Differences between Tremoverb and Roadster?

[procos]

I don't have much experience with Mesa's. I own a Soldano SLO, a couple of Two Rock Onyx's and a Vox. I have owned many amps over the past 10 years everything from Bogner to Matchless but have never really tried out many Mesa's. I just bought a Tremoverb off of ebay but it had many problems the seller didn't list so I am sending it back. I started doing some research on Mesa's and it seems like the Roadster would be a cool amp to own. Seems like it has all the channels that Mesa has had over the years. I wouldn't really use the tremolo on the Tremoverb so besides the tremolo how different sounding are the Roadsters from the Tremoverbs? I know the Tremoverbs would be cheaper to find used but I like the idea that the Roadsters are new. Seems like all the used the Tremoverbs are over 10 years old. I am not sure when Mesa discontinued the Tremoverb. For someone who has tried both how do they compare? I really liked all the channels on the Tremoverb. I thought the clean was great and really liked the Vintage High Gain, Blues and Modern High Gain. I mostly play southern rock similar to Allman Brothers and really dig the Government Mule. Any info would be helpful.

Thanks,

Chuck

 

[siggy14]

The tremoverbs and roadsters are two different beasts, they still got the recto growl, but the roadsters are darker sounding, not as much upper mid's as the tremoverb.

Both are great amps, just depends what you are looking for.

I don't have much experience with Mesa's. I own a Soldano SLO, a couple of Two Rock Onyx's and a Vox. I have owned many amps over the past 10 years everything from Bogner to Matchless but have never really tried out many Mesa's. I just bought a Tremoverb off of ebay but it had many problems the seller didn't list so I am sending it back. I started doing some research on Mesa's and it seems like the Roadster would be a cool amp to own. Seems like it has all the channels that Mesa has had over the years. I wouldn't really use the tremolo on the Tremoverb so besides the tremolo how different sounding are the Roadsters from the Tremoverbs? I know the Tremoverbs would be cheaper to find used but I like the idea that the Roadsters are new. Seems like all the used the Tremoverbs are over 10 years old. I am not sure when Mesa discontinued the Tremoverb. For someone who has tried both how do they compare? I really liked all the channels on the Tremoverb. I thought the clean was great and really liked the Vintage High Gain, Blues and Modern High Gain. I mostly play southern rock similar to Allman Brothers and really dig the Government Mule. Any info would be helpful.

Thanks,

Chuck

 

[jdurso]

I dont know i would say both are dark amps. Tremoverb does have some more upper mids but not much more and that ground can be made up in the roadster by going to some different preamp tubes. The biggest benefit i find with the Roadster is better cleans and 2 extra channels for those that need them. Plus the Roadster has many more power and switching options. The fact that each channel can be unique in wattage and tube selection is just killer IMO.

 

[siggy14]

Have you owned both amps? without an EQ in the loop you will never get the roadster to have the upper mids that the tremoverb has. I also didnt say the tremo was dark, actually it is a bright amp.

The roadster is darker, one of the reasons I dont like it, much prefer my RK1 which is alot closer to the tremoverb, but a nice mix between the tremo and the DR.

I dont know i would say both are dark amps. Tremoverb does have some more upper mids but not much more and that ground can be made up in the roadster by going to some different preamp tubes. The biggest benefit i find with the Roadster is better cleans and 2 extra channels for those that need them. Plus the Roadster has many more power and switching options. The fact that each channel can be unique in wattage and tube selection is just killer IMO.

 

[jdurso]

Have you owned both amps? without an EQ in the loop you will never get the roadster to have the upper mids that the tremoverb has. I also didnt say the tremo was dark, actually it is a bright amp.

The roadster is darker, one of the reasons I dont like it, much prefer my RK1 which is alot closer to the tremoverb, but a nice mix between the tremo and the DR.

I dont know i would say both are dark amps. Tremoverb does have some more upper mids but not much more and that ground can be made up in the roadster by going to some different preamp tubes. The biggest benefit i find with the Roadster is better cleans and 2 extra channels for those that need them. Plus the Roadster has many more power and switching options. The fact that each channel can be unique in wattage and tube selection is just killer IMO.

I have owned both and you can get the same mid structure as the tremoverb by eqing differently and swapping out your v1 and v2 preamp tubes for something a little more mid rich. Also I didnt mean say that you said the tremoverb was dark (i missed a comma in there that totally chanegs the way you read it)... I was the one saying the Tremoverb is dark, and it is. I dont see how you can consider the Tremoverb a bright amp because comapired to most other Rectos it sits right next to the Roadster as far as being dark.

If you found your Roadster too dark and prefered the RK1 (which isnt much brighter), I'd say you might have had a dull preamp tube in V1. Dont get me wrong the Tremoverb is one of my favorite Rectos out there... i just dont see the tremoverb high gain and roadster high gain being that different.

 

[siggy14]

Maybe you had a dark sounding tremo, because they are usually brighter, I have had 3 and a good friend had 1, and all were so much brighter with the amount of upper mid's

I have now played 3 different roadsters, 1 i owned, and two of my friends own them, and they are just way to dark for me and cant even compare to any 2 channel I have played or my RK1, well except the clean channel is better.

Have you owned both amps? without an EQ in the loop you will never get the roadster to have the upper mids that the tremoverb has. I also didnt say the tremo was dark, actually it is a bright amp.

The roadster is darker, one of the reasons I dont like it, much prefer my RK1 which is alot closer to the tremoverb, but a nice mix between the tremo and the DR.

I dont know i would say both are dark amps. Tremoverb does have some more upper mids but not much more and that ground can be made up in the roadster by going to some different preamp tubes. The biggest benefit i find with the Roadster is better cleans and 2 extra channels for those that need them. Plus the Roadster has many more power and switching options. The fact that each channel can be unique in wattage and tube selection is just killer IMO.

I have owned both and you can get the same mid structure as the tremoverb by eqing differently and swapping out your v1 and v2 preamp tubes for something a little more mid rich. Also I didnt mean say that you said the tremoverb was dark (i missed a comma in there that totally chanegs the way you read it)... I was the one saying the Tremoverb is dark, and it is. I dont see how you can consider the Tremoverb a bright amp because comapired to most other Rectos it sits right next to the Roadster as far as being dark.

If you found your Roadster too dark and prefered the RK1 (which isnt much brighter), I'd say you might have had a dull preamp tube in V1. Dont get me wrong the Tremoverb is one of my favorite Rectos out there... i just dont see the tremoverb high gain and roadster high gain being that different.

 

[Fixxer6671]

I have both amps, with MESA tubes, so I can't say anything beyond that.

IMO, you can't get TOV tones from a Roadster. To me the Trem is the perfect amp. The cleans are nice and full and the gain channel is killer.

The Roadster is my favorite modern mesa recto since the old 2 channel and the TOV.

All killer amps and very applicable. The Roadster just gives you so many tonal options its sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :twisted:

 

[jdurso]

Maybe you had a dark sounding tremo, because they are usually brighter, I have had 3 and a good friend had 1, and all were so much brighter with the amount of upper mid's

I have now played 3 different roadsters, 1 i owned, and two of my friends own them, and they are just way to dark for me and cant even compare to any 2 channel I have played or my RK1, well except the clean channel is better.

Its possible mine and the ones i've played have been dark, but i guess mine was in comparison to a 2 channel triple which was much brighter than my tremoverb. I still can get the the tones i got out of the tremoverb with my roadster but it could also be the difference between the toens we use out of each amp. If you want good upper mids out of a Roadster just change around your preamp tubes, especially V1 and v2.