Roadster = Tremoverb sound + more features?

[fx2]

Hi!

I have a Tremoverb combo 2x12” and I am considering selling it to buy a roadster.

The problem is that I don’t find any store where I can try out the roadster. Could anyone who has experience with both amps help me comparing them?

First let me tell you what I like/dislike on my tremoverb:
- Blues channel and the vintage hi gain are amazing! For anything rock from blues to hard rock this amps I great!
- Clean is just acceptable but could be better.
- Modern hi gain sound a bit to rude/harsh for me. (I didn’t had this feeling when trying out a Dual rectifier solo head). I don’t use it.
- I lack controls (EQ for each channel + footswitch for each channel)
- (I don’t care about tremolo)


So, basicaly, the feature of the tremoverb that I could not miss are:
1) the sound of the blues channel and the vintage hi gain

And the Features I miss on my tremoverb (decreasing order of importance) are :
1) being able to footswitch between ALL sounds (clean / blues / vintage hi gain / modern hi gain)
2) independent settings for each channel (separate gain and equalizer for clean / blues / vintage hi gain / modern hi gain)
3) better clean

I am expecting that the roadster solves my shortcomming with the tremoverb while keeping the blues and orange sound that I like so much on my tremoverb.

Can anyone help me comparing feature and sound of those amps?

By the way, anyone experience with mod for being able to footswitch clean/hi gain and blues hi/gain?

Thanks for your comments!

 

[Micah]

You will miss the Blues voicing--Why mesa has not reproduced this voicing in other amps is a mystery for me. This was a great voicing that I have not heard reproduced since they stopped making the TOV in 2000.

 

[RR]

You will miss the Blues voicing--Why mesa has not reproduced this voicing in other amps is a mystery for me. This was a great voicing that I have not heard reproduced since they stopped making the TOV in 2000.

Although I find every mode useful and I used them all, the "Blues Mode" is my favorite.

excert from http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=6231

Tube Recto for me too.

Although, I'm totally bummed. I just bought the Roadster and it hasn't arrived yet. I read the manual today and it said that the tube is only available in the 50 watt settings. What moron thought this was a good idea?

I just tried a Tremoverb a couple of weeks ago with the distortion channel set to Vintage & Tube Recto. It sounded enormous. I'm going to have to talk to Mesa and see if there is a way around this.

So I guess no rectifier tubes in the 100 watt mode of the Roadster. ...[?]

 

[Monsta-Tone]

That's what the manual says. They call it "Recto-Tracking," instead of Tube Rectifier.

 

[scolli]

I think the manual is wrong regarding no recto-tracking in 100-watt mode. The whole idea behind recto-tracking is that one rectifier tube is used in 50-watt mode and two in the 100-watt mode so that the correct amount of power is available for the number of power amp tubes in service. I own a roadster and i notice distinct volume increases at each step when switching from rect/50-watt ------> rect/100-watt ------> diodes/100-watt (as one would expect). Tone and feel change as well.

Let me me know if i'm way of base.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I spoke with Chris at Mesa yesterday afternoon.

He said that there is no tube rectifier when in 100 watt mode. What brain surgeon thought this up?

Maybe I presented the question wrong, but I specifically asked this:

"Is there a mod that will allow me to use the tube rectifiers in 100 watt mode?"

He replied, "No, but there should be no 'Tonal' difference that you will notice."



If I weren't a Mesa tech, I would have taken great offense to this. I know what my next project is now. There has to be a very simple way to convert it.


It does grate me intensely that Mesa would not listen to their customers. Nobody buys a Rectifer amp and leaves it in Solid State Diode mode forever. There are just too many posibillities.


I haven't received mine yet, so I don't know for sure. I will definitely test it out though. If there is a noticeable volume difference, maybe the manual is wrong and their customer support is misinformed. Here's hoping.

 

[scolli]

That's odd :shock: . In a in a dual rectifier, there are two rectifier tubes just like the roadster. In the DR, you can remove two power tubes and one rectifier tube and for a 50-watt configuration. So my question is Why are there two rectifier tubes in the roadster? Weird!

 

[Monsta-Tone]

It is really odd.


1 5U4 cannot handle enough current for 4 6L6's and certainly not enough for 4 EL34's.

You need 2 for the 100 watt settings.

I'm really hoping that it was a matter of miscommunication.

 

[scolli]

Hi Monsta

I just rechecked my roadster (was beginning to question my sanity ). There are two 5U4's and Four 6L6's. I do not understand why Mesa would have designed it to automatically use only diodes in 100-watt mode if the tube rectifier capacity is there. I know there is a distinct difference in volume, tone and tightness between tube-tracking/100watt and diode/100watt. The tube-tracking/100watt setting does seem to have more sag and is looser. In fact, every combination of wattage/rectifier settings sounds different.

We may never find out the truth! Oh well, I have what I have.

 

[Micah]

Guys...Im not a roadster owner nor do I have any intention to get one as I am happy with my Triple. It intrigued me to know wether this was true about the Tube Rectifier option on the back of the Roadster's so I started going through the manual that they offer on the website and low and behold it does say that when switching between channels the power preferance selection is sensed and then it ultimatly selects Tube Rectifiers for the 50 watt mode and Solid State for the 100 watt mode. I am disapointed in this but...I wonder what their reasoning was?? Check it out for yourself:
http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/Roadster.pdf

I always did get the Idea from the roadster that it was a little more on the clean side focus than I wanted to be. Thats why I decided to stay with my triple which is just made for balls to the wall. Mesa has always been about versatility and it blows my mind to think that they would spare you this option........

 

[scolli]

We've checked the manual, but I think it is a mistake (see other posts above). If 100-watts always uses diodes, why would they need to have two 5U4s when one is sufficient for 50-watt operation? Like I said before, the 100-watt/diode setting is sonically different from the 100-watt/recto setting (has more sag) which leads me to believe that the recto tubes ARE being used in 100-watt mode (contrary to what is stated in the manual). This all just seems real strange to me :roll: and blows my mind as well! I would love to get a definitive answer though just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[fx2]

To have a defenitive answer to that question we could look to the electrical schematics of the roadster.

Schematics for Dual rectifiers are easy to find on the web but I don’t find them for the Roadster.

Does someone has the electrical schematics of the roadster?

If you find or have them post them!

I could have a look to check if the Tube rectifiers are used un 100W mode.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I will try to download them today.

I cannot post them though. I signed an agreement with Mesa that specifically stated that I would not give their drawings away.

 

[scolli]

I will try to download them today.

I cannot post them though. I signed an agreement with Mesa that specifically stated that I would not give their drawings away.

Just render the verdict!

 

[Mr_You]

This is from the manual describing Recto Tracking:

"For example, if you are using either 2 x 6L6 and you choose Recto Tracking, 1 x 5U4G will be applied. If you use 4 x 6L6, 2 x 5U4G will
be used."

4 x 6L6 = 100 watts

Please quote your sources. Thanks.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

This is from the manual describing Recto Tracking:

"For example, if you are using either 2 x 6L6 and you choose Recto Tracking, 1 x 5U4G will be applied. If you use 4 x 6L6, 2 x 5U4G will
be used."

4 x 6L6 = 100 watts

Please quote your sources. Thanks.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Uuuummmm????

The manual that is listed on Mesa's website.

 

[Mr_You]

Huh? Yes that is directly from the manual on Mesas site. What other manual is there?

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Huh? Yes that is directly from the manual on Mesas site. What other manual is there?

They must have updated it. Earlier this week, it said something completely different.