Solo tone / Sustain

[william1988]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a proud new owner of a dual recto multi-watt head. I'm running it through my old crate cabs now (this is part of the problem) until I get the cash for a mesa cab, since I am still a student.

I'm still adjusting to the recto, but nice tones seem to flow naturally. I play primarily heavy music like Megadeth and Metallica; channel 3 modern stuff. However, I'm having a hard time dialling in tones to really make solos stand out and sustaining higher notes. Tapping is especially hard to really make each note stand out, the tone is quickly diminished.

My guitars are an ESP KH-3 and an ESP LTD KH-602, both with emg 81's. Yes, I'm a bit of a fanboy :lol:

Any advice on how to improve this?

Sorry if this is a repost anywhere, I had a look around but I'm new to the forum.

 

[siggy14]

Are you using a boost pedal? They are key to recto's. Also let us know your settings.

 

[YellowJacket]

Are you coming from a Solid State amp? I find the Recto actually has a pile of sustain but it isn't the best rhythm amp in my experience. That being said, you have a multiwatt head so try the following: Use Vintage High Gain for your Lead tone. As I understand it, the Channel Cloning is identical on this amp so it can be either channel two or three. Use the Tube Rectifier and try 50watts first. I'd set the gain as high as 2:30 and set all the tone controls to 12 noon except presence which should start fairly low or almost off. Play and turn up the mids, back off the treble, and turn up the presence until the tone starts to phatten up.

As for technique, get practicing your picking, scales, etc. Practice playing clean and low gain styles such as blues so you can REALLY hear your technique. Many tone problems are actually in the fingers. I'm still working on my phrasing and legato line after playing for years.

 

[william1988]

Are you using a boost pedal? They are key to recto's. Also let us know your settings.

I'm not using a boost pedal. I haven't really looked into them very much to tell you the truth. Any specific recommendations? I'll post my settings once I'm back home.

Are you coming from a Solid State amp? I find the Recto actually has a pile of sustain but it isn't the best rhythm amp in my experience. That being said, you have a multiwatt head so try the following: Use Vintage High Gain for your Lead tone. As I understand it, the Channel Cloning is identical on this amp so it can be either channel two or three. Use the Tube Rectifier and try 50watts first. I'd set the gain as high as 2:30 and set all the tone controls to 12 noon except presence which should start fairly low or almost off. Play and turn up the mids, back off the treble, and turn up the presence until the tone starts to phatten up.

As for technique, get practicing your picking, scales, etc. Practice playing clean and low gain styles such as blues so you can REALLY hear your technique. Many tone problems are actually in the fingers. I'm still working on my phrasing and legato line after playing for years.

Yes, my last amp was a solid state. I've been altering and playing around with my technique to try and find what I'm looking for but no luck yet. I'll take your advice and keep you posted on the results.

Thanks for the help

 

[YellowJacket]

Yes, my last amp was a solid state. I've been altering and playing around with my technique to try and find what I'm looking for but no luck yet. I'll take your advice and keep you posted on the results.

Thanks for the help

The switch from Solid State to Tube is pretty brutal at first. Solid State amps often have way more gain than Tube amps and the dynamic range is slim to nil. With tube, you have this natural decay in the distortion which is currently frustrating you. With loads of gain, poor technique is masked. If you accidentally mute the guitar strings in any way or you don't pick the string at the exact time your left hand frets it, the note can gimp out on you very easily.

You'll notice a huge difference with rhythm tones as well. Play wimpy, get a wimpy sound. Hit the strings HARD, and you get beefy chunk a mile wide. For heavy palm muting, I like to angle the pick at a 45 degree angle and rake the pick across the the strings. It sounds HUGE in no time!

 

[siggy14]

Ibanez TS9 or Maxon 808, there are many threads on this board about OD pedals to boost the front of your amp, there is one thread where one of our members does a comparison.

 

[TheMadMacBook]

Don't do it stotch!
The 808 is not the way to go!
I actually played a lot of tube screamers/overdrives on my 2 ch recto because I had the EXACT same problems as you.
Im a student, and recently switched to a recto from my line6 spider(lol, I know) and had problems with the missing gain i was used to on a solid state. I run it through a recto cab btw.
But I stumbled upon one of Keith Merrow's videos of the TonePro Dead Horse Overdrive, and was widely impressed.
So I got one of ebay, and just like Keith probably would say, its my favorite of all time. It seriously owns. You should go check out Keiths channel, he has come really cool vids.

Theres not many videos about the Dead horse OD though, but if you are interested, I'll make one for you; its a really cool pedal!

 

[iceman]

I find the Recto actually has a pile of sustain but it isn't the best rhythm amp in my experience.

I have the opposite impression, I think rectos are all about rhythm. Not to say you can't get a good lead tone, it just was easier to get the rhythm dialed then getting the hang of dialing in the lead. Actually for the lead it think it was more the amp teaching me how, then me dialing the amp in :lol: .

 

[YellowJacket]

I find the Recto actually has a pile of sustain but it isn't the best rhythm amp in my experience.

I have the opposite impression, I think rectos are all about rhythm. Not to say you can't get a good lead tone, it just was easier to get the rhythm dialed then getting the hang of dialing in the lead. Actually for the lead it think it was more the amp teaching me how, then me dialing the amp in :lol: .

Oh my gosh, did I just type that? I guess what I was TRYING to say was that the Recto isn't the best LEAD amp in my experience. Recto is AMAZING for rhythm, especially for phat nu metal type tones. It's a bit tubby and clumsy for more technical music but that's why everyone boosts them!

 

[screamingdaisy]

My guitars are an ESP KH-3 and an ESP LTD KH-602, both with emg 81's. Yes, I'm a bit of a fanboy :lol:

KH uses an Ibanez TS-9 for leads.

 

[siggy14]

The 808 is a great choice if you want a natural boost, it does not color the tone that much, I prefer the TS9 Reissue as it gives my recto a little Mid bump and cuts some of the lows and tightens it up just fine.

In reality everyone has a different Idea of tone, so it is best for him just to try as many pedals till he finds the one he likes.

Don't do it stotch!
The 808 is not the way to go!
I actually played a lot of tube screamers/overdrives on my 2 ch recto because I had the EXACT same problems as you.
Im a student, and recently switched to a recto from my line6 spider(lol, I know) and had problems with the missing gain i was used to on a solid state. I run it through a recto cab btw.
But I stumbled upon one of Keith Merrow's videos of the TonePro Dead Horse Overdrive, and was widely impressed.
So I got one of ebay, and just like Keith probably would say, its my favorite of all time. It seriously owns. You should go check out Keiths channel, he has come really cool vids.

Theres not many videos about the Dead horse OD though, but if you are interested, I'll make one for you; its a really cool pedal!

 

[boss4]

Get, not exactly a boost - the recto have one already, but an overdrive pedal. I've always had problems with sustain or the lacking of tightness on bass notes and with the right settings between the recto and the OD you might get a surprise!
Like someone already said (and this subject is all over the forum) a Maxon 808 or a Tubescream series will combine with the recto perfectly!

 

[Blaklynx]

As mentioned, rectos are good rhythm amps. I had the same problem with tapping, legato runs etc. That palm-mute type playing was also lacking.

It needs a good push out front, use a good OD pedal (not distortion pedal like a BB preamp). Wampler's Pinnacle is good, Wampler's Plextortion is good too, just different. One of the pedals I like is Marshall's original Drive Master. It's a very good pedal.

You can cascade two OD's, but watch out for gain and levels. It's easy to mess things up. Use one for a tighter rhythm tone and kick the other in for a solo. This works really well provided you watch out all the gain levels on pedals and amp.

I tend to use the pedal's gain with the amp's gain. I don't use it a 'clean' boost. I like to blend the pedal's gain with the amp's gain as it smooths out the tone. I also use 2 or 3 EQ pedals ; Usually 2 in loop; one for final tonal adjustment and the other for a volume boost and one out front after OD/Dist pedals to EQ those pedals better (especially those that have a tone knob only).

I like that compressed chunky palm-mute tone. I guess an example is Iron Maiden. On the other extreme, I love Malcolm Young's crunch tone, too. I can get both by switching channels; Clean-Pushed mode and Drive-Raw mode (or Vintage mode) but I prefer Raw mode most.

Here's a few links that may interest you:

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=49265
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=58228&start=15
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=52293
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=60372

A little about EQing
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=53756
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19660&start=45
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=49301&start=15
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=52136

I have more posts about EQing and OD responses under my username but you'll need to sift through them.

Good luck and enjoy the journey. Just be patient and really get to understand what and how the amp behaves and more importantly, why.