A Brief History Of The Mesa Boogie Rectifiers (1992-1999) 

Fun fact. In 1999 I recorded my first album with my band. We had a new (probably a rev G) triple rectifier and wanted that tone. The engineer insisted on using his new “pod” (1st generation bean) 😑 We were like 16/17 at the time so we assumed he just knew what he was doing…

Fluff: Revision E, for me, falls between D and F. Me: Yes that is how the alphabet works XD

You really need a podcast! I can listen to you talk for hours, your cadence and humour are relaxing.

Fluff would be great if you mada a rectifier shootout. I know you have already compared some of those, but I would love to hear the difference between all of them in a single video, trought the same cabs and conditions (including the 3 channel versions). Something like the "ultimate rectifier reference guide" :) Love your channel man! cheers!

I feel like "Grunge tuned" and "Nu Metal" tuned is an easy way to describe the change from revs C-F and rev G

Thanks for doing this video! Very informative and well done. I still have my mid-90's Mesa setup, which is the black-face Rackmount Dual Rectifier Rev G (12000 Serial) with a Mesa 4x12 Half-back cabinet in the RoadReady cabinetry. I put a new tube kit in the pre-amp section and put KT-77's in there, and so with the KT-77's, I have to run it in EL-34 mode. I use a BBE sonic maximizer in the loop and that's all I have ever needed. All of my bandmates throughout the years have scars from lugging that monster RoadReady cabinet around. Never selling. Cheers to all Recto fans.

I’ve had many Rectifiers and the only one I miss is my old Rev F rackmount. Best Rectifier I ever owned.

Good to see that 5 watt world histories has inspired you for this!

I just bought a rack mount Rev F Serial # 1377 with the markIII output transformer (562100), chrome chassis and black tread plate. It’s probably the lowest serial number rectifier I’ll ever be able to own and I am super grateful to own it. Definitely never ever letting it go. Dream amp acquired.

@Fluff - Hey old buddy, just a quick update for you. I own possibly the very last Rev. D I’ve ever been able to verify…serial R-0517. Also, the Mark IIIs were produced until 1998. From around 1989 to 1998, The Mark IIIs were Green Stripes. The Mark III Blue Stripe shared Trannys with the early Rectos, but when the Green Stripe was introduced, the power section was switch to Pentode (instead of Triode, as all earlier Mark IIIs had), and this signaled the new Trannys across Mark and Recto “100 watters”! Keep making these Mesa videos!

Thank you for making this one, it’s like an episode of Five Watt World, and this is my favorite “gear” era. I also am infatuated with bands that played rectifiers during this time period, especially Sublime and 311.

Just catched this video 10 minutes after it got released, feels good! Keep it up with the great content, Fluff!

Wow Fluff… thx for this video and the new rectifier site! All precious information for all the players how lived and grown in the 90s! Thx man!

THANK YOU for making this extremely informative video, and setting the Mesa Boogie 2 channel Rectifier information straight.

According to Mesa, I have the very last serial number to the Tremoverb series. Extremely cool amp and one I’m proud to own. That’s one that will never leave the Arsenal

Excellent Job. The website is a great touch. Much more to the point.

Interesting stuff. You should do the 3 Channel Rectos next. You could also tie in the history and drama with the SLO… and maybe even the 5150 since EVH was tied to both of those and honestly in the 90’s, all you heard were rectos until the 5150 came along.

Bro if you did this with other iconic amps of metal. I will cry of joy. such a great vid

Thank you so much! Very informative and the website is great.

I hope one day you will find the time to continue the Rectifier timeline. Great video and website full of valuable information.

Appreciate the revision history lesson! Thanks for the video and channel!

Oh man we all dreamed of rectifiers as kids back in the day, shit I feel old 😂

As someone who used to own a Single Recto 50 watt. I highly and humbly recommend looking into Fryette amplifiers. Specifically the Pittbull series if you're into high gain amps. To me, they sound so much better and fuller then Mesa's. They use to be known as VHT but changed their name.

In 04 I bought a new 04 Single Rectifier Solo Head series 2 50 watt head & 04 Recto 2x12 cab. I've never needed anything more or less & it's still the only amp I need beside a 72' Fender Champ Silverface with a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Mayhem driving it for practice and a different flavor. Thanks for the video!

TrueFire is pretty awesome. Jeff Scheetz is a great teacher and the courses are on point.

Thank you for the detailed information on Mesa Boogie Rectifiers! Proud owner of a Triple Rev G. It sounds and smells like the 90s and 2000s.

Really cool video. Would love to see videos going over history of other iconic amps

This is one of the best videos EVER! Thanks man, STAY METAL 🤘

Excellent video brother.

Great work as usual , man. Thank you! Good to see you added the export transformer numbers 😉😉 (David Dzanovski from FB with Rev E 0560). One other anomaly: mine has export power transformer (561137) and non export output transformer (562100). Mine had a sticker on it saying ‘wired for 100 volts’. From research I’m thinking mine started as an export Model for Japan 🇯🇵. Love your vids, look forward to your next one 💪

I would love a longform video about this! Something that includes some testimonial from the people at Mesa and perhaps some specific changes made to the schematics along with the players who played each Rev :)

Cool video! I'd love to see ones of these about the 5150 series

Great video. Good watch.

Single Rec Squad rise up

Thanks Ryan this was great

Fluff, love the videos, long-time watcher. I'm an old guy like you, and I've been playing for nearly 30 years, as well... I finally got to a place financially recently, to be able to get my first Mesa, and I went with a new blacked-out custom shop Badlander 100, and put a Legendary Tones Mr. Scary Mod in it...And that thing is an absolute fire-breather! That said, yesterday I ended up making an offer on Reverb for an "R-0061xx" serial number, so as close as I can guess, it's a 1995 Rev G Dual Rec with a blacked-out (flat/matte black) front plate and large logo, chrome pointer knobs, and the attached power cord. Not sure if the faceplate was factory black, or if someone changed it, or painted it, but I am excited for it to show up, i'm hoping it will arrive later this week. My question being, did those early Rev G amps come with a completely blacked out faceplate option (tread plate and grill are both blacked out, but the top grill is still chrome w/ black trim around it), or was that most likely done by a previous owner? Also, if it is factory blackout, do those bring any extra value due to rarity, or is it simply a nice aesthetic? Thanks

Great video!!! Thanks man!!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

I have a series 2 Rectoverb 50 watt head, no idea what year it was made but the thing is a tank and has become my go to amp for my band and my 5150 mk3 stealth and jvm 205 stay at home. Good video.

Great summary of the evolution of the series. highly influential in the metal / grunge era. As a follow up you might wanna add examples of each series if possible to hear some of it. Just curious to see the subtle differences.

Thanks Fluff.

Great video

Is this the extended cut of the Five Watt World segment you did?

Hi Fluff, I'm the ex owner of 1328! I sold it couple of years ago, and I regret this decision every day. I wonder how it compares to your other Rev. F given that it's not in stock condition. I serviced it, and my technician remeasured every component and changed stuff that had big discrepancy from nominal value. I can send you the list of replaced elements. I've included original parts when I sold it, so it can be reverted to stock condition if needed.

I've never tried a dual recto before. I'm currently working on an Adam Jones patch for the Quad Cortex. So I'm usually drawn to Diezel VH4 + something Marshally. However, neither the Marshalls, nor the F-Man BEs sound as good as I'd hoped. So the other day I thought to myself "Didn't Fluff say that Adam also used rectos in the Studio for the recording ot Aenima?". So I tried the combo Diezel + Recto. Oh. My. Lord. The amount of bass the recto produces will shave your face and probably more. That amp sounds SO good. Well, at least the QC-sim thereof. So thanks for leading me in that direction.

Nice work.

I have a Rev F and when you throw a Peper's Dirty Tree boost in front of it ...It becomes the Apex of all metal guitar tones imo.

Sublime sounded so sweet

Thanks so mich for that video

Love learning about things that I like. Love the video. But, wait which revision are they they making now? And I heard you can now switch between a solid state or tube rectifier circuit to alter the tightness of the low end? Would love to hear more on that.

Fluff, can you do a video on replacing tubes for Mesa Dual Recs, as far as alternative or NOS 6L6s? That would be an awesome video to pinpoint what options there are and maybe which ones shine the most.

It's funny to hear you list all those bands when you talk about 94 and later and the G series. The reason I bought a rectifier was seeing or hearing other bands using them before that, so I guess they would have been Fs or earlier, Fishbone, Eric Gales Band, King's X, etc.

Hey Fluff! Do you know much about the single and mini rectos? If so, how would each compare to some of the dual or triple rec models? I Own both but have never tried their bigger brothers.

Good morning!!!!

Hey Fluff, thanks for all the awesome rectifier info! A little curious on your thoughts about the mini rectifier, I haven't seen you cover it anywhere that I could find. Let me know what you think!

I found a really cool old (expired) reverb listing a while ago of a prototype Rev C Triple Rectifier that's pretty cool looking. I wish we had more details on specifically the triple rectifiers. I wonder how many slipped out before Rev F

I have a Road King II and would like to learn more about it. Are you going to do a guide or add to the current guide since it is a dual rectifier. thx.

We need to clearly acknowledge Mike Soldano as the guy who's really responsible for the preamp circuit of his SLO-100, which was then directly lifted for the Rectifier and 5150 preamp circuits...

I have a DR, no clue which rev. It's in the shop right now getting a loop mod. Can't wait to try it when they're done. Also FYI, just tried to check out Truefire (just because you put in the plug)...Been waiting an hour for their account registration confirmation email. Yeah, I attempted to have them send me another, and yeah I checked my spam folder.

Fluff, a local shop has a Dual Rectifier Solo Head on sale used for $1650 before tax. Would you say that’s a good deal or too high?

Are you going to do a demo of these? I think it would be really cool to see how the sound changed over time

Fluff, Just curious are you using the rectifier model in the Helix for your band when you play live? I personally can't stand this model on the Helix as it's modeled after the fizzy 3 channel rectos from 2000-2009. Any tone shaping tips to get it sound decent? Also wondering if you ever had the chance to try out the Rammfire emulation on Guitar Rig 6, this was a plugin that was built using Richard Z. Kruspe(Rammstien) Early Rev C. as a model. I love this plugin and have been on the lookout for a Rev C rectifier for a long time.

Ya growing up in the Tacoma area around the mid 90’s going to shows you could almost guarantee to see a dual or triple rec. I was able to get a brand new 3 channel dua rec, but I always longed for a 2 channel. Especially the rev E, for the look at least. Cheers fluff

That’s a badass amp!!!!!

I grew up playing shows out here in Seattle and saw alot of Laney and Soldano

Bought my rev G in ‘99 brand new and its output transformer is the 562181 which looks to be an early export one.

Just for the sake of historical bullet points, the very first mention I ever saw regarding the Triple Rectifier was a quote in Guitar World from Billy Graziadei of Biohazard in 1992 or early ‘93.

Have you ever compared a really early recto to the Yerasov Bulldozer? That amp is built after the Mesa Recto with the seriel number R-0001 that is owned by the music shop Music Store in Cologne, Germany. I would love to hear your thoughts about that amp!!! But I think the old version with the rectifier tubes would be a better one to compare than the new one withot that tubes.

Wow, THAT is a GREAT research, Thank you Fluff! BTW, What do you thin about Trem-o-Verb 100watt combo with Serial Loop? Just looking on one around me and thinking about this thing. Serial number around 23xx

Ryan, It should be noted that I have a Rev F serial number 3857. Small logo, hardwired power cable, chrome chassis with black matte tread plate. It has a parallel loop. May have been commissioned for an artist or possibly Rev F went further than previously expected. Board confirms its revision F

Nobody better to make this vid!

Awesome video, thank you. PS what microphone are you using? Your voice sounds terrific with that set up

Hey fluff which revision do you think is the best sounding if someone can only buy one ?

The rectifier lynch had with the mudfl girl would be the triple x by peavy it looks,and I heard that that was supposed to be a lynch signature amp,interesting

Good vidéo, what is the main fuse length please 1 / 18inch or 1/4 thanks

There's a single rec 50w at a local everything store for 850$ non negotiable...are they any good?

Class is in session. You have the floor, Teach.

I’ve got a roadster and love it

Interesting. Guess I had a Revision F then. Serial Number 1,000 something or another. Chrome Chassis with Black Treadplate. It definitely had less of a scooped sound and more of a low midrange punch exactly as you said. I always described it as sounding a bit "hashy" but also more just nasty and aggressive than the later ones I've heard. I honestly still preferred my Single Rec Series II over my Dual Rec Revision F though. I also always preferred EL34s in Dual Recs and 6L6s in Single Recs. I've still yet to try any of the newer Multi-Watt models though.

i don't know bro i got 2 tremoverbs both dated 9/93 or maybe ones earlier and serial 25xx and 27xx so does that make them rev f tremoverbs?

Which revision is your signature Mesa amp sim from ML soundlab?

I own a rev E and a rev G. I have to say although the G is more of a classic Mesa Boogie sound, I’ve found that dialing in a tone that sounds appealing to my ears is easier on the E. The Rev E is my favorite Mesa amp in my collection. I prefer it over any of the modern amps, I think its because it’s just more unique and boosted it sounds like nothing else

What revision are they on with the current Rectos?

I know it to this day when I saw Mission Imposible til the end hearind Limp Biskit's "Rollin" and identify clearly the Rectifier🤩 cause I checked out one some time befor by myself 😆🤘

Can confirm that R-0642 is a Rev F.

The site says (so does Mesa’s) that the Rev G production stopped around Feb 2000. I have a Rev G Racktifier with a chassis date of 11/00 and serial number in the high 15000s. So i’m wondering how that happened. And how many more Racktifiers could have even been made after mine, since it’s 9mo after production on Rev G’s we’re stopped.. hmm

I wish they kept the cut low bass and boosted mids. I love the Rev D.

Would love to see how you set up the effects loop on a 90s rectifiers. So many options... I can never get it dialed in. And no good videos on RU-vid!

I've got S50- 1755.. so I guess I am right in the meat of the f series.. maybe I can get some help here on how to hook up the foot switch I'm not sure where I'm supposed to insert the jack.

When will we get a Quadruple Rectifier?

You've mentioned that you have heavily modified rectos. I would love to see a video about recto mods and if you favor them over the best stock rectos.

Awesome video as always. My serial number is much longer than the ones I see listed on the website. Any tips on interpreting the number? Its R-048775. What Rev version is that?

Looking at Solo 50W version I wonder if there are multiple versions. I saw in marketplace that has "50W HEAD" with black instead of chrome at the front... now as I search I can only find "SOLO HEAD (50)" with chrome. Are they different?

4:15 humble brag Just kidding, I really like this video! I've been on and off with Rectos; first getting into guitar I always hated them, I thought they sounded like my brain was getting cooked by a microwave. But then I listened to The Link album by Gojira, and that changed my tune a little bit, same with whenever Metallica's used them. I've gotten so confused as to what revisions do what, but this video may inform me well enough to go shopping for one if I can try it out

Which version the Line 6 "Cali Rectifier" is based on?

Any idea how to identify one of the early Rev F Tremoverbs your site mentions? Mine has '93 written on the inside with a sharpie. It's a fixed power cable, parallel loop, Serial # R-003246.

Now, how do the new models compare? Have Mesa continued to make revisions since 1994?

Thank you/

I was reading an interview where Kirk Hammett said he got his Dual Rec in 89/90, so I'm assuming since they were Mesa artists, he was able to get a prototype?

When using a patchcabel in the loop it is on 100% wet?

cool