REVIEW > Mesa/BooGie
hard-hitting presence in the lows and highs,
which is part of their trademark sound. The
Mini Rectifier, however, has a warmer, more
vintage-like vibe when you move the master
volume above 1 o’clock.
The 10 million dollar question is this:
Does channel 2 deliver the molten tone that
the bigger Rectifiers dish out? I’m happy to
report that yes, it most certainly does—with
surprising authority. All the harmonic richness and raging overdrive of the Multi-Watt
Dual Rec’s red channel is there, though
there is a squishier, more giving feel in
the midrange. The low end has a massive
amount of spread through the amp’s overachieving 1x12 slant cabinet.
With the Les Paul, that meant setting
the channel’s bass control at around 11
o’clock to keep the lows tight enough for
thrashier riffing and percussive rhythm
work. Cranking the master volume made
the Mini sound meaner and more aggres-
sive, yet kept the tone firm without loss
of presence. The master volume also helps
provide a nice even-ordered harmonic grit
to the tone, which smooths the raging
preamp drive into a three-dimensional wall
of sound that moves an amazing amount of
air, given its size.
the Verdict
Mesa hit the bull’s-eye in their attempt to
capture the feel and tone of their flagship
amps in a low-watt, compact package. The
tiny, 12-pound head is dressed up in the
family garb in a way that gives it the aura
of a raging and dangerous little tone monster. It wouldn’t be fair to view the Mini
Rectifier as just a shrunken iteration of the
bigger Rectifiers, though. The EL84 Dyna-Watt power section sprinkles its own brand
of tonal spice on the classic tones associated
with its big brothers. That combination
makes the Mini Rectifier a very special little
amp—probably one of the coolest they’ve
made in the past decade. If you’re a lover
of Mesa’s liquid Rectifier overdrive and the
great clean tones in the company‘s Multi-Watt series, but have never been interested
in the bludgeoning nature of the high-wattage versions, the Mini is a great option
for the studio and jam sessions.
Rating:
Buy If...
you want classic Rectifier tone
at manageable volumes.
Skip If...
only more powerful Rectifiers can
dish out the volume you need.
Mesa/Boogie
Street $999 (head),
$449 (slant or straight 1x12)
mesaboogie.com
or use a mobile device to hear
audio clips of the amp at
CLICKHere…
premierguitar.com/feb2012
150 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2012
premierguitar.com
