Thinking of buying a Mesa Rectifier amp?

[SouthernVintage]

I am thinking of trying out a Mesa Rectifier amp? I am still kinda usure if I want the single or duel so if anyone has any suggestions? I am after a high gain amp and was informed the Mesa Rectifier amps might be the way to go?

[Trotter]

I have the Triple Rectifier and really love it. Tons of gain and a very rounded sound with the 6L6's. I would get the dual over the single... more versatility.

[StratTone]

Well I might be selling my triple. It is up on the emporiam for trade but no decent trade deals. I guess I'll take $1200 for it to sell straight out. This isn't a spam thread because I really don't know if I want to sell it but since I am getting into the amp build thing I've been looking at some wood working equipment. As far as the amp goes. I agree with the above statement. I wouldn't go with the Single for sure. The Dual and Triple sound much better. But I'm really not a good source as I never really got into mine and I'm selling it so what do I know...... lol :D

[codeorama]

Go for the dual recto and run it with 2 EL34's. Its a very cool hybrid marshall/mesa type of sound and 50 watts is much more manageable than 100.

That's how I ran mine when I had it and I loved it. Always got lots of compliments.

[Probos]

Go for the dual recto and run it with 2 EL34's. Its a very cool hybrid marshall/mesa type of sound and 50 watts is much more manageable than 100.

That's how I ran mine when I had it and I loved it. Always got lots of compliments.

I've owned a several Recto's over the past few years -- a couple Dual's, a Single, Triple and a couple of Tremoverb's. I still own a Tremoverb head -- great amp. I've always found that running EL34s in Recto's to be quite pleasing and slightly different than with 6L6's -- more mids and a bit more bite on top. But they still sound like Recto's and I really hear no Marshall-esque type tones. Boogie's best hybrid marshall/mesa type tone is the Tite Gain and Fluid Drive modes on their Stiletto Ace or stage II Stiletto Duece or Trident. They have that Boogie lower-mid thing going on with more bite and a bit less bottom,..but it's fairly tight,....PLENTY O' GAIN too.

[Dave L]

The Recto I´ve liked best is the Single, I almost got one but went the "british" route with Rivera instead. The Rectos can do more things than alot of people credit them for, in my opinion... they always have that signature Recto tone, but they go far wider than the chugging rhythm tones you hear on radio these days (or a few years ago, at least, maybe not so much right now).

[Miles]

I've tried about every mesa out there and of the Recto series it really depends on your budget and wants for versatility. So you know, they call them single dual or triple simply by how many rectifier tubes they have inside of them. Therefore, a lot of amps could be considered single or dual rectifiers such as the AC30, Stiletto, Lonestar, etc...

Of the recto series my favorites are:

Tremoverb
Roadster
Maverick
Heartbreaker

My least favorites are:

-Any of the treadplate heads. They're not bad, just not great to me.
-Rectoverb (no rectifier options) Some amps sound great with SS rectifiers....the Rectoverb does not. Very abrupt and found a lot of spitty tones. Some great tones are in the Rectoverb, but I often found the Rectoverb to be fairly inconsistent from room to room.

The best mesa amps IMO are the Lonestars. You still get a lot of gain for any kind of hard rock and you just have the most lush and bold cleans that are so touch sensitive. Both the Classic and the Special are just exceptional. Big sludgy nasty classic overdrive. The second I played the Classic, I knew I had found one to take home with me.

[John Phillips]

If you want the definitive Rectifier sound, you should look for the older 2-channel Dual Rectifier, IMO.

A couple of weeks ago I played one in a shop for the first time in a long time. I should say that I'm the very happy owner of a Trem-o-verb combo, which is definitely the right amp for me, but...

...that thing sounded absolutely awesome. (Through a Marshall 1960AV cab with Vintage 30s, FWIW.) Luckily, when I asked about it a week later, someone had already bought it, or I might have been forced to ;). It was just quite clearly the definitive modern rock amp - it actually made me and the shop staff laugh out loud at how totally, obviously 'classic' it was. And WAY more versatile than they're usually given credit for, if you explore the many switching options and actually dial the tone controls in carefully.

There is a reason why every digital modeler has a 'Rectified' setting. It's because it's one of the half-dozen or so best amps ever made.

[mesanatic]

I would go Dual just for the versatility and more in your face sound than a single.
A used Tremoverb is an awesome amp.
A new Roadster is the best of the new Mesa Recto line. Tighter low end and more refined Recto over all. Easier to dial in, imo. Very reminiscent of the old 2 ch. dual recs. with 2 great clean/crunch chs. added.

[frankencat]

I love my Rectoverb. FWIW it sounds best to me with EL34's. I use it in all kinds of rooms big and small and indoor and outdoor and it always sounds good. One of the few amps I have had that I can say that about.

[Mr. SD-1]

If you want the definitive Rectifier sound, you should look for the older 2-channel Dual Rectifier, IMO.



Why do you like the 2 channel better than the 3 channel?

[John Phillips]

Why do you like the 2 channel better than the 3 channel?It sounds better :).

I don't think it's a huge difference, and I've never actually directly A/B'd the two side-by-side, but I've never heard a 3-channel sound as good as the one I played recently (totally stock '99 model, with standard Mesa tubes BTW) or the older ones I remember. It just seemed more responsive and natural, and actually capable of more varied tones despite the fewer switching options. Almost like going from a perfect model of a Rectifier to the real thing... it sounded so stunning it literally made me laugh out loud.