# Mesa Boogie, Dual Rectifier 2 or 3 Channel



## Unforgiven312 (Nov 22, 2009)

hello everyone!, i wanna buy a mesa boogie, so now, i talked with a guy from here who have a 2 channel Rectifier, im looking for good lead tones , good rythem and ofcurse warm clean, he told me the 2 channel doing it beeter then the 3 channel and its beeter tones.

anyone know's somthink about that ?


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## warlock7strEMG (Nov 22, 2009)

the main sound difference between the 2 channel and 3 channel is that the 2 channel bias was fixed hotter than the 3 channels are. thats why the 3 channels sound fizzier and not as warm in comparison. so i prefer the 2 channels. but if you get a 3 channel get it bias modded, should fix this issue of fizziness and not bein as warm


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## Shaman (Nov 22, 2009)

I still think that the 2 channel heads being universally better amps has been blown way out of proportion.

I have said this many times, but even though they have some minor differences in tone, they still sound like Recto's.

A lot of the confusion about the 3 channel heads having a lot of fizz came from people who had previously played 2 channel heads, and then they tried a 3 channel head with the same settings.

The 3 channel heads have a very aggressive presence control on the red channel, so you can't crank the presence like on the 2 channel heads. The orange channel on the 3 channel heads is more closer to the red on a 2 channel head. In a nutshell that is. (not going into channel cloning etc.)

I remember a guy doing a shootout with a 2 channel Dual and a 3 channel Dual using the same settings on the red channel, then being horrified of the super bright and fizzy tone of the 3 channel head. It was on a discussion board, and I remember people all believing what he said and taking it like "god's word".

Well, he used settings that are bound to sound like fizzy crap, so it is not a fair comparison at all.

Then on a another discussion board there was a guy badmouthing the crap out of the 3 channel heads and once again people buying into the whole "pre 500" stuff etc. 

Okay, then we found out he had used the settings the mixer/producer Andy Sneap used with his 2 channel head on his 3 channel head and once again, he was using waaaay too much presence on the red channel so it will sound cold and fizzy.

I told the guy to use less presence OR to use the orange channel. He fell in love with his 3 channel head after that and dropped all intentions of selling it.

So when you use the red channel on a 3 channel head, use very little presence, I mean less than 9o'clock or use the orange channel which is smoother and warmer. 

So don't buy to all of the "pre 500, fizz, cold bias etc etc." stuff before you have tried the amps yourself.

The 2 and 3 channel heads are both amazing amps, and they both sound awesome, so you won't be dissapointed with either one. Just remember to use a boost, and you will be in tone heaven.


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## Unforgiven312 (Nov 22, 2009)

Shaman and warlock, thanks alot!


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## mightywarlock (Nov 22, 2009)

I'm sorry, but I have to totally disagree with the above comments...

My first real tube head was a Mesa Triple Rectifier, 3 ch. 
1st, off, that amp was LOUD. TOO DAMN LOUD! I hurt myself with that amp, and will now always have a ringing in my ears because of it.
I had it for quite awhile, but always hated the buzziness of the distortion. Hated it! No matter what, on ch.3 you can't seem to dial it out. You can tame it, but not really get rid of it. It's not that big of a deal when you are cranked and playing in the band, but alone you hear it and I found it annoying. I also found it to get lost in the mix quite often, which led me to buying a Mesa Stiletto Deuce II when the opportunity arose. 
I also would have to run the Recto's with an MXR-EQ in the loop in order to get it to tighten up more, as I always found them a little too loose for my tastes, but with the MXR, it always improved things FOR ME, anyways.

I bought into the whole 2ch. vs. 3ch. game and sold the Triple and bought a 2 ch. head from the late 90's or early 2000's. Overall, the tone was better, but not much different, and still kind of muddy.
Some might say that this is the way Recto's are, but I have to disagree.
I got a deal on a Recto Pre, and found that to have better tone, but on some settings still found it getting lost in the mix, and sold both the 2ch. Recto and the Recto Pre. I did a video on youtube before selling this head i think comparing it to the triaxis, stiletto ace, and jmp1 and ada mp1.

Then I bought into the Pre-500 deal.
I found one locally (literally up the street from my house), and here's where things really do change...(I picked up #112)...
My first impressions were that this was a different beast...it is much more aggressive, and there was absolutely no Buzz! The attack on this amp was incredible, and when I did add the MXR into the loop, absolutely crushing.
Now when I play, I still prefer the MXR, but I can play without it as well, and it is still a monster. 
I recently traded off the Stiletto for an ENGL Powerball, simply for lack of using it that often, due to too many other amps.
A/B'sing the Powerball to the Recto was interesting.
I played with the Powerball for quite awhile, then got a tone i thought sounded ok, then went to the Recto and BAM, There was just so much TONE and BALLS it made the Powerball seem liked a noisy Compressed Muddy Weakling! (it went on ebay that very same night and has sold, so I bought a Rivera KR7!)
I don't care what anyone says, including the guys at the MESA store (who say there are no real differences), Until YOU get to hear them side by side, and have owned them all (like I have), You cannot understand the difference.

But there IS a difference. In fact, I got rid of the Stiletto because I found the general tone/voicing of the Stiletto to be more like the Pre-500 Recto (and I just was not using it enough), than the newer Recto, and I have NO plans to EVER sell my Pre-500. It also cuts the mix better...for ME, at least on Modern. Vintage is somewhat different, but mostly the same as the other amps.

There is a difference.


My advice, If you play really heavy stuff, hold out for a Pre-500. UNLESS YOU NEED CLEANS!!

The Pre-500's cleans are pathetic. really bad. But that's not what I own this amp for.

If you need clean, then maybe the 3 ch. head is for you. Try one out, listen for the buzz in the distortion, and see if you can dial it out with rolling back the presence. Discover for yourself whether you will use Vintage or Modern more often. The difference between a 2ch. and 3ch. is relatively minor, you get more options and functionality with a 3ch., and the general tone is the same, for the most part...but the buzz is the only real difference.
The other differences are the Pre-500's. But that's a whole different league altogether.


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## Shaman (Nov 22, 2009)

Did you ever try different tubes with your Recto's? Not talking about EL34's or power tubes in general, but even if you owned them all, there's always the possibility of 'em having totally different preamp tubes which have a huge effect on the tone. (as you propably knew allready, but just pointing it out)

Recto's seem to sound amazing with the TungSol 12ax7's.


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## mightywarlock (Nov 22, 2009)

Shaman said:


> Did you ever try different tubes with your Recto's? Not talking about EL34's or power tubes in general, but even if you owned them all, there's always the possibility of 'em having totally different preamp tubes which have a huge effect on the tone. (as you propably knew allready, but just pointing it out)
> 
> Recto's seem to sound amazing with the TungSol 12ax7's.



of course.

right now, i am digging an EH12ax7 i have in there (can't remember if there is more to the name right now) in V1. The rest are JJ-EL34L's and JJ12ax7's in the other positions.
I have tried many many different tubes. 
I stand by what i stated above.


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## budda (Nov 22, 2009)

I'd get a 3ch, because I have a use for every channel.


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## NegaTiveXero (Nov 22, 2009)

I'm telling you, man, the 2 channel has much better leads tones. I've owned both and the three channel is much fizzier.


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## onfirepro (Dec 27, 2009)

Hi guys! I'm new to the forum. I've been using mesas for years now. I own a recording studio, and we have several mesas, including a road king, a lonestar special, and a dual rectifier (and a marshall jvm410 and bogner shiva as well). I just had the opportunity to a/b the older two channel against a 3 channel solo head. I used a standard recto cab, and an SM57 through a vintech273 mic pre. Here's what I found: The 2 channel's orange sounded most like channel; two of the 3 channel in "vintage mode." I recorded a repetetive riff cycle which included open chords followed by a chunky riff on a PRS custom 24, then I changed heads and recorded the same riff cycle. It was very easy to dial in a tone so close to the 2 channel that the difference was negligible. The gain structure and eq settings were very similar. A minor adjustment here and there and they could have been used in the same song and nobody would have heard a distinct difference. The red channel of the original recto sounded most like channel three of the newer head on "modern" mode. a bit trickier to dial in, but again, with minimum fuss I was able to a/b the two riffs and acheive a very close approximation. I agree with Shaman's comments. If you set the two amps up identically, the 3 channel might be brighter. It has a more aggressive eq section. Roll it back a bit and you've got a pure fat growling beefy edgy recto tone as good as any Mesa had produced previously. (I think the road king has a great recto tone too, only tighter on the chunk.)


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