So I got to play a Dual Rectifier today and.........

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Ok, so I went to my store and got to sit down with a Dual rectifier for an hour today:

I played it with a stock SZ through a Peavey cabinet (they didn't have any Mesas, so I don't think I got the most out of the head at all). I played it with the channel volume at 2.5 and the master very low (1?).

Now, first of all, I felt like I got very little chug out of it. When palm muting, especially single notes, they barely came out. Even when playing just single notes, it felt like the amp was choking to get them out.

Secondly, the amp sounded a little fuzzy. This wasn't a big problem, but it was something I also noticed.

Now, I'm going in again this Tuesday to play it with my SZ (JB in bridge).

What do you guys think was the cause of these things? Was is the stock pickups on the guitar? Will higher output pickups fix the "chocking problem"? Is it the low volume? Can it be played at lower volumes while still getting good tone?

Was it the speaker cabinet? Settings? This is about what I had dialed in....

Gain: 6
Treble: 6
Mids: 5
Bass: 5-6
Presence: 3-4

So what do you guys think? With my XXX, the notes some out very quickly and it is extremely sensitive to the touch.....it flows right out.....is it because of my upgraded guitar?

Thanks alot for the help!

 

[Bobbypols]

Mesa pride themselves on a fuzzy liquid feel. Reaction is par at best so a fast response amp like marshalls or peaveys are gonna feeell much different. Id tell u to make sure it was on silicon diodes...but it doesnt matter as much as one might think.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Wow....now I feel retarded....I completely forgot to mess with the silicon/rectifier tube and bold and spongy settings....that might be why....

But anything else you guys can tell me from my reactions?

 

[Platypus]

Firstly, the cab will make a lot of difference.

Secondly Mesa's take a long long time to get used to as far as dialing in tone.

There are a lot of issues at hand here. The pickups are important but as far as settings for the amp for a chug sound..

2nd or 3rd Channel, diode rectifier, bold power setting, volume is a huge factor for chug, it needs to be around 11 oclock at least. I find that I don't get a lot of great chug out of my dual rec without my TS9 in front of it though it is possible.

Try these tone settings:

Presence: 2 o clock
Volume: 11:30
Gain: 3 o clock
Bass: 2 o clock
Mid: 10 o clock
Treble 2:30-3ish (to taste)

 

[Anonymous]

Post removed.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Alright! Thanks alot for your help. Anyone else? I have to make sure that the diode and bold is on next time.

I really want the boogie, but can it be played at bedroom volumes while still getting good tone? It will be cranked, but I also need it to play well quietly. If not, I may have to reconsider.....

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

+1 to all above

CRANK THAT BABY UP

 

[Platypus]

Alright! Thanks alot for your help. Anyone else? I have to make sure that the diode and bold is on next time.

I really want the boogie, but can it be played at bedroom volumes while still getting good tone? It will be cranked, but I also need it to play well quietly. If not, I may have to reconsider.....

IMO the reason you get this amp is for the cranked sound. You can get decently close with low volume settings but unfortunately the preamp stock from mesa is kind of like a swarm of bees, at least to my ears. You'd be boosting gain to compensate for the low volume and it kind of thins out the sound.

I suggest an attenuator. Get a THD hotplate 8ohm and go to town.

Everytime I turn on my amp it reminds me that it was worth every penny.

If you're not up on what attenuators do, a basic explanation is that it acts as a dummy load, you run it inbetween your head and cab and you can basically crank your amp or run it at crank settings and get a global volume control to adjust the dB... letting you play like you were gigging at any volume you desire.

It's not a perfect replacement because your cab isn't pushing air, but it satisfys your urge for the tone of this amp.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Would a change in preamp tubes do anything to help the preamp? JJ's maybe?

So is the attenuator basically the only way out of this? If so, I might have to consider spending the extra money.....is the THD the better of them...I've also seem people using a Marshall power block....

And, for clarification, it has to be an 8ohm attenuator?

So, should I still stay with Mesa? I love the tone, but will it still shine through when I practice at home? I can't always crank it....

 

[jbird]

You also never mentioned the modes for which you assigned on each channel? IE: Vintage, Raw, Modern? I also like to Bypass the Effects Loop when demoing an amp! And finally, yes, different animal when you unleash the ponies! Though still a fine bedroom amp, I mean it's a Recto, always a great conversation piece for the bedrrom! :lol:

 

[Platypus]

Would a change in preamp tubes do anything to help the preamp? JJ's maybe?

So is the attenuator basically the only way out of this? If so, I might have to consider spending the extra money.....is the THD the better of them...I've also seem people using a Marshall power block....

And, for clarification, it has to be an 8ohm attenuator?

So, should I still stay with Mesa? I love the tone, but will it still shine through when I practice at home? I can't always crank it....

Get the Mesa, you won't be disappointed.

As far as the attenuator, I like the THD a lot. I've never used the Marshall one but it's like ridiculously priced compared to the THD. I recommended an 8ohm model for you since Mesa cabs are typically 8ohms.

You can mess with preamp tubes but I don't think you'll find what you're looking for there.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

I know what you mean. This amp will be gigged and practiced with loud, it's just that when I get it, I want to be able to play it all the time (considering how much I'm going to spend), especially enjoy it when I practice at home.

So would you say the attenuator is necessary to get good tone at low volumes? Or can I get away without it?

Would changing the preamp tubes help the preamp?

Is the THD one of the better attenuators? And why 8 ohms?

 

[jbird]

Sorry, me again. Umm, I would'nt judge an amp purchase on it's performance in the bedroom! Especially a tube amp! You want something for the bedroom, grab a POD and some headphones! I play my Dual Recto 4/12 in my Condo, sure it's not the same, but it's real! Also, don't think a 50 watter is any better! Truly, you want a tube bedroom amp? Consider something in the 5 watt range!

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Thanks! No need to apologize! Thanks alot for the help. How does the recto do in your condo? How low do you have to go?

 

[Platypus]

I know what you mean. This amp will be gigged and practiced with loud, it's just that when I get it, I want to be able to play it all the time (considering how much I'm going to spend), especially enjoy it when I practice at home.

So would you say the attenuator is necessary to get good tone at low volumes? Or can I get away without it?

Would changing the preamp tubes help the preamp?

Is the THD one of the better attenuators? And why 8 ohms?

As far as 8ohms, mesa cabs are 8ohms so it makes sense to get the 8 ohm model.

You can change preamp all you want but you won't be getting power tube distortion.

I think you can get good tones at low volumes as well.

 

[Elpelotero]

what do you consider bedroom levels?? when i plug in at home i run the head around 9oclock on the master volumes.

toget the best out of your experience, do the following:

BEFORE TURNING ON: on the back of the amp, set the mode to BOLD, and either TUBES or DIODES. My personal and band's preference is TUBES. this is also the setting that Line6 used to make the PoD, so believe me it sounds great w/ bold and tubes.

Next, you want to put BYPASS LOOP. MAKE SURE YOUR MASTER VOLUMES ARE ALL DOWN! If you dont bypass the loop, and want to run it w/ the output control, make sure the little effects loop knobs are set in the middle. not 10% or 100%, but smack middle. Put the other knob on footswitch, assuming you have one. if not, set to channel 3.

Make sure the speaker cab is set to 8Ohms, as well as the back of the amp. This can change the sound.

Now turn it on. carefully bring up the volume, but dont be afraid if it's a little loud. you're there to test the amp. if the store doesn't like it, they lost a sale. For a chugging sound, i suggest the settings someone posted on here. the settings you put were good, however i suggest dropping the mids a few notches. were not playing carlos santana here. test out some other guitars, and enjoy "the world of rectosis"

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Do you mean that with or without the attenuator?

 

[jbird]

When bedroom playing, there's a point on my master where the volume jumps up slightly from a fizz (around 8:30?), like a blanket was removed, it's right there I'll play for a while, then typically, I'll raise it a little more, then out of curiousity, a little more, then someone comes-a-knocking and I'm in the back of a Police car :twisted:. Just kiddin, it's fine for bedroom levels, I typically sit a couple of feet back, right at speaker level, Perfect!

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Alright. I need to give it another try with my guitar and make sure to check the diode/tube rectifier switch....

Anything else for me? You guys have helped me alot! Thanks!

 

[no soul]

seriously, use a better cab.
Using a good amp with a crappy cab completely defeats the purpose of using a good amp.