Rectifier vs. Mark, vintage vs. modern. Tone test!

[GJgo]

Hey guys, since I have two weeks to kill (at least) figure I'll spend some time comparing amps. Have too many at the moment anyway. Check out this comparo of a vintage vs modern Mark, and a vintage vs. modern Recto. All straight in w/ no post. Weigh in on what you think of the differences in tone & gain structure! I have some ideas but want to know how it sounds to you.

Mark IIC+ vs. Mark V vs. Rackto rev G vs. Recto Multi-Watt

 

[thisguy]

Good comparison. Personally, I liked the Marks better though I only have a Mark III and hoping that would be one of the amps.

BTW You have one comment from Tyler that says "awesome video it was really entertaining" The next video I watched was a workout video posted today with only a few hundred views and Tyler made several random comments on that video. My two thoughts were "What are the odds?" and "That guy is really trying to work the system!"

Not trying to take away from your video or anything.

 

[GJgo]

Thanks. No idea what he's trying to "work", but weird..

I've had three Mark IIIs in the past and have a number of vids of them. They are more aggressive & brash.

 

[thisguy]

Thanks. No idea what he's trying to "work", but weird..

I've had three Mark IIIs in the past and have a number of vids of them. They are more aggressive & brash.

It's a fun amp. I really want a Mark IV along with it though.

 

[GJgo]

There's not a ton of difference. The IV is darker & more compressed- just a little. I did playthroughs of a III red & IVa on the same day so you can hear the differences.

IMO if you want two Marks, keep the III for the vintage tones & add a V or a JP for modern tones depending on which suits you.

 

[Speeddemon]

GJgo, what's your take on the Mark V's Crunch Mode?

On my little Mark V:25, I love that; it's the most Marshally thing to come out of a Mark.
As I found R2 on a Mark IV quite lacklustre, maybe the Mark V's Crunch mode gives you that 3rd in between channel to pair with a good clean and the Mark IV or Xtreme mode on Channel 3?

On the little one I'm a big fan of the Xtreme mode as well; it actually has less gain than the Mark IV mode, but brings in so much heft, thickness and volume, without mud.

 

[GJgo]

I love crunch mode- both on the Five 35 I had as well as the big V. Arguably the best mode on the amp. The V is a true three channel amp where on the IV, R2 flat out sucked. On the III R2 is usable and I actually really liked it for metal rhythms with a boost.

Extreme mode does the same trick as the Recto red channel so it gets a similar heft. You can make it sound pretty close to a Recto, but not quite. I think the V is more versatile for this reason, but emotionally I'm still more attached to the Recto. Rectos are much easier to get a good tone out of.

The Five 25 & 35 have better tone than the big V, but they don't have the big bottom end. Not sure if it matters in the mix, though.

 

[Speeddemon]

The Five 25 & 35 have better tone than the big V, but they don't have the big bottom end. Not sure if it matters in the mix, though.

In what way would you say that the smaller ones have better tone?

 

[thisguy]

There's not a ton of difference. The IV is darker & more compressed- just a little. I did playthroughs of a III red & IVa on the same day so you can hear the differences.

IMO if you want two Marks, keep the III for the vintage tones & add a V or a JP for modern tones depending on which suits you.

Cool. I'll look up the video later tonight.

 

[controlled_voltage]

they all sound great
anyone one of them would work recording a record

 

[jsp]

GJgo, what's your take on the Mark V's Crunch Mode?

On my little Mark V:25, I love that; it's the most Marshally thing to come out of a Mark.
As I found R2 on a Mark IV quite lacklustre, maybe the Mark V's Crunch mode gives you that 3rd in between channel to pair with a good clean and the Mark IV or Xtreme mode on Channel 3?

On the little one I'm a big fan of the Xtreme mode as well; it actually has less gain than the Mark IV mode, but brings in so much heft, thickness and volume, without mud.

Mark V Ch2 crunch, 45watt mode with tube rectifier, especially with a boost sounds fantastic.

 

[skullfxr]

Nice clips!

I like my Rev G Tremoverb and mkiv. I love the lead on the mkiv. R2 is lackluster though for sure compared to the mkV. But I way prefer the lead on the mkiv than the mkV. That's the reason I have the mkiv. I have never owned a multi watt but I am in love with the tremoverb. Hard not to love IMO.

I really want a mkiii, but it's not on my list any time soon.

 

[psychodave]

I preferred the saturation the most on the 2C+.

 

[GJgo]

The Five 25 & 35 have better tone than the big V, but they don't have the big bottom end. Not sure if it matters in the mix, though.

In what way would you say that the smaller ones have better tone?

They are clear & defined, and super well balanced. The big V sounds like it has a blanket over it in comparison. I still think the little Fives are the best Marks, tonally, since the IIC+.

 

[GJgo]

they all sound great
anyone one of them would work recording a record

Thanks I'm using a different amp for each song I'm working on for my band's first album.

Obviously for the Rectos you'd normally use a boost in front, but for the sake of comparison here I did not. A boost really helps in the band mix but honestly it's not a big deal when playing alone.

 

[GJgo]

I preferred the saturation the most on the 2C+.

The note separation & saturation on the IIC+ is one reason they cost so much. Epic. Check out the real recording I did with the amp.

 

[GJgo]

Nice clips!

I like my Rev G Tremoverb and mkiv. I love the lead on the mkiv. R2 is lackluster though for sure compared to the mkV. But I way prefer the lead on the mkiv than the mkV. That's the reason I have the mkiv. I have never owned a multi watt but I am in love with the tremoverb. Hard not to love IMO.

I really want a mkiii, but it's not on my list any time soon.

To date the Tverb is the only amp sale I regret, and it was because of the cleans. Amazing.

My IV beat the JP, tied with the III, and they all lost out to the IIC++. Which lost out to the IIB+ Coli. This new C+ in the clip though is one of the best specimens I've played. It'll probably become the second amp I regret selling.

 

[Norton666]

Great job man! Even through my iPad speakers , I can hear that Recto “flub” that I’ve never been able to jive with. With a boost , those amps kill , but without one , they are completely unusable FOR ME. I dig the MK V a lot in these clips

 

[GJgo]

Thanks man. I'm going to do a separate Recto test & they'll all be boosted.

The V has a fat bottom end that I have to say none of my Mark II, III or IV had. I just picked it up & am looking forward to playing it with the band. That's the make or break point for me- they all sound good at home, but they don't all sound good in the live mix.

 

[jsp]

I preferred the saturation the most on the 2C+.

The note separation & saturation on the IIC+ is one reason they cost so much. Epic. Check out the real recording I did with the amp.

That sounds really good.