rectoverb50 - experimenting with tubes, amp settings.

[musicmasterguitarist]

rectorverb 50 combo (first series)


i converted to a head.
playing through a marshall 1936 cab(2x12)
big improvement over the 1x12 mesa combo speaker.

i have tried experimenting with different preamp tubes...
was taming it down for a different sound..

i am using an es335 type guitar primarily,
and am happy with the sound and the tube variation i have in it now.

v1 - GT 12ax7
v2 - telefunken 12ax7
v3 - mesa 12ax7-a (russian2)
v4 - mesa 12ax7-a (russian2)
v5 - rca 12at7

power tubes are mesa 6L6's

any other rectoverb owners,
would like to hear anything you've tried
with good results.
thanks

 

[SneakyPete]

I went through my own tube journey about 2 years ago.

I play newer rock, PRS Modern Eagle Singlecut through a Mesa oversized cabinet. Play on the "modern" setting (the "vintage" setting is too bassy with the guitar).

After playing mix and match for almost a year, I've come to the following settings:

Tubes (preamp):
V1: Telefunken 12ax7
V2: Mesa Russian 12Ax7a
V3: Raytheon black-plate 12ax7
V4 RCA 12BZ7 - gives a boost to the fx loop
V5 JJ 12ax7 (balanced)

I put the Mesa in V2, becuase it gave back a little bite after the Telefunken in V1 - I found that the Telefunken gave it cool overtones, but putting similar tubes in V2 lost too much distrinction. The Raytheon is a great tube (I used to have it in V1 before the Telefunken) and it adds a little more in V3. I stole the 12BZ7 trick from Timberwolf on this forum. It's a taller tube, so you can't use the shield on it, but it does add a bit of volume to the fx loop (which I need since I use the loop).

Tubes (power): SED Winged "C" 6L6s - similar to the Mesa STR454, bigger sound than the other models

Tone settings:
Master and Output can vary, as I use a GT-8 connected with the "four-cable" method: it allows you to take advantage of both the fx loop and the main input to move effects around your signal chain (either before or after the preamp). Because I can bypass the preamp, I needed to level the master and output so that the preamp sound is the same level as the direct-line through the power stage. Master is currently at 9:30, Output is at about 10:00

Treble: 2:00
Mids: 11:30
Bass: 4:30
Presence: 10:00
Gain: 2:30

Reverb is at about 1:30, not maxed.

The biggest difference to my sound was the tubes - the Winged "C" 6L6's made a huge difference! Playing with the 12ax7's was like cooking with spices, each made a small change, but really added a lot when I was done.

 

[musicmasterguitarist]

thanks for the info.

i will try the 12BZ7 in V4,
and also switching the v1 and v2 tubes around.

i found the GT or groove tubes was a better sounding
tube than the mesa 12ax7's i have.

 

[SneakyPete]

I tried their Mullard copy in V1 and thought it sounded better than the Mesa 12AX7. But, as soon as I put in more than one, I lost too much high end and it sounded like someone threw a blanket on the amp. I found that I kind of liked it more in V2 than V1, but each to his own...

 

[musicmasterguitarist]

i also have some nos

Raytheon black-plate 12ax7's
that you said you were using in V3.

what do they do for the sound of the amp?


i put an old nos rca 12at7 in the v5.
...phase inverter tube i believe.
i read somewhere that is what some of the older fender
amps used... and i was trying to get more of a
vintage type tone from the amp overall..

i'm playing in a 60's-70's type band..

setting output and channel volumes at about 1/2 way.
tones are set about the same.
gains... are set really low. #2-3
you would think it's very clean.
but i am pushing the power tubes.

when i turn up the guitar's volume and slam out
chords or single notes, it sounds great.
i'm using a hollow body guitar.
and it bites!

 

[SneakyPete]

Raytheons are great - they open the sound up and make it fuller, adding some harmonic richness to it (It's very tough trying to describe what it was like, but I had them in my V1 for a while since I liked the sound). I would highly recommend throwing one in and see how you like it.

I tried 12AT7s and 12au7s in all positions in the amp (just to see what would happen), but the pulled the gain down too far for me. I've got to think that they would help you if you're staying with a 60's and 70's sound.

For me it got to the point of a balancing act - where do I lose soem of the sharpness of the moder nchannel for the harmonic richness of a NOS tube. That's why I still use a Mesa russian 12ax7a - it gives me that extra bit of "bite" to add to Telefunken and Raytheon...

Another place to look at (where I started looking) was from a poster on the Mesa board called Timber Wolfe. He had a long thread about tubes he tried for his amp (he has a Triaxis, but I found it useful to read through):

http://www.grailtone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=749

 

[musicmasterguitarist]

thanks again!

 

[musicmasterguitarist]

hey, this is the best yet (for me personally)

v1 - telefunken 12ax7
v2 - GT 12ax7
v3 - rayethon 12ax7
v4 - mesa 12ax7a (russian2) (will be swapping this one out)
v5 - rca 12at7


i swapped v1 and v2, (now - telefunken, groove tube.)

and put the rayethon in v3.

v5 is an rca 12at7.

nice tones on clean, overdrive, boost.
thanks for the advice.
the rectoverb rocks again!

did you happen to mention power tubes?

thanks again!

 

[SneakyPete]

Power tubes: I went through most of the Mesa brands (STR430's,420's and 454's), I liked the STR454 the best - they were a bit more open but a lot fuller and you felt the bass a lot more. A better rhythm tube in my opinion. I then tried JJ's (through Eurotube), but didn't like them - too shrill and tinny, so went back to a set of STR420's that weren't as bassy as the 454's but had enough bite to work well as both lead & rhythm playing (and I bought other 420's that weren't as good as that set - I must've got lucky! )

After that, I tried the SED Winged Cs, and that's what I have in my rig now. Very similar to the 454's (in fact I heard the 454's are the same tube, just re-branded as Mesa). Really good sound, full, open, but I can get a great lead sound from them as well.

I know people like the JJ tubes, but I can't get my ear around them - in both cases (6L6 and 12AX7), the highs are too much, and tinny. Maybe it's the music I play/listen to, but I just look for a different sound.

Finally, I've thought about NOS power tubes, and considered getting a bias mod in the amp so I can play with it that way. I just haven't taken the plunge yet.

Hope this helps-