banner

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

    Love this amp! Picked it up used some months ago. Now I finally took some time to really test this amp and put it through it's paces. First lets get this out of the way: this thing absolutely DOES do the Mesa and Rectifier name justice. A lot of people will say stuff like 'I prefer big bottles', 'EL84's suck' etc. and sure, fair enough, if you like to play super loud on stage I can understand that headroom becomes an issue. But this little sucker is loud and it has plenty of low-end! EL84's definitely aren't as bad as some people like to think

    So I tried this amp with all the channels, modes and power settings. The power settings actually change the voicing of the amp. This is explained very well in the manual but for the red channel's modern mode it means that it makes the sound a little bit more gentle, so less fizzy so that it actually sounds much better at lower levels. So the overall eq curve is different, which is a cool feature!

    I tried it with 12 different guitars in all sorts of styles, from super clean to 8-string metal. I only used a boost on the 8-string part but honestly, this amp sounds pretty tight for a Recto. Heck, I would say that I prefer this little fellow over my large Dual Rectifier. The small one just doesn't need a lot of work and with all the EQ knobs in the middle it already sounds really balanced.

    Who else has one? What do you love (or hate) about it? Do you use it on stage? Which of the power settings do you like to use? Would love to know your thoughts on this amp. Also, if you own one of the bigger ones together with the small one: what do you think of the differences? Do they really matter that much? Perhaps in 10 years most people will use smaller amps. I have a bunch of them and I love them! I also love my big 120/100 watt heads though. Love 'em all!

    Here's the demo:
    Owner and founder of Sonic Drive Studio & social media manager for OwnHammer.

    Facebook.com/sonicdrivestudio
    OwnHammer.com

  • #2
    Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

    Nice!

    Sent from my REVVLPLUS C3701A using Tapatalk

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

      As always, love your vids! I particularly liked the tones you dialed in with the guitars with EMG's.

      I guess what these EL84 amps are best at is recording in a controlled studio environment where you can afford to crank them enough to get the power section working yet can keep them well below under full-band levels so that the EL84's don't sound too much like EL84's, LOL.

      I have tried a few EL84 high-gain amps, but my only extensive experience has been with my EVH LBX and my former LBX 2. FWIW, I think those can get a somewhat solid low-end going with the resonance turned up high, but they somewhat struggle, even through a 4x12. And at loud-drummer levels, forget it. The low-end turns too squishy and compressed at first, and then farty.

      I personally wished more companies used 6V6's in lunchbox amps instead of EL84's.
      Last edited by Rex_Rocker; 12-10-2019, 08:31 PM.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

        Originally posted by Rex_Rocker View Post
        As always, love your vids! I particularly liked the tones you dialed in with the guitars with EMG's.

        I guess what these EL84 amps are best at is recording in a controlled studio environment where you can afford to crank them enough to get the power section working yet can keep them well below under full-band levels so that the EL84's don't sound too much like EL84's, LOL.

        I have tried a few EL84 high-gain amps, but my only extensive experience has been with my EVH LBX and my former LBX 2. FWIW, I think those can get a somewhat solid low-end going with the resonance turned up high, but they somewhat struggle, even through a 4x12. And at loud-drummer levels, forget it. The low-end turns too squishy and compressed at first, and then farty.

        I personally wished more companies used 6V6's in lunchbox amps instead of EL84's.
        Thanks! About the LBX's: I don't think those are the best EL84 amps out there to be honest but I think that also has to do with the preamp. Don't get me wrong, I like my LBXI but it's definitely one of my less good sounding ones. I still need to try a 6V6 amp as I never have. I wonder what the sonic difference is between those and EL84's.
        Owner and founder of Sonic Drive Studio & social media manager for OwnHammer.

        Facebook.com/sonicdrivestudio
        OwnHammer.com

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

          Really?! LOL, I actually kinda like mine better than my 6L6-loaded Krank Rev Jr. I definitely have to try more EL84 amps, then. Which one IYO has the deepest, lowest, most full-size-amp-like bottom-end? Ironball? Mini Recto?
          Last edited by Rex_Rocker; 12-11-2019, 07:57 AM.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

            Originally posted by Rex_Rocker View Post
            Really?! LOL, I actually kinda like mine better than my 6L6-loaded Krank Rev Jr. I definitely have to try more EL84 amps, then. Which one IYO has the deepest, lowest, most full-size-amp-like bottom-end? Ironball? Mini Recto?
            It's hard to give a very accurate response but some of the ones with the biggest low-end are: Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister Deluxe 40 (the resonance control works really well), ENGL Ironball has huge lows and the Recto probably yeah. Some of my other ones also have chunky lows but it also depends on how the amp is voiced so it's not just a poweramp thing. I was really surprised at how huge the GMD40 can sound but it's 40 watts with 4 EL84's so that probably makes a difference I did buy an amptweaker depthfinder a while back, just to dial in some extra low-end when some amps are lacking but I haven't needed to use it yet....
            Owner and founder of Sonic Drive Studio & social media manager for OwnHammer.

            Facebook.com/sonicdrivestudio
            OwnHammer.com

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

              So Jon...Mini Rectifier 25 versus your Mark V:35?

              Bill
              When you've had budget guitars for a number of years, you may find that your old instrument is holding you back. A quality guitar can inspire you to write great songs, improve your understanding of the Gdim chord while in the Lydian Mode, cure the heartbreak of cystic acne--and help you find true love in the process.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

                Originally posted by Boogie Bill View Post
                So Jon...Mini Rectifier 25 versus your Mark V:35?

                Bill
                It will definitely be made at some point! I have so many videos that I want to make though since I have a bunch of Marshalls that haven't really been featured etc. So many comparisons to do also.
                Owner and founder of Sonic Drive Studio & social media manager for OwnHammer.

                Facebook.com/sonicdrivestudio
                OwnHammer.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

                  I have one of these - it's the Rectoverb 25 version which is voiced a little differently and of course has reverb. I put it through an Orange 2x12.

                  I do wish it was a 3-channel amp, I'd like a 5w mode, and a cab emulated XLR DI out on the back. That said, this thing is so much fun. It's as much firepower as I'll need for most gigs, and it's one of the few 'small' amps that really does cop a big-amp vibe. I love the sustain and the controllability of it. It takes pedals well too. It's a keeper.

                  Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_7636.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	72.4 KB
ID:	5817803

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

                    Originally posted by B2D View Post
                    I have one of these - it's the Rectoverb 25 version which is voiced a little differently and of course has reverb. I put it through an Orange 2x12.

                    I do wish it was a 3-channel amp, I'd like a 5w mode, and a cab emulated XLR DI out on the back. That said, this thing is so much fun. It's as much firepower as I'll need for most gigs, and it's one of the few 'small' amps that really does cop a big-amp vibe. I love the sustain and the controllability of it. It takes pedals well too. It's a keeper.

                    [ATTACH=CONFIG]102478[/ATTACH]
                    I actually recall Mesa saying other than looks and reverb it is the same exact amp as the mini rectifier.
                    Last edited by GuitarGuy503; 12-12-2019, 06:27 AM.
                    Gibson Les Paul R8 in Ebony
                    Roland Cube 60
                    Mesa Boogie Mini Rectifier Head & Mesa Boogie 2x12 Horizontal Rectifier Cabinet
                    BadCat Unleash V1 Attenuater/Re-amplifier
                    LoopMaster Clean Dirty A/B Looper Switcher
                    Mogami Cables
                    Mooer Candy Toppers
                    Pedals: Mad Professor Silver Spring Reverb, Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay, Neunaber Stereo WET Reverb, Keeley 30ms DoubleTracker, & TC Electronic Polytune.
                    Extras: AmpWedge & Auralex Great Gramma ISO Platform

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

                      Originally posted by B2D View Post
                      I have one of these - it's the Rectoverb 25 version which is voiced a little differently and of course has reverb. I put it through an Orange 2x12.

                      I do wish it was a 3-channel amp, I'd like a 5w mode, and a cab emulated XLR DI out on the back. That said, this thing is so much fun. It's as much firepower as I'll need for most gigs, and it's one of the few 'small' amps that really does cop a big-amp vibe. I love the sustain and the controllability of it. It takes pedals well too. It's a keeper.

                      [ATTACH=CONFIG]102478[/ATTACH]
                      That looks great! I assume you're running the 8ohm output into the 16ohm cab?
                      Owner and founder of Sonic Drive Studio & social media manager for OwnHammer.

                      Facebook.com/sonicdrivestudio
                      OwnHammer.com

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

                        Originally posted by GuitarGuy503 View Post
                        I actually recall Mesa saying other than looks and reverb it is the same exact amp as the mini rectifier.
                        Really! I could have sworn they sounded different. I was testing used examples so maybe it was a difference in tubes or caps. Well that makes sense... I'm good with it.

                        Originally posted by Guitarjon View Post
                        That looks great! I assume you're running the 8ohm output into the 16ohm cab?
                        Yep. I would have preferred 8 into 8 but this is fine and if I ever want to go back to using a 16ohm marshall I'm set.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

                          Originally posted by B2D View Post
                          Yep. I would have preferred 8 into 8 but this is fine and if I ever want to go back to using a 16ohm marshall I'm set.
                          Do you have any significant volume drop with the mismatch?
                          Gibson Les Paul R8 in Ebony
                          Roland Cube 60
                          Mesa Boogie Mini Rectifier Head & Mesa Boogie 2x12 Horizontal Rectifier Cabinet
                          BadCat Unleash V1 Attenuater/Re-amplifier
                          LoopMaster Clean Dirty A/B Looper Switcher
                          Mogami Cables
                          Mooer Candy Toppers
                          Pedals: Mad Professor Silver Spring Reverb, Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay, Neunaber Stereo WET Reverb, Keeley 30ms DoubleTracker, & TC Electronic Polytune.
                          Extras: AmpWedge & Auralex Great Gramma ISO Platform

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

                            I can only imagine that 25 watts through an efficient 1x12 or 2x12 (or 10's for that matter) in a small room, would sound just fine and keep up with a sane drummer.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: The Mesa Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five!

                              Originally posted by Demanic View Post
                              I can only imagine that 25 watts through an efficient 1x12 or 2x12 (or 10's for that matter) in a small room, would sound just fine and keep up with a sane drummer.
                              I'd like to add a Fryette Power Station to my rig and use it in place of the BadCat. Could get a little extra out of the Mini Rectifier if you ever needed to. The Fryette is a tube driven unit vs the BadCat which is solid state.
                              Gibson Les Paul R8 in Ebony
                              Roland Cube 60
                              Mesa Boogie Mini Rectifier Head & Mesa Boogie 2x12 Horizontal Rectifier Cabinet
                              BadCat Unleash V1 Attenuater/Re-amplifier
                              LoopMaster Clean Dirty A/B Looper Switcher
                              Mogami Cables
                              Mooer Candy Toppers
                              Pedals: Mad Professor Silver Spring Reverb, Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay, Neunaber Stereo WET Reverb, Keeley 30ms DoubleTracker, & TC Electronic Polytune.
                              Extras: AmpWedge & Auralex Great Gramma ISO Platform

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X