I have my pre-500 and my Rev. G, both Blackfaces, and to my ears, they sound different enough to be used in different scenarios. My Pre-500 definitely sounds tighter, and more aggressive, while my Rev. G sounds thick and multi-dimensional.
I usually combine one of my Coliseums with one of my Rectos, to get a massive tonal footprint, but I’ll reach for my early Rectos if my Rev. G doesn’t seem to track fast enough.
But, I’ll agree with Dave. All the Revisions are great and have their own strengths, but shouldn’t be discounted compared to any other Revisions.
I did quite a bit of research on the Mesas back in the day, and as I recall, Mesa started development of the Rectos during the same timeframe the Mark III Blue Stripe was in production. Many of the early Rectos shared the same components as the Mark IIIs (I specifically remember the Trannys were the same), but I could easily see the early Rectos coming stock with the only Blue-screened Sylvania. I actually have a set of the old Sylvania around that still sound amazing!
I usually combine one of my Coliseums with one of my Rectos, to get a massive tonal footprint, but I’ll reach for my early Rectos if my Rev. G doesn’t seem to track fast enough.
But, I’ll agree with Dave. All the Revisions are great and have their own strengths, but shouldn’t be discounted compared to any other Revisions.
I did quite a bit of research on the Mesas back in the day, and as I recall, Mesa started development of the Rectos during the same timeframe the Mark III Blue Stripe was in production. Many of the early Rectos shared the same components as the Mark IIIs (I specifically remember the Trannys were the same), but I could easily see the early Rectos coming stock with the only Blue-screened Sylvania. I actually have a set of the old Sylvania around that still sound amazing!