New Amp Day: Mesa Triple Recto

[shadowdevourer]

Congratulations !!! We expect some pics

 

[DET1973]

i miss my original Dual Recto Rackmount

 

[WizardSouth-JP]

Triple rec sounds great with cabs with V30 in them. Also sounds huge through Bogner Uberkab

 

[James Lugo]

I had 2 Orange 4x12s and hated them with every recto/tremoverb I ever owned. Tastes are different, you gotta find what works for you.

 

[cardinal]

Tinkered with it a bit more. Very uncompressed amp. Something I don't hear folks talking about much, but kind of a difficult amp to play. Picking-hand technique is very critical, otherwise what you'll get is uneven. Hammer the strings, and it crunches with authority, but pick softly (or flub something) and the note is much warmer, softer, and cleaner.

Boss SD-1 into the amp is surprisingly fun, but sorta takes away the Recto character of the amp. Maxon OD9 Pro+, in any of its various settings, sounds kinda neat, but seems to neuter the amp in a way. My current fav: hitting the front with a CAE Boost/Line Driver. Completely keeps the Recto character, but saturates the front end so I can run the amp's gain pretty low. That keeps the amp brighter and cleans up the low end more naturally IMHO than using an OD pedal to cut the low end.

What a fun amp. Rattles all the walls, that's for sure.

My only legitimate complaint so far is that I like the amp much much better with the loop bypassed, which is unfortunate because I like to throw some delay around from time to time, and I don't have any hope it'll sound right in front of Rectifier.

 

[steve_k]

I always have a Dual Recto handy. Here's mine. And, the new multi-watts are fantastic. Slap an EQ in the loop as opposed to a boost up front. Still using stock tubes too....

 

[tubortski]

^^^^Looks awesome!

 

[cardinal]

Looks awesome. The Triple Recto I just got looks similar, but the insert in the faceplate is a satin silver finish rather than all black.

How do you run the EQ in the loop? Frowny face to cut low end and high end while boosting mids? Or smilely face to scoop out (even more) mids? Just curious how it's used. Folks seem to run something out front to add saturation or to cut the low end.

BTW my main guitar is a TAG with an H2 at the bridge, so not a flame thrower, which might also explain why I really like the clean boost up front. I may pick up some EMGs to put into a J-Custom that I have laying around. Seems like the Recto and EMGs are a classic match up.

 

[steve_k]

Looks awesome. The Triple Recto I just got looks similar, but the insert in the faceplate is a satin silver finish rather than all black.

How do you run the EQ in the loop? Frowny face to cut low end and high end while boosting mids? Or smilely face to scoop out (even more) mids? Just curious how it's used. Folks seem to run something out front to add saturation or to cut the low end.

BTW my main guitar is a TAG with an H2 at the bridge, so not a flame thrower, which might also explain why I really like the clean boost up front. I may pick up some EMGs to put into a J-Custom that I have laying around. Seems like the Recto and EMGs are a classic match up.

Just put all the sliders in the middle at 0 to start. Usually you will want to cut the bottom a bit. Raise the highs to coax some chime out of it as opposed to the harsh treble and presence. It won't take long.

I play mine with my 59's and PAF's. Still sounds great.

Pick ups are overrated!

 

[cardinal]

Interesting. Thanks!

 

[Shiny_Surface]

Boss SD-1 into the amp is surprisingly fun, but sorta takes away the Recto character of the amp. Maxon OD9 Pro+, in any of its various settings, sounds kinda neat, but seems to neuter the amp in a way. My current fav: hitting the front with a CAE Boost/Line Driver. Completely keeps the Recto character, but saturates the front end so I can run the amp's gain pretty low. That keeps the amp brighter and cleans up the low end more naturally IMHO than using an OD pedal to cut the low end.

I like the SD-1 and Maxon OD-9 specifically because they tighten the low end and add saturation and a nice scrape edge to palm muting, but I can see where some might not be going for that effect.

For a cleaner boost I use a Timmy pedal.

An EQ in the loop can radically alter the character of the amp due to it's placement in the chain (just imo depending on how it's set of course).

 

[Shask]

I have an older 2-channel Triple Recto that I LOVE!

It is the only amp I have kept after buying an Axe-FX II.

 

[cardinal]

Congratulations !!! We expect some pics

Done Crappy pic added to the OP.

Really like this thing. Keep trying to boost it and always go back to just playing straight in (ok, I have wah pedal in front, too). Have to absolutely crush the strings to keep the low end tight, but it sounds so much better to me that way than with a boost. I've gotten sloppy with my picking anyway, so it's good exercise.

 

[some dude]

Rectifiers absolutely reward having a sledgehammer pick attack.

I've never been a fan of boosting Rectos. I can hear why some people prefer the sound, but for me it flattens the response out. One of the things I love about the Recto is how you can control the speed and response of the amp by varying the way you attack the strings, which is something that's lost when you boost.

 

[JerEvil]

My3 channel DR sounded really good with my Splawn 2x12's older with Creambacks.

 

[Badronald]

Congratulations !!! We expect some pics

Done Crappy pic added to the OP.

Really like this thing. Keep trying to boost it and always go back to just playing straight in (ok, I have wah pedal in front, too). Have to absolutely crush the strings to keep the low end tight, but it sounds so much better to me that way than with a boost. I've gotten sloppy with my picking anyway, so it's good exercise.

I tried boosting mine with all kinds of pedals. It sounded great, but I prefer to plug straight in with some delay in the loop for leads and cleaner parts. Done.

 

[Shiny_Surface]

Turned up the Triple today (nothing ear shattering approx loud home stereo-ish) and forgot how much it tightens up with some volume...felt no need to step on something.

 

[moronmountain]

Tinkered with it a bit more. Very uncompressed amp. Something I don't hear folks talking about much, but kind of a difficult amp to play. Picking-hand technique is very critical, otherwise what you'll get is uneven. Hammer the strings, and it crunches with authority, but pick softly (or flub something) and the note is much warmer, softer, and cleaner.

Boss SD-1 into the amp is surprisingly fun, but sorta takes away the Recto character of the amp. Maxon OD9 Pro+, in any of its various settings, sounds kinda neat, but seems to neuter the amp in a way. My current fav: hitting the front with a CAE Boost/Line Driver. Completely keeps the Recto character, but saturates the front end so I can run the amp's gain pretty low. That keeps the amp brighter and cleans up the low end more naturally IMHO than using an OD pedal to cut the low end.

What a fun amp. Rattles all the walls, that's for sure.

My only legitimate complaint so far is that I like the amp much much better with the loop bypassed, which is unfortunate because I like to throw some delay around from time to time, and I don't have any hope it'll sound right in front of Rectifier.

Heh if you think that your Mesa is unforgiving, try a Fryette. I almost had to relearn how to play when I got mine. I personally think DR's and TR's sound best super loud, and more due to the speakers being worked than the power tubes IMO. To me it gives the Mesa that punch that it's lacking otherwise. I also agree that it's easier to get one to sound good into 8 ohms (mostly because speakers tend to fart out less with lots of bass and volume than 16ohms), but I still think you can get a 16 ohm cab to work so long as it has V30's in it. I like my cabs to be 16 just so I can mix and match them. If I really feel I need 8 ohms, I would just use 2. To me the 65 and 75 watters that came in the Marshalls are a bit more scooped than V30's which works with Marshall's mid range sound, but the 30's sound good to me with Mesa's more low/mid sound with their signature honk/spike. FWIW my 1960a Marshall with 75's will fart out when I push it with a bit of bass/volume with my Ultra Lead, but my Deliverance cab which is also at 16ohms stays nice and tight.

 

[cardinal]

Let's see...

I've played a number of Fryettes. The Deliverance is absolutely amazing. They're very dynamic, too, of course. But lots of people talk about that and I was expecting it going in. But Fryettes always stay tight, even under various pic attack. The Recto will completely change character on you. Turning from growling and tight to furry and loose based solely on pick attack. I didn't notice any of the Fryette's I've played doing that. But I also only had a few minutes of time with any of them. But damn a Deliverance 120 into a Bogner 4x12 was freaking awesome. I don't see how I can avoid buying a Deliverance one of these days.

I disagree that the G12-65 is mid scooped. Maybe in comparison to the V30 everything seems mid scooped, but I think the 65 watters just have a ton of bass in addition to the ton of mids. The T75, whoa buddy that's mid scooped, though. I agree with that.

And I do like the Recto on 8 ohms. My only cab at the moment is 16 ohms, but Mesa swears it's a safe mismatch, so I'm running with that.

 

[glassjaw7]

I have an Orange 4x12 and think it sounds terrible with my Recto (harsh, piercing and flat). I know tone is subjective but I'm not sure how anyone can stand the way those two pair up.

Mesa 4x12 FTW.

I just played a recto and my Mark through an Orange 212 with V30s and I hated it.