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This thing screams "roadworthy"

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• Review

It's worth re-capping on where the Rectifier range sits in the Mesa/Boogie family. For years, the company was revered for those little monsters, the Mark series, which began as modified Fenders and culminated in the awe-inspiring Boogie Mark IV. But there came a time when these seemed a little too 'wood and wicker' and a bit too friendly for some.

So in 1989 Mesa/Boogie decided to provide something bigger and beefier, for the 'goatee beard' brigade. Enter the Dual and Triple Rectifier stacks, marketed under the Mesa Engineering brand and so beloved of Metallica, Korn and Slipknot. So successful were these products that they took the company to a new level among the world's amp manufacturers.

Today we see some radical upgrades to the Recto line. Not radical as in outlandish, since Randall Smith and his cohorts were committed to retaining the inherent ethos, tone and respect attached to the precocious 12-year-old. In fact, Boogie told us it laboured long and hard over the decision.

"Players love the Rectifier series but the commonest request we had was for a third, dedicated clean channel," explained a spokesman. "But we were terrified of unintentionally altering any aspect of the amp's tone, so we conducted blindfold tests with player who knew their sounds inside out, to the point where we were confusing them about whether they were hearing the old or the new model." So having played and gigged a range of these ball-crunching beasts, what did the Guitarist team think?

It's in the build

We've taken Rectifier models apart in previous reviews, to point out Mesa's commitment to class-leading design and workmanship; building up to a quality as opposed to down to a price. This time, we've devoted time to explaining the new model's features, so if you want to check out a Recto's innards, visit www.mesaboogie.com.

Suffice to say we're faced with a thing of solidity, put together with excruciating attention to detail with no visible flaws inside or out. You get the feeling that even airline baggage handlers couldn't destroy it – and that's no mean feat of engineering.

Impeccably covered in black leatherette with black protective corners, amp and cab both look smart and purposeful. The cab also has a tough, black basket-weave grille. If your image is a tad tougher, or you're worried about potential damage, both straight and angled cabs are available with diamond-pattern, armour-plated steel sides and look totally bomb-proof. Mind you, they cost an extra £425.

There's a leather top handle for the amp, while recessed group handles are located at either side of the cab. It's a two-person job to lift this brute, even though hefty castors have been provided to shift the thing from van to venue. That same steel 'truck ramp' adorns the amp head's front, along with chunky metal logo badges and 20 Tele-style metal knobs to operate the Dual Rectifier's many functions. Overall, it's flawless.