Does anyone still use the Rectifier Recording preamp?

[Dave L]

I see these floating by from time to time with little fanfare, often selling very cheap considering how expensive they were new not that long ago. Was it just a dud and a disappointment even for Recto fans or are they worth looking into? I understand the Recording aspect of it might be hit or miss, but I´d only be interested in it as a conventional preamp.

 

[thegame]

I had one. It was ok at best. Hard to tame the fizz on it, more so than even on a Recto head.

 

[Dave L]

Yeah, just OK seems to be what most guys think of it.

I got into guitar in the early 90s when the Recto was the hottest ticket around and a proper dream machine, but before I was in a position to buy one that whole late 90s, early 2000s sound had arrived and I never really considered them an option. Twenty years and countless amps later I find myself sort of thinking about one again, funny how that works.

 

[Qweklain]

Personally, I think the preamp of the Rectifier line is the worst part of it. I am in firm belief that all the magic happens in the power amp section. For example, most people do not use the Red (or Modern) mode for the gain channel. I phase it that way because it could be Ch-2 or Ch-3, depending on if it was an early Rectifier or not.

To me, when they offered the Preamp and Power Amp separately, they gave the option for the awesome section (power) and the crap section (pre). I have gone through two 2:100s and my current is a permanent addition to my collection. Every preamp I have paired it with sounds amazing, even with Modern engaged. It sounds sweet, responsive, tight, and musical and when you kick in the Red, it just gets a little meaner and a whole lot more depth gets added, but not boomy like a typical Rectifier head.

This is just my opinion in the experience I have had. I will say though, way back before I really had "my" sound in my earlier years of playing, I had a 2-Ch Triple Rectifier that I put a Mercury Magnetics output transformer in. That thing sounded amazing, regardless of volume and on any mode. I kind of wish I still had that one, but oh well. I have no idea what revision it was either because at that time, I knew nothing of the technical details. I really think that the one I had was one of those ones that just had some kind of "mojo," as they say.

 

[Pearly Gates]

Personally, I think the preamp of the Rectifier line is the worst part of it. I am in firm belief that all the magic happens in the power amp section.

Tell that to Mike Soldano!

 

[blackba]

Personally, I think the preamp of the Rectifier line is the worst part of it. I am in firm belief that all the magic happens in the power amp section.

Tell that to Mike Soldano!

Uh oh, virtual shots fired

 

[primerib]

I used one for a bit. But not to "record" with, heavens no. But I used it with the 2:100 power amp. It did the recto thing well but weighed a fackin' ton because of that hefty power amp. I don't know if anyone really loved the recording feature of it.