All user reviews for the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier 3 Channels Reborn Head

In 2010 Mesa boogie unveiled a new take on the Dual Rectifier, this amp features the ability to toggle each channel independently between 100 and 50 watts in a fashion similar to the Mark V. All the other features remain the same as the previous iteration. 3 channels, each with a variety of modes to toggle between. Effects loop present. No onboard reverb. Powered by four of mesa boogie's own 6l6 power tubes.

UTILIZATION

The new multiwatt feature allows for a different feel when playing the amp. Switching down to 50 watts allows decent breakup even on the pushed clean mode. All three channels appear to have been re-voiced for the better. The ability to switch between tube and diode rectification independently of each channel is a welcome upgrade and opens up even more tone shaping possibilities.

SOUNDS

Starting with the clean tone, the amp is markedly improved from prior iterations. No longer does the clean channel sound brittle, instead feeling full and reminiscent of other boogie amps. The pushed clean mode allows for a surprising amount of gain and allows for assigning 3 separate gain tones in the amp. The Orange channel's mid gain sounds now easily imply hotrodded marshall and sounds brilliant and clear without an EQ pedal, something that plagued the previous design. The Red channel is capable of everything it was and more. More liquid gain (similar to the MARK IV/V) and intelligibility in lead lines make for a night and day comparison with the first generation rectifier series.

OVERALL OPINION

Great amp. Easily a all in one solution for a gigging musician. With a more than passable clean and mid gain sound available, the amp competes with other mid-market channel switchers. Used prices are still fairly strong with most observed around the $1500 price point. I highly recommend this amp to anyone who had ill feelings about the Rectifier series.

i rented this head from a small shop in pittsburgh to use for recording my band's demo.i paid 50 bucks for a week! but it usually runs at around $1500.

Probably the best head Ive ever used. I had always watch bands like AFi use mesa's and i knew that they were really powerfull. I used this through the mesa cab and it was amazing. the clean chanel has a very deep but clear sound to it. it also has 2 other distortion channels. the second cahnnel is a more classic sound but can be formed to be a more modern rokc/punk sound thats great for lead. the 3rd is a way more deeper and mushier sound thats more for rythm, it has a very deep low end. each channel has different switches to cahnge the sound and volume witch i liked a lot. the clean had a push switch which gave it a bit of light distortion. the 2 distortions ha vintage and 2 other settings to add pretty much any sound. I used it through a marshal for recording and it sounded great but its amazingly loud and powerful through the mesa cab. it was made tough and can take pretty much anything. a great head sound.

even though it was the best and most powerfull head, the price is still pretty high. but other than that i have no dislikes about it.

its built tough. it has good coverage of the tubes and everything is very tight and put togerther good. id say it could take any kind of abuse.

ive used many marshals and especially the crate, but the mesa takes the cake. its so powerful and has the greatist and versitile sounds that ive ever heard out of any amp. defiantly if your into rock, or basicl any sound, its worth saving up for.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

We had one of these in my band and so I got to spend some good time with it. I go back and forth sometimes between Marshall grind and a Mesa grind. I love the way the amp responds and feels when pushing some air through one of their recto cabs. These amps are built like a tank and sound so sweet when cranking that gain up. One thing that always gets me is the headroom in the gain knob. I never really need to turn it up past 6 since they saturate so easily. The custom color combo on this amp is a little like an old JCM 800 which is cool and gives it a little more cool factor.

I have used El34's and 6L6 's in Dual Rectos, Mark lll, Mark V, and the Coli I used to own. Depending on the day I will give you a different answer but I probably lean towards the 6L6's in the Mesa amps. They have so much gain on tap that I feel like I need to get the power section a little more headroom and glassy sound to which El34 will probably give more distortion since they break up early. However, you will get more midrange than the 6L6's if that's your thing. Again it probably depends on what music I'm listening to will determine which tube I prefer. Such a great feature being able to switch power tubes in and out without even biasing the amp. Which is another great feature not having to shell out money for a bias rite or taking it to a amp tech to bias the amp.

UTILIZATION


I really don't understand the problem people have with not being able to dial these amps in correctly. So I have heard others say. I see how the Mark series amps can through you for a loop if you are used to Fenders or Marshalls. The rectos are very easy to dial in. They are very versatile with the option of Raw, Modern, and Vintage and Diode and Tube Tracking on the back. There are so many options to tailor your tone in the way you feel comfortable with. Then or course your have the option to cut the power down to 50 watts which is nice as well.

SOUNDS

Sounds9/10
I love the sound of a Recto. One is a staple tone in modern rock music. Nothing really sounds like a recto and a recto has that saturation that is immediately noticeable when compared to an JCM800. My personal favorite setting is the high gain channel on the modern mode. To me that is where this amp come alive and does what it was built to do. Don't get me wrong the clean are fantastic but this thing was made to get up and gallop like a American muscle car.

It is a very forgiving amp as well when switched to the spongy mode. It gives a very forgiving sag that makes you want to play fast. Switch it to the bold mode and the amp becomes tighter and more focused. Good for dropped tunings and more modern music that need the speed while remaining tight.

I used this with a Les Paul exclusively and a Recto 4x12 cab with V30's in it. The cab was slant cab and i ran some delays and such in the loop. matching this amp up with a recto cab is essential. I don't fell it can do what it was created to do with a Marshall 4x12. The speakers to me make a difference as well. For me you really need the V30's with this amp.

OVERALL OPINION

The recto is an amp any guitar player would own. So many records and professionals have used this amp for their main tone. Much like the Mark series and the Roadster and Road King this is a heavy modern rock amp. It can do some bluesy stuff too so it does not hold anything back. Given the chance to pick one up on the used market I definitely would pull the trigger. I think this is a great buy with the options and features that exist with it.

Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34) • Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
2 Channels
Each Channel features: Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Master, Channel Assignable Dual Rectification with Recto Tracking™ (Diode or Tube Tracking – Patents 5,168,438 & 7,193,458)
FX Loop with Send Level Control
Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
Footswitchable Solo Level Control (Patent 6,724,897 - over all channels when activated)
Bold/Spongy “Variac” Switch (Patent 5,091,700)
True “Hard” Bypass Switch that removes FX Loop, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
Tuner Output w/Footswitchable Mute
Slave Out w/Level Control
Slip Cover
Head (Width 25 1/2”)

UTILIZATION

The amp takes awhile for tweaking to get the right tone, but after that, watch out. It's somewhat deep, with the Bold/Spongy switch, Diode or Tube Tracking, so it takes a bit of playing the amp in many situations to really hone in on the sound that you want to get out of it. Effects loop is a great feature, always, and this one sounds good.

SOUNDS

This is a fantastic sounding amp. It gets bonecrushingly loud, with gobs of liquid sustain and razor-sharp jagged metal shard-rhythm tones. The clean is pretty nice if running a verb or delay in the effects loop. This gets uber tight, and very quiet - any stop-start or palm mute techniques are heavily accentuated with this amplifier. Nearly every great rock and metal band or guitarist has used this amp over the past 20 years, and with good reason - it rules.

OVERALL OPINION

I'm giving it a 9 overall. It would benefit from an onboard reverb, just to give a bit of depth. The price is a bit expensive, but for being a nice handmade American tube amplifier with a lot of features, it's priced just right. This amp will go from Who and Hendrix to Morbid Angel and Bloodbath, so it can nail nearly any type of distorted tone. Allan Holdsworth even said this is one of his favorite amps ever! That should give a good idea of how versatile the amplifier is. This amp rules, and I wish I had two.

Who-100Watts ramonent sec.
-2 Channels 3 modes (clean, vintage higain, modern higain)
-Channel cloning
-4 Out HP: 16 / 8 ohms, 16 / 8 ohms, 4 ohms, 4 ohms.
-Loop effect
I put that 9 / 10 because there are only two channels.

UTILIZATION

Mine dates back to 1996, the manual looks like a papyrus 2500avJC, is only 2 pages front / back, but is sufficiently clear and precise understanding of the operation. For those who want more information on lamps, connections etc. I recommend downloading the manual from the three channels which is very comprehensive about all the annexes and the correct tube amps in general. This is an amp that requires a little getting used to especially with regard to the "channel cloning" which assigns the three modes for 2 channels. position "silicon diodes," diode rectifier to sound modern and aggressive position "vacuum tubes", rectifier tube for more vintage sound. switch to choose between "bold", 3 / 4 power and with great vintage sound "vacuum tubes", and "spongy" full power and more modern. (To answer a question on the forum, you can totally remove the lamp rectifier version 2CH, if you use them, unlike the three channels which are an integral part of the rectifier circuit rectifier.)
I put 9 / 10 because there are still only 2 channels.

SOUNDS

I play a Gibson SG Standard.
-Clear sounds are very good, this is obviously not a Twin Reverb, but hey it's very decent for blues, jazz, funk and little knobs that plays on the guitar is quite versatile .

The sound-saturated (its domain): vintage (orange): sounds great very light crunch of the big heavy, very dynamic, lots of punch, royal. Modern (red): large or great big sound, great for metalheads, punkers, Thrashers, etc. or for the soloist in search of her killer. The corrections are drastic and influence each other, which is a bit confusing at first but when you master the beast is heaven, all kinds of distos are available with these two modes. It's a shame that we can put 12/10.

OVERALL OPINION

Contrary to his reputation and in the words of its detractors, it is not confined only to large metal trash sounds thing thing. I find it much more versatile than the 5150 version 1, I have not tried the two which gave being and the XXX. If you like this big sound Mesa please, because in addition it will satisfy you in other areas. Certainly it is expensive for a new 3 channel but 2 channels OCCAZ worth it if you come across one.

Simply one of the most used and iconic high gain amplifiers in the world. Mesa Boogie first introduced the Dual Rectifier back in the early 90's. Since then millions of people have played these amps on stage or in the recording studio.

This amp has a fantastic looking front grille on the amp head. Instead of the diamond plate or black tolex or cloth Mesa Boogie has upgraded it to a wheat brown color. It looks extremely sharp. You get the same great features and exact tone of the black standard but with a bit of cosmetic versatility.

These amps have a bit an unique tonal character to them that no other amplifier have ever done. They have a chewy fat distortion tone that seems almost as intense as the metal case to which houses this amp. This is a bad ass amp that will kick you in the teeth quite easily. This is the same as the metal grill front but just in a black cloth front. Same great tone and features as any other recto.

UTILIZATION

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier 3-channel, 100-watt/50-watt Tube Amplifier Head Features:

* MULTI-WATT 100W/50W (switchable by channel), Class A/B power
* Tube complement: 4 x 6L6, 5 x 12AX7, 2 x 5U4
* Bias Select switch (6L6/EL34)
* Fixed bias for consistent, maintenance free performance
* 3 fully independent channels with 8 modes (Channel 1=Clean or Pushed, Channel 2= Raw, Vintage High Gain or Modern High Gain, Channel 3=Raw, Vintage High Gain or Modern High Gain
* Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Master Controls per Channel
* Output Level Control (over all channels, when activated)
* Footswitchable Solo Level control (over all channels, when activated)
* Selectable Dual Rectifier switch
* Bold/Spongy "Variac" switch
* Assignable parallel effects loop with Send and Mix Level controls
* Slave Out with level control
* External switching jacks for channels 1, 2, 3, Solo, and effects loop
* 5-button footswitch (Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3, solo and effects loop)
* Handbuilt in Petaluma, California
* Slipcover included

SOUNDS

This amp is just awesome! I would say perfect but no amp is perfect. But for what this amp does and has done successfully now for decades is rock. This is a rockers amp to say the least. You won't play trash like Coldplay with this kind of amp. This is an amp for the person who needs the distortion channel to be so over the top and fat.

I prefer to play all Mesa Boogies with a Gibson Les Paul or another guitar with a humbucker installed. That way I don't lose any of that fat chewy tone that is characteristic in this amp. Any guitar will certainly but there is just something that connects with a Mesa Boogie and a Gibson Les Paul.

OVERALL OPINION

At new these amps come in at around $1899, which is a great price for an amp that will probably out live you. These amps are virtually indestructible. They are build with such standards and quality that it would take a lot of abuse to dismantle this amp.

I would recommend any person who need a great sounding high gain amplifier to check out this amp. It may not be your cup of tea but I guaranty that the first strum of the chord and you will be hooked.

The Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier is a 100w tube amplifier that is named so because of it's dual rectifier tubes. Otherwise, it features two or three channels (depending on the year of amp) They are: green, orange and red, each colour indicating a successive increase in gain and saturation that each have their own selectable modes for both power consumption (100w vs 50w) and different tonal characteristics (clean channel has a standard clean mode as well as a "pushed" or broken up clean, and each of the drive channels feature raw, vintage and modern voicings of gain. To top it off there is a wonderful effects loop as well as a bold/spongy power switch, an onboard solo boost, and each channel is switchable between diode and tube tracking. Definitely a good set of features and nothing less than I expect from Mesa.

They are available in a whole host of custom tolex and grille cloth options but the standard for many years has been the classic diamond plated front. It's very eye catching and serves as a distinctive look that makes it instantly recognizable from afar.

UTILIZATION

The amp (like most Mesa products) looks quite complex at first glance, but if we dissect the front panel, it shows how easy and intuitively the amp's structure is laid out. As stated before, each channel has two small switches to toggle between wattage selection, as well as another to toggle between the modes or voicings of each channel. Each channel has its own identical layout of controls (gain, volume, bass, middle, treble, and presence) and these are key in adjusting the sound. The only other controls on the front panel are output (sort of like an overall master volume) as well as a level control for the onboard solo booster. I haven't really gotten into using the various diode/tube tracking switches as much so I can't comment on those, but I can state that the back panel basically consists of those, a slave out, speaker outputs for 4, 8, or 16 ohms, the bold/spongy power switch, 1/4" jacks for effects loop switching, as well as the send/return jacks and level controls for the effects loop.

In short, it can take a while to figure out like many Mesa amps, but once it is figured out it is quite a breeze.

SOUNDS

I've used this amp with various Gibson Les Pauls and my trusty Parker Fly Deluxe. The clean channel is surprisingly good for such a high gain based amp.

Clean mode delivers a nice punchy clean tone that reminds me a lot of the Framus Cobra's clean channel (not warm enough to sound similar to a Fender/VOX) but not so sterile that it's unusable. The pushed clean is similar, except it adds more gain to push the sound into breakup earlier.

Channel two is my favourite on this amp. The Raw mode reminds me of a slightly fuller sounding Marshall JMP, as it's still fairly low on the gain totem pole. Vintage mode is very much like a modified Marshall JMP/800 with more gain on tap, and the Modern mode is starting to really get into the uber high gain metal territory that you would expect from this amp.

Channel three is laid out like channel two and is basically the same thing, but with more gain and saturation. It works very well for chug type metal riffs and really modern sustaining leads when the midrange is turned up, but for general rock/hard rock type stuff I definitely prefer the voicing and gain structure of channel two.

It's a fairly scooped sounding amp I find, heavier in the lows and with a fizzy top end that has to be tamed at higher volumes (IE: I found myself turning the treble and presence almost off when the amp was really given juice) but all in all I was impressed with the range of tones that a seemingly "metal only" amp would offer. Channel two reminded me a lot of the Marshall type tones I know and love but it still went into the higher gain territory that I expected from this amp without issue.


OVERALL OPINION

All in all I think the Mesa Dual Rectifier is a great amp for modern metal tones for the player who seeks serious attitude. At about $1,900 new they are not cheap, but the quality and amount of tones available for metal players is well worth the investment. Both the 2 and 3 channel Dual Recs are worth checking out for slightly tweaked tonal characteristics, but they retain the molten metal glory that is the Dual Rectifier's primary tone.

Simply one of the most used and iconic high gain amplifiers in the world. Mesa Boogie first introduced the Dual Rectifier back in the early 90's. Since then millions of people have played these amps on stage or in the recording studio.

These amps have a bit an unique tonal character to them that no other amplifier have ever done. They have a chewy fat distortion tone that seems almost as intense as the metal case to which houses this amp. This is a bad ass amp that will kick you in the teeth quite easily.


Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier 3-channel, 100-watt/50-watt Tube Amplifier Head Features:

* MULTI-WATT 100W/50W (switchable by channel), Class A/B power
* Tube complement: 4 x 6L6, 5 x 12AX7, 2 x 5U4
* Bias Select switch (6L6/EL34)
* Fixed bias for consistent, maintenance free performance
* 3 fully independent channels with 8 modes (Channel 1=Clean or Pushed, Channel 2= Raw, Vintage High Gain or Modern High Gain, Channel 3=Raw, Vintage High Gain or Modern High Gain
* Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Master Controls per Channel
* Output Level Control (over all channels, when activated)
* Footswitchable Solo Level control (over all channels, when activated)
* Selectable Dual Rectifier switch
* Bold/Spongy "Variac" switch
* Assignable parallel effects loop with Send and Mix Level controls
* Slave Out with level control
* External switching jacks for channels 1, 2, 3, Solo, and effects loop
* 5-button footswitch (Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3, solo and effects loop)
* Handbuilt in Petaluma, California
* Slipcover included

UTILIZATION

Details
Type Tube
Number of Channels 3
Power 100W Class AB
No Effects
No Reverb
EQ Bass, Mid, Treble
No Amp Modeling
Number of Tubes 11
Preamp Tubes 5 x 12AX7
Power Tubes 4 x 6L6, 2 x 5U4 (Rectifier)
Inputs 1 x Instrument
Outputs 5 x Speaker, 1 x Slave
Footswitch I/O
Effects Loop

SOUNDS

This amp is just awesome! I would say perfect but no amp is perfect. But for what this amp does and has done successfully now for decades is rock. This is a rockers amp to say the least. You won't play trash like Coldplay with this kind of amp. This is an amp for the person who needs the distortion channel to be so over the top and fat.

I prefer to play all Mesa Boogies with a Gibson Les Paul or another guitar with a humbucker installed. That way I don't lose any of that fat chewy tone that is characteristic in this amp. Any guitar will certainly but there is just something that connects with a Mesa Boogie and a Gibson Les Paul.

OVERALL OPINION

At new these amps come in at around $1900, which is a great price for an amp that will probably out live you. These amps are virtually indestructible. They are build with such standards and quality that it would take a lot of abuse to dismantle this amp.

I would recommend any person who need a great sounding high gain amplifier to check out this amp. It may not be your cup of tea but I guaranty that the first strum of the chord and you will be hooked.

The Mesa Dual Rectifier 2 Channel Head Features:

- (4) 6L6s in the power section @ 100w
- (5) 12AX7s in the preamp
- (2) 5U4 rectifier tubes
- Bias Select switch (6L6/EL34)
- Fixed bias for consistent, maintenance free performance
- 2 fully independent channels with channel cloning
- Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Master Controls per Channel
- Output Level Control (over all channels, when Loop is activated)
- Selectable Rectifier switch (tube or solid state)
- Bold/Spongy "Variac" switch
- Assignable parallel effects loop with Send and Mix Level controls
- Slave Out with level control
- Single button channel footswitch (must be set to Orange channel on back to work)
- Single button effects loop footswitch (must be set to external switching on back)
- (1) 16 ohm, (1) 8 ohm & (2) 4 ohm outputs
- Handbuilt in Petaluma, California

UTILIZATION

If this is your first time using one of these amps, you'll definitely want to read the manual. it's pretty confusing if you've never played it. there is a lot to work with for sure.

It's pretty hard to get TERRIBLE sound out of it contrary to popular belief. but it IS hard to get a great sound.It's always just OK to me until you sit and tweak for a while, it really is great, it just takes a lot of time and a little bit of know how to make it sound really good, and I personally recommend a EQ.

SOUNDS

Les Pauls and Strats mainly is what I use, oh, and this amp LOVES V30s.

Clean: its ok, its kind of sterile, typical mesa clean. It's kind of boring, but with a little bit of chorus you can get some good sounds. With a strat with the gain up you can get some pretty cool mid gain tones, but don't expect to have an AMAZING clean channel with this amp, just expect passable and you'll be good.

Dirty: Well, it's dirty, thats for sure. It's very raw and agressive. I LOVE this amp for pretty much anything mid-high or high gain. it does punk tones gloriously and you want metal? it does it. very well. It's great by it self, but throw a boost in front and you have a metal machine. if you get the chance to get it turned up it really opens up well also. It's very fat sounding. almost too fat in a mix, but it fills up everything so well, its a great rhythm amp and lead amp, I prefer it for leads though, either way it sounds great and I highly recommend it for anything between punk and and pretty much any genre of metal!

OVERALL OPINION

If you take the time to work with it and want it for a very specific thing (high gain stuff) do it and you won't regret it, just don't go get it expect a tone of versatility!

The Dual Rectifier has finally been revamped after all these years. For the longest time, people have been asking for two things -- Change the effects loop and make it tighter/less buzzy. They've done both with this amp, making it one of the ultimate rectifiers that Mesa offers. It features all the great features of the former Dual Rectifier, but this now has an improved effects loop, multi-watt selection, and probably more things I'm forgetting.

UTILIZATION

Mesa really outdid themselves with this amp. The features on this make it a truly versatile amp that should be great for nearly any style of music. You still need to know how the Mesa EQ works, but the manual does an awesome job at explaining everything. Mesa/Boogie manuals tend to be some of the best in the business. The effects loop is one of the much welcomed features of this amp. It's finally usable without a killdry.

SOUNDS

The sound is the category that everybody wants to know. Yes, the amp is much improved compared to the last one. It's tighter, and it's not as harsh as the last one. Where as the last one can get both flubby and a bit too bitey at times, this one is both tight and thick. My favorite way of running the amp is with a boost. This makes it even tighter and is great for that technical riffing. However, it's not just for metal. This amp is versatile enough to do most any style from blues riffing to some pretty decent midgain tones.

OVERALL OPINION

If you're on the market for a new amp, be sure to check this out. If you didn't like the last one, at least give this a try. Don't forget to boost the lead channel as well. The added versatility, improved effects loop and improved tone really make this like an improved Pre-500 Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier.

The Mesa Dual Rectifier 2 Channel Head Features:

- (4) 6L6s in the power section @ 100w
- (5) 12AX7s in the preamp
- (2) 5U4 rectifier tubes
- Bias Select switch (6L6/EL34)
- Fixed bias for consistent, maintenance free performance
- 2 fully independent channels with channel cloning
- Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Master Controls per Channel
- Output Level Control (over all channels, when Loop is activated)
- Selectable Rectifier switch (tube or solid state)
- Bold/Spongy "Variac" switch
- Assignable parallel effects loop with Send and Mix Level controls
- Slave Out with level control
- Single button channel footswitch (must be set to Orange channel on back to work)
- Single button effects loop footswitch (must be set to external switching on back)
- (1) 16 ohm, (1) 8 ohm & (2) 4 ohm outputs
- Handbuilt in Petaluma, California

UTILIZATION

If this is your first time using one of these amps, you'll definitely want to read the manual. There's a lot of features on this amp that can get very confusing, if you don't know what you're doing!

While a lot of people say the Rectifiers are hard to dial in, I find it pretty hard to get a bad tone out of the 2 channel versions, no matter where you set the controls. Starting with all the knobs at 12 o'clock and moving on from there is always a good starting point. EQing is pretty simple if you've played with any other modern voiced amp.

SOUNDS

These amps sound great! One of my all-time favorite amps I've ever had the pleasure of plugging into. These amps are unique and there's not a single amp out there that can do the same sound as these amps. If you want that Recto tone found on countless '90-'00's grunge/punk/metal records, don't even bother with anything else, this thing will get you there in a heartbeat.

I mainly play metal, and this amp definitely delivers. While the rhythm channel (clean) doesn't have the greatest cleans, it's certainly easy to coax out a decent clean tone out of the channel. If you don't need a clean, you can use the channel cloning feature to dial in a distorted rhythm tone that will rip your face off!

Channel 2 is where this amp really excels. The Mesa Rectifier series is usually classified by its loose lowend and chunky "wall of sound." While that loose lowend is certainly true of the newer, 3 channel, models, the 2 channels are fully capable of getting a tight, grinding distortion, without a boost. This channel can go from fat leads (which are almost non-existent on the newer models), to searing rhythms with a couple turns of the dials.

These are, without a doubt, the "biggest" sounding amps I've ever heard. Especially with the matching Mesa OS 4x12 cab, they create a giant tone that crushes the first, second, third AND fourth row of people in front of the stage (haha)! Only have one guitarist in your band? No problem! These things create such a 3D sound, that one can completely fill in the spectrum left void by a second guitarist.

For recording, this is the go-to amp for many studios, and for good reason. These amps tracking amazingly well, and with little effort, which is the reason they're used on practically every popular rock album since they came out in 1992. These amps love Celestion Vintage 30s! Using this amp, a Peavey 5150 and a Marshall JCM 800, you have probably close to 95% of every rock/pop/metal tone ever created in your studio. This, and the Peavey 5150 are my favorite amps to use in my studio, and only on very special occasions does my Diezel Herbert get pulled out.

OVERALL OPINION

If a huge amount of versatility isn't needed (ie: If you don't need prestine cleans and a great low/mid gain tone), these amps are EXTREMELY hard to beat at their price. Why these sell for less than the 3 channel models is beyond me, as they sound about 5 million times better. The gain is clear and brutal, a recipe for destruction.

These amps are built like tanks and can easily withstand abuse on the road. I've owned almost every high gain amp Mesa currently produces, and has produced over the years, this amp is by far my favorite.
If you don't already have one of these in your arsenal, buy one!!