Voodoo Amps Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Head Mod

When I first purchased the amp, I mainly played heavy riffs, and the amp was great for having one crunchy sound. I have two channels which one (red) is for the heavy riffs, and the other (orange) is for cleaner parts. Now that my band is more diverse, I felt the need for more flexibility with my channels, but until the mod, I didn't have it. I felt it was lacking when I'd change to mellow stuff. The crunch was great, but would loose it oomph when I'd switch to the orange channel. My only complaint about the Rectifier is the footswitch. Sometimes it is a little cumbersome. I wish it were hard-wired to the amp, as sometimes the cord gets loose, and also maybe a switch with a softer touch would make it better.

I'm using a 1987 Hamer Chaparal with an EMG pickup. I felt the distortion setting was great before the mod, but it's even more brutal now. When I kicked it in for the first time, my bandmates turned and looked at me in awe. I also have more control thanks to the mod. My mid and bass knobs actually do more than muddy up the sound. My clean channel is totally revamped, and gives me the flexibility I need. Now all I have to do is adjust the gain a little, which is easier to do on stage than tweaking a bunch of knobs and turning switches in the back. I used to use the clean rhythm setting for clean sounds, but now I just use the orange channel and adjust the gain to suit the song. With just a little turn of the knob, I can go from clean picking to fat bluesy rhythms.

The amp's been reliable right out of the box, and aside from neglecting to change tubes more often, has never given me an iota of trouble.

I've never dealt with Mesa, but I can say that Voodoo Amps support is great. Trace explained in great detail what he was modifying, and was open to tweaking something if I didn't like the initial mod. He backs up his work, and has a quick turnaround time. I gave him my amp on a Sunday and had it back by the following Friday,in time for my gig.

I would recommend anyone who isn't 100% thrilled with their sound to give Voodoo Amps a try at making it better. Trace is very knowledgable about the lost art of tweaking tube amps. He goes out of his way to work within your budget, without compromising the quality of his work. The mod was well worth the $400 I paid. It actually makes it easier to play knowing you have quality sound, and flexibility. I know a lot of guitarists who got rid of their "stock" Rectifiers because of the versatility issue. They're great for crunchy riffs, but lack the versatility for the in-between sounds. Thanks to the mod, I can keep my head, and put my money into other gear.