Mini Rectifier as my 1st Tube Amp ?

[Nik_Left_Rg]

Hello All,

Couple of months down the line, I am planning to get a Mini Rectifier to quench my thirst for the "Mesa" tone. Incidently,it is also going to be my first all-tube amp. I have scoured the net and got all the necessary info wrt to this amp.The general consensus is that only a mesa can do a "Mesa" tone. Low wattage - because of my living situation and financial constraints. I understand that I can get a used Dual Rec at this price but I fear it might be too loud.
Some demos from HaggertyMusic on YT seems to indicate that it can cop a decent DTesque(?) tone.I am after the DT tone from Images & Words and SFAM era. So for all the owners out there, please share your thoughts on the following :

1. Can it get a fluid lead tone similar to JP's I&W era tone and Marco's recent lead tones ? If not, how would you describe its lead tone ?
2. How loud does it need to get for a good chunk tone from it ? My ideal chunk tones would be from the Images & Words album.
3. Can I get some nice tubey tone ala Joe Satriani from this amp ? (Made of Tears, Just Look up, etc..)
3. Do you think there is a better amp for me out there, under my budget (1K) ?

There are a lot of knowledgeable folks out here and I am looking forward to all of your inputs based on your experience with this amp. Thank You in advance.

Regards.


P.S. I do not have the option of currently going in to GC and auditioning it. Primary reason being, I would like it too much and would have to pick it up then and there . I would want to go to a shop when I have the dough (hopefully in a month or two). If I am not able to get a tone I am after at that point of time then, I always have the option of saying no. Some people would say,get a Mark V and be done with it but unfortunately, I dont have that kind of cash nor do I see the possibility of saving that much with my family growing and expenses ever increasing. I have posted a similar thread in another forum FYI.

 

[bendo]

Rectifiers don't have what is considered a great "Lead Tone". That can be fixed with a good booster. BB Preamp, EP Booster, TS808, etc.

You will have no issues with chunky palm mutes.

Yes, there are many used rectifiers available. Even minis. Check GCs used gear site. Search for Mesa Boogie with however far you are willing to travel from your zip code. You will get a good choice of used gear.

Look at the used Rectoverb and Single combos/heads. Some of them have a slight channel switching mute, so check around and ask questions. They sound really good, though the Rectoverb's reverb is kind of meh.

The Dual Calibers have a great lead tone, and a good rhythm tone. They also have a great reverb. Try and find a later production one. They can be had really cheap. I just picked up a used DC3 35watt head for 450.00 that is super clean.

Spend some time on Mesa's site looking at current products, and reading the out of production section to fill in the blanks on the Single.

Most of all, just go play a few. You won't know if it has the tone you are looking for until you play it. If you can't control yourself enough to play a few, not sure what to tell you.

 

[talltxguy]

Based upon what you wrote in your post, I would recommend a 1X12 Mark III combo.

By itself, the Mini Rectifier won't give you fluid lead tones like a Mark can. If you're set on that Mini Rectifier, you can always try an OD and even an EQ pedal in the mix to get the tone. I didn't have time to hook up an OD or an EQ to the Mini Rec I played in the store.

Good luck on the tone quest!

 

[nocluejimbo]

Based upon what you wrote in your post, I would recommend a 1X12 Mark III combo.

By itself, the Mini Rectifier won't give you fluid lead tones like a Mark can. If you're set on that Mini Rectifier, you can always try an OD and even an EQ pedal in the mix to get the tone. I didn't have time to hook up an OD or an EQ to the Mini Rec I played in the store.

Good luck on the tone quest!

I agree with this. The Mark will be much closer to the early JP tones you are looking for. Find one with Simul-Class, and you will have a 15-watt mode that should do well for your volume constraints - although the Mark series amps tend to sound good at any volume.

You can find Mark III heads and combos under $1000 all day long.

 

[elvis]

Or you could go Studio Preamp + 20/20.

The mini is awesome, but not fluid. More punchy and raspy. I get fluid from mine with a BB Preamp.

 

[Nik_Left_Rg]

Rectifiers don't have what is considered a great "Lead Tone". That can be fixed with a good booster. BB Preamp, EP Booster, TS808, etc.

You will have no issues with chunky palm mutes.

Yes, there are many used rectifiers available. Even minis. Check GCs used gear site. Search for Mesa Boogie with however far you are willing to travel from your zip code. You will get a good choice of used gear.

Look at the used Rectoverb and Single combos/heads. Some of them have a slight channel switching mute, so check around and ask questions. They sound really good, though the Rectoverb's reverb is kind of meh.

The Dual Calibers have a great lead tone, and a good rhythm tone. They also have a great reverb. Try and find a later production one. They can be had really cheap. I just picked up a used DC3 35watt head for 450.00 that is super clean.

Spend some time on Mesa's site looking at current products, and reading the out of production section to fill in the blanks on the Single.

Most of all, just go play a few. You won't know if it has the tone you are looking for until you play it. If you can't control yourself enough to play a few, not sure what to tell you.

Oh, absolutely. I am gonna go to the store and play a few but I wanna do that after I have the dough in my hand. The last couple of times I have been to a GC, I ended up picking up a POD and another guitar. I sold them both. Needless to say the wife was not happy.

I would prefer a smaller foot print, the replies here have me interested in the DC and the Mark iii. How much do the heads weigh?
BTW, thanks to everyone for their response.Appreciate the warm welcome

 

[Nik_Left_Rg]

Or you could go Studio Preamp + 20/20.

The mini is awesome, but not fluid. More punchy and raspy. I get fluid from mine with a BB Preamp.

Elvis, thanks for the info. I would love to go the rack route but fear that it might get costly. Don't think I'd get a studio preamp and 20/20 under 1k...

Edit : apologize for the double post. Doing this from my phone..

 

[bendo]

Rectifiers don't have what is considered a great "Lead Tone". That can be fixed with a good booster. BB Preamp, EP Booster, TS808, etc.

You will have no issues with chunky palm mutes.

Yes, there are many used rectifiers available. Even minis. Check GCs used gear site. Search for Mesa Boogie with however far you are willing to travel from your zip code. You will get a good choice of used gear.

Look at the used Rectoverb and Single combos/heads. Some of them have a slight channel switching mute, so check around and ask questions. They sound really good, though the Rectoverb's reverb is kind of meh.

The Dual Calibers have a great lead tone, and a good rhythm tone. They also have a great reverb. Try and find a later production one. They can be had really cheap. I just picked up a used DC3 35watt head for 450.00 that is super clean.

Spend some time on Mesa's site looking at current products, and reading the out of production section to fill in the blanks on the Single.

Most of all, just go play a few. You won't know if it has the tone you are looking for until you play it. If you can't control yourself enough to play a few, not sure what to tell you.

Oh, absolutely. I am gonna go to the store and play a few but I wanna do that after I have the dough in my hand. The last couple of times I have been to a GC, I ended up picking up a POD and another guitar. I sold them both. Needless to say the wife was not happy.

I would prefer a smaller foot print, the replies here have me interested in the DC and the Mark iii. How much do the heads weigh?
BTW, thanks to everyone for their response.Appreciate the warm welcome

30-40 lbs for the DCs. The 50 and 100 watt versions are around 50lbs. Mark III is around the same weight. A 2x12 recto cab weighs about 60lbs.

 

[Addictedtokaos]

My first tube amp was a Rectoverb Series 2 combo. Although I loved the tone, I grew tired of it being a PITA to swap or change tubes since everything is inverted and in a tight enclosed area. Also very heavy to move anywhere as its all one piece.

Now I unloaded the combo and picked up a Mini with a 2x12 Horizontal Rect. cab. Love it, plus the mini head is so small and light. Tubes are easy to access. Plus 2 EL84s are much less expensive than 2 6L6s or EL34s.

The mini has its advantages, but also lack some features that the bigger Mesa's offer.

Are you going to want to experiment with different tubes? Are you going to want to move the amp around? What type of tone are you wanting? Combos are somewhat limited to 1/2 or 3/4 closed back so you dont get the same low-end chug and punchy tone you will from a closed back cab. The combo to me seems to give that open airy tone. You can always connect the combo to a external cab but not very cost effective and defeats the purpose of having a combo.

My recommendation, no matter what Rectifier/Mark, or amp in general is this. I really found a combo to be extra work and cumbersome. Spend a little extra $$$ now and get head w/cab.

 

[MichaelC4]

Don't think I'd get a studio preamp and 20/20 under 1k...

Yes you can.
I got my Studio Preamp from Guitar Center for $399 + $30 shipping.
They have 3, right now. $399, $474 and $499
JMMP is selling a 20/20 for $450 + shipping. http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=63483

 

[soundchaser59]

I have to disagree with most of the above. I don't think anybody is wrong, not at all. But I think the point that usually goes unstated is that the amps (meaning all tube amps in general) are intended primarily to be cranked up full or near full blast. But how many people do you know who really have the luxury of cranking their tube amp up full blast whenever they feel like it?

I have tried the other Mesa amps, and owned 3 or 4 of the others, and they are all great amps in their own right. If you plug the mini rec into a nice 2x12 cab and crank it, you will find that there is nothing lame or boxy or limiting about it. In fact, this topic makes me want to restate my theory that pedals (like the great and venerable BB Preamp!) are really for people who can't crank their amps up full blast.

I have never really known for sure what all the descriptive terms mean (warm? dark? bright is kinda obvious? punchy? fluid? filled with emotional flux? soggy? muddy? etc.etc.etc....... who can really describe what those words refer to without hearing the actual sound?) When someone says "fluid lead sound" to me that means the natural sustain you get when you crank the amp up loud enough to make the speaker acoustically "couple" with the guitar, so that no matter what note you play it sustains forever without feedback. If that's what you mean by "fluid" then the mini rec has that oozing out of its *** all day long.

If you want raw power and guaranteed stage rattling volume (which I do not think that is what you want) then the mini rec is not for you. It will not do that.......ever.

If you want a surprising variety of infinitely usable and superbly qualified tones at volumes loud enough to spontaneously sustain and get the room complaining that it's too loud, while being useful for cleans, rock crunch, and screaming face melting leads (which I think might be close to what you really want?) the mini rec will do that. And if you can crank it up full blast or even 70-80% of full blast, then the mini rec will do all of that without any pedals.

My only warning would be to make sure you understand the unorthodox nature of The Force when it comes to how the Mesa tone controls work. If you approach it thinking they work just like the tone knobs on a fender amp, you will quickly conclude that Mesa sucks and what's all the phony hype about....... read the manual, and figure out the tone knobs, then wait for a chance to crank it up full blast in an empty house for an hour to get that "acoustic coupling" thing I mentioned. Play with that for an hour, and if the knobs are set up right, you will not realize how much you love this mini rec amp until you sell it and try to get that variety of sounds from another brand for under $1K. :mrgreen:

 

[MichaelC4]

I would recommend a 1X12 Mark III combo.

One fully loaded, with an EVM12L is a beast.
I'm used to picking up my .50Caliber+ combo. Light and easy to move.
I picked up a loaded Mark III combo at the Guitar Center in Indianapolis, to check the weight. OMG!!!!
Oops, I'm off subject. Sorry!