Which Mesa Boogie Top?

I've only had in depth experience with 1 Mesa, which I own, so I can recommend a 3 channel Dual Rectifier as something that has a nice well rounded tone, with lots of separate EQ possibilities, and is very reliable and built well.

From what I've heard, the 3 channel Duals have a bit more of a harsh sound, and the 2 channel ones are a bit more rounded again, and a tad smoother, but of course, with the 3 channel ones you have the luxury of an extra channel so you can have 2 separate high gain tones for lead and rhythm, which is something I can't go without. :)

The new mark V's seem to be awesome too. I'd love to try one out.
 
From what I've heard, the 3 channel Duals have a bit more of a harsh sound, and the 2 channel ones are a bit more rounded again, and a tad smoother, but of course, with the 3 channel ones you have the luxury of an extra channel so you can have 2 separate high gain tones for lead and rhythm, which is something I can't go without. :)

Yup, this is my feeling as well, though the 3-channels can still sound fucking great!

can do the same on the 2ch (channelcloning)...just no cleans then at the same time

Yup, the 2-channels are really 3-channel amps, the thing is you can only footswitch between any two (clean/orange, orange/red, clean/red)

The one thing I can ADAMANTLY say, however, is to STAY THE HOLY HELL AWAY FROM THE SINGLE REC. I LOVE my 2-channel Dual, and I've heard great clips of the 3-channels so I know they can cut it, but I've never heard a good clip of a Single Rectifier (or Rectoverb, same thing) but quite a few bad clips, and have really disliked it whenever I've played it personally; it was harsh and buzzy sounding, but at the same time undergained/unsaturated, cuz trying to turn up the gain just made it more harsh/buzzy.
 
as marcus mentioned, stay away from it like the plague lol

but my 3 channel dual rec is tits! I just use relatively low presence settings, does the trick! I think the dual rec is possible the smoothest amp EVER! no doubt!
 
as marcus mentioned, stay away from it like the plague lol

but my 3 channel dual rec is tits! I just use relatively low presence settings, does the trick! I think the dual rec is possible the smoothest amp EVER! no doubt!

..or use the orange channel. I personally use that more as my main rhythm channel. The red is amazing as well, just keep the presence under 9o'clock and you'll be fine.

That's one of the differences that often confuses the 2channel users. They try a 3channel head out using the same settings they use on their 2channel heads, like the Sneap settings with the presence at 12:30, and then say that the 3channel heads are harsh and fizzy sounding :lol: Yep, that's because they had dialed waaay too much presence in on the red channel.

Yep, the red channel on a 3channel head is not like the one on a 2channel head. The orange channel on a 3channel head is more like the red channel on a 2channel head, in a nutshell that is.

I remember this one guy giving a grand shootout between a 2channel and 3channel heads, having them both in the same room with the same cabs. Then he starts out by saying that he dialed in the same settings to both of the amps, which were his 2channel head settings, and starts playing. Yep, he hated the way the 3channel head sounded, but was it because the amp sounds bad, no because he just had horrible settings on the 3channel head.

I personally think that this is where a lot of that "2channel heads are faaar superior to 3channel heads" comes from. People not knowing about the super aggressive presence control on the red channel, the dialing in a lot of presence and gain, wondering why it sounds so harsh and thin.
 
allright, i think i'll go for the dual rectifier. i played an engl savage 120 in the past, had to sell it... i like some more channel flexibility.

did any of you guys bought a boogie in the states and shipped it to the europe? was it much expensive? and there is a point which is called ZOLL. are there zoll taxes to pay?
 
allright, i think i'll go for the dual rectifier. i played an engl savage 120 in the past, had to sell it... i like some more channel flexibility.

did any of you guys bought a boogie in the states and shipped it to the europe? was it much expensive? and there is a point which is called ZOLL. are there zoll taxes to pay?

if you're not smart and willing to take a risk taxes and customs (zoll) will rape you painfully
 
allright, i think i'll go for the dual rectifier. i played an engl savage 120 in the past, had to sell it... i like some more channel flexibility.

did any of you guys bought a boogie in the states and shipped it to the europe? was it much expensive? and there is a point which is called ZOLL. are there zoll taxes to pay?

bought it from canada, actually I saved a lot.
Paid 1600€ including: shipping/customs/taxes and a custom modification made by a tech over here to adjust the bias so I can pop all tubes I want ;)
I don't know what's this ZOLL
 
where did you buy it? from ebay or a shop in canada? would you like to post an link or so? The Zoll controls our taxes. Here in Germany they control the market that people dont buy in foreign countries to get things like an nice amp not too cheap. if everybody would buy cheaper in other countries than our dealers offer these products, shops would have really trouble because they don't earn money anymore...
Zoll is controlling taxes...
 
Ahh somebody who may know! Besides the extra knobs what would you say the Roadster has over a Dual/Triple recto? Are they very similar? Tone difference?

I would compare the distorted tones on the Roadster to be more like the old 2 channel heads. And the clean tones are amazing.
 
where did you buy it? from ebay or a shop in canada? would you like to post an link or so? The Zoll controls our taxes. Here in Germany they control the market that people dont buy in foreign countries to get things like an nice amp not too cheap. if everybody would buy cheaper in other countries than our dealers offer these products, shops would have really trouble because they don't earn money anymore...
Zoll is controlling taxes...

off ebay, he was great! packed it and post it soon but forgot to leave feedback lol I emailed him many times.
So this Zoll is just a german thing, in the end here in the land of mobsters, they already started doing this, few years ago when euro started to rise.
They didn't call it in any particular way (they call it customs).