Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Retube Kits

The Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier is indeed a very unique animal. The different combinations of power tubes and rectifier tubes that can be run is almost endless. The kits we offer here are the most distinctive in tonal character, forged from many years of research. Every kit is configured to provide a specific sound/experience.

All our Mesa Dual Rectifier Retube Kits include power tubes that are hand selected to run perfectly in Mesa amps. We have extensive hands-on experience measuring the fixed bias points in these amps and what grade of tubes will achieve optimal performance.

The default power tubes for all of our Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier kits are the JJ 6L6GC’s. These tubes follow the classic 6L6GC sonic archetype with big lows, smooth mids and crystalline highs. What sets them apart is their low end clarity, mid-range detail and very clear highs without being overbearing or harsh.

Other 6L6 family options include the JJ 5881’s and the JJ 6V6S’s. The JJ 5881’s are a Classic 23 watt 5881 in a traditional stubby bottle. “Jangle” for days and a very warm full tone. Right in-between the JJ 6L6GC and the JJ 6V6S in power. If you’re looking for that early-breakup “tweed” era character these are it. The JJ 6V6S’s are the only production 6V6 that can handle big Mesa amps and they do it with ease. Classic low power 6V6 tones kicked up a notch! Tighter lows, detailed mids and smooth clipping characteristics.

Note: The JJ 6V6S’s must be run in the tube rectifier mode with either the JJ 5U4GB or JJ GZ34S rectifier tubes. Running the 6V6S’s in the solid state diode mode will shorten their life because the plate voltage is to high.

Note about Rectifier tubes: Many Mesa owners choose to run their amps in the “Solid State Diode Mode”. The main reason for this is the amp will make more power in this mode and the amp will have more punch compared to the “Tube Rectifier Mode”. Mesa chose to use 5U4GB Rectifier tubes which sound and feel saggy. Some players like this, however there is another option which is to use the GZ34 or 5AR4 Rectifier tubes. The GZ34’s supply more voltage than 5U4’s do. So when using GZ34’s you will get very close to the same power out put from the amp, and you get the warmth of tube rectifacation without the saggy feel of 5U4’s. This is why we offer kits with GZ34’s, and 5U4GB’s and without Rectifier tubes.

The large bottle options include the JJ KT66’s, the JJ 6550’s, and the JJ KT88’s. The JJ KT66’s are one of our favorite tubes here at Eurotubes. These tubes have a clean low end response with a forward mid-range and articulate highs. When overdriven these tubes crunch up early in the upper mids and highs resulting in an incredibly complex tone that retains excellent low end clarity (just like the originals). The JJ 6550’s are very warm with a great clean tone and the breakup is raw, crunchy, and gritty. If you want an Angus – AC/DC type tone then these tubes really deliver! They are simply a lot of fun to play. The JJ 6550 will not make quite as much power as the JJ KT88 and the KT88 is a bit thicker sounding. The JJ KT88’s are extremely thick and rich sounding, they are a very high power tube with lots of headroom, thunderous lows, thick/aggressive mids, and sweet detailed highs.

And then then there is the EL34 family of tubes. Thru the years the JJ E34L’s with their added punch and articulation have become a favorite here at Eurotubes and with our customers. They are very tight with an extended low end over a standard EL34. However you can use the Power Tube drop down to select the JJ EL34’s, the JJ EL34II’s, the JJ KT77’s or the JJ 6CA7’s. The JJ EL34’s are known for their mid range bloom and have a slightly looser feel when compared to the E34L’s. The JJ EL34II’s are not as aggressive as the E34L, but they are a little fuller in the lows and low mids than the EL34’s. The JJ KT77’s have an extended frequency response with big/chunky lows (even deeper than the E34L’s) and chimey/present highs. The mids are very smooth for an EL34 type tube and when driven they’re extremely rich and complex. The JJ Big Bottle 6CA7’s have big lows (on par with the KT77’s), an emphasis in the lows mids, and very round/natural highs. This gives the tube a very thick and round character that’s as close to crossing a standard EL34 with a 6L6 as you can get.

Now if that were not enough we also offer what we call “Integrated” tube options. These are combinations Eurotubes has formulated over the years (since 1998) that have proven to be unique. Integrated tube sets include running pairs of JJ 6L6GC’s with JJ 6550’s, and JJ 6L6GC’s with KT66’s, and JJ 6L6GC’s with KT88’s. We also combine the JJ KT66’s with JJ KT88’s and another favorite is running the JJ 6V6S’s with JJ KT77’s!

Chapter 2. Here are the Retube Kit Options.

The Standard Retube Kit is as close to OEM as possible. Maintaining the amps stock level of headroom and gain while providing a warm but even handed overall sound. The kit includes one matched quad of JJ 6L6GC’s by default, one Balanced JJ ECC83S for the phase inverter (V5, farthest from the input jack.) and Four Standard JJ ECC83S’s for V1 – V2 – V3 – V4.

The Gold Pin Retube Kit uses the JJ ECC83S Gold Pin variants to provide a smoother, creamier, and more singing overall sound. This option is less aggressive and has less “teeth” when driven hard. If you like a classic raunchy gritty overdriven tone, we recommend looking to the Standard or High Gain option. If sweet, open, and more refined is what you’re after this kit will do it. The kit includes one matched quad of JJ 6L6GC’s by default, one Balanced JJ ECC83S Gold Pin for the phase inverter (V5, closest to power tubes), and four Standard JJ Gold Pin ECC83S’s for V1 – V2 – V3 – V4.

The High Gain Retube Kit uses our hand picked high gain selected JJ ECC83S’s. If you’re looking for maximum crunch and grind this is where you want to be. Sonically this setup is very similar to our Standard Retube Kit but with a little extra gain on tap. The kit includes one matched quad of JJ 6L6GC’s by default, one Balanced High Gain JJ ECC83S for the phase inverter (V5, closest to power tubes), one Standard ECC83S for V4 and three High Gain JJ ECC83S’s for V1 – V2 – V3.

The ECC803S V1 Option Retube Kit uses the Long Plate JJ ECC803S in the V1 position. The JJ Long Plate ECC803S has a little lower gain with big thick mids and a little more sparkle in the highs. The kit includes one matched quad of JJ 6L6GC’s by default, one Balanced JJ ECC83S for the phase inverter (V5, closest to the power tubes),  three Standard JJ ECC83S’s for V2 – V3 – V4 and one Standard JJ ECC803S for V1 (closest to input jack).

The Personal Fave Retube Kit  A number of years ago a question kept coming up about what Bob liked best in his Dual Rec. Everyone that played his amp here in the studio commented about how lush the cleans were and how smooth the other channels were and how much gain it had. We decided to make the kit available to everyone and we called it the “Personal Fave”. The kit includes one matched quad of JJ 6L6GC’s by default, one Balanced JJ ECC83S for the phase inverter (V5, closest to power tubes), one Standard ECC83S’s for V4, a Handpicked Hi Gain ECC83S for V3, a Gold Pin ECC83S for V2 and a Long Plate Gold Pin ECC803S for V1.