Comparing the oldest Dual Rectifer to the newest one. Rev C vs. MultiWatt.

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GJgo

GJgo

Well-known member
So a while back I picked up a Rev C with a serial in the 40s from another member here, and I've been loving it. Favorite Recto I've touched without question. It's tight and has solid upper mids compared to other Rectos I've had.

Last week I had an opportunity to pick up a brand new 2022 production MultiWatt that was matching & I couldn't help myself. So of course we have the obligatory comparisons! What I've come to realize is that the difference here is the same parallel that you see when comparing an original IIC+ to a JP2C. In short, while they're very different in the room, with the vintage amp being more organic & having WAY more clarity, they're pretty damn close on the mic and the new amp probably is the better call live.

What do you think?

I will add the Rev C has a WAY better lead tone than any Recto I've played. It's very liquid like a Mark. I've joked that it's like a Mark III and a Rev F had a baby.

 
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I had a chance to do this with a Revision G that had been sent back to Mesa and modded to C specs and a Multiwatt from 2017 I believe. I’m not sure if it was the tubes or what the difference was but these amps where very very different from each other and no matter what we could not get the multiwatt dialed in with the clarity the that the other recto had. Kind of a sad moment because I really wanted that tone in a three channel package.
 
braintheory said:
I agree. Listening to it now on computer, but even on my initial iPhone listen same impression. A classic example of fresh squeezed vs Tropicana
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Yep. In the room, playing solo, the Rev C would easily send the MW packing on the basis of tone.

In the live band mix though I'm not sure you'd notice the difference. I'll have to test.
 
endofall said:
I had a chance to do this with a Revision G that had been sent back to Mesa and modded to C specs and a Multiwatt from 2017 I believe. I’m not sure if it was the tubes or what the difference was but these amps where very very different from each other and no matter what we could not get the multiwatt dialed in with the clarity the that the other recto had. Kind of a sad moment because I really wanted that tone in a three channel package.
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I can see the clarity never being the same as we have in this comparison, but you also couldn't get the tone close? Did you try recording them?

Tubes are a thing for sure when it comes to tone. Not just brand, but also bias. For example this MW shipped new with RED 6L6, and full tilt bold / diode it was only running 14 ma. Cold AF, and I bet has something to do with why the original buyer dumped it cheap. I had to apply some special sauce to get the bias up into the mid 30s where I like it (usually GRY) for a proper evaluation of the amp's potential.
 
Something else to add- I've had previous Dual & Triple MWs and I've compared them to other Rev F and Gs. I've held the opinion that the MW is voiced like a Rev F, with the same caveat about the vintage amps having better clarity.

 
...The Rev Gs OTOH, while I get they are the sound of the 90s, are just a bit too bloated in the ass for the sound I'm going for- even boosted. Here's a good example vs a MW.

 
As much as I like Rectos & V30s in the room, I've always struggled getting a good recorded tone from the pairing. Lately I've been having a lot of fun with the T75s, Greenbacks and even Redbacks instead. Here's some greenies.

 
Whenever I hear a slight recorded difference between two similar items, I always assume the in the room disparity will be much greater. Chalk me up for team Rev C as well. Excellent comparison videos. Greatly appreciate the time you put in to do them.
 
GJgo said:
Something else to add- I've had previous Dual & Triple MWs and I've compared them to other Rev F and Gs. I've held the opinion that the MW is voiced like a Rev F, with the same caveat about the vintage amps having better clarity.

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What’s happening to the loss of clarity? Why does this keep happening to new mesas . Are they just compressing too much , and adding too much gain ?
 
Techdeth said:
What’s happening to the loss of clarity? Why does this keep happening to new mesas . Are they just compressing too much , and adding too much gain ?
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No, they don’t have imo more gain or compression. If anything my BL has less of both. That’s just how vintage vs newer gear tends to compare most of the time. To my ears it’s the nuances and details in tone I hear as the difference, but maybe that’s what you and others mean by clarity. I’ve always disagreed with the imo idiotic ideas that no one else will notice the difference or once it’s in a band you won’t notice. Even the drunk guys who don’t play an instrument hear it. The only difference between them and us is that we’re just more aware of what we’re hearing, so with them it’ll just be the difference of whether they liked it or not (which is huge and can’t be underappreciated), while guys like us can just explain better why it was working or not
 
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