More recto 2ch blackface fun (Kyle Rhodes content)

[RJF]

I picked up a Triple recto early rev F blackface that has been modded by Kyle Rhodes. I picked it up from Ben Duncan, who picked it up from Hard & heavy.

There is a couple of youtube clips featuring this exact head, one from Kyle himself featured below, so I'm not going to go over all of the little stuff with the amp as far as features and sounds, but more focus on this amp vs. a pre500 dual. KR triple has sovtek 6L6's and rev C has Winged C EL34's. Guitars used were a BC Rich mockingbird with a Nazgul bridge hum and Jackson SL1 with a Duncan Distortion.

Orange channel to modern on both amps: ( I greatly prefer the orange ch over red with rectos)
First thing I noticed is that my rev C is a little bit looser, I mean barely, the rev C is pretty tight though. It's also rougher around the edges than the KR triple, as the KR triple feels a little smoother and less bright than the rev C. I will say I think the rev C has a little bit more low end, I think KR's EQ tweaks removed a bit of bass and some treble out of the amp. The KR triple has more usable gain and doesn't get muddy with the gain all the way up. I will say I think the rev C sounds a little more open as the KR triple is very tight and maybe a hair more compressed.

With a clean TS808 out in front the tightness difference becomes very small between the two. A boost seems to effect the rev C more than the KR triple, which would somewhat make sense.

Outside of that, I do like the KR triple, it reminds me a lot of my MK3, infact it's almost a bridge in between the Mark series and rectifiers IMHO.

Amp order in pics: top rev F dual, middle rev F triple, bottom rev C dual

Oh frick, board attachment quota reached....

 

[Badronald]

That sounds GREAT!

 

[Terex]

Sounds Great indeed! Awesome collection you got going on dude, impressive.

Here's my early '93 Triple Rectifier Rev F. Best amp I ever played.

 

[jkdsteve]

Blackface, silver chassis overload!!!!! \m/

 

[RJF]

Sounds Great indeed! Awesome collection you got going on dude, impressive.

Here's my early '93 Triple Rectifier Rev F. Best amp I ever played.

What tubes are you using and what is your serial? You can leave out the last digit if you feel more comfortable, I would.

I am thinking of putting all Winged C 34's in mine.

 

[mchn13]

Man my rhodes modded dual is sick! I dont use a boost with it at all. It does remind me of a cross between my old mark3 and a recto. Super fluid amp.

Steve

 

[RJF]

Man my rhodes modded dual is sick! I dont use a boost with it at all. It does remind me of a cross between my old mark3 and a recto. Super fluid amp.

Steve

Yeah, exactly. It's like the most aggressive mark amp I've ever heard, or the smoothest most fluid recto, either way.

 

[benduncan]

Damn I miss that amp

Awesome pictures!

 

[fretout]

I've always described my pre-500 blackface (or any of the Revisions prior to Revision G) as the bridge between the Mark IIIs and the Rectifier series as well. I think it was the Coliseums that created the "fork in the road" at Mesa, and that's when the Rectifier series was developed. The Coliseums had some much low mid girth compared to anything they came up with before, that they split off and started the Rectifier series. Even the really early Rectifier series had parts from the Mark IIIs, and I believe that it's the Mark III transformers in the early Rectifiers (Duals) that give them the brightness and the aggression beyond some later Rectifiers.

Nice stack of Blackfaces! I only have two.

 

[thenine]

Oh my goodness - blackface, chrome chassis, small logo a-go-go! Very nice!

 

[RJF]

I've always described my pre-500 blackface (or any of the Revisions prior to Revision G) as the bridge between the Mark IIIs and the Rectifier series as well. I think it was the Coliseums that created the "fork in the road" at Mesa, and that's when the Rectifier series was developed. The Coliseums had some much low mid girth compared to anything they came up with before, that they split off and started the Rectifier series. Even the really early Rectifier series had parts from the Mark IIIs, and I believe that it's the Mark III transformers in the early Rectifiers (Duals) that give them the brightness and the aggression beyond some later Rectifiers.

Nice stack of Blackfaces! I only have two.

I meant that the modified Kyle Rhodes recto sounded a lot like a mk3.

I guess I'd disagree. My rev C and and F sound like a recto. No where close to my mk3. Yeah, a little tighter and a little more grind in the mids than a later recto, but I've found it's not by much. I think they all sound pretty close to one another, including the 3 ch amps.

 

[Shask]

Love all the Blackface Rectos in this thread!

I love my Blackface Triple. It is a later Rev G, but it still sounds great. It is like every Blackface just automatically sounds better!



I think mine might need new tubes though. It seems like it sounds its best the first 15 minutes, and then it doesnt sound as good after that.

 

[fretout]

I've always described my pre-500 blackface (or any of the Revisions prior to Revision G) as the bridge between the Mark IIIs and the Rectifier series as well. I think it was the Coliseums that created the "fork in the road" at Mesa, and that's when the Rectifier series was developed. The Coliseums had some much low mid girth compared to anything they came up with before, that they split off and started the Rectifier series. Even the really early Rectifier series had parts from the Mark IIIs, and I believe that it's the Mark III transformers in the early Rectifiers (Duals) that give them the brightness and the aggression beyond some later Rectifiers.

Nice stack of Blackfaces! I only have two.

I meant that the modified Kyle Rhodes recto sounded a lot like a mk3.

I guess I'd disagree. My rev C and and F sound like a recto. No where close to my mk3. Yeah, a little tighter and a little more grind in the mids than a later recto, but I've found it's not by much. I think they all sound pretty close to one another, including the 3 ch amps.

It's all good. Maybe it could have been written clearer. I meant to say the Mark III Blues can be dialed in to sound like a early Rectifier, but and early Rectifier can't be dialed in to sound like a Mark III, if that makes sense.

I was mainly referring to the Mark III Coliseums having a different low end than my normal blue stripe Mark III, just maybe worded it differently. I think that there is some overlap between the Blue Stripes and the early Rectifiers. I think they sound pretty different from the 3 channel Rectifiers (including my 3 channel Triple), to the point where I sold it. The 3 channel had a low end that wasn't as tight as the Rev. D, and where the 3 channel (not multi-watt) used to get fizzy, the Rev. D just gets more grain to the gain. They both sound like a Rectifier, no doubt, I just found one more usable than the other to dial in a few tones.

In contrast to later 2 channel Rectifiers, the early Rev. Cs and Rev.Ds are much brighter, and more brash, like the top end of the Mark IIIs. The reason I still have my Rectifiers is because they have different tonality when dialed into their sweet spots, and the Rectifiers have a thicker, "3D" kind of tone that the Marks are unable to approximate. They both do different things really well, but are different animals.

Edit: obligatory pic...

 

[fretout]

Love all the Blackface Rectos in this thread!

I love my Blackface Triple. It is a later Rev G, but it still sounds great. It is like every Blackface just automatically sounds better!



I think mine might need new tubes though. It seems like it sounds its best the first 15 minutes, and then it doesnt sound as good after that.

I remember your blackface Triple! I can't remember what forum I saw them on, but yours looks awesome as well! What power tubes are you currently running?

 

[Terex]

Sounds Great indeed! Awesome collection you got going on dude, impressive.

Here's my early '93 Triple Rectifier Rev F. Best amp I ever played.

What tubes are you using and what is your serial? You can leave out the last digit if you feel more comfortable, I would.

I am thinking of putting all Winged C 34's in mine.

I'm running the standard Mesa 6L6's STR440's. I'm also thinking of putting something else in, since they're almost two years old now, and I want to try something new Sounds great tho, no complaints at all!

The serial is R-00196X.
Here's the back:

 

[jkdsteve]

All this has me gassing for a Recto again!

 

[Mailman1971]

I meant that the modified Kyle Rhodes recto sounded a lot like a mk3.

Never heard the KR Dual but what you described is EXACTLY how I been describing my FJA Dual.
Such as sweet mix of both the Dual (with all the negative qualities taken out 'ice pick highs...Flubb low end)
And the ripping edge of the Mark III. I sorta dial mine into a middle mix of that and it just rips on the rock tones and hammers out the Chugga chugga. My modded recto is never going anywhere.

But I am going to be adding a Diezel to the pack once I get thru all this house moving crap.

 

[Shask]

Love all the Blackface Rectos in this thread!

I love my Blackface Triple. It is a later Rev G, but it still sounds great. It is like every Blackface just automatically sounds better!



I think mine might need new tubes though. It seems like it sounds its best the first 15 minutes, and then it doesnt sound as good after that.

I remember your blackface Triple! I can't remember what forum I saw them on, but yours looks awesome as well! What power tubes are you currently running?

Found an older picture of mine!

I mostly play my Axe-FX II these days, but I still fire the beast up from time to time.

I am not sure about tubes. I think the power tubes were TAD's, and the Preamp tubes were a mix of Chinese and Penta Chinese. They are at least 5 years old now (if not more), but I dont use them much either.

 

[fretout]

Love all the Blackface Rectos in this thread!

I love my Blackface Triple. It is a later Rev G, but it still sounds great. It is like every Blackface just automatically sounds better!



I think mine might need new tubes though. It seems like it sounds its best the first 15 minutes, and then it doesnt sound as good after that.

I remember your blackface Triple! I can't remember what forum I saw them on, but yours looks awesome as well! What power tubes are you currently running?

Found an older picture of mine!

I mostly play my Axe-FX II these days, but I still fire the beast up from time to time.

I am not sure about tubes. I think the power tubes were TAD's, and the Preamp tubes were a mix of Chinese and Penta Chinese. They are at least 5 years old now (if not more), but I dont use them much either.

Looks great man! I'm using all Mesa-branded tubes in mine. I have their EH 6L6s in the G, and a really old set of STR-415 power tubes in the D.

As for preamp tubes, are you using Mesa's Chinese preamp tubes? Do they look like this?


I like these better in the Marks, and I've been using the Russian 2s in the Rectifiers.

Sorry to hijack your thread RJF. I figured this was relevant to the blackface discussion.

 

[Shask]

Love all the Blackface Rectos in this thread!

I love my Blackface Triple. It is a later Rev G, but it still sounds great. It is like every Blackface just automatically sounds better!



I think mine might need new tubes though. It seems like it sounds its best the first 15 minutes, and then it doesnt sound as good after that.

I remember your blackface Triple! I can't remember what forum I saw them on, but yours looks awesome as well! What power tubes are you currently running?

Found an older picture of mine!

I mostly play my Axe-FX II these days, but I still fire the beast up from time to time.

I am not sure about tubes. I think the power tubes were TAD's, and the Preamp tubes were a mix of Chinese and Penta Chinese. They are at least 5 years old now (if not more), but I dont use them much either.

Looks great man! I'm using all Mesa-branded tubes in mine. I have their EH 6L6s in the G, and a really old set of STR-415 power tubes in the D.

As for preamp tubes, are you using Mesa's Chinese preamp tubes? Do they look like this?

I like these better in the Marks, and I've been using the Russian 2s in the Rectifiers.

Sorry to hijack your thread RJF. I figured this was relevant to the blackface discussion.

I usually ran a mix of Penta Chinese and JJ tubes in all my preamps. Usually about half and half.

I thought about buying Mesa tubes, but I also thought about buying the metal kit from Doug's Tubes.