Overall the sound quality is really good, but its very much a love/hate amp and its not for the faint of heart. It takes a LOT of work to get good tones and there are many factors that go into it (I run a number of pedals).

Hell yes. I have had to replace the tubes once in 2 years. I do not run it very hard though. Totally would rely on this thing, and I do gig without a backup (until i got a new silverface to run side-by-side). This amp has never broken down, thankfully. I have heard back road reliability stories on this amp but I have never been affected. 5 year warranty is very nice to have.

never dealt with them.

I have been playing about 12 years. I run the PRS, VHR Tele, through a Framptone amp switcher, into a Zvex Fuzz factory, an Xotic RC booster, a Deluxe memory man, a stereo memory man, digitech whammy, and a Boss TU-2. I also have a Boss EQ in the FX loop of the mesa.

I really hate the clean channel on this amp, I really think it sucks. NO headroom! That's why I got a Vintage Silverface. But overall the Mesa is very good. If it were lost or stolen I would probably buy a Marshall JCM. I have never owned marshall. At the time the Mesa blew everything else in the store out of the water.

3 channels, no effects (it's not an Hughes & Kettner), solo switch for volume boost important. Pretty straight forward stuff. Ability to switch to EL34 tubes is nice, or take 2 power tubes/1 rectifier tube out to run at 50W.

Ch 1 Clean: clean channel sounds fine, but in "clean" there isn't a lot of headroom. In "pushed", you really get the headroom but the breakup also starts coming in.
Ch2/3: the same except for the presence control in Ch 3 is more active. For overall distortion sound, this is a great amp. I fell in love with it while playing an American style Strat and various Gibsons at GC. When I got it home, I noticed my strat doesn't sound as good (it's a Vintage, not the American. Oh well). The distortion is great but there is an element of "fizz" you get on the higher strings that I can't seem to dial out. I run the gain at 9-10 oclock adn it's still pretty distorted. This is not an amp that cuts like a knife, but rather bludgeons you like a blunt instrument. It doesn't really stand out in the mix, but it does provide for a very full sound. If that is what you're looking for, great distortion wall 'o sound, it's great. The Stileto seems like the exact opposite - it slices through your brain, almost painfully so. For classic rock a bit hard to tame, but overall I'm happy with it.

No problems.

Pretty good. You get customer service's voicemail most of the time, but they will call you back sometime that day.

In the world of high end tube amps, I'm thinking this is an 8. If I were a thrash metal player, I'd probably give it a 10. Always in the relentless pursuit of tone and quite frankly haven't found anything better yet. Dialed in a few great tone on Splawn, Marshall Vintage Modern but I didn't get the 3 channels and solo boost. I play through the V30 1 and 2 12 Roadster cabs. Built like a tank. No reason to ever sell the cabs, but will keep experimenting with heads. Too bad Mesa couldn't make a Recto/Marshall mix. They say Stiletto is an attempt at that but I can't get any bottom out of Stiletto. And it's hard to get the top out of recto.

This Dual Rectifier was made in 1999. I play in a hardcore/post-hardcore band and this amp is more than enough as far as versatility goes. 2 channels (but there are 3 available channels you could assign to the 2). Clean, Vintage, Modern. Great effects loop, no headphone jack. The only feature I wish it had was an additional 8 ohm output. I'll explain later in the "Sound Quality" portion...

All tube, 100 watts, use it at the jamspot, and when playing shows. *shrug* Chances are, if you're looking at buying a Mesa/Boogie, then you know ALL about the features that a Dual Rectifier has.

If you're looking to hit a tone, be it a Fender-ish clean, Marshally crunch or balls-to-the-wall high gain massacre, this amp can do it. SOOOO much variety. The clean headroom is amazing, and the distortion is insane. Again, if you are looking at getting one, you know what they sound like, and what they can do.

I'm running a Gibson SG (with a Seymour Duncan Custom SH-5 in the bridge), and a G&L ASAT Classic. This amp sounds great with single coils and humbuckers.:]

Now, the reason I wish it had 2 8 ohm outputs is that I'm running this amp with an Orange PPC412 and an Orange PPC212 (both are rated at 16 ohms). Mesa/Boogie tells me that I can run them from the 4 ohm outputs without damaging the amp, but I would feel better if I had the impedance matched up properly, rather than a safe mismatch.

I run an ISP Decimator through the loop, so the amp isn't noisy at all. Even when I'm not running the Decimator, the amp is fairly quiet, considering how ballsy it is.

As stated above, I play in a hardcore/post-hardcore band. Imagine Thrice meets He Is Legend meets Glassjaw meets Misery Signals, and you're sorta there. This amp is perfect for the job.

Lots of people claim that the tone these bands rock is all gain, all scooped, and whatnot. Here are my settings that make my heart melt:

Vacuum Tube Rectifier
Bold
Red channel to Vintage
Presence: 12:00
Bass: 1:00
Mid: 2:30
High: 11:30
Gain: 2:30

Here's the only beef I had with the amp. When I got it, there were stock 12AX7A's in the pre-amp, and the amp sounded harsh and brittle. So, I threw in some a JJ Tesla in the 1st preamp stage, NOS JAN GE 12AX7's in the next 2 slots, and then Chinese made 12AX7 in the remaining slots. Stock Mesa 6L6's in the power section. HUGE difference.

It's a Mesa/Boogie. These things are built like tanks.

I've had to deal with Mesa/Boogie on 2 occaisions. First, it was with my old F-100 as I was having impedance problems. They weren't open when I initially called, but the following day, one of their techs called me back and discussed the issue at great length, making sure I understood it all. The second time I had to call Mesa, was to track down the back retainer bar (the aluminum one that protects the tubes), as the Dual Rec I bought didn't have it. I was expecting Mesa to charge me like $50 for the bar, and they said that it was just $6. :]

I've been playing guitar for about 6 years now, and the gear that I own is as follows:

Yamaha (Soldano) T-100
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (2 Channel)
Orange PPC412
Orange PPC212
Gibson SG
G&L ASAT Classic
Line6 DL4
Boss TU2

If this amp were stolen or lost, I would probably have a coniption. I love this amp...so much. I would definitely get another 2 channel Dual Rec. Maybe one from '96...

The ONLY thing I dont like about this amp is that I can't remove the front baffle to customize it. Even then, meh.

Everyone who knows Mesa will know this amp and its dual channel monstrosities. Both channels can also be altered by a switch on the back making the sound muddy (spongy) or hellatight (bold). Orange and red stand for 'semi' clean channels whitch can be distorted with the gain switch. Ofcourse you got yer standard 3way eq plus the presence button to determine how well you are able to put some high-body in this ultra blubbery massive powerbox.

There is no point in arguing over taste... I play an extreme form of metal and am not fond of the mesa distortion options as they make a slightly detuned guitar sound very unclear. I love what this thing does however when you take distortion from digitech because this amp boosts like no other. This is not an amp to get a versatile guitarsound with... just the best clean you can imagine. Either clean channel set without a lot of gain and only half the volume make your pants flap and your walls shake.

Anecdote... I bought this amp 6 years ago. It had been used around the house for about 3 years and as soon as I got it, RectumFryer was unleashed at least 3 times a week for some 5 hours. After that it was used for 2 cd recordings, 70 gigs and 2 4-week tours. 3 bands played their entire set on it each and every night because we all prefered it over the 5150 and triple rec that had been rented. Footswitch didn't last the tour (it was ruined by Cephalic Carnage feet) but as soon as I had found a decent guitarsound to record a third cd... the tubes went. After replacing them I found a sound only slightly better than on the 9 year old beat-up tubes. RELIABLE AS HELL!

no experience with that because of a guitarcentre in my hometown... just replacing the tubes.

I have compared this amp (i.c.w. a Jackson Kelly (duncan design hb's), Marshall JMP1 pre-amp or digitech RP1 distotion) to 5150's, Marshall 9100's, JCM8 and 900's, multiple Randall's and triple recs... nothing comes close... maybe the triple, and I have yet to test the JCM2000 but I think I can expect what will be the conclusion of that. If you have normal E or D tuned guitars the distortion in this amp creates a very pro buzz and run this thing through some decent vintage Celestion speakers and you're unbeatable. So much so that on live video recordings another guitarist will be pushed aside in every frequency.

C'mon, You know the features. Has everything but Reverb.

This is the rock and metal standard. Like it or not, Rectifiers are here to stay. So many people use them which means if you want to be different, get a Laney VH100R or something. Dual rects don't have the high compressed gain of the 80s metal years, but they have a low end that has yet to be duplicated. I find this a very enjoyable amp all around. The Marshall TSL is very special too, and with reverb!

Never a problem.

Always great support from Mesa, no matter how big they've grown.

Great amp. This isn't the only great amp out there, try out as many as you can.

Mine was made in 2004. It is a pretty versatile head; however, a good chain of effects (maybe including a Holy Grail, and a zvex FF, and keeley Boss DS-1) you can replace this versatility feature. Reason why it gets a 9 here.

I really wish it had integrated compressor and noise gate.

This amp is ONLY good at high volumes, not good for studio use as most claim. (try Fender Devilles, Mesa Mavericks, or Dr. Z Carmen Ghia)

However, Is the best for live performances (BIG GIGs).

Service on this amp is expensive. Stock mesa tubes are cheap quality. I found mine to work better with EHX 12ax7EH in the pre, and Tung-Sol in the power. This REALLY makes a difference in noise.

For noise, chek your line, cables, effects, power supply, etc.

Its shameful. channel 2 sounds very similar to chane 3. Channel 1 is beautiful, but it doesnt respond well with effects chains with alternating distortion phases. It doesnt have reverb either.

The distortion is brutal, but is almost overpowered by the increasing noise. My setup is top notch. even powerful noise gates (and I have quite a collection) cannot get rid of the noise. For live applications, a boss NS-2 will do the trick (very poorly).

Active EMGs seem to accompany better this monster. Vintage mode would go better with a couple of gibson burstbuckers.

As ALL the mesa products I've owned, the tubes are made to last about a year of regular playtime. ALWAYS carry a set of new tubes when you travel. INVEST on your tubes. MOD your amp (this will make it go from a regular noisy amp to the ultimate tone monster. Modded rectifiers are some of the best sounding amps ever.

They are the best.

Dont waste your time or money on this like I did. It sure looks cool, but at the end, what matters is the sound you produce, and not having a bulky piece of equiment wrapped in blck leather and shielded with a sparkling aluminum diamond plate.

Amp was purchased in 2006 and is a 2005 model. I play modern rock in a cover band and I play original instrumental guitar compositions. This amp is perfect for my taste in music. I do wish the clean channel had reverb but I honestly get along without just fine. This amp has more than enough power for any venue. I also have a 100 watt Mesa Dual Rectifer triple channel. I bought the 50 watt amp as a backup when my 100 watt experienced some power problems and needed serviced. I use the 50 watt amp exclusively now as I can push it at club volume without a Hot Plate or like device.

This amp can be noisy, If you dont have a Boss NS-2 or the like than you are going to be a sonic mess. I use moderate gain and use a TS-9 modified by Analogman to push the tubes in this amp. THE KEY TO GETTING THE SOUND I WANTED WITH THIS AMP WAS CHANGING THE TUBES TO EL-34's. This amp only requires 2 tubes ( vs 6 in the Dual Rectifier) so this is a rather painless monetary investment for much better tone. I will never go back to 6L6's. The EL-34's give more organic tone to my ears. I played the 100 watt amp exclusively for 6 years and now only use it for rehearsals and as a backup. Using a TS-9 or a ZAKK Wylde OD pedal in front of this amp is just brutal. The clean channel is not noteworthy but is good enough to get by with.

I have had no issues with this amp in the last six months since I purchased it. My 100 watt head did require servicing after 5 years but was covered by warranty. These amps are easy to maintain. Just change the tubes when your sound gets dull or when your amp makes an audible " click" sound when powering up. It takes all of 6 minutes to retube this amp. I have done it at gigs between sets without being in any rush. This amp does not require biasing. If you have owned a Marshall, etc you already know what a hassle biasing creates. I have a backup amp that I bring out of paranoia but this amp is easy to maintain if you keep extra fuses and power tubes in your gig bag.

No issues with the 50 watt amp. My 100 watt amp was purchased at Guitar Center so when it died I just took it back to them and they shipped it to an authorized repairman in Akron,Ohio. I had the amp back in 2 weeks. The work was covered by warranty and all I had to do was spring for new tubes. Having your gear break down can induce panic and despair but Mesa does a great job of helping you solve your problem and I could not have asked for more.

I have been playing for 22 years since I was eleven. I own 2 Les Paul Customs, Peavey Wolfgang, Musicman Axis SuperSport, PRS Singlecut, Cort Nz-1 ( a great guitar even though it says Cort on the headsock!), Ibanez Rg3120, Ibanez Mike Mushok Baritone, Jackson Dinky Xl and a Taylor 314ce acoustic. I use a mountain of stomp boxes which are mostly modified by Analogman ( www.analogman.com). A ts-9 through this amp with a Boss DD-20 delay in the fx loop is all the poop I really need. I have used a BBE Sonic Maximizer ( stomp version) thru this amp but did not care for the results.

I love this amp because it has great tone and is easy to maintain. I will sell my 100 watt Dual Rec triple channel before I would part with this 50 watt 2 channel.

GET EL-34's AND SEE WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

The amplifier I am submitting for review is the ORIGINAL 1989 Dual Rectifier solo head by Mesa Engineering. It is a two channel tube amplifier. Many others have detailed it's features. The feature I like best is the ability to switch from spongy to bold. My only complaint, and a very minimal one too, is the lack of reverb for the clean channel. But this is a very minor issue, because Fender makes great amplifiers for clean sound. Also, I think if Mesa thought it would add to the amplifier they probably would have engineered it that way. They did not and certainly Mesa has a reason for that.

The Dual Rectifier solo head is used for professional recording and live performances. Loud? Absolutely. Reliable? Always. Change your tubes when you need to.

This amplifier works, in my opinion, for every music style out there.

My main guitar is a 2001 Les Paul custom shop 1960 historic without binding and with custom wound/exposed coil humbuckers.

Here is what I can say. I play through this amp and have my volume knob on 10 on the Les Paul. I set it on its stand leaving the guitar volume on 10 (not the amp), and ... no feedback, no noise. Amazing!

The Les Paul through this amplifier is absolutely amazing. I am very spoiled, but I have suffered through crap amplifiers and worse guitars over the years. You can be a phenomenal virtuoso guitar player, as I am, but through crap gear people won't listen. Case in point, DO NOT try and make it with a cheap Jackson and a Crate Blue Voodoo as your rig. You will fail. Tone really is everything.

My main comment here is on the gain channel. It is the best sounding distortion out of any amplifier I have heard, which is about all of them except the Soldano and Bogner heads. For lead guitar, this is THE AMPLIFIER to own. The harmonics and sustain are the best in the world.

The clean channel does what I want, which is to be clean. The footswitching is silent and immediate between channels. The option to color tone from "spongy" to "bold" makes this a very versatile amplifier as well. And, so you know, if you want a solid state clean tone, the amplifier can be switched from vacuum tubes to silicon diodes. I don't use this feature, but it is there if you want it.

All in all, for distortion rock guitar tone, the Dual Rectifier solo head is the best.

This amplifier is built like a tank and if you dropped it 50' on to concrete it would still work after a tube change (not that I have). It has never broken down, my tubes last for years, and it never will break down. The only way this amplifier would fail is if the user was an idiot who let it be used as a place to put your beer, and of course spilled beer into it.

One important point: make certain after playing for a while you let the tubes cool down before moving it outside if it is cold. The tubes will shatter. 30 minutes is enough time, and if the bar owner or another band says otherwise, kick them in the teeth!

Purchased from a musician in Knoxville via eBay for $1100, in 2001, I must say this has been the smartest purchase I have ever made. In fact, to me this amplifier is more important and valuable than the $2500 Les Paul I own. If someone steals it, they will be skinned alive. Then I would buy another USED rectifier. With the guitar, Gibson builds them every day, and if you have the cash, you can get a great Les Paul custom shop. I don't believe Mesa builds rectifiers like they did in 1989, as the year of this amplifier. Not only is this an awesome guitar amp, I believe it will be a true investment as the years past.

I purchased this amplifier because it is what Metallica stands by. I did NOT even bother to check it out when I bid on it. That is how much I respect James and Kirk's opinion on gear. I was not let down, and if are thinking of buying this amplifier, stop thinking and just do it.

This amp was bought new at Guitar Center in November of 2005. I knew the tone I heard in my head was lurking in this beast somewhere, and Guitar Center was having their No Interest thing (for 90 days on Mesa) so I took the plunge. Very happy to buy it new, as they now have 5 Year Warranties. Yeah Mesa.

3 channels, solo boost, FX loop, runs all cab ohmages, 5 button footswitch, it's got it all here. I can't think of anything I would want on this amp that it doesn't come with.

I play this amp in my hard rock band Bipolar through an Avatar 2x12 cab with Vintage 30s. I also put it through a THD Hot PLate, and quite frankly if you're NOT playing it through a Hot Plate there are 1 of 2 things going on. 1) You complain that you Boogie sounds like shit or 2) It sounds great but you are completely deaf. This thing NEEDS to be pushed to sound how you hear it on all those great sounding recordings. But it's too God damn loud for stage, hence the Hot Plate.

I play it with 2 Ibanez SZs and an Iceman. All have EMG 81/85s in em. I run a TC Electronics G Major through the effects loop with the "Send" cranked, as it's the only way to run that G Major without it sounding stupid (I forget why that happens with the Boogie, oh because it's a parallel FX loop and not serial). I use the G Major because it is completely transparent and doesn't color the tone AT ALL. I control that with a Rocktron Midi Mate.

On to the sound (by the way I gave it a 9 simply due to the "clean" channel)

Channel 1: If you play this thing loud (as you need to for good distortions) you're hopefully not buying it for the clean. The clean is "Ok sounding" when the volume is below 9 o'clock. You get over that and it's starts to break up. Maybe that's cool when you want it to, but I want my clean to be CLEAN. Fortunately, I don't play much clean in my band, and if I did I sure as hell wouldn't be buying a Boogie (and I don't know who would).

Channel 2: I use it for just a bit less gain then than CHannel 3. There are some really great sounds in here, again if you're working the power tubes. I use it for leads in some of our slower tunes, and of course during tunes where I don't need rip your face off distortion and I don't want it clean either.

Channel 3: Where its at. The reason you buy a Boogie. Stupid amounts of gain if you need it (I have mine at 12 o'clock). I find with this channel more than the others it's really tough to get a good sound out of it. You TOUCH anyone knob and it changes every other knob. I've had this amp 6 months and I've just now gotten the sound I'd always dreamed of out of it. I through the cab downstairs in my sound room, ran a mic and speaker cable upstairs to the head and the back of my computer. I can sit, isoltaed from the sound, in front of the computer, and tweak my knobs til I get the perfect sound. I even bought a Sennheiser e609 and built a bracket for it so that everytime I play I use the same mic in the same location. THIS is how you get a good sound out of a Boogie. Oh, and turn your output to at least 11 o'clock to get those tubes working.

Lastly, the way to get a good sound (unless you never play mic'd at a gig) is to do it just the way I said. I played with a GREAT band 2 weeks ago (who I won't mention by name) who's Boogies sound unreal on their album. I walked up the front of the stage and sure enough, they sound fantastic. As soon as the sound guy put em' through the PA, they sound like crap. Why? Because standing 4 feet away from your cab with your ears 6 feet above the speaker cone is NOT how your amp sounds when mic'd. That makes it sound great on stage, but through the PA they sounded like garbage. If you play mic'd, get your sound dialed in mic'd. Honestly my amp leaves something to be desired on stage, but I know out in the audience it's ripping people's faces off. Anyway, just some good advice for you.

I don't gig with a backup ($1700 is a bit much to drop on an amp that HOPEFULLY won't get used) but it really does feel very sturdy. My other guitar player just got a Krank endorsement, and that thing feels like a paper weight compared to the Dual Rect. Plus, it now has a 5 year warranty, so how the hell can you argue with that?

I havn't dealt with them, but I hear they're great. BUT, can't really say anything here I havn't talked with them.

I've been playing 8 years or so, and I'm on the verge of making this my career. My last amp was a Carvin MTS which really is a great amp (GORGEOUS CLEAN) but the distortion tones are a bit anonymous. I knew I needed that Dual Rect for the tone I was looking for. Anyway, I'll soon be getting these things at cost, so that comforts me knowing that when it does break or get stolen, I'll have some more on the way on the cheap. That said, the ONLY amp I might consider other than this one is the Bogner Uberschall. I havn't played one, but I love em' when I hear em. However, that amp ALWAYS sounds like an Uberschall, and I guess if you ever wanted to have a different amp tone, then the Bogner wouldn't be for me. So we'll see how Mesa treats me for awhile.

Only thing I dislike is that their isn't a bit more head room on the clean channel. I know I'm pushing it, but c'mon, just gimme A LITTLE more clean.

I bought mine in 1998 used of off a friend. He bought it about a year earlier. This amp can cover almost all styles of music from jazz to most metal. If you play grindcore or death metal like I do you may need something like an EQ or the BBE to tweek it. An overdrive also helps.

It has two channels, an effects loop that is assignable, and channel cloning. The channel cloning is not available anymore on the three channel versions. What a great idea that got lost.

I wish that gain was bit more brutal and that it had more punch to it. Try other cabs with it. I have the Mesa oversized cab and that is OK, but the Marshall with 75watt celestions sounds tighter.

I have used this amp to jam with many people. It has more than enough power. It can drown out most other amps and drummers.

I give it a ten for its incredible power and versatility. Even though it needs a push for the grinding that I like, it still dominates!!!

I use an Ibanez S470 that I have had for 12 years. It has a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge and a bridge postion JB in the neck. Like I said above, it will suit most styles, but needs some tweeking for grinding. There is minimal noise from this amp.

The clean is very clean for the most part and can get some sizzle to it. I personally like that.

This amp is very reliable. I would gig with it. I have not had it break down on me. I just had it gone over for the first time in eight years and in that period of time, I have had no problems.

I have called Mesa before. They are very nice and helpful. Great customer support and assistance.

I have not had it repaired. There has been no need. As far as the warranty, I do not remember how long it lasted for.

I have been playing for 16 years. I have owned Crate, Marshall, ADA (remember them), Peavey, and Mesa. The Mesa has been the best so far. The only thing that I have played that is very tempting is the Randall MTS.

If I lost it or if it was stolen, I would not replace it since they are not made like this anymore. If I found a used one in good condition then I would.

Current touring-recording rig

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head
2 Channels
5 12AX7 pre amp tubes
4 EL-34's
2 5U4G-A rectifier tubes. {recommended by Mesa tech for metal sound}.
Channel switching,Effects loop? Yes / Headphone jack? No


* What features do you wish it had?
A lower price tag. {Although it did feel great when I finally bought this amp because I wanted one since the first day I tried one out at the Rock Walk in Ca. 13 yrs ago}.
Secondly, this is not a "wanna be a tube amp modeller" that does not produce hiss. This amp, as all high power tube amps create some degree of noise. However this can be completely eliminated with a Rocktron Super C Hush unit. {And no I am not a salesman bitch}.
So in short, I guess a built in gate would be cool.

Are there features you never use?
The volume knob.. it just stays cranked. ;) Really, I like to experiment with everything. You have a ton of versatility with this product and I recommend taking the time to teak.

* Where do you use this amp?
I have played shows all over the midwest and time and time again people are complimenting on the Boogie. I am not being conceited, Mesa deserves all the credit. Refer to my rig description and you will see that I use no pre-amps, effects, or other signal processing units. {other than my cry baby}.

Does it have enough power for you?
This thing will make your ears bleed. Yeah, it's loud enough.

Guitars-
Dean * Z series explorer stlye with stock Zebra pickups.
Jackson * Professional series shark fin v.
Ibanez AE with Fisher active electronics.
Effects-
Rocktron [Rack Mounted] Super C Hush unit
Dunlop Crybaby Wah pedal

This amp will get almost any tone you want if you take the time to dial it. This amp is loaded with enough options to be 5 different amps in one. There is more distortion than most people could handle unless your into death metal or grindcore or something.
If you like Metallica, Pantera, Nuclear Assault, Megadeth style of music, this amp will do it right out of the box with no signal processing.

Again I say..."This is not a "wanna be a tube amp modeller" that does not produce hiss. Or noise.
This amp, as most high power tube amps create some degree of noise. However this can be completely eliminated with a Rocktron Super C Hush unit.

I play mostly metal in my band CREEP but I also have a cleaner, melodic side as well and love acoustical compositions.
Check out Creep music at:
www.cosmeticmutations.com/creep or www.myspace.com/creeplair
New cd, and sound samples coming soon!

Reliability

* Can I depend on it? ABSOLUTELY!
* Would I use it on a gig without a backup? I do all the time.
* Has the amp ever broken down? The only time I ever had a problem was at a show the sound guys crossed the main power over on the stage and it shorted out my rig. EVERYTHING got smoked, and my amp blew a fuse. Panic stricken I used the foil off of a pack of Camels and wrapped the fuse and jammed it back into the head and it worked fine!
* NOTE
{I do not recommend doing this}.

Boogie has been awesome working with me as far as ordering parts, and giving me advice.
Great Job!

US Domestic Support: (707) 778-6565

* We are open 9:00am-5:00 pm Pacific Time,
Monday through Thursday.

* Phone: 707-778-6565
Fax: 707-765-1503

* Mesa/Boogie,
1317 Ross St.
Petaluma, California
94954 USA

I bought this amp used with the 4X12 Recto cab used for $1400 about five yrs. ago.
I feel I got a great deal. If it were stolen I would try to replace it.
I pray that doesn't happen.
The only reason I gave the amp an overall 8 was -1 point for hiss, and -1 point for inter-galactic price tag.
I have compared Mesa's to a lot of other amps and honestly wouldn't be happy with anything else.
If I were to add anything it would be a direct out for recording.
{But that wouldn't sound like a Boogie cranked on 10 then would it}?
P
E
A
C
E
~jR

I bought it brand new last year(2004). 100W.
I use PRS cu24 and cu22 with it, and this baby is versatile enough for all kinds of dirt sound I want.
It has 3 channels, LOOP, LINE OUT, channel switching and you can use EL34 or 6L6 power tubes. It also features 2 kinds of rectifier types.
All those features are enough for me, not as complicated as the roadking which I own, but it's enough!

I use two PRS and one EBMM with it. I just want to say they sound perfect. I know a lot of people think dual recto sounds muddy, lacks definition and the low ends not tight enough. But IMO if the dual recto has lots of definition, as tight as the Uberschall and the Powerball, it can't be named DUAL RECTIFIER, it'll be named crap. I use this baby to play all kinds of dirt sound, like blues, hard rock, classic rock, pop, metal. The clean channel is ok, just ok. But who cares, the baby is famous for its dirt.
To compare with the old 2channels dual recto, the 3 channels dual has more bites and attack, sounds kinda cold. Two different animals.

It's never broken down.

I don't need it.

I've been playing 10 years. I've owned a few mesa amps, The dual rectifier and the mark4, mark2 C+, tremoverb, blue angel are the best mesa products IMO. They are Not as pricey as the uberschall, herbert and some boutique amps, but these amps are very reliable and sounds incredible. All I want to say is the DR is the king of distortion.

I believe i bought this amp in 1999. I allmost had to
put all my money in it to buy it, quite expensive BUT it
is a great amp.
I play different styles, Rock, hard - Rock, metal (not often), etc. For this music its a great amp, but thats my opinion.
It has two chanels, sometimes i wish i had 3 channels, but i have
solved the problem with a Duecetone from proco.

I play now on a Jackson Kelly, with hardware upgrade to EMG pickups 81, 85, with mid control. Im thinking about to buy a Fret King Corona 70, it also sound really great on this amp.
The amp suits perfect to my music style.
The variety is ok, like i sad i use a proco Duesetone with it so
i have enough variety, when u dont have a other overdrive pedal i recommend it because 2 chanels is really not enough.
I dont know what other people say but i dont think there is
a amp that sound so good clean!!!!
The distortion is really High gain!! So more than enough gain.
- One side note i have to make, the amp isnt really still, it has a low noise when my guitar volume is out.

Really great, it never broke down or anything.
Just buy new tubes when they are used up, and play!!!

Don't know, never used any service of Mesa Boogie.

I use a Jackson Kelly with EMG - Looking for a more allround guitar
-> i think its gonna be a fret King.
I use a Rat Duecetone from Proco and a Morley Bad Horsie Wha.
Still looking for a good reverb.
If it would be stolen i would buy a new one if i can pay it.

I believe I got this 2001. I think that alomst all styles can be played on this amp,I have like a latin funk rock reggae type os style and it does the job.Its a basic three channel with the fxloop.For as long as I had this amp the power and sound only gets better.

I use a American Telecaster with a lace senser,it has pretty good punch.The clean channel is crisp and clean the distortion rocks the house. I took this rig of mine everywhere to our shows and small partys and even in the rain the dualy always does the job.

I think I blewout A couple of tubes after the first two years, but ever since then no problems.I would definitely use this amp with no backup maybe a backup guitar.

One year warranty it should like five years cause you never know what could happen.The guys at the mesa shop were cool and gave me a couple tips.

Its a good amp none the less you cant go wrong.If it were stolen I would get another one no question! I would say the only amp that would probaly give it a run for its money is the OrangeAmp.The Mesa sounds pretty good running with Px4 I like to mess around with it.
All in all The Mesa Dualy is a fantasic piece of work!

My amp is a 2000 model bought new. The amp has two channels. The orange channel allows you a choice between vintage gain and clean. The second channel is the red channel which is your modern gain selection. This amp has amazing features. The effects loop is pretty nice although I dont use it much. Only modulation effects work well in the effects loop because distortion or EQ effects are too noisy. I love the spongy and bold switch. You really notice a difference in sound. The bold switch makes the sound very heavy and punchy while the spongy gives you a more van halen sound. The sound tends to sag a little (very useful for lead guitar).

I use an epiphone les paul standard with this and a fender lone star strat. Both guitars have seymour duncans. This is the greatest amp ever. The sound is absolutly perfect for everything I play. This amp can play country, blues, jazz funk and especially any kind of hard rock, metal grunge. I love the clean channel because of the gain setting. When you crank it you get an old marshall/fender sound. Great for blues. The vintage is great for classic metal and any classic rock. This is also the channel I use for all my leads because the harmonics are fantastic. The modern channel is more punchy and really hits that modern rock sound(Soundgarden, Metallica, Dream Theatre). My last band I was in played lots of styles of music and the amp hit everyone just perfectly. I play the amp through a 4/12 marshall. The amp gets very loud!! I have played it on stage many times and have had no problems being heard. I have also played the amp on several cab configs. It sounds excellent on 2/12s and 1/12 inch speaker cabs!! You need to buy this amp because it is the best that is out there and I have played a lot of different gear. Mesa will always be the best in my opinion because it is such a versatile amp.

This amp is very reliable. I only had a 12 ax7 go out on me and had it fixed and it has never had any other problems. I have had the amp for about five years and it is a tank. The amp took a spill off the cab once from our drunk nut ball drummer. It never even scratched it in fact I picked it up and it played fine. No problems what so ever. The amp is sturdy and built very well. I have never had to change the tubes in the five years I have had it probably should some day. The tubes are excellent though because they really keep their sound and dont degrade. So except for the minor 12 ax7 the amp is extremly reliable.

I never have had to deal with the company. I heard they are nice people though. I wish the warranty was longer(1 year)

I have been playing for 11 years and have owned marshall, fender, crate and roland. None of this gear matches up against mesa. Not even the slightest bit. Great sound, versatility and reliability. I love how the amp has inspired my playing because I never get bored with playing around with different settings. I cant emphasis enough how versatile this thing really is!!! Take a lot of time and really play with this thing. It is the best sound ever. I will never sell it and if somebody stole it I would buy another one and then find the guy who stole it and take it back. Then I would have two!!!! HEll YEAH!!!!!!

This is an update to my 03/09/2005 review.

I have since re-tubed the amp with a full set of JJ/Tesla Tubes from Eurotubes.
6L6's for the power
GZ34 Rectifier upgrade - this upgrade is worth it
ECC83S in V2-V5
ECC803S in V1 - this is the secret weapon

This set up is amazing! The amp now sings with much more clarity and thanks to the ECC803S in V1 it is quieter with no loss of definition. They say that the gain is lower but i dont notice a drop in gain; instead I notice a clarity in the gain. The amp in a whole is more "warmer and rounder"

I never realized what a difference tubes can make, call Bob at Eurotubes or just read the site. The amount of information is amazing.

One thing I really love about the reveiws for this amp is that most people say they LOVE THE RECTO or HATE THE RECTO!!!!Nothing is in the middle on this amp opininion wise.When these first came out I COULD NOT DIG IT.mid 90's 2channel (orange/red).Features great"modern"rock tones that cannot be duplicated by the roadking or the 3 ch model D.R....close but no cigar.My story with this amp is simple.I went to the local g.c. to look at a roadking head that was "on sale".I know the R.K. is well built and the foo's took em to rock in rio so I figured they could cover alot of ground and be reliable..I might add,.Before their last tour they had triple recs/ac-30.Before that it was the dual recs/and a heart breaker for dave.As I was playing around with the Roadking,A kid next to me plugged in to the dual rec.He instantly had that signature higain thing those amps do so well.It was great sounding right off the bat with not much fuss.At first I thought maybie his boogie 4x12 cab was diffrent.So I plugged the roadking in to his cab and tried very hard to copy the feel and tone of the dual rec thinking it was possible...NOT!!!After fiddling and fiddling trying to get the roadking to do one thing really really well,I gave up and bought the older used dual rec and saved $800.00.Accept no substitute.There are some good tones in the R.K. but they are just good verses the one or two great tones on the dual rec.I was after the foofighters colour and the shape tones amoung others.This nails it.I like the three channel triple rec as well and the tones are in the ballpark but this dual rec has a bit of a certain magic mojo with less knobs and stuff.Features do not equall tone in this case.Has enough features even if it had one channel.

I only use the D.R. with lespauls at the moment.I bet a p-90 l.p.would be cool.The clean is not the reason you should consider a boogie in my opinion.Try a vox/matchless or a hiwatt or a fender or a jc-120.If you want to avoid spending time and money,Never expect one amp to do everything.I use this for modern heavy distortion.There might be things that kinda sound like it now or mabie the Diezel is this or that but I v'e waited this purchase out to find this is really the amp defined the 90's higain rock tone.....mxpx,blink,foo's,godsmack,creed,Rammstien,Jerryfinns productions and anything else.The recto is not like any other amp.It can be a date stamp for music at this point in time because so many hardrock hit records have been made with these.They are a genre onto themselves.

A tank.

Hot and cold.Better than most.

I have many amps and I want to break it down to a few that are the best of a class.This was a landmark amp for mesa...some would like to forget that it ever happend im sure.Nothing else is like it.Not even the mesa triaxis can do it with its"recto mode...come on!!Who are they fooling?.I own a hiwatt dr 100w custom,matchless hc'30 sn#007..victoria deluxe..a rockaforte 18w and daniel 45.I play many styles.The bottom line is women need many shoes and purses and men need many diffrent guitars and amplifiers and effects.

Take a look at one. Damn that for fun. I uesed to like farting around with all this. Not really my bg, but I think the idea was god. I Love options, but more they add value - and for the sounds thing dials up - well... It's overkill and selling hopes to fools... If you get sold on all the buttons, knobs and lights that is.

Teh Good features were, the retifier switching, and Bias switch for quick tube tastes... The rest, well I thought just thinned the sound out.
8 for features (1 lost for no Class A A/B selection, the other lost for no neg feedback selector) - but a 4 for anything that "SOUNDED" good.

I have 1 Ibanez seven String, 2 RG's with Evo's. 2 Les Paul 58's prems, 1 Strat, 1 Tele, 1 Rickenbacker. No FX. Just a cable.

The only thing that could work this amp was the Gibbo's.
Channel 1 (Clean):
Way average. Not impressed. Flat, basic EQ shape. no sparkle no shimmer. I ahve heard marshalls sound better than that. Rated: 5

Channel 1 (Pushed): Better, but not really bluesy. Not chewy sweet, a bit more brittle bite. Rated: 6

Channel 2: Raw and vintage are just diluted versions of the modern option. Basically I just trashed this channel. I am not sure what it is trying to imamate, or create but it was not really good for any style ? sounded cheap. Again, just flat. No honk or guts.

Channel 3: Same as above for Raw and Vintage. Useless!!! But, The Modern channel , with the Solo boost on, fu*k around with the FX loop pots, and power it as ?BOLD? and you have you Boogie sound. This is where you money comes home. Still not great, really some punch and sparkle on the lower to medium mid?s.

This amp has bass, and power, but not rich ballsy punch. Rated: 8 Nearly perfect for sound I bought it for.

Seems sold. Always a bit dubious about that many features screwing with tone, my tech's head and my wallet. But had it for 8 months and hit it hard twice week for 3 hours a hit - solid.

Who knows. Not even sure Mesa support anything outside the US. Most American companies shoot themselves in the foot by voiding all ther Warrantees outside the US. Why make em power rated for another coutry and sell them when you're not even confiedent enough to warrantee the goods. Gives me faiths in the product too! NOT.

For a real vanilla flavoured all-round stage beast that has the saturation and really basic clean sound, this is really it. No extra OD pedal required. Not a great lead amp. God knows why anybody thinks it is. Nu-Metal ? Just smooter you sound in tin foil.

Mine was stolen ? I will not another one. I tried the Stiletto and that has some reasonable sounds to?more in the channels I wasn?t impressed in with Recto, and fail miserably on the channel where the recto shines! Go Figure!!! HA!

They?ll get a tight mix one day. So Stiletto is out, again unusable in most cases. The Recto has a boutique price but not a boutique sound. I am buying a Bogner Ecstasy head and quad as a replacement.

NOTE: Make a Marshall sound fatter ? USE THESE QUADS! They are great. Leads me to believe that the head might have sounded average through a standard market quad!

mine is a 1998 model. There are so many features on this thing that it first scared me. I always thout that the more features you have the more it sucks out tone. I was pleasantly surprised here. The dual rectification option is kick ass I can brown out the sound and crank the mother fucker. The fact that it has a el 34 option is also ideal to me I have been useing groove tube e34ls and they work great here which I was also concerned about. Are there features I wish it had NO!
Is it versitile I would say so.

The sounds are what I was looking for a long time ago. The clean is cool it is in a whole realm of its own (its kinda fat and a little gainy it works with my sg in a good way.)The vintage gain I don't use
I use the modern gain channel. Ok heres the kicker I don't play Nu-Metal,Power Punk or Faggoty AfI shit either(I honestly thought the lead singer was a chick he sounds like one). I play rock inspired by
Zepplin, Sabbath,Purple, The Clash, Bad Religon and Metallica. So why am I useing a rectifier instead of a marshall. Simple That amp has my sound. As soon as I heard it I knew it was the perfect companion for my Sg. I also use les paul classics for back up. It compliments each guitar and makes each one sound unique. Oh yeah here's another tip
don't crank the eq (read the manual). I never have any of the eq past
1 o'clock including the gain. I think the rectifer has a cool unique
sound it may not a apeal to everybody but it does to me.

It hasn't broken down so I gues it is reliable. I droped it out of my car once and even the tubes were still good (oh shit I forgot Im using groov tubes)

They know their product very well and will always tell you some cool things you can do with it. Except for one qirp They will only recomend their tubes (Go to eurotubes.com they are the supplier of JJ tubes my groove tubes are actually repackaged JJ tubes. groove tubes dont make their own tubes.) Buy from Euro tubes they can make you're rectifier sound dynamite)

I have been playing guitar for 12 years. I used to own a marshall jcm 800 (cool amp not my sound I heard in my head) I am not in a professional touring band but I do play shows and I will tell you this amp has not let me down. Any one who complains about this amp being muddy (wow are you kidding me It has a fat sound but muddy where are you're settings on 10). I use it with a mesa tradional 4X12 and a marshall 4X12 lead at the same time and a dunlop cry baby classic. Im happy.

Distortions - As usual mesa did a great job with the distortion on the amp. The problem is that for the price it is basically a 1700 dollar distortion pedal.
Clean - It sounds like you are playing through 2 plastic cups attached to a string, dull and boring.
Channle swithing - The biggest joke on the amp. Nothing sounds sweeter than that loud pop through your cabinet, when you change from one channel to the next. I contacted mesa and even has the amp at a service center to be checked and they stated this was normal. They even had the balls to list some of the famous people who are using there amp. But I bet for damn sure they are not being sent to a service center.

DIstortion - Awesome for power chords but does not generate clean solos or single notes.
Clean - Empty and Hollow Like the tech i spoke to at mesa
Channel Switching- Pop POp Pop need I say more.

They state how these amps are built like tanks. Remind the army never to purchase from mesa. Amp was broke from day one and because the lack of supply of thier product have a nice ride to your local service center.

There is no reliability for a company that doesn't stand by there product. The employies at mesa are worthless except their Secratary who seems to be the only person whose voicemail you do not get.

Just 2 things 1 for anyone thinking of buying a boogie amp and one for mesa themselves.
1. Don;t just buy this amp because everyone you see on tv is playing it. Just remember they are playing through multi million dollar systems and any flaws with the amp is the least of there worries because they have seven back ups and pro techs. Do not buy in to the hype just go to a guitar shop and play wha tsounds the best .
2 For mesa I hope a company never come out with a distortion effect that matches the rectifier ditortion because if they do mesa better try making pop corn machines.

This review is for a 2 Channel (1995).

2 Channels (orange & red), effects loop, channel cloning (a great feature), Bold / Spongy switch. Everything a normal guitar player needs.
I mean honestly folks, what else do you need. I love when people say "well it could use another channel or maybe 20 more tubes", or even the kitchen sink. Be for real. Guitar players use 2 sounds - Clean or Dirty and the good players mostly use one, so think about it.

I have had this head (and recto 4-12 cab) for over a decade and have finally figured out how to use it - seriuosly. This is for all the idiots (including my self) who say "This thing sucks and has no tone" Have any of you people actually read the manual??? The tone controls are VERY dynamic & will dramticaly alter the tone from bad to worse if you think you can set this thing up traditionaly (with everything at 10 as most people do). PEOPLE THIS IS NOT JUST A METAL AMP!!! It can do anything, you just need to understand how the controls work with each other - thats right each other. I now get huge clean tones & mild crunch tones as well as over the top high gain modes.

I play mostly Rock & blues, and run the head via a 4-12 recto or 1-12 cabs. Guitars are the standards Les pauls, Strats & a 335.
Effects are plenty, Boss trem, chorus, delay, phaser, ts-9 & a budda wah. all very quiet, and the effectsloop is dead silent as well as the amp itself in either mode.

I used to get a very harsh distortion/overdrive until i took the time to read the manual, there i found out how the presence controls actually work inconjunction with the gain & treble controls. Now gone is the harsh distorions, and the clean is clean, loads of headroom & clear. I can get SRV tones with my strat out of this thing now, as well as very cool Santana like lead tones. I can also get some very cool Larry Carlton tones with my 335 (although i know no one will belive me). Mesa actually states that if you crank the gains to the max you are basically bypassing all the tone controls, most likely resulting of the bad tones everyone below is commenting on - again please take the time to read the manual!

10 years of gigging and playing at home with no issues.
Only thing that i have done is change the tubes.
very reliable

Everytime I called or emailed with questions, they have always returned my call/email.

I was on the verge of getting rid of this amp for something else, until i went to the Mesa web site. It made all the differece. I have a new love for this amp, and i wish everyone would stop calling it a "Metal amp", it is simply not true. I have seen country players using them, as well as other non-metal players. the fact is the Most Mesa's are over-engineered and thats fine, you just need to learn how to use it once you have it. If you are not getting a good tone, you're not being patient.

Every feature almost imaginable ( no reverb on the dual solo heads )
But is more than a complete package for a tube head.

I like em personally

Never personally had a problem

One of those company's that respect all of their customers

Ok here is where I rant. First off the dual rec's are a unique sounding head with a very uniuqe eq set up ( Half a recto equals a dimed marshall ) except for one thing it is a totaly different sounding beast than marshall (even with el 34's). So far in this numerous reviews people have been stomping on them. Look if you don't like them that's cool buy an amp to suit you're needs ex if you want a Zakk Wylde sound buy a JCM 800, if want a tight thrash sound there are amps that nail the tone in spades. Just because it has a dimond grid face doesn't mean it will cover every metal tone out there and it isn't designed to give you a fender clean. Plain and simple it's a mesa boogie with a mesa boogie clean (sounds pretty fat usually) and a mesa boogie crunch. The dual recs are more agressive than other mesa boogies in sound but that doesn't make it a complete metal amp.
Otherwise it would have been called The Metal Machine or something stupid like The Doom Box Enforcer. In fact it is called the dual rec stands for the fact you can change the rectification of the power section from silicone diodes (more agressive) to rectifier tubes (old school sag) vintage sounding. Now does this sound like a feature in a thrash metal amp no. In short if you don't like an amp thats cool it's not you're sound people hype the dual recs because it apeals to them soundwise so no Mesa Boogie is not some corporation trying to swindle you of you're hard earned cash on overpriced items. In fact they are pretty reasonably priced for tube amps If you really think about it. An amp is a lot like beer you like some and others you're not to fond of you don't see me on harmony central trashing St Ides Malt Liqour.

This amp has more whisles and bell than any other amp (that I have used). The footshitch is without a doubt the best and smooth. Also, with three channels you can dial up soo many different tones. The power was good. Actually less than what I thought. We play very loud. Sometimes I think too loud. I do think that my Marshall DSL-100 and my TSL-100 has more.

The sound is ok, i guess. I have three PRS guitars, McCarty, custom 22, and a CE-22 w/trem. I think that the distortion is uncontrolable. Sometimes it's muddy and changes. Hard to say what I'm hearing but, uncontrolable is how I see it. The first, and I mean the FIRST time I played it after bring it home, it broke, blew up, something like that. I played it for two hours and then in a split second, it lost 90% of the volume. I was using a Marshall 1960A and 1960B cabs. The tone was still there. I took it back to the store. I tried out a Triple rectifier, same deal. I played a Peavey JSX, that was sitting beside the Boogie. The peavey sounded better and had less noise than the dual and the triple rectifiers did. I thought WOW, this peavey sounded better...a PEAVEY!

As I said, it messed up the first time I played it at high volume. I would not play this without a back up. Actually I would not play and amp without a back up (tube amp anyway). Just because it's a BOOGIE and cost more don't mean it's good!

Didn't give a chance. I can say the store was great!! They took it back. They told me they would do whatever it would take to make me happy. We did hook it up and it was still messed up.

I have been playing for 25+ years. I have been "clubing" since the age of 19. If it was stolen, I'd kick some major butt just because of the price of it. I would never buy another Mesa/Boogie. I always though that the Boogie Dual rectifier was the top shelf of amps...I was wrong. My Marshalls DSL-100 & TSL-100 are far better, without much noise. Now that I've got the PEAVEY JSX, I think I will be better off. I sure did like the way it looked but, thats all! For $400.00 more than the Peavey and less tone and control, I'll stick with what I have now. I can say again, the footswitch on the Mesa/Boogie are the best I have seen.

not sure when was made???

we play death and doom metal so guess that's why I have this amp!! haha. just use it in solid state, bold mode on modern (orange) channel 95% of time and clean channel for the rest. no effects... is more than loud enough. played through a Marshall 1960V with vintage 30's.

use emg81 in bridge pickup and an Emg85 in neck pickup but normally just stick to 81. have just changed all the tubes as the Mesa ones were a bit muddy. got JJ's in at the moment but might try some others when these die!
have put some KT88 instead of EL34's or 6L6's and they're flipping loud and fat. the amp smells hot though! haha.

one other thing I switch the loop active on at the back which lets me use the pot on the front as an overall master and push it that bit further. makes it a lot more potent without overload...

If i don't play well the sound can get lost with all the gain though, guess I'd better practice some more! haha

just one blown tube and fuse as part of it in the 2 years Ive had it. play for 5 hours a week at rehearsal, nice and loud...

don't have money for a back up!

never dealt with company but my fathers and electrical engineer so we can work out most stuff between us...

been playing it for two / three years? can't remember, first 'proper' amp. been playing guitar 'properly' for 4 years now. I love playing it loud and well and feeling the volume. is the best at gigs when it's miked up and the crunch covers the whole venue ;)

other band mate has a 5150II wjhich sounds a bit harsher but think it's down to not very good Sovtek 6L6's in there. we'll see what new tubes do? the two amps work well together in recordings etc

sounds good for heavy-metal/hard/moder rock fans. 3 channels : overdrive(raw) channels sound great at low volumes. Clean channel can be a little crunchy if you want. Good for recording cause you can use lower volumes but for live, d'oh I don't recommend that.

I use Ibanez RG series, Fender stratocaster and Gibson SG special.
I play british modern rock to punk rock and this is my gear for recording.But I will never use it for live cause the sound at lower volume is blurry, muddy, what can I say.But at lower volumes(which I use for multi-track recording) are cool.You can get loads of tones which are all so posh and original.Not noisy but hummy!Distortion is brutal as well for heavy metal fans if you maximise the gain control.

No idea.

Not yet!

I've been playing guitar for 6 years and I have loads of guitars, amps and tonnes of pedals. My question is: we all see that Mesa produces good amps but they are all expensive for the sound.They can honestly compete with Marshall's sound but can they compete their price as well? Don't think so!

These are covered amply in other reviews.

A couple of notes to previous reviewers:

Spencer- George Lynch is a wanker but Satriani is not? Hmmmm. Both are excellent players IMHO, Dokken's inherent cheesiness notwithstanding.

Michael- No, Zakk has ALWAYS used Marshalls, modified or otherwise, except for a brief flirtation with Metaltronix amps in the '80s. It is only in your fevered brain that "Zakk Wylde is a f*ckin liar!!!". Lay off the Crystal-meth. Your post made my brain hurt.

John Petrucci- IF that was really you, you are an oustanding player but I notice that as of 2004 you are playing through a Triaxis, which is a whole different animal.

Mud, bass, mud, bass. Can't cut through a band mix, only bury the rest of the band with sheer volume. Great if you are playing nothing but two-note chords using drop-d, drop-c, drop-whatever, but NOT good for solos or chords involving more than two strings. Low volume= Sounds like ASS!!! Clean channel sucks. I'd much prefer my Marshall JCM800 or even my Crate Blue Voodoo120(with a nice overdrive pedal), which is less than half the price.

Man, look at these reviews! It's a love-or-hate amp, that's for sure. Personally I don't QUITE hate it but I SURE AS HELL don't love it.

- Bought used, brand new condition
- 3 channels: clean, 2 overdrive
- No effects

Enough features, very versatile, but could have used at least a reverb for the price.

Using an Epiphone Les Paul w/ stock pickups and a Music Man Petrucci 6-String w/ custom Dimarzio pickups.

Sounds absolutely beautiful. Very quiet, toneful, and the clean, when not pushed too hard, is especially dynamic in response to the playing style.
The distortion goes as far as anyone should ever need, and Ch. 2 on vintage mode with the gain and presence backed off, using the neck pickup, can acheive a very nice SRV-like blues sound.

I wouldn't be afraid to gig without a backup, or even chuck it down a flight of stairs.

Never dealt with them, but heard great things.

Been playing 3 or 4 years, I can't remember. Would shoot the guy if stolen. I love everything about it, but, again, could use at least a reverb. I was comparing this too a Marshall TSL100, but went Mesa because Marshall's quality control seems to be lacking lately.

This is a 2004 Dual Rectifier Solo head. It's so versatile I'm convinced that the only other amp that could be any more versatile is the Road King. You can get any sound you want out of it. It has three full independant channels w/ different modes on each Channel one has clean and pushed. I assume you know what a normal clean channel sounds like so I'll skip that but the pushed mode gives you a nice classic first Aerosmith album sound when tweaked correctly. Channel two offers raw, vintage and modern. Raw has excellent bluesy soloing capabilities, while vintage can go from an awesome classic Alice Cooper warmth to an over-the-top gain onslaught of Megadeth shred tones, the modern mode in channel two is a little too pingy for me but some might appreciate it. Channel three uses the same modes as channel two. I've only used the modern mode in channel three, and let me tell you, it's a gain monster. Turned down it's loaded with preamp gain but when you start turning it up past 9:00 it gets extremely ballsy. Giving you more bottom end than Anna Nicole Smith befiore she dropped the cow.
This amp has a built-in variac with the spongy or bold feature. Bold (what I usually use) gives you a really tight end and loads of headroom. Spongy offers a more scooped low end and mid range(for those of you that are into In Flames or At The Gates).
The amp also features a silicon diode or vacuum tube rectifier. The diodes give you maximum headroom, and the vacuum tubes give you more of a vintage feel supplying that warmth to your sound that your looking for. I try and use all the features on the amp to give it a full workout.
I use this amp in my bedroom playing to albums, at band practice, and jamming at other friends' houses. It gives me all the power I will ever need.

This amp sounds great. i use an epiphone Les Paul Standard w/ EMG 81 pickups in it. It develops no noise unless you play at loud volumes, then you get the normal feedback. I must warn you though, because it's a tube amp, the louder it gets the more your sound will cange. So if you buy this amp you may dial in your sound at a normal houselold level, and then get to band practice and turn your amp up, your sound will completely change. My suggestion to this is to get the amp a little louder once and a while to develop your live sound. There's no point in buying a 100W monster and leaving it at a normal room level and micing it through your P.A. fool around with it as much as posible. I use this amp through a Berhinger stereo cabinet because i can't afford a Mesa cab yet. It sounds awesome with a $300 cab, imagine how it will sound through the real deal.

Extremely reliable. Never had aproblem with it. I'll change the tubes when they need it.

Mesa's customer support is excellant. If you call them when they're not open, they call you back the next day.

I've been playing for 10 years and i've used several solid state and tube amps. I tried a Marshall TSL100 and a Mode Four. They sound nothing like this miracle of an amp.

This is just for the guy like 2 reviews below about the midrangy weak sound. Even though you played through the VHT, mesas usually sound best through their own cabs. I thought the same when i bought my Dual but that was through a Marshall. Now i know marshall is more midrangy and won't stand up to the VHT but when i went to the Mesa, things just clicked. All stars aligned. And the EQ's aren't like normal eq's. It took me some time to get used to them. If you use them like a normal eq that would be on lets say a marshall, or peavey, or Bogner, of course you would get that piss poor sound. I did too. Try to sit with it for a little bit. You will definitely change your mind.

This amp has it all, every parameter of each channel can be tweaked, i especially like the voicing switch (raw/vintage/modern). My only complaint is that the FX loop controls seem over complicated. The solo button on the f/s is a great idea!

I use a Gibson Les Paul, SG, Ibanez Cutlass Custom and a Fender Cyclone. This amp sounds amazing! My last amp was a tsl 100 and this totally beats the crap out of it. I mainly use the middle channel on the vintage setting with gain about half way. I also really like the pushed setting on the clean channel, you can get some really cool rhythm sounds from that with a higher gain setting. Everyone has an idea what a dual rec should sound like but the thing is it is up to YOU what it sounds like, i have had the thing sounding like a twin, a plexi and an AC30 (not as convincing as the others). I cannot fault the tone of this amp!

I had a few problems on the last tour we did with fuses. The amp comes with a 2amp fuse and the fuse blew twice (mean fiddler and cardiff barfly if anyone knows about their dodgy power!). Put a 2.5 in there and it hasnt budged since. The amp is very reliable apart from this minor finishing glitch.

Great manual. Havent had to deal with any other support.

The amp is great for hardcore punk/metal but it is great for any style you throw at it, you just have to spend time getting the right sound. My dual rec has just come back from a UK tour being used by my band (The Mingers) and Leftover Crack. The amp stood up kindly to all comers. I am a former Marshall lover, but the TSL grew tired and had to be replaced so i thought....why not!

Has anything you need. Two completely seperate channels, good effect-loop and many options for switching channels & fx-loop. In terms of controls to tweak this amp it has it all. In terms of sound I can only recommend the clean channel....

I play a Strat with a Peavey EVH PU at the bridge, a B.C.Rich Bich and a custom 7-string guitar. The clean channel of this amp sounds excellent. It has that special sparkle and sounds simply great. Nothing to improve hear. It breaks up to early for my taste but thats the only negative. Now the distortion channel: Quite the dissapointment. Mesa has the reputation to have an excellent fat and smooth distortion sound. To me thats not true. I play that amp through a VHT 4x12 box, because the amp stands in our rehearsal space.
I was so happy to see this famous amp sitting there someday because the guy from the other band bought it. I have to admit that there is nearly NOTHING I like about the distortion channel. It sounds very harsh and midrangey and has not enough gain for my taste, although my PU is quite hot. To me the distortion channel sounds not American at all. It sounds very marshall-like: thin, harsh and weak. The only thing that is good about the channel is that it cuts through VERY well. I give the clean channel a 10 and the distortion channel a 4. It's okay but nothing more.

The amp seems quite reliable. It gets played at least for two rehearsals a week and at quite high volumes and so far it never failed.

Never dealt with them.

I play for 8 years now and studied guitar at the MGI which is the german version of GIT. I play everything from Jazz to Death metal and usually play in several bands. I build custom guitars and have owned alot of amps. Additionally I do alot of mixing&recording so I have quite educated ears. I really tried to like this amp, but I hate the distortion channel so much that I often take my 5150 with me to the rehearsal room so that I do not have to play the Mesa. I like amps with that FAT and smooth American distortion that simply sounds HUGE.
Pinch Harmonics ala Steve Morse or Petrucci are quite essential for my style as well. This is an area where the Mesa is OK but not as good as other amps I played. In my opinion if you search for the huge and fat distortion channel Mesa is famous for then check out a Peavey 5150 or Triple XXX or a Soldano. They are far better in this respect. I could imagine that this amp sounds great in a band with two guitarists as it cuts through quite well and sounds not muddy. I am the only guitarist in my band and for that application the Mesa is way to weak and thin sounding. I would only use it for the clean channel on recordings, etc. because here it REALLY lives up to it's reputation. If you search for THE distortion look elswhere....even marshall sounds fatter and smoother....To be fair: I think this amp is a good amp. The distortion channel sounds very brutal and harsh which might exactly be what some players are looking for.
But it is not nearly as good as it's reputation and especially not as good as it's high price....

Dam this thing does it all!

I got the Head and a Les Paul classic the same day. All I can say is WOW!! I also have a Jackson sl1 soloist and the LP blows that thing away I am sad to say. Anyone complaining about this amp needs a new guitar, with the LP this head is GOD!!!

3 days old so I dont know.

I am 39 and have been playing since I was 14. I have owned Peavy, Marshall, and Laney amps over the years and have wanted a Mesa for many years. God I wish I had bought it sooner. What an awesome amp!! Anyone want to buy a Laney AOR 50w head? This amp rules!! Never heard such awesome sounds in my life. It will do anything!

2004 three channel Dual Rec. Like most other high end high gain amplifier reviews, if you are reading this, you probably know most of the features. I play through a 1995 PRS Custom 24, which has the older Dragon I pickups on it. These are a little mellower than the Dragon II's, but the Dual makes up for it. Although it doesn't just jump out at you as the dream amp some people make it out to be, it has to be tweaked. Just a simple change of the Vacuum Rectifier/Silicon Diode can make a world of difference. This amp has a lot of knobs and buttons, and turning them with patience and temperance will help you find the sound your looking for. The Fx loop is extremely workable, the SOLO/OUTPUT feature is nice, and the equalization in all three channels is rather good. The Bold/Spongy switch on the back kicks ass, and adds a lot of feel to the amp. The bias switch is also pretty cool, even though I haven't really used it, as Str 430 6L6's suite me just fine. Another thing I liked was if you feel it's overpowering, removing the two center power tubes cuts the power in half, to 50 watts, allowing you to crank it and get breakup at reasonable volumes. If you want that power section lit, then all four tubes can deliver it, and straight put foot to ass.

I mostly go for newer rock sounds, but not death or nu metal by far. I like a good high gain sound, but not at the sacrifice of my tone. As I said before, I'm using an older PRS Custom 24, and it gets a good variety of sounds. The clean channel, although not a Twin Reverb, sounds pretty decent to my ears. Some people say it sounds compressed, but I think it's because they didn't crank it enough. When you really open up on the clean channel, it becomes warm, and gets more saturation by careful adjustment of the gain. Switching to the pushed mode will put you in a little muddier sound, but if you know which knobs to twist, and which pickups to use in your guitar, then it is very workable. I find channel two to also be very warm, although not quite my style. People don't buy a Dual for its channel two, they want it for what is in channel 3. Although I must say I wasn't just flat out amazed, the third channel of the amp provides more and more great sound as I get to know the amp. The 4X12 oversized Recto cab I'm running it through gives it a lot of low end, but also has a lot of clarity and voice. This amp can't just be maxed out, and I find my best sounds by turning the gain down and letting the power amp do more of the work, and letting the preamp run a little cooler. I think a lot of people miss this about the Dual, you have to let the power section open up to get that great crunch from the speakers beginning to distort. The more you open the amp up though, the more you have to tweak it, and that takes time. Of course, you lose clarity initially when cranking the amp, but its going to sound a lot different with an output of 2 than 7. If you take the time to tailor the EQ and gain at high volumes, you find a true rock disortion with as much gain as you like, low end to spare, and plenty of top end. Although it doesn't straight cut through the mix, I didn't think a mix involved hearing one thing distinctly over another? The Dual provides you with more of a feel than just a shiny, flashy sound. If during a performance, one of the guitarists playing a Dual stopped, you'd immediatley lose that vibration in your chest cavity, and wouldn't know what happened. To me that's what a high gain amp is about, that thump in your chest or balls that makes you know what you're listening to. The Dual provides plenty of it, if you know where to find it.

This amp is built like a damn tank. The only problem I have had with it is blowing the light bulb on the front of the amp. It was a simple fix, and was still under the five year warranty.

The service at Mesa is second to none. On the two occassions I spoke with them, they were friendly, knowledgable, and informative. The five year warranty kicks ass, but I doubt if you have to use it in that time, as Mesa products are all built rock solid.

I have been playing for four years, and am quite satisfied with this amp. If it were stolen, I would bag enough groceries to buy another one, just like I did on this one. Although its not an Uberschall or Budda, it's a working man's high gain amp. Not all of us working on minimum wage can afford upwards of $2500 for a head alone, and the Mesa provides reasonable pricing with quality materials. This amp truly is high gain, and works great for contemporary hard rock and metal. If I were to tell Mesa one thing, it would be to work on the clean a little more. But, when you buy a high gain amp, what'd you expect? You truly aren't paying $1500 for a combo, you're paying it for that modern mode in channel three. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with this amp, and hopefully will hang on to it for quite a while.

Great, every thing you could possibly want, I wish other amps had everything so well covered.

I play modern Rock styles. Im not really convinced with these amps, they sound quite buzzy and don't cut through the mix live like other amps like Soldanos and some Marshalls. Also it is THE noisiest amp I have ever had, I really find this quite objectionable. Really nice low end though but otherwise it creates a wall of mush. Ive had good luck in the studio with it for recording solos.

Never had any problems.

I've been playing for 15 years and used many amps. I would not replace this if it got stolen. It would be good to see tha back of it actually. Before you buy check out a Soldano. There was a previous comment about not believing the marketing crap from Mesa Boogie on these amps. I think they are over rated.

Ok well,I had a laney amp ,it was just a 12 inch speaker 100 wat amp,it was ok,but one day i braught my mesa home along with a 4x12 recto oversised slant cab . Well,at first i was tryingto get a good sound,i diddnt really know the amp,So iv just been messing around with it.Well,iv had it for about 4 or 5 months now or something,and..Who ever mochs this amp deserves to be punished ..Like im not even kidding,you have to have a nut sack for a brain to say this amp is shit.Just fuck with the settings for a while . Anyways this thing has 3 channels . Clean . and 2 hi gain channels,but,you can set one of the high gain channels to soft,and the other one to hard,but i use a volume pedal so i only use the orange channel and the clean channel,..uhh..my setting for the orange channel is on vintage,im not a lead guitarist . I play rythm . Im also in a band called MindsEye , I play a ibanez rg7421 GN XL 7 string guitar .And i use a whammy pedal and a wah and soem other shit i dont feel like listing,.But anyways,this amp is very versatile,you can pull off any sound,and it walks over my dads 62 tremolux hehe ^_^,uhh what else,of course its point to point wired and fully tube amp,trust me,you want ballz tone,grab a mesa .

Well,this thing sounds a lot like korn,well,fuck man,this thing can sound like anything if your patient and fiddle with the settings..As i said i use a whammy pedal do get a really chunky low sound,i use the 1OCT^ | 1OCT pedal down mode,the first one,it gives me a chunky ass korn sound,but yeah,this thing screams with ballz.Its uber thick ,and when your playing live it doesnt have a shitty tinny sound that makes peoples ears bleed,this amp is pretty much a god send to your hard rock / blues / Whatever you want player. All the channels are fun to experiment with so give it a try.

Well,i havnt had any problems with it,well,if i hit the top of it lightly i can hear a buzz in one of the tubes or something,i dont think its a big deal though..And i haul this thing around to gigs and stuff,its pretty sturdy feelings,and it comes with amp covers.So,sall good,good shit,if u want,go spend a couple grand and beat the shit out of people / animals or whatever,i bet u anything i holds up

I have no clue,havnt had to call them .

Wellp folks , You want a kick ass ballz to the wall metal / anykidna music amp ??, Well go at least try one if my review doesnt help you,if you want you can add me to msn or mail me at life__is__peachy@hotmail.com . good shit,well,yeah,i give this thing a 10 everywhere,not only cuz i own it,jut because it deserves it,if anyone says this amp sucks,they are jelouse cuz all they got is a marshall or a peavy or someshit,or they dont know how to adjust the settings like us real players hahah,ok,peace out 10

this is a followup review 1 year later...

follow up

It can fall off of the truck and live. I watched this happen 2 days ago!

I am posting a followup review. It has been another year with the amp, and I have found the dream tone! I finally tried the imfamous KT66-HP tubes from groovetubes. Holy crap! Why, didn't I try this before? I was very worried about the bias deal. KT66 tubes need hot bias, and the mesa is not adjustable! They must bias hot anyway. There is no better power supply section than in this amp. Well maybe the RoadKing, but that is one serious upgrade... I now have my mid knob a little lower with the new tubes, but there is the dream tone. Those low-mids that I thought where so liquid before, are even more-so! I tried the Number 4 on the GT tube rating system. This is a more distroted number than I was hoping to get, but is the sound! I can't argue. Try KT66 tubes!!! I would like to try theese in the Mesa 400+ bass amp! Balz.

I think this is a 1999 model? if you're reading this, you probably are familiar with the features, so I'm not gonna spend hours listing them. At first, this head looks extremely versatile. However, after playing it for a while, you'll realize that the clean is mediocre at best (which hurts the feature score). i know some of you only play with distortion - yeah, great. i write a lot of stuff with chill picking for the verse, and then hardcore distortion for the choruses, stuff like that. So, I want to have a clean sound that sounds pretty good. I mean, I'll deal with the Dual Rec clean, I didn't buy it for its clean sound. That's why I'm gonna end up getting a Whirlwind AB/Y switcher and running a fender twin reverb for clean stuff. Ok, also, when you switch distortion modes, I've found that I have to do a lot of readjusting with the eq - which is not cool. my band just started gigging, and i don't want to have to run over to my amp and re-adjust it after every song - give me a break.

I've been playing guitar for about 12 years, i started pretty early, and am in college now. First off - don't spend hours and hours reading reviews - go out and play this amp . . . loud (please don't play it on "2" at Guitar Center). ALso, I think the 2 channel dual rec sounds better than the 3 channel. The 3 channel is more versatile, but I think the 2 channel one sounds a little thicker. that's just me, though. i use three guitars. Main guitar - 2000 Gibson Les Paul Studio - (498T in brdige). For more hardcore songs, I use another Les Paul Studio with the EMG 81/85 setup, which is pretty cool, but these blow for clean. I really like the 81 though, its worth a shot if you play all out metal/hardcore/whatever. Third, i've got a strat lying around (emphasis on lying around . . . ), that I only use for recording really clean stuff. I play through a 4x12 mesa Recto cab (the oversized one), and have a Sonic Maximizer in the effects loop. Ok, I think this head sounds pretty impressive for heavy distortion, but that's all I use it for. I don't really like the mellower, vintage/orange/whatever settings. Its my opinion that Dual Rectifiers are only really good for intense, heavy distortion. I'm sorry, I really think this amp compromised on its clean and "vintage" distortion sounds. I just don't find them that usable - and for 1,500 new, come on (i guess that's the price for a 3 channel, but still). I got mine used for 900, so I was happy. I gave this amp a 7 because I'm really happy with the modern/red distortion mode. I run a Sonic Maximizer in the loop, and the distortion is huge, thick, etc. Before this amp I had a Single Rectifier and a DSL 100. There basically wasn't any clean - the clean broke up wayyyyyyy too early. again, rectifiers suck for clean, so whatever. Also, I wasn't impressed with any of the distortion sounds. maybe I got a bad unit, i don't know. One of my good friends gave me a really, really good deal on a DSL 100 (got it for 300), which was a good amp at first. But, it had a shared eq for clean and distortion. again, this made the clean suck, but i'm mostly focused on distortion. THe distortion started out pretty good, but suddenly it got really harsh/trebly (the whole ice-picks in the ears thing). that sucked. I never took this amp in to get it checked out, I just got the 2 channel Dual Rec, and now at least i have a good heavy distorted sound. I'm still not totally happy though - that's why I gave it a 7. In my opinion, it sounds good on one setting, which is the setting i need, so i'm pretty happy. Still, for the money, it should do more. There's no way this amp deserves a 10, no way in hell. I mean, if you want a really good amp (that deserves a 9/10), get a Bogner Uberschall. I played one once - unbelievable, I can't describe it. But, these are at least 2,500. Can't someone build a versatile, good sounding hard rock amp that costs 1,000? Marshall Mode 4's don't count, they are a disaster. Hey, maybe you should get a Mode 4 if you're a "nu-metal" player. nu-metal . . . uh, right . . . . . is nu-metal another name for commercial rap/rock stuff? Like Saliva, Click, Click, Boom - one of the worst songs ever written, besides Creed stuff. ok, these guys do have record deals, and I don't yet, but still, these guys can't be serious.

its been fine so far, my first gig with it should be within a month, so we'll see what happens. I'm gonna lose it if this thing goes dead, and I have to plug in the DSL 100.

never talked to them, sorry

Overall, this amp kicks ass for thick, heavy, super saturated distortion. But, if you want over the top distortion - use EMG 81's. The Gibson 498T has more detail, but obviously less output. I really like playing lots of palm muting, heavy stuff. So, the modern channel is pretty good for me. But, I wasn't impressed with the mellower distortion settings. I've had this amp for over 6 months, and play every day. I've spent a lot of time tweaking it. I hate it when people on this site go into Guitar Center, play an amp on "1", then write a full blown negative review. I also hate it when people say stuff like, "this amp can nail it all! Cream, Stevie Ray, Hendrix, its all there! 10!". come on. Anyway, if you are only looking for all out distortion, try this amp out. Uh, if someone stole this, I would track the guy down, and then would probably get shot. Would I risk my life for this amp? are you kidding me? maybe someday, if I get signed, I can get that Uberschall. that's it for this review, good luck.

1994 Mesa Engineering Dual Rectifier. Two channels, three modes (clean, vintage high gain, mordern high gain), channel cloning, paralleled effects loop w/master volume control, slave out, bias switch (6l6 or el34), rectifier select (vaccuum tubes or silicon diodes) This amp is more evolved than most other amps that I have seen, and the tone from it os wonderful! Since Mesa amps are fixed bias, there is no bias pot inside the amp. I've heard that installing one will make this beauty sound even better.

This is one truly remarkable amp. Very versatile. I've never played through an amp that can range like this one can. If you're into rock or metal, this is your baby! I run a Charvel series 4 into the DR and a Mesa Rectifier 4x12 and it sounds like a dream. The clean sounds real bluesy, and with a little twist of the gain knob, a subtle clip is in the mix. Sounds like older 70's rock. Flip the switch to high gain, and you're screaming out some 80's metal. The red channel's distortion becomes even more brutal yet. There could be more usable low end, since turning the bass up past 2 'o clock turns the mix muddy, but it still thumps. If you clone the orange channel to modern, the bass gets deep, but then you don't have a clean. It's something that I can live with though. These amps sound totally different in different places. I guess it depends on the voltage to the wall plug, and the atmosphere.

I'd like to have another as a backup, since you just never know about anything. Sure, it's been good so far, but who's to say that it wouldn't take a shit during a gig? This is my first Mesa amp, and I don't know how they act when subjected to high volumes for extended times. I guess I'll find out soon enough....

Never had to deal with them, but heard they are good about things.

Very good overall. If it was stolen, God please have mercy on whoever stole it, because I wouldn't. That's my baby you're messing with. I love that this head is so easy to use, but I don't like that it doesn't have reverb. That's what the recto-verb is for, right? Compared to other amps...I like Marshalls, but they lack the punch that the DR's have. The only other amp that even comes close to that sound is a Hughes and Kettner Triamp, but not many people I know have $3K to drop on a head.

Ya know....I see a lot of douchebags below bitching about this amp. Guys with their "Tom Anderson Drop Top" guitars expecting to hear a fucking choir say "AHHH" when they turn the power on. Get real fuck. This amp is a balls to the wall wail-on-the-top-of-your-stack amp. Not your grandpa's amp with angelic clean tones. This was made for one thing only.....balls to the wall rock and roll. If you can't handle that, then go get your Grandpa's 67 Fender Blackface and sit around playing with yourself and leave the rest of the rock world alone you idiots.

I use a variety of guitars with my two channel recto. Mainly a Les Paul Custom and a PRS. The Modern channel is just f-ing killer!!! Whoever said this thing sucks is a fucking moron who must play thru a 10 watt Fender practice amp. Grow some balls and step up to the real deal. The clean isn't for you sissies who thing that a twang is a guitar sound. This is nu-rock clean. Everything about this amp says nu-rock. Not Elton John you fairies. Would you go into a store looking at something that has diamond plating on it and think..."I wonder if i can sound like Eric Clapton on that amp?"

Never had a problem with it. I've had it for years and never did anything but change tubes. I see some people below bitching about how cheap these are made. These are point to point wired with some pc boards in them. That's not cheap there you fucks.....
Point to point wiring takes time. Just because these don't cost $10000 and two years to get, because the guy who makes them is a fat ass who works on it only when he wants to, doesn't mean that it's a peice of shit. There is such a demand for these that Yeah, they do get mass produced, but come one and get with it. If You were Randall Smith what would you do? The same thing asshole!

Very friendly. Some of the best customer support I've ever dealt with.

Killer....
I've played...gigged with...jammed on...tried out almost every amp you can think of. Fender, Peavey 5150's(yuk) Crate, Marshall, and this blows everything away. Don't get me wrong, every amp has it's place with a certain crowd, and I'm not putting any amp down here. It's just that Mesa kicks ass compared to everything else.

I have traced this Dual Recto back to at least 1995, possibly a 1994 model, which are supposed to be the best sounding Rectos made. It is the 2 channel version with a much better distortion than the newer three channel models. 2 channels, parallel fx loop, master volume, 3 band eq, channel cloning (kicks a$$) sloid state or tube rectifier, diamond plate front panel. The only thing I wish this had is another channel so that I could run a clean, dirty, and a full blown distortion without having to flip switches in the middle of a gig. But I already had a three channel head, and I sold it. They suk. The fx loop rocks, since you can have an effect on channel one (say for instance, a chorus pedal for a super tight clean sound.) and when you switch to channel two, it bypasses the pedal ( so your distortion doesn't have the effects on it.). You can aslo footswitch the fx loop whenever you want to. Another thing is that I would like a two button pedal, instead of having to buy one for channel selection, and another for the fx loops. I'm thinking of a moddification to make a two button switch work. (Email me for details).

I'm running a Samick Artist series guitar thru the head right now ( yeah i know,not the best guitar, but hey - it works!) with stock pickups (hot- by the way). I have JJ Electronic E34L's installed in the power section, and this thing ROCKS!!!I'm running it thru a Recto Cab that I had customized with 2 Celestion Vintage 30's and 2 Mesa Black Shadow Custom 90's. The distortion is downright killer, and smooth, yet creamy. Good for the nu-metal or newer alt-rock. (nickelback, linkin park, etc.) I tried Mesa STR 420's, and some Mesa STR 430's in it, but the JJ E34L's have a bite that the 6L6's don't have. The clean channel suffers all the way around ( I have a solid state Earth head out of the 70's that sounds much better on clean.), but still sounds good. Kinda Middy, but the e34l's take care of that a little.
The amp is kinda noisy when turned up, but not as noisy as others. I had a Crate Blue Voodoo 120 that was WAY noisier than the Recto. As long as you can deal with some white noise when you're not playing, you'll be fine with it.
I've messed around with this head trying to play about every kind of music, and it will do them all. AC/DC to Limp Bizkit, and everything between. Jazz, blues (killer for some blues!!!) and even a country twang. I love this amp!!!

VERY dependable. When I got it, the original tubes were still in it, and they were at least 7 years old. It still sounded good, but new tubes brought it back to life. I crank 'er up often, and have not had and problems with it so far.

Mesa's customer support is great! I needed a manual for the amp, and I got one the next week. No questions asked. Everytime I called them they were busy, but they always returned my call within the hour.

I've played for ten years, and always dreamed about the tone that I get from this monster. If this puppy was ever stolen, I would track it down and break the thief's kneecaps with a baseball bat. Marshall's don't come close to the sound that Mesa's have. Unique....very unique. I've seen some amps out there with tons of features that no one will ever use, and this isn't one of them. Just the good features.

very basic features. effects loop, slave out. speaker outs.. 2 channel independant masters, bias switchs and rectifier switches.

i love this amp. i use 6550 tube insted of the 6l6 and el34. even tho i do like the thing with el34 its just not the right sound all the time. i use a EH pre amp tube in V1 and chinese in the rest. i have tried GTs, JJs, sovteks, and Ehs work for me. getting some telefunkens and mullards to try :)

the vintage high gain channel is a fucking gem.. it is amazing. i can get soo many tones out of it.. the modren channel is good for one thing.. metal mayhem. if this amp only had the vintage channel i would still have it.. if it only had the modren.. i would have most likliy passed it by and gotten a soldano avenger or SLO

i use EMG loaded gibsons. going thru a wah pedal and 2 boost pedals(ds-1, ts-9)

its been great for me. when i got it the fx loop was fucked.. still is.. tubes were old but whatever i like to hgave spare tubes everywhere.

i would love another one but i am not limiting my amps to DRs.. i would like amps from most other companies.

I bought a 1999 2 Channel Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier off eBay a while ago. It's one of the last 2 channels made (before Mesa decided to ruin their guitar heads). The clean channel is nothing amazing (when used with a humbucker) but I play music that doesn't call for incredible clean sounds live (if you use a single coil it's not too bad). All the whiners below me are probably just upset because they expected this head to be perfect for everything including Dashboard Confessional.

I use a Peavey Vandenburg with an EMG-81 in the bridge through a Marshall JCM900 1960A 4x12 cabinet (not one of those Bitch Metal 1960AV cabs, THE REAL THING!) & there is only one way to describe this amp.................REDONKULOUS! The head is quite sensitive though so you need half a brain to get a great sound out of it. If you think you're as musically retarded as the people below me, save yourself some money & buy a cheap solid-state head. I use a Rocktron Hush Super C through the effects loop & the sound is as tight as I could hope for. I play everything from pop-punk/indie/screamo (almostbetter.com) to hardcore (Hatebreed, Sworn Enemy) to metal (Lamb of God, Unearth, Killswitch Engage, etc.) & this head is perfect for everything. However, if you are playing basement shows, this head is probably too much for you. A friend of mine uses the single rectifier through a mesa 2x12 cab & that competes pretty damn well with mine (especially with the clean channel boost).

I know quite a few people with recitifers & we all know there is no need for a backup. A rule of thumb I live by is....if you take care of it, it will take care of you. My head looks like it came from the factory yesterday!

I've never had to deal with them.

If you don't like this head you should probably either stop playing music or start playing folk & all that garbage. THIS HEAD IS NOT FOR THE WEAK. If you don't play heavy, hi-gain music...this head is not right for you. If it was stolen (which would be hard because I baby this thing) I would definately chase down the bastard, get it back & steal enough money for another one so I could use two live (haha). Like I said before, if you don't like this head you're probably not playing the kind of music this head is tailored for.

Just a comment to John Petrucci about his techs comments (assuming it is John) regarding the so called "that the parts are the best he has ever seen in an amp".
If your tech actually said this I would seriously go and find someone who has a clue about amps.
While Boogie has in the past used good (not the best however) construction and parts things have taken a slide as of late.
For example take a look at the transformers (size) they are using on the Dual Recs and compare them to say even the MKIIIs or earlier. Big difference....

Don't fall for the Maketing hype.

Ahhh, the "legendary" Dual Rectifier. This head's got as many features as a NASA space shuttle, which in itself seems like a good idea, but... I don't own one, and you're about to find out why.

Let me just state that too many features, high wattage and a cool diamond plate front panel do not add up to good tone. I try to play any style I can get my hands on, from country to hard rock, so a versatile amp is a necessity for me. This Mesa certainly isn't it.

Out of curiosity, I decided to try one of these heads, seeing that almost every review of this thing is rated at "10". I went to the store early one Saturday morning and brought along my trusty Tom Anderson Drop Top (for the record, this guitar sounds great through everything I've plugged into.... til now, that is).

What is it about this amp that people love so much? I tried the clean channel first, since no amp is worth anything to me if the clean sound blows. Well, the clean channel on this head blows donkeys. While not completely useless (I suppose if you run effects through it), it's lifeless, sterile, bland, boring... you get the picture.

Now, onto the crunch channel. Right... I've heard tube overdrive pedals which can kill this thing in terms of "usable" gain (and that meaning you can actually use distortion while retaining dynamics in your playing). Typical Mesa sound. Deep low end with top end capable of killing small animals. Sounds almost passable (and I'm being generous here) at low volumes (on a good day) but turns to complete shit when cranked. How useful is that? I won't even comment on the modern channel. I'm not a metal/Korn/Creed fan so it's of no use to me, although I did try both overdrive channels for lead work... Needless to say, it doesn't do much good.

I've had the occasion to hear these amps used in a live situation a number of times. IT DOES NOT CUT THROUGH THE MIX AT ALL. One guy had his cranked up so loud that I thought my head was about to be chopped off. Noise, and just noise, period. It completely obliterated the band.

I'll offer a rating of "1" since this forum will not allow me to rate it any lower.

Mesa are known for their quality. I use a Boogie Rectifier 1x12 which I love. In terms of this amp's reliability, God only knows. It sounds broken, that I can tell you.

I've dealt with them in the past (I used to own a Triaxis). Never had any trouble getting answers from them. Good customer support from what I've seen.

The most overhyped, overpriced, piece of crap system I've seen. They go from upwards of $2K here in Canada (give me a fuckin' break) and that's without the fancy diamond-plate or snakeskin finish. Like my former Triaxis (which was also way too damn expensive), this thing does not deliver, unless you like that razor blade sound (mind you, the Triaxis' clean channels are really cool).

If you scroll down the page in this forum, you'll see a submission from John Petrucci which was sent some years ago. He rates this thing a solid "10" while kissing Randall Smith's ass in the process (nothing like an endorsement deal to cloud up your judgment, right John?). Funnily enough, he uses a few Mark IIC+ heads in his rig now, and not the Rectifier. He woke up and smelled the coffee as well. I think Mr. Petrucci is a phenomenal player with tone to match (which does not come from a Rectifier, sorry to say).

Bottom line, if you want solid tone, get an amp which basic features, a good set of tubes and a good cabinet. I'll be buying a Bogner Shiva next year (which is completely in a separate league than the "legendary" Dual Rectifier). I wouldn't use a Dual Rectifier even if I was given one with a full endorsement. I care about my tone, and hopefully you'll stay away from this joke of an amp if you care about yours.

see other reviews

How can you say one dimesional without overstating it??
If you want chain saw rhythm go for it....The lead licks can sound punchy and nice but his amp is far too touchy..the prescence control is way out there....
You have to literally reset all your controls going from one distrtion mode to the next as volume is strongly affected..not real practical in my opinion.
If you play more than one style of music steer clear of this pricey beast.

Struggled with it for 3 weeks.......took it back...wouldn't know.

I replaced this with the Boogie F-50 and I am much happier. Has the tone and drive this thing does without going overboard and is far easier and more versatile to use.
If you wanna rip the walls down, go for it. Has power to spare...tone is another story.

u know, if u didnt know all the features by now, what are u doing looking at the reviews.

the sound is amazing, but if u never want to leave the overdrive channel, buy the single rectifier, because there isnt that much of a volume difference between the two, only in clean. and the single gives the ability to push it.

never had a problem.

i called them once to ask there opinion of the single, the said what i said, if your gonna stay in over drive get the single.

for an overall id say it was good. ive been playing for four years now, and i own the dual and single. like i said buy the single. it cuts through the mix and its more affortable. ill give it a six because i like the single better.

Early 90s (probably 92 or 93) model, 2 channel dual rectifier solo head. I love this amp and will get inot why later. I bought it off ebay and am fully impressed with its functionality. 2 totally seperate channels, each with master, presence, eq and gain. Back panel has modern to vintage voicing for the gain channel and dirty or clean for the clean channel. Also has speaker cab outlets for 16, 8, or 2 4 ohm jacks. Effects loop with send and return levels. This thing is massive and comes with 4 EL34s or 6L6s (switchable), 5 12AX7s, and 4 rectifier tubes. It also has a loop master control on the front panel which works like a master volume for the entire amp. 100W of tube power, where can you go wrong.

I am playing through a Fender Deluxe Super Strat and an Epi Les Paul. The amp is paired with a Carvin Vai Legacy 4x12 cab with Celestion Vintage 30s. I started out with a Marshall AVT 4x12 cab and it sounded awful. The Carvin cab made the difference. I could write a whole review on just the cab but let's stick to the Mesa.
I am currently in two bands, a current main stream rock band that also writes originals, and a wedding and party band that plays mostly 60s and 70s rock. This amp is versatile enough for both bands. The clean channel is gorgeous with the Strat. It actually sounds so good, I quit using my Epi for both bands I'm in. The Strat has the Super Strat single coil pickups that are a few winds short of the Tex Mex single coils (like those on the SRV strat). The low chunk on the gain channel with the single coile turned down is killer. And when you turn them up, watch out. We even play Disturbed and Godsmack covers and the Strat sounds good.
In other words, this amp can make almost any guitar sound good. The only reason I wasn't happy with the Epi is it's just a cheap guitar and the clean sounds were not very bright. The distortion was out of this world, but not much better than the Strat. I think the humbuckers on the Epi are just old and crappy. I plan on replacing them so I can continue to use my first and most beloved guitar.
This amp is a little noisy when cranked, but a Rocktron Hush Super C will clean that up and not suck up your tone.
The coolest thing about this amp is the modern to vintage voicing for the gain channel. It actually does make a big difference. The vintage channel has more of a smoothe mellow sustaining distortion. Midrangy punch with sublte variations and harmonics on the higher end. The modern channel is balls to the wall Dimebag distortion. I don't use this channel much, but have punched it in the recording sessions a few times. The modern channel is a bit noisier of course.
I am using Svetlana EL34s, Electro Harmonix 12AX7s, and Groove Tubes GZ34 rectifier tubes (instead of the stock recifier tubes). This thing sounds alot sweeter than when I got it just by getting some quality tubes in it. I also like the difference of the GZ34 rectifier tubes as opposed to the stock ones. They don't seem to sag as much.
Another option on the amp is to switch off the tube rectifiers and go solid state. If you want to do this, just save your money and go buy a Peavey Triple XXX tube head. My rhythm guitarist uses one of these and honestly the mesa sounds just like it on solid state rectifiers. That's really the only difference between the two amps. It sounds like crap basically, so DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!

Haven't had a problem with it and it looks far from brand new.

Mesa is awesome, call em and see.

I've been playing guitar for 10 years now and have played through several different Fender amps with pretty much the same guitars and setup I have now. You can't beat a Fender amp for clean sounds, but the Mesa teamed up with the Vai cab is a close second. I compared this amp to the Peavey Triple XXX, the Marshall JCM2000 DSL, and a Fender Hot Rod Deville. The Mesa blew them all out of the ocean. Considering price, versatility, customer support, outrageous online resources, reliability, and drop dead gorgeous looks, I would kill someone if they stole my Mesa because it took me 5 months to find this thing so that I wouldn't have to buy one of the new 3 channel clones they make now. If Mesa would just come out with a long tank reverb for these things, I think God would play one.

1997 Mesa Dual Rectifier 2 Channel Head, good for extreme metal. Lead channel is pretty good while the clean channel suffers. Effects loop works great and has its independant volume. Plenty o tube cranking power.

I am playing a custom BC RICH beast, and a Jackson Rhodes Peformer, both with an EMG 81-Bridge 85-Neck set up. I am a pure metal player. I have always heard of the great and mystical mesa dual rectifier....it is this god of an amp that anyone who plays heavy music must have. FORGET THAT!!!! dont get me wrong, it does sound good....but i dont believe that its all its cracked up to be. I was very happy with the Peavey XXL solid state head that I have been using and only got the Mesa because of an outrageous deal a friend gave me on it. As it turns out I would never use it (the mesa)as a "stand alone head"....SO I bought an AB/Y box to run both heads at once. The Peavey XXL is able to reach really crisp high end tones that the Mesa can not handle where as the Mesa's low end responce is much better than the Peavey's. (im running my 4x12 in stereo of course) I have a Line 6 POD running through the effects loop of the Peavy which then goes to a behringer stereo EQ and to a Lexicon MPX 110. This is great because it allows me to run both the lead channel on the Mesa and the lead channel on the Peavey at the same time creating KILLER distortion tones. It also affords me other interesting opurtunitites such as running the lead channel on one head but the clean tone on the other to make some interesting effects. The Peavey has 3 channels on it (overdrive 1, overdrive 2, and clean) each of these has three different settings on it....so combined with the 2 channels on the mesa, im running 11 switchable channels PLUS everything on the POD and Lexicon. (all of this is being played out of a peavey 4x12 with 30 watt celestions in it) also (I am using the 6L6 tubes in the mesa)

The Mesa I bought was used and by the looks of it, it had been through MANY gigs...but it still holds up and sounds good.

Easy to work with, returned emails the same day.

I have been playing for 8 years and have owned TONS of gear (both good and bad...both expensive and crap!) I believe that I got lucky when I purchased this head because I turned it into something it wasent and gave it extra features....by it self, the mesa is all looks and volume. I think it lacks the tone that people associate with it. HOWEVER now that I am using the set up that I am (running it in stereo with the Peavey XXL) I would NEVER get rid of it. If god was in a death metal band, his amp would sound like this!!! My only real problem with it is that it hisses a bunch...but what are you gonna do? So I give it a rating of 7 on its own but a solid 10 when it runs with the peavey.

3 channels and the most versatile amp I've owned. Don't believe what all people say, go try it out in the store and it will raise your eyebrows. I user this head with a 4x12 Mesa oversized. I dare someone to prove me wrong. It's a wall of power.

Great clean, great distorted sound. High gain is great for leads. No need to search any further. I've found my rig.

1 week old, but I don't see it breaking. It's built like a friggin' rhino.

Never had to use it yet.

I've been playing serious guitar for a good 6 years in an all original alternafunk band called "INK".(www.INKMUSIC.net)
We've been noticed by major labels in NYC. I've played a PEAVEY classic 50 for years, until I found Mesa. Wow, what an amp and it takes alot for me to ne impressed.

it gets the job done. youve seen the other posts

i have a 62 strat, a fender waynes world strat, a san dimas charvel, a gibson les paul custom with emgs, and a fender american standard tele. while this amp has overwhelmingly powerful distortion, it has NO tone. its just choppy staticy noise basically. i guess its alright if thats what you want. if you like to shred. but even the best of shredders have amps that have tone. and typically speaking, mesas are hype. they have come down a lot since they started. originally, all mesa was doing was building hot rodded fenders. and we all know that fender amps have legndary tone. but mesa started coming out with all these new features and it takes away from the tone. Remmeber, every pedal you use, every effects processor, every stage of amplification you run your signal thorugh, theres going to be a loss in tone. with all the stuff mesa throws into their amps, you are really just paying $4000 to lose tone. i play alot of neoclassical, blues, i do shred too. but the one thing remains a fact - tone is your god... no matter how well you can play, if your amp sounds like shit, nobody wants to hear it. as a guitarist, your one mission is to find that sound. tone is where its at. I personally would not reccommend buying this amp, unless all you want to hear is noise. I would reccommend getting a good hand, point to point wired amp, with a twin style circuit, and a bias selector, so you can switch from EL34's or 6l6's.

never had any real problems other than lack of tone

never dealt with them

no tone. just noise. great if you like that. but i dont know why any one in their right mind would like that..you might as well pick up a solid state marshall for what you get out of this package. too much money.. not enough tone..

1996 Dual Rectifier, presumably the best one Mesa has ever produced though those rumors are entirely bullshit (I know this).
Versatile? Let's be honest we're not talking about playing simon and garfunkel folk on this (not that there's anything wrong with that music). Two channels, footswitchable with comprehensive effects loop variations (optional footswitch for that too). Headphones? Nigga please =)
Is it loud enough for me....Well no; considering it gets by for Pantera, Metallica, Creed, Nickelback this thing just whispers. Gimme a fuckin' break. All the featuers a guitar amp needs. Want more, go buy a line 6 and be one of those guys.

This is not my first tube amp nor is it my first Mesa. I've owned several others. This one has the most brutal, bone crushing distortion available for the money. Dual recto eats the Triple rectifier for breakfast and shits it out for dinner.
I play everything though, so it only fullfilled my desire to get metal tones. And that it did so in a fantastic way.
EL 84 tubes sound nice and give you great dynamics of sound, more musical than 6L6 and on this amp, with it's sensetive EQ, they do well.
Not noisy at all considering it produces intense gain. Not the best amplifier out there for doing what it does but certainly a very solid brand due to affordability and value.

But enough beating around the bush, onto the sound:
Here's all I'll say about this amp's sound: Genghis Khan Overdrive.

If you even have to ask then you don't deserve one.

Run through Gibson Flying V, Hamer Standard, Hamer USA centaura and a few strats. No obnoxious feedback or unwanted sounds at all. Just that really heavy sound that you know and love. No Doubt a well built machine for this purpose.

Stellar for metal players out there. Not too much else though. I'm more of an alternative/hard rock/rock and roll type of person though, but it is superb for getting unmatched stage volume and chilling range of sound. From the lowest lows to the highest solos you play it'll deliver the sound you're looking for if that music is metal. And please tell me you're not a fan of Linkin Park, or nu-metal....THis thing is exploited by people who don't know shit about tone so they buy their PRS customs and Mesa dual rectos and just crank them up b/c they know no better.
While this amp is great at deliverying a good sound, it is still a very standardized sound. Varies with taste. Look around and find YOUR Tone, and if this amp has it than good for you!

Easy to use, dial in your overdrive sound and your clean sound. Each will take some time to get to know, kinda like the new friend back in grade school.

I`m using PRS Custom 22, Singlecut, and Archtop through this. Provided each guitar changes the tone, rarely do I mess with my amp settings, mainly just turn it up. Distortion is awesome, this is where the recto shines. I use no effects save for a Boss digital delay at times. Mostly just plug straight in. At 100watts it is way too loud for my 1 bedroom apt. But who cares? Maybe the old lady downstairs. Anyway, thoroughly satisfied. The clean sound is good for me, I`m not too picky on that. I just love that Mesa crunch, it gets better as you turn it up, just keep the gain at 3:00.

Oh yeah, I depend on it. If I don`t get my Mesa fix I`ll lose it. Gigs? Who needs to, I`m a bedroom musician and it pays.

I`ve called them before and they try at customer service alot better then your local Burger King.

I play mostly heavy riffs but also like to mellow down and play clean-articulate melodies. Played for 17yrs and if this beast was lost or stolen, oh but of course I`ll replace it. Only thing is I`d have to buy used as they don`t make this 2 channel anymore.

$2400. Canadian "new"
I have a 3 channel, probably made in 2000. I got it direct from the factory because my 1st one had a defective switch where the channel selector plugs in, the popping sound was scary when I changed, plus it would change to channel 2 when I was in channel 3. The features are endless even with no effects. I use the loop with a Boss GT-3 and yes I am still on a learning curve. The features I never use is spongy, I mean why run at 75 watts when you got a 100.

My guitars are a BC Rich Warlock, 2 Ibanez's, one with a Seymour Duncan "sweet" and run through a 4/12 Marshall w/ 30 watt Vintage. I'm 40 so I play old crunchy stuff to modern "7 mary 3", and find this amp does it all. For like a Born to be wild crunch, I use channel 2 with a bright EQ, and the new stuff I'm in channel 3 with a cutting EQ. My gains are in the 2:00 position, with little presence, my clean sound, gains at 3:00, clean not pushed, 50% presence. I love the amp and it's my GT-3 I find pissing around with alot. This amp is totally a learning experience, I'm sure I'll be tweekin it for years to come, but you have to take time too stand back and jack it. I had a valvestate 265 for years and when I was in the market for a tube head, I checked all the Marshalls, not one of them really stood out untill I plugged the MESA in. The price was steep but my regular salesman "Dougy Demarsio" and I both dropped jaws in the sound room when I hit the first chord, after hearing all the Marshalls. If you
want an amp with awesome tube sound check this one out!

Not a problem yet, owned it 2 years. I only use it for gigs though, so it's once a month for sure.

MESA was quick to replace my amp with the defective switch.

I've been playing now for 24 years, and I've always played with effects. Why do I play with effects? because I can! If anything happened to my Dual I would buy another one, to me it's the my ultimate sound. Why does my rythum guitarist laugh when I'm mid solo, "because that amp sounds fu^@*n good".

Ever make a decision that you knew would change your life forever? You are doing this the moment you step foot in your local Mesa store with a fat wad of cash in your hot little hands. The Dual Rectifier ("Recto") is a superb machine created for unlimited creativity. The 2002 model Solo Head is a versatile and verile piece of equipment loaded with three amazing channels. Instead of cutting and pasting specs, here's how it sounds and feels.

From sweet mellow tones to biting crunch, through to devastating chunk, this little baby has it all. Plus, it sounds good too. Really good.

The mellow tones are heard through such artists as Incubus (Pardon Me, Warmth) and Limp Bizkit (We could be, Take a look around).

The tasty crunch can change from a warm, creamy distortion (via the neck pickup), to a biting 70's sound (bridge pickup). The warm sound can be heard in the intro of Incubus' "Nice to know you". The biting crunch is similar to the Edgar Winter Groups' "Frankenstein".

Now, the Chunk. Can you hear that distortion sound you want in your head, and you think that the only way to get it is to drill a 1/4 inch hole in your skull and plug in? Think again. The Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head is the less messy, more satisfying option that will bring a smile to your face no matter how many times you practice the same freakin' song. The bottom end of a Monster Truck, coupled with the attack of an M16 insures any listener will rather quickly find a change of underwear necessary. The "Wall of Sound" distortion is within the sexy confines of the diamond plated Recto.

The other impressive feature is the options you have to tweak your tone. You can select Raw/Vintage/Modern on channels 2 and 3 (1 has the options of clean/pushed), then you can choose your sound to be Bold/Spongy (Spongy is thick, Bold has more attack). The other option is to switch from Silicon Diodes to Vaccuum Tubes only. More time is needed to fully experiment with all the features.

Welcome to the house of tone my friends. This head has a serious case of split personality. 3 Channels of sheer bliss crammed into a head built to withstand Armageddon or visits from in-laws. Using an Epiphone Les Paul with prototype Mastertone pickups (see "Mastertone" in pickup reviews), channel 1 is a sparkly, bell-like clean with bottom end to die for. The sound of chords and single note phrasing just continues to impress.

Channel 2. Wow. This is the channel to use for the long-sought after "Wall of Sound" distortion. Set Mesa to Modern distortion, and crank up the bass and trebs, keeping the mids in the mid (maybe a little presence). Awesome sound of sheer metal against metal.

Channel 3 is used as the crunch channel (a personal option). Set the selector to vintage with about half gain. Say goodbye to any other heads that claim to have that 70's tone down pat. Everything you need is within this channel. The only thing the Recto doesn't have is reverb, which isn't so bad a thing. This means that the engineers have focused totally on the quality and versatility of the three channels within.

Relatively new, so not a lot to comment about. Apparently tube replacement occurs between 10 and 15 months (depending on usage).

Make sure to properly warm up the tubes before use, and leave on standby for about 5 minutes before you turn it of.

Get a road case if gigging. Tube amplifiers hate being knocked around, and if you are going to invest this much money in your tone, at least spend some money protecting it. These are ways to prolong the life of the tubes.

Again, a recent buy so no dealer dealings.

One year warranty. Should be longer.

Tone is a personal thing. Some people like Marshall, some like Fender, Laney, Soldano etc. If you seek ALL of these sounds, get a digital amp. But you run the risk of compromising your tone. If you seek gorgeous mellow cleans, tasty AC/DC crunch, and balls-to-the-wall all-tube distortion, then the Mesa Dual Rectifier is the answer to the sound in your head begging to come out.

I think this is one of the older 80s models? it has 2 channels and a black diamond plate covering on the front as opposed to the new chrome ones. It has a clean/overdrive channel and a harder distortion channel. It can also switch btwn spongy and bold power settings and tubes or silicon diodes. Seems versatile enough for me. It is definitely powerful enough for my needs [studio and small live performance].

I play nu-metal so this amp sound is IDEAL for me. the clean and dist tones are both really bland and soul-less [NOT for lead playing! get a marshall!] I play a [dualhumbucker] fender 72 telecaster re-issue and use a marshall 1960 4x12 cab. Although bland and soul-less, the distortion is brutal [i dont even turn it up all the way, its plenty crunchy at ~70% gain] but can get thin AND muddy at times [gotta tweak to fix that]. the sound is definitely not warm - seems cold and edgy, which is ideal for metal i spose, and that suits me perfectly. [although if i could afford id get a marshall amp someday too cause i think they sound good together]

had it for a half a year and havent had any problems with it yet

n/a

If youre lookin for cold edgy crunch it doesnt get any better than this. Some more warmth and soul would be a nice complement though . . .maybe i will have to get a marshall too. . .

late 99-2000 model, 2 channel, needs a ft. switchable vol boost,also it could use a mid boost of some sort,cause solos get lost while playing with band [unmiked].I never use tube rectifiers
or channel cloning orange to red,just dos'nt sound right,to harsh,brittle,not enough usable gain.

prs mcCarty w/duncans,usa strat plus w/j.b. & texas special coils,gibson l.p. studio w/duncans,EB steve lukather,EB silhouette w/duncans,schecter 7 string, marshall cab w/v30s. OK, the red channel
is good for one thing,power chords, down strokes only folks,if you alternate pick,it gets to mushy.Red is harsh,brittle,and unmusical.
ORANGE:is far and away a better more usable/musical channel,more mids,
more usable gain,less raspy,harsh treble,it seems to track pick attack
better, and sounds like a chainsaw w/6l6!!! el34s definitally make amp usable.clean channel can be dialed in to sound good,slight break up, to a nice drive.

no problems yet? seems to be very relibable. forgot to flip bias switch when swaping 6l6s to el34s ouch!!! my bad! only burned out
4 pre tubes,not the power tubes? I don't understand that one! sound man plugged amp into dimmer pack for 3 songs untill I realized it.
did not hurt anything. would gig with no back up, absolutly dependable!

boogie customer support rocks! very patient and helpful with qustions
& advise. If you can't talk to a rep when you call them,leave a number,they will call you back!!!

been playing for 6 years,have owned or tried enough to know good tone.
I've owned, boogie 2:90,boogie v-twin pre,marshall tsl 100,tsl 60, & dsl 100,the new marshalls suuuuuuuuck!!!! peavey ultra tube,boogie
tremo-verb 2x12 combo,vox ac-15,boss gt-3/gt-6 pre/process/peavey transtube/ I could go on but bottom line, I'm happier with the dual rec 2 channel than anything I've owned yet. it has a boldness,depth and volume that only the simul-class 2:90 came close to. vintage 30s in a 4x12 cab seem to be the only way to capture what this amp has to offer,although I think v30s have a harshness of thier own that people hear but don't talk about. I would not buy this amp again,life to short. gonna try a rivera knuckelhead 55 or a jcm800 2203x reissue.
If your a old school or new school lead player you might look elswhere
this amp is geared toward detuned,or 7-string playing that seems to be
it's nitch. hope this helps.

3 channel version. This amp is about one year old. The features have been mentioned before. I play melodic metal, rock, blues, jazz, everything pretty much. The only thing I wish it had was reverb but it is not really necessary. This thing is really really really loud.

I use a PRS Custom 22 with coil split Dragon II pickups. This amp really rocks. I bought it off of ebay and it came with stock tubes execpt it had new EL34 tubes in the power section. It has a really nice marshall/british crunch but the ones I tried in the stores had more of a compressed over-the-top feel which I prefer. I attribute this to the 6L6 tubes which I will get as replacements. I think it sounds better than any marshall I have heard and it is louder with EL34's in it. This amp goes from crystal clear all the way to searing hig-gain metal madness. It doesnt try to copy any other amps out there it has its own sound. the clean channel doesnt distort too much at high volumes as long as you turn the gain down as you turn the volume up. You can put either 4 6l6, 4 EL34, or 2 of each in this amp. or take two power tubes out and one rectifier tube out to run it at 50 watts instead of 100. Over all I like this amp I am glad I bought it.

It is too new to tell but it looks very sturdy and the only problems I can forsee are tube problems which are not to blame on the amp and are normal for tube amps.

Have not dealt with them and I hope I wont have too.

I have been playing for 8 years, I have had Line 6, Rougue, Marshall, Crate, and some other amps and this sounds better then all of them. If it were stolen I would be very upset and buy another one. I love the features and tone and seperate eq for each channel rocks. I hate the price of this thing though. Thats about it.

I got this amp in 2000. It has 6l6 power tubes and 5 12ax7 preamp tubes and two rectifier tubes. It has a channell cloning feature which lets you make both cahnels identical. The amp has a great heavy rythym tone, real crunchy. Some people might think it is two dimensional sounding. You have to be careful or it can muddy up on you. It is pretty versatile.

I like heavy stuff and this amp suits heavy rythym. I use a preamp to help cut through for solos the head itself dosen't have the solo sound I like. I think the best thing to do is buy a preamp with a tube power amp if your playing lead guitar. You can use an amp switcher and slave your recto and pre out to a power amp to have that heavy rectifier sound and a kick ass lead sound. I am going to buy a triaxis and power amp. If you could use the effects loop to run in a preamp then this amp would be flawless, then you can have your lead and clean sounds on the amps orange(clean) channel and totally bypass the loop on the red(gain) channel. This isn't possible but would be great if you could do that.

I have had no problems with it. I replaced all the tubes after two years because the started to sound weak. That isn't bad at all. i could have gotten away with replacing just the power tubes because preamp tubes generally last longer. I went with russian made tubes.

They returned my call within a half hour and answered all of my questions. I only wish they had an email for the tech department.

I been playing guitar for 5 years. If it were stolen that would suck but I would buy a preamp and poweramp for replacement. I've used Marshalls jcm 900, plexi, Peavey 5150 other than that i have only played little marshall practice amps. Mesa boogies are great amps and have a unique sound. They are also made with high quality materials. If what you want is a heavy rythm amp this is a perfect candidate.

I believe it is a late nineties model two channel.
I was looking for a really gainy, grindy sound, and I hate digital processing, so it seemed the way to go. I tried the new marshalls and there is no way to get that kind of gain without using a pedal of some sort.

I have no desire to use the clean channel, but alone it is a little edgy, not warm like my fender. However if you have a little reverb, you could make it sound good, but it was made for rock, not blues or country. More specifically, metal.
I play in a grindcore trio and it took me a long time to figure out how to get what I want out of it. At full gain, it muddies up and howls. So I finally found my best sound was to set it to bold, hi power, and the effects loop at around 5. I also use a noise suppressor. It cuts through the mix with plenty of gain, sometimes a little edgy, but as you know, no amp is pleasing all the time.

More secrets:
For metalheads, i use emg 81's in my guitars, marshall jcm 1960 cabs. I also use a furman power conditioner. I use ghs boomer 11's and they seem to be thicker than the super slinkies that I used to use.
Tubes;
I have had no luck with the stock 6l6's mesa recommends. I have a fantastic sound with the new groove tube e34l's, they run slightly hotter than el34's and they fit very tight, not loose like the 6l6's.
I am looking at replacing those stupid rectifier tubes with the solid state plugs by groove tubes, as I have heard they do next to nothing for the tone, all they do is modify the current and make noise. i have to adjust these every time I move my amp. Also, the solid state deals NEVER need replacing. I have replaced all the preamp tubes with elctroharmonix 12ax7eh and they sound great with little noise. Remember to make sure the tubes are well seated, otherwise they rattle, wear out faster and son't perform as well. But no matter what, any amp run on full gain at high volume will whistle and howl without some kind of noise suppression or gate.
My quest is for a warm sound that is not muddy yet not edgy, I can't say I have found it yet.

Anyone that know what they are talking about and feels like helping me can email me. I am not one of those snobs that won't share tricks and info. i hope what i have said will be helpfull. Peace out.

I have blown tubes, fuses, but once you replace them, it works fine.
As far as construction, it set the standard. All the companies are copying the diamond plate design. The sound is where the reliability comes into play, If you get decent tubes and run it on a well grounded circuit, it will behave.

I have only talked to them on the phone, they have always been helpful and promptly returned my calls. They even sent me free tubes even though it wasn't under warranty.

I have had it for four years and I have been playing for nine.
If I had a chance to get something else, I would go with a nice tube rackmount like the marshall, dual 100stereo all tube. Then a tech 21 sansamp. Something like that anyway all neatly tucked in a rack and ready for the road. It is a good amp, but the rectifiers are unnecesary and it is overpriced. I have tried the newer models and they are getting worse, as with anything that becomes more and more mass produced.

This amp contains several features, but, aside from the gain settings on each channel, none vary the overall tone very much, making them excessive.

I have now sold this amp because of a few important things that always bothered me:

1) An excessive amount of compression on all channels.
Let me say at the start, I do think the Mesa/Boogie sounds better than newer Marshalls (JCM900 through present), because they are both trying to do the same thing, which is provide one clean channel and a least one high gain disortion. The Mesa's version of the formula is better, but I think the formula is bad. Here's why:
After playing this amp for a while I got tired of the fact that i could hardly ever hear nuances or dynamics to my playing. The high gain mode started to sound like an old solid state crate head i used to have. The other channels simply refused to leap out of the amplifier, always sounding i was playing through mud, and i don't mean a dirty, nasty sound, because this amp can't do that either.

2) The myth of typical heavy metal guiter tone.
I think this is pretty funny now. People seeking a heavy metal sound typically go for the higher power standard in their equipment: hotter pickups, higher gain amplifiers, and speakers that handle a higher capacity. But, this amp included, that means it always sounds kind of "polite" because nothing is actually distorting very naturally: the gain is artificially added to the amp's tone, and the typical speaker cabinets that come with these kinds of amps employ speakers that can handle great amounts of bass and volume. And I think politeness sounds wrong in the heavy metal genre. Listen to bands like Neurosis or Melvins and you'll hear guitar sounds far heavier than most typical metal players, and they're playing with stuff that doesn't sound all nice and processed. Mesa's tone is a processed, controlled, "polite" sound.
3) The Mesa's bland sound.
In addition to sounding "polite," the Mesa/Boogie's tone is overall very boring. It has a very unmusical character and refuses to "sing" with lead playing. Listen to people who use this amp, you'll see what I mean. Most modern guitarists are using this amp, and when you listen to their work, can you really tell a difference between their sounds? Even with changing the guitar, this amp maintains a very characteristic yet boring tone.

The amp seems very well built and designed for easy use while playing.

The company is small, so that means good things for the customer. You can speak with a lot of people who work there, and they are helpful.

This amp has no truly great sound or one with which a player can derive his own sound, so it's generic overall. It is well constructed and seems to work extremely well, but it is also overpriced at $1500 for the head alone. It is an overrated amplifier.

My amp is brand new, made in 2002. The main description is as follows; 100 watts, all tube (5U4G,6L6 and 12AX7), 3 footswitchable channels, 8 modes ( clean and pushed for channel 1, Raw, Vintage and Modern for channels 2 and 3), seperate gain, presence, master and EQ for each channel,effects loop, bold/spongy variable ac(VARIAC)switch and a rectifier/vaccum tube switch. Theres really nothing I more I wish it had, I pretty much have total control over what I want the amplifier to do. I use the amp for band practice and for playing live. It's a very loud amp, I cant see why I would need much more power. As you probably know, its a fairly aggressive amp but it has the capability to sound great at mild gain settings.

I play melodic hard rock, I guess sort of emo/hardcore and its fairly well-suited to that style. I use an Ibanez S470 with a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge, My cab is a Marshall 1960A Slant cab. It's very quiet in most situations except for sometimes at high volumes on the high-gain modern mode. It has a pretty wide range of sounds including very nice cleans and chunky classic rock style gain but is best medium-heavy to heavily distorted, highly saturated sounds. The distortion is absolutely crazy, I'm actually frightened of playing the thing with the gain maxed. The only major problem in this category is that its very very hard to find a good personal sound, I have only had the amp for a few days now but finding a decent sound is very difficult and frustrating. Just be patient and you'll come across something you like.

One of the highest quality, best built amps I've come across to date. Everything feels very substantial and reliable. I would bring it on a gig without a backup but thats mainly because I can't afford a backup amp. It obviously hasn't broken down since I got it but I'm not holding my breath 'til it does. It gets a 9 purely because its still a tube amp and tubes really have minds of their own.

I have no experience with the company but I've only heard great things about them. Fortunately, my shop has a great relationship with Mesa/Boogie which can only make my life easier. The warranty is 5 years on the amp and 6 months on the tubes if they're Mesa/Boogie. Tubes made by any other manufacturer are under warranty for 90 days. Another perk is that when you bring in an amp for repair a lot of Mesa dealers will loan you a similar amp for the time you dont have yours.

I've been playing for about 8 years and have been consistently upgrading all of my gear for the last 2. Hopefully by the end of next year I'll have a Bogner 4x12 and a Gibson Les Paul studio to go with my Mesa. Currently my modified Ibanez S470 and my Marshall 1960A 4x12 will have to suffice.

The bottom line is that this amp is a great, high quality piece of gear, the sounds it can produce are pretty far-ranging and it's reliability is proven by the dozens of guitarists that take it on tour with them year in and year out. It takes quite some time to find a good sound but it's not impossible, and its loud enough for most folks. Other than that all I can say is don't buy an amp in this price range based on mine or anyone elses opinions, go out and play it for yourself. Also, try its competition, some of which are; Bogner Uberschall, Hughes & Kettner Duotone, Peavey XXX, Peavey 5150, Marshall JCM 2000 TSL 100, and one of the Soldano's but I forget what its called.

Thanks for reading my Recto Rant

Lots of features. Seperate mix levels for send and return of fx, rectifier select, voicing change for each channel, 5 preamp tubes, 6 power. EL34 and 6L6 tubes. 2 independent channels. 1996 model. The only problem is that most of the tone altering options for the amp are on the back of the head. Not very useful live if you want to change tones for a song.

I'm using a Schecter C-1 Elite, Duncan Design humbuckers...Ibanez RG7621 7-string with Grover tuners and DiMarzio BlazeII humbuckers in the neck and bridge. I'd love to hear an EMG-81 thru this thing. The clean channel is kind of dull sounding, and you absolutely have to have a decent chorus unit to get any kind of bright sounds out of it. Also you have to turn the gain up on the clean to have it match live volume with your dirty channel. This makes the clean break up very easily...but it sounds very good (with chorus) if you play with a light attack. However, the red channel is incredible. The distortion can get searing. I'm jamming around with a band that has a Chimaira-type vibe. The sound cuts right thru the mix, and the tone is amazing once you open the power tubes up a bit. More gain and low end than anyone should need, so keep the gain no higher than 2 o'clock, and the bass down to about 10 o'clock at high volumes. boost the mids too. incredible sound.

I've had it over a year, and never had a problem. amazing.

very friendly, I *very* highly recommend Mesa/Boogie's customer support.

I've been playing 15 years, and I got rid of all my other amps with I bought the Dual Recto. If it were stolen or lost, I'd probably get a 5150, simply because I couldn't come up with the dough for another Mesa. They cost too much, but they're worth what you pay. Very difficult to tweak...may sound like ass the first few days you have it while you figure out how to set the amp. I wish the clean were a little better, but I hear the 3-channel ones have a much improved clean channel. But I prefer the simplicity of this amp...one button footswitch. I love it. That monstrosity of the newer ones is uncalled for.

The amp is a 96' that I traded my slp100 reissue sight unseen heck I had never played a dual rectifier cuz they are out n the open and I dont like to wank at guitar center gay gay gay! I just need a dual channel amp and could not find a 6100 or a 2210 in time and the deal fel in my lap. features two cahnnels and the fx loop red/orange setting is a godsend. I dont need another vintage type head just a clean combo.

I use a g&l legacy special with the one space hums in it and I just spent the day recording. HOLY SHIT I have found the SOUND!!!! Live I think I need more time with the amp. My jcm900 cab kinda sounds muddy
I am gonna pick up a recto cab but first a marshall cab with vintage 30's. I give it a 9 for now cuz the recording sounds so fing awesome.
I even used a large diaphram octava condenser cuz the 57 was at the pracitce space and it recorded AWESOME. I am gonna stay with G&L and Gibson and NO PRS out of this head...EVER.

n/a not enough time yet

I called them and got a call back the same day techs are cool as shit!

been playing since age 12 so that makes 16 years, huh better get famous I'm getting old. I love the recorded sound need a higher quality cab jcm900s suck ass. If stolen I would start growing weed again and buy another.

Already been covered

I have a mockingbird supreme with seymour duncans. This is really a great amp. If you can't get a good sound out of it you don't know how to ajust it. Read the manual and it will get you in the ball park. I'm playing it through a Genz Benz 2x12 G-Flex cab. I play 80's hard rock alittle blues and some southern rock. I'm not using it for modern metal and it works great for the stiles I play. I'm suprised that this is classified as a metal amp because it does other stiles well also. Don't get me wrong it is a good metal amp but it really will do alot more. I took out the midle two 6l6 tubes and one rectifier tube as per the owners manual instructions. Suposidlly this reduces the power by half so I can drive the valves harder. It's still plenty loud. I love this amp. I've ownd quiet a bit of stuff and this is by far the best yet. I've been playing for 20+years (god I'm old) and you can't go wrong with this amp. I give it a 9 because nothing is perfect.

No problem yet but haven't had it long enough to say.

Never dealt with them.

I do wish it had reverb but it is so full and thick it doesn't really need it. I don't play serouslly anymore so this is my only amp. I have owned Hughes and Kettner, Carvin, Peavy, Mesa nomad 45, marshall, Ampeg, Fender and this is by far the best. Check it out you won't be disapointed.

This amp is fucking amazing the distorion is incredibly versitile it can be used for either classic distorions or modern one ranging from metal to punk it has 3 chanels 2 distortion and one clean

i use this amp with a gibson les paul studio and i play every thing from guns n roses to led zeppelin to punk and this amps sound fits me perfectly i have never encountered a better sounding amp and its distorted chanels clean up really nicely when i turn down the volume knob on my guitar

havent had any problems yet

havent had to fuck with them

i have been playing guitar for 10 years and am in a local houston punk band called mist and all the amp is the best amp i have encountered but i would not recomend it as the best amp for people looking for a vintage toned amp if you want a vintage sounding amp get a marshall

I bought this amp used for $850 about 2 years ago, and I am just now fully understanding the tone controls! Yes they behave *very* differently than marshalls. It came stock with Mesa 6L6GC-str430 tubes (repackaged sovtek?) I have also tried the EL-34 types with not the greatest restults. I will be tring the KT66 type next. This amp is very versitile in tone, however, I would not recomend this amp for a vintage tone. better off with a fender.

I still have not found my dream tone with this amp. It is the best I have come across so far. I have owned it for two years and still exparimenting with tubes and settings.

the best there is

no need! but I'm sure they are great

I have been playing guitar for over 10 years. I am also a professional recording engineer. I currently use a Gretch Solid Body. You probably think these guitars are for Jazz wankers only. forget that! They are the most solid, liquid, (and other forms of matter) guitars ever. I don't use any rack gear or pedals (other that the greatest tuner ever made, the Boss TU2)

THE RECTIFIER IS FOR KILLING EARDRUMS- I'VE JUST KILLED MINE! OLD ONE FROM 97' TWO CHANNEL WITH FIVE YEAR OLD TUBES!

I'VE ALREADY REVIEWED THIS THING- RAYZ HELL -LIKE IN APRIL OR SOMETHING- I'VE JUST GGOT TO ADD A FEW COMMENTS-
I JUST READ FROM SOME OTHER DUDE ABOUT PUTTING THE EFFECTS LOOP ON ORG/RED- YEAH I DID MAN- I PUT THE SEND LEVEL AND CRAP ALL THE WAY UP- PUT THE MASTER ON THE FRONT OF THE AMP ON-I SWEAR- NO MORE THEN -"TWO" AND SET MY USUAL GAIN ON ABOUT SIX -LIKE I SAID- I HAVE FIVE YEAR OLD TUBES AND I HAVE BEEN NOTICING A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN POWER ON THE ORANGE CHANNEL-VINTAGE- THE ONE I ALWAYS USE.
MAN- I PLAYED A COUPLE OF CHORDS AND CHOPS AND CRAP AND RIGHT NOW MY EARS ARE IN AGONY! I WAS A GOOD TEN FEET AWAY FROM THE 4/12 CAB-MAN I DON'T THINK IT IS EVEN SAFE FOR HUMANS AT ALL!
I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR LIKE 15 YEARS- HAVE BEEN IN MANY METAL BANDS- SO MY EARS ARE DEFINATELY DAMAGED- BUT RIGHT NOW I DON'T REMEMBER- PAIN- PAIN-OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!
IF YOU MANIACS WANT TO KILL YOUR BANDMATES,YOUR GOLDFISH, OR JUST SHAKE THAT PESKY MOLD FROM THE OLD LADY'S HOUSE DOWN THE STREET- DO THE EFFECTS LOOP THING- YOU DON'T EVEN NEED EFFECTS- I DON'T OWN ANY- THE ONLY EFFECT IS THE ROAR WILL SEND YOU FOR A LOOP!

MY RECTO IS A TANK- MY CAMARO WAS TOTALED RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM CBGB'S -THE LAST TIME I PLAYED THERE- I WAS CREAMED BY A CAB FROM BEHIND- DESTROYED THE CAR I HAD INVESTED LIKE FIVE GRAND IN-NOW IT'S WORTHLESS- MY RECTO- 4/12 CAB-AND THREE GUITARS WERE IN THE HATCH- ALL WERE FINE-PERFECT-SKB GUITAR CASES ARE DAM COOL IN CRASH SITUATIONS I MIGHT ADD AS WELL- YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO FIND A BETTER CONSTRUCTED AMP-EVER!

RANDALL SMITH IS THE BEAST THAT WAS PROMISED- IF ANYBODY KNOCKS BOOGIE THEY ARE - WELL-YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE - YOU ARE ALWAYS GOING TO FIND A MORON-WHO FOR SOME REASON WANTS TO PUT DOWN THE BEST THING OUT THERE-IT'S GOING TO BE A DUDE WHO WEARS OPEN TOE SANDALS,LISTENS TO DAVE MATTHEWS, AND MARLEY, PLAYS HACKEE SACK AND CALLS HIMSELF A METALHEAD-
THE RECTO IS FOR METALHEADS- THE DUDES WHO DRANK THERE PARENTS VODKA AT 15 AND FILLED THAT SHIT UP WITH POLAND SPRING-COMMIT RANDOM ACTS OF VANDALISM AND HATE LIFE FOR THE FUN OF IT-IF YOU HAVE A TRUST FUND AND DRIVE DADDY'S BMW TO SCHOOL- GET YOURSELF A POD, A NEW ,"PHISH" SHIRT- AND READ A COPY OF," HIGH TIMES"- WHILE LISTENING TO" BURNIN"- RICH WHITE BOYS LISTEN TO REGGAE- IT MAKES THEM FEEL COOL WHEN THEY'RE STONED-IF YOU ARE AFRAID OF THE RECTIFIER- JUST ADMIT IT - AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE

BEST AMP FOR THE MONEY- ONE OF THE BEST AMPS EVEN MADE- IT HAS ALREADY BECOME A LEGEND- YOU DUDES KNOW THAT

this amp has more features and adjustments than anything ive seen
lacking only in midi controls, but i dont care for that crap anyways

sounds are fucking amazing, distortion will kill small aminals, clean is warm and rich and tube-juicy... just wonderful

************I FEEL THAT NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO SET THE CONTROLS**********

read this: SET THE LOOP SELECT SWITCH ON THE BACK TO LOOP ON

if you do this the, loop volume knob on the front will become active and you can now CRANK the master volumes (runs the tubes HOT) while lowering overall volume.

PEOPLE THAT RATE THIS AMP AS HAVING SHITTY TONES DID NOT SELECT THE LOOP.
Without this the amp sounds thin and weak and not focused. With it, it is GODDAMN GODLIKE. READ THIS PEOPLE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

it took me almost a year of fiddling to figure this out, and the manual is no help

in any case with the loop switch on and master volume at around 5-8 you can get some of the sickest distortion and cleans sounds ever. Complete tube sounding and completely awesome. Very focused punch. SCREAMING RAGING DISTORTION. Glassy blues and jazz tones (I LOVE THESE). The spongy switch is very usefull also, giving a more vintage tone. I can hit a marshall jcm800 easily and then back to a fender glassy clean. Really truely O-M-G

Dont let the some of these moronic reviews sway you from this amp. It costs a lot but is completely worth it.

remember SET THE LOOP SWITCH to "LOOP ON ORG/RED" and you have the sickest amp ever

as for ear splitting volumes, the loop volume can be used to get any volume level... ANY with perfect tone

perfect.. never had a problem... looks awesome, and is built perfectly
one small thing that i noticed with my slant cab 4x12 is the back board vibrated a bit at high volume levels, the remedy is simply to sink 2 3" screws at about 7" down centered from the plug (on the back)
i hear newer models already do this

never had to call

playing guitar for 15 years, own a jackson JJ1 and RR1
digitech rp12 (CRAP)
tc electronic booster/distortion pedal

The only thing i want know is another recto half stack for stereo.

REMEMBER PEOPLE.... LOOP SWITCH IS VERY VERY IMPORTANT

So this is the future of guitar amplification eh? How very very sad for me. Brutal distortion, no dynamics, no "bloom" , no power tube distortion. Clean channel? Shit. Vintage channel? Big Joke. Modern channel? Loud. Ugly. I tried EL 34's and removing two power tubes. Not much better. This is the most money I've ever paid for a used amp. By the way, Line6 gets prettry close to the sound of this amp. Hmm...I guess it's all in the preamp. All the kiddies sure love it.
gets a bunch of 9's and 10's, so it must just be me.

These guys have always returned my calls.

I think I'll sell it.

Lots. Too many!

OK, this amp is a '96 and sounds just KILLER, the red channel of course. Pure Black - era Metallica tone. The green channel is just kinda blah, sterile and too compressed, not harmonic detail, sounds like a bass amp. But the RED CHANNEL KILLS, super high gain, lots of bass and the midrange control is very effective, I actually add mids for extra snarl and bite, scooping them tends to tame the sound and it cuts through the band less. Note - you only need to set the gain to 12-2 oclock to get this raunchy sound, oh and set the master volume to 11-1 oclock. Any more preamp gain is just fizzy and you lose clarity and articulation. Its SOOOO HEAVY sounding theres no need to max the gain. Use humbuckers.

Never broken down on me, cause it was biased very cold for years, the amps ship very very cold from Mesa, so they make it past warranty. I had a bias pot installed, so it eats tubes faster but sounds even better, the clean channel is almost good sounding. In my experience, very very dependable.

I own many many many amps, and I like this one and would not sell it. It gives a killer heavy sound no other amp quite matches. I can't say that its better or worse than my VHT or Soldano, Matchless, Marshalls or Fenders, which all have their own unique sounds, and if I only had 1 amp this would NOT be it, but when its time to play Master of Puppets or One, this is where its at.

the price also includes a rectifier 2x12 cab.
lots of knobs, lot of switches, lots of tweaking of the same sound. two channels that can clone each other allowing more tones of the same sound.
gets a 10 for looks, mine has the chrome diamond plate.
but it loses points for the long non-removeable power cord. whats up with that! there's not much room inside the head to put it, as if i'd wanna shove stuff in there. it should un-plug and be put in the cord bag with all the other cords.

the sound.... that it does have. you can tweak it to death and get many tones out of it, but it's all based on the same sound. check out the radio or mtv to hear it. the amp sound isn't what makes those bands sell outs. my thoughts are normaly- the guitar sounds killer.... too bad the singer sucks. i'm into the tool, deftones, etc style. my main guitar since the late 80's has been a black BC Rich gunslinger, a strat w/ one hum-pickup thats slanted towards the neck on the bass end (like a strat) and the floyd thats been blocked with a complete deck of cards (except the wild cards, they're in the guitar case) this guitar thumps big time on the bass end and this amp clarifies it even more. i'm also looking to get a bogner obershall as well. i dig the sound, i knew what i was getting, and i got what i wanted. my friend has a v-twin pedal, same sound, this is just more in your face.
man this thing is loud! louder than a 100w marshall. although this thing sounds best cranked, i was amazed how well it sounded turn down. which is good because sometimes times you get these wannabe sound guys sneaking up behind you and turning your amp down to nothing leaving no stage volume and the crowd listening to crap, although they'll still get a alder body up side the head "GET AWAY FROM MY AMP! and go read the mixer's owners manual!"

so far it's been ok. the "built like a tank" rule must of came this amp, cuz it looks like a tank

a backup!? lugging this thing around by itself is enough hauling i can stand, i'm still my own roadie, even though i plan on adding a bogner to the mix. spare tubes are a must for any tube amp. thank god this thing isn't loaded with 6550's "$$$" ouch. a v-twin would make a nice handy back up

i've been playing 22 years, played just about everywhere. this replaces my marshall jcm800 head, which i might buy back(why not?). i like to get real heavy, but not quite on a death trip, and this thing fits nicely. it has that dual rectifier sound that sounds like the real thing. my amp modeler was cool but fake and lifeless and i always had it on the same amp setting, the rectifier.... "!" hey! how about i get the real thing, i also share my guitar with a sampler.... go figure!
if it was stolen, i'd put down my main ax (my BC Rich) and pick up a les paul and place the thief's head up against the dual fectifier's diamond face plate and then whack him up side the head with the les paul. i won't need to buy another cuz i'll have this one back complete with a very cool blood stained diamond face plate, something the custom shop doesn't offer. i should mention this is a violent amp for violent people who play loud violent music. thumbs up!

BOUGHT NEW IN 97'GOT MINE IN GREEN VINYL. HAD TO WAIT FOR LIKE A MONTH AFTER I ORDERED IT. THE RECTO IS VERY VERSATILE. I CAN'T IMAGINE IT SOUNDING BAD IN ANY SITUATION. IT HAS A VINTAGE AND A MODERN CHANNEL. THE MODERN CHANNEL IS THINNER BUT QUICKER AND MORE IN YOUR FACE. I ONLY USE THE VINTAGE CHANNEL. IT SOUNDS MORE BLENDED AND FAT.RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN USING THE VINTAGE TO MODERN SETTING LOCATED ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD. THE SOUND I AM GETTING LATELY IS HUGE!

I USE G+L GUITARS WITH SWAMP ASH BODIES. ONE HAS A EMG-81-SV-SV THING HAPENING, THE OTHER HAS A DUNCAN JEFF BECK-G+L SINGLE-SINGLE SET UP. WITH MY EMG 81 I CAN'T SEEM TO GET QUITE ENOUGH BASS GOING BUT IT STILL SOUNDS AMAZING! VERY LIVELY AND EXCITING. WITH THE JEFF BECK IT SOUNDS FAT DARK AND MEAN! THE NOTES ARE THROWN AT YOU LIKE ROCK CHUNKS BEING BLASTED OFF A CLIFF! THAT'S WHAT I'M INTO RIGHT NOW- PRETTY MUCH.
THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE HEARD,"WE DELIVER KEGGERS", ON OPIE AND ANTHONY - I DID THAT ALL ON MY G+L WITH THE EMG'S WITH THE BOOGIE SET ON VINTAGE.

RIGHT NOW IT'S THE ONLY AMP I OWN AND I DO SHOWS WITH NO GODDAM BACK UP-HEY-PEOPLE JUST AINT BUYIN' CRACK LIKE THEY USED TO - YOU BUY ME NOTHER ONE!-JUST KIDDING- CRACK STILL SELLS.

I CALLED RANDALL SMITH AND TOLD HIM I THOUGHT THERE WERE MONSTERS UNDER MY BED-HE TOLD ME THEY WERE JUST PIECE OF CRAP MARSHALLS AND TO GO TO SLEEP- HE WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE.

THE RECTO IS AMAZING! PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT GETTING AN AMP WITH LIKE A MILLION SAMPLED SONDS IS COOL AND THEY NEED THE EFFECTS,PETALS AND CRAP, ARE DEAD WRONG! GET A RECTO AND PLUG THAT BABY IN STRAIGHT! EFFECTS ON GUITAR ARE LIKE VIBRATO ON A SINGER'S VOICE- JUST A SIGN OF FEAR. GET A GREAT SOUND AND PLAY-BE BRAVE PUP! OH YEAH - I'M GETTING AN UBERSCHALL - MY OTHER GUITARIST-DONNIE D.GOT HIS AMP RIPPED OFF BY HIS EX OR SOMETHING- HE IS DOWN AND HE SPENDS ALL HIS MONEY ON- HEY HE AIN'T GOT NO GODDAM MONEY!
LATER ROCKERS AND SUCH- RAYZ HELL

1998 model. Two Channel. Features already described in detail.

Sounds spectacular. It has that Mesa Rectifer sound all the modeling amps are trying to get.

I started my tube journey with the Line6 POD. Then I got a Line6 Flextone II Plus. After a while I found that the only amp models I used were the Fender and Mesa Rectifer. So, why not get the real thing!?

I did, and I am never going back! Digital modeling amps are lacking one very important thing: Harmonic Feedback! Digital amps' feedback is shrill and hurts your ears.

This amp sounds great! Good versatility. With the spongy setting and the tube rectifer is use, you can get a great blues tone. Switch it over to Bold and Solid State rectification (still all tube signal path) and you can go into heavy metal territory.

With the Orange to clean switch you can hurt your ears with a clean tone.

This Dual rectifer belonged to a good friend of mine for two years. He plays 4 to 6 shows a month in Seattle. I saw this head fall from the top of his FULL STACK! It still worked!!! The entrie time he had it, it NEVER blew a fuse. Treat the amp right, and it will last forever.

I have opened it up and looked inside. The amp is all hand-wired. I can repair electronics, and they do a TOP NOTCH job building these things. I was EXTREMELY impressed with how well thing amp was put together.

I called Mesa shortly after getting the amp. They sent me a manual very promptly.

The technician (Mike) was very helpful with answering my questions (See overall rating). Outstanding company.

I was also told by Mesa that they like Line6. What a great marketing campaign! Mesa doesn't have to pay Line6 anyting, and Line6 users get to hear a Mesa. Once they figure out that Mesa is the amp they like, they upgrade to the real thing. Great for Mesa.

I called and asked how to run the amp at 50W. You can by...Removing the outer two Power Tubes, Removing a Rectifer tube (doesn't matter which), and doubling the impedence of the speaker out you are using (8ohm for the 4 ohm jacks, 16 ohm for the 8 ohm jacks).

Another little trick you can do is to use the effects loop to give you a lead boost. Turn the effects dial to footswitch. Turnt he send to 50%, and the mix to 100%. DON'T put anything in the effects loop. When you turn off the effects loop via the footswitch there is about a 4db boost for leads!!

I have been playing guitar for 12 years or so. I have been playing and searching for THE amp for two years now. I started off with Line6 stuff to get a good refrence for different amp characteristics. I am very satisfied with this amp. If it got stolen I would be very sad, and use the insurance money to get a new one.

2-channel 1996 model, seperate eqs, effects loop, channel cloning,
rectifier selection, blahblahblah...everybody knows what this amp
has. Lots of ways to alter tone.

I use lots of guitars through this amp...Ibanez RG7621 fixed bridge, 2 DiMarzio BlazeII hums in H-H configuration, American Fender Strat
with lace sensors, Ibanez USA Saber w/DiMarzio Evolution and PAFs in
H-S-S config, and a mutt guitar I assembed, American pickups. I play rock to heavy rock mostly, with some classic rock and punk sometimes.
Suits my style perfectly, though the clean channel leaves a lot to
be desired. It's very flat and is hard to get a bright clean out of.
What's good about it is it's sensitive to pick attack, and you can get a gain free clean with a soft picking technique, or you can dirty the clean by attacking the strings. The gain channel is amazing,
but the amp has TOO much gain. I've cranked it a couple times, and it's too much...waaaaay too much buzz. Run an eq in the effects loop
and run a lot of mid, this thing will crunch. It's LOUD, though,
and sounds better the louder it's cranked...definitely not for home
use. Clean is still flat and hard to use, tho.

Wonderfully built, very solid, VERY heavy. Had it almost a year,
never even had a fuse blow.

Excellent support. Call them with a question, and they'll answer it.
I bought mine used and called them to find out when the amp was built. They told me the answer immediately and then asked me if I needed a user's manual. I said sure, and got it in 4 days. That's support.

I've been playing 15 years, and have played through lots of amps. This amp is the best amp I've owned, and I love it. It's very hard to tweak to exact specifications, so the ease of use is low, but when you find "that" sound, it's worth it. If it was stolen, I would absolutely hate it, but I would probably save another 600 bucks and get an Uberschall. Not that I don't love the Boogie, cuz I do...but the clean is flat and the Uberschall has a beautiful clean as well as a gain channel that's on par with the Recto. I'd just save a little extra and get the Bogner...but if I couldn't get it, I would buy a Boogie again.

I believe this amp is a 93. It is a two channel independant EQ amp with a whole pile of features which tweak the tone ever so slightly. (channel cloning which is nice because you can use both channels for gain and run a VOX for clean if you would like) Bold/spongy power band 100-75 watts. tube select. (can use 6L6s or el34s) and solid state rectifier/tube rectifier. and an effects loop that adds the effects after the preamp and a send/return that allows one to mix the presence of the effects. The feature that I never use is the Solid State rectifier. I really don't know why it is there.... This amp is as versitile as a tube amp can be but it does Mesa Dual Rectifier tone alone. It sounds like a mesa playing whatever you are playing whether it be blues, country, soft rock, punk and even metal. I use this amp for practicing in the basement as well as gigging when I get the chance. It has way more then enough power. Something that isn't well known is that if you pull out 1 rectifier tube and two power tubes (either center or outside pair) and run an 8 ohm cab out of the 4 ohm output the amp can run at 50watts which is really nice. Hit the spongy powerband and it id down to 35watts. Great for small venues.

I use godin LG with Seymour Duncan Alnico 2 Pros. I play mostly punk although I also play rock like Our Lady Peace, Nickelback, Staind and some metal as well as punk. The one thing about tone is that this head really delivers. However, check out different cabs. I found the Mesa Cabs to be buzzy and lifeless. The Marshall 1960AX cab is increadible with this head. The highs sing and the mids are vocal. The other cool thing is that the Mesa doesn't buzz at all. Sometimes guitar pickups do but the amp is always silent. I find the confusion with this amp comes with dialing in sounds and using the channel cloning. (the channel cloning problem greatly reduced in the 3 channel models) As far as dialing in tones, the signal is linear and is shaped from one tube to the next. Each dial is connected to a preamp tube so the signal reaches the treble first then to mids then to bass etc. so turning one knob affects the the others as well. ANNOYING!! so you have to fiddle and fiddle. The results are worth it though:D My biggest advice for sound is watch what guitar and cab you buy to go with the head.

haven't had any problems yet

I emailed mesa and they are very prompt with their replies. They even sent me an owners manual. Ordering stuff from the takes forever though

I've had the amp since september 2001. I've been playing 3 years. I'd buy another Dual Rectifier if I could find another one used. I love the tone of the amp and the versitility. What I hate is that like with every tube amp, is has to be cranked to sound good. I compared with marshalls and I find the marshalls too snarly for my liking. I like the balanced creamy boogie tone as well as the tonnes of gain.

Purchased new in 1994.

Features have been listed and relisted, I won't re-re-list em =)

Not a metal amp exclusively. You just need to play around with it. I have used a a ton of guitars through it - 3 different Les Pauls, 2 Strats, Teles, Explorer, V, Guild Starfire, old USA Kramers etc. etc. They all sound good through this amp if you take a little time to dial it in. I play all styles of music - hard rock, metal, blues, jazz, even a bit of country. Great live and for recording.

I've had it 8 years now and never one problem, it's seen hundreds of gig hours in all kinds of environments.

N/A

I've been playing for about 25 years. I've had Marshalls, Fenders, Soldano, Rivera, etc. I'd definitely replace it if it were stolen. I just plain like the Boogie tone, this amp is totally capable of producing good sounds for a myriad of musical styles.

Lots of features but the main feature of this map of course is that it has two options to rectify the power supply-(that is change the AC current coming from the power recepticle to DC which the amp actually runs on) supply hence the name "Dual Rectifier" The first being what 99% of all amps have tube or otherwise and that is solid state diodes sometimes reffered to as a "full wave bridge" and this is "solid state" the second choice is to have the dedicated "rectifier" tubes do the work This differs from the "Triple Rectifier" which is not named because it has three ways to "Rectify" the power suppply,It's called a "Triple Rectifier" since it has another Rectifier tube because it has a six 6L6's rather than the "Dual's" 4 6L6 config.So Mesa's design has a rectifier tube for every pair of power tubes.Kinda confusing eh?? This also review applies to the trem-o-verb.

There seems to be a misunderstanding of how the "Dual Rectifier" operates I get the impression that some people think that when you switch between tube and solid state rectifiers that it means the preamp is being switched however that is totally incorrect! the signal path is ALL TUBE ALWAYS!


Tube rectifiers were used in most older amps I'm not entirely sure if its because diodes (like transistors) hadnt been invented or simply tubes were just plentiful/available.The sound a rectifier tube imparts on the amplifiers tone is very subtle one.It's really only noticable when a low gain amp is beng driven hard and by that I mean it's at very high volume.The power tubes want to draw more "power" and most amps using a rectifier tube (99% of these amps only used one)werent/arent able to "feed" the power tubes efficiently(its refered to as "sag")sort of like a V-8 engine being gunned when its four-barrel carbuerator is a bit gummed up (loses punch/sloppy response)an amp responds by becoming slighty more compressed (transient response is less sharp)This effect is only noticable on low gain amps at high volumes.Any amps with high gain preamps oh something like a "Dual Rectifier" this effect is nullified for the fact the more gain introduced the more compressed the signal is anyways.


So knowing that why did Mesa/Boogie put tube recifiers into a high-gain metal amp???? They knew that they were designing/marketing a hard rock-heavy metal amp and 99% of the people who buy them wouldnt have a clue what a rectifier was in the first place or how a tube rectifier operated.To most people who buy the "Dual/Triple Rectifier" it just "looks cool" and "sounds heavy"
Why?The Dual Rectifier (Solo Head)is a marketing gimmick pure and simple.

I owned a Dual Rectifier for 2 months and was my main amp for that time and let me tell you when that amp is cranked none of the options such as the soft/loud switch or the tube rectifiers make a difference AT ALL!

Overall the sound of the rectifier in stock form has a boomy low end(that cant be dialed out) and a rather harsh high end and is uncapable of true "scooped" sounds -even with the mid control turned all the way down.Hmm no scooped sound? rather a peculiar omission for an amp like this.However there isnt any amp out there that sounds quite like it or offers its type of features.

I think for the most part the workmanship is great.

They're the best in the high end high production for support.

Of course its paid off for Mesa/Boogie the name is unique and everybody knows what it is and they've sold billions of them.But have you ever though for a moment that all those extra tubes,switches and other components made the amp more costly than was required? The whole concept is just a GIMMICK!!

I mean sure NOW they have the Single Rectifier.But as far as I'm concerned thats the amp it should have been in the first place.The tube rectifiers are better used in the thier low to medium (less extreme)gain amps such as the "Blue Angel" and "Maverick"

As feature laden and unique sound this amp may be I only give it an "8" considering the "Dual Recti-gimmickery" and the inabilty to tame boomy and harsh sounds.They could have made the amp more "real-world" flexible if hey had a switch feature that allowed the extreme sounds to be tamed.Something like normal/extreme or "classic/"nu-mental"

Features already stated. Very versatile feature set.

Les Paul Classic w/ceramic magnet humbuckers. This amp sounds incredible!! I've found that the trick is in the midrange on the overdrive channels. I use it w/the tube preamp setting cuz solid state sucks. Anyhoo, with the midrange up to about 3/4, I get the fattest, fullest, most angelic tone out of this amp. Fantastic rock amp. Haven't tried it with EL34's, but I plan to.

Not sure yet

Not sure yet

I can get all the sounds from my Marshall JCM900, and a whole lot more. Hands down the best amp on the market under $2000. Tone rich with fat mids(bread and butter for a guitar tone), great lows, and smooth yet responsive highs. Rules. Used to play only Marshalls.

MY DUAL RECTO HEAD IS A 1997 MODEL -- 100 WATTS, TWO CHANNELS, FX LOOP, CHANNEL CLONING.....YOU GET THE PICTURE. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS BABY. I PURCHASED THIS SPECIMEN IN MINT CONDITION (IT WAS STILL IN THE BOX) FROM SOME POOR LAD WHO NEEDED TO UNLOAD IT IN A HURRY. THE STOCK POWER TUBES ARE 6L6'S, AND I HAVE YET TO CHANGE A SINGLE TUBE IN THIS AMP. I HAVE OWNED THIS AMP FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW. I'VE BEEN PLAYING GUITAR FOR 25 YEARS, AND I PRINCIPALLY PLAY BLUES/ROCK/METAL. THOUGH THIS AMP IS HARDLY A ONE TRICK PONY, IT'S VERSATILITY IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED. BUT FOR ROCK/METAL STYLES, THERE IS SIMPLY NOTHING OUT THERE THAT CAN MATCH THE HEINOUS CRUNCH OF THE DUAL RECTIFIER. LIKE OTHERS, I WAS FIRST INTOXICATED BY THE RED/MODERN CHANNEL. AFTER YEARS OF PLAYING THROUGH PEAVEY, FENDER,
MUSICMAN AND MARSHALL AMPS AND CABINETS, I WAS STUNNED BY THE HIGH GAIN CHARACTER OF THIS BABY. EVEN THE KID I BOUGHT IT FROM WAS STUNNED BY THE WICKED TONES THAT I WAS ABLE TO DIAL IN SO EFFORTLESSLY. THIS AMP HAS ALL THE POWER THAT ANYONE NEEDS; THERE'S GOBS OF HEADROOM AND THE BOTTOM END IS UNSTOPPABLE. MY ONLY CONCERN WAS WONDERING WHERE IN THE HELL I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO LET 'ER RIP WITHOUT CAUSING COLLATERAL DAMAGE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. FORTUNATELY, I HAVE LEARNED THAT YOU CAN GET GREAT TONE FROM THIS HEAD WITHOUT CRANKING IT TO THE RAFTERS OR DISTURBING THE PEACE.......ALTHOUGH YOU CAN ONLY BE SO QUIET FOR SO LONG!

I USE SEVERAL DIFFERENT GUITARS: A '71 LES PAUL CUSTOM W/ STOCK HUMBUCKERS; A PRS CUSTOM 22; A '57 REISSUE STRAT, AND A FENDER MIJ
JERRY DONAHUE TELE. AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, EACH OF THESE GUITARS IS VERY DIFFERENT AND INTERACTS WITH THE DUAL RECTO IN UNIQUE WAYS. FOR FLAT OUT, BALLS TO THE WALL DROPPED D CRUNCH, YOU CAN'T BEAT THE LES PAUL.
THE PRS IS EQUALLY AS GOOD, AND IS A GUITAR WITH MUCH MORE FINESSE DUE TO ITS FIVE WAY ROTARY PICKUP SELECTOR. THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THE RECTO IS BETTER SUITED TO HUMBUCKERS AS OPPOSED TO SINGLE COILS. THAT BEING SAID, I CAN COAX SOME INCREDIBLY LUSH CLEAN TONES FROM THE CLEAN CHANNEL WITH MY JD TELE. IT SOUNDS ESPECIALLY SWEET WHEN COUPLED WITH A SLIGHT CHORUS OR DELAY EFFECT. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE COMPLAINED THAT THIS AMP CAN'T BE MADE TO RUN CLEAN, I TAKE ISSUE WITH THAT. THE CONTROLS AND FEATURES OF THIS AMP -- BOTH ON THE FRONT AND REAR PANELS -- WILL ALLOW ANY GUITARIST TO DELIVER ALL THE CLEAN AND/OR DIRTY TONES THAT YOU DESIRE. WHILE YOU WON'T FIND THE SPANK OF A FENDER TWIN OR A VOX AC-30 HERE, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. JUST GIVE IT A CHANCE, FOLKS. THESE GUYS AT BOOGIE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
PERHAPS THE ONLY TONE THAT I HAVE NOT NAILED TO MY SATISFACTION IS, ODDLY ENOUGH, A CONVINCING DEATH METAL TONE. PART OF THE REASON FOR THIS MAY BE THAT I'VE NEVER QUITE CRANKED THIS AMP FLAT OUT. I HAVE FOUND THAT, WITH THE GAIN ON EITHER CHANNEL SET AT 1/2, AND THE MASTER SET AT 1/4, THE ASS-KICKING THUMP THAT EMANATES FROM THIS SETUP IS SIMPLY FRIGHTENING. THE DISTORTION CAN BEST BE DESCRIBED AS WARM, THICK, SHIMMERING AND FULL.....BUT NOT BRUTAL. FOR OVER THE TOP TONES, I HAVE A BOSS METAL ZONE PEDAL THAT, WHEN RUN THROUGH THE CLEAN CHANNEL OF THE RECTO (YES, THE CLEAN CHANNEL), YOU CAN NAIL THE DEATH METAL THANG WITH EASE.

SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN BUILT EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE OWNED IT FOR THREE YEARS, I HAVE ONLY HAD IT OUT ON ONE OR TWO GIGS, AND BELIEVE ME, IT FILLED THE BALLROOM! NO PROBLEMS TO REPORT, ALTHOUGH WITH REGULAR GIGS COMING UP IN THE SPRING, I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO HAVE SOME BACKUP TUBES ON HAND.

I DID HAVE AN OCCASION TO CONTACT THEM ONCE; MY CALL WAS PROMPTLY RETURNED. THE LOCAL MUSIC SHOP I DEAL WITH IS A BOOGIE DEALER, WITH PLENTY OF AMPS, TUBES, AND PARTS ON HAND. I DO NOT HAVE A WARRANTY AND FORTUNATELY, I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM.

MY OTHER GEAR INCLUDES AN ARRAY OF EFFECTS: AN OLDER DIGITECH RDS 1900 DELAY UNIT THAT SOUNDS KILLER, AND STOMPBOXES INCLUDING A BOSS TU-2 TUNER, IBANEZ CS-9 STEREO CHORUS, VOODOO LAB SPARKLE DRIVE AND MICROVIBE PEDALS, BOSS METAL ZONE PEDAL, IBANEZ TS-10 TUBE SCREAMER, AND A MORLEY BAD HORSIE WAH. THESE EFFECTS ARE MOUNTED ON AN SKB POWERED PEDAL BOARD THAT ALSO HOLDS THE RECTO CHANNEL FOOTSWITCH. I ALSO HAVE A PAIR OF TAYLOR ACOUSTIC GUITARS: A MODEL 512 SIX STRING AND A 355e TWELVE STRING - THESE ARE DYNAMITE GUITARS. I WOULD DEFINITELY REPLACE THE RECTO IF IT WERE LOST OR STOLEN. I WOULD PROBABLY REPLACE IT WITH EITHER THE TREMOVERB HEAD OR THE TREMOVERB COMBO. MY BASIC COMPARISONS WERE MADE AGAINST THE PEAVEY 5150, AND THE
MARSHALL JCM 900 AND JCM 900 SLX MODELS. I FOUND THAT THE PEAVEY ONLY DELIVERED ONE DECENT SOUND. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE MARSHALLS, AS I HAVE WANTED TO OWN ONE SINCE I WAS A KID. THEY WERE, HOWEVER, NOISY, UNRELIABLE, AND HAD VERY LIMITED HIGH GAIN TONES. THEY JUST WEREN'T IN IT WITH THE RECTO. I WOULD LOVE TO TRY A VHT PITBULL 100, BUT THERE ARE NO DEALERS NEAR MY HOME, AND THE COST WAS CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN THE RECTO. I HAVE READ A REVIEW THAT CLAIMED THAT THE VHT HAD THE MOST "RELENTLESS, STUPIFYING THRASH TONES" OF ANY AMP IN A 100 WATT SHOOTOUT HELD BY GUITAR PLAYER JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THE ONLY DOWNER WAS THAT THE VHT WAS POWERED BY KT-88 TUBES, WHICH I'M TOLD ARE QUITE EXPENSIVE. NEVERMIND. IF HEAVY ROCK/MODERN METAL IS YOUR BAG, RUN --- DON'T WALK -- TO YOUR NEAREST BOOGIE DEALER, AND GIVE THIS AMP A LISTEN. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.

I think most of the features have been reviewed fairly well, but I would just like to mention to the people who say that "It's got every feature known to man",that they should look at a Boogie markiv or a Bogner ecstacy.That said,the dually is one of the most powerful amplifiers, and also kind of a one trick pony. (Please,before I get hatemail from the illiterate,read on.)

For the record,I use a Parker Fly Deluxe,a 83 Ibanez Artist hollowbody and a Godin lgx-sa. This amp suits my lust for low end,but seems to lose some intricasy somewhere along the way. Still,a phenominal sounding rock amp,just don't try to play those Paganini passages through it. This amp is perhaps the best sounding amp i've ever played fifth chords(power chords)through.Deep,full and monstrous sounds are to be had for the fifth player.Sadness and desperation are to be found for the player relying on any subtleties or nuancing. The clean sound is exactly that,very clean,perhaps so clean as to be dry and bland.But that is a sacrifice one makes for an amp that does gain this high in a class a/b situation.

My Mesa amps have all blown fuses and tubes from time to time,even a filter cap here and there,but that is the territory of tube amps. The dually has done me well for touring,gigging and basement playing.Mesa has a great chassis build with quality sourced parts.

Mesa head office is great. They usually get back to you in prompt fashion, and with the answer you are looking for. The one year warranty is poor,but they have done things for me past warranty.

I've been playing 15 years,and before you think I am slamming this amp,think again. It does everything it promises to do. Rip your head off with a very sweet sounding high gain distortion. I own a DC-3,Mark iv and the dually. If I had to only keep one,it would be the mark iv for its diversity and features,but the dually is is a very close second...Just a little more limited.

100watts of gain dripping tone, 2 channels, One can play crystal clear tones and if you turn up the gain you can get a nice crisp rocking sound, much like an acdc type tone. The 2nd channel (red) is where this amp gets loud and heavy. One thing i dont understand is why people trash on this amps "heavier" sound. I think the rectifier series has a very full sound, very smooth and not muddy at all, how you play the guitar determines what its going to sound like. If you want to play good old rock and roll this amp will sound rockin'. If you want to play death metal, its gonna sound heavy and maybe even muddy if you pump the bass, scoop some mids... Has no reverb, but has 2 sets of knobs, one for each channel, which comes in handy, and it comes with a foot switch for selecting bewtween the channels. Right now it has 6l6's in it, im thinking of putting in el34's though. This amp has alot of power, its rated at 100 watts, but its way louder than a marshall dsl 100 head (which is louder than the jcm 900 by the way), if im playing at 4, the other guitar player in my band is playing at 6 just to match it. The only reason i cant give it a 10 is because i'll never be able to find the best sound ever, im too picky

I use a telecaster w/ a seymour duncan invader in the bridge, and a les paul with a duncan distortion in the bridge. I play rock and roll, to punk. This amp is perfect for that style. Im not really into metal, but this amp is fine for that to, as the sterotype goes...
I play it through a 4x12 mesa recto cab...and it pumps. I tried it out on a marshall 1960a cab, basically because i have seen many other bands do the same, and i have come to the conclusion its becasue the marshall is so much lighter and easier to lug on tour, the mesa cab is a beast.... This amp sounds so full, and the tone is beautiful. I like marshall and mesa, i owned a jcm 900 before, and i liked that amp too, there is nothing wrong with either. The mesa just fits my playing style better. It sounds fuller, and meatier. I guess you could say that marshall gives a good chunky sound, with some snarl to it. The mesa gives out a more compressed sound, fuller and heavier, its a smoother sound, but definately more harsh on distortion. I like the dsl 100 also, but i prefer the mesa over it. I have also played the triamp, its like a mix between marshall and mesa, chunky, but smooth, no snarl. However the triamp is waaaaay over priced.
With this amp i can get great rock and roll sounds, and the marshall and the mesa can be played together and sound wicked pissa

fine

i havent needed to talk to them about this amp, but they have gotten back to me with any questions i have asked, and within the same day.
I guess thats easier when the comany is in the us, opposed to marshall and hughes and kettner

If it were stolen i'd either get a triple rectifier, or the triamp(i'd have to save up though) I like the dsl, but this amp just sounds fuller(although the dsl through the mesa cab is intense, such a great rockin sound) I love the rockin tone i get from it, i hate the fact that they are expensive. I compared it to the jcm 900, which is a great amp, but not near as rockin, not close to as full of a sound, and cannot compare with distortion or tone. The dsl cant get as heavy or full, but does a better job than the jcm 900. I compared it to the mesa boogie mark 4 short head. Which i thought was an awesome amp. With the eq i could get a marshall sound, all the way to a heavy heavy overdriven sound, which might be fun to mess around with. One thing i dont understand, or rather cannot stand, is how people bash on mesa or marshall, much like the rivalry between ford mustangs and chevy camaros. They both sound great. Its how you play the guitar that realy matters. Marshall is great, mesa is great. The question remains, is the guitar player great. Although the sounds differ slightly (which in the guitar playing world is alot..) you cant go wrong with either. Besides there is always somehting out there better, and i have a feeling its not mesa or marshall.

Early 90's, black face plate, black knobs, chrome chasis. Most versatile tube amp I've even used as far as tweaking the basic clean, crunch, and overdriven areas. Possible outside EQ source could be well utilized.

I used a Gibson Les Paul Standard and with stock pickups and the amp sounds GREAT. I also play NEW METAL and I just want to say that I could probably dance circles around most of these bluesy guys who think that my choice music style requires no talent. Although, I don't like Limp, Korn, etc much I'm really into 311 and Incubus who incorporate so many different styles into their music. This amp is just fucking awesome, I LOVE the clean tube sound (BEST CLEAN TUBE SOUND I'VE EVER HEARD) and the distortion sound is TO DIE FOR. I play jazz styles, eastern styles, metal, hip-hop, etc and it works perfect for me. My only complaint is that I won't play most other amps now because they aren't comparable.

100% reliable. Never had a problem, been using it for a year gigging and everything.

Very helpful, friendly, and knowledgable.

I love this amp and it's worth the price. You can't beat it. If you don't like this amp, that means you are ignorant to the functions it harbors because it really does have something for just about anyone. Then when you complain, just say it's not user friendly or something but it's your own ignorance why you can't get the sound you want. Oh and just one more thing to all the naysayers. I keep hearing this "sounds like crap at a low volume". First of all, to get the full sound of a tube (especially if it's not a low noise response tube), you need to crank it. WHO IN THE HELL BUYS A 100W TUBE HEAD WITH AT LEAST A 4X12 SPEAK CABINET TO PLAY IT QUIET?!? You pussies need to go buy a little solid state practice amp cuz this Boogie will rip your little balls off every time.

I think we all know this one. Made in 1998, 100 watts, two channels, channel cloning, channel selectable/switchable fx loop, and selectable silicon diode or tube power section. Not too shabby for your basic head. I used all the features except the channel cloning. I wish it had two fx loops and a third channel. The new three channel heads sound alot different.

I play mainly heavy music. I used it with a two Jackson's: a Korina wood V with a Duncan dist. and a Rhoads with EMG's. It suited my style but it need some tweaking. I don't care what anyone says, this head doesn't cut it straight through for a killer, chunky tone. It red channel with the silicon diodes has the gain, but the tone shaping abilites are lacking some. It needs an eq to fully take advantage of the gain it has. Then it rips. This head is also pretty noisy in high gain settings. Invest in a Rocktron Super C HUSH. The clean channel is ok. It doesn't suck, just nothing to call home about. It's definetly better with the vaccume tube setting, but you have to sacrifice that if you want the balls and tightness the silicon diodes give the red channel. The clean channel set to vintage high gain is pretty nice sounding for what it's aimed at. Again, better with the vaccume tubes. Also like the typical tube head it sounds different each night. More than I like, but not bad. Not near as bad as the Marshall I had before. Because of the need for an eq and noise gate and the clean channel needing a little more liveliness to it, I gave it an 8.

No problems. I've had tubes go out, but that's expected. I played quite a lot of shows with mine and alot of hours of practice. It held up great. No complaints.

I never dealt with them personaly. I always dealt with the factory authorized Mesa repair place here when I needed tubes replaced. They were always good.

I've been playing for 11 years. I don't own the head or my Mesa cab anymore. I've since move on to a Diezel (well worth the price of admission). The head was good and reliable, definetly better with two cabs (especially if they're mesa cabs, one by itself farts out to easy). Better than any Marshall I've played on that's for sure. If I needed a load of cash and had to sell my Diezel (which I hope will never happen) I would get this head again. I little pricey though considering they cost more now and I'd have to buy another noise gate and eq. A pretty good amp though.

This Amp was made in 1994. This is a dual channel model. Absolutely the warmest sounding distortion I've ever heard. A Metal heads dream. I run a lot of FX Pedals through it and it still has that warm sound. Perfection almost.

I play metal and have been using my footswitch to switch between clean and Dirty. On the clean side- Run a Chorus pedal through this amp and the clean channel sounds beautiful. I've been reading where some of you are bitching about the clean sound- HEY MORONS THIS IS A TUBE AMP NOT A FUCKING PUSSY DIGITAL AMP WITH 657 PRESET SOUNDS BUILT IN. All tube amps sound generic when completely clean. Even a Marshall. This Amp is brutally loud.

I still have the original tubes in it and it still sounds new. Haven't blown anything yet. I play it daily

haven't needed them yet

I've had this amp for 5 years and it is awesome. I've played a few gigs and even with a full backing band I usually only have to turn it up to about 4 and only 3 when using it through a PA. Any louder and it drowns out everybody else.

3-channels-play anything from metal-rock-blues
it's almost to loud, but the higher the volume the better it sounds

I play an ESP H-307, and the only reason i play a seven string is because i have so many tunigs and i go as low as G so.the distortion from this thing is so heavy but at the same time you can actually hear the notes. 5150, JCM 900, Voodoo can all go in the f@#%&^ dumpster for all i care.

Pretty good but my tubes brake but they replace them so whatever

N/A

I've been playing for seven years and i play about every type of metal and i can change the sounds to any sound i'm looking for. If it were stolen i would buy it again. The only thing i wish this thing came w/ would be a couple of hot chicks

My amp was made somewhere between 1997 and 1998, before the guys at Mesa decided to destroy the great layout with an additional channel, compromising a lot of the great aspects of the amp. I play in a progressive metal band, and this amp covers it extremely well. Right now, I do not use the MIDI control feature of the amp, but I plan to in the future. Everything on this amp is practical and usable in many situations. This is my first 100W all-tube head, and this is deffinitely enough power for me. Bias switch, channel cloning... this thing's a beast!

I'm using the amp with a 1991 Ibanez S5407 7-string (My favorite axe in the world, signed by Steve Vai) and it fills beautifully. The guitar is a shred machine and crunch monster- and it's very fitting to the tone of the Dual Rectifier. The amp is suprisingly quiet, but the clean channel DOES have some hiss... although i took care of that. The amp can create any style of music, IF you know how to use it. Many people call this amp purely new-metal, but those are the people that don't take the time to read the fuckin' manual. The Dual Rectifier offers you plenty of recipies for tone. The clean channel does stay clean, but the distortion looses some tightness at high volumes; but I'm going to equip it with EL34's.. that should help. I use a shitty ZOOM 505 on a clean channel through the effects loop to turn on only when the clean channel is on.. I get gobs of distortion and a great clean just by hitting the footswitch!

I just bought the thing a month ago, but I can tell it's sold. It's a moderately heavy amplifier, and part of the reason I bought it was for not only tone, usability, and versatility- but it was construciton. Handmade, and American, these are as well-built as they get. I hope I don't have to deal with the Mesa guys in the future, but if it happens, I'll trust they're amazing- just as everyone says they are.

Read above.:

I've been playing guitar for 6 years now, and I've played through a variety of sound-prjecting products..

ART Attack Module Hybrid
Marshall Valvestate 100
Seymour Duncan 60
Mesa Boogie Mark II (Another reason I bought the Dual Rectifier)
Digitech RP7
ZOOM 505

...And by far, the Dual Rectifier paired with even CHEAP, slight effects brings out the beauties of the amplifier. Alone, it may sound thin and unexpressive, but when you add even the littlest bit of anyhting, the amp shows its true colors. And by far, this is one of the best amps ever produced. If you want a great amp, the Two-Channel Dual Rectifier is the way to go. You won't be disappointed!

I wish I had gotten it earlier! lol.

I emailed mesa and they said mine is a '93. It is covered in leather and has a black diamond plate, black knobs and a chrome chassis. First of all, my only complaint is that the dual is just too loud. Other then that it is great. Some people were complaining that the amp can only play metal but set on the spongy power setting on the vintage channel a decent rock sound is managable. The amp plays killer blues although I didn't buy it for that. 6L6s are used in fenders as well.

Hear (like the pun??) is my favorite tone dialed in. Volume, the higher the better within reason. Presence and treble are just left of center where center = 12:00 So about 11:00
Bass and gain are just right of center(1:00) and mid is only 1/4.(9:00) on red to vintage channel.

I play a Godin LG black pearl discontinued model with seymour duncan alnico II pro pickups. The high end on this guitar just sings, really beautiful and for $1000 canadian with the new pickups but this is about the mesa;D I've got everywhere from a grunge tone to creed but my alltime favorite tone is the NoFX/Craig's Brother tone. Just beautiful. The amp I have is completely silent although my pickups hum a little under flourescent lights. Guitar has to be shielded. Again, only complaint is that I will be deaf in 4 years if I don't use earplugs while playing this beast.
Hint, for anyone wanting a rock tone run vintage gain with the power band on spongy and the gain up at least 3/4. That loads up the deep end and when the power tubes start breaking up the amp actually sounds pretty warm.

The clean channel is alright at lowvolumes but sounds good when the power section of the amp starts to break up a bit. Really liquidy.

Anyone who doesn't like the amp hasn't spent the time trying to control the thing or needs a different guitar or cab. PRS sound best with mesa just like gibson with marshall

Had no problems yet

So far so good. They mailed me the owners manual and responded to my emails about the amp regarding when it was built and other trivial matters. I personally found the articles on Irishmen funny although a bit distasteful. Oh yeah, Randall Smith was talking about tubes....

My first guitar. Played through a Peavey bandit:( I have tried Marshalls and I like the clean sound on them best although I use gain more. I run a marshall 4 X 12 compressed cab with emminence speakers and they sound really papery. I can't wait to get a boogie cab.
If someone stoled it I would tie a noose around the guys balls and hang 'em.
I love the tone. however I don't know what I'll ever do in an apartment. The thing is just too darn loud.
I played through everything from Fenders to peaveys to crates to marshalls. I just liked the mesa tone better. Marshall sounds too 'brown'. I like the 'blue' sound of mesa better.
I wish I had a Boogie cab

Don't buy any amp based on what you have heard, even from your best friend. Neither a guitar for that matter. Test, test and more test. I shopped for fully 9 months before making a decision and I'm glad I did. secondly, get any Mesa products used

This amp has almost everything you NEED in an amp. Reverb could have been used to make the clean sound a bit better but i am not a fan of Mesa's reverb any way so i am not complaining.

I wish this amp has 3 channels and yes i play the older model and no i can't stand the newer model it sounds like shit to me. People are bitching about how it sounds like shit.. LOOK AT THE GUITAR YOU ARE PLAYING!!! Strats and Les pauls.. think about the pick ups you are putting into the amp with the guitars you are playing... this amp is a metal amp, you need a decent metal pick up to work well with this amp..
My favs are EMGS but I have had some decent sounds come outta Duncans and a few dimarzios. Very Punch tight sound. i love it..

I have had it for a few months i have only had to change the pre amp tubes.(it didn't even leave the store with the original tubes) sounds amazing. i am playing with power tubes so.. its cool.

no comment

If this was lost.. i would cry it hurt my wallet ALOT!. but then i would go get myself a Mark IV from teh insurance money.

She's a oldie, From one of the first years they made Dual Rects. about 12 to 14 years old. My band plays Extreme Metal and this bad boy has all the Crunch and Low end I could ever need. The only thing that sux is that the fx loop does not have the mix controll like the newer models, So I feel as if I'm limited on what I can run through it and not lose that smooth distortion it has. Our other guitarist has a brand new Dual Rect. and I prefeer the way mine sounds way over his.

This unit is mind blowing. It's old and it is perfect for the style metal we play. The distortion is smooth and has a mean growl to it. It the 6L6 tubes in it and I use a Epiphone Les Paul Classic 7string (wich is a bassy mean sounding guitar to begin with)and 2 Marshall 1960 reisue 4X12 cabs loaded with Green Backs(Low and mean baby).
The amp is verstale. I set er' up to play old rock (Nuget-Zep)and it sound great. I can set set up for older thrash and speed (metallica Megadeth) or Set it for our style Stomp Core(Hatebreed Diecast).
The only problem I had with it is that it was pretty noisy at high volumes, So I put a Rocktron Hush Super C in the loop and that took care of that.
There is one venue we play at in St.Paul MN where the wiring is old in the building or something cuz everyone who plays there with a Rect II or III. They get this wierd white noise. Everyone I've seen there uses Power Cond.. including myself and the noise still presists.
Our other guitarist uses a brand new 3 channel Dual Rect and his is allot more crisp and punchy almost to the point where it's starting to sopund like a solid state(yukk!). Mine on the other hand has a smoother Growl with gobs of low end and clean shimmering Highs.

This thing is Tank. It's 12 to 14 years old and works great. I'll be bringing it in this spring for a check up(But thats just somthing you gotta do). I dont bother playing with a back up. If you treat your gear good it'll treat you good. I keep it in a anvile road case when were cruising and I alway let the tubes warm up before jamming and cool down before shutting er' down

I asked them for a manual and they had it to me with in few days.
Great C/S.

This Thing rules. I tell ya' the older the better I cant get over the way it sounds. If it were stolen I would get a new one then hire a PI to find the guy who took mine so I could beat the shit out of em'. I compaired it to the Marshalls (wich sound sweet) and to the Randall Warhead and such(nice but spendy). If you can find one used for like the price I paid. GET IT!!! You wont be sorry.

WOW! The new dual rectos are seriously well kitted out. They have everything and more than I will ever need;three versatile channels, the best fx loop ever, a new Raw mode for lower gain settings, a much needed wider footswitch and most importantly and enough power and gain to flatten buildings. Because, lets face it, high gain is what it was designed for and what your going to buy it for.

I use an american duluxe strat with 'noiseless' pickups in the neck and middle positions and a seymore duncan SH-8 in the bridge position. I'm a big fan of ALL GOOD GUITAR MUSIC which made me hesitant about buying the new recifier.

Many say it's purely a moshing machine, which origionally it was, but the good people at mesa boogie now cater for almost everyone. If you don't know the basics of rectifers here they are - they are loud, they have more gain than you can imagine, they tend to hum at high settings and they are expensive. I use to use mine with a small 1*12, but the head made short use of it. For pete's sake get a 4*12 if you're going to buy a rectifier, they sound better with boogie cabinets but a marshall one will do. The new mode means you can dial in any level of distortion and get a good sound almost instantly. The clean channel sounds better using EL34s but that means spending that much more.

One thing that hardly any reviews mention on this page mention is that boogies record sooooo well. It has brought a lot of energy and life into my recordings and it's not hard to find a good recording tone.

The main drawback is they are so loud you can't ever crank up the volume to get the best tones. If you've got this amp past 5 WELL DONE! One other is that I couldn't find that really light, warm crunch that I get from my JCM 800.

fish

Not as well built as the old rectos, but would knock sh*t out of any marshall. I have never had to send a boogie in for repair yet and I don't take backup amps to gigs any more.

If you want to try one out, arrange a date with your guitar store or better yet, with someone who already has one, cause the shop'll never let you crank one of these machines up. The guy I bought mine from already owned and giged boogies which made things easier.

The boogie webpage is crap, it tells you nothing. Read these reviews, but remember everyone has different tastes. If you haven't got the money for a new one, go to www.mesaboogiehollywood.com because they have used, ex-demo, and factory outlet ones for cheaper, but you only get a limited warranty.

If you don't need the extra channel, the single rectifer is much cheaper and they would still blow most amps away.

These amps are great, a wee bit noisy perhaps, but if your a bedroom rocker, get a life instead.

This amplifier was manufactured in 1994, came with black leather standard. I ordered mine a little different, though...it has the polished diamond plate faceplate, chrome chassis, and all the knobs are chrome as well. This makes every surface on the front of the amp covered in chrome...very heavy metal. I purchased mine with two 4x12 recto cabs(black leather with cab armor) from Quigley's Music in Kansas City...fabulous store, great support. A fella by the name Gary is especially helpful.

This amp's features are as follows: two channels, two modes(clean and vintage high gain) on channel 1, independent EQ's, comprehensive control over effects loop, selectable tube or solid state rectifier, 75W/100W power switch(labeled bold/spongy), channel cloning, speaker taps for 4 to 16 ohm speaker loads, and 6L6/EL34 compatibility(via switch on back).

Though this is only a two channel amp, and does not have a built in reverb...I feel the features are very complete for the purposes intended in the design of this amp. This amp was designed to generate distortion tones, and lots of them. The selectable tube rectifier harkens back to an era of vintage amps that had that intangible "factor" in their sound, in the way that it smooths the sound and compresses the sound by clipping the note attack. While the amplifier does this very convincingly, it also can be set to the solid state rectifier...at this setting the amp is no longer a kinder, gentler tone machine. It provides punch with every palm mute, and treble that fills rooms of any size with jaw-clenching crunch.

The clean channel suffers a lot of criticism, but really is not meant to be one of this amp's strengths. I have found the clean channel to be adequate, nothing more nothing less. With chorus and/or reverb, the clean sound can be polished into something more...certainly good enough for setting audiences up for the massive tone attack of the distortion, hehe. Sometimes the thrill of hitting that footswitch, and watching peoples' eyes light up is really intoxicating. That is why we buy these amps, guys, Mesa Boogie distortion.

First the clean sounds. This amp does not have the best clean sound, but it isn't supposed to. If you have a chance to read the manual(of the the two channel version), you will read Mesa's brief apology for the hissing noise present in the clean mode. They go on to say that the amplifier was designed to keep the high gain vintage sounds quiet, and so the amp has noise in the clean sounds. This tells us that Mesa stuck with what works for them...they didn't try to build a Fender, they built a distortion tone machine.

Ah yes, now the distortion sounds. The vintage high gain sounds are probably my favorite in this amplifier. It has massive crunch, mids that sound almost vocal, and highs that sizzle or purr(depending on gain and presence settings). Something that isn't mentioned in these reviews very often is the different designs used in the two channels' presence controls. The vintage channel actually uses a little different setup in the power amp section than the modern channel. In vintage high gain settings, the power section(6L6's) have negative feedback. This rounds out the sound, and makes it sound very smooth and almost creamy(if that's an audio adjective!). The modern channel doesn't have this feedback, so the note attack is more percussive and more defined...hence the term, modern. Now, this is where the different presence controls come into play. For the vintage channel, the presence control frequency is higher, meaning it controls the sizzle and crunch that is just beyond the treble control's range. This basically turns the EQ into a four channel. You can literally get almost any classic metal sound you can imagine from this channel...it still amazes me after seven years of owning it.

The modern channel has a presence control that is centered somewhere between the midrange and treble...it basically controls how clearly each note attack jumps out of your distortion sound. The modern channel is great, however it isn't nearly as versatile as the vintage channel. This channel is clearly designed to provide massive heavy tones, very strong bass and layers of crunch. The neatest thing about this channel is the treble range. You can dial the treble up to get however much high frequency detail you want and the amp never sounds harsh. When was the last time you had an amp that the full dial sweep was usable on the treble knob? Me neither...it's just another testament to the level of detail built into the tone of these amps.

I really don't use the channel cloning feature very often, however the meanest sound this amp makes(in my opinion) is with the vintage channel cloned to modern. In this mode, you get the sizzle and smooth sound of the vintage channel with the huge low end girth of the modern channel...very ominous indeed. In this setting, one is tempted to tune to a dropped-D and play on the lower 2 strings for hours...chugga, chugga, chugga.

So far the amp has been bulletproof...keep good tubes in them, they will last a very long time.

In the conversations I've had with Mesa techs, they've been extremely helpful and informed about all of their products.

As a final note, I would say that this is an amp that you really have to explore and get to know to get the best out of it. That doesn't mean it's hard to use, just that it is so capable of making many different sounds it takes time to pick your favorites. If I wanted one feature this amp doesn't have, it would be a third channel. Since Mesa has addressed that issue with the new three channel version, I really can't complain. I've given thought at looking at the newer heads, but I think I will look at VHT Ultra-Leads next. I love my Dual Rectifier, so I will keep it and add more different tones to my arsenal. First on my list is a USA Les Paul though, I've been playing my Jackson Kelly for 8 years now.

If anyone would like to ask me questions, or just talk gear, feel free to e-mail me...I love to talk about this stuff!