Mesa Boogie 90s Dual Rectifier: Reissue of the Iconic Amp’s First Version
The guitar amplifier that defined the new sound of not only metal genres in the 90s is back. Every once in a while, a product comes along that has the potential to change the existing sound of a whole host of bands of the generation. When Mesa Boogie came out with the Dual Rectifier Solo Head full-amp in 1992, it was one of the turning points for alternative rock and metal. The Dual Rectifier's crushing sound became the most sought-after guitar sound of the time, and the manufacturer later offered several other variations using the concept.
Mesa returns to the product line this year with the 90s Dual Rectifier, a reissue of the now sought-after original series that many guitarists say is unrivalled in terms of distortion tone throughout the Rectifier line. Again, handcrafted in Petaluma, California, by the same team that made the original the most desirable high-gain amp of all time, the new addition uses the identical formula as the 1992 original. It features a massive, harmonically rich tone with reserve in the bass and unmistakable midrange that makes the Rectifier's response bulldozer-like.
The preamp section is dual-channel, with each channel having separate four-band EQs, gains and volumes, plus a trio of selectable mods (Red, Orange, Green) delivering clean, crunch and high-gain registers, plus the Channel Style/Cloning function even allows you to replicate favourite voicings in both channels to streamline your work. The last potentiometer on the main panel is the Loop Active Master, which is connected to the FX loop.
The amp is driven by five 12AX7 preamp tubes, four 6L6 GC STR 445 tubes providing a maximum output of 100W and two 5U4 rectifier tubes with the option to switch to diode operation, which has a fairly significant effect on the character of the resulting sound.
The aforementioned 6L6s in the final Class A/B power amp can be replaced with EL34 tubes using the Bias Select function, and the Bold/Spongy switch activates the Variac to lower the input voltage for increased harmonics and a more flexible response. In addition to the integrated Variac and several other improvements, the developers decided to update the clean sound circuitry with an emphasis on a more vibrant and transparent presentation.
The effects loop with adjustable sensitivity is capable of operating in one of five modes selectable by a rotary switch, there is a Slave Out (again with custom volume), one front and two rear footswitch (channel/eff. loop) inputs and five speaker outputs tailored for cabinets with 4/8/16 Ohm impedances.
The skeleton consists of high-quality Baltic birch plywood covered in traditional Black Bronco vinyl, complete with leather corners and a diamond-patterned metal faceplate. The official European price for the Mesa Boogie 90s Dual Rectifier reissue is around 4,200 euros, including a soft cover and single-button footswitch for channel selection.
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