Mesa Dual Rec w/THD YellowJackets - Triode

[kramerxxx]

I bought a pair of these this weekend and plopped them in the center 2 power tube sockets of my Dual Rec. Amazing sound!!!!!

Cleans are WAY better, jangly, chimey, bright.
Vintage gain is Better, just better. It drives at a lower volume and gives up nothing in the process.
Modern gain is sharper without being brittle or fizzy.

I run a MXR 10-band EQ through the loop, for an additional sound/tone and to push the mids, but with these tube adapters you don't really have to do that.

I normally use a boost pedal like a TS9 or a BB Preamp to push the front too, but with these tubes, you don't need it.


Disclaimer: My Dual Rec is a Voodoo Deluxe modded version. This is a great mod BUT the THD YJs make it BETTER, Much BETTER.

 

[YellowJacket]

What are you running for speakers?

I found that the YellowJackets just give a different vibe overall. The modern tone can be overly bright and shrill. I got the best results with running greenbacks with red to vintage and orange set at clean with my 2 channel dual. It isn't so much a better tone as a different one with the exception of the cleans, which are miles better. My dual stock, not modded.

 

[kramerxxx]

I have several cabinets. The one I was running yesterday when I was checking this out was a homemade vertical 2x12 with an English Vintange 30 I've owned about 20 years and an old Mesa Black Shadow Celestion C90. Both are 8ohms, I have them wired series for a 16ohm load. The cab is front loaded, 3\4 ply with the top speaker angled, bottom straight. I have the middle heavily braced, entire cab it tolexed with metal grill speaker protection. I modeled it after the Mesa 2x12 1/2 open backs of the 80's, with an EV and the C90 but later found I like it with the V30 better. I also closed up the top and opened the bracing between the two chambers. I have 2 4x12s with the same speaker compliment. For me, the V30 really cover the lead sounds and the C90 cover the lows, highs and clean sounds.

I only tried this to get more variety out of the amp. 6L6s do the Rec sound best, but you have to be LOUD. EL34s help the single note solo sound but again you really need to push the amp to get the goods. With 6L6s and EL84s it brings the volume down some and the smaller power tubes start driving before the bigger bottles. You are right it is just a different sound, not better or worse. If you like a Dual Rec and have more than one amp because you play many genres of music this is just another option to get the most out of your investment. Plus these adapters were $107 with tax so it's not a huge expense, it is very easy to do, they easily fit in the amp, (I was worried they'd be too long for the headshell) and I can try them in my other amps. Win-win situation for me, I just wanted to share the experience. I'm going to take them to band practice today and give them a whirl. In that band I play more classic rock than metal so it should be a great fit.

Also, I run my effects from the slave out through a processor to another amp. That way the tone of the Rec is intact and not altered by anything in the chain except the GEQ.

 

[kramerxxx]

It isn't so much a better tone as a different one with the exception of the cleans, which are miles better.

This was my primary motivation to try this and I totally agree, the cleans are as good as I've heard from a Rectifier big bottle amp. I own a Mark III and a Mark V, with 6L6s and YJs in my Dual Rec the cleans are better than the Mark III and a shade under the Mark V.

 

[kramerxxx]

What are you running for speakers?

I found that the YellowJackets just give a different vibe overall. The modern tone can be overly bright and shrill. I got the best results with running greenbacks with red to vintage and orange set at clean with my 2 channel dual. It isn't so much a better tone as a different one with the exception of the cleans, which are miles better. My dual stock, not modded.

One question for you: did you use 2 or 4 YJs in you 2ch? and if you used 2, what tubes did you leave in?

 

[YellowJacket]

One question for you: did you use 2 or 4 YJs in you 2ch? and if you used 2, what tubes did you leave in?

Oh, gotcha.
Ok, here's the lowdown. My Yellowjackets aren't the triode model. They are the straight up YJS ones. I have run them in multiple configurations. Typically, I run two yellow jackets without any other bottles. The tone is very midrange focused and bright. The cleans are great while the distortion takes some tweaking to get right. Best with greenbacks.
As for mixing bottles, 6L6s + YJS = awesome cleans and a very complex and meaty overdrive.