4 Best Mesa Boogie Amps (reviews & roundup)

QUICK HIT: Roundup of the four best Mesa Boogie amps from one of the world's most sought-after boutique amp manufacturers.

Mesa Boogie is one of the most sought-after amp manufacturers of our time, trusted by a massive list of professional guitar players, particularly in the hard rock and metal genres. Their artist list page is one of the largest such we've ever seen and includes the likes of Mark Tremonti, Dave Grohl, Adam Jones, Korn, Maroon 5, and tons more.

Those guys have their pick when it comes to Mesa amplifiers, but in this article we're going to seek out some of the more affordable options.

The Mesa Boogie amps we recommend will not only meet a certainly quality standard (essentially all Mesa amps do), but should also be decently affordable for you and me.

For the record, here's a quick look at the Mesa Rectifier Badlander that I tested for a review:

In summary, our top four picks include two Rectifiers, the Recto-Verb series, and the Mark Five series.

1. Mini Rectifier
2. Dual Rectifier
3. Recto-Verb
4. Mark Five

While we've given fairly specific recommendations, keep in mind that each amp is part of a series. That means if you find a Mark Five in a different wattage variation than what we've mentioned, it's still going to get you most of the core value we've outlined for the Mark Five 90.

In other words: It might have less control and/or less wattage - but still quite good.

For example, the Recto-Verb listed is a "Dual Rectifier" while mine is only a "Single Rectifier."

I didn't let that scare me away from what I already knew was a great amp series.

Just keep that in mind as you shop Mesa amps.

Is $2000 much to spend on an amp?

For those wanting a modern-sounding tube amp that's on the cheaper side, I usually recommend Blackstar as a good consolation price. If you can't afford the steeper cost of the Mesa brand, Blackstar is a similar style amp that can get you in the door for less than $1000.

However, to get any kind of Mesa amp - assuming you want to buy new - you'll need to spend around $2000, where $1300 is the low-end with the Mini Rectifier.

Is that too much?

For an amp, I would argue - no - it's not too much.

Because in a lot of ways, an amp has more to say about the overall tone of an electric guitar rig than the electric guitar itself. The tubes, preamp setup, and EQ all play a crucial role, which leads me to suggest that if you're serious about the guitar - specifically the electric guitar - paying between $1500 and $2500 for an amp isn't necessarily overkill.

In my experience, you absolutely get what you pay for and the quality of an amp can make a huge different in your rig.

Where you draw the dollar line is up to you.

Conclusion and Your Questions

Of all the Mesa amps, I'd say the Dual and Triple Rectifiers are my two pure favorites (regardless of cost). The Recto-Verb I use was something my wife found and got a great deal on, saving me from a far more expensive event.

All that to say, just about anything with the Mesa logo on it is going to be a good option for you. 

If you can't justify the retail prices, look around the used markets. 

Reverb has a ton of used Mesas that will often drop under $1000.

In the mean time, if you have questions about the Mesa Boogie amps we've listed, feel free to leave them in the comments section below, or checkout some of our additional amp buying resources.