Not loving my roadster...

[corym1117]

The two that I played at Guitar Center sounded great to me. But, as you know its almost impossible to really tell there with all the background noise. The guy who sold it to me had a Stiletto 4x12 cab set up with it. Now that I have the amp home in my basement and playing through my cab it sounds way different.

I'll try an EQ first. I want to also try some new pre amp tubes. Can someone point me in the right direction for tubes? I have no problem getting EH 12ax7's online but will it matter with the whole Chinese vs. Russian thing with positions V3 and V5?

 

[Mark Fore]

First... EVERYTHING sounds great at the store. If you could throw the store in a U-Haul for each gig or just gig at the store life would be grand.

Second, I agree with people that say if you don't like the sound, cut your losses and get what you are looking for. You mention Chevelle, Petrucci... who use a Mark tone (although Petrucci used both over the years... I prefer his Mark tones). There are situations for both amps and if you can only have one, go with the one that brings out your best playing. For me, that is a Mark IV, but I have a Roadster too because sometimes ya just need one.

Primal has the settings dead on for a great rock tone. I spent a lot of time fiddling with the knobs and arrived at almost the exact same settings... except I have the mids a tad higher.

 

[Fixxer6671]

After experimenting with modes/watts/rectification I settled on...

Channel 3 modern
-presence 11:30
-bass 11:45
-mid 12:00
-treble 12:00
-gain 3:00

Channel 4 Vintage
-presence 2:45
-bass 1:30
-mid 11:00
-treble 2:30
-gain 3:30

Both channels 100watt, silicon diode, bold power.

Amp is a 200 That thing walked all over the Roadster. It sounded massive but still very clear and articulate.

My perception is your not pleased with the amp at all, so no amount of coaching is going to help that.

Off the bat, I would say your gain is WAY to high for what you want. Start at 11 and play between 11 - 2 o clock.

Run your channel volumes high, and ply with your master, and yeah if you play it right and stand in front of the stack, your ears will hurt. Turn it up, a roadster at full gigging volume is a beautiful thing.

Based on the gain settings, you'll need to tweak the EQ allot.

As for the cleans, I couldn't disagree with you more. Other than a fender reverb, these cleans are solid. I slightly prefer TOV cleans, but to each his own.

As for the Engl... thats a totally different subject, but I am having a harder time believing you can't get good tones out of it. Frankly I can't get bad tones out of it.

 

[Fixxer6671]

Also, drop down to fitty watts if your not jamming with friends. you can breakup earlier as well.

 

[Anonymous]

The two that I played at Guitar Center sounded great to me. But, as you know its almost impossible to really tell there with all the background noise. The guy who sold it to me had a Stiletto 4x12 cab set up with it. Now that I have the amp home in my basement and playing through my cab it sounds way different.

I'll try an EQ first. I want to also try some new pre amp tubes. Can someone point me in the right direction for tubes? I have no problem getting EH 12ax7's online but will it matter with the whole Chinese vs. Russian thing with positions V3 and V5?

The question I wish I had been asked when I was having sooo many problems with my Recto is "what type of cab are you using?" So, what type of cab are you using? I truly believe you need to have a nice V30 loaded cab - preferably a Recto cab - in order for these to sound good. I know others also like the Mills Acoustics Afterburner, but on recordings I prefer the Recto 4x12.

I was using a Basson 4x12 previously, and like you, I HATED the tone I was getting. I couldn't understand why my amp sounded so bad, and I spent MONTHS trying to fix my tone with tubes, an EQ in the loop, a parametric EQ in the loop, a boost in front, NOS tubes, different guitars, different rooms, and NONE of it worked because the bottom line was I couldn't stand the Eminence Legends in the Basson. The minute I bought my Rectifier cabinet, I knew my tone problems were fixed. The thing sounded huge, tight, had nice organic distortion, and it absolutely did not sound dry. Bottom line, it not only sounded like I thought it should, it felt the way it should.

The other members here have given you some excellent tips and advice, but I don't think you can turn a tone you are really unhappy with into something you love by just changing settings or tubes, unless they're drastic setting changes. So again, post back with what kind of cab and what speakers you're using, and hopefully that's all your problem is!

 

[jdurso]

The other members here have given you some excellent tips and advice, but I don't think you can turn a tone you are really unhappy with into something you love by just changing settings or tubes, unless they're drastic setting changes. So again, post back with what kind of cab and what speakers you're using, and hopefully that's all your problem is!

Totally agree about the cab but the Roadster takes NOS preamp tubes like you wouldnt believe (at least the ones i have). Personally I think you can find major differences in tone by switching guitars, changing tubes and changing cabs in that order. With the cab though it all depends on what your coming from... if you go from say a Recto cab to a Mills cab you wont see as much difference as going from say a Marshall or Peavey cab to a Recto or Mills cab. Another thing to always keep in mind is what the designer had in mind when creating a cab to match an amp. The design of both the Recto and Mills cab are meant to enhance the Recto amps.... its not luck they are the best sounding cabs with those amps.

 

[Anonymous]

The other members here have given you some excellent tips and advice, but I don't think you can turn a tone you are really unhappy with into something you love by just changing settings or tubes, unless they're drastic setting changes. So again, post back with what kind of cab and what speakers you're using, and hopefully that's all your problem is!

Totally agree about the cab but the Roadster takes NOS preamp tubes like you wouldnt believe (at least the ones i have). Personally I think you can find major differences in tone by switching guitars, changing tubes and changing cabs in that order. With the cab though it all depends on what your coming from... if you go from say a Recto cab to a Mills cab you wont see as much difference as going from say a Marshall or Peavey cab to a Recto or Mills cab. Another thing to always keep in mind is what the designer had in mind when creating a cab to match an amp. The design of both the Recto and Mills cab are meant to enhance the Recto amps.... its not luck they are the best sounding cabs with those amps.

Moving from a Recto to a Mills, I'd guess, will have similar tonal differences as changing tubes - meaning one will do about as much as the other. I've got NOS in my TR, and I wouldn't use anything else. However, I am dead serious in saying I'd take a 2x12 Marshall MG before I took my Recto and a Basson cab with Eminence Legends.

 

[corym1117]

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm using a 2x12 horizontal cab with vintage 30's. I feel like there is no gain on tap with this amp the way it is currently set-up. I tried using a BOSS super-OD in front but it didn't sound any better. I have to run the gain as high as I am becasue the sound isn't nearly saturated enough or compressed enough. I turned my amp up to gigging volumes last night and still wasn't nearly impressed. There's no bottom end with this thing. No in-your-face attack. I don't know what to do...

 

[Melodyman]

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm using a 2x12 horizontal cab with vintage 30's. I feel like there is no gain on tap with this amp the way it is currently set-up. I tried using a BOSS super-OD in front but it didn't sound any better. I have to run the gain as high as I am becasue the sound isn't nearly saturated enough or compressed enough. I turned my amp up to gigging volumes last night and still wasn't nearly impressed. There's no bottom end with this thing. No in-your-face attack. I don't know what to do...

Easy, sell it off and chalk it up to experience. Do you play in a band or at home? If you want that "processed" studio tone at home you definitely got the wrong amp.

 

[Bobby_E]

The question I wish I had been asked when I was having sooo many problems with my Recto is "what type of cab are you using?" So, what type of cab are you using? I truly believe you need to have a nice V30 loaded cab - preferably a Recto cab - in order for these to sound good. I know others also like the Mills Acoustics Afterburner, but on recordings I prefer the Recto 4x12.

I was using a Basson 4x12 previously, and like you, I HATED the tone I was getting. I couldn't understand why my amp sounded so bad, and I spent MONTHS trying to fix my tone with tubes, an EQ in the loop, a parametric EQ in the loop, a boost in front, NOS tubes, different guitars, different rooms, and NONE of it worked because the bottom line was I couldn't stand the Eminence Legends in the Basson. The minute I bought my Rectifier cabinet, I knew my tone problems were fixed. The thing sounded huge, tight, had nice organic distortion, and it absolutely did not sound dry. Bottom line, it not only sounded like I thought it should, it felt the way it should.

The other members here have given you some excellent tips and advice, but I don't think you can turn a tone you are really unhappy with into something you love by just changing settings or tubes, unless they're drastic setting changes. So again, post back with what kind of cab and what speakers you're using, and hopefully that's all your problem is!

Glad I'm not the only one who hates the Basson cabs! If those things were built like they are but loaded with V30's they'd be great! But the Eminence Legends in those things always sounded so bad to me. Thank god someone out there agrees with me.

 

[TheBlackman]

Have you tried by-passing the loop and some of the settings from the manual? The only channel i have the gain maxed on it the brit channel. Bypassing the loop and using each channel master will really give you a good idea of what the amp can do. If you're not getting enough gain on ch4 modern, there has to be something wrong with the amp, i keep my gain on ch4 around 1-1:30, bass and treble around 1:00, mids about 9 or so, adjust presence to taste. This channel sounds good with all my guitars (except the accoustic lol!).

 

[Mark Fore]

Not sure if anyone has suggested throwing an OverDrive pedal in front of the amp between your guitar and amp. I alsmot sold my first Recto in '95 because I had the same issue. What I mean by throwing an OverDrive is just adding some edge to it. That was a make or break for me in playing through them. They just don't don't douns good to me without that extra OD pedal... and it can be ANY OD pedal from a Boss to a KLON, they all seem to make the emap sound better.

 

[jdurso]

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm using a 2x12 horizontal cab with vintage 30's. I feel like there is no gain on tap with this amp the way it is currently set-up. I tried using a BOSS super-OD in front but it didn't sound any better. I have to run the gain as high as I am becasue the sound isn't nearly saturated enough or compressed enough. I turned my amp up to gigging volumes last night and still wasn't nearly impressed. There's no bottom end with this thing. No in-your-face attack. I don't know what to do...

Let me say a few things... that stock Boss Super OD is a less than optimal OD IMO. Also did you use it as clean boost or did you use a lot of gain on the pedal? There needs to be a balance between the gain in the pedal and the gain in the amp to get the right tones so if you didnt strike that balance things may sound a little crappy. Another thing to consider with the cab is that a 2x12 will inherintly throw out less bass than a 4x12. If you demo'd the Roadster at GC with a 4x12 Stiletto cab, its going to sound a bit different through a Recto 2x12 (less bass, less thump).

Unless our interpretation of "enough gain" or "compressed enough" are different (which they may be), then it sounds like something's not right with your Roadster. Its most likely a tube issue, but could be something else. Have you brought it to a tech? If anything is wrong your covered under the Mesa warranty so its worth the trouble IMO. If there is nothing wrong then you just have the wrong amp for what you need. I really can't imagine needing more gain or compression from the Roadster, but i could see if the voicing of the amp is just not your cup of tea. If thats the case give the Mark IV or Stiletto a whirl... BTW is there a band you can point out that would be in the ballpark of the tones your after?

 

[jdurso]

Moving from a Recto to a Mills, I'd guess, will have similar tonal differences as changing tubes - meaning one will do about as much as the other. I've got NOS in my TR, and I wouldn't use anything else. However, I am dead serious in saying I'd take a 2x12 Marshall MG before I took my Recto and a Basson cab with Eminence Legends.

In my experience no.... but i made some drastic changes to my preamp config. I found more changes tube to tube in V1 and V2 then with all my cab swaps through the years. But in the same breathe its not fair to compare the two because to me they sit in different ends of your chain thus the eq adjustments they make are just plain different. Getting the Mills cab i noticed a tightening or the bass but at the same time more depth in the bass quality. The Mills cab has a very 3D sound and projects with power I've never heard (or felt) from any other cab. Also the Mills cab can take as much bass as I can throw at it without it sounding flubby, and instead converts that bass into a more powerful, deep low end.

When I did my tube swapping I found it more to help with the range of my eqs and the adjusting the amount of gain and headroom in the amp. A cab change can't compensate for headroom the way a tube can. Chaning the preamp tubes will ultimately (at least in the roadster) shape the overall definition and presence of the amp, while still retaining the Roadsters voicings. So to me, while the change in preamp tubes and cabs can be as drastic as one another, they tend to be different changes, hence why i did both

 

[Mark Fore]

Calrifying a point so it isn't misunderstood... if you are adding an OD in order to add more gain, you are missing the point. You aren't going to get better gain from anything outside of that amp. If you try an OD to add the edge (and not more distortion) it helps a ton. And the BOSS OD can deliver that... I would not use it for the distortion aspect. Of course it will sound even better with a KLON or OCD or (insert your favorite here). But, you can try a BOSS to see if it changes anything. They only cost ~$40 so if it doesn't work you can still sleep.

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

Have you tried by-passing the loop and some of the settings from the manual? The only channel i have the gain maxed on it the brit channel. Bypassing the loop and using each channel master will really give you a good idea of what the amp can do. If you're not getting enough gain on ch4 modern, there has to be something wrong with the amp, i keep my gain on ch4 around 1-1:30, bass and treble around 1:00, mids about 9 or so, adjust presence to taste. This channel sounds good with all my guitars (except the accoustic lol!).

Man, I never max out my gain, even with the Brit mode. What I do is have the gain at 3 o'clock, then bump the treble to 3 o'clock as well to pile more gain on top... 8)

 

[corym1117]

Don't mean to rekindle this thread but... tonight I just went to play and I blew the fuse. Blown power tube? Where do I get replacement fuses?

 

[Elixir]

Don't mean to rekindle this thread but... tonight I just went to play and I blew the fuse. Blown power tube? Where do I get replacement fuses?

What does it sound like when that happens?

 

[Mark Fore]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when you blow a fuse the amp just shuts down like you turned it off or unplugged it. When this happens it is supposed to protect the power tubes from further damage. Any hardware store (Home Depot) will have replacement fuses for a couple bucks. Just make sure you get the right fuses. For a Roadster you will need one 4A Slo-Blo.

 

[boogiemon]

i really like the new tungsol preamp tubes. use these for v1 & v2 and i'm sure you'll notice a difference.

g'luck.

I liked how the Powerball was very tight and had sustain for days even with the gain at 12:00. The low-end was very 'with it' in terms of being very responsive to what I played.

I play Alter Bridge, Metallica, Tool, Creed, stuff like that. I love both Adam Jones' and John Petrucci's tone. Those two are the sounds I really want.

What pre-amp tubes do you guys recommend? I don't want to spend a fortune on these things as I've already basically emptied my bank account for this amp. Also, I know the Roadster uses Chinese 12ax7's for the Cathode follower positions v3 & v5. Do I have to account for this when buying new tubes that aren't MESA?

I'll try changing up my settings when I get home. Again, I really appreciate all your help guys.