Rectoverb issue: Anyone get real good clean tone at high vol

[tele_jas]

Any one get a really good clean tone at gig level? I Just sold my Rectoverb last week and the guy got it in time for a few gigs this weekend and said the clean channel is messed up buecaue he can't dial in a chimey clean tone, it sounds a bit distorted no matter what. He said the lead sound is great, but there's no clean sound.

I played with that amp 3 days before I boxed it up and I never really tried to dial in a chimey clean sound, I've always liked my cleans with a bit of grit in them, but I've always been happy with the clean side (I had reservations about the distortion and lack of low end though, but this isn't an issue with this guy).

Anyone got any ideas of whats going on? He said he had a Series II rectoverb in the past, and those settings worked fine on that amp. Maybe a different preamp tube? Or is this just a known thing with ROV combos?

 

[4nkam]

6L6 with diode rectifier seems to work best for clean cleans at higher volumes.

MJ

 

[tele_jas]

This amp is running Mesa 6L6's and it is a single rectifier, so it only has the diode option for rectifier. I think it's because of the open back design and the massive power of the aggressive rectifer tones being pushed through that one 12 inch speaker.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Just because he got a nice, chimey lead before doesn't mean he's still using the same pickups as he did last time.....

Also, when was the last time the power tubes were changed? A set of warn tubes tends to affect the chime of the cleans first....

Other than that, I'd tell him to turn the volume down on his guitar.


Either way I wouldn't worry about it.....it was fine when it left your place and it's his amp/problem now. If he doesn't like the way it sounds, he shouldn't have bought it.

IMO.

 

[no soul]

I think it's because of the open back design and the massive power of the aggressive rectifer tones being pushed through that one 12 inch speaker.

thats exactly what I was going to say

Even a 4x12 can experience some speaker distortion from a maxed out 50w tube amp, what more a 1x12 holding the load all on its own?

 

[oyster]

I may be way off base but when I compared tubes on my single rec, it sounds like the 6L6s start to clip a lot earlier than the EL-34s, you might suggest he change out the power tubes if he prefers to retain more clarity at higher volumes. Would anyone agree with this?

Plus, as mentioned before, he should probably get a different cab, 1x12 will break up audibly if he's cranking the 50W, the amp may not even be clipping much.

Dave

 

[seajay]

Keep the output and master levels high (12 o'clock or higher) and dial in the volume with the gain control.

Make sure the pickups are not too close to the strings.

A higher rated pair of output tubes (ie Groove Tube 6 vs. 4) might help too.

 

[ibegyourpardon]

turn the treble down

straight from the user manual

 

[no soul]

I may be way off base but when I compared tubes on my single rec, it sounds like the 6L6s start to clip a lot earlier than the EL-34s, you might suggest he change out the power tubes if he prefers to retain more clarity at higher volumes. Would anyone agree with this?

Id say you have that backwards.
El34s breakup faster than 6l6s any day of the week.
I think what you are experiencing is just the fact that El34s tend to have a stronger high end emphasis than 6l6s do. Of course, its also completely possible that you got some 6l6 tubes that had really early breakup compared to your average ones.

 

[oyster]

thanks for setting me straight. 8)

I may be way off base but when I compared tubes on my single rec, it sounds like the 6L6s start to clip a lot earlier than the EL-34s, you might suggest he change out the power tubes if he prefers to retain more clarity at higher volumes. Would anyone agree with this?

Id say you have that backwards.
El34s breakup faster than 6l6s any day of the week.
I think what you are experiencing is just the fact that El34s tend to have a stronger high end emphasis than 6l6s do. Of course, its also completely possible that you got some 6l6 tubes that had really early breakup compared to your average ones.

 

[SneakyPete]

Another idea - put in a 12AT7 or 5751 preamp tube in V1 to increase your headroom (the have a lower gain than the standard 12AX7 in there)

 

[oyster]

would doing this mess up the "biasing"?

Another idea - put in a 12AT7 or 5751 preamp tube in V1 to increase your headroom (the have a lower gain than the standard 12AX7 in there)

 

[ibegyourpardon]

nooooope, preamp tubes do not need biasing.

 

[willy]

Hey I just played out for the first time with the rectoverb and yes the clean tone was frustrating. BUT I discovered as mentioned in a previous response to keep the master volumes high. Actually to add to this I had very good success by making the main volume much higher than needed. Keep the gain low and dial in the desired volumn with the channel master. I played a large club and had the main volume on 12 oclock and only needed about a 9 oclock on the channel master. This was plenty and the tone was very clean.
Try it and let us know

 

[mloiaco]

For chimey, sparkling clean that doesn't sound sterile, try turning the gain way down (10:00), and turning the presence way up (2:30).

You'll quickly notice that turning the gain way down will cause you to loose a lot of volume, so you'll have to set the master volume very high. To avoid distorting the signal due to the high master setting, try using either single coils (or an equivalent split coil 'center' position), if possible.