NAD! Single Recto halfie score. What do I need to know?

[mchn13]

I have the original manual, came with it. Read it last night. I'm getting that the bass/mid/treb knobs are really for shaping the tone, not for the EQ. What EQs do you guys like? To be honest I'm really going for the "Mark" sound, but I can't justify the cost ATM. If I sell off everything else I could maybe afford a Mark Five 25 LOL.

The boost pedal & more tubes are en route. Got a JJ to try, some Chinese for the CF & some EL34 just to A/B it.

I've never liked eq' in the loop except for lead boosts. Also rectos might just not be for you. You've mentioned not enough low end and not enough gain, which makes me think it might be broken. Neither are things I associate with a recto. It should have both in spades. Also, not a great low volume amp imo. I almost always play mine a earplug volume with a band. If I eq it just jamming at the house, it won't sound right at band volume.
If selling all your gear and getting a mark is a viable option and that's what you really want. Shit. Get it.

 

[GJgo]

Got the Maxon OD9 today. You guys are right, the Recto NEEDS a boost for metal sounds. It completely woke the amp up. Ample gain & low end tightness now. I can use the bass / mid / treble knobs to really shape the tone without worrying about using them for you know.. what they're labeled for. LOL (Which is why I'm curious about an EQ, like the Mark amps do.)

This pedal definitely needs to be on the input side. I tried it in the effects loop and it actually didn't work, at all. The loop mix knob just killed the presence & tone when I turned it up with no change to "boost". My delay / looper pedal works just fine there, so whatever.

The Diavlo sounds great with a boost (OD9 or the built in boost, subtle differences) but it doesn't "need" it to sound ANGRY. IMO the Recto does.

 

[andross182]

Yeah, boosts don't go in effects loops, timing and modulation effects generally do. Slam the input of your amp with them instead!

 

[GJgo]

Got some tubes from Doug in. Put the Chinese in the CF. Couldn't tell much difference, mostly wanted to get the EH out of that spot.

The JJ really does sound good in this amp. I didn't care for them in my Diavlo because that amp was already dark, which is why I liked a lot of Tung Sol in it. In the Rectifier the JJ really sounds angry & brings some needed darkness. I tried TS V1 & JJ V2, and vice versa, and the differences are very subtle. The JJ in V1 gives it some awesome darkness but I have a feeling that in a mix, the slight brightness edge of the TS in V1 will cut through better. So, I basically have Doug's Single Recto metal tube compliment now & I have to say it's really sounding killer. WAY better than the all-EH compliment the head came with (bright & fizzy). Only difference is I preferred the Mullard in the PI over the LPS.

http://www.dougstubes.com/guitar-amp-tube-kits/mesa/mesa-boogie-double-rectifier-tube-kit-1.html

I also got some Ruby EL34BSTR from him, I'll play them tomorrow vs. the Mesa 6L6 430s (Russian) & 6L6 440s (Chinese, Ruby 6L6GCMSTR, Philips STR-415 copy) I have here.

 

[GJgo]

I tried the EL34BSTRs vs. the Mesa 6L6 430s & 440s I have here. The EL34s are a lot louder, and got rid of some of the fizz- but this may be from the bias. The pair of them is biasing at 72 & 76%! (compared to the Mesa tubes in the 30s) There is a difference in tone but it is very subtle so I can't say I have a favorite.

I did run into an issue after playing loud for a while with the EL34s in. I flipped from the red to the green channel, and it started to motorboat at around 1hz or a little faster. Switched back to red & it kept going. I flipped it off, let it cool down & came back, has not done it before or since. This concerns me. I've read this is a common problem in the effects loop of the single rectos but I wasn't using the loop. Hmm... Also read it can happen from a cap failing to un-couple, but I wonder if tubes biased too hot could have had anything to do with it? Definitely don't want to hurt anything that I can't fix myself!

As far as the sound of the amp, I think my head has been removed from my ass. You guys are dead right about a few things. The EQ on this is NOTHING like any EQ I've ever used before. It NEEDS volume to sound good. Very small knob changes make big sound differences. Treble & gain up, bass & mids WAY down, run the power tubes at full tilt, and the tones are an absolute monster. Kills the Diavlo now. It took me a few weeks to really figure the amp out but the payoff is huge. Thanks for the help!

 

[311boogieman]

Glad you got things sorted.

Can't speak to the motorboating. I have not really dove into yet. I keep my FX mix knob at around 9 or 10 O'CLOCK. try that. I think the loop just needs to be modded but like I said, I have not gotten around to investigating it any further.

 

[mchn13]

Good to hear you got it working better for ya. I love rectos of all the versions. Mids and volume are your buddy in a band setting. They are definitely tougher to dial in, but crushing when you get it right.

 

[GJgo]

Wanted to follow up with some tech info in case anyone else is looking. I found easily enough that in the Rectos, V3b is a cathode follower. I was chatting with a very helpful guy at Mesa, and he confirmed for me that V4A is also a cathode follower stage.

Also, no more "motorboating" since I took those Ruby EL34s out. Looking like it was just a bad tube.

 

[GJgo]

Alright pre final tube rolling setup- it sounds KILLER.

V1- Tung Sol
V2- JJ
V3- Lead Channel tone stack driver - CF V3b - JJ
V4- FX Loop Send stage - CF V4a - JJ or Chinese, doesn’t really matter. I liked the TS here before I found out it's a CF stage.
V5-PI – Mullard

 

[311boogieman]

NOICE

 

[GJgo]

Alright I did a quick Metallica riff video to see how the Recto sounds recorded, compared to my Mark III blue stripe. Definitely different, there are things I like about both of them. Just shot through my GoPro 'cuz that's the best I have right now. Between the two, what do you think?

https://youtu.be/kgM6VrHnnK4

 

[Blitzie]

I preferred the Rectifier but I'm a Recto guy. If you haven't already, an EQ in the loop will take that amp into the stratosphere.

 

[GJgo]

Do you have any clips of an EQ in the Recto loop? I've heard mixed feedback on this, have been curious though.

I think I'm personally leaning towards the more organic feel of the Mark. I feel like it's easier to keep my definition when I make it earplug loud.

 

[Shask]

Alright I did a quick Metallica riff video to see how the Recto sounds recorded, compared to my Mark III blue stripe. Definitely different, there are things I like about both of them. Just shot through my GoPro 'cuz that's the best I have right now. Between the two, what do you think?

https://youtu.be/kgM6VrHnnK4

I like the Recto a little better in this also. It has more high end crunch and more low end depth. However, I know the Mark III can be dialed in much more aggressive than what you have in that video. I have a Triple Recto, and had a Mark III for many years.

Going for older Metallica sounds, a Mark series will almost always win, because that is what they used. They used a Recto on Load, and it would sound better for that type of sound.

Yes, an EQ is a great addition to a Recto, but then again, I use an EQ on just about everything, lol. I am very picky about my frequencies. Having a cheap EQ pedal laying around is an indispensable tool.....

 

[ElectricVoodoo]

Nice score there! I never owned a mesa. I have read that the single rec has a better tone than the dual/triple recs?

Is this true for someone looking into these amps? Gain structure lower on the single recs?

Again, I've never owned any mesa gear, but heard great things about the single rec.
One more thing.. compared to the mark series.. are the recs are less compressed ??

 

[GJgo]

I'd say that the single rec is brighter than the dual or triple. It's almost too bright when you crank it, which is why I really liked the Mullard in the PI. In person it's a much more punchy, in your face tone than the Mark. It feels more like a train chugging through where the Mark feels more like a quick handling sports car. That said, my Mark is circa 1988 & I'm wondering if it needs to go in for new caps, service etc.. since it does seem a little dull.

 

[ElectricVoodoo]

Good to know, thanks. Sounds like the mark could be a bit more compressed compared to the rec being more open.

 

[Shask]

Nice score there! I never owned a mesa. I have read that the single rec has a better tone than the dual/triple recs?

Is this true for someone looking into these amps? Gain structure lower on the single recs?

Again, I've never owned any mesa gear, but heard great things about the single rec.
One more thing.. compared to the mark series.. are the recs are less compressed ??

The Single Recto has less low end depth to them, so they end up sounding tighter. Personally, I think the Triple Rectos are the best sounding ones. Amazing low end punch to them.

The Rectos are very open, uncompressed amps. That is why using Tube Screamers with them is so popular. Mark series amps in general are very compressed feeling. It is like they have a Tube Screamer built in. Rectos are very big, open, chunky, etc.... Marks are very laser focused, tight, clear, etc....

 

[GJgo]

Something else I found in the Recto last night- V4, the loop position, is VERY sensitive to tube microphonics. Possibly more so than V1.

 

[ElectricVoodoo]

Nice score there! I never owned a mesa. I have read that the single rec has a better tone than the dual/triple recs?

Is this true for someone looking into these amps? Gain structure lower on the single recs?

Again, I've never owned any mesa gear, but heard great things about the single rec.
One more thing.. compared to the mark series.. are the recs are less compressed ??

The Single Recto has less low end depth to them, so they end up sounding tighter. Personally, I think the Triple Rectos are the best sounding ones. Amazing low end punch to them.

The Rectos are very open, uncompressed amps. That is why using Tube Screamers with them is so popular. Mark series amps in general are very compressed feeling. It is like they have a Tube Screamer built in. Rectos are very big, open, chunky, etc.... Marks are very laser focused, tight, clear, etc....

Thanks for that I've gots to try out a recto and mark..