Dual Rec vs. Triple Rec vs Roadking vs Roadster

[bryan_kilco]

our other guitarist is looking into Mesa gear. He s thinking about going Recto.
Can anyone explain to me the differences between Rectos, Roadkings, and Roasters?
they are all Rectos, correct?

I play a Mark IV and sorta want to try to get dual Mark's going, but I really cannot TELL him what to buy.

There are NO local shops that carry Mesa gear, so he'd be ordering one blindly. Thanks in advance!

 

[scottkahn]

The combination of one player with Mark tone and one with Recto tone is a winning combination -- I highly recommend it .

If you read my in-depth review of the Road King II, it covers all of the differences between it and the Roadster (and the RK I).

http://www.musicplayers.com/reviews/guitars/2006/0906_MesaBoogieRoadKing.php

The short answer:

A Road King II is a DUAL Rectifier on channels 3 and 4, but its clean channels 1 and 2 have the voicing of the clean channel from the Lone Star. But its tone goes beyond a traditional Dual Recto since it has both 6L6 AND EL-34 power tubes, and you can use various combinations of them on a per-channel basis: 2x6L6, 4x6L6, 2xEL-34, 2x6L6 + 2xEL-34, and 4x6L6 + 2xEL-34. Of course each combination results in different power output levels ranging from 50W to 120W.

Scott

 

[jdurso]

definitely read scotts review. one of the most thorough reviews out there. in any case if your bandmate is buying new and cares about his clean channel i would go either Roadster or Road King depending on how many different bells and whistles he can handle. The reason i say this is because a new DR is going to run him around 1700-1800 and a new roadster around 2000. the benefit of the roadster is the extra channel and waaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy better cleans. I also find it a better amp for getting smoother leads. it wont be as smooth as your Mark but IME smoother than a regular DR. Overall its the best bang for your buck into the recto line as far as i'm concerned.

Now if he doesnt use the cleans on his amp than i'd say either go older 2 channel DR or just a regualr used 3 channel DR. Just out of curiosity what is he playing through now? If he's coming from Marshall he may want to check out the Stiletto. Also how hi-gain does the amp have to be because the express 5:50 gets **** loud and pretty **** heavy.

 

[bryan_kilco]

he's going from a Kustom 200 watt solid state head and he has a Kustom cab with some sort of Celestions.

He was using mainly his clean channel on the Kustom with a Multi-FX pedal in front of the amp, using pedal distortion.

I think he would want a nice smooth, crisp clean as well as a great distortion tone. I've personally only ever played a Triple Rec and a Mark IV.

I should have him look into the Roadster, but as of now he's searching Ebay. I dont know if it'd be worth him getting a used Recto for about $1,000 (which is what he found) or saving for the brand new. He has no backup amp and is going to have to use my Mark IV (who's preamp eq isnt functioning properly) for practice tomorrow and 2 shows this weekend. Ill read this review....

 

[siggy14]

if the roadking II is voiced anything like the first roadking, then know it does not sound exacltly like a dual rec.

I have a roadking, I have a 2 channel dual and a 2 channel triple. I have owned pretty much every rectifier under the sun. To me the Roadking 1 is voice between a dual rec and the tremoverb. not as dark as the dual, but not as bright as the tremoverb.

If you ask me, tell him to find a used RK1 on ebay, he cant go wrong with it.

 

[bryan_kilco]

yeah I was thinking the RK might be a good choice.

 

[tunedown]

The combination of one player with Mark tone and one with Recto tone is a winning combination -- I highly recommend it .

Truth.

I absolutely recommend you choose a Mark IV and something else, instead of 2 Mark IVs. A wall of Mark IVs sounds like a good idea, but you'd be missing out on the dynamics and depth of pairing your Mark IV with something else.

In fact, I've found that Mesa amps...uh, "rise to the challenge?" when paired with other amplifiers. If you know what I mean? I've heard more Recto+something pairings that sound incredibly good. The best pairing I've heard was a 2ch Recto paired with a Sovtek Mig 60. I know it wasn't for a metal tone, but it sounded phenomenal.

 

[jdurso]

yeah I was thinking the RK might be a good choice.

definitely a good choice but i also wouldnt rule out a used stiletto. very nice cleans and a killer distortion. Also something like a used DC series, Nomad or F series wouldnt be too bad depending on how heavy he wnats to get. Lots of options. At the end of the day if he can afford a new roadster (his 1000 + putting the rest of a GC credit card???), i'd say that would be a great fit from what you described.

also dont rule out the idea of a non-mesa tube amp. The 6505+ is a great amp and can be had used for under $900. Also i've seen some used VHT CL-50s floating around for 1200-1400. He could even find something like a Single Rec/Rectoverb and use those just for the heavy stuff and with an a/b switch use his Kustom for cleans if he digs them.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Yeah I've brought up the option of the 5150 or 6505....I currently use a 5150 as my main rig cause the Mark IV is in need of a little repair, but we are gonna have to throw the Mark in the mix today at practice and probably for our shows coming up.

Yesterday I spent the time to play around on the Mark IV for a few hours...god its been months since I used it and I fell in love all over again!! the 5150 is definitely a tighter, nassally sounding amp but still kicks *** for metal! But alas....my IV needs tubes now that my new(er) GTs are in the 5150. :?

 

[tunedown]

Yeah I've brought up the option of the 5150 or 6505....I currently use a 5150 as my main rig cause the Mark IV is in need of a little repair, but we are gonna have to throw the Mark in the mix today at practice and probably for our shows coming up.

Yesterday I spent the time to play around on the Mark IV for a few hours...god its been months since I used it and I fell in love all over again!! the 5150 is definitely a tighter, nassally sounding amp but still kicks *** for metal! But alas....my IV needs tubes now that my new(er) GTs are in the 5150. :?

The other guitarist that I play with uses a 5150 II and I love it. His 5150 paired with my Dual Rec is a very good fit. They compliment each other very well. I also ran a Mark IV for a few months and it meshed very well with the 5150 too (as well).

The 5150 / 6505 gets a lot of "bad press" amongst gear elitists, but it's really a very tight and punchy high-gain head that I feel is under rated. Especially since you can pick one up for under a grand.

Don't forget. Fender just released the 5150-III as well. I've heard nothing but good things about it.

 

[domct203]

our other guitarist is looking into Mesa gear. He s thinking about going Recto.
Can anyone explain to me the differences between Rectos, Roadkings, and Roasters?
they are all Rectos, correct?

I play a Mark IV and sorta want to try to get dual Mark's going, but I really cannot TELL him what to buy.

There are NO local shops that carry Mesa gear, so he'd be ordering one blindly. Thanks in advance!

What role do you guys play in the band? If your main role is lead and his is rhythm IMO the Recto is a great choice to compliment the MKIV's lead voicing. If he's (or both) playing leads have him try to find a Roadster/RK, or even a TremoVerb. IMO those are better lead player choices in Rectos compared the standard Dual/Triple Recto Solo's.

Sure, there's other choices, (5150 etc) but if he want's to go Mesa I think you'll both love the way the Recto and MKIV will mix.

Besides, the Recto/Roadster/RK resale value is great. If he buys used and he's not happy he can sell it and get all his money back.

Hope that helps!

Dom

 

[Slanderous666]

our other guitarist is looking into Mesa gear. He s thinking about going Recto.
Can anyone explain to me the differences between Rectos, Roadkings, and Roasters?
they are all Rectos, correct?

I play a Mark IV and sorta want to try to get dual Mark's going, but I really cannot TELL him what to buy.

There are NO local shops that carry Mesa gear, so he'd be ordering one blindly. Thanks in advance!

This may be a stupid question but where do you order Mesa boogie's from when a local shop doesnt carry them? Sorry for my stupidity in advance.

 

[MetalMatt]

..... Don't forget. Fender just released the 5150-III as well. I've heard nothing but good things about it.

I haven't played one, but after hearing the new Testament record I must say it sounds very good. Unless there is that mastering magic at play :?

But yes, a Mark and a Recto equals awesome... Make it a Roadster or RoadKing it will be EPIC! 8)

 

[jdurso]

our other guitarist is looking into Mesa gear. He s thinking about going Recto.
Can anyone explain to me the differences between Rectos, Roadkings, and Roasters?
they are all Rectos, correct?

I play a Mark IV and sorta want to try to get dual Mark's going, but I really cannot TELL him what to buy.

There are NO local shops that carry Mesa gear, so he'd be ordering one blindly. Thanks in advance!

This may be a stupid question but where do you order Mesa boogie's from when a local shop doesnt carry them? Sorry for my stupidity in advance.

where are you located? you can order them through any guitar center and you actually might find one at your nearest one.

also check out the guitar center used site as you can sometimes find a deal and they'll ship it to you. also if he has good credit he may want to consider getting a GC card as you get at least 12 months no patments no interest.

here's a few good ones:
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=103779806
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104858445
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104728052
rectoverb under 900: http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104680797
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104739793
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104701355

there are also a bunch of pretty new looking Dual and Triples for around 1300-1500. by all means for used i think craigslist or ebay is better for your pocket but at least with GC they have to honor a 30 return policy so if he doesnt like it he can return it.

also so this which i didnt even think of... VHT Deliverance 120. killer amp with a huge tone that is in ways comparible to the rectos. not a bad price either:
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104675251

6505 under 800: http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104864007
JSX under 800:http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104867209

as you can see theres a lot out there. also for searching craigslist i like using this site: http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi?cat=mus&itm=mesa&state=&fil=&ys=&ye=&submit=go

good hunting!

 

[jdurso]

tremoverb for $900:http://madison.craigslist.org/msg/764868479.html

 

[Slanderous666]

our other guitarist is looking into Mesa gear. He s thinking about going Recto.
Can anyone explain to me the differences between Rectos, Roadkings, and Roasters?
they are all Rectos, correct?

I play a Mark IV and sorta want to try to get dual Mark's going, but I really cannot TELL him what to buy.

There are NO local shops that carry Mesa gear, so he'd be ordering one blindly. Thanks in advance!

This may be a stupid question but where do you order Mesa boogie's from when a local shop doesnt carry them? Sorry for my stupidity in advance.

where are you located? you can order them through any guitar center and you actually might find one at your nearest one.

also check out the guitar center used site as you can sometimes find a deal and they'll ship it to you. also if he has good credit he may want to consider getting a GC card as you get at least 12 months no patments no interest.

here's a few good ones:
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=103779806
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104858445
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104728052
rectoverb under 900: http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104680797
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104739793
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104701355

there are also a bunch of pretty new looking Dual and Triples for around 1300-1500. by all means for used i think craigslist or ebay is better for your pocket but at least with GC they have to honor a 30 return policy so if he doesnt like it he can return it.

also so this which i didnt even think of... VHT Deliverance 120. killer amp with a huge tone that is in ways comparible to the rectos. not a bad price either:
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104675251

6505 under 800: http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104864007
JSX under 800:http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104867209

as you can see theres a lot out there. also for searching craigslist i like using this site: http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi?cat=mus&itm=mesa&state=&fil=&ys=&ye=&submit=go

good hunting!

I'm in Canada with an express 5:25 . I know places that I can order them from but I was just curious if they were sold online somewhere too and when I'm looking for my next amp where to get them. If I lived in the USA I woulda snapped one of those beautiful used Mesa's up. Sadly we have a very limited selection of used mesa's here. University student so an express with an OD pedal is the closest I will get to a high gain mesa for awhile . Anyways awesome stuff dude thanks! We need some guitar centers in canada.

 

[jdurso]

there probably are but most i found are local shops that have sites. and you can always order from mesa hollywood.

 

[sadowsky13]

This may be a stupid question but where do you order Mesa boogie's from when a local shop doesnt carry them? Sorry for my stupidity in advance.

where are you located? you can order them through any guitar center and you actually might find one at your nearest one.

also check out the guitar center used site as you can sometimes find a deal and they'll ship it to you. also if he has good credit he may want to consider getting a GC card as you get at least 12 months no patments no interest.

here's a few good ones:
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=103779806
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104858445
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104728052
rectoverb under 900: http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104680797
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104739793
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104701355

there are also a bunch of pretty new looking Dual and Triples for around 1300-1500. by all means for used i think craigslist or ebay is better for your pocket but at least with GC they have to honor a 30 return policy so if he doesnt like it he can return it.

also so this which i didnt even think of... VHT Deliverance 120. killer amp with a huge tone that is in ways comparible to the rectos. not a bad price either:
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104675251

6505 under 800: http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104864007
JSX under 800:http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104867209

as you can see theres a lot out there. also for searching craigslist i like using this site: http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi?cat=mus&itm=mesa&state=&fil=&ys=&ye=&submit=go

good hunting!

I'm in Canada with an express 5:25 . I know places that I can order them from but I was just curious if they were sold online somewhere too and when I'm looking for my next amp where to get them. If I lived in the USA I woulda snapped one of those beautiful used Mesa's up. Sadly we have a very limited selection of used mesa's here. University student so an express with an OD pedal is the closest I will get to a high gain mesa for awhile . Anyways awesome stuff dude thanks! We need some guitar centers in canada.

Where are you located? I have seen a couple of roadster's recently come up for sale used on a couple of websites, One in Toronto and One on the east coast I believe. There is no Longe and McQuade near you??

 

[Slanderous666]

where are you located? you can order them through any guitar center and you actually might find one at your nearest one.

also check out the guitar center used site as you can sometimes find a deal and they'll ship it to you. also if he has good credit he may want to consider getting a GC card as you get at least 12 months no patments no interest.

here's a few good ones:
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=103779806
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104858445
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104728052
rectoverb under 900: http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104680797
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104739793
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104701355

there are also a bunch of pretty new looking Dual and Triples for around 1300-1500. by all means for used i think craigslist or ebay is better for your pocket but at least with GC they have to honor a 30 return policy so if he doesnt like it he can return it.

also so this which i didnt even think of... VHT Deliverance 120. killer amp with a huge tone that is in ways comparible to the rectos. not a bad price either:
http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104675251

6505 under 800: http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104864007
JSX under 800:http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/details.cfm?listId=104867209

as you can see theres a lot out there. also for searching craigslist i like using this site: http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi?cat=mus&itm=mesa&state=&fil=&ys=&ye=&submit=go

good hunting!

I'm in Canada with an express 5:25 . I know places that I can order them from but I was just curious if they were sold online somewhere too and when I'm looking for my next amp where to get them. If I lived in the USA I woulda snapped one of those beautiful used Mesa's up. Sadly we have a very limited selection of used mesa's here. University student so an express with an OD pedal is the closest I will get to a high gain mesa for awhile . Anyways awesome stuff dude thanks! We need some guitar centers in canada.

Where are you located? I have seen a couple of roadster's recently come up for sale used on a couple of websites, One in Toronto and One on the east coast I believe. There is no Longe and McQuade near you??

I live about 5 mins away from a long and macquade but their attitude is they only stock what they are sent... Anyways thanks all good info.