The Dual Recto RI is the best Recto to date. A hill I'm ready to die on.

Recently bought a Badlander 50 head and I am blown away by the amp. Incredible amount of variety you can get out of a 2 channel amp.

I have not played any of my other amps since I got the BL.

Mesa hit a bases loaded home-run with this amp imho.
 
From what i heard, i dont think liking badlander is a bad thing. I heard it wasnt really like a typical recto though.
I was a little disappointed with my badlander 50 initially, as I was expecting more of a recto flavor than what it offered.

Then I took it to our rehearsal space, made a few tweaks over the course of a few sessions, and absolutely fell in love with it. I was primary playing a 7 string in drop A, and the low end clarity is fantastic.
 
I had a few rectifiers in the past. Considering that I usually stayed on the silicon mode for more modern tones, does that mean I should just get a Badlander- it seems to be a rectifier without those extra power tube options for spongy vintage?

I keep my old 2-channel Triple in Tube Rectifier mode most of the time. I know that goes against the internet, but I find it just chugs better. Diode is almost too tight on my amp.
 
it's really really good, i agree, incredibly quiet, (lowest noise floor maybe possible)
 
The 2025 GZ mod I have makes it difficult to play my old rev F. It’s simply amazing
My GZ Trem Recto is top 5, incredible amp. I need to move some shit for other priorities but am having trouble letting any amps go because they're all top tier and each so unique. The GZ Recto is an amp I've owned near longer than any other except the Hellion and it will likely be the first to go but I just can't bring myself to let it go any time I think about it or plug in.
 
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So, I've now had 17 Rectifiers. I've owned or played every version with the exception of Rev D & Rev E. With that in the rearview, I feel pretty strongly that the new Dual Rec Reissue is the best Recto ever made. This is a pretty crazy & bold statement since "reissues are never as good as the OGs", right? Well... I guess there's an exception to every rule.. I don't know if this is a happy accident or what but I'll take it, and I'm stoked to see they CAN still make an epic modern day amp!

...And it seems to not just be me- guys I know with similar experiences are selling their OGs after playing a RI. Also other local guitarists who have played mine are visibly blown away by how good it is. I knew it the first time I jacked into one in a store, the detail and dynamics were simply superior to any other recto I've had, with only the Rev C coming close to these feels.

For those of you who have put a RI up against the others- where do you stand?

P.S. the Triple is likely coming late this year as a Blackout - we'll see how it compares!!!
I haven't played one yet, but your Thread doesn't help in not trying one.
 
I had a few rectifiers in the past. Considering that I usually stayed on the silicon mode for more modern tones, does that mean I should just get a Badlander- it seems to be a rectifier without those extra power tube options for spongy vintage?
Ya yiu could take it as that yes . And the price is incredible atm used . If you want modern and tight I’d grab it . Here’s the mistake I see : Badlander can’t be boosted just like a reg recto . You can boost of course .
 
My GZ Trem Recto is top 5, incredible amp. I need to move some shit for other priorities but am having trouble letting any amps go because they're all top tier and each so unique. The GZ Recto is an amp I've owned near longer than any other except the Hellion and it will likely be the first to go but I just can't bring myself to let it go any time I think about it or plug in.
I trust your opinion as we have similar tastes, so the one i played must not have been the same
 
Guess you're going to have to try one for yourself! Opinions are impossible to quantify.

If I found a great deal on an OG 2ch I also wouldn't pass it over- but when you're comparing guys asking $2500-$3500 for Gs and Fs I'd personally take the RI all day long.

To me how an amp sits in the live mix is important. Every Recto I've gigged in the past was fine not great, and tended to hide a bit in the mix. I have a feeling that the RI is going to be more prominent and can't wait to test it out. I jammed it the other night with my other guitarist where we A/B tested lots of head / cab combos and found one that's phenomenal, taking it to rehearsal tomorrow.
Agreed, giving it the good ol' college try is the real way to know for sure. Yes, opinions will obviously vary since tone is subjective.

As for the Badlander, cool but not my cup of tea. I felt it lacked a gutteral punch/wall of sound. Still need to see what the VII is all about.
 
As for the Badlander, cool but not my cup of tea. I felt it lacked a gutteral punch/wall of sound. Still need to see what the VII is all about.
If you need an amp that punches & moves air, don't get your hopes up with the VII. The one I had moved about as much air as a modeler. ...But I digress.
 
Agreed, giving it the good ol' college try is the real way to know for sure. Yes, opinions will obviously vary since tone is subjective.

As for the Badlander, cool but not my cup of tea. I felt it lacked a gutteral punch/wall of sound. Still need to see what the VII is all about.
My VII punches hard... The OT transformer is BIG IRON like the IV and earlier... Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Connected to my Mesa 2X12 Vertical with V30s.... Moves air, lots of low end, and sounds great!
 
Just threw this together so I could hear how the DR RI records vs. an OG Rev G Triple. Pretty sure I can hear the mids that have me thinking the RI could work well live.


The reissue has a more clear and solid tone but there is something that bothers me in the tonality. I really need to try one.
 
Just threw this together so I could hear how the DR RI records vs. an OG Rev G Triple. Pretty sure I can hear the mids that have me thinking the RI could work well live.


holy shit, that's a pretty dramatic difference. They sound almost like different amps completely. Were they recorded absolutely the same?
 
Settings? Lots of everything but bass. They were not set the same, they were each set where I thought they sounded best in the room.

I like a lot of mids knob in my rectos and even with that every other recto I've tried kind of disappeared in the mix. I'm still thinking that won't be the case with the RI.

No boost, straight in.

I recommend with demos don't get hung up on things you can change by turning a knob. (easier to do than say, I know..) The dynamics & feels of the RI are IMO a lot better than the others. That's hard to capture on the mic, though.
 
Not to totally derail OP but RE:Badlander I can get how the low end wouldn’t be enough for some. I’ve never played one but it’s high on my list for the next fix. I know the newest LoG album Mark used one pretty heavily (believe he’s using it live too). Looks like some double tracking or rhythms were done with a EVH stealth. I love the tone of those riffs on that album. Whereas if I compare those tones to something like the newest Tremonti album that used the MT-100 which I’ve also never played but people gush on it hammering you in the chest in the room, but tonally speaking I feel like that brutality gets lost in the mix. I’ve also heard adding the hot mod to a badlander seems to scratch the recto itch pretty well.

I do enjoy the boosted tones of the RI though. I’m sure it’s got that classic sound in a mix too that just works for a lot of iconic tones. The RI is definitely on my list and this post has got me gassing - just depends on a secondhand deal out there - and if I stop obsessing about a snorkler.
 
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