Secrets of the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head - Red Plating Tubes Repair

In this video, we'll dive headlong into an early 1993 Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head (R-001148). This one is so early it still has the chrome chassis with black lettering. This is the early 2-Channel version (Rev. F) with some issues which we will repair, including red plating tubes and no output.
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#electronics #repair #service

[@denisohbrien]

brad, your personal life is none of my business, im just here for the amp videos, but stay strong and level headed my friend, hope you work your issues out.

[@mark5150ty]

Brad man we appreciate you putting out content with trouble going on at home , but all of us will still be here if you take a sabbatical. I've been there man. take a vacation do whatever you got to do feel better, and then go back and get your family. That is what's important not KZbin. Get your head right... Then work on getting out of the dog house. I promise you will all be here when you get back. Much love man , and good luck.

[@pauldavis6356]

Just remember to change the capacitors before you leave the "dog house". LoL.

[@mark5150ty]

@@pauldavis6356 lol

[@Twobarpsi]

You said you hate Mesas, but you expertly fixed two difficult repairs 👍🤘

[@jonpardue]

Dude your persistence is incredible. Its good to see you think and work through finding a shorted capacitor and discovering yet another odd way failed tubes can behave. Every one of us is cheering you on personally and professionally. Thank you for investing time to make videos!

[@Tomater768]

Now I understand why Mesa Boogie is the bane of a technician's existence. I'll be praying for your family situation! Great video, bud!

[@yqwgjsg]

Brad, you know you have all the support in the world from your subs but as I told my wife 40 years ago, once we have kids our problems are secondary, our kids come first. You have 2 beautiful children and they deserve a full time mom and dad. My wife and I had some really rough times but we raised 2 kids that got the message. One has been married for 26 years and the other 23. Not being judgmental but wishing the best for you and your family.

[@TheGuitologist]

I agree. This isn't my decision.

[@SkyscraperGuitars]

Brad, just know you've got a big group of supporters out here.

[@Vichedges]

Yeah, I obviously don't agree with everything the guy says or does but his basic philosophy is very similar to mine and I like that he's not afraid to speak out on stuff like this Covid hysteria.

[@Vichedges]

@@TheChadPad Sure. I guess you slept through the shutdown, businesses being closed, being forced to remain closed or at limited capacity, masks being mandated, not wearing a mask being criminalized, 24/7 coverage of how deadly Covid is, food shortages, cleaning supply shortages, travel bans, countries around the world shutting down........I could go on but if you didn't notice all that going on what's the point? Clearly no hysteria lol. Dope.

[@poot111111]

I hope you and your family can get back to normal.

[@Curtislow2]

I feel "A NEW NORMAL" is in his future. But it will work out.

[@terryhimes5052]

After watching one of your older Mesa repairs! I Swore I would never buy one. Beyond that. All the best buddy. Prayers that you get thru the personal problems. I've been there. A couple times thru my life. I feel your Pain, Anxiety, Stress etc. God Bless Brother. I hope I'm not out of line. But have been watching for some time. And, consider you as a friend.

[@JohnCarey1963Jag]

I hope you can get your relationship back together. Thanks for taking time to share with us your situation - positive vibes for you....

[@briankientz2926]

Brad I sure am sorry that you are having domestic troubles, you and the family will be in my prayers...

[@nocturnalferalguitarist]

The mental gymnastics to take on this amp. It sounds killer even without the cab. Great vid.

[@JzuHax]

Wow, that was a good one. Specially appreciated the annotated schematics while debugging the darn preamp, kudos for that. I'm sorry to hear about the current situation. Hopefully it seems it's a matter of letting the mind cool down a bit. Yeah, easier said than done, but time works wonders. All the best!

[@roncarter2188]

The main reason I won't own a Mesa amp, repair nightmare!! Good job repairing another Mesa.

[@pedraw]

You're a mad man working on those Mesa amps. I hope everything works out for your family Brad. This whole Covid thing has been terrible on a lot of folks.

[@robinosborne266]

So sorry that you are going through problems at the minute Brad. In the current circumstances in which we live it is so easy to become concerned for ourselves and our families and children. Please try to take care of yourself and I pray that your marriage problems can be sorted out. All the best my friend and try to relax and concentrate on your recovery and saving your marriage - it is worth the effort.

[@brianyork5510]

I woke up the other day thinkin' about you separated from your daughters. I hope everything will turn out for the best. Much love and prayers your way brother. I dug this video. Please take care of yourself. I care what happens to you.

[@GlobalMiles]

Me too. You’re an inspiration to us all.

[@isoguy.]

There are times when you have to let the world (others) deal with its own issues and concentrate on yourself, and your family. Awesome vid, as always, thanks for sharing.

[@luthiervandros]

The message I needed to find. Great advice.

[@glenwhatley4125]

I used to be Mesa Boogie authorized. Visited their factory in Novato, CA north of San Fran. Nice factory and great people back then. Don't know about now. Yes the amps cooks be easier physically to work on but aside from that (and i told them so) whomever drew up their schematics should be shot. I know anyone who's tried to follow those things page to page agrees. That's half the issue that makes them so difficult to trace especially when you're trying to follow some of the FET switching lines😬. I once asked if they had any board layout pages so at least you could find the components. They sent me Gerber files. Note of you've ever seen them....you're eyes will go alk googly trying to use those. Anyway aside from being a pain in the ass to work on it is also fairly rewarding once you finally do beat the bastard😬. Nice work...

[@PartyChicken407]

Would you mind if we had a little back and forth discussion about an ‘issue’ I found with my Dual Rectifier (Multiwatt from 2011)? It’s just a problem I’m trying to sort out but I’m scratching my head a little.

[@Reverend_Taco]

Brad holy shit, I noticed the wrist band. I really hope you’re ok dude, or at least on the way to ok. The biggest step is realizing there’s something that needs fixing, everything after that is a little bit easier. Random stranger on the internet and all, but I love you man.

[@TestarossaMusicista]

@jacktheripped that's definitely not an ESD wrist strap. It's a hospital band.

[@kasamikona]

​@jacktheripped Pretty sure it's a hospital band, looks exactly like one I got. Most ESD straps are just some kind of elastic, not the fold and button fastening you see there. There's also a large flat area which is meant for writing patient info, in fact you can see some print on it. The whole thing appears to be one piece with no conductive part, and no sign of any stud for an actual grounding lead. Besides, putting "hospital wrist strap" into google images brings up something that looks exactly like that within the first few images. Anyway, love and best wishes for Brad and whatever struggles he may be going through right now.

[@winkle-pickerpookicker2255]

And its an old video in his home he no longer lives in with a big beard and on channel 2 he is clean shaved with a short hairstyle. Drama queen he is fine.

[@rickfeith6372]

I'm pretty sure that's not a grounding strap either....looks like a hospital ID.

[@kasamikona]

@jacktheripped I find it funny that you come here with false claims dismissing whatever might be going on, and then say we're beating a dead horse by correcting you.

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

Good to have you back Brad and I am sure that soon enough you'll hear those words again. Stay strong.

[@NickP333]

I used to own a first gen triple rectifier when only 2 places in my state had em before GC got involved. It only had 2 channels, not 3, and a 1 button foot switch just to switch the clean and distortion channels. I sold it years ago, cuz 150 watts became kinda overkill for me, and switching from 6L6’s to EL34’s was a PITA to bias unless you bought Mesa tubes with the same gain rating, and my amp tech refused to work on it like you. lol. I totally get it, man! Great sounding amp though.

[@NickP333]

Phenomenal job figuring that mess out. One of the reasons I sold my triple rectifier was that it ended up being unreliable on the road and just in general. Not to mention, there was just way too much sh*t shoved in there. Ya just don’t need that many options. I went back to my much simpler Marshalls instead. Brad, I’m so sorry to hear about your issues with your wife and your current state of mind. You’re far from being alone. The world is so f’d right now. Just please know that there’s a lot of people that love and care a ton about you and your wellbeing. People who don’t even know you personally, including myself.

[@WarrenBey]

I had a first gen triple rec also! Played great for about 1 year and then blew up and then someone stole the blown amp. Didn't play guitar for about 5 years after :-(

[@NickP333]

Warren Beyda I’m sorry, Warren. That sucks and is sad that anyone would steal something like a musical instrument or amp. I got so burned out from touring, that I also didn’t play for years either, if that’s any consolation. I got way into HiFi, which eventually lead me back to playing guitar. 🎶🔊✌️🙂

[@geofotnop68]

its good to see you back, we all hope your hittin on all cylinders, thanx for the vid, and keep us up to date with you.

[@richdelb]

I hear you on the mental issues man. I really do. This world has got me BADLY messed up in the head as well. Do the best that you can. Your not in the shit storm alone, but as I am feeling more and more every day, that's of little consolation. I do very much enjoy your videos. Amp repair is not even close to my skill set, so I enjoy watching someone who knows their shit do what they do. If you can keep doing them, I, for one will keep watching.

[@RHR-221b]

😎

[@gerrabath]

Why have simplicity and fulfilment when you can make your life a living hell with a 'boutique' amp.

[@johnaustin6673]

sorry to hear about the family issues. Just go's to show, YOUR A ROCK STAR AT HEART. Be safe and take care of "YOURSELF" first.

[@bobvines00]

Brad, glad to hear that you _did_ get to go for a walk with your daughter(s). I hope that things work out for the best for all of you.

[@officialmetalwill]

I hope you're family is able to work things out! This is a crazy time for all of us and none of us are at our best right now. You have a huge support system behind you, Brad!

[@RodmanFreeman]

Man, sorry to hear about your situation. Hope you will work it out with your family. I do get the being angry at the world part, but the thing is there’s more world than you so... Just keeping myself busy with something worthwhile has always helped me. Rooting for you here

[@MATTE.U.K]

That intermission summed up all of my feelings/experiences about DIY

[@JunkfoodZombieGuns]

Almost as old as mine. S/N is R00216. Bought it used roughly 25 years or so ago. Love it.

[@joshmakeshift]

brad are you ok? i see the medical band and i worry. i am a hobbyist at fixing amps and you are my go to guy. as someone that has dealt and dealing with mental health i will always be here if you need a random to reach out to and maybe scream at or cry to. or just rant and rave. many of us are here.

[@kevinolson1710]

Hang in there Brother, you are a Good Dude. Same thing happened to me. It was the Best thing that happened in my life.

[@johnneider6159]

Great video. Thanks for posting. Don't worry about things you can't control. Never give up and never surrender. Rock on Brad. Sunny happy days will return soon .. take care

[@MarkEagleton]

I’m really sorry to hear you are going through rough time, Brad. Take care of yourself. Your repair videos are on the sunnier side of my life.

[@SamLease]

I am in the same boat as you my friend. Prayers to you and your wife during this process. Start ordering parts.

[@Apitome1]

All things to all people you said bout the amp but, Kinda hit home for me. I to struggle with alot of things which we will not mention.But ,man I hope you find the glue to mend your pieces back together again.Much Love Man

[@joncottage4885]

Brad: YOU are a TRUE LEGEND! You are a trooper for sure. Since discovering your channel I have rediscovered my love of Guitar after having not picked it back up in a number of years due to my own issues regarding my mental health. YOU are such an inspiration and have made me persistently laugh my arse off so much (especially with the SPF's!). I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that all of your fan(atics!) wish you the very best. I'm thinking of you and you're in my prayers. Stay strong and I sincerely hope life will return to normal for you very soon. Take care.

[@PooNinja]

9:21 FULL BRIDGE RECTIFIER !!!! 😂I always hear that in electroboom’s voice

[@glennselwitz1377]

The last Mesa....way to much can go wrong....hope everything works out in your marriage..you are a awesome dude and we love you...

[@13Hangfire]

That's the amp I used when I auditioned for the RHCP in the early 90's!

[@metaljonesy]

Love these long videos on the more high gain amps! Nice work

[@trubadorphotography2541]

Sorry, again, to hear of the difficulties you’re going thru, Brad. We are definitely living “in interesting times”, and it’s putting a strain on people’s lives, relationships, finances, mental healths, etc. Regarding the “outside” stuff, we all need to learn to step away from the constant bombardment of information (good & bad, fake & real). And when we do go back to it, we limit our exposure and try not to get sucked into the vortex again. Faith, family, community, country... in that order (although all four are important)... will help to right your own ship... and, in doing so, will help to also right the other ships in this turbulent ocean of our crazy world. Hang in there. Do what your need to do to repair any of the breaches in the hull and the tears in the sails. God will see you thru. In the meantime, I bought a variac t-shirt to help yah out. Now, where did I place my paddleball??? 😉😆🎸🎼🎶🎵

[@TheGuitologist]

This has gone WAY beyond "limiting exposure" when the fuckers are tearing down your nation's history and threatening your way of life because they have deemed it to be inherently "racist". And on top of that, we have politicians and bureaucrats and Big Pharma setting us up for some mandatory bullshit shots. Yeah, it's WAY beyond just turning off some fake news. It's nigh on fightin' time.

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for supporting the channel.

[@mike22810]

Brad, hope you and your wife work through your issues. I know how easy things in the world can eventually take a toll on the mind. Sometimes you have to turn the TV off and stay off the internet and social media for your mental health sake, I've gone through the same thing man. Just know that you and your family are in my prayers man, God bless bro.

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks Mike.

[@ThatOneGuyWeAllKnow]

Sorry to hear that you are having such a rough time. It’s a crazy time in the world right now. And I believe in you and you’ll make it out better. Keep on keeping on.

[@devinponder6072]

Don't give up on fixing Mesa's. You're good at it. I enjoy your videos. Just charge people more for repair. Since they have more features than some other amps.

[@johnhayes9063]

Stay positive Brad. I have been there with the mental health problems my self and I know it can make you feel as though things will never get better. I have learned that the better the attitude I have the better things turned out. Take it one day at a time brother. Remember a million mile journey begins with 1 single step. Stay safe brother. You are loved by all of us subscribers! Never forget that.

[@drthndr911]

Sorry for what you are going thru. These are tough times for all. I know you guys will work through it and all will be well. Hang in there brother.

[@Kairuofficial]

Thanks always for the great content,sorry to hear about the trouble going on and I hope things get better. much respect from Tokyo.

[@JpOctavarium]

Brad, long time viewer first time commenter. Just want to leave some words of encouragement because I know how hard these times have been lately on everyone. I've had some anger issues myself with current affairs as I had the whole year booked with gigs which just suddenly where cancelled and I was left the pressure and anxiety of how I was going to pay my bills and not lose my home. Thankfully my partner is relentless at looking for gigs and she is amazing at "selling" our band and we are still able to do a gig here or there, so each gig we do now I take it as a blessing and I try to find solace in that. I've been watching your channel for a long time and let me say that you are one hell of a guitar player with a great sense of humour, an incredible amp tech and you produce quality and entertaining content on this platform that brightens my day many times and I'm sure it does the same for many others. Hope things will settle down for you in the future and you find peace. Best regards from Portugal. Ricardo.

[@oliverlangner5202]

WOHOOOOO! Brad uploaded! I needed that so much.💪 I hope, everything works out good for you and your family, buddy. But, c'mon man .... Mesa? You gotta be kiddin'! Had them on my bench like three times. Every f****n one was a DISASTER! Just knock it off, you can't be that desperate.

[@Yupppi]

Cool! Been missing this stuff! Great production this time, very visual and easy to follow. Funny thing, you're the only channel I watch the beginning ad on. I actually like your sponsor ads. Good job. I'm sorry about the hardcomings you're going through. Hopefully there's light in the future.

[@cassvirgillo3395]

Hey Brad, Good to see a Guitologist video. I sincerely hope things are working out, and, like the Beatles said, all you need is love. All the best, C.

[@baggsblues2104]

I've been watching you and your channel for years and enjoy it very much and there are many who feel the same. One day at a time. Cheers.

[@sski]

The only therapy anyone ever needs - 53:36 till the end. And then you went Ty Tabor-mode. Anytime you're ready I've got a drummer, I'm well versed in bass and vocals. We could give King's X and KXM a run for their money ;)

[@canigetachannel]

I love Mesa and know Randy Smith personally. I currently own a Tri-Axis and Strategy 400. Thanks Brad!

[@DeadKoby]

I know you won't take my advice.... BUT... Use a "dummy proof" tube tester like the Orange Divo. Test all tubes before you start, and discard anything that it doesn't pass. This has saved me EONS of time... Getting through 5-7 amp repairs a week. Sometimes you'll get mad at it for failing something you think should pass, or your old time tester says is ok... But just believe it.

[@TheGuitologist]

Probably sound advice. In this particular instance, I was troubleshooting without a tester onhand at all because it was in the other house.

[@DeadKoby]

@@TheGuitologist stinks when you don't have all your tools. I'm doing all the repairs for a music store.... And its a flood of work. Being efficient has to be order of the day. I know my repair a thon videos suck, but theres way more money in getting the amps done.

[@stephencline685]

It really is a difficult time to watch what is happening in the world, almost as difficult as working on Mesas or Peaveys. I hope you get everything worked out and get into a better place dude. I really enjoy your videos and as an amateur amp designer/builder/fixer they have been INCREDIBLY helpful and educational. Best luck and best wishes!

[@untoldguitarist]

I'd rather work on a Peavey head over a Mesa anything. A Rectifier is 10lbs of shit stuffed into a 2lb box, as to the Peavey layouts are alot smoother from board to board, it's just that the molex connectors are the main thing that inside Peavey's, as well as certain models like the XXX with the 100ohm screen grid resistors. Still easier to work on and repair and replace them working on the Rectifier he's working on in this video.

[@michellowe8627]

I’ll add my support, Brad, and hope everything works out the way it’s supposed to. Things have a way of ending up the way they’re supposed to. Nice job on one effed up Mesa Boogie.

[@ajaxpowder]

Brad, Thank you for doing everything that you do. You inspire me everyday to fix and repair my own garbage. I truly hope that the world stops bearing you down and that things start to turn around for you sooner rather then later.

[@ctcards2636]

I dont think i can keep watching anymore of your videos with Mesa amps in them, my brain hurts so baaaaad just watching. LOL!!!

[@podfuk]

I have Mesa F-30 head, first thing I done, was mounting external ventilator for blowing cold air on extremely hot tubes ;) They somehow manage to get 30W from 2xEL84 :o

[@monkeyboy4746]

November can't get here fast enough.

[@patreidcocolditzcastle632]

mate sorry to hear life was getting to you ..let the music make you happy .sometimes we have to forget the world. but gee its certainly shitty times .we have to take it back..your a winner mate

[@Bricklinsv1970]

I used to own a Mesa Boogie Strategy 500 it was a powerful beast!

[@julianmetcalfe1070]

MESA s, AMPS for the hardCORE ,repair TECH , you had fun with this one great fix old chap

[@heriots1]

Hi Brad, love your videos. Hope that you get your family situation sorted, so all are happy. Take care, keep well.

[@RedEyedPatriot]

Hope all is Well Brad😎

[@jeffscott7266]

I love my Mesa Boogie Roadster. I’ve had it for 15 years and it still sounds freakin awesome and has never let me down either. You can really roll tonight to the guitar’s bite. I think Mesa Boogie is getting unfairly bashed about on this KZbin channel based on a 30 year old Mesa Boogie that has obviously not had qualified service and two other old Unloved Mesa Boogie amplifiers. If you’re going to work on Mesa Boogie Tube Amplifier you should get the owners manual and read up on all the cool features it has instead of knocking them. The spongy switch is like the same trick Eddy VanHelen did to his amp to starve current on the power tubes. The Bold setting is for that HEAVY METAL PUNCH and yes they are noticeable with a good working quality matched set of Mesa Boogie Tubes. The other advanced features enable it’s owner to customize their own sound. To the untrained technician unfamiliar with Mesa Boogie’s amplifier designs concepts and how they operate it can be daunting to troubleshoot. Anything you don’t fully understand how it works is going to be hard to troubleshoot until you gain that understanding. For example, I bought my Roadster head used but it looked brand new. It needed new tubes because the person who owned it was a kid and didn’t know how to start up and shut down the head properly and most likely ran the gain all the way up on maximum because one of the four channels had it’s 12AX7 preamp tubes worn out and not producing adequate treble. The power output was week as well and just didn’t have that crisp crystal clear output on the clean channel, it was a bit dull. I simply bought factory verified matched 6V6 MESA BOOGIE Power tubes. Thanks to their balanced bias circuitry I easily got this beast roaring without taking it into a shop and leaving it for two weeks until they have time to get around to adjusting the bias for too much money. I just simply installed new set of Mesa Boogie tubes as described above and it has worked like a champ for 15 years now without any problems at all. So I’m calling BS that Mesa’s biased tube set up isn’t worth a damn and Mesa Boogie in general aint worth a damn. I’ve been running 15 years on the same tubes and they are still going strong is pretty damn good. The EL Tubes are a cool option if you like the British sound and an amp that’s incredibly adjustable to your own taste. Tube rectification or diode bridge rectification are nice options especially if you like to play Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Megadeth, and Metallica. and want it to sound like them. I also like playing surf tunes as well. The clean channel and REAL REVERB SPRING BOX and Tubes SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE IT or that Chris Issac song Wicked Game sounds perfect on a Strat. The Rolling Stones sounds awesome on the Tweed Channel to get that awesome FENDER sound. I love all the options this amp has. It’s perfect if you like a variety of music. You can do it all on one Mesa Boogie with an authentic sound that pedals only mimic. Mesa Boogie is made for the road and big concerts. Slaving heads together and a signal out to the PA and a whole host of great features. All of the other options have been great at giving me the ability to customize my own sound. I have gotten major compliments from professional band members who claimed my Mesa just wasn’t good as so and so’s amp until they heard Mesa Boogie. They had to eat some crow but were amazed on the sounds I was getting out of my Roadster. The key is don’t let unqualified amateurs who don’t know Mesa Boogie’s equipment work on your Mesa Boogie Amplifier.

[@TheGuitologist]

You Play Authentic, buddy. Shine on crazy diamond.

[@may121953]

Great video Brad. Hello from Alabama. Stay strong and I pray things will go well for you. I enjoy all your videos.

[@geneholloway1381]

GOF SPEED Brad keep doing this thing you do...all things will come to pass and come to be if you want and let them...thanks for your knowledge and presence....

[@williamgainford9332]

Sorry about what your goin thru brad - hopefully it will all work out - been thru it myself - my younger brother has just gone thru the same - chin up - always njoy your channel

[@doktorkaktus]

Hi Brad, sorry to hear you are going through rough time and hope you manage to work things out... I used to own a Mesa Boogie Roadster, same redplating, same faulty coupling cap issue. Worked many hours on that repair too. Greetings from France

[@jasonkirkham550]

Brad. I don't know how you managed to make a video. It's heartbreaking to know that you and your family are having these troubles. We will be praying for yall Especially for your children's sake. Fight to keep your family together. Take some time off. We all understand. Take care Brad.

[@CorvinRayne]

Never watched a video like this before - ended up here after spending the morning researching doing a preamp and power tube swap on my Peavey XXX. Really enjoyed the video, even though my knowledge of everything you were doing is very basic. I could understand what you were doing and why, I just know I couldn’t do it lol

[@joemcgraw5529]

been through it all man keep your mind busy things will be fine stay positive you have alot of support man ,take your time ,love your channels ,prayers to you and the family

[@JulianMerghart]

Yes they are the holy grail - yes they sound better than any other metal amp ever made - and yes they can only be serviced by 1 company if there is a problem - Mesa.

[@jeffscott7266]

I love my Mesa Boogie Roadster. I’ve had it for 15 years and it still sounds freakin awesome and has never let me down either. You can really roll tonight to the guitar’s bite. I think Mesa Boogie is getting unfairly bashed about on this KZbin channel based on a 30 year old Mesa Boogie that has obviously not had qualified service and two other old Unloved Mesa Boogie amplifiers. If you’re going to work on Mesa Boogie Tube Amplifier you should get the owners manual and read up on all the cool features it has instead of knocking them. The spongy switch is like the same trick Eddy VanHelen did to his amp to starve current on the power tubes. The Bold setting is for that HEAVY METAL PUNCH and yes they are noticeable with a good working quality matched set of Mesa Boogie Tubes. The other advanced features enable it’s owner to customize their own sound. To the untrained technician unfamiliar with Mesa Boogie’s amplifier designs concepts and how they operate it can be daunting to troubleshoot. Anything you don’t fully understand how it works is going to be hard to troubleshoot until you gain that understanding. For example, I bought my Roadster head used but it looked brand new. It needed new tubes because the person who owned it was a kid and didn’t know how to start up and shut down the head properly and most likely ran the gain all the way up on maximum because one of the four channels had it’s 12AX7 preamp tubes worn out and not producing adequate treble. The power output was week as well and just didn’t have that crisp crystal clear output on the clean channel, it was a bit dull. I simply bought factory verified matched 6V6 MESA BOOGIE Power tubes. Thanks to their balanced bias circuitry I easily got this beast roaring without taking it into a shop and leaving it for two weeks until they have time to get around to adjusting the bias for too much money. I just simply installed new set of Mesa Boogie tubes as described above and it has worked like a champ for 15 years now without any problems at all. So I’m calling BS that Mesa’s biased tube set up isn’t worth a damn and Mesa Boogie in general aint worth a damn. I’ve been running 15 years on the same tubes and they are still going strong is pretty damn good. The EL Tubes are a cool option if you like the British sound and an amp that’s incredibly adjustable to your own taste. Tube rectification or diode bridge rectification are nice options especially if you like to play Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Megadeth, and Metallica. and want it to sound like them. I also like playing surf tunes as well. The clean channel and REAL REVERB SPRING BOX and Tubes SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE IT or that Chris Issac song Wicked Game sounds perfect on a Strat. The Rolling Stones sounds awesome on the Tweed Channel to get that awesome FENDER sound. I love all the options this amp has. It’s perfect if you like a variety of music. You can do it all on one Mesa Boogie with an authentic sound that pedals only mimic. Mesa Boogie is made for the road and big concerts. Slaving heads together and a signal out to the PA and a whole host of great features. All of the other options have been great at giving me the ability to customize my own sound. I have gotten major compliments from professional band members who claimed my Mesa just wasn’t good as so and so’s amp until they heard Mesa Boogie. They had to eat some crow but were amazed on the sounds I was getting out of my Roadster. The key is don’t let unqualified amateurs who don’t know Mesa Boogie’s equipment work on your Mesa Boogie Amplifier. strictly for huge venues only.

[@sterlingschmidt6252]

Hey Brad, sorry to hear life is throwing you curves. Thanks for a great video, I always keep an eye out for new ones. Your videos have been good inspiration for me, can't afford the price for the tube amps I want, so I build them.

[@chanceklippstein]

Damn I'm sorry to hear about you and your old lady brad. Hopefully you 2 can work through it. We are all hear to talk man dont keep shit bottled up. Take it easy bro!

[@JohnLee-mq4hk]

Really enjoy your videos on guitar amp repairs, stay well and safe.

[@jeffbrooks7246]

Like others, I'm both surprised and impressed that you took on this beast, let alone an amp repair, on top of all the other troubleshooting you are doing. It is certainly nice to see a new video. I suppose it can serve as a distraction and w. Great job of getting to the bottom of that, with all of those LDRs really confuse some folks using a direct, sensible approach that I know a lot of us appreciate. Best wishes going forward dude and BTW, splendid guitar playing!

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks Jeff. Yeah, a lot of "modern" switching is like a Rube Goldberg mechanism. At some point, it's just a simple switch with two contacts, but so many ways to get those opened and closed. The LDRs are thhe Mesa way in a lot of their amps.

[@davebishop2566]

Sadly I bought a new Dual rec. I took it home and dialed it in. The next day I took it to the studio. I turned it on to get ready to record and I heard a thumping sound that got louder and louder until I turned the amp off. One tube was arcing out from the plates to the glass. The next day Mesa told the shop to give me a new set of tubes. That problem went away and I did end up using to record part of the record. The next problem happened to me playing live. The foot switch would switch on its own to the clean channel when changing from channel 2-3. I finished the show and never missed a beat but I realized I couldn’t use channel 3. I thought maybe it was the switch cable but wasn’t. After talking to Mesa they told me to ship them the amp for warranty work. I figured it was something to do with static. I opened up the switch box and put two laundry dryer sheets inside the box. The problem went away. I have two Dual recs. One is 2008 and 2017. Even after It was working and sounding great I went back to using JCM2000s. Amps have to be bulletproof enough to play a tour. You need to have two amps preferably identical. I have 3 JCM2000s and a Korean DSL100.

[@ribbonsofeuphoria5744]

I’m sorry to hear that you are having a tough time at home Brad, look after yourself and I hope you work things out. As for the Mesa, what a stark contrast from the beaut little vintage amps that I’m used to seeing here. What a nightmare inside there >

[@richardromanyshyn608]

Hospital wrist tag and a Save Ferris shirt with Cameron on it. Rockn fn Roll!!! Jokes aside now I am wondering if the Mesa setting on my VT120+ is going to emulate burning my house down

[@Pilotltd]

Great vid under difficult circumstances all round Brad. Take care buddy and remember we all love you.

[@papotorres9064]

WOW , this is really sad , i have been there too , not an easy step you are going thru , feel very sorry for your kids if you have any , that's what really hurt me the most , at the time , lucky for you these amps keeps your head occupy , but still , it's a hard step anyway , hope your case can be fixed , I never went back in my case , i did stayed very close to my boy , your work is your life line and i love seeing your videos , just because you are a real person and tell it like it is , and i like that , be strong , easier said than done , but it is possible , love your work , and i am hooked on now to your channel , try to keep your head clear , keep up the good work , and be strong , Alfred NYC / PR

[@SilentNightBodomNight]

The roadster still tops this one. Great video nonetheless. Stay positive tho man. Everyone experiences ups and downs in life, just focus on you and your family. I’m happy you’re pushing thru it as good as you are and still making great content. Also your knowledge and talent for what you do is a blessing, and for that we will all continue to support you and your channel. We’re all here for you man, don’t ever forget that.

[@highvoltagebeaver6640]

Good to see another Guitologist video!

[@theguitaramptech]

I am thinking of starting a Tech's Club called "Haters of Mesa Dual/Triple Rectifiers and Marshall DSL/TSL/401". I'll be President of the Australian Chapter. Would you like to be the President of the USA Chapter?" Sorry to hear about the wife issues. It happened to me is 2003, but I was so blessed that my daughter stayed with me. We are still the best mates, and she is now 30! The sun will shine again, mate.

[@inkomododragon]

Great video, Brad. The folks at Mesa are hopeless. They keep adding stuff over more stuff till they run out of real state. Just make a damn decision and leave what's useful. On another note, hang in there pal! Best vibes to you and your family.

[@purplecicada8912]

Great video! That's why I subscribed to your channel. If sh*t hits the fan it's always good to do what you're good at! World cannot get worse than fixing a Mesa amp...

[@MrTcb5899]

From one brad to another, i hope everything works out. Keep up the great work, love your vids.

[@sgtearl1]

I know its a late comment, but I hope everything gets better between your wife and you, I know how mental issues can affect relationships, especially now with everyone having to be at home, its going to happen. All you can do is just keep moving forward, one step at a time no matter how hard it gets.

[@BattleDroid134]

REC C #43 = Revision "C" 43rd amp made under that revision of the dual rec. Fluff has an excellent history of the Mesa rectifier series.

[@LilWillyA2Z]

Congratulations on the repair! You’re in my prayers for turning the personal things in the right direction. 🙏

[@davidaylsworth8964]

Always enjoy your explorations with electronics. So sorry to hear about your personal situation. I truly understand your situation and the struggle you’re facing. Hoping you find your way back to a happy place.

[@djmtndew]

Brad. I completely agree and understand about being mad at the world.. glad to see you back though.

[@cellfagsrevenge]

Brad, wish the best for you!

[@miitchmitchell]

I hope things work out for you, much love from the UK. I love your videos, they are superb.

[@thomasgwilliams7957]

Great to see u back at work. Wish you and your family well Brad! Thanks

[@katman11]

Brad...Tx for posting. Hope it got your mind off things...maybe working on a MESA might not have been a good choice to start coming back from a break. It's so obvious how much you love working on MESA amps. LOL