Mesa/Boogie .50 Caliber +: Making it sound like a Dual Rectifier

[DemoColorScheme]

Hey guys!
I was wondering if you guys could help me out.
Lately I've been really bummed out with my .50 Caliber + .. I keep tweaking it everyday and day but .. I just can't get that sound that I'd like. I'm really looking for sounds in the region of this (especially the first two vids):
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS2quGDJJ_Y
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNcJTQZI02s
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOagawKHc6k

Don't mind the quality, it's the idea that counts. The sound of the first guy is a bit too black metal for me, but it's close to that 'evil' sound, you know. That heavy typical Mesa Dual Rec sound. I'd love to work on/with that but I can't seem to get that out of my .50 Caliber. No matter how I EQ the pre-gain section or the parametric EQ or when sticking a GE-7 in the FX loop. I keep sliding etc. but the mids just seem too .. middy. and when I suck them a bit I lose that 'force'. Sucking them completely sounds horrible.

Also, the EQ section of the .50 Caliber works completely different than, for instance, a Fender Twin Reverb. Whatever you've got going on in the pre-gain is greatly influenced by which of the 3-band EQ dials you've got the highest. When you've got treble at 8/10, the bass and mids almost have no influence, when the mids are the highest, the treble and bass have less influence. Catch my drift? It's not like just adding frequencies so it's WAY harder to find a spot for it all! I hope you guys can help me with this or tell me where the mid frequencies of the Dual Recs reside so I can try to work with that with the GE-7 or even the VariOboost since the midranges on there are REALLY specific. You have total control over the entire midrange not like EQ pedals where you're adding or sucking from one particular preset band.

And lastly, just like on video one, you can hear the chords sustain pretty long, the .50 Caliber can't do that .. It's like it just doesn't have enough gain? Pushing it past 1 / 2 O' clock just sounds mushy and gets you pretty much instant feedback.

Here's what I'm running to minimize confusing etc.

- - -

IZAH rig:

Guitars:
- Gibson '98 modified SG-X [mini alnico humbucker, coil tap + tremolo system added]
.012 Elixir strings (tuned in B standard)


Amps:
- Fender '69 Silverface [modded to Blackface] Twin Reverb + Mesa/Boogie .50 Caliber + Head
.. switched by ..
- ( inside the rack: ) Radial Tonebone Headbone VT


Pedalboard:
- IZAH Pedalboard - August 2009

Signal chain:
- Keeley C4 - 4 Knob Compressor
- Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret
- Custom True Bypass Looper - 1 Loop & 1 Tuner Out
:: IN ::
LOOP:
- Eventide ModFactor
- Line 6 Echo Park
- Eventide TimeFactor
- Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man [modded: true bypass]
- BOSS RV-5
- Catalinbread VariOboost
TUNER OUT:
- BOSS TU-2
:: OUT ::
- BBE Sonic Stomp (in the Mesa Boogie rack)
:: Mesa Boogie FX Loop ::
- BOSS GE-7 (in the Mesa Boogie rack) [modded: 9V input, blue LED]

- 2x Burkey Flatliner SIX (power supply) (one on the board, one in the Mesa Boogie rack)

- - -

So, to be clear, I'm running a 2 head/1 cab rig. My .50 Caliber + head is running through the cab of the Twin Reverb. 2x12 - as you know.
I know this affects the sound because the speakers are different and the back of the cab is opened. The thing is also, I'm getting this high-end sizzle in the background but when I push the parametric EQ's last slider [6600] up to about as far it can, the sizzle disappears and becomes pleasant but the overall tone is a but harsher then. Same goes for the presence. This might be due to the speakers? Could anyone verify?

I'm usually running the .50 Caliber + like this:
Master: 9 O' clock [I can't push it up too loud in the house but at gigs it's loud enough at 10 / 11 O'clock - so I'm not sure it's the volume]
Gain: 1 O' clock
Lead: 10
Treble: 9 / 10
Mid: 2 / 3
Bass 2 / 3
Reverb: 3
Presence: 1 / 2 [due to the high-end sizzle]

On this video of mine you can see what settings I used:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCVmGVw94c
I was running it at these settings:
- http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...e50Caliber.jpg
I used a BOSS GE-7 to boost the mids even more [I'm not on for sucking them - horrible in band situations].

Anyways, I hope this helps out with the advice you can give me!
And yes .. I've read the manual.

Cheers!

[RussB]

You need a closed-back 2-12 or 4-12 cab to even come close to the thump, but at any rate a 50 cal will never be a rectifier. It's voiced very differently

[DemoColorScheme]

Originally Posted by RussB

You need a closed-back 2-12 or 4-12 cab to even come close to the thump, but at any rate a 50 cal will never be a rectifier. It's voiced very differently

That's what I was afraid of. Makes sense though. If you want to have an amp that sounds like another amp .. get the other amp. I just need to save up then since they're quite expensive over here.

Would I have the same problem with the Dual Rec, having 'just an open-back 2x12'?

[RussB]

Why don't you just get a cabinet? Good deals are always out there. Your 50 cal will sound much better...not a Recto, but useable tones none the less.

Try some NOS 5751 tubes in that 50Cal...I was happy with them in mine. They were quiet and tamed some of the "fizzy-sizzle"

Ain't no way you're going to run a Recto head through the clapped out Oxford speakers in a '69 Twin though. You need a cab...

[DemoColorScheme]

Originally Posted by RussB

Why don't you just get a cabinet? Good deals are always out there. Your 50 cal will sound much better...not a Recto, but useable tones none the less.

Try some NOS 5751 tubes in that 50Cal...I was happy with them in mine. They were quiet and tamed some of the "fizzy-sizzle"

Ain't no way you're going to run a Recto head through the clapped out Oxford speakers in a '69 Twin though. You need a cab...

Well, because that negates the entire effect of the rig .. In IZAH I just play additional guitar, more often clean than distorted (this could also be due to the fact that I just have always had a crappy gain sound with the Twin [after months I managed to get a modded BOSS SD-2 and GE-7 to get me a decent base sound - but it was still just only decent since my clean tone is always quite bright and had to work with that on top of my gain sounds]). But the times that I DO have to have to sound good. There's no way in hell I'm justifying myself to bring another cab along when my role as a guitar player in that particular band is so small. I also play keys in it and I have to take too much gear with me as it is, so for now, for live use, another cab is not what I'm after.

The tube recommendation is something I can look into! Thanks!

[DemoColorScheme]

Originally Posted by DemoColorScheme

The tube recommendation is something I can look into! Thanks!

I just checked. It would just decrease the gain, those NOS 5751 tubes and keep it clean longer? I don't think I want LESS break-up ..

Bump to see if anyone else has some ideas!