Anybody know about Mesa Rectifier amps?

  • Thread starter Thread starter billsbigego
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Boost is really needed to tighten it up...... Part of the reason I started that other thread.
 
stephen sawall":9v4iizkb said:
Boost is really needed to tighten it up...... Part of the reason I started that other thread.
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Tried it with my Biyang X-drive, was not impressed. Came with JJ tubes. Wondering if I should get new tubes for it or not. Hate to waste $200 on tubes for the thing if that's not going to unmudden it.

Probably will be in the classified section with the dual dark tomorrow. Sucks to never be happy with anything.
 
How are the tone controls set? I think everything around noon in Vintage mode is a good place to start. The presence pots in the channels are different. I found that I preferred using channel two for Modern mode and channel three with Vintage mode.
 
billsbigego":2nqybzse said:
stephen sawall":2nqybzse said:
Boost is really needed to tighten it up...... Part of the reason I started that other thread.
Click to expand...

Tried it with my Biyang X-drive, was not impressed. Came with JJ tubes. Wondering if I should get new tubes for it or not. Hate to waste $200 on tubes for the thing if that's not going to unmudden it.

Probably will be in the classified section with the dual dark tomorrow. Sucks to never be happy with anything.
Click to expand...


Just replace the first 2-3 preamp tubes and see if that helps you get it where you want it. I typically only like JJ preamp tubes in the last spot or 2 in any amp. Too many JJs will make any amp sound dark and muddy.
 
I got 3 mesa 12ax7's

So try em in slots V1, V2, V3 ?

Here's a video of the thing. Keep in mind, I'm drunk. Was @ a Japanese restaraunt for my birthday and the fucker was shooting Saki in my mouth every 5 minutes. So my playing sucks more than it usually sucks :rock:

 
Sounds like a lot of gain in that clip? Rectos IMHO don't do well if the gain is set above 1:00 or so. If you want more juice than that, boost with an OD pedal (level up, gain down).
 
Yeah been fucking around with it. The gain I think was around 2:00 in that clip. I've backed it off to 1:00, put some mesa 12ax7's and used the biyang x-drive and I have a somewhat usable tone. I am going to have to get a maxon 808 and see how that does.

I think there's just this inherent flub to the rectifier series that I'm just not use to. One guitar sounds good, then I switch to a different tuning guitar and it all goes to hell, LOL.

I'm not giving up yet. I'm wondering if an EQ pedal will help with that flub.

I notice too you have to back way the hell down on the bass on this thing. It sure is a weird animal.
 
Bypass the effects loop on the back.
Put the channel master somewhere between 11:00 and 1:00.
Put the gain somewhere between 11:00 and 1:00.

Rectos need a certain amount of volume before they do their thing.
 
Oh yeah I forgot that, great point some dude. The effect loop screws with something particularly at low volumes. I always hard bypass it using the switch in the back. The amp gets more defined and less fizzy. Mesa really screwed up the parallel Recto loop.
 
Cool. All these little tips are helping. Thanks

I read on another forum, couple guys put an EQ in the loop and claimed the amp came to life. If I got a say, MXR 6 band, would I be better off going in the loop with it or putting it before or after the OD pedal?
 
billsbigego":1e0rz77p said:
Yeah been fucking around with it. The gain I think was around 2:00 in that clip. I've backed it off to 1:00, put some mesa 12ax7's and used the biyang x-drive and I have a somewhat usable tone. I am going to have to get a maxon 808 and see how that does.

I think there's just this inherent flub to the rectifier series that I'm just not use to. One guitar sounds good, then I switch to a different tuning guitar and it all goes to hell, LOL.

I'm not giving up yet. I'm wondering if an EQ pedal will help with that flub.

I notice too you have to back way the hell down on the bass on this thing. It sure is a weird animal.
Click to expand...

I never turn the gain over 2-3 oclock and I like a lot of gain! It is better to keep it around 1-2 oclock and then boost with a Tubescreamer.

There is definitely a certain kind of low end that is always there. It is different than other amps, which is what makes a Recto a Recto. You can add a ton of bass with EQs to other amps, but they never seem to have the same "3-D-ness" that the Recto low end has. That is why it is always so thick and wide sounding.

If you want a more "normal" sound, use the orange vintage channel instead. Orange with high mid, and low treble settings gives you more of that classic Mark series type of sound. Not exactly of course, but it more of a "normal" amp sound that is not as extreme as the red modern channel. The bass is more like what you expect because it is like other amps.

If you use an EQ pedal in the loop, yeah, you can tame the low end by cutting around 200hz or 400hz. I also like to give it more upper mids around 2000hz for more of the Marshall type crunch.

An EQ in front of the amp would be dialed in to be like a Tubescreamer. Basically, a /\ type curve.
 
What do you guys advise as far as the best way to incorporate an EQ into the amps circuit?

Loop or input?

Thanks
 
billsbigego":2f0ttln5 said:
What do you guys advise as far as the best way to incorporate an EQ into the amps circuit?

Loop or input?

Thanks
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Try both. Keep doing whichever you like better.

For what it's worth, whenever I found a setting I liked on an EQ in the loop I generally figured out a way to achieve something similar using the amp's own controls.

Also, at the end of the day a Recto sounds like a Recto. I'd give it a week or two to get your mind wrapped around how the Recto responds to your pick attack, but I wouldn't go sinking a bunch of money into trying to fix it if it's just not something you're into.
 
billsbigego":tz1owgjp said:
I am going to have to get a maxon 808 and see how that does.
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Mesa and Maxon go together like peanut butter and jelly. I have never tried an EQ pedal with any rectifier, I've always been completely happy with a TS boost up front, EL34's, and some volume to get it out of that fizzy spot.
 
Got an MXR EQ, the bigger one. now my effects loop is phasing in and out, that is changing volumes. Any ideas?
 
Try a different EQ; my Recto used to do that with the MXR. GE7 might work. Was gonna tell you, got an older SD-1 I'm not using, wanna try it?
 
Steinmetzify":1i6424gx said:
Try a different EQ; my Recto used to do that with the MXR. GE7 might work. Was gonna tell you, got an older SD-1 I'm not using, wanna try it?
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Well I messed with the send and return knobs, just gave them a twist and recentered them and it seems to be good. It's not just the MXR EQ, I have a holy grail after the MRX in the loop and it was still going in and out.

I had my mind set on a Maxon 808. Not sure if the SD-1 would be similar to that? I have a sparkle drive and a biyang X-drive, both of which are supposed to sound similar to a TS. Both have 3 modes as well. Wondering if I'm just wasting my money on a Maxon 808 and it's all just hype?
 
SD-1 clips asymmetrically, so it's a little edgier. Just thinking it'd cut better than whatever you're using now, since you said it was muddy. 808 is a good pedal; I'd call it smoother than the SD. On you though...either is going to get you better tones than you're hating on.
 
But damn, the thing comes alive with some EQ. I have 250 cut somewhat.
Mesa should have put an eq section in this amp. I don't know who the hell EQ'd the thing, but they shouldn't work in the amp business IMO. Of course, threre's a great probability I have no idea what I'm doing :confused:
 
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