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Published on 03/21/11 at 17:09The 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!!
- (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!!
