Solo Boosting an MR

[Comet Heights]

I've been looking to get a Recto for some time now and currently have the opportunity to do so. I'm down to a MR or a DR, tonally. I love the practicality of the MR a lot, but I love the options of the DR. If there were a solo boost on the MR I'd be a proud owner already. I have various booster pedals, but none add much real volume on a high gain amp, just texture. What do most MR owners use to get a big volume boost for lead work in a live setting?

The best idea I can come up with is to put a distortion pedal on the clean channel when playing heavy rhythm and use the dirty channel for lead... Or get a DR. The distortion pedal kind of defeats the purpose of buying a Recto in the first place, although maybe Mesa's new pedal line up could do the trick. Any ideas/comments would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[elvis]

A clean gain pedal in the FX loop works nicely.

 

[KiwiJoe]

With my Mini Rec, depending on the song, I'm often comping in "pushed" with varying levels of gain controlled by the guitar volume. If the lead calls for more "ooomf" then I'll kick it into the red channel on "vintage" preset with more volume, otherwise I just crank the volume on the guitar. Other times, because I'm looking for a different sound, I do the opposite: comp with low gain and volume on vintage, and switch to "pushed" for a lead; I really like the pushed setting more and more. I also have on my board a Fromel Shape EQ running in the loop, and that does a nice boost with the mids pumped a bit. It really hits the power section nicely and works equally well in clean and dirty.

That said, I'm going down to my Mesa dealer tomorrow to check out the new Mesa pedals. I've heard good things about the Flux Drive and the Tone Burst. The Grid Slammer is supposed to be quite a good boost pedal.

 

[Addictedtokaos]

Im not into leads all that much myself but may I suggest using your volume boost in reverse. Have the volume pedal engaged and use the pedal to lower your overall volume. Then when the pedal is turned off you get full volume.

Not sure if it would be too much of a tone suck.

 

[Comet Heights]

Thanks for the ideas. I have a CAE clean boost, supposedly adds 6 db, but it typically starts getting a little nasty at just over 50%. I'm sure that's more an amp thing than a pedal thing, though. The volume pedal would certainly get the job done! I hadn't thought of using one even though I just had my other guitarist use one to better manage an Ebow.

It was interesting to see that no one said to just get the DR. The MR has quite a following. I got to play one for about 10 minutes through an Orange 1x12 and was surprised at how huge it sounded with EL84s. I expected little to no bottom end and was set straight with one strum. This was also after spending 45 minutes on a Roadster.

 

[noodles]

I use an Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 clean boost and a MXR Small Stone delay in the loop. I've got a project box with a switchable buffered loop that I step on for leads, and an A/B switch to change channels on the amp.

 

[mule#1]

I need to come up with something as well. I use my MR as a backup to my MK V and as my practice amp. It's great since it's easy to take to band practice. However I miss the boost feature. I like the clean boost in the loop idea! I don't want more gain just a db boost.

 

[Reeko]

I've been looking to get a Recto for some time now and currently have the opportunity to do so. I'm down to a MR or a DR, tonally. I love the practicality of the MR a lot, but I love the options of the DR. If there were a solo boost on the MR I'd be a proud owner already. I have various booster pedals, but none add much real volume on a high gain amp, just texture. What do most MR owners use to get a big volume boost for lead work in a live setting?

The best idea I can come up with is to put a distortion pedal on the clean channel when playing heavy rhythm and use the dirty channel for lead... Or get a DR. The distortion pedal kind of defeats the purpose of buying a Recto in the first place, although maybe Mesa's new pedal line up could do the trick. Any ideas/comments would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Boosters in front of a high gain amp don't add much volume because the PreAmp is already saturated.
You need a clean boost in the loop. I would use a Graphic EQ pedal that way you can also shape the tone a little besides boosting.

 

[stratfan]

Hi,

first of all: I'm new to this forum and I hope my English is not too bad :mrgreen: ...

Try a TC Spark Booster. I use one in front of my amps (Dual Rectifier or Mark V) just to get a smoothier lead sound. But the Spark used in the loop of your amp you easily can increase your volume.
The Spark offers Bass/Treble, Level and Gain and you can choose of three modes (clean/mid/fat).

 

[Third Age Amps]

Yet another pedal to try. The BYOC FET Preamp is REALLY versatile. True bypass, onboard baxandall tone controls, 26dB of boost, and a low cut switch. Plus if you can solder a bit, it's only $80US for the kit.

 

[Comet Heights]

I decided I needed something more than the MR and am now a pleased owner of a Roadster (got a deal I couldn't pass up). I was concerned that I'd have situations were the MR would be hitting its limit and so a clean boost wouldn't be that effective (lack of headroom). Still might get one later. Time for some tube swapping!

 

[Heritage Softail]

I've been looking to get a Recto for some time now and currently have the opportunity to do so. I'm down to a MR or a DR, tonally. I love the practicality of the MR a lot, but I love the options of the DR. If there were a solo boost on the MR I'd be a proud owner already. I have various booster pedals, but none add much real volume on a high gain amp, just texture. What do most MR owners use to get a big volume boost for lead work in a live setting?

The best idea I can come up with is to put a distortion pedal on the clean channel when playing heavy rhythm and use the dirty channel for lead... Or get a DR. The distortion pedal kind of defeats the purpose of buying a Recto in the first place, although maybe Mesa's new pedal line up could do the trick. Any ideas/comments would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Boosters in front of a high gain amp don't add much volume because the PreAmp is already saturated.
You need a clean boost in the loop. I would use a Graphic EQ pedal that way you can also shape the tone a little besides boosting.

This ^^^

Effective solo pedal.

 

[djw]

Boosters in front of a high gain amp don't add much volume because the PreAmp is already saturated.
You need a clean boost in the loop. I would use a Graphic EQ pedal that way you can also shape the tone a little besides boosting.

Sounds like the OP went a different route... but anyway, for general info, this ^ ^ . An EQ in the loop works wonders.