Has anyone traded their Mark V In for a Dual or Triple Rec?

[Shemham]

Reborn Rectos have improved clean channels over the old 3 channel models. I haven't played Roadster or Roadking so I can't comment their cleans, but I'm very content with Reborn Recto's cleans. You can get very Fenderesque tones out of it.

And you can't actually use the Solo Control to decrease the volume like someone suggested. Solo Control adds parallel signal with the original signal so if it's too low, the original signal will dominate. It fattens up the tone a bit if it's in unison with the normal MV. Rest depends how much you have headroom available.

 

[kyldh]

That's interesting. I used to have a road king 1 and 2 and the clean chan in those was pretty good. Its a different amp though and I think those had the lonestar circuit as well. The 2 did anyway. I'm sure I read or heard somewhere that the new multi watt dual and triple recs had a more lonestar voiced clean chan as well. I might be wrong on that.

Yeah, you're right, I think the Roadster and Road King 2 are almost identical aside from the extra bells and whistles that the Road King has. For me, the Roadster is the perfect head. Everyone's different though.

My Triple was not a multi-watt, so I can't really comment there. That'd be awesome though. I had my Triple for 10 years and the only reason I finally broke down and sold it was just that clean channel. Plus... 150w was kind of overkill for the bars I play. If they did improve the clean circuitry with the newer multi-watts then that'd make for a very awesome head for sure.

 

[kyldh]

And you can't actually use the Solo Control to decrease the volume like someone suggested. Solo Control adds parallel signal with the original signal so if it's too low, the original signal will dominate. It fattens up the tone a bit if it's in unison with the normal MV. Rest depends how much you have headroom available.

My bad. Maybe it was different for the 3-channel heads then? Because with my Triple I didn't use my solo, so I'd just leave it turned down and occasionally I'd bump the button and BAM, no more volume. haha. After that I left it right around where my Output was set. Like I said, I didn't play with that feature much, that was just the experience I had with it. Maybe I even had an issue with my head?! Who knows. Moral of the story though, listen to Shemham because I'm sure he's right.

 

[paulg2uk]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm tying the dual rec at the weekend so I'll make mind up for definite. As you say everyone is different. All I want in a head is a Pristine clean chan, Classic rock channel and the full blown heavy chan and I'll be happy lol. If the dual rec sounds like the rectoverb 25 that's it I'm sold. Obviously yo can't compare EL84's to a 6L6's but I'm sure it will be close sounding.

That reminds me. Do you guys have any rack stuff? I have a 5u rack case that sits on my cab and my amp head sit on top of my rack case. I just wanted to make sure the dual rec will sit on top of my rack case and that its not too big?

 

[ryjan]

The reason I own a Roadster is because I jammed with a buddy who owned a Road King II. Until that point I hadn't really dug the recto line but the Road King my buddy had sounded better than any amp I'd ever played first hand.
Not very long after (less than a week ) I bought a Roadster and we played them both side by side.
I can tell you from first hand experience that aside from the progressive linkage they are the same identical amp.

 

[SonVolt]

You mention Metallica but Hetfields tone IS the Mark tone.

Yes, but in fairness, his guitar sound on the studio albums has been heavily equalized and at least double or triple tracked, or umpteen tracked, and with other amps mixed in. As a result, the sound is far from what a single Mark sounds like - the rhythm guitar sound you hear on many black album songs can be more easily approximated with a Dual Rectifier than with a single Mark amplifier.

Perhaps the closest you get to the pure IIc+ sound on a studio album is the 1980s Garage Days Re-Revisited EP. Then Master of Puppets. But you need an EQ in the loop.

I've got a Triple Rec, a Mark IV and a Marl V. Maybe I lucked up and bought a gem but my Mark IV is THE Hetfield sound bar none. Tight, aggressive and huge sounding. The Mark V's Mark IV mode is kind of wimpy sounding by comparison. Now the real magic and black album tone come from playing the Mark IV and Triple in stereo. Holy Jesus its heavenly.

 

[deeman]

That reminds me. Do you guys have any rack stuff? I have a 5u rack case that sits on my cab and my amp head sit on top of my rack case. I just wanted to make sure the dual rec will sit on top of my rack case and that its not too big?

I had a 4u SKB rack case back in the day that I had sitting on my cab and my dual rec would sit on that perfectly.

 

[paulg2uk]

That reminds me. Do you guys have any rack stuff? I have a 5u rack case that sits on my cab and my amp head sit on top of my rack case. I just wanted to make sure the dual rec will sit on top of my rack case and that its not too big?

I had a 4u SKB rack case back in the day that I had sitting on my cab and my dual rec would sit on that perfectly.

Excellent thank you.

 

[dbagchee]

Be sure to try the Rectoverb 25 through a 4x12 with the band - should be plenty of volume. My drummer is LOUD and I have plenty of headroom with it.

 

[knotts]

I agree that you need a Roadster. I have tired out a mark V many times. I know it's an amazing amp, but it's just not the one for me. As others have said, it has an element which sounds dry to me but I can't quite put my finger on it.

When I was trying to decide this very thing, another member on this site said the following when I asked how the two amps compare to each other, "the Mark V is like a surgeons scalpel and the roadster is more like a sledgehammer." I thought that was a good perspective, different tools for different applications. So you need to ask yourself, when you play, do you feel like you are performing surgery or are you looking to do your demolition?

 

[paulg2uk]

I agree that you need a Roadster. I have tired out a mark V many times. I know it's an amazing amp, but it's just not the one for me. As others have said, it has an element which sounds dry to me but I can't quite put my finger on it.

When I was trying to decide this very thing, another member on this site said the following when I asked how the two amps compare to each other, "the Mark V is like a surgeons scalpel and the roadster is more like a sledgehammer." I thought that was a good perspective, different tools for different applications. So you need to ask yourself, when you play, do you feel like you are performing surgery or are you looking to do your demolition?

That's an interesting way of putting it. I dunno is the short answer lol. I feel as if sometimes I need to do both. As I mentioned in my previous posts. At the moment the rectoverb 25 is speaking to me and I love the sound of that. When I change heads to the mark v I gotta say it feels like its lacking something, for me anyway.

I just thought if want something to keep up with the band and the larger gigs we play and sound similar to the rectoverb the dual rec was the next best thing. I always thought the roadster was similar to the road king which is why i made the switch about 3 years ago to the mark v the road king just sounded a little dark to me. It's a tough choice boogie make such good amps if i had it my way and the cash I just buy all of them lol

 

[ryjan]

I'm not good enough for scalpel work. I guess I'm a sledgehammer guy. 8)

 

[Heritage Softail]

I had a MKV and got rid of it.

It was a fair bit of amp modeling of great Boogie amps, but fell short. I still have my MKIIC. What the MKV had as the MKIIC mode fell short.

I am hearing you on the Recto. I still have my Rectoverb and love it. A Recto just kills for chugging riffs.

Hetfield used a MKIIC, a real deal old amp, not some other Boogie or MKV mode. There is tons of material on the Metallica folklore. Now he uses a Diezel VH4 in the mix. I always loved the sound of a Recto for riff player and MK series amp for leads and partner to the Recto.

It is not popular to say here, but a Recto and a cheap old DSL Marshall sounds awesome.

Good luck on the tone quest.

 

[paulg2uk]

Hey guys,

Today's the day I'm going to try the the dual rec. I'm curious how much a 2nd hand mark v head should cost?

I've been offered £1400 over here in the UK. I think I paid just over £2000 new when I bought it around 3 years ago. If I decide to go with the dual rec today I will only have to pay £299 extra as the guitar shop I'm going to has the dual rec up for £1699 instead of the normal retail of £2099. I think the dual rec they have is a store demonstrator that's why its cheaper.

I thought it was a pretty good deal personally. What do you guys think?

 

[knotts]

Tough to say how those prices should hold up on the other side of the pond. It seems fair but it won't hurt to negotiate. You'll get more out of a private sale, but it comes with hassles and headaches. If you play the dual rec and it's everything you've been missing, £100 won't matter.

 

[paulg2uk]

Hey guys,

Well I finally did it I traded in my mark v for the dual rec (Pic to follow). I must say the dual rec is definitely more my sound than the mark v. The guy in the store let me bring my mark v in and play both to compare which I preferred.

The clean chan of the dual rec is definitely more fuller and not so thin.Chan's 2 and 3 just sound killer weather its full on gain or just slowly overdriven. I'll have another play tonight with my rack setup and see how I get on but so far I'm happy.

Thanks for all the suggestions and posts guys.

Paul