Tightening the loose bottom end of a 3 channell recto 101.
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I hate to say this, but if you cut 125Hz and 250Hz as much as you can, you paid for the wrong amplifier. The 250Hz band is right around where the signature low mid recto tone lives, and the 125Hz band is right around where guitars get their chugga chugga from. There are many effective methods of tightening a recto that don't destroy the rectos signature tone as well.
That's just me, though. Your mids are way too low and your gain (on the OCD and the amp) is way too high for my taste, but if it's what you like, then cool.
About the MXR 10-band, I went through a phase where I wouldn't play without it, and now, I never play with it. I use it for fun stuff and with other amps from time to time but it's rare. Boosts are fun because they kick the harmonics in an unique way that I find is difficult to get straight into the amplifier.
That's just me, though. Your mids are way too low and your gain (on the OCD and the amp) is way too high for my taste, but if it's what you like, then cool.
About the MXR 10-band, I went through a phase where I wouldn't play without it, and now, I never play with it. I use it for fun stuff and with other amps from time to time but it's rare. Boosts are fun because they kick the harmonics in an unique way that I find is difficult to get straight into the amplifier.
I love the sound of a Recto with the bottom end tight you prefer it loose, that's just s matter of taste. Keep in mind i play old school metal set up this way it excells at that, and everyone uses effects to augment there amps tone, not that i use alot of effects.
I agree. I never understood why people who can afford any Mesa, would then buy a bunch of pedals to color and alter their sound. There are so many amps out there to choose from that can get you close to the tones you desire.
To each their own of course, if using an EQ and some pedals are what you want, then by all mean FX loop your night away. But, maybe instead of trying to sound like every other band that you are into, why not create your own sound, something that is different and original to you? Imitation is inevitable, but originality should not be forgotten.
Either way, enjoy your Mesa.
To each their own of course, if using an EQ and some pedals are what you want, then by all mean FX loop your night away. But, maybe instead of trying to sound like every other band that you are into, why not create your own sound, something that is different and original to you? Imitation is inevitable, but originality should not be forgotten.
Either way, enjoy your Mesa.
MKV said:
I was mostly commenting that cutting that buying a recto to completely cut out the signature big thump and chug seems kind of pointless. It's kind of like buying an archtop to play metal. I'm sure it can be done if you changed out pickups, set it up with different kinds of strings, and maybe did a few other small mods, but you'd probably be better off not buying an archtop in the first place. Similarly, if you bought a recto and then used a bunch of pedals/processing in order to get it sound like an old school thrash amp, it sounds to me (personally) like you would have almost been better off with a Mark series amp, or maybe a JCM800 type amp (a la Kerry King).
I'm not trying to give you any flack. It's just that a lot of people buy rectos and then think they have to change it up to bloody hell and back with new tubes/speakers/EQs/boosts/mods/etc when they really should have never bought a recto in the first place.
For the record, my tone isn't loose/flubby at all, and 90% of the time I'm running straight into the amplifier. The only time I add anything is when I kick in a front end boost or wah.
Just out of plain old curiosity, though, with the way your amp is set, how does your tone sit in a full band mix?
Are you saying a Recto isn't good for metal. As for my stack it slay's it goes up against my friends JSX everyday, most people like my tone better. But i do have better cabs. Oh and my recto does sound different than anyone elses. I deleted my settings morons like you aren't getting my tone arrogant little punk.
Nothing wrong with using boosts, eqs and whatnot. And absolutely nothing wrong with using effects.
Maybe there are a lot more purist/elitists Guitar - cable - amp type of people here than I though.
Glad you found a way to get the tone you want.
Me, I run 3 things upfront. A volume boost, basically turns my passives into really nice actives. Slight eq, doesnt make a big difference when its on or off, just a slight enhancement to my guitars natural eq. Then a noise gate. Running high gain and volume to fill a venue, I need to get rid of some hum. In the loop I run a delay. My amp can do anything. I dont buy into the crap of if im using some slight modifications to my amp that I should just buy a new amp. Too expensive, specially when a hundred or two dollars turns my 2 channel amp into a 4 channel amp and pushes it into territories of a lot of other amps.
Ignore people who are gonna keep saying that boosts and eqs are overrated. Their opinion is only true for them (Probably shouldnt trust those people for a good movie review.. lol) and keep doing what youre doing.
Maybe there are a lot more purist/elitists Guitar - cable - amp type of people here than I though.
Glad you found a way to get the tone you want.
Me, I run 3 things upfront. A volume boost, basically turns my passives into really nice actives. Slight eq, doesnt make a big difference when its on or off, just a slight enhancement to my guitars natural eq. Then a noise gate. Running high gain and volume to fill a venue, I need to get rid of some hum. In the loop I run a delay. My amp can do anything. I dont buy into the crap of if im using some slight modifications to my amp that I should just buy a new amp. Too expensive, specially when a hundred or two dollars turns my 2 channel amp into a 4 channel amp and pushes it into territories of a lot of other amps.
Ignore people who are gonna keep saying that boosts and eqs are overrated. Their opinion is only true for them (Probably shouldnt trust those people for a good movie review.. lol) and keep doing what youre doing.
MKV said:
lol, someone got offended. If I wanted to attack you I wouldn't have tried to discuss anything with you. It sounds like you don't care for discussion anyway. It doesn't bother me either way. Also, I never said the Rectos aren't good for metal. I'm not sure how you got that impression.
Like aly44 said, enjoy your amp.
siggy14
Well-known member
First put back your settings, because if not it makes this thread look stupid, but if I am right by his post then He wasnt being arrogant, and actually you are being the little punk. He was pointing out that when you start altering the tone of an amp, well maybe that amp isnt for you, and I totally agree.
Yes there are ways to tighten the recto up with altering the tone, boost out front usually does the trick. I was never for putting an EQ in the loop, to me it takes away what the recto is suppose to be.
I probaly went through alot of what you are going through now, for years I tried to make my recto's sound like something they were not. The recto tone is the recto tone flat out and I now embrace it for what it is, if i want the marshall sound I play my JCM800 or something close like my stiletto has really filled in the void for that thrash metal sound.
*Edit* By the way, i am not condoning using an EQ, if you can get your sound that way then go for it, some people use them because they need there recto to do many sounds that you just cant achieve on its own. However if you have one sounds in your mind and dont really care for the natural recto sound, then why do you own the amp? That is all i am trying to say.
Yes there are ways to tighten the recto up with altering the tone, boost out front usually does the trick. I was never for putting an EQ in the loop, to me it takes away what the recto is suppose to be.
I probaly went through alot of what you are going through now, for years I tried to make my recto's sound like something they were not. The recto tone is the recto tone flat out and I now embrace it for what it is, if i want the marshall sound I play my JCM800 or something close like my stiletto has really filled in the void for that thrash metal sound.
*Edit* By the way, i am not condoning using an EQ, if you can get your sound that way then go for it, some people use them because they need there recto to do many sounds that you just cant achieve on its own. However if you have one sounds in your mind and dont really care for the natural recto sound, then why do you own the amp? That is all i am trying to say.
MKV said:
siggy14 said:
Thank you. This is exactly what I was saying, and no offense was meant by it. I'm not saying you have to get rid of the amp, but more that you might want to at least consider looking for alternatives because you would probably be happier with something else (it might make you a couple of bucks in the process, too). I added in the word "drastically" because it fit what I was trying to convey with regard to his settings.
Great posts everyone. This really is a touchy subject, and unfortunately, sometimes written words can have a tone that can be interpreted in many different ways. None of my posts are written to be negative at all. I really feel that people should do whatever it is to make them happy -- in terms of Dual Recs, if that means using EQ's, then go for it.
My only concern though is that by using EQs and whatever else, people may not actually ever truly achieve the "sound" they are looking for. I just don't want to see people spending more money on things that will not change the dynamics of a certain amp -- in this case a Dual Rec. In my experience a Dual Rec has just as much of a certain sound that is different as a Dr. Z EZG, to a Marshall 1959 Plexi. I went to Mesa from Marshall because I couldn't ever get my Marshall to sound like a Mesa. I needed that thumpy, buzzy sound that was so popular in the '90s. I even use EL34s in my Roadster, and it doesn't come close to a Marshall tone. Sometimes it feels similar, but then when I have it cranked, or I listen to the playback of one of my gigs, I realize that my Roadster sounds exactly as it should -- like a Dual Rectifier.
Experiment, have fun, and use people's experiences as just some advice to consider. Don't let it be the "end all, be all" in your decision making. At the end of the day, "feel" is just as important as "sound." At least in my experiences. And, if you still aren't pleased with your tones, get another amp.
Mesas are also great because of something that many people fail to note -- they are very, very reliable. The build quality on these amps are outstanding, Mesa customer service is usually very quick and courteous, and the fixed bias really helps the touring musician. The fixed bias alone has always been a huge sell for me live. I change power tubes every 4 - 6 months -- the last thing I need is to have to bring it to a tech for a biasing every time I change my tubes!
My only concern though is that by using EQs and whatever else, people may not actually ever truly achieve the "sound" they are looking for. I just don't want to see people spending more money on things that will not change the dynamics of a certain amp -- in this case a Dual Rec. In my experience a Dual Rec has just as much of a certain sound that is different as a Dr. Z EZG, to a Marshall 1959 Plexi. I went to Mesa from Marshall because I couldn't ever get my Marshall to sound like a Mesa. I needed that thumpy, buzzy sound that was so popular in the '90s. I even use EL34s in my Roadster, and it doesn't come close to a Marshall tone. Sometimes it feels similar, but then when I have it cranked, or I listen to the playback of one of my gigs, I realize that my Roadster sounds exactly as it should -- like a Dual Rectifier.
Experiment, have fun, and use people's experiences as just some advice to consider. Don't let it be the "end all, be all" in your decision making. At the end of the day, "feel" is just as important as "sound." At least in my experiences. And, if you still aren't pleased with your tones, get another amp.
Mesas are also great because of something that many people fail to note -- they are very, very reliable. The build quality on these amps are outstanding, Mesa customer service is usually very quick and courteous, and the fixed bias really helps the touring musician. The fixed bias alone has always been a huge sell for me live. I change power tubes every 4 - 6 months -- the last thing I need is to have to bring it to a tech for a biasing every time I change my tubes!
First of all if you think scouping two frequencies on a mxr 10 band eq is drastically changing my amp that's just stupid.Second i use three pedals an eq,tubescreamer and a delay all out front nothing in the loop maybe a noise-gate in the future. As far as putting my settings back up no way, that post was only intended to help people who wanted to tighten up the bottom end of there 3 channell recto. In my original post i stated disregard this post if a tight high gain thrash metal tone isn't your style.Yet right out of the gate we have two people telling me i bought the wrong amp and i ruined the tone of my recto, i love my amp i bought it because i wanted a handmade triple- sodered ,0 bias ,tube or silicondiode selectable rectifier with versatility and can be run in 6l6 or el34. I set up my amp the way i like it, now step off.
I know Mesa says that they are hand-made amps, and as far as the chassis goes, that is true, but I believe there is nothing hand made about the amp electronics themselves, aside from some knobs, tube holders, etc. I believe they are all PCB and not hand wired ...
Admittedly though, I could stand to be corrected. I really don't want to devote more time to this negative thread to search out these answers. At the end of the day any Mesa in my book is high quality, regardless of its complete build-quality aspects. I have a Roadster, and, while it doesn't nail every tone I am looking for, I can get pretty close to a lot of the sounds that are in my head in a live setting. If I had a recording studio, the Roadster of course, would not get as high remarks in my opinion. Speaking of which, great opinions everyone! A lot of you have sold me on adding a boost to mine. Even if it's just for soloing, having the potential for some added feel and harmonics excites me. Honestly, I have never been a fan of boosts and eqs -- I have been all natural amp tone and solo button for the last 5 years.
Admittedly though, I could stand to be corrected. I really don't want to devote more time to this negative thread to search out these answers. At the end of the day any Mesa in my book is high quality, regardless of its complete build-quality aspects. I have a Roadster, and, while it doesn't nail every tone I am looking for, I can get pretty close to a lot of the sounds that are in my head in a live setting. If I had a recording studio, the Roadster of course, would not get as high remarks in my opinion. Speaking of which, great opinions everyone! A lot of you have sold me on adding a boost to mine. Even if it's just for soloing, having the potential for some added feel and harmonics excites me. Honestly, I have never been a fan of boosts and eqs -- I have been all natural amp tone and solo button for the last 5 years.
ryjan
Well-known member
A little thin skinned are we?MKV said:
You sound like Ben Stiller on meet the parents when he gets kicked off the airplane. Don't say bomb on the airplane!I just think that no one should be be judged for their taste and he did say if it is not your thing then disregard. I think that if people feel like they are going to get a hard time or be made to feel stupid they will not be inclined to post things on here and that would be a shame. opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one.
If you think this is bad, I mentioned on a Marshall site that I was thinking of getting Mesa (which I did) I got absolutely blitzed as if I committed a cardinal sin!
If you think this is bad, I mentioned on a Marshall site that I was thinking of getting Mesa (which I did) I got absolutely blitzed as if I committed a cardinal sin!
siggy14
Well-known member
For a newbie you seem pretty cocky and have alot of attitude, no one on this board will take you seriousy if you keep that up.
Yes changing two freqs is changing an amps overall tone drastically, the biggest problem is you are not really tightening up the amps bottem end, but more along the lines of eliminating the bottem end that the recto is known for and that is why we are saying maybe the recto is not the amp for you.
Yes the tube screamer does tighten up the bottem end, but alot of that same bottem end you are tightning you are also eliminating. By the way most front end boosts will eliminate some of the recto bottem end as they are not disigned to pass that low of a frequency. However not as much as you are taking out with the EQ.
I dont blame you for wanting mesa, i like the fact that they build a great and reliable amp, but honestly besides being able to switch between EL34/6L6 the stiletto would probaly fit your idea amp more, but in th end go with what you want, but dont be disrespectful because people are trying to give you input. No one ever said you ruined your triple, we are just saying for the thrash style of music, trust me the stiletto Trident probaly would be more your speed.
Yes changing two freqs is changing an amps overall tone drastically, the biggest problem is you are not really tightening up the amps bottem end, but more along the lines of eliminating the bottem end that the recto is known for and that is why we are saying maybe the recto is not the amp for you.
Yes the tube screamer does tighten up the bottem end, but alot of that same bottem end you are tightning you are also eliminating. By the way most front end boosts will eliminate some of the recto bottem end as they are not disigned to pass that low of a frequency. However not as much as you are taking out with the EQ.
I dont blame you for wanting mesa, i like the fact that they build a great and reliable amp, but honestly besides being able to switch between EL34/6L6 the stiletto would probaly fit your idea amp more, but in th end go with what you want, but dont be disrespectful because people are trying to give you input. No one ever said you ruined your triple, we are just saying for the thrash style of music, trust me the stiletto Trident probaly would be more your speed.
MKV said:
Right now i have a real nice Rhoads tone the way i have my amp set up. Your right this isn't the ideal amp for thrash metal but it gets the job done fairly well it's a mesa, and right now thats good enough, maybe someday a mark v or something will be in the cards but not right now. I'm in a garage band and this stack is working just fine for now.
