Mesa/Boogie MultiWatt Dual Rectifier 100W head
106 Guitarist April 2010
£2,329
Guitar amps
voice switch increases gain
progressively through the
Raw, Vintage and Modern
modes and also seems to vary
the amp’s attack, while you can
tweak things further using the
multi-watt and valve tracking
options to specify output
wattage and rectifier types.
Channel three in full-on
modern mode is where the Dual
Rec’s legendary distortion
tones live. Featuring bold treble
response, scooped mids and a
huge low-end, this is the sound
that’s been copied on countless
other products, but it’s only
when you hear the real thing
that you realise how poor the
digital facsimiles are. The
Mesa’s searing liquid sustain,
perfect string balance and full-
throttle dynamic response are
massive fun to use live and the
amp also records superbly; just
a little compression is all that’s
needed. Overdrive pedals are
completely unnecessary with
this amp – even using our stock
Strat fitted with regular low
output Duncan Alnico Pro
single-coils, there’s plenty of
filth for the most extreme metal
sounds anyone could want,
with gain to spare.
Verdict
As you might have gathered,
we’re more than a little
impressed with this new Dual
Rectifier. Those well-known
signature sounds seem better
and more focused than ever
before, without sacrificing the
‘almost out of control’ feel that’s
such a big part of its character.
It may be well known for metal,
but this is an amp that can
easily be used for blues, country
and even jazz; the clean
channel is one of the best we’ve
heard and the various upgrades
improve the Dual Rec’s
flexibility without detracting
from its intuitive usability.
As for the competition, many
amps can compete with the
Dual Rec in terms of features
and value for money, but only
a few that can match it for tone
and response. In fact, the
strongest competition probably
comes from Mesa’s own 150-
watt Triple Rectifier, which
surprisingly is only £70 more.
Nevertheless, despite the high
price (the head and a matching
4 x 12 will set you back nearly
three-and-a-half grand) we’ve
decided to give the Dual
Rectifier full marks for value
for money. Why? Within five
minutes of unpacking one, you
could be cutting a gold album or
headlining festivals on the
world’s biggest stages.
Alternatively, you could spend
endless wasted hours in a
studio with a computer and
dozens of expensive plug-ins
trying to duplicate the Dual
Rec’s tone, or spend a small
fortune on pedals trying to
capture its unique blend of
sustain and distortion. Why
wait any longer? Sell
everything you own – apart
from your favourite guitar! –
and buy this amp. Once you’ve
tried it, you’ll understand.
Mesa/Boogie Multi-
Watt Dual Rectifier
100W head
£2,329
USA
All-valve, three-channel class
AB head with valve and solid-state
rectification
100 watts RMS
5 x ECC83/12AX7 preamp,
4 x 6L6 power amp, 2 x 5U4 rectifier
260 (h) x 650 (w)
x 250mm (d)
19/42
15mm ply
Three, total of eight
voicing modes
Gain, bass, mid, treble,
volume, presence. Global output level,
solo level for each channel
Six-button footswitch
changes channels, toggles effects
loop, solo function and mute
Clean/
pushed voicing switch on channel 1,
Raw/Vintage/Modern voicing
switches on channels 2/3, 50/100-
watt power selection by channel, solid
state/valve rectifier selection by
channel, series FX loop with level
control, slave out with variable level,
tuner out, switchable bias for EL34
/6L6 power valves, bold/spongy
power switch, external switching
jacks
There’s a huge range of
custom finish options, contact
distributor for details
The 150-watt
Triple Rectifier is £2,399; 4 x 12 cabs
start from £1,099, 2 x 12 cabinets
(now with castors) are £699
Test results
The Bottom Line
We like: One of the top five
rock heads in the world; killer
tone; huge flexibility; great
looks; typically high Mesa
build quality
We dislike: It’s really hard to
find fault with this
Guitarist says: Plug into one
and you’ll find it very hard
not to be impressed – the
updated Dual Rec is set to be
amp of the decade… again!
The Spongy/Bold switch affects the amp’s internal voltage to act like a built-in Variac: lower power, lower headroom
GIT327.rev_mesa 106 25/2/10 8:21:11 am