Mesa/Boogie Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five (Silver Diamond Plate) Reviews

4.8/5.0 based on 34 customer reviews

Sweetwater Advice

Chris McCown

I just played this head for the first time, and I was honestly FLOORED! I've owned a Dual Rectifier, a Roadster, and a Road King, so I'm familiar with what the Recto tones are about, and this little Recto is the real deal! Plenty of bottom end, the familiar Rectifier chunk, and the clean channel is warm and full of character - I do believe I've found my next amp!

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Customer Reviews

Emilio Margarit
from emimp@yahoo.com
April 9, 2013Music Background:
I have been playing guitar for over 25 years

The best all around amp I've owned !!!

I needed a lower wattage amp, but I did not wan't to sacifice quality so I was willing to pay more. Well, what can I say this Mini Rectifier just BLEW MW AWAY!! Good God, the tonal qualities,versatiy and punch that this thing has is beyond words, you just have to try it for yourself. You can go from sparkling cleans to AC/DC to all out metal depending on how you settings (BTW, it is so simple to tweak). Also, it is really, and I mean REALLY LOUD on 25w. Drop it to 10W and you still have an awesome sound at bedroom leves. And, then there is Sweetwater's Nate Edwards, the consumate professional that made this all happen. Thanks Nate and Sweetwater, I could not ask for better service and advice.

Matt McKinney
from Milton, FL USA
March 4, 2013Music Background:
Pro Musician and Live Sound Engineer

Stop Looking- This is it!

I've owned a Mesa Dual Rec for close to 10 years and never had a problem. I love the tone That I gett, but the 100 watt head is just too much amp for the majority of my gigs. I have been looking for something smaller that sounded like my Recto for years and bought and sold many combos. Well I finally made the right move and bought this amp. All I can say is that I absolutely love this mini-rec! My band plays everything from country to Metallica and this amp does 'em all with ease. It's perfect. I used it for my worship band at church and again, awesome. I usually pair it with a vertical 2x12, but it sounds great with my open back 1x12 too. I can finally relax and stop messing around with all those other amps...what a relief.

Justin Schulze
from Placentia, CA
February 14, 2013Music Background:
Multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and home recording enthusiast with over 20 years of experience spanning every genre

What an amp!

I have owned over 50 high end tube amps (and played many more) including models from Vox, Fender, Marshall, Orange, Peavey, Mesa, Fryette, and more. These range from vintage amps from the 50s on up to the modern high gain monsters made today. I purchased my Mini in October 2012 and this has been my go to amp since. It can do it all. Obviously, it's got the high gain sounds (and the modern mode sounds just like my Dual Recto). But the clean/pushed channel is actually one of my favorite circuits. It gets a HUGE range of tones. I would seriously buy this amp just for that channel and I would be totally satisfied. And everything sounds good through it too. Humbuckers, Fender single coils, P90s, etc. Channel 2 vintage on 10w with the master cranked up gets some GREAT lead tones. And, of course, the Modern mode on 25w sounds killer (but we already expected that). Through a 1x12 cab, this amp works very well at home and in the studio (but it won't quite cut it for playing live with a drummer). However, plug it into a 4x12 and it'll keep up with a drummer just fine (clean as well). This is an amazingly versatile amp and is worth every penny (and more). I'd love to criticize it, but I have nothing bad to say about it. It's awesome!

Dennis
from Michigan
January 23, 2013Music Background:
Hobbyist

Mini Rec

Mesa/Boogie has produced another excellent amplifier. If you want the Rectifier tone in a small, easily portable size, this is the only choice. This amp produces great tones at low volumes and is loud enough to play at small venues. The EQ is very responsive and the amp is as solid as any Mesa/Boogie product.

Thanks to Sweetwater for excellent service and quick shipping.

Justin Y
from Bowling Green, KY USA
January 7, 2013Music Background:
Musician, Live sound engineer, studio recording

This amp is the real deal! Well worth the money!

I was a bit skeptical at first on this amp and was wondering if I had made a good investment or not. I play in a worship band at my church and I was scared this amp would be too loud to use on stage. But that is not the case...I was so impressed with just one performance with this amp. It is just perfect! This amp sounds good at all levels. You don't have to crank this thing loud to get good tones out of it. I have been playing for several years in this band and I received numerous comments on how good my guitar sounded last sunday. Our bass player was blown away as well and he is a sound tech nerd! He said "I've never heard an amp with so much warmth coming from it as this one does". Needless to say I am glad that I decided to purchase this amp. It was well worth the money. I went back and forth between this amp, Orange tiny terror, Vox AC30 and some others. But for my use I thought this was the best for the amount of features and versatility. And the gig bags look awesome and make it easy to carry on and off stage. Mesa has done a super job on this amp.

Damon
from East Bay, CA
December 27, 2012Music Background:
Semi-pro musician

Best in class, plays way over its weight

This is just an amazing little amp. Can't say enough about it, the clean tones are excellent and the overdrive tones are scary good too. Can hang in many different contexts too, its awesome clean tones make it incredibly versatile. I just gigged it for the first time with my R&B group and it kicked butt. Can't wait to fire it up in my TX blues outfit. Handles different OD pedals in front very well. Effects loop works great too. I don't think I'll be hauling my heavier amps to rehearsal ever again, nor will they be seeing nearly as much gig time as they used to, it's just too easy to travel with this little guy... easy to carry, but NO compromise on the tone. FUN AMP.

Joe
from Kernersville, NC
October 5, 2012Music Background:
Former gigging musician, current hobbyist and gear addict

Yes. It's really THAT good.

It's hard not to fall in love with Mesa products. It's even harder not to accept something just because it has the Mesa name on it. But I almost walked away from this one when I saw it the first time. Like many others I thought I had been shipped a Happy Meal toy by mistake. Its small size was drawn more sharply into focus as it sits beside my Roadster head with 4x12 Recto cab. But dang... it sounds wonderful. And the volume is abundant. Bear in mind that it has no on-board reverb. But I use an Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail in the effects loop and it sounds terrific. The EL-84s give you less bottom than the 6L6's in my Roadster. But high-gain sounds are still VERY good. And the clean sound is superior to those that my Roadster provides. My previous smallish amp was a 4x10 combo made by a great company whose name rhymes with "Bender". That product was inferior to this one in every way, even after compensating for expense. If you have the jack to spend on an amp of this price level, you won't be disappointed.

Joey Venden
from Dayton Ohio
September 20, 2012Music Background:
Pro Touring Musician

AMAZING!

I read lots of reviews for this amp before I finally decided to pull the trigger and buy it... I had bought a solo 50 rectifier from ebay, but had problems with it so I sent it back... SO GLAD I DID... when I first took this amp out of the box, I literally thought "no way is this toy looking thing going to be able to play large venues"... boy was I WRONG... this amp has some of the best tones I've ever heard, and LOUD! I turned the master up to 3 on the dirty channel and was literally almost blown out of my bar stool... the construction is top notch, very solid.. you can tell this amp is hand built.. the tubes are easy to access... I cant wait to play my first gig with it this weekend, in a LARGE venue no less... you wont believe your ears..

David Greenfield
from Atlanta, GA
September 3, 2012Music Background:
Pro Musician

25 Watts is PLENTY!

Going in I knew I wanted the range of Mesa Rectifier tones (I play in both a Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks tribute band as well as a hard-edged blues/rock band); my concern focused on this: Would 25 watts be enough to gig with?

So, I waited to post my review on the Mini Rectifier until I had completed 3 gigs with it. The 3 gigs were: an outdoor festival, a mid-sized venue (the main room at Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta) and a small club. At each venue during sound check, I had to turn down from the levels I thought I would need. Basically for each of these gigs I wound up with the Channel 1 master set at about 1 o'clock (gain between 12 and 1 o'clock) and the Channel 2 master set at about 10 o'clock (gain between 2 and 3 o'clock). At the mid-sized venue and outdoor festival the cabinet was mic'ed, but at the small club the cabinet was not mic'ed. I still had plenty of volume -- and the band I played with at the small club is a loud, hard-edge blues and rock band that covers tunes by Bad Company, Joe Bonamassa, Hendrix, etc. Still ... plenty of volume!

Disclaimer: I do use a pedal board with a Tube Screamer and compressor (as well as a wah, delay and chorus), and the compressor and Tube Screamer do boost the volume from what the amp puts out at the levels described above on its own (Note: At the max I set the gain on the Tube Screamer at the 9 o'clock and the level, at max, at about 2 o'clock, so I'm not jacking the amp with tons of extra boost). You can definitely ditch your distortion pedal with this amp! The Vintage and Modern settings on Channel 2 will have you covered.

I also got both the slant and straight Mini Rectifier cabs to create a "Mini stack". Technically, this does not significantly increase the volume (due to going from 8 ohms to 4 ohms when you add the extra cab), but the two together push a ton of air and the effect is definitely that of noticeably increased volume.

Finally -- you just can't beat the weight and size of this amp. Load in and load out are so much easier.

Bottom line: Very pleased with this product and, as usual, the service at Sweetwater remains top notch! Kudos to Ryan Holquist.

Aaron H.
from York, PA (nowhere)
July 27, 2012Music Background:
Player and Gearhound

Good things in small packages?

I must admit that when I pulled this little guy out of the box I had to wonder if I could really take it seriously. Don't get me wrong, it's a thing of beauty, but man, is it tiny. From an engineering standpoint, this head is like the mating of a swiss watch and a custom motorcycle: absolute precision meets badass design. Its looks are impressive but the variety tones and pristine headroom under the hood are more impressive still. Every channel has something good to offer and the responsiveness of the controls gets you to the sweet spot with minimal tweeking (but do youself a favor and read the manual). The amp sound good by itself, but if you're picky and want it all, you'll still find yourself using a few choice pedals; fortunately there's no need for endless stacking and tweeking: a little bump is all you need. When you get right down to it, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this amp (although the bag and footswitch are a bit of a joke). You can play just about any style of music through this thing and sound pretty good doing it. It's tight, articulate, and fun as hell to play. Buy one immediately.

James Couts
from Northeast Ohio
July 5, 2012Music Background:
Casual Musician

Fueled by the Fires of Hell!

After playing live with this head the first time, I had two friends that know the difference compliment me on it's tone. Previously had a Night Train 15 which has now become my backup.

It's expensive, but "hand-made in the USA" goes a long way with me these days...

Ryan
from Port Charlotte, Florida
July 3, 2012Music Background:
Classic rock/modern country guitarist

Fantastic low wattage amp with enough juice for a gig

The mini rectifier is a great low wattage amp that lets you 'play the amp'. It has enough juice to jam with a loud drummer as well. Pure and sweet tube tones. This amp is well built and sounds amazing. I have owned many Mesa amps (mark iv, Rec 50 and 100, lonestar) and this amp keeps up with the tones but now I can actually turn the volume knob past 3 and not have hearing loss. You still get the great Mesa tones from clean to gritty to a fluid heavy tone that will clean up with your guitar's volume knob. Plus you can not beat the service at sweet water. Great and knowledgable staff.

Billy B. "Doc" Brice
from Philadelphia, PA
June 15, 2012Music Background:
Drummer

Truly the drummer's best friend...

I bought a TA-15 that was great, but my guitar player was not completely satisfied with the amount of "crunch" from the amp. I returned it for a mini 25. He is thrilled with this amp and it definitely
is more of a crunch machine than the TA 15...oh well, what can I say,
I am a drummer. Anyway, I advise to demo both of the amps and pick
the one that most satisfies your ears. Mesa Boogie rules...it is all a matter of personal taste at this level of quality and performance.
The people at Mesa Boogie are the best and were very helpful in guiding me to make the right choice this time. Made in America.

David Purdy
from Forest Lake, Minnesota
June 6, 2012

Mesa Boogie Mini RECTO

I own a lot of amps, I bought this amp for my practice room and not to gig with, and I must say the Mini Recto suprised me, not for the Recto sound, I expected that, but the crystal clean tight clean sound! This amp is a winner, I don't know how anyone could be disappointed. Of special note, I was set on buying the Britain Made (not CHINA!) Orange Tiny Terror, but the dirty channel was so noisy, the Mini Recto is quiet. Plus the size is great and I don't have to re-bias the amp when I change tubes! It looks tough and when I crank it up it screams! SWEETWATER is the best!

Jeff Southworth
from White Bear Lake, Mn. USA
May 26, 2012Music Background:
hobbyist

this amp is the cats ***!!!

Bought this amp a couple of weeks ago and its absolutely worth every penny. You want sparkling cleans? U got it. U want a multitude of gain options, from warm bluesy OD to ball blistering distortion? You got that too. This ***** is plenty loud for gigging, and great at producing widespread eargasms for your unsuspecting listeners. When you want great tone you definitely have to open up your wallet. Don't be seduced by the lure of more affordable, foreign made, low watt tube amp imposters (marshall,orange,vox) You get what you pay for. If you wanna sound like a rockstar, buy a Mesa. You won't be disappointed.

Gary Mack
from Chicago Heights, Il
April 9, 2012

Mini Rectifier

If you are thinking of buying a very powerful amp and only do small gigs, think again. I just love my Mesa Mini Rectifier and matching cab. This setup will BLOW YOU AWAY. My 100 watt Marshall was not used to it's full potential. You will not be disappointed with the Mini.

Steve D.
from United States
March 14, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Don't let it's size fool you, it breathes fire!!

Well, I received this amp today and I have to say I'm just amazed by the tone coming out of this little box! I've tried a lot of other lower wattage tube heads, but have never been able to find the right one for me....until now. Firstly, unlike Rectos of the past, the clean channel is simply amazing on this amp. Tons of clarity and headroom. The bottom end is very fat if you want it that way, but does not get all flubby. Plenty of shimmering highs, my Strat just sounds beautiful through it. Channel 2 has everything you would expect from the boys and girls in Petaluma, CA! The vintage mode slays, the tone just oozes out of my speakers. In modern, hold on to your shorts because this bad boy just rips! Everything you would expect from it's big brother, only FAR more manageable for home use. Don't misunderstand by point, this amp has MORE than enough volume and headroom to play out with. I'm just thrilled to death with this little amp, it truly is worth the money and sounds totally amazing! You NEED to get one now! A final point...as a long time user of Mesa Boogie amps I can say with the highest confidence that no other company stands behind their gear and takes care of the customer like they do. NOBODY!!

Grant Larson
from Queen Creek, AZ USA
February 29, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

The perfect solution

Like many guitarists, I got caught up in getting bigger and badder amps...but I could never get them to the sweet spot because I could never turn up the volume without blowing the windows out of the room. This amp is the answer. First of all, it's loud...25 watts is more than enough in most live situations. But the versatility is what really blew my mind - you can get so many sounds out of this amp. While I love the modern, high-gain sound, I was really surprised at the Channel 1 pushed. You can literally play any kind of music with this amp. I've never used an amp that responds like this one does to the smallest, most subtle changes in volume, gain, and eq. It's great!

Mike
from Atlanta, GA
February 5, 2012Music Background:
semi-pro musician

The Real Deal

I've owned 2 dual recto's at different points in the past, always loved the tone but due to volume constraints could never turn them up to the proper sweetspot.. This version is the perfect solution to that dilemma. And believe me it's PLENTY LOUD for any practice, club, or hall type of gig.

While the overall tone of the amp is familiar and what you'd expect, the EL 84 power section imparts a new character....it sounds a little more British to me which is very cool. Plus it has some cool nuances in the triode 10watt mode on both channels.

An added bonus is the Pushed mode on channel one....really wide gain structure that goes from chimey, almost Vox-ish clean to power overdrive. It is even a more versatile mode in my opinion than on the 100 watt dual rec.

I originally bought this to have an easy to carry, high quality backup amp but have found myself using it all the time. It's great to get that recto tone of the 90's again but at usable volume levels. Awesome amp!!!!

Mike Keller
from Central Ohio
January 10, 2012Music Background:
Working musician

Killer

Mini in size maxi in sound!!! Sounds fantastic, easily loud enough to handle medium to large club's, easy on the back.

Joe
from Phoenix, AZ
November 28, 2011Music Background:
Musician, Recording Engineer.

Serious Boogie

Have had this since day one when it launched at Sweetwater. (Thanks Robby Resnick @X1368). The Mini Recto has a plethora of tones, good features in a righteous sized chassis that is truly a serious player. Cleans, to grit, to full-on gainiac mayhem we all love from the REC big brother. The amp is quiet, the EFX loop works well, no additional noise, pedals are a breeze in front of and through the loop. The mini magma machine sounds killer through my 212 Recto cabby with V30's or my Marshall 412 with GT75's. It's easy to fall prey to the wattage game, 25/10 watts from a tube amp is rock solid loud. Well worth the investment in your tone.

terry
from new jersey
October 21, 2011Music Background:
30 year guitarist

awesome

i have owned :
mk1,2c,3, nomad, studio 22, triaxis, and now my mini recto. to me this is very reminiscent of cranking a mk series amp to the brink. i have done that many times. i have this hooked up to a 2x12 soldano with v30's . holy cow ! first off, this ain't no toy. it is built like a mini tank. the head and the 2x12 cabinet is much lighter to lug around that a mk series combo. YEAH!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS AMP ! get awesome boogie cranked tone at reasonable volume, clean/headroom is cool, and you don't break your back. with a tele it is spectacular, and with a les paul it is heavenly. takes all my pedal like a champ. get it !

from
October 14, 2011

Same Recto at ear friendly volume

Got it last night. It really does sound like it's big brothers only without ear bleeding volume. I've only tried out the 10W setting so far but I can't complain. It's also super quiet and doesn't hum or buzz like some other high gain amps do.

Scott Nelson
from Seattle, WA
April 2, 2013Music Background:
semi-pro musician, recording engineer

Little brother size but not little brother tone - it screams

I'll add to the positive reviews here and my 4.5 is very realistic. I don't even think my Dual Rec is a 5.0 and I love that amp. Yes, this seems to be the most expensive lunchbox amp out there but I've tried nearly all of them and none have the tone or features of this amp. Most venues we play have a capacity of 250 people or less and unless we have a big stage, my Dual Recifier + 4x12 cabinet is really too powerful to get loud enough on stage to get the right tone without blowing everyone else in the band away. I wanted something more portable and compact but I ended up unknowingly changing my main rig! I pair this with the Mesa 2x12 vertical rectifier cabinet and these are voiced perfectly for each other. FYI, I'm not crazy about the mini-rec 1x12 cabinet that are supposed to go with this amp. Sounded boxy and small to me.

The thing I like better about this mini compared to my Dual, is that I can run it hotter, getting better power amp saturation/tone and musical feedback. You have to dial the controls slightly different than a dual but you can get nearly identical sounds (I have an A/B box and did thorough tests). Because the gigs I do are smaller, I actually prefer the sound of this to my Dual for the reason listed above. What surprised me was the clean channel and it's ability to get dirty too. At the 25 watt setting and the gain dimed, the clean channel produces an excellent recfifier tone, very similar to the hot channel, but with less gain, making it a great choice for classic rock or a tight AC/DC type rhythm tone. Switch to lead channel with higher gain for solos and it soars! There is no channel popping like others have mentioned if you keep both channels at the same wattage. There will be a pop if one is at 25 and the other at 10.

On both channels, the 10 watt setting is certainly useable and nice, but no where near as good as the 25 watt setting. The clean channel is quite good when gain is low and you are truly looking for a clean sound, but it is true that it isn't super loud this way. Most people buy a rectifier for the distorted sounds and this amp has about as much gain as you could ever want. Do NOT be concerned this amp isn't loud enough for a full band. This amp is ridiculously loud and with my 2x12, I can easily keep up with my bandmates (we play hard rock) and then some. This is a fantastic amp with tons of tone and power, regardless of it's "lunchbox" size.

Chris
from Washington DC
February 26, 2013Music Background:
Weekend Warrior

Unbelievable Versatility

This is a killer amp head. It packs so much tone into such a small package it's almost impossible to believe. Mesa rectifiers are often associated with heavy bands and for good reason, this thing knocks heavy tones outta the park. But underneath all the gain lies an immaculate tonal canvas. From cleans to high gain there is not a single tone this amp doesn't crush. I play mostly clean to some moderately heavy rock crunch and I could not be happier with the tone.

There are a ton of features jammed in there as well. 2 footswitchable channels that can be set to 25 or 10 watts independently? You bet! An fx loop that can be hardwired out of the loop? Nailed it. Separate EQs and master volume for both channels? No doubt. The only thing I can really fault it for is no reverb, which with this amp's size is a logistical impossibility, however the fx loop handles a reverb pedal so nice it doesn't really matter.

I once thought mesa rectifiers were for metal only and I was wrong. VERY wrong. I almost never touch the high gain modern setting (though it is a great setting) and I couldn't be happier with the sound. Great for live use and for recording. Sick of sound guys at the club or church telling you to turn down your 50 or 100 watt head? I was too, this is the answer.

Jeff Cooley
from United States
August 10, 2012Music Background:
Semi pro/home recording/local gigs

Killer Amp for clean and heavy Distortion

I am proud to say that this is a bad *** little amp that I now own! It does clean very well and the dirty channel drives some heavy yet articulate and warm gain tones! I am running it through a 1x12 Trans 19 open back cab and it is super punchy. I may get a 1x12 reto cab to use in tandem with the TA-19 cab. I am also running a TC. Electronics Hall Of Fame Reverb through the fx loop and it is the perfect setup. Overall this is my fave amp to date and I have played many from cheap to expensive.
I had the TA-15 for a while and it was awesome too but did not have the warm bite with overdrive and pure harmonic punch that this amp has.

AK
from Tulsa, OK
July 3, 2012

The best lunchbox, bar none

This is my first experience with Mesa/Boogie products and I have to say they have completely won me over. Everything right down to the packaging is great. You really feel like you are getting quality for your hard earned money right out of the box.

The only things I don't like about this amp are the look (a little too metal), and the carrying case (a little too small). Everything else is phenomenal. You can get any sound you want out of this thing, and it has more gain on tap than any other amp I've played. I run the gain at about noon-1 o clock and get some pretty gnarly hard rock distortion from single coils.

Some say Mesas can be tough to dial in, I did not find that to be the case with the mini recto. Out of the box I set all the controls to noon and it sounded great right there. A little tweaking and I've found my perfect sound. The eq is extremely responsive, and the presence control is outstanding when you want to fatten up your tone a bit or add a bit of twang.

I don't see myself ever parting with this amp. You can get great tube tone at acceptable home volume levels, but make no mistake - this thing has more than enough volume to gig. I am playing it through a single 112 with Celestion Vintage 30 and I have no trouble being heard at band practice (and that's without even pushing the limits on this little beast).

If you're in the lunchbox market and are considering this amp, just buy it. I highly doubt you'll be disappointed.

T. May
from Austin, TX
June 4, 2012Music Background:
Guitarist for over 35 years...

Little amp - Huge sound!

This amp totally rocks! It's my 2nd Mesa Boogie amp and I'm even more impressed with this little jewel than I am with my Express 5/50. They both get great clean, over-drive and distorted tones, but the Mini-Rectifier goes one step further with the ability to get feedback (aka Santana/Al DiMeola) at amazingly low volume levels with ease. I think I'm starting to understand all the buzz surrounding amps based on EL84s because this is borderline the best amp I've ever played. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because of the price.

Jay Goldbach
from New England
June 4, 2012Music Background:
Experienced amateur

Mesa Doesn't Disappoint

There are few moments in a guitarist's life when he/she can look back and say, that piece of equipment made me a better player. Plugging into the mini-rec for me was one such moment. The diversity of sounds, the control and the power are just staggering (at even low volumes). This was an upgrade from my Bogner Alchemist (with which I was perfectly happy other than the weight). Unlike other amps that have wattage switches that basically do nothing, each setting and switch on this amp is a different persona. I was worried about the clean channel but it was perfectly clear and warm. I knew I could rely on the distortion of the red channel, but what I didn't know was how diverse and musical each setting was. Despite the fact that I play very heavy at times, the vintage channel is perfect. Singing leads and low growl with no muddiness. Each and every note is well defined. This amp isn't for everybody. If you're looking for a Vox-type sound, buy a Vox (or the Transatlantic). For those of you more into Santana or SRV or like your rock hard, look no further. There are a few things that could be improved: foot switch seems a bit flimsy, but has held up, the knob positions are very hard to see in dark or light (even with the red glow), the cable that comes with it is total crap and the bag for the head is too tight a fit. It's a pain to cram it in after a gig. I know, pretty small stuff. I would also flip the on/off standby switches so that they're up and down. It would make them more intuitive.

Rich
from Phoenix AZ
March 28, 2012Music Background:
Pro musician

Loving this amp

Got this amp about a month ago, and I can honestly say that this amp has exceeded my expectations and the some, Mesa makes quality gear folks hence the higher price tag (USA gear is top quality). Ok the sound, the cleans are great just takes some time dialing in, now this is where Mesa has everyone beat, the dirty channels folks this amps is 25 watts but it sounds like a 100 watts, the distortion is djent, and everything between. Buy this amp, and more importantly buy it from sweetwater the best sales team I've dealt with, no joke

Mike
from Tecumseh, MI
February 16, 2012Music Background:
hobbyist: prog rock

Super

I really like the responsiveness of the amp and the power. It is loud enough to work with a drummer. I think you have to take some time with it and get your tone. It makes you play more intentionally. I have found that it sounds best with a compression pedal and OD.

James
from Venice, CA USA
September 10, 2012Music Background:
Audio Engineer

Great Value and Versatility with Great Sound!

The little engine that could!
Pretty much blew the paint off of the walls the first week with this thing. A blast to play, though I find myself keeping it in 10W mode for most things. The "Pushed" Ch.1 setting with the "Vintage" Ch.2 and a GT-OD. Booyah.
4Stars only because of the foot switch. Very basic, no option for controlling the separate sides of each channel, seemed cheap for a $1000 head. Read the manual as the tone/Eq circuits are laid out a little different than some amps.

Tom O.
from Olney, MD
May 7, 2012Music Background:
Semi-Pro

Mini Rectifier has maxi output

Don't be let down by the four stars. I would only give five to a product that gave me features or performance that I did not even know I needed. The Mini Rectifier provides what you need to get your job done, whatever it is. Each of the two channels has a selectable input setting (sort of low gain and high gain) and a selectable output setting of 10 or 25 watts. 25 watts sounds a bit on the small side, but make no mistake, this head will produce some serious output. The knob controls are straight forward, three for EQ plus presence. You can actually hear some difference in the tone as you adjust the tone controls (something I have not always found on amps). This feels like a well built solid piece of gear and comes with a useful carry bag that I hang over my shoulder for easy toting. A foot switch provides channel selection, so I can have a pretty and an ugly channel setup and change on the fly. This is worth the bucks.

ryan reinking
from chicago
April 26, 2012Music Background:
musicion of 20 years

mesa mini rec

The cleans are great, but not loud, The lead channel is loud, but not great.. None of the 10 watt settings sound good compared to the 25 watt settings, and I'm on my second one, due to some problems with the original one I purchased. Oh yea,, then theres the price... On the positive side, This thing is capable of conjuring up a multitude of different tones. I was hoping to get an amp that I could run without pedals, but that didnt happen.. Unfortunitly, I did end up spending a few hundred more, to get exactly the tone I was looking for. Dispite my problems with this amp, I do think it is the best lunchbox amp on the market right now. It definitly offers more controle, and bigger sounds than its competition. And yes, Its loud enough to gig with... And for the people saying " You could get a used..... for that kind of money..." Lets remember why these amps exist in the first place: portablity, and the ability to sound good at lower a lower volume.

Mesa/Boogie Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five (Silver Diamond Plate)

2-channel, 25-watt Tube Guitar Amplifier Head with 4 Modes, 25-/10-watt Operation and Effects Loop - Silver Diamond Plate