Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Trem-O-Verb 212 Combo

2005 or maybe 2006 model--not sure, but it's new. Very feature rich. Tremolo, reverb, lots of knobs that take only a little bit of time to get the hang of. If you have read the other reviews, you know the features. In theory it is a very versatile amplifier, but I would never buy another one. The point of this submission comes up shortly. . . .

I play blues, classic rock, and country. The amp's tone was suited pretty well for all of those styles. It seemed to really like humbuckers, but it did well with single coil pups as well. The gain, though there is a ton of it on tap with this amp, has a sound that is a little too modern for me. I guess if you are in to a more modern, focused, tighter kind of overdrive, then it is fine for you. The clean is very nice, but not nearly as nice as a princeton or a twin. It doesn't have that nice shimmering clarity that really makes a clean tone CLEAN. Again, this amp has a lot of tones that are high quality, but there really isn't anything special about any of them. If you are looking for a unique or special tone to kind of define YOUR sound, then I would say that this amp is a little bit generic. Get something vintage and cool for half the price, dude.

THIS AMP IS A COMPLETE PIECE OF ****. Listen to this: I bought this BRAND NEW at Guitar Center. About three days later, it suddenly stopped working. All I could get for sound out of it was a buzz in the speakers. I was running it at LOW volume and LOW gain, and I had let it warm up for ten minutes before disengaging the standby. I have played guitar and used tube amps for fifteen years, so I figured it was simply a tube. I CHECKED ALL OF THE TUBES WITH MY TESTER, AND THEY WERE GOOD. I then called Mesa Boogie and spoke to some pencil-**** representative who assured me that it was merely the tubes even though I had told him the tubes came up good on my tester. He sent me a new set of tubes for free. I installed them, and the amp was still broken. I then took the heap of **** to Guitar Center, and I told them what happened. I was still cool about it; I simply assumed that I got a dud amp. They gave me a new one. EVEN NEWER THAN THE ONE BEFORE--IN THE BOX AND EVERYTHING. I took THAT piece of garbage home and was pretty happy for about two months. Guess what happened, though. . . . The sucker popped on me again. This time, I was ON STAGE. Again, the amp was running at low volume and low gain with a mic in front of it and with my power conditioner behind it. I went through the whole thing again with Mesa where they sent me new tubes, and it didn't work after I installed the tubes. I went to Guitar Center who would not give me my damn money, but instead, they gave me some piece of **** guitar that I immediately traded for a REAL Mesa Boogie--a Mark 2 B.
I learned later on that for proprietary reasons, Mesa covers their circuits in some kind of epoxy so no one can get in there and copy them (why anyone would want to copy this thing is beyond me). I spoke to a friend of mine who owns a music store, and he said that he knew another store owner who ordered twenty of these things for the Christmas season a few years ago. ALL BUT FIVE OF THEM came back with problems. The bottom line is that this amp has a circuit board in it that got spat out of a machine. These amps are NOT POINT TO POINT WIRED, AND THEY ARE ASSEMBLED QUICKLY. If you want a REAL Boogie that won't fart out on you, get a vintage Mesa mark series amp. They ARE point to point wired, and simply indestructible. I have played mine for several years at high volume, high gain, for multiple hours at a time. I have even dropped it on concrete. CAN'T kill it. It's legacy is really embarrassed by the likes of this newer garbage.

The amp had a long warranty, but no one was willing to do anything to fix it. They just insisted on throwing me tubes that I KNEW wouldn't work. They didn't listen to me, and they had little to no interest in fixing or standing behind their product.

Again, I just want to say that the newer Mesa stuff is garbage. It is over priced, mass produced, and these amps don't have any kind of "special" or unique tonal quality that would help make a musician stand out. I will admit that the amp sounds GOOD, but it's a very generic tube amp. I don't know how two of them blew up on me--maybe it was a sign from God that I could better suit my style and defining tone with different amps. Buy a Mesa Mark 2B and a Fender Princeton Reverb 2 (Rivera Era). You could probably get both for only a few hundred bucks more than this thing, and those amps are both very versatile and a hundred times better than the new Mesa junk.

I think you all know the features by now with all the reviews!

I play this amp with a 57 Strat reissue, a 52 Tele reissue and a 59 Les Paul reissue. All sound magnificent through it with no effects necesssary. Absolutely God tone! Breaks up real nice on the blues channel.

I have had only a minor issue. The volume knob did not function right once and jumped from one volume setting to the next with a lot of crackling in between. I brought it to an authorized repair guy after talking to MB tech support and for about $30.00 it was perfect and I have had NO problems since.

With regard to the dude who gave it a very low rating in the 2005 time frame.....buy a clue. Your amp was broken. You said you bought it used. What did the previous owner do to it?? Did you call MB tech's. They are awesome and could have been of immense help to you and resolving your issues. I can tell by the symptoms you reported that it may have been (1) dropped (2) exposed to moisture (3) extreme heat/cold (4) all or some of the above.

Awesome. They stay with you until the problem is resolved. Only needed them once in the 15 years I have owned this VERY reliable amp.

Amazing. Might buy another one to have as a spare.

The features are great. The reverb and tremolo make this a better amp than the dual rectifier solo head in my opinion. I have never gotten great cleans out of mesa amps (except for reggae kind've stuff). The modern high gain channel dominates any other amp for a great metal sound though I think.

The sound quality is great and the better your ear, the better the sound. I noticed that with the EQ I could get okay tones but with my 32-band graphic equalizer I can get amazing tones from Rammstein's Du Hast tone to Marilyn Manson's the beautiful people tone. I've really found that ABing the tone of this amp with a sansamp psa makes the best sound.

Pretty solid, the amp was made in '93 and it still sounds as good as ever in 2008. It hasn't broken down and the only problems I've ever had have been with tubes.

Customer support with Mesa is the best, whenever I have a question or need advice, I call up their store and they usually can tell me exactly what I need to hear.

If this were stolen or lost I would definitely buy it again. Best amp I've ever heard after I shape out its tones with EQ and my ear. I wish it had a better clean channel and more versatility but that's why I use a sansamp psa along with it and a tc electronics g major.

This amp was made in '93. It features 2 channels with a total of 4 types of gain, channel footswitching, effects loop, reverb, tremelo, bold/spongy switch, silicone diode/tube switch, and 6L6/EL34 switch. I the reverb is ok, but I rarely ever use the tremelo or the blues channel and I really wish it had a built-in EQ like the Mesa/Boogie Mark series do.

Though it won't out-shine a good Fender, I find the Clean setting is quite nice despite what some other reviewers have previously written. Using 6L6 tubes combined with the right settings, this amp can produce a very pleasant, solid ring.

The Classic High Gain setting is also very nice and smooth; "full" is the best word for it. It produces the highest saturation of distortion offered on the amp, though it might lack too much bite for some. Great for bedroom soloing or a heavy rhythm sound that isn't ear piercing. However, this channel does not reach super high volumes and may prove insufficient for some jamming sessions or live gigs without a p.a. system.

The Blues setting is, oddly enough, by far the loudest. It's also the most complained about feature on the amp. I personally find it to be flat and somewhat sterile sounding. It's just one of those extra settings that you'll never use... even for blues.

The fabled Modern High Gain setting is what we all buy Rectos for. Huge bottom end and the tone that everyone and his mother have been using to play metal for nearly the last 2 decades. I do like it, but it never really quite matched the tight, distingiushable, controllable distortion that I had in my head. I ended up spending hundreds of dollars on different types of power tubes, preamp tubes and even a reissued Ibanez Tube Screamer, but it never really nailed "my tone". That huge bottom end was just too loose for any articulate rhythm work or fast palm muting no matter what I did. I was stuck playing an amp that did not inspire me to create fast paced riffs or replicate the exact tone I listened to a thousand times on my favorite Metallica and Rammstein albums. I also found that the distortion thinned out a lot and became badly ear peircing as I cranked the volume.

My biggest complaint about the amp is that it has blown an LDR transistor (i think that's what its called) 3 times in as many years that I've had it. Luckily, I live within driving range of the Mesa/Boogie store in Hollywood so I don't have to go through the trouble of mailing it across the country to replace a $10 part. Still, this particular amp has not lived up to Mesa's reputation of ultra reliability.

Mesa's customer support is awesome. They've been very helpful every time I had a question or brought the amp in for repairs. However, I've had to pay full price for all repairs since the 5 year warranty ended around 1998.

This is a good amp. The 2x12 combo is nicer than most people would imagine and I actually prefer it to my brother's Triple Recifier Head and closed 2x12 speaker cab.

With that said, the Tremoverb may suit other people's tastes closer than it does mine. I simply found the sound of the Modern High Gain to be too loose and too nu-metal sounding.

Also, nowadays everyone uses the Recto. Just like Marshalls during the 80's, it's not special or unique anymore. Just the same old tone that gets lost in the mix on every new mediocre metal album that comes out. But when I bought it, there were other really great amps that I've never even played or listened to until recently. I am now the proud owner of a Mark IV and this thing totally hits the spot. When playing the Tremoverb and Mark IV side by side, I can see that each has its strengths and weaknesses, but the Mark IV with its built in EQ is the tone that I've been trying to squeeze out of the Recto for years.

Well, what can I say.

My Mesa was bought from a friend who claims ... (i hope) ... that it was one of the first actually built and was taken around to all the main peeps in the guitar world to show what this baby can do. It has silver trim behind the knobs on the front and he says this is the thing that is different (please someone correct me if I am wrong).

I use this for playing live to venues of anything between 50-500 audience and it will quite comfortably gobble up any size of crowd without having to turn it up past a quarter. The twin channel is fantastic for a lead/rythm gain switch and the tones you can get from fiddling with the various switches, gain/presence/treble/middle/bass/volume knowbs is astonishing. I use a les paul with a couple of custom pick ups and I can get pretty much any sound I want. My grandparents came over and asked if I could play some Burt Weedon (if you don't know, look him up and you'll see what a daft request this was) and then Brothers in Arms by Dire Straights and got both sounds with ease. Awesome.

See above for some of the sounds. Also get some sweet, dirty metal sounds from it without pedals. With pedals it manages them with ease, though if you have some cheap distortions the quality of the lead gain on the amp will comfortably show them up as such. Will also do blues, jazz, reggae, a bit of 80's pop and many more. True, the trem is a bit dodgey and the reverb isn't very clear, but who cares when the rest of the amp sounds this good. When I use the lead channel for solos it cuts through like a lightsabre through butter; everyone can hear you clearly for miles around, something all lead guitarists crave for, right?

Had a fuse go once because we practiced in a real dive of a studio and it was down to their dodgey electrics. Other than that it is indestructable. I've dropped it twice and it's totally fine in the all the 8 years I've owned it. If there was a nuclear holocaust there would be only cockroaches left, playing guitar through Dual Rectifiers.

Never needed to as the thing will never die!

I've been playing guitar for 15 years and not owned a great deal of stuff. My amp before this was a very old Peavey Classic valve/transistor combo and as such no comparison. What I have noticed is the reaction I get from guitarists from other bands that turn up with their marshalls and fenders and how sad they look when I start to play, longing for an amp that can punch you in the balls like this one can. A truly amazing amp.

p.s. I've recently been helping a military drum troop with about 20 members, all slamming the hell out of snares and whatnot. They have to tell me to turn it down every practice!

I bought mine new at Apple Music in Portland, OR in '97. It's actually very easy to get some kicking tones out of, a bit more of a challenge to get YOUR tone out of. Its in there but its so versatile that it can take some fiddling around to get it. This thing is ridiculously loud. I can't even imagine anyone thinking that they need the 150watt Triple Rectifier...I am using the 6L6 tubes and have two of them pulled out so its 50watts. Remember to change your speaker ohms if you do this. The tremolo pretty much sucks(sucks volume for sure), I use a Voodoo Labs pedal for this and get a much better effect without a ton of volume loss. The reverb is pretty springy sounding and can really become over bearing, but then again I really don't like reverb that much (always too tinny for me). Both the trem and reverb are footswitchable if you buy a switch for each. The effects loop is choice and very controlable. I just wish that the volume knobs for the effects loop were on the front of the amp instead of the back. Makes accessing them during gigs a pain in the buttocks. That alone knocks the score down a notch. I put this up against every higher end tube amp that I could get my hands on when I bought it and this is the one that came out on top. But then again, I couldn't afford VHT and couldn't find an Orange. All that said, I love my Dual Rectum Frier (as my bandmates call it)....

I mainly use a couple of different Gibson Les Pauls, especially a '90 Classic Plus. I have used my Carvin Bolt, Ibanez AK85, Ibanez Universe, and Ibanez RG 550/770 that I built out of two guitars with this amp. The Les Pauls absolutely rip through this thing. The AK85 is loaded with Gibson PAFs and sounds real warm. The Univers sucks anyway IMHO so I really don't know what to tell you there. The Bolt and the RG scream through this thing and you really have to keep the high EQ trimmed down or you will hurt people, including yourself. The clean channel is good and you can get a fairly good fat spanky sound and a fairly good round sound with the gain turned way down. Turn the gain up and you will clip the pre tubes, nice. It is very quite in the clean channel. The high gain channel is so good. Nothing punches quite like a Mesa in the gain dept. The vintage tones remind me of a modded JCM 800 that my buddy had, really cool. When you have your guitar volume off and the amp is on the high gain channel it makes a pretty loud hiss. I avoid this by switch channels between songs. If you play jazz or indie stuff there are better amps. For rock, metal, progressive, this is the stuff.

This thing is bomb proof. I gig the hell out of this, record with it, practice several times a week with it, and no problems. The edges of the tolex are showing a fair amount of wear, but so would you if you got schlepped all over hell and back. I did have one problem. I, like a neglectful fool, didn't change the tubes for a long time, like eight years. I was having saturation loss and massive break up in the power tubes. That is truely my own fault and since I have change the tubes I am back to that kick ass tone.

Never had to deal with that end of Mesa, after all, this thing is bomb proof. I hear very shining feedback from others in this area though, but I can't honestly make a remark here.

I've been playing well over 20 years and have had many different amps. There wasn't anything else that I had that was as cool or versatile as this amp. I would still like to check out some of the Hughes and Kettner tube amps, and something like a Victoria or a vintage Fender Princeton for some clean stuff. That's probably just the gear head in me wanting more toys. If you have a bad back, don't get this amp, it's damn heavy. If you have a good back and love sweet tone, this is a good choice to at least take a look at. Too bad Mesa doesn't make it anymore. Would have gave it a higher score on value, but these really aren't that inexpensive.

Well its got 2 channels and 2 modes per channel. Channel 1 (clean & vintage high gain) and channel 2 (blues & modern high gain). At the back are a bold and spongy switch and a silicone diode or tube rectifier switch which all give the amp different characteristics. The effects loop is amazing. The reverb sounds good but im not a big fan of the tremelo effect. Its not the greatest, but to bad a quality effect just I never use it and have no need for it thats why the amp for me still gets top marks!

Well the 2 channels and 4 modes plus the bold/spongey, silicone diode/rectifier tubes setting are all incredibly versatile and you can get any tone and level of gain you want pretty much out of this bad boy. It sounds simply incredible! This is my first valve and mesa amp and Im pretty sure it wont be my last. Im a high gain rock player and its perfect. The only problem is that the clean channel though very crisp and bright can slightly distort at louder volumes. It hadly used clean so not really a problem At the moment I'm using a THD hotplate with bright and deep switches on and a sonic maximizer in the effects loop and to be honest I am in heaven with this baby!

Well only had it for a few months now but I don't expect anything to really go wrong with it any time soon. Tube amps can sometimes go funny i am aware and that is all part and partial to using a valve amp but this think is build like a tank like all mesa amps to the highest standards available.

Ive never dealt with mesa customer servicebut know of the mesa reputation. Also a note for the guys at coda music here as there customer service is second to none. They helped me out with every aspect of purchasing and information regarding this amp so thanks, you guys have been excellent once again.

I bought this amp new in 1993 after test driving what were the top of the line amps at that time. It has been my sole amp and has been continuously gigged for the past 14 years. It is probably overly versatile for my uses - I have never tried switching the tubes from the stock 6L6 to EL34s, and I rarely use the channel cloning mode. The features are easy to use - the only reason I give it a 9 is the tremelo effect is not very good when compared to some other tremelo effects I've heard - also, the tremelo switches sometimes accidentally switch on when loading the amp in and out on its side, but that's no big deal - you just flick it off when you turn the amp on!

I play it through a series of guitars (American Standard Strat, PRS Santana II, Tom Anderson chambered Tele, G&S ASAT Classic Semihollowbody) and it works with all of them. I can basically dial up any tone, clean or distorted, that I want. What is most amazing is that I have NEVER relied on a distortion or overdrive pedal, despite a full pedalboard full of effects (which I have run both straight and throught the effects loop). This amp gets that patented Boogie lead gain tone that is not to be tampered with. It is a little noisy when single coils pups are run through it.

The amp has had to be repaired once or twice in 14 years, for the same problem - an evil humming squealing noise that surfaces very rarely which is likely related to the tubes although it has persisted even after replacing all pre amp and power tubes. One of the speaker cable wires had to be resoldered a single time, but that's probably b/c I keep pedals cables in the back of the amp and knocked it over the years. The leather handle broke after 12 years, but that's only a $14 part (see below)

I would give an 11 here if I could. I truly can't speak highly enough. They return voice messages I've left and are always very helpful in answering questions and trouble shooting on the phone. My handle had to be replaced after 12 years, but then the replacement broke about 1 1/2 years later. They shipped me a new one for free despite only a 6 month warranty.

I would buy this amp again, although I would be inclined to consider one of the 3 channel Mesa amps. Those didn't exist when I bought this one . . .

1998 Mesa Boogie Tremoverb 2x12 Combo. I bought this thing brand new from a collector in 2005. I use this with an Ernie Ball John Petrucci Model 7-String/Piezo and a Carvin DC135 6-String. I play everything from old school blues to classical to death metal.

100 Watts, Class A/B Power / 4x6L6, 6x12AX7, 2x5U4
Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL-34)
2 Channels, 4 Modes (Clean, Vintage High Gain, Blues & Modern High Gain)
Independent Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence, Reverb and Master Controls per Channe
Channel Cloning
Rectifier Select Switch (Tube/Silicon Diodes)
Bold/Spongy "Variac" Switch
Spring Reverb
Assignable Tremolo w/Speed & Depth Controls
Parallel FX Loop w/Send & Mix Level Controls
1 Button Footswitch (Channel Select)
Slip Cover

This amp is without a doubt the best low-volume friendly amp I've come across. The volume taper is clean and smooth, and you can dial in just the right amount easily. The tone at low volume is near perfect both clean and high gain, and as the volume increases the characteristics and details of both channels bloom to a greater degree. The tremolo and reverb features are among the best I've heard. The amount of different tones this amp is capable of is sick.

First off, you can play anything from simple folk tunes to technical death metal without pedals on this amp. It's quiet at extreme volumes and just kicks your ass when opened up properly. The clean has gobs of headroom and punch. Enough to slap somebody walking by if you wank hard enough. You can get just about any sound you can dream of with a touch of with Mesa character. The Tremoverb can wail the blues with authority, and the distortion is tight, crisp, and saturated. The amp response is phenomenal, and as you roll off the volume the grit fades into a glassy clean. Be warned... This amp can put out some serious balls and chunk.

It's a Mesa, so expect quality throughout the entire amp. It's built like a tank and could take some serious abuse. Everything inside the combo is locked down nice and tight. Great workmanship here.

No idea, but I assume they are helpful to non-retards.

It's a heavy amp, but for what it does there is no comparison. You just can't get the same tone from a 1x12 or 4x12 setup. The Tremoverb has a tightness and focus all it's own. I also like being able to pull two tubes and drop it to 50W.

Mine is one of the early ones. Important features are: Two channels, rvb, tremelo, effects loop, line level off the SPEAKER!, everything can be controlled with a foot switch (I use a midi octopus for the above functions.)

This is a very versitile amp. The dirty channel is amazing. On gigs I find that I rarely get off this channel and use my guitar volume to clean up my sound. My target sound is a cranked hand-wired hot rod plexi which I also own. You can also do SRV to death metal with this amp.

My only complaint is a sterile sounding clean channel. My target clean is a BF Fender Deluxe reverb which I also own. I get closer on the dirty channel than the clean one - but the amp has to CRANKED. The clean channel is pretty clean (buzzes here and there) and is pretty damn good, not the same league as the dirty chan though.

If anything this thing is well made, has never broken on me. Never used a backup. It is as heavey as you would expect from Mesa. I would recommend the head/cab version if it sounds the same.

There're GREAT!

It is definately pro gear. If you can't gig with this one you might as well hang it up. I'm thinking about the Voodoo Labs mod for the clean channel, other than that I don't think you can do any better in a circuit board amp with these features.

I have owned this amp since about 1995 or 96 and I bought it new. It has the large Mesa Engineering placard on the front, not the little placard in the corner of the amp, but of course that is of no consequence other than to date the amplifier. I play many different styles and the Tremoverb moves from Jazz to Rock to Country to Metal with the greatest of ease, but you have to work with the systems parameters to learn how to pull the sounds out of the amp. They are there and with a bit of effort you too can learn where they are, kinda like an electronic "Where's Waldo." It is a two channel amp with two distinctly different sections in each channel which can be cloned(see Tremoverb manual you can dl at the boogie site)For the features information you really want to visit the site. It has line out, effects loop which is switchable, solid state or tube rectifier, soft and spongy setting which acts much like an attenuator switch. Many others, again, check out the site. I wish this amp had a switchable power setting that would take it from 100 watts, to 50, or 25 watts. You can take out two power tubes and get a fifty watt configuration, but it would be easier just to flip a switch. I rarely use the effects loop as I use floor pedals, mostly Boss and Keeley, that works for me. It is not your normal effects loop however, and you know where to go to get the scoop on the loop function. If you want an amp to play at home or in small venues, dont buy this amp, it's not for you. This amp is a powerhouse and it is Loud. But if you are still thinking, "No way man, I want this monster!" I say great, but do yourself a big favor, order up a THD Hotplate Attenuator. This little gem will allow you to turn the amp to ten and then turn it down at the attenuator. You will get the fully cranked tube amp sound without losing your apartment, wife, kids, neighbors, dog, or going to jail. Bonus.

I use strats, fatstrats, and Les Pauls with this amp. As with any high gain amplifier a certain amount of noise is inherent. But really this is a particularly transparent amp all things considered, such as volume level, pickup choice, and tube age. The clean channel is very quiet, and if its not, better change those tubes. I do however use a noise surpressor in my effects chain, but that is for the strictly for the chain and without the chain there is really no need for a surpressor. The clean channel gives you that sonic thump in the chest that we live performers crave--and at preamp saturation if you wanted more gain and brutality youd have to put a pickup on your chainsaw and...well, you get it, right? But again, if you are diligent in looking for sounds you will find most every sound you need.

The week after I purchased this amp, the power died. It went to about half power, which isnt bad but I paid for full power. I went back to the store I bought it from and they said, "Hey, It's your amp buddy." More on that in the next section. Just take care of the amp--and it will take road abuse and laugh in your face. Ive not had a problem with it since the first incident.

I called Mesa Boogie after my music store acted like they never knew me(and boy they regret that now) and the people at Mesa were great. I was a bit distraught over the fact that I had to pay to send it to Petaluma but the people at Boogie made it worth it. After the great techs at Boogie and I chatted on the phone a few times they corrected the problem and also went the extra mile and gave me some tweaks and mods that blueprinted the amp to my particular needs. When my amp returned it came back with a complete spare set of tubes. A week after I had received my amp I got a phone call from Randall Smith (the creator of Mesa Boogie industry, the head honcho) making sure I was totally satisfied with the work that was done. How do you think I feel about the customer support?

I have been playing since I was in grade school and own more gear than you or I have time to discuss. If it were lost or stolen I would be extremely sad. I coulnt pick up another like it, so I would recall the amp wistfully and prolly buy a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and have it modded a bit, or maybe a vibrolux. I love most stuff about it, hate the weight, but hell, its a big amp, whatyagonnado? I chose this amp for one thing. Tone.

Not sure on the year, but my guess is 2002.
I mainly play metal, and although some people have suggested that this amp is not really a good choice for this style of music, I beg to differ. This is a metal monster! It has more power than anyone should ever need for bedroom practice, small and mid-sized gigs. Good thing you can "slow" it down to 50 watts!
As far as features are concerned: It has all you need, and more. Probably so much more that it can get unnerving if you're easily intimidated. To me it's a great challenge!

I own a KH-602 with EMG 81's, a DV8-R with SD pu's, and a GrassRoots GMX-48 with nonames, and they all sound awesome when you twiddle with the amps settings and play the style of music these axes were designed to play.
The amp is somewhat noisy in idle mode, but I guess that's to be expected.
The clean channel stays clean. At least up to the volumes I have tried it - around 12 o'clock. Anything more than that will you make you hair turn weird colors. The crunch/distortion is unreal - I only play up to 11 o'clock on it, because I seriously fear that my ears will start to bleed if I go any higher without earplugs.
I'm giving it a 9 here because of the noise when it's idle. It doesn't really bother me, but it's something to consider.

I've only had it for a short while - no complaints so far, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and rate it a cautious 9 because it's a Mesa and these things are tanks.

Never had to deal with them so far, but I hear great things.

I've been playing for several years, and if that thing were stolen, I'd kill the m/f that stole it if I could find him...so yeah, I'd buy another one. :D
Been looking for "my" sound for a long time, and I think I finally found the amp that delivers it.

This post is for the fellow below who had is amp go out on him day before a show at practice................ I have owned my Trem-OVerb for about 6 years now and it has had to be re-tubed twice. Nature of the beast - TUBES WEAR OUT. Mine died once durring a show. Honked like a stuck goose. Never gig without a back up. Lucky I had one thqat night. Take it to a certified Mesa repair place and have them fix it and should be set. In my case I had a bad power tube and some capacitros that needed top be replaced.

THis is a great amp. With the right guitar is sounds brilliant. I will never sell mine even though I am jonesing for a new amp due to G.A.S. (gear aquisition syndrome).

Good luck and I hope you get it repaired.

THansk, JEFF WHITE

You guys know the features by now.
.

bought the amp used. sounded good when i tried it out in the store at reasonaably low volumes. I have had it for about a year now. You can get some good sounds out of it if you really tweek it, and i mean like every time you play it. ill have the perfect settings and perfect sound, next day ill come in, flip it on, and it sounds like shit. sometimes the distortion will seem nice and smooth and others it will break up and not have any substance to it at all. guess thats a tube amp for you, unreliable sound... well i changed the poweramp tubes, new boogie tubes, it sounds better, but still nowhere near what it should. im thinking maybe it has something to do with the preamp tubes, but that makes no sense. ive heard preamp tubes usually sound best before they are about to blow out. and the clean channel breaks up at very low volumes, its rediculous. i dont know what everyone else is talking about with the clean being so good, maybe its that they just got the amp and payed a lot of money for it and they want to believe its a good amp with a good sound. didnt work out that way for me. even on the solid state channels... no better. in fact, the tube distortion sounds better than the solid state most of the time, but then again the tube distortion is breaking up and sounding like shit. im thorouhgly dissapointed with this amp. not to mention what happened next...

so im at band practice one day. get everything all hooked up, set my levels, turn on the amp to practice for our show that was the next day. the amp sounds like complete shit. i mean, horrible. the volume sounds super low even when i turn it up all the way. everything sounds like shit. i thought maybe it was just the amp doing its usual thing, sounding good one minute bad the next, but then it fuckin shuts down on me. just like that. now it wont even turn on. i was soooo pissed. i thought mesa boogie would make something a little bit more reliable considering so many people use them. not the case with this amp. to me the amp never sounded as good as it should have, maybe i just got a bad one or something, tho very unlikely for that to happen, but compared to a dual rectifier the distortion doesnt even compare. not as heavy, not as smooth, no matter what the settings. and believe me, i took the time to tweak and get the right levels. ahh what a waste of money. im definately not putting more money into this amp to be fixed if its going to sound like it did.

havent dealt with them yet.

my advice to you is to steer clear of this amp. but then again you cant really even go by these reviews, i mean there are tons of people who say this amp is the best theyve ever played, and for me it was complete shit. could never get the right sounds out of it, no loud clean, no heavy distortion, blues channel was too crackly, never smooth. and then it broke down on me. it sounded fine when i tried it at the store and good occasionally, but over all it never had a completely good sound to it. it was always just acceptable. i dunno maybe there is something wrong internally that needs or needed to be fixed all along. if anyone has any ideas, let me know.

you all know its 100 watts with vintage 30's.

i play a schecter omen 6 with an emg 81 and 85 and i love the tone that i get. i play metal mainly so i can get as versitaile as scooping the shit out of the mids or i can get a more full distortion thats creamy as all hell. the only thing that i can complain about would be mine gets a little noisy when its just sitting even when all the volume is down. i think thats just a tube problem though.

i have only owned this amp for about a month and nothing bad has happened yet so hopefully it stays that way.

i havent had to contact mesa at all and i dont think i will cause i go to guitar center and talk to my old store manager and he knows everything about this thing so he can answer any questions i have.

so far i love this thing and i dont have anything i can complain about. i just cant wait to hear it through the 4x12 diesel cab i just bought.

You all know the features by now, but one major feature to talk about is the dual rectifier. After owning this amp for about 5 years, and going back and forth with loving it and being frustrated with it, I finally ignored the glowing talk in the manual about the wonderful effect of the tube rectifier option and switched to using the solid state rectifer. Oh my god! Finally, I was able to find a more Fendery clean sound that really worked for me. And by switching to the vintage lead channel (using the channel cloning feature) I got the lead tone that is the perfect combination of vintage tone and high gain harmonics. I love the way you can bend strings in this channel and actually make the strings squeak!

I play in a classic rock cover band that also plays some new bands as well. I loved the way this amp sounded in my garage, but when I played on stage with my band, I got lost in the mix. It was because I was using the tube rectifier as opposed to the silicon diodes. Using the silicon diode rectifer helps the clean channel immensely and also helps me cut through the mix with the lead channel. The tube rectifier sounds "flubby" when playing live.

I put new Mesa power tubes in this baby and it sounds killer. People knock Mesa power tubes, but make sure and buy good ones. They sell inexpensive ones and higher priced better quality ones. This amp has never broke down on me.

The guys always return my call if I can't get them the first time. They seem willing to visit and answer any questions I might have.

The best two sounds I found out of this amp are from the owners manual which you can download from Mesa's website. Sample 1 and 4 are fantastic. And they both say to use the silicon diode rectifier! If I'd only paid attention five years ago...I've been playing for 26 years. My main guitar is a PRS McCarty. I also own a Marshall TSL 100 Head, Fender Prosonic Combo and a Fender Super Champ. It's never going to get stolen-it's too heavy to carry...

One of the last ones before they stopped production. versatile.

i use a jasckson dr-3 with emg-81 pickups. I play heavy rock and alternative. the tone of this amp is great. very versatle. Currently using the stock 6l6 power tubes. Havent tryed the el34's yet. The only thing i wish the amp had is a better "low, or Bottowm end thump" to it. I am thinking about buying a 2x12 recto closed back cab to add to this, hopfully it will give me the lows im looking for.

very nicely build!!! very heavy i think it tips the scale at around 95lbs. only thing ya need to do is change the tubes when they go bad.

never had to deal with them, although i heard they were friendly & helpful.

I'v been playin for about 6 years. This is my first tube amp. I am pretty happy with it overall. If it were stolen i would pissed cause i can't afford another one. I love the tone...just wish it had more low end bass, but its a openback combo so that should be expected. Best sounding amp i'v ever owned!

This is a mid-90's tremoverb, with the vintage style grill. you probably already know the features. I like the fact that you can swith between 6L6's and EL34's (tubes), very cool feature that i have never seen before. This thing is louder than you would ever want it to be.

This is an amp which is really made to play rock, metal...that type of thing. The distortions are very versatile. The vintage setting is just that, you can get really cool classic rock type sounds, very nice crunchy sound. The modern distortion is the signature MESA sound. It's absolutely as heavy as you want it to be. i really like the versatility of this channel though. You can get that midrange-sucked thumping metal sound, or go in a completely different direction because the eq on this thing is VERY responsive. If you get this amp, really mess with the eq, because it WILL change the tone drastically. I know many people who say they don't like the blues channel, but i totally love it. I think if you don't like it, you havent messed with it enough, its freaking awesome. The clean channels are cool, but they are really not for that totally jazzy clean sound. If you want pristine clean, youre probably not gonna get it without adding something else (compression), and even then...
but the clean channel is really musical, it responds so well to how you play it.

Mesa is known for its reliability. they are on world tours everywhere. i give it a 9 because my amp cuts out sometimes for an unknown reason, and it sucks because repair shops very often don't want to mess with my mesa, they say "you gotta send it to a licensed repairman". they cant handle the mesa.

good question, don't know.

One of the most versatile rock and roll amps ive ever played. I have been playing for nearly 15 years, and this is one of the sweetest amps out there. Its not quite as heavy sounding as a mesa 4x12 stack would be, but i love the open-back sound. While the open back means you lose a little heaviness, it really gives you a more "lively" sound. go buy one

This amp has more features at the back than up front, it's really versatile, offering you 4 distinct channels (Clean, Vintage high gain (EQ 1) and Blues and modern high gain on EQ2). It fits well my style which is simlilar to TOOL. Offered with a reverb and tremolo effect, which can be turned on and off with a footswitch that you plug at the back. Features are extremely easy to get used to, and everything is well labelled. I'll probably never get this amp passed 3, it's so loud and it's not even on the 16ohm.

I use a Ibanez RG320 FM and an Epiphone (gothic) les paul studio. And the sustain and tone on this amp is perfect. The distortion it so amazing and the palm mutes seem to hit you in the chest, even at low volume. This amp is dead quiet compared to the other amps I had and tried, I thought I would by those gold plated cables to get the best sound, but it's obvious that I don't need those.
Since it has such a nice distortion I thought that maybe I would sell all the distortion pedals that I have (metal zone, fabtone and big muff), but when I plugged them in, it was as if I had new pedals, the metal zone sound like a fuckn punch in the face, the fabtone as so much tone and the big muff has that little soft fuzz that I couldn't get with my other amp. There's a guy that said that this amp wasn't meant for pedals, well he was wrong. I also put a little distortion on my clean which sound really gound for a nice lead and so I can't really said if it distorts at high volume. The tremolo and reverb are sounding really good, better than I thought they would.

I bought it used and it looks like new and sounds like new. And it's a mesa, if you can't depend on a mesa, the music industry is in trouble.

Doesn't apply

If god or satan were musicians, they'd be playing that amp. I could shit on my guitar and it would still sound amazing. So far all the setup I've tried were amazing. Usually I was trying to get one good sound. Now I'm asking myself if could find a bad sound with that amp

For all the features check the mesa boogie site, but this thing is great, with the channel clonning. The reverb on this amp is ok, but i dont really use it so it doesnt matter.

LOVE THE TONE!!!!!! THis amp sounds so great, you have to turn the volume up pretty loud to make the tone really come out and this thing does get loud. I play an Ibanez RG 7620 through this and it sounds great even when i tune down.

My amp has always been there for me, it has been working for me since day 1

i had a few questions about the amp when i first got it and mesa helped me out

i give this amp a 10 overall, if it were stolen i would track down the fucker and kill him. I bought this amp in August of 2001 from another guy who never even touched it. He said that this amp was the last tremoverb to come out of the factory, and its in mint condition and i would highly recommend this amp to anybody that can afford it. It sounds way better than the marshals of the same price

This amp is loaded with features. I'll spare the boring details. What more could you possibly ask for? The only thing I don't like is that you have to get 4 seperate footswitches. No big deal. For those of you that think there are too many features, LEARN TO USE THEM!

For all of you whiners complaining about noise, check the rest of your gear and take into consideration that this amp is a gain monster. You can't plug a Squier piece of crap into the amp and expect to sound like your guitar hero.If you set the gain all of the way up it is going to sound like shit! Try setting the gain lower and the master volume higher. This amp is the only amp in my opinion that is built for extremely high gain and still has an incredible clean channel. You have to spend time on it but you can get your own tones. NOT A BEDROOM PRACTICE AMP. It is balls to the wall LOUD. Mesa is definitley proud of their gear (Price) but like everything else, you get what you pay for! Great tones with both single coils and humbuckers. Extremely versatile, superior quality, raw tube tone. You are not going to find a better sounding high gain combo amp! I don't give out too many 10's but this is definitley a "10"

Never had a problem! Keep your pots clean.

Called Mesa to find out how to drop it to 50 watts (Still very loud) and they were extremely helpful.

I've been playing a while and have experimented with many different styles of music, amps, guitars, pickups, etc. This amp is definitely worth the high price and is soon to be a collector's item as they are not in production any longer. If you can find one, GET IT!!!!

this thing has AWESOME features! two channels, two modes per channel, tremolo for each channel, parallel fx loop, anything and everthing you could want, and too easy!

one word, DAMN!!! this thing has TONE, TONE, TONE! two channels with two modes equaling four different KILLER modes. no modeling crap, this is the real thing! THE Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, the Mesa Rec. clean(and I mean clean!) is the pristine Mesa clean that everyone loves, the vintage high gain is a rushing Mesa crunch that raddles your bones, the blues is thick and lusturously smooth, and the modern high gain is;(this is what a seizmagraph 1000 miles away looks like)
/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\
/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \
FOOTBALL STADIUM RATTLEING,DESTRUCTIVE GAIN IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE!!!!
I dunno... like a tidel wave... or a earthquake... or a huricane!!!
if you like the sounds of Creed, Korn, POD, Limp Bizkit, Staind, Mudvyane, Metallica... any high gain artist you can think of uses a Dual Rec. I play it with Seymour Duncan single coils because humbuckers are just too much! I play everything but country and this amp hasn't let my down. heck! you could play country if you wanted too!

I've only had this thing for two months so I couldn't tell you.

and I've never dealt with the company.

I stole this for $700. from what I can tell, I paid half price for this! although this is worth whatever they charge! the only amps it cannot sound like is a tweed or a brit amp, but it does everything else! like I said if you want high gain, you want a Mesa!

This was made in 2000
I play Rock,Metal,Jazz Fusion
2 channels,channel switching, and effects loop
It's feature is what makes this amp personality
I use this amp for outdoor, Large Venue playing, it has all the power I need.

I play a fender strat with single coils straigth into the amp.
It's noisy like any other high gain amp, but not enough to worry about
This amp can push some pretty great lead and rhythum sounds
The clean channel is pretty clean
The distortion is AWESOME, VERY COMPRESSED.

You can depend on it but I would still carry extra tubes.
No problem breaking down yet.

The Company is great "Thanks Michael Wolf" The response of resolving my problem was the best I ever seen.

I have been playing for 32 years
I would by another if stolen

Mine is a 1998 trem-o-verb combo bought new. It would be hard to imagine a big amp with more features. In terms of sounds, you can choose rectifiers (solid state vs. tube), drop the voltage for a clanky / chewy / vintage sound, use a variety of power tubes (EL34/6L6/5881), and then choose between four modes (a nice clean, an OK pushed, a vintage VH/AC-DC dirty, and a modern Bush/Korn type of dirty), plus reverb and tremolo per channel. Dang! The only complaints here are than too many controls are on the back panel and that the footswitch changes channels and not modes. Note: This amp is WAY TOO LOUD and WAY TOO RUGGED to be used as a bedroom practice/recording amp. There is a bit of hum and you are paying a ton for a bulletproof chassis and blow-the-back-wall-out volume. This is an unhinged monster gigging and rehearsal amp, great for recording huge high-gain tracks but not so great for practicing and recording delicate fingerpicking at whisper volumes.

I mainly use a '78 Les Paul with humbuckers with this amp, occasionally my '89 American Strat or '95 Ibanez S540. Clean channel is complex and sweet enough to handle strat strumming but won't do vintage-Bassman-SRV-clank. Vintage dirty is GREAT for moderate classic BTO/ZZ-Top rock and then browns into chimey saturation like old-school van halen. cool. flip to neck pickup with tone down for singing santana leads! pushed mode ("blues") is too thick and muddy for my playing; i use it very rarely for strat/ibanez rhythm tracks. Red channel IS today's metal sound; if you know Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Bush, Nickelback, POD, Incubus, etc., (all dual-rec users) you know this sound. this is a grinding, up-in-your-face blast that i love, but is NOT for everybody. the only amp in the ballpark is a Bogner Uberschall. Mmmmmm....bogner uberschall.....

It's not like i'm on world tours 250 nights a year, but it's been bulletproof for me. had to replace the 5881s after 2 years. I would definitely use it without a backup.

I had two separate technical questions about the amp. Both times I spoke to staff who were not only able to answer my question, but got so fired up about the amp they started giving advice about settings and sounds! (On my long-distance dime, of course.) Very professional and enthusiastic staff - but don't call on fridays, they're long gone.

I loaned this amp to my drummer two weeks ago (while I was on vacation), and he won't give it back. It gets used all the time in my studio while the all-tube Marshall JCM (which is a nice amp) and the solid-state Fender Princeton Chorus next to it sit quiet. It is the defining sound of my band and has never let us down. This amp would be a 10 if it weren't so damned expensive. Bravo!

OK folks, this is a REAL amp for REAL players. 1999 100w Dual Rec in a 2x12 open back combo with Tremolo and Reverb. 2 channel with 2 "voices" per channel. Looks like a bad-ass Harley, black leather with chrome knobs. Loaded up with delicious, phat, meaty tubes. Mix-able, bypassable and foot-switchable effects loop, jacks for switchable loop, trem, verb and channel. (only comes with a single channel-switching foot switch though, you'll need to buy/build more switches to footswitch everything. Can be used with EL34 OR 6L6 power tubes - very cool!
I play mostly cover-band rock and blues - nothing too heavy-metally. I'd say 10 for features, but it would be so much better if you could only footswitch all 4 "voices", instead of just the two channels. Another downside - this thing one HEAVY MF! Not sure the poundage, but it feels even heavier than my old 5150 combo. Thank God it comes with castors, or better still, get your drummer to grab one of the side handles and share the load.

Mostly use a single-coil Strat for clean-blues, and an EMG fitted Paul for rock crunch. This beast will do everything from squeaky clean to monsterous grind. For all you Heavies, keep in mind this is an open-back combo, so it won't thump into your chest cavity quite like a half-stack. The tonal variety is amazing, it can sound like many other amps, can do the heavy, modern Boogie thing, and even has unique tones - notably the "Blues" voice on channel 2. This is WAY different - dark, thick singing-smooth overdriven sustain, without too much fuzzy distortion. Not for everyone, but you can make some convincing Santana/Eric Johnson/Larry Carlton lead sounds with this setting. Sounds like a wall of amps in parallel - I've never heard anything quite like this in a stock combo.

Had a loose gain knob from the store, had to take the chassis out of the cab to tighten it. No big deal, it gave me the chance to check out the amazing build quality and attention to detail inside the box - wow! This is high end shit! Since then I've dragged it in and out of several bar gigs - no problems.

No idea, never had problems with this or my last Mesa-Boogie (DC3)

Like most experienced players, I've used and owned a lot of amps over the years, Marshall JCMs, old Fenders, etc (15 yrs playing, 10 semi-professionally). If any of you have played on the Canadian club scene, you'll understand why I couldn't always afford to have this much amp at my disposal. I gig only on weekends, usually only once or twice a month so it will likely take a year just to recover my investment on this one piece of gear! That said, for the love of music, it was worth every penny! I finally found MY amp in the Tremoverb combo. It may not be YOUR amp, but it might be - check it out if you can.

This amp is a 1999 model, I believe. It was really designed for hard rock and metal, but also sports two dedicated modes for blues and clean playing. It is really a two-channel amp, but each channel has two modes, making it a total of four different modes of play. Tons of different configurations to run it on (i.e., 100 or 50 watts, channel-specific parallel effects loop, 6L6 or EL34 power tubes, etc.). Very powerful and very loud, 100 watts running out to two 30-watt vintage Celestion 12-inch speakers. Can also use silicon diodes or rectifiers for the preamp stages.

Man, Boogie must have the best name-sales record in the history of guitar amplification. It's hard to get Boogies around where I live, so I bought it to take back with me and compare to my 5150 II halfstack. I'm running a Gibson Les Paul studio and an Ibanez UV777BK through my setup. I'm just going to say it: this amp is way overpriced, and way too overridden with features that don't really compliment the tone at all. I know Randall Smith and his team have had decades of experience under their belts with amplifier production, but this thing sucks! Sounded great in the store.....but not nearly as tight as my 5150 II head. The Boogie's effects loop is wired in parallel, so the questionable effects do not affect the tone. True dat, yo......my Boss GE-7 equalizer couldn't even affect the tone enough to give this thing low end, WHICH IT DOESN'T HAVE NEARLY ENOUGH OF! My favorite thing about this amp is, surprisingly, the clean channel. No shit. It breaks up beautifully, and is very responsive to playing. The only guitar that I've played through this thing that sounds good is a Tom Anderson custom shop model, with the greatest pickups for hot playing, the Tom Anderson 3+ pickups. It sounded like heaven.

The distortion is very Boogie, but flat. Sorry, Limp Bizkit and Creed lovers; this company is just taking your money.

When I bought it, the lens cap from the power light was gone. No big deal, and Boogie was really good to me on the phone by shipping one out right away.

Beware of Boogies in the reliability department, though. They have the worst reputation of being a bitch to get repaired in the industry, and they make you pay an arm and a leg for it, as well.

Very friendly on the phone, so far. No problem.

I've been playing for five years, and have owned almost every flagship amp from the major manufatures by Fender, Mesa/Boogie, Peavey, Marshall, Soldano, etc. I'm selling this piece of shit. I got a great deal on it for being a Boogie, but I paid less than that for my 5150 II head, which is a better buy and it SOUNDS BETTER! Much more responsive and sensitive, even with the stock tubes in it. Fuzz effects into this thing aren't very good, even with my 200.00 Creamy Dreamer and my NYC Big Muff. In fact, most effects don't sound that good through it (and I have A LOT of effects). When I play a new amp though, I play it straight; no effects to clog the original sound.

I am basically writing this review to follow up on the one I wrote about 2 days after i bought this amp. At that point I hadnt had it long enough to thoroughly play around with the amp and tweak it so i could make an accurate review. For those who still dont know what the features of the amp are i will list them here for a second time: Channel Cloning, Bias Switch,2-channels and 4 modes, Assignable FX loop, Reverb and Tremolo, 100 watts of power from 4-6L6 power tubes, 2-5U4G rectifier tubes, 6-12ax7 preamp tubes..It comes loaded with 2 70-watt Celestion Vintage 30 speakers which makes the power handling upto 140 watts..You can choose Silicon Diodes or the Tube rectifier with the flick of a switch on the back panel. It has a Bold/Spongy Power Variac switch which can cut the 100 watts down to 75 watts..This amp is very cool and is definitely versatile enough for me. It does take a hell of alot of tweaking to get the "perfect" sound though...but trust me on this, when you get that sound you wont even give a damn how long you had to screw around with it...This amp is crunch heaven and thats what i bought it for.

Same as before I use an EMG-equipped Les Paul and this is a good setup. This amp may not be printed with the "Solo Head" logo on it but I found out that the Tremoverb is actually the exact same amp inside and out as the Solo Head but it is in combo form with reverb and tremolo. I shit you not...This amp can either be very mellow and bluesy or it can be all-out brutal with the High-Gain modes. I will break down the channels to make a review of each one for you:
Clean-Nice mellow clean sound which can sound nice for blues or jazz or even a nice metal clean..sounds full and unique and can be shaped many ways.
Vintage High Gain- This channel is in my opinion the one that has the most thickness and chunk in the sound. The distortion growls as you play nice heavy rhythm and it sounds tight and full.
Blues-This sound I dont use much. It is rather raunchy like you are cranking a Marshalls clean channel. Not a mode I use much.
Modern High Gain- This channel is known as the infamous Dual Rectos "Red" channel. It has a very heavy sound but sounds a bit more trebly then the vintage high gain. This sound will take you anywhere from Metallica,Korn, and Limp Bizkit to your own unique crunch sound. This amp, However, is a bit noisy when the high gain modes are ON, but i was told this is normal cuz of the amount of gain. I will say that even though the combo has an open-back, it still retains a good solid sound. I suggest adding a Mesa recto 2x12 cab to get extra lowend chunk.

Here is where there is a difference from my last review. About 3 weeks after i bought the amp one of the power tubes blew in my amp. I got pissed off cuz i couldnt use my amp for a week cuz i had to wait for the weekend to replace the tube. Well, I brought it back to guitar center and the salesguy without thinking apologized for it and replaced half of my power tubes for free. I expected this and I am glad it worked out. The amp works fine now and it is no doubt made like a tank and except for the power tube failure i dont have any problems with it.

C'mon...Its Mesa/Boogie. You dont get good service like they give all the time.

I have been playing 9 years and about half of that time I would sit in my room dreaming about having a Dual Rectifier that i could call my own. Well, now i have one and this is truly a great amp that i recommend to anyone who wants the sound the dream about.

This amp has it all. This is a no-joke all-in-one package for the serious musician or recording artist. I think this amp was made in 2000 due to the fact i bought it brand spankin' new from Guitar Center a couple of days ago. It has alot of features all of which you couldnt possibly fiddle with in one sitting. Total it has 12 tubes in it. The configuration is 4x6L6,2 rectifier tubes, and 6x12AX7..It has alot of Stuff like Tube/Solid State Rectifiers, Bias switch(you can use either 6L6's or EL34 power tubes..very nice), 2 channels and 4 modes which are:(Clean, Vintage High Gain, Blues, Modern High Gain), Bold/Spongy Variac switch, 2 Celestion Vintage 30 speakers, and a kickass effects loop for hookin' up all your junk.

I havent had this amp long. To be truthful I bought it yesterday but I have had Mesa amps before this one and they are by far the kings of tone. I use the T-verb with a Gibson Les Paul equipped with EMG-81 active pickups and an ESP Horizon 7-string. This amp really suits my Hard Rock/Metal playing style and can also handle other types of music as well. This amp is all about gain and ways to refine it and control it. The only thing I have a little problem with is the small amount of amp hiss when the gain is maxed on the dirty channel. Considering the amount of distortion I guess this is ok. As far as distortion this amp is about 98 percent as heavy as the Dual Rectifier Solo Head but due to its open back cabinet and the somewhat midrangey voicing it loses some of that bottom end chunk when playing rhythm. Screw with some knobs and add a Graphic EQ and you should get that back though. Again I have very little experience with this amp!. The Clean sound is remarkable and reminds me of a fender bassman or if u increase the gain it sounds like a driven fender amp. The built-in tremolo is awesome and is fully controlable for speed and depth settings. The vintage high gain sounds like Van Halen or Eric Clapton and is one of my fave modes. The Blues mode i havent used alot yet. The modern High Gain mode is punishing heavy crunch and sounds like Metallica (before black album), Creed, Korn, Limp Bizkit and others. Awesome. Mesa has always been the flagship of heavy sounding amps and this proves to be one of them.

I am not even worried about this amp. I could let it fall off a truck and it would probably still work if i plugged into it on the freeway.

I never had to deal with them. I hear from alot of people the customer service kicks ass. All I might need from them is some extra sets of tubes and fuses just in case. But i could probably get that at Guitar Center too.

I have been playing 9 1/2 years and I have had a bit of every type of gear more or less but this is my first amp worthy of gigging and recording with. If this were stolen I would track the fucker down and rip off his nutz and then shoot him between the eyes cuz I would never be able to talk my parents into this purchase ever again. I love pretty much everything about the amp. I was comparing this amp to the Marshall Triple Super Lead 100 watt 2x12 combo and that is a piece of shit compared to the quality and tone of this amp. I only wish this amp had a closed-back option and a little bit more chunk but other then that it is a real winner. Not a surprise considering it is the Flagship of the Mesa/Boogie ampline. Just another amp cranked out by a company who never lets its customers down. BRAVO!