Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

[Metalman_666]

What is it about the way these two different types of amps are made? For example the Mesa MKIIC+ supposedly had the best amp distortion of all the Mesas, EVER, and the rectos have this annoying sound to them... how are they designed so differently?

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

Mark's are much much much smoother and more articulate, but I dunno about build wise differences.

 

[Al.C]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

Hey MM you are in my hometown! Never noticed that before. Haven't lived there since 1983 but most of my family still lives there. I went to University of Waterloo and then UofT before moving out of the province and then the country.
LOVE my MKIIC+

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

Hey MM you are in my hometown! Never noticed that before. Haven't lived there since 1983 but most of my family still lives there. I went to University of Waterloo and then UofT before moving out of the province and then the country.
LOVE my MKIIC+

ROCK ON lol actually I grew up in Toronto, but moved here for high school.

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

i've never tried the mark 2 but i have tried the mark 4 and didn't like it all that much, but i've heard it's hard to tweak mesa's.

 

[Jonny R]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

Man, Al.C that is one sweet looking example there.

 

[Al.C]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

i've never tried the mark 2 but i have tried the mark 4 and didn't like it all that much, but i've heard it's hard to tweak mesa's.

MK II and MK IV are different animals. I used to have a MK III, very different sound from the MKII. The MKII is fairly easy to tweak. I find my one or two sounds and just leave it. I never could get my strat to sound good with the mark III so I sold it. First the guitar then the amp. Never owned a strat since.

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

MK II and MK IV are different animals. I used to have a MK III, very different sound from the MKII. The MKII is fairly easy to tweak. I find my one or two sounds and just leave it. I never could get my strat to sound good with the mark III so I sold it. First the guitar then the amp. Never owned a strat since.

well would you happen to know any settings that sound good for general rock and blues stuff?

 

[Al.C]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

Man, Al.C that is one sweet looking example there.

The cabinet was actually from my MKIII. It is imbuya, most of the Mesa hardwood cabinets I have seen are bubinga. Boogie used either wood depending on their supply and you couldn't select which one. Bubinga is a redder colored wood, I kind of like it better but what the heck she doesn't look to bad in imbuya .

 

[Al.C]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

well would you happen to know any settings that sound good for general rock and blues stuff?

As for settings on the MKIII that has been 8 years ago so I don't recall. As for settings in general it is such a personal preference and dependent on your guitar pickups and speakers. Best advice I can give you is trust your ears, don't ever go to an amp and say I always put my treble on 7, mid on 5 and bass on 2 (for example). Amp to amp variations in tone stack designs and the other variables I mentioned make this a recipe for poor tone. Heck I sometimes think even the barometric pressure, temp and humidity have effects as what I though sounded great yeasterday sometimes need tweaking today.

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

thanks!
im ususally in a hurry when i play one, next time i'll sit down and "fing" good tone!

 

[Falstaff]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

Hey MM you are in my hometown! Never noticed that before. Haven't lived there since 1983 but most of my family still lives there. I went to University of Waterloo and then UofT before moving out of the province and then the country.
LOVE my MKIIC+

Did you dine at Stanley's Burgers?

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

so what about the construction of the electronics? how does that change the sound?and how is it that Mesa has never been able to replicate their sound again?

 

[mrid]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

so what about the construction of the electronics? how does that change the sound?and how is it that Mesa has never been able to replicate their sound again?

They ran out of the original transformers.

 

[LucidInterval]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

It's all in the gain stages, EQ, trannies, and tubes. If you can, try out a recto with a 12AT7 or another lower gain tube ,or with the gain down and with a OD or booster pedal like an SD-1 or TS-9.

The main difference is the EQ and the gain stages in those amps.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

The Mark series of amps are all very different in tone and in gain. They really are quite different from each other and it's hard to compare them really. The gain stages are all different, the mids placement is different and the clean channels all have their own unique character as well. Saying that the Mark III is better than a Mark I is really very subjective, as they are completely different amps.

I've played Rectos, Rectoverbs, Marks, a Blue Angel and the new Lonestar receintly and they are all great sounding amps. The Lonestar in particular is a killer sounding amp with more than enough gain, killer clean tones and a range of pushed tones that makes it a great combo for almost any situation.

No one likes everything by any one maker but if you can't find a Mesa that works for a style you haven't looked hard enough. They really do have quite a line up curently and I can't think of another amp maker out there that covers as many bases tonally as Mesa with simular build quality and reliability.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

They ran out of the original transformers.

And they can't reproduce these EVER again?

 

[mrid]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

And they can't reproduce these EVER again?

Apparently not. :laugh2:

 

[Falstaff]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

The Mark series of amps are all very different in tone and in gain. They really are quite different from each other and it's hard to compare them really. The gain stages are all different, the mids placement is different and the clean channels all have their own unique character as well. Saying that the Mark III is better than a Mark I is really very subjective, as they are completely different amps.

I've played Rectos, Rectoverbs, Marks, a Blue Angel and the new Lonestar receintly and they are all great sounding amps. The Lonestar in particular is a killer sounding amp with more than enough gain, killer clean tones and a range of pushed tones that makes it a great combo for almost any situation.

No one likes everything by any one maker but if you can't find a Mesa that works for a style you haven't looked hard enough. They really do have quite a line up curently and I can't think of another amp maker out there that covers as many bases tonally as Mesa with simular build quality and reliability.

Well said, Robert. It's also hard to remember that back when the first Boogies came out they were unique and now there are a ton of amps with the features that made the first Boogies so special.

Now it's like Mesa gets blamed for all of the crap on the radio now...can you blame whoever invented breast implants for how bad Britney's music is?

FWIW, I am a huge fan of the EL84 amps they have made.

 

[Guitarist]

Re: Mesa amp distortion: Mark, Rectifier...

Now it's like Mesa gets blamed for all of the crap on the radio now...can you blame whoever invented breast implants for how bad Britney's music is?

Great post! I totally agree. I'd bet that more than half of the kids claiming the Rectifier is sterile or lifeless have either made their assumption over this nu-metal/emo garbage, or simply spent less than 30 minutes trying to adjust it's EQ. Not many young guitarists have the kind of patience to do this, they figure if they can't find a good tone fast then it must not be a good amplifier. WRONG! It took me nearly 6 months to find my tone, and I get compliments about it all the time!! Believe me, non-believers, if you spend time with it and stick with it, the prize on tonal bliss is well worth the perserverance. Just my 2 cents on a great, typically underrated amplifier.

PS - When playing a tube amp at Guitar Retailers, be aware of the tube conditions which can strongly make a difference in the tone, and also the fact that a 100W tube amp won't be pretty at volumes suitable for open room testing. --- I played a Rectoverb at Guitar Center the other day, and it was nothing like my Single at home, it was flabby, muddy, and totally unarticulate, and those 50W have a tendency to sound half decent at room volumes. Within 10 minutes, I blamed it on the tubes and moved on!! :13: