Mesa/Boogie 90s DUAL RECTIFIER Owner's Manual

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Page 1 Owner’s Manual...
Page 2 Hello from the Home of Tone! Congratulations on your choice of the Dual Rectifier Solo Head and welcome to the MESA/Boogie® Family! The instrument you’ve selected has a deep heritage that combines the best attributes of vintage tube amplification with pioneering innovation. The bloodline of this iconic circuit traces back to our MARK I™...
Page 3: Table Of Contents
CONTENTS IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS �� 1 PRODUCT COMPLIANCE INFORMATION �� 2 HISTORY �� 3 OVERVIEW �� 4 HELPFUL HINTS �� 5 FRONT PANEL �� 9 GAIN �� 9 TREBLE �� 11 MID �� 11 BASS �� 12 PRESENCE �� 13 MASTER �� 14 LED –...
Page 4: Important Safety Instructions
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Before attempting to use this apparatus, read and follow these instructions for proper use. Keep these instructions. Heed all warnings. Do not use this apparatus near water. Clean only with a dry cloth, do not use any solvent such as benzene, naphtha or paint thinner on apparatus. Do not block any ventilation openings.
Page 5: Product Compliance Information
PRODUCT COMPLIANCE INFORMATION Suppliers Declaration of Conformity for 90s Dual Rectifier Responsible Party Gibson 209 10th Ave S Ste 205, Nashville, TN 37203 United States Telephone: + 1 615 933 6000 PAGE 2...
Page 6: History
With all reverence for this icon and its effect on the musical era it arose from this classic 90s Dual Rectifier gives those wanting the original Solo Head’s Vintage/Orange and Modern/Red overdrive sounds a chance to own the classic brand new, along with an improved CLEAN Mode.
Page 7: Overview
OVERVIEW This model revisits the original 2 Channel layout based on two overdrive Modes: Vintage /Orange and Modern/ Red. The colors refer to the LEDs that illuminate on the Channels that are wired default/normalized to each of these sounds. It also features an improved CLEAN Mode in the Vintage/Orange Channel, selected via the “ORANGE CHANNEL GAIN”...
Page 8: Helpful Hints
So let it take you and your playing where it will, and most of all, Enjoy the Ride! From all of us here at MESA/Boogie, Thank You for putting your trust in us to be your amplifier company and Welcome to the Mesa/Boogie® Family.
Page 9 need the Footswitch connected. • Travel Safe! It goes without saying and is common sense, but using the provided Slipcover and securing it in place with the Handle Flap, as well as securing the amp itself and preventing it from sliding around in your vehicle and hitting something or something doing the same to it, is essential and critical to maintaining your amplifier and your safety.
Page 10 Buffers are small, affordable devices readily available through many reputable companies, including MESA/Boogie. Your Tone will be well-served if you employ one to mitigate any loss incurred by the addition of your front- end processors and subsequent cabling.
Page 11 at its optimum capability. • Stay Connected! Sound waves transmit through objects and your body. This can be a good thing in the case of an electric guitar, as those sound waves affect how the instrument feels in your hands. It is preferable to have at least one speaker cabinet sitting on the floor you are standing on while playing.
Page 12: Front Panel
If the Fuse should ever blow, ALWAYS replace your Fuse with the same type and power rating Fuse. In the 90s Dual Rectifier 100 Watt model the Fuse is a 4 Amp SLO-BLO type Fuse.
Page 13 To simplify, let’s look at the GAIN like this: MIDDLE HIGH GAIN REGIONS By itself, the GAIN Control has basically three regions: Low (7:00 - 11:00) provides the cleanest, least saturated sounds, and in this region, the sound will be brighter and contain more upper harmonics and less low end, lending a tight, trim character to the sound.
Page 14: Treble
can begin to feel “slower” and less immediate. That’s not always a bad thing because the styles played with overdrive lend themselves naturally to the sound, shape, and feel produced by the added gain, but rather just in comparison to clean sounds, where the attack is more immediate and the dynamic content broader. Some of the best sounds fall in the Tone Zone, as we call it, somewhere closer to the middle zone of the GAIN control’s range, say 11:00 to 2:00, depending on the Mode and application.
Page 15: Bass
BASS The BASS is one of the easiest controls to understand and operate here in the 90s Dual Rectifier, as it is largely independent and obvious in terms of controlling a frequency range within the preamp. Being a low-frequency control, and knowing low frequencies come across as not just lower but also “slower,”...
Page 16: Presence
Cabs are far more resilient in terms of low-end than Open Back Cabinets. Some rooms/venues are forgiving of low-end, and some are not and require greater degrees of discretion. Low-end build-up in a room can be really challenging, turning every mic into an antenna, so the unspoken Rule of Tone dictates, “as much as you need and no more”...
Page 17: Master
playing through and another stacked right above it which operates in a different part of the circuit – in the power section – like it normally does in the upper ORANGE/VINTAGE Channel. This can be nice if you are someone who appreciates the VINTAGE sound most and needs two footswitchable versions/Channels of that sound (and performance throughout) to accomplish your musical aspirations.
Page 18: Loop Active Master
LOOP ACTIVE MASTER The Effects Loop of your amplifier is probably one of the most comprehensive Loops in any amplifier. It is a Series Loop, meaning it is wired in Series with the dry signal and is comprised of five elements, four on the Rear Panel and one on the Front Panel.
Page 19: Power
Push down the spring steel Tube Clamp(s) so they are not gripping the tube Base and gently rock the faulty tube back and forth slightly while pulling it up and out of its socket. Notice the orientation of the tube guide (raised bump) on the plastic piece in the center of the tube’s base.
Page 20: Rear Panel
Regardless of how you apply the options on the POWER switch, the ability to tune your incoming Line Voltage to the characteristics that best enhance your stylistic needs adds a wonderful element to the 90s Dual Rectifier. That the rest of the industry has adopted and paid tribute to the Recto in this area points to its impact on popular music and guitar amplification.
Page 21: Channel Style Select
to “fire hose” high gain with complex harmonic layering for soloing in its higher range. Regardless of where you set the GAIN control, ORANGE/VINTAGE delivers one of the most expressive and sought-after modern gain sounds there is and one you’ve likely heard many times on the radio in countless hit songs from the 90s and 2000s.
Page 22: Ext. Sw. (External Switch)
Most external switching devices and master controllers support this type of logic, but it is wise to confirm that any controller you are interested in supports this type of logic before you purchase it if you plan on controlling the Channels and Effects Loop of your 90s Dual Rectifier. SPEAKERS These 5 jacks provide the SPEAKER Outputs for your amplifier, and between them, nearly any cabinet configuration can be accommodated.
Page 23: Loop Select
This is not a problem as the SLAVE signal is intended to capture the sound of the amplifier and pass it on to other amplifiers (or effects processors, then amplifiers), which are likely to have speakers – or simulations/ captures of speakers – in their signal chain. NOTE: Always “zero-out”...
Page 24 3. A SEND jack that captures the preamp signal and pads it down to accommodate the outboard signal processor’s input stages. 4. A RETURN jack that accepts the signal from a processor’s output and boosts the level back up to unity gain (or beyond, depending on your processor’s output settings) to be mixed back into the original signal.
Page 25: Rectifier Select
We wanted the 90s Dual Rectifier to recapture that “thing you can’t quite put your finger on...but you know when it’s got it.” Soul, Personality, and Feel. The TUBE position of the RECTIFIER SELECT switch gives you a sweetness of sound and a bouncy, dynamically inviting feel that simply cannot be duplicated in any other way.
Page 26: Bias Select
BIAS SELECT To add to the already awesome array of onboard features, we felt it essential that the 90s Dual Rectifier be able to adapt its power output section to use the other classic pentode power tube, the British-style EL34. These tubes are largely responsible for the signature sound of many immediately identifiable and wonderful-sounding amps created in Great Britain and used on some of the best rock recordings to date.
Page 27: Factory Sample Settings
FACTORY SAMPLE SETTINGS CLEAN ORANGE CHANNEL GAIN (REAR PANEL): CLEAN RHYTHM CLEAN MASTER PRESENCE BASS TREBLE GAIN LOOP LOOP FT. SW. ACTIVE MASTER POWER SWITCH (FRONT PANEL): SPONGY or BOLD RECTIFIER SELECT (REAR PANEL): VACUUM TUBES PURRING BLUES ORANGE CHANNEL GAIN (REAR PANEL): VARIABLE HIGH GAIN CLEAN MASTER PRESENCE...
Page 28: User Settings
USER SETTINGS CLEAN MASTER PRESENCE BASS TREBLE GAIN LOOP LOOP FT. SW. ACTIVE MASTER CLEAN MASTER PRESENCE BASS TREBLE GAIN LOOP LOOP FT. SW. ACTIVE MASTER CLEAN MASTER PRESENCE BASS TREBLE GAIN LOOP LOOP FT. SW. ACTIVE MASTER CLEAN MASTER PRESENCE BASS TREBLE...
Page 29: Diagnosing Pre-Amp Tube Problems
DIAGNOSING PRE-AMP TUBE PROBLEMS Because your amplifier is an all tube design, it is quite possible that you will at some point experience minor pre-amp tube noise. Rest assured - this is no cause for alarm and you can take care of the problem yourself in a matter of minutes by simply swapping tubes.
Page 30: Tube Noise & Microphonics
Pre-amp tubes don’t normally wear out as a rule. Therefore, it is not a good idea to change them just for the sake of changing them. If there isn’t a problem - don’t fix it. If there is no result from your substitutions, it may be possible that you have more than one problematic tube.
Page 31: Speaker Impedance Matching & Hook-Up Guide
MESA/Boogie amplifiers can handle 4 and 8 ohms effectively. Never run below 4 ohms in a tube amplifier unless you are absolutely certain that the system can handle it properly; this can cause damage to the output transformer.
Page 32 SERIES When you wire ( hook-up ) speakers in series, the speakers resistance ( as measured in ohms ) is additive - i.e. putting two 8 ohm speakers in series results in a 16 ohm load. NEGATIVE = POSITIVE = Speaker A = 8 Ohms Speaker B = 8 Ohms SERIES:...
Page 33 COMBINATION OF SERIES & PARALLEL This is really just two sets of series wired speakers connected in Parallel. This is how you maintain a consistent load with multiple speakers. The importance of this is more evident when you have more than one cabinet to connect to your amplifier.
Page 34 WIRING SCHEMES...Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets SPEAKERS SPEAKERS 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 8 Ohm Cabinet 4 Ohm Cabinet SPEAKERS SPEAKERS 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 8 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet SAFE MISMATCH SAFE MISMATCH...
Page 35 WIRING SCHEMES...Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets SPEAKERS 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 8 Ohm Cabinet 8 Ohm Cabinet PAGE 32...
Page 36: Tube Guide
PAGE 33...
Page 37: Parts List
PAGE 34...
Page 38: Service Information
SERVICE INFORMATION USA /CANADA Customer Support: • For technical support, troubleshooting, tone questions, settings help and more... Call us at 707-778-6565, Monday-Thursday, 9AM-5PM Pacific time, or email us at service@mesaboogie.com. NOTE: If a Product Specialist is not available when you call (helping other customers), PLEASE leave a voice message with a phone number and a good time to call and WE’LL CALL YOU BACK! INTERNATIONAL Customer Support: •...
Page 39 Thank you for trusting MESA/Boogie® to be your amplifier company and we wish you many years of toneful enjoyment from this handcrafted instrument. PAGE 36...
Page 40 Scan to download Mesa/Boogie product manuals in additional languages. Or, visit www.mesaboogie.com/manuals 1317 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954 USA • (707) 778-6565 • www.mesaboogie.com 24/11/05...

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Summary of Contents for Mesa/Boogie 90s DUAL RECTIFIER