Reissue Triple Recto Clips?

[FourT6and2]

Thread 'Mesa 90s Rectifier RI - Pics & Info'

Jan 21, 2025

Been getting a lot of texts and messages asking about the Recto RI, so instead of answering them all one-off, thought this may be easier. Here’s a synopsis of what I’ve been telling folks, along with some pics.

Disclaimer: I bought the amp to try and to document. I wasn’t keeping it regardless of whether I liked it (though I do), and told everyone it was getting sold before it even arrived.

First impression plugging in was…it sounds like a “new” 2 channel Recto. I know that sounds obvious, but it’s sort of hard to explain. A little more urgent, a little cleaner and clearer in the gain...

• NewWorldMan
• Replies: 6
• Forum: Rig-Talk

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"The amp came loaded with Mesa branded JJs in both the preamp and power amp. I think it’s safe to say the amp was designed with those tubes in mind. Mesa has slightly tweaked things over the years to accommodate the tubes available, and JJs seem to what was in mind for this amp. The moment you swap tubes, it gets inherently brighter with something like the older Beijing ‘90s ECC83s."

I think changing to Chinese preamplifier tubes (Beijing or Shuguang) may solve your issue like it did for this person. Change the first few preamplifier tubes like V1 and V2 and see if you're successful.

I would need to see hard proof that parts of the circuit were specifically tailored around a certain brand of tube. I think that bit is nonsensical. For that claim to be true, it means Mesa sat there and tweaked resistor and capacitor values throughougt the amp. That seems unlikely.

Having had originals and the Reissue next to each other, I don't see any major component value changes. If you closed your eyes and someone randomly plugged into a Rev F, Rev G, and Reissue, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. All the nuances here are just that... nuances. The differences are subtle, even though as gear nerds we love to focus on them.

 

[CDawg]

I would need to see hard proof that parts of the circuit were specifically tailored around a certain brand of tube. I think that bit is nonsensical. For that claim to be true, it means Mesa sat there and tweaked resistor and capacitor values throughougt the amp. That seems unlikely.

Having had originals and the Reissue next to each other, I don't see any major component value changes. If you closed your eyes and someone randomly plugged into a Rev F, Rev G, and Reissue, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. All the nuances here are just that... nuances. The differences are subtle, even though as gear nerds we love to focus on them.

There's already a previous post on this forum where someone had success correcting this issue by changing tubes. I believe that if the OP changes from JJ to other tubes such as Beijing or Shuguang they will get the results they're after and that's what primarily matters. I don't agree with the Mesa part myself.

 

[SPRTAN]

I would need to see hard proof that parts of the circuit were specifically tailored around a certain brand of tube. I think that bit is nonsensical. For that claim to be true, it means Mesa sat there and tweaked resistor and capacitor values throughougt the amp. That seems unlikely.

Having had originals and the Reissue next to each other, I don't see any major component value changes. If you closed your eyes and someone randomly plugged into a Rev F, Rev G, and Reissue, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. All the nuances here are just that... nuances. The differences are subtle, even though as gear nerds we love to focus on them.

i absolutely share you opinion regarding the subtle nuances in difference between Revisions. They’re soo small even the speaker next to another, even with the following batch number is a greater difference. This is nerd stuff. We love it. But it’s not rational reasoning.

I know and im guilty aswell..Amps are sexy and stuff…but Cabs/Speakers are where changes happen.
Heck if your not happy with your HiFi System you don’t buy a new AVR or DAC..you buy new speakers..ay?

Jason Frankhouser (?) did a comparison in blind test between different Revisions, Triple,Dual etc.
I just could hear out the Multiwatt. And that difference was maybe 1db more highs or something. Nothing a eq could handle. Not even speaking about just shifting the mic a few cm.

But…I’m also with Cdawg and will try out a different set off preamp tubes after I tried different speakers. There must be a reason why they were not the stock ones in my old Rev F. And well..if someone is synonymous for Rectos..then Rammstein. Or? Mr. Kruspe knows his stuff..

 

[FourT6and2]

I'm not saying different tubes will or will not yield different results.

I'm saying I don't believe an engineer at Mesa sat there with a box of resistors and capacitors and swapped component values throughout the amp to sound a certain way for a specific brand of tubes.

 

[SPRTAN]

Fair enough.
But I remember times where Tubes hat a shortage or because a production facility burned down. It could be possible. Who knows…
I think, and I get your point, as some that comes from mechanical engineering field, that parts availability and consistency is a key factor in production. And it makes sense to design a product around it.

And also why for example did the mids shift throughout all Versions. - Rectos were infamous for being “too scooped, to fizzy, no mids”. I could guess that they did try to change that. Because it’s an image problem. Look and the Multiwatt and the Badlander. Different mid profile that you can’t dial out.
If this also the case with the RI…I don’t know..