Mark III vs DC-5 vs Recto

[edgecrusher]

I currently own a Mark III head, which I love, but I have been thinking about picking up another head just to have something a little more modern sounding to compliment it; I'll probably run them both in stereo. I'm thinking about the DC-5 or possibly a Tremoverb. I've heard that the DC-5 sounds like a Mark mixed with a Recto, which is ideally what I'd like, but since I already have a Mark, do you guys think I'd be better off going for the Recto? I'm looking for a thick metal tone, which is where the Recto shines, but The DC is half the price.

 

[kmanick]

Hey Edge, maybe I can help here since we have (or have had) alot of the same gear available to us)
I started my Mesa journey with a Rectoverb. I thought I loved it until I heard my mark III.
There were certain things about the Rectoverb I liked and hated. I got a pretty great rhythm sound
out of it but to do that It killed my lead sound. Plus it was a very very 'stiff" amp.
I play alot more lead /shred **** when I play so, the Mark III was like a blessing to me.
I had a JSX and the REctoverb and I alwasy thought , "man if I could combine these two amps it would kill"
The mark III is close.
To get more of a Recto sound out of my mark III I throw my MXR 10 band EQ into the loop
and kill the upper mids a bit and the treble, Pluse i use my Chaos modded SD-1 in fron with the level dimed and the gain off
witht hte tone set at about 11:00. it sounds pretty recto-ish when I run it like that.
if I was a rythm player in metal band I would use the Recto, but playing lead and rhythm
the mark works much.much better for me.
Now a Roadster may get you where you want but I've had a Rectoverb and an early black Face dual recto and I sold them both.
My 7620 with the BK MiracleMan in the Bridge sounds f'n amazing thru my Mark III when I kick on the MXR (I run it thru a Recto 2X12 cab)
Think a Dead heart in a Dead World type of tone but just a bit tighter and smoother and that's what I'm getting.
Now the mark III definitely doesn't sound as big as a recto , but that's not a big deal to me.
My Carvin 7 also sounds killer thru it but that guitar has a ton more mids to it than the 7620 does so I EQ it a little differently.
I think the DC-5 would just frustrate you, to me , it sounds too close to a Mark series amp to get what you're thinking.
A Tremoveb with El34's in it might also do the trick (I always have gas for a Tremoverb as its the only Recto I haven't been able
to get my hands on yet).
what you also may want to try (which is what I do ) is I run my mark III and my 6505+ in stereo all the time.
It sounds great, they compliment each other really well.

 

[edgecrusher]

Cool, thanks man! The 6505 is another amp I've been considering alot lately. I'd love to hear some clips if you get the chance! I found a DC-5 head for $500 and a 5150 head for $695 locally, though my friend already called dibs on the 5150 :|

 

[Paul Secondino]

My advice will depend on how you use your amps. If you're playing out or recording where the amp is turned up to where it is designed to be, I would stick with your Mark 3.

If you play at home, the DC will sound fuller in the bass response and give you most of the Recto personality without actually having to buy a Recto. And the DC has a more interesting clean sound than the Recto.But at volume, I find my DC-5 to be muddy .The more you turn it up, the more you realize it isn't cutting through like the Mark 3 does.

Another general rule that I consider is the one where many amps that sound big by themselves do not cut or sound clear in a band or recording situation and vice versa.My Mark 3 isn't ver polished sounding at bedroom volume but records great and cuts like a laser. I hope that helps

 

[lockbody]

My advice will depend on how you use your amps. If you're playing out or recording where the amp is turned up to where it is designed to be, I would stick with your Mark 3.

If you play at home, the DC will sound fuller in the bass response and give you most of the Recto personality without actually having to buy a Recto. And the DC has a more interesting clean sound than the Recto.But at volume, I find my DC-5 to be muddy .The more you turn it up, the more you realize it isn't cutting through like the Mark 3 does.

Hmmmm, my DC-5 tends to clear up and gain focus at volume. Maybe my cab makes the difference, I dunno.

However, if I had a Mk III I'm not sure I'd trade it for a DC-5. Well, I take that back. I like having independent controls over the channel eq and reverb.

 

[mesaftw]

My advice is your looking for a more recto sound, forget the dc-5, dont get me wrong, it is a little monster, but it wont deliver a truth recto sound, so my advice is, save a little bit more money and go with the recto.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

The Tremoverb will have the best Cleans out of most Rectos.
The Cleans on the Roadster & RK II are pretty much the same as the Lonestar, but the T-Verb's Cleans sound warmer to me.

The Rectoverb has terrible Reverb too.

I would have to agree that the DC-5 is between a Mark & a Recto tone wise.
But, that being said, if you have a 100 watt Mark III, especially a Simul-Class one, it will sound way different than the DC-5.

The DC-5, with the right tubes & cabs/speakers will cut through any mix if it's EQ'd right.

I use a DC-5 combo w/C-90 & a 1x12 3/4 back cab w/C-90.
I can make it sound pretty much anyway I want, with the exception of full on Recto tone without a pedal.
The thing I like the most about it is that the Rythm & Lead sounds stand out really well, and the Leads stay focused.
My DC-5 also sounds better and better as it is cranked. I do lower the Gain a bit though, as the amp gets louder.

To get Recto type tones, I just use a Maxon CP-101 in front of it.

 

[edgecrusher]

Thanks for the input guys, I ended up buying a DC-5 head for $500 locally. It's a great sounding amp! The Mark III is a bit more in your face with a tight cutting sound, while the DC-5 seems to be a bit fuller and looser, but the overall tone reminds me of the Mark IV, especially when boosting it with the Tubescreamer. The two sound massive when run in stereo! :twisted:

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I bet they sound good!

There are tons of things that can be done to the DC & Mark III too that make them just that much more versatile!

 

[kmanick]

Nice!!!!!
how do your 7's sound thru it?

 

[edgecrusher]

Oh man, the 7's sound absolutely devastating through these amps! The first half of my band's set is in drop D on the 6's, and the second half we use the 7's in B standard. I prefer using the 7's because I just love the tone of the low B, especially through a Mesa!

I haven't had a full band practice using both amps yet, but I have gone over to jam with the drummer and mess with the amps a bit. My other guitarist uses an Ibanez Thermion head into a 412 cab loaded with G12T-100's, which has a Recto type of sound, so I ran it in stereo with the DC-5, and it sounded so sick! The thickest, most brutal tone I've ever had! It's gonna get even crazier when we through the Mark III in the mix!

 

[Erotomaniac1928]

I play a 7 through a dc-5 too, massive low end that still stays tight

 

[edward]

I can't comment on DC vs Recto sound. But as a long time owner of a DC5, and a MKIII Simul for the past 3-4 years, I can tell you they are significantly different ...enough so that merits owning both

As for a DC5 and metal, no issue there. There is killer overdrive and tonal focus, with great bottom that is tight and never flubby. And it does not lose note definition ...can be very articulate in the Lead channel when eq'd properly. FWIW, I will never part with my DC5. While I love my MKIII, the DC is just so versatile that if forced to keep just one amp, the DC would be the one for me.

Edward