For a generation of heavy players, the sound of the '90s came out of a diamond-plate Mesa/Boogie head with "Rectifier" on the front. Now one of the biggest of them is back.
Mesa/Boogie has reissued its '90s Triple Rectifier, a 150-watt, three-rectifier-tube monster that first appeared in 1992. It follows last year's return of the '90s Dual Rectifier, and it arrives in two looks: a classic Standard and a limited all-black Stealth edition.
Photo: Mesa/Boogie
The short version
The '90s Triple Rectifier Standard head sells for $3,199 street.
A limited Stealth blackout edition costs $3,699.
It's 150 watts from six 6L6 power tubes, with three 5U4GB rectifier tubes.
Each amp is hand-built in Petaluma, California.
Some regional versions are already listed as sold out on Gibson's site.
Why the Triple Rec mattered
The Triple Rectifier debuted in 1992 alongside the Dual Rectifier Solo Head. The Dual got more attention, but many pros preferred the Triple for its extra headroom, tighter low end and clearer power chords. That made it a favourite of players tuning low and playing seven-strings as nu-metal took off.
"Back in the '90s, these upscale, blacked-out models dominated stages behind some of the biggest" rock acts, said Doug West, director of the Gibson Amplifiers and Mesa/Boogie Tone Lab. He added that vintage examples usually show heavy wear from years of touring.
What's inside
The reissue keeps the features that made the original flexible:
Two channels with selectable voicings
A switch between tube and silicon diode rectification
A Bold/Spongy power switch that changes how the amp feels under your hands
A bias switch for swapping 6L6s for EL34s
Five speaker outputs and a tube-driven effects loop
The head sits in a Baltic birch cabinet with a cooling fan, weighs about 48.6 pounds and comes with a footswitch, a slipcover and a five-year warranty.
Two looks
The Standard keeps the classic look, with chrome knobs and an aluminum-look diamond plate. The limited Stealth edition goes all black, with a black diamond plate, black knurled knobs and a red jewel lamp.
Photo: Mesa/Boogie
Why it matters
Players: Original '90s Triple Recs are hard to find in good shape. A new one with a warranty is an easier path to that sound.
The industry: Gibson, which owns Mesa/Boogie, is leaning into its heritage catalog. Reissues are a lower-risk way to sell to players who already know what they want.
Retailers: Even as modelers win converts, a $3,000-plus tube head still has a loyal buyer. Heavy-music nostalgia is a real market.
Sources: Gibson Gazette (Sept. 15, 2026), Premier Guitar, Guitar World and Guitar.com.