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This thing screams "roadworthy"

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• Review

A slave socket provides connection to a variety of power amps, preamps and effects setups, while a host of speaker jacks allow almost every cabinet permutation possible. Also, each channel, plus the solo function and effects loop, have individual outputs so they can be connected to sophisticated MIDI switching setups like Rocktron's Octopus.

The amp's own effects loop is a very sophisticated circuit. Essentially, you can match the levels of the amp and processor using the send level, mix the effected and dry signal using the mix pot and adjust the overall effect level with the amp's own output control. An 'assign' rotary lets you select the loop's on or off status, route it to all channels, to clean or lead, or bypass it completely, This latter option defeats the amp's output control and the useful solo function, so it's perhaps best to leave it on at all times.

The Dual Rectifier comes equipped with 6L6 output valves and Mesa explains its preference for these over British-style EL34s. It's partly to do with reliability (current EL34s are notoriously patchy in quality) but also about tone. "We feel the 6L6 is a more balanced-sounding tube that produces plenty of harmonic lushness, while at the same time delivering the rich lows that are crucial to both a warm clean sound and huge, tight, high-gain crunch sound." Says the well-written manual.

However, this is Mesa Engineering and you wouldn't expect this company to leave it there. So there's the facility to switch to EL34s if that's really your sound (or for a specific gig or recording session). Of course you'll need to re-bias the amp and in this case it's done with the simple flip of a switch. It's a neat and practical solution to a potential purchasing dilemma.

Two final sources for sonic selection are the power and rectifier mode switches. The first enables you to select spongy or bold modes. Bold is the amp's normal working condition, with full 100W power output. Spongy reduces the internal voltages for an inherently vintage tone, while also lessening the output – so you can drive power stage harder for more brownness.

The switchable rectifier is when the amp derives its name. In certain respects similar in effect to the power switch, the selection between solid-state and valve rectification offers the difference between upfront, tight and powerful sounds (solid-state) and softer, less powerful but definitely sweeter tones (valve).

As you can see, there's an awful lot to contend with here. But remember these functions are there for you primarily to set the amp the way you intend to use it. You can alter things from gig to gig or even between sets, but you're more likely to find a set-up that works for you that you can stick with. We can't fault Randall Smith and his team on their thinking and the application of features here. It's an astounding piece of amplifier engineering and, guess what? After all that we're going to plug it in.

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