Really Digging the Mesa Single Rec I just got

[Killcrop]

I have been looking for one for a while and finally found one locally for a good price. I just wanted an amp for those times I am feeling like some chug. I had a Mesa Multi-Watt a few years ago. It was cool but I only like the modern side. The rest of it was pretty stiff and not very usable for me. I have been reading people online say the Single Rec fixes a lot of that. Plus they are pretty inexpensive.

I got it last night and fired it up today. The Modern side is killer. Loads of gain. It comes on in layers and is so fun and easy to play.
The Vintage is a slightly less fizzy version of that. A little warmer and really great as well.

Here is where it gets interesting. The Raw mode and the 1st channel modes are really good. A very nice clean tone and the pushed clean is something I could totally use. It loves the few pedals I threw its way as well.
This amp is a total sleeper for less than $1000. Came with a nice Mesa cover and the footswitch. I didn't really need another amp but I have an incredible fun metal amp that can cover any ground I want with all kinds of different styles.
Wasn't expecting that. This is the version 2 so I can mess around with 6L6 or EL34s. I have read that KT77s really make it punch. Might be fun to try. I have some older Siemans MESA EL34s. I could try too.

Anyhow I don't really get excited about amps much these days. I have been through so many. This is a good one.

Pretty sure there is some love for the Single Rec around here?

 

[311boogieman]

Congrats.

I love mine too. I believe I have 6L6s in there now but had EL34s in there for the longest time. It is a tamer version of my Dual Rectifier. Tighter too. Doesn't need a boost. Clean channel is really nice as you say. Pushed clean is really fun. Does cover a lot of ground and very straight forward compared to the Dual. I was playing it along side the Dual today blended with my Mimiq. Very addicting

 

[FallingSunrise]

I have been looking for one for a while and finally found one locally for a good price. I just wanted an amp for those times I am feeling like some chug. I had a Mesa Multi-Watt a few years ago. It was cool but I only like the modern side. The rest of it was pretty stiff and not very usable for me. I have been reading people online say the Single Rec fixes a lot of that. Plus they are pretty inexpensive.

I got it last night and fired it up today. The Modern side is killer. Loads of gain. It comes on in layers and is so fun and easy to play.
The Vintage is a slightly less fizzy version of that. A little warmer and really great as well.

Here is where it gets interesting. The Raw mode and the 1st channel modes are really good. A very nice clean tone and the pushed clean is something I could totally use. It loves the few pedals I threw its way as well.
This amp is a total sleeper for less than $1000. Came with a nice Mesa cover and the footswitch. I didn't really need another amp but I have an incredible fun metal amp that can cover any ground I want with all kinds of different styles.
Wasn't expecting that. This is the version 2 so I can mess around with 6L6 or EL34s. I have read that KT77s really make it punch. Might be fun to try. I have some older Siemans MESA EL34s. I could try too.

Anyhow I don't really get excited about amps much these days. I have been through so many. This is a good one.

Pretty sure there is some love for the Single Rec around here?

I tried rolling tubes when I was a newb (no idea what I was even listening for) - and I remember going back to 6l6 tubes.

I had a rev 2 single and I loved that amp. I sold it after I got a voodoo amp modded dual thinking I needed more headroom and better clean (when voodoo modded was all the rage). I did not.

I got some mileage out of the dual - but sort of wish I just kept the single in hindsight.

This is 20 years ago - but I remember liking the clean on the single better - and I used the tube rectifier on the dual for a dozen hours (if that). Lesson learned.

Edit: This was all pre-reborn/roadster era.

 

[DISTORT6]

I am a fan, and it fits how and what I play.

 

[cobrahead1030]

I don’t see those come up used as often these days. I remember years ago, you couldn’t give them away.

Great sounding amps, I wish I’d held onto one.

 

[jchrisf]

Is this the Rect-O-Verb II series?

 

[JackBootedThug]

No matter what I have to have some version of a rec in my arsenal….

 

[Mike Oxhuge]

I always thought they sounded better than the 3 channels. Are they the same preamp as older 2 channel Rectos?

 

[LanBaul]

The Single Rec is a sleeper, modern side rips and clean/raw modes are awesome, can’t beat it for the price

 

[napalmdeath]

I loved that amp - hated the FX loop.

 

[mentoneman]

I always thought they sounded better than the 3 channels. Are they the same preamp as older 2 channel Rectos?

not sure but sounded like it.

after years of mixing live sound for an onslaught of young dual and triple recto abusers, i was frankly over the whole recto thing by that point.

then long after the initial recto trend died down, my friend who was the local music shop teacher and sweet middle aged lady who gave my 10 yr old daughter lessons showed up at our church one morning with a single recto.

she used it with her gibson es-175 to perform instrumental jazz (metheny) and classical pieces as the congregation transitioned between services and behind the opening prayer—the LAST case use example you would ever imagine selecting a recto for!

but it sounded perfect and i even dialed in a nice holdsworth solo tone with it when she let me play through it after service.

 

[jchrisf]

I discovered the Rectifier tone through Amplitube 5. I was looking for a Randy Rhodes tone in their Tone Net sharing platform and downloaded one that said Randy Rhodes but it was using two Multi-watt Dual Rects in stereo. It sounded nothing like Randy but did sound like 80s hair metal. After experimenting I found it created the best late 80s metal tones I'd ever heard. It has a great modded Marshall tone when dialed in for it. Now I'm looking to get a real one.

 

[311boogieman]

I loved that amp - hated the FX loop.

IIRC you had a Series 1 (parallel loop)?

Eitherway my Series 2 (serial loop) is whisper quiet and performs well.

@mentoneman - assuming she was using the clean channel, yes it is a very nice clean. A blooming Fender ish clean.

 

[jchrisf]

assuming she was using the clean channel, yes it is a very nice clean. A blooming Fender ish clean.

A better clean than the Dual Rect?

 

[Killcrop]

Man this amp rocks!

The Bogner cab is such a punchy tone. I have it loaded with a Vintage 30 and a Creamback 65.

 

[311boogieman]

A better clean than the Dual Rect?

The 2 channel? For sure.
The 3 channel? Probably not

 

[311boogieman]

The 2 channel? For sure.
The 3 channel? Probably not

Probably not a fair comparison because mine is a Rectoverb. The clean on my Rectoverb is a true clean and dare I sell 'bell like'.

Can't speak to a straight up Single Rectifier.

 

[OldGtrGuy]

I don’t see those come up used as often these days. I remember years ago, you couldn’t give them away.

Great sounding amps, I wish I’d held onto one.

Yep, wish I got one when they were 600 all day long.

My problem with that amp is there are so many revisions. Ive personally played 2 and didnt really like them too much.

I had a friend who had one and I heard his band at practice and it sounded incredible. Not sure which ones are the good ones vs the less good ones. But could also have been his speakers and everything else idk

 

[JimAnsell2]

Yep, wish I got one when they were 600 all day long.

My problem with that amp is there are so many revisions. Ive personally played 2 and didnt really like them too much.

I had a friend who had one and I heard his band at practice and it sounded incredible. Not sure which ones are the good ones vs the less good ones. But could also have been his speakers and everything else idk

I still see them in the 700-900 range all day. its totally worth it. they're not a fucking tackle box of features and spaghetti wiring, so they're not a nightmare to work on, and they sound great. think 5150 combo tone with the high end fizzle smoothed out, and bit more sweep in the on board eq. I owned a good amount of rectos. i had 601, something in the 900's, and racktifier sn 1150 (was stolen, so if you've seen it hmu!!!)...low sn rectos that people pay out the ass for. the single was every bit as good imo. in fact, i held on to my single series II long than any other rectos, and actually gigged with it a few times. sleepers for sure.

 

[Maarcn3]

Raw and clean pushed tones sound awesome, exactly what I’d want too.