The George Lynch tranny theory was debunked months ago leaving the board revisions as the topic of discussion. Read Smith's articles on circuit boards at the mesa website. He defines making traces that are in proximity that actually alter/interfere with the signal in a pleasing, or good way. To me, after owning 9 Recto's I always wondered why it was called a Solo Head.
I could not get a fluid solo tone without a boost pedal. With the R0232, I got sweep arpeggio gain right out of the box. I also found the red mode has the most definition and attack of any two channel or RK I had. I have also noted that it had an innate ability to emphasize the type of power tube I was using. You could actually reference the tonal variation between KT-66's, EL-34's, 6CA7's and different makes of 6L6. Anyone who has had a two channel should be able to attest to the fact that in their never ending quest to get the mush out tried every tube under the sun. I was happy that a previously deemed muddy quad of JJ 6L6's now reside in the amp idling at 20ma and there is no mud anywhere. What differentiates the amp for me is that all I need to do is plug straight in. It still sounds like a Rectifier, but I don't have to chase the tones I always wanted from a Rectifier. It's got usable gain out the *** and is not harsh and buzzy, even running the tubes cold. Hype or not, it's still a rectifier but it is different. Whether it is better than or different enough from any other DR, or commands twice the selling price is really up to whoever wants to spend their money and give it a ride. I think this whole debate really boils down to how much these amps are selling for. In the end, you have to ask yourself if you are really in a position to tell someone else how they can spend their money. We are guitar players, not financial advisors. The hype factor is inevitable. There are simply not 20,000 copies of these amps in circulation. To paraphrase Randall Smith and Doug West,
" The easiest way to make an amp desirable is to stop making it".
In regards to any object of interest, once your mind gets involved in the " Have to Have it" state, human nature drives from there. For sellers, it the marketing. We have been bombarded by marketing since we came screaming into the world. A very simple example is someone on E-Bay trying to sell a grilled cheese sandwich what had the image of Christ on it. It leads to the question of who is driving this market. It's to the point of mass hysteria where it should simply be a matter of free will. If you want it, buy it, if you don't move on. It's your money and no one is holding an AK-47 to your head demanding you buy a Pre-500 for $ 2500 or you will die. If it's not in the cars, don't hate. The world is an ugly place already. We don't need another issue to fight over.
