SURE, SINGLE-CHANNEL BOUTIQUE SWEETIES are all well and good, but sometimes you’ve just got to have a three-channel, 150W, triple-rectified ...
SURE, SINGLE-CHANNEL BOUTIQUE SWEETIES are all well and good, but sometimes you’ve just got to have a three-channel, 150W, triple-rectified all-valve rock monster. Well, look no further.
Review by Dave Hunter
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, you know you’ve made it in the amp world when your flagship model starts appearing on the emulations menus of the leading digital modelling units. Twist the selector knob on almost any respectable digital combo from Line 6, Johnson and others and you’ll find a setting marked Recto, US Hi Gain or Rectified right alongside the classic Plexi, Tweed and Class A selections. Inspired by the Mesa/Boogie Rectifier series of amps, there’s little doubt that this is a modern high-gain rock sound that’s forged a genre of its own, even distinct from — if descended from — the original cascading gain revolution forged by their own Mark l—lV amps. And with a list of endorsees to rival that of both Marshall and Fender (combined, where alt.rock and nu-metal are concerned) Mesa/Boogie has little left to prove.
All in all, quite an achievement — but where do you go from here? Enter the Triple Rectifier Solo Head: 150W of power from six 6L6GC or EL34 output valves (plus five 1 2AX7 bottles in the preamp); three switchable channels with independent EQ, master and gain sections; two overall master level controls; valve-driven FX loop; rectification switchable between three 5UG4 valves or solid state silicon diodes, Spongy/Bold switching... and more. In short, a stunning package. But Triple Rectifier? What’s up here?
Not just OTT valve madness (well, not just...), one of the only simple ways of providing valve rectification in an amp of this wattage using a conventionally available valve type— without inducing largely unacceptable degrees of power sag at high volumes — is to employ one rectifier per SOW or pair of output tubes (see Rectiwhat? sidebar below). Mesa/Boogie wasn't the first to design amps with multiple rectifiers: a version of Fender’s early -’50s 80W tweed Twin used two rectifier valves (though they have also built Twins with a single valve and solid state rectifiers) and Matchless’s legendary D/C-30 also used an optional pair of valves in this role. But Mesa’s is the only production guitar amp to throw three into the stew — and actually they could have called it the ‘Quadruple Rectifier' with the switchable solid state diodes on board.
Cosmetics are only slightly updated and instantly recognisable as of the Boogie rock amp family: black enamelled steel control panel, diamond-plate metal baffle, slotted aluminium grille, semi-smooth black vinyl covering, thick leather corner protectors. The new models, however, carry more Tele-like chromed knurled steel knobs throughout: smarter looking, but somewhat harder to assess their settings at a glance, their narrow ‘locator crater’ less distinct than the pointers of their predecessor. Built of sturdy 0.75’ plywood, the cab measures 23.5 x 64.5 x 25cm and, yes, it’s heavy — but a rubberised handle and good carrying balance make it manageable. In short, another tank-like construction job from the California builders, which should withstand more than a few road knocks. Inside it’s equally robust: it’s a PCB job, but the board is sturdy, with wide tracks, hand-wired flying leads and confidence-inspiring chassis-mounted output and rectifier valve sockets.
But forget the electronics and the look for a while, and let’s check out the features. Which, let’s face it, is where you’ll devote most of your user attention, however much effort they’ve put in under the bonnet.
The assembly of control knobs and switches on the front panel (20 of the former) can appear overwhelming, but it’s easy to tackle once you twig that Mesa’s approach was mainly to design one good amp channel with Gain, Master, Bass, Mid, Treble and Presence controls, then duplicate that three times, giving each a different voicing and further versatility via three independent mode switches. The head is configured ‘Marshall style’, that is, control panel mounted in the bottom of the cabinet with valves and transformers pointing upward from the chassis. For this reason the control sequence runs right-to-left: first comes the single input, Chl mode switch (Clean/Pushed), indicator light and controls; Ch2 mode switch (RawNintage/Modern), light and controls; Ch3 mode switch (RawNintage/Modern), light and controls; Output control (master vol), Solo control (boosted master vol), Fender-style jewel pilot light, Standby and Power switch. The Solo control is a great feature Mesa/Boogie have employed for some years now. Understanding that many players simply want to boost existing levels when solo time comes rather than switching to an entirely differently voiced channel, the Solo control does just that —upping your overall volume in whatever channel by a level predetermined by you.
Three footswitchable channels would be useful enough in themselves given the range of variation between Gain and Master juggling, but Randall Smith and co have nudged the design a step further, largely by radically altering the response of the Presence circuit in each channel. Ch1 is predisposed to shimmering clean work (though you can drive it into vintage-style breakup like any master volume amp), while switching to Pushed spills into crunch; Ch2 is optimised for Vintage mode— with its tone stack voiced accordingly and its Presence somewhat reined in — and is engineered to excel at juicy breakup and bluesy overdrive; Ch3 is optimised for the Modern setting, with extremes of contemporary-styled gain for hot lead, a hyperactive Presence for extra highs, and a predisposition towards scooped mids.
With these voicings in mind, the three-position Mode switches on Ch2 and Ch3 offer further tailoring. Raw provides the lowest-gain voice, offering further ranges of just-distorting clean and softer crunch tones; Vintage is medium-high gain, liquid and lush — a popular mode in the previous Recto series and largely preserved in that form on Ch2; and Modern is aggressive, bold and ultra-high gain, with tight lows and searing highs.
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| Take one down, pass it around, ninety-nine bottles of tone on the wall...and almost as many connection options |
Round the back there’s a wealth of connections and muting options, all well judged and aimed to make life easy during live, big-stage performance. There’s a Slave out and level control for linking to further power amps, more speaker cab connection jacks than you’re ever likely to need, a multi-assignable FX loop with both Send level and Mix controls, Bias switch for 6L6s OR EL34s, that tube/diode Rectifier switch, and a ‘Spongy/Bold’ Power switch. The latter, called a ‘variac switch’ by the Boogie folks, drops internal voltages more toward vintage amp levels when switched to Spongy, to reduce the edge and soften the feel of the amp. No: no Dl, no headphone out — what, are you crazy?
The slanted Rectifier Cab matches the head for styling and carries four 12” Celestion Vintage 30s, ever-popular rock drivers rated at 60W each and wired together for an 8Q load at 240W total power handling. Woof. It’s big and it’s heavy, but sturdy recessed metal side handles and castors make shifting it as easy as can be expected.
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| Each of the three channels starts from the same template, but subtle changes provide radically different voices |
Oh, and there’s a great manual (probably the most informative and authoritative I’ve ever read accompanying a guitar amp). Not only does it tell you how to get the most out of the amp's controls, but thorougly explains speaker cab impedance matching, valve biasing, basic valve principles and types and more. Good on 'em.
SOUNDS
First off, there’s no point playing this amp at low volumes. It sounds pretty good at levels short of 1/3 on the Output, but not £2000-worth of great. Crank it up and it’s a different story entirely: the 150W Triple Rectifier is a fire-breathing, earth-shaking rock behemoth with more than enough power, drive, and sheer chest-thumping grunt for anything short of Wembley (and I mean Stadium). But stepping back to the real world, let’s assess the channels in numerical order, injecting a Les Paul Standard throughout.
Dial up less-than-deafening levels on Ch1 set to Clean and the sound can first seem rather disappointing — a tad lacklustre and somewhat less tactile and pick-attack responsive than you might hope — but it’s unfair to compare it to the sparkling jangle and edge-of-breakup bite you get from a one-channel boutique head at the same price, where all the engineering is aimed firmly at this one goal.
For all that, when rolled up to volume with EQ and presence adjusted for more high-end shimmer there’s edge, cut, and boatloads of headroom — and hey, you’re only switching this one in now and then to give the singer a chance to be heard, right? it’s not as impressive as the clean tones the Mesa/Boogie folks have managed in their Maverick and Nomad amps, but more than serviceable. Also, while Vintage 30s are famed for their throaty rock voice they’re not a first choice for sparkling clean work, especially in a closed-backed 4x12”, so while compromises inevitably must be made somewhere in an amp of this type, few will argue that Boogie has made the right choices.
Switch to Pushed and the gain indeed leaps a level: pick attack bites instantly into a raunchy growl, and with Gain advanced crunchy rock rhythm settings are a doddle. Ease up on your picking, or back down the guitar’s volume, and the Triple Recto slips down a gear to clean-on-the-edge-of-breakup. Nice.
The Mesa/Boogie people remain ever-willing to hang an entire amp range on the name of an electronic component, but what is this thing called ‘the rectifier’? Simply put, in guitar amp terms the rectifier is the unit which converts the AC current coming out of your wall point to the DC current which the valves and other amp circuitry like to run on. It can take the form of a tube designed just for the job, or a string of silicon diodes (solid state rectification). The important thing to know is that all valve amps have a rectifier of one sort or another, not just Mesa/Boogie’s Rectifier series. Lower wattage vintage classics from Vox, Fender, Marshall and others generally fed from valve rectifiers, while later, more powerful designs usually employ ‘stiffer’ diode rectification which translates the AC voltage input into a higher DC voltage output than the valve jobs can manage. But while higher voltages at the output valves means — all else being equal — greater volume and more headroom, many players relish the soft touch, easy feel and compression-like ‘sag’ that a valve rectifier provides as its output dips momentarily while trying to keep up with sudden power surges. Amps of otherwise identical design can sound and respond slightly differently according to the type of rectifier fitted — so, never ones to miss an opportunity for user fine-tuning, Mesa/Boogie give the player the opportunity to choose for him or herself. Plus ça tweak! |
Set Ch2 to the Boogie-recommended Vintage mode, wheel Gain and Volume to about 6/10 each for advanced snarl, and it’s instant lead honey: sweet, juicy, harmonically rounded and extremely touch sensitive. You can see why the designers are proud of this voice. It’s only ‘vintage’ in the sense of their own heritage, really — a Mark 1 just short of full-on (unless they’re thinking tweed Bassman floored with a Tube Screamer on max drive and volume) —this sound lets you slide from heavy, chunking power chordage to fluid soloing with the thwack of a pick, and maybe a slight twiddle of your volume control. And, though subtler than elsewhere, Presence helps you roll the tone from smooth and warm to more cutting with grittier highs.
On to Ch3 set to Modern: big, fat, ballsy, tight in the bottom but with scorching highs too. There’s great harmonic content here, thrown readily on display in willing, musical feedback or pinched-harmonic picking, and despite high-saturation gain levels and some seductive compression it’s never short of slicing edge. This is a truly menacing channel, adjustable from awesome scooped thrash-metal grind to rasping alt.rock assault to stunning contemporary shred tones with only some thoughtful attention to EQ settings.
Raw mode on either Ch1 or 2 is looser, significantly lower powered and generally less appealing, but shake the utter joyousness of these previous voices from your head, fiddle with it a while, and useful further settings do emerge. In some ways, Boogie under-sells the notion of Ch2 set to Modern and Ch3 set to Vintage — both of which produce further subtle variations on the above, which would be celebrated as ‘great core tones’ in many other amps.
With tube rectification (‘Normal’) switched in, there’s just enough give in the attack for a compelling, more-ish playability. It’s not overly soft, and nothing like the major sag of a well-worn single-rectifier vintage amp played hard; just right. Switch to diodes (‘High Power’) and there’s a touch more power, edge and headroom in the sound, but not majorly so. The Spongy/Bold switch takes the same principle to another degree, altering both playing feel and output volume. Between the two, I’d be very surprised if you couldn’t find a responsiveness to suit just about every player and style in the rock arena. Throughout, the single Recto cab belts the bombardment with full confidence, only ever hinting at ever-so-slightly disagreeable rumble with Output maxed and low-string disonance applied (and if you need this sort of level, you’ll probably go for the full stack anyway).
Finally, there’s a little noise when footswitching to Channel 2, particularly at lower to medium volumes, though strangely not always: possibly a little voltage builds up at the relay in some situations but not others.
