Shop Keyboard Deals, Financing, and More

Sorry, all demos of this item have been sold.

Since demo items are such a great deal, they often sell within hours of showing up on our web site. Order a new one below, or browse every currently available demo item here.

Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Badlander 50-watt Tube Head

50/20W, 2-channel Tube Amplifier Head with 3 Selectable Channel Modes, Bias Select Switch, Bold/Variac Switch, Built-in CabClone IR, Effects Loop, Headphone Output, and 1-button Footswitch - Black Diamond Faceplate
$269.01 Price Drop!
Lowest price in 90 days
$2,229.99
Save $269.01 (10%) Was: $2,499.00

Or pay $371.66 for 6 months with Easy Pay

See all payment options
In Stock!

Add to Cart
Notify me about deals

Ask An Expert

Our expertly trained Sales Engineers are ready to help!

What is a Sales Engineer?
Sweetwater Gear Exchange

Have one to sell?
Check out Sweetwater's Gear Exchange!
Learn More

Most Popular Accessories & Related Items

Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Badlander 50-watt Tube Head
In Stock!
$2,229.99
Add to Cart
Add to list
Back to navigation

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

50 Watts of Fire-breathing Recto Tone

Mesa/Boogie Rectifiers are renowned for their tight, muscular lows, hard-hitting mids, and sweet, singing highs. Mesa’s newest Recto, the Badlander, includes a streamlined feature set, baked-in cutting-edge technology, and — most importantly — 50 watts of fire-breathing Rectifier tone. Three selectable modes enable you to configure each channel for an array of sounds, while a 2-way power reduction switch makes achieving cranked-up tones at bedroom levels easy. This Recto supplies you with the usual EQ controls, plus a Bold/Variac switch for further fine-tuning your sound. You also get a built-in CabClone IR, a serial effects loop, a headphone output, and a 1-button footswitch. So what are you waiting for? Plug into the Mesa Rectifier Badlander and experience its pure legendary power!

2 channels, 3 selectable modes: plenty of tones

Like previous Recto iterations, the Rectifier Badlander is renowned for its high-gain metal tones. That said, thanks to two channels with three selectable modes, it can do much, much more. Each channel includes 3-mode Channel Cloning, with Clean, Crunch, and Crush modes, plus independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, and Master controls. It doesn’t matter what sound you’re aiming for — sparkling clean, throaty crunch, or gut-punching high gain — the Badlander can achieve it. On top of that, this amp's touch sensitivity is incredible. At Sweetwater, we’ve found that no matter where you set this Recto’s Gain knob, your instrument’s tone and character shines through brilliantly.

A bundle of features supplies maximum tone shaping

The Mesa Rectifier Badlander is loaded with a variety of tone-shaping features. A 2-way power reduction switch toggles the amp between an easy-clipping 20 watts and a club-friendly 50 watts. A Bias switch enables you to swap the Badlander’s original EL34 power tubes for a set of muscular 6L6s. You also get a Bold/Variac switch, allowing you to dial in a spongy, quick-to-saturate quality or a bold sound with maximum power and lots of clean headroom. Got pedals? Who doesn’t? That’s why this Recto includes a fully buffered, tube-driven, series effects loop for your pedalboard and other external processing.

Built-in CabClone IR offers top-shelf cabinet simulations

Parked in front of a live audience or DI’d into your DAW, the Recto Badlander enables you to dispense with microphones and all the complications that come with them, by virtue of its built-in CabClone IR. This reactive load box and IR cabinet simulator includes eight dynamic- and ribbon-mic’d cabinet impulse responses, plus it gives you the ability to upload third-party IRs. With the Badlander, you’ll benefit from limitless cab combinations for unprecedented tone crafting. Take it onstage to dial up cranked amp tones at venue-appropriate volumes. Use it in the studio to get perfect-sounding guitar recordings. Or, plug into the Recto’s headphones output for silent practice sessions that sound like a mic’d amp.

Mesa/Boogie's warranty: the best in the business

Your new Mesa/Boogie amp is protected by Mesa/Boogie's warranty: five years on the electronics, three years for speakers, and six months for tubes.

Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Badlander Head Features:

  • 50W tube amp head with streamlined features, cutting-edge tech, and fire-breathing Recto sound
  • 2 channels with 3 selectable modes supply a versatile array of tones
  • Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, and Master controls per channel
  • 2-way power reduction switch makes achieving cranked-up tones at bedroom levels easy
  • Bias switch enables you to swap the original EL34 power tubes for a set of muscular 6L6s
  • Bold/Variac switch for fine-tuning your tone
  • Fully buffered, tube-driven, series effects loop for your pedalboard and other external processing
  • Fixed bias for consistent, maintenance-free performance
  • Built-in CabClone IR with third-party IR support offers limitless cab combinations
  • 1-button footswitch for channel switching
  • Slipcover included

Important Notice for International Customers: Mesa/Boogie products sold by Sweetwater are intended for use within the United States. We are unable to ship any Mesa/Boogie products outside of the U.S.

Additional Media

Warranty Info

Sweetwater's FREE 2-Year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty

Extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

  • Save money with FREE parts and labor
  • Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time
  • Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department
Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage

Free 2-year Warranty

Sweetwater's 2-year Total Confidence Coverage™ Warranty gives you extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage
Tools Icon

Save money with free parts & labor!

Fast Icon

Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time.

Award Icon

Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department.

Back to navigation

Tech Specs

  • Type: Tube
  • Number of Channels: 2 channels, 3 style modes
  • Total Power: 50W Class AB (20W Triode setting)
  • Preamp Tubes: 5 x 12AX7
  • Power Tubes: 2 x EL34
  • EQ: 3-band EQ
  • Inputs: 1 x 1/4" (instrument)
  • Outputs: 2 x 1/4" (4 ohms), 1 x 1/4" (8 ohms), 1 x XLR (CabClone IR)
  • Headphones: 1 x 1/4"
  • Effects Loop: Buffered, Series FX Loop
  • USB: 1 x Type B (IR loading)
  • Footswitch I/O: 1 x 1/4" (channel)
  • Footswitch Included: Yes, 1-button Footswitch
  • Features: Variac Switch, 8 x Mesa IR Cabs
  • Construction Material: Aluminum Chassis with Baltic Birch Cabinet
  • Power Source: Standard IEC AC cable
  • Height: 9.62"
  • Width: 22.75"
  • Depth: 10.37"
  • Weight: 36 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 2.BD5.3.AA

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

Back to navigation

Customer Reviews

Write your review
Rated 5/5

Not Your Father's Rectifier

When I was looking around online for reviews, I saw a lot of negativity both in forums and on YouTube. Generally, this seemed to be mostly coming from high gain metal players. After I got the amp fired up today, I can see why so many people hate it. It doesn't sound like any Recto I've played.

This may be the most versatile amp I've owned yet, and I've owned a bunch. Every single mode is great. The Clean mode is a whole amp in itself. Everything from sparkling clean, through neutral pedal platform that takes overdrive and distortion pedals exceedingly well, through edge of breakup, to rock crunch. You could easily set up both channels on that mode and have a great classic rock amp with two different flavors for a whole gig.

Crunch picks up somewhere before Clean leaves off and goes all the way through to high gain. Me like. This could be my home mode. I can easily imagine Channel 1 being Clean and 2 being high gain Crunch. If I had only those modes, I'd be thrilled.

Crush (totally stupid name), to me, is just MORE of Crunch. I hear and feel it as similarly voiced, just more. So usable. So easily playable. I am in love with it in a way that I was never in love with my Mark V.

And why is that? Because this is the first Mesa high gain amp that I've owned that isn't tweaky. So easy to get a great tone. The EQ is extremely active in such a way that it eliminates the need for that Mark 5 band graphic. You just dial the knobs until you hear what you want and you're done. That isn't saying you can't add an EQ in the effects loop. The Cali Q Graphic in my Helix turns this into something of a wholly otherworldly high gain monster.

Crunch and Crush both LOVE boost pedals. Klon style, Timmy, clean boost, 808, whatever. It does that thing where it melds with the amp distortion and just gives more.

The Cabclone is totally fine, but I threw out the IRs that came with it as I didn't like any of them and just loaded my Ownhammer Mesa recto cab and GNR greenback cabs. Sounds amazing with either, but I'm leaning toward the recto V30 cabs. Level is kind of low until you crank the output knob higher, but it totally works.

Now...Variac mode. Flip that toggle and you suddenly have a brand new, totally different amp. It scoops out a bit, has a nice give to it, and the whole thing kind of re-voices in a British way. It is an addicting feel, and if I were playing just Clean and Crunch, I'd do it in this mode. And probably will.

My setup will likely be my Helix Floor in 4CM, or my Strymon loaded pedalboard, same configuration. Amp is totally a keeper. I'll pair this with a 212 vertical rectifier cab, or a custom 112 cab with a Creamback M65.

Anyone that's been looking for a channel switcher that will do it all, and without compromise, this is the amp. Rare for me to give 5 stars, but I'd give this one 6 if I could.
Rated 5/5

Amazing Amp

All I can say is wow. I bought this amp to pair with my Kiesel Aries 7-string and my Suhr Modern for metal tones. To the other reviewer who said this isn't a metal amp - dude needs to get his ears checked. This amp delivers the goods. I honestly for the life of me can't imagine somebody plugging into this and thinking it's not metal enough - you've got to be kidding me.

The clean channel is fantastic and covers everything from super clean to broken up clean to slight dirt. I personally like the gain set a little to give the clean a bit of a broken up feel - sounds absolutely gorgeous with ambient reverb and delay.

The crunch channel is where it starts to get fun - sounds fantastic for chugging rhythms and leads.

The crush channel takes the crunch channel and adds more filth and man does it sound amazing.

The best part about this amp is how clear even the distortion sounds. Even with max gain (how I run it) on both the crunch and crush channels, I can hear every note I'm chording - there is no mush - it's clear, yet crushing all at the same time.

Again, to the other reviewer who said this amp is better suited for "AC/DC" tones - we must be playing completely different amps...I have a Friedman Dirty Shirley - now THAT I'd consider an AC/DC type territory amp. The Badlander 50? It's not even on the same continent as AC/DC tone.

The Badlander 50 is a fire breathing monster.
Music background: Guitarist 22 Years
Rated 5/5

Finally! My Second Mesa Boogie!

Gonna keep it short.
I was looking for a new amp to take me into a little heavier range of distortion but that still had excellent clean tones.
I took a chance on the Badlander and it payed-off! First of all, the cleans are the best I've heard in a Mesa amp, and I used to own a Lone Star Classic. The cleans in the Badlander are more balanced IMO and the distortion takes you beyond the LSC's capability. Plus, the Badlander has built in reactive load and IR's.
If I were to make a small criticism, it would be that the low end doesn't sound quite as big as other Mesas. It's a little tighter, but that's ok because it's a guitar amp, not a bass amp.

Yeah, sweet amp!

Thanks to my rep Dave Brow!
Music background: Lifelong musician
Rated 5/5

Its BAD...

So I have always been a multi-FX unit guy... BOSS GT then I transitioned to Helix... great gear but I have always wanted a REAL amp. After much research, I finally pulled the trigger on MESA BOOGIE and I have to say that it's a decision I will never regret. I first ordered the MESA TC 50 and I was fairly disappointed. I am looking for a versatile amp and while this amp sounded amazing through a cab it did not sound as great through the XLR output. I play silent stage so the XLR output is a must at this price point. Unfortunately, I returned the TC 50 and switched to the BADLANDER 50. I am a Worship guitarist so I mainly stick to clean tones and some slight dirt for some fast playing. So when I first plugged in the BADLANDER I was stunned by the tone and the range this amp has to offer. Yes, it does handle heavy chugging and extreme guitar leads very well but I am writing this review to focus on the clean aspects of this amp. It's mind-blowing how this amp transitions to clean with a switch of a button and it sounds like no other. I paired it with a MESA 2X12 and I have yet to break in my gear but despite the fact, it sounds phenomenal. The BADLANDER 50 is a mid-focused amp with lots of punch and precision. No matter how much I turn up the gain I am still able to make sense of every single note whether I am playing power chords, soloing, arpeggios, or rhythm guitar, I can hear every single string. The MESA TC 50 is a great amp no doubt but if you are looking for the latest tech on the CABCLONE then this BADLANDER is a deal breaker. The XLR output compared to the TC 50 is a HUGE improvement. Also, in my opinion, the BADLANDER just sounds better than the MESA TC 50. It's able to cut through the mix like a hot knife through butter. The BADLANDER is articulate and the fact that it's a simple straightforward amp makes it much easier to use and manipulate to get those tones you are looking for. The clean channel is CLEAN and it has plenty of headroom. Now, the only "complaint" I have so far is the lack of BASS. The bass on this amp is very tight and when I am playing clean I wish the amp was able to reproduce those low frequencies that it's lacking. I can somewhat fix it with an equalizer but I don't because of my band. You have to evaluate your rig from a bigger-picture perspective. If you are a solo player then you'll need that bass to complement your playing. But if you are playing in a full band like I am with synths, bass, piano, and all the instruments in the world, you need to focus on cutting through the mix without interfering with the other instruments. And that's where this BADLANDER shines. I realized that I don't need as much bass because the bass player is handling it. With the BADLANDER's mid-focus percussion, you can make your solos and rhythm guitar stand in front of the audio spectrum without much effort. And again, no matter how much gain I throw at it, it still sounds "clean" and articulate. So without a doubt, 5 stars on this amp!

Shout out to my Sweetwater Sales Engineer, Mike Bryant, who has been a huge help in this process. I can write this review confidently because of him and all the advice he has to offer. Thanks!
Music background: Worship Guitarist
Rated 5/5

Amazing Amplifier

I've had the pleasure of playing through a number of different high gain amplifiers. I've very particular, as most players, about what tonal qualities I look for in a high end, high gain amplifier. I expect the amp to be very articulate while achieving various levels of aggression for the different styles of hard rock and metal I enjoy playing. This amp delivers the goods. It's tight, articulate, very easy to dial in and loaded with modern features a home player will enjoy having. The amp takes boost pedals very well, but doesn't need one. It's very well built, well thought out and within moments of rigging up you'll be enjoying some very satisfying tones. The clean channel is fantastic on this amp as well. Nicholas Weaver is my Sales Engineer and always takes great care of me when I call!
Music background: Home Player

It's hard to imagine a more quintessentially modern guitar amplifier than a Mesa/Boogie, and when Sweetwater guitarists want high-gain tone, Mesa is where they start. One thing we love about these amps is their sheer versatility, such as the massive range of tone you get from each channel, the freedom to use the tubes you love, onboard CabClone cabinet emulation, and MIDI control. And it's not just guitar amps - Mesa/Boogie's bass amps and pedals are equally cool. What's more, thanks to our incredibly close relationship with Mesa, you can even customize your own amp right here on Sweetwater's website! Get the sound and style you want from your next amp, with a Mesa/Boogie from Sweetwater.

Close Close $2,000 Pick Your PRS Giveaway -- input your email address below to enter or click here to learn more.

See giveaway details & rules or check out our past winners!

Success!

Your email, has been entered to win this giveaway. Good Luck!