J
Jay 77
Guest
Played through one last night. All I can say is: disappointing. Every channel was a boomy, fuzzy, dark mess. No crunch, no sparkle, no nothing. Just loud as hell. Now I know why all the nu-metal bands like 'em.
Loserchief
SwingingIdiot
Re: Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo
mesa rectos can sound killer when set right, but the eq imo is over-sensitive and it takes a lot of time to dial in something useable. Also i agree that it's dark overall and not very tight, that's why i prefer Engls overall.
mesa rectos can sound killer when set right, but the eq imo is over-sensitive and it takes a lot of time to dial in something useable. Also i agree that it's dark overall and not very tight, that's why i prefer Engls overall.
XSSIVE
OCDologist
Re: Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo
dual rectos have more knobs and switches front and back than half the amps on the market. if you just turned it on and spun the bass mid treble and gain a few times at random you didn't come close to trying the amp. it's got knobs and switches on the back that change the amp character immensely. along with having a very delicate EQ to dial in just the right sound....meaning big knob turns make huge sound changes and little knob turns make big sound changes. your review is way off plain and simple since you were new to the amp and obviously didn't know how to set it! that's understandable but don't bash an amp that's been used by more bands live and to record than i could even name right now just because your quick time with it wasn't favorable due to lack of knowledge of the amp.
-Mike
dual rectos have more knobs and switches front and back than half the amps on the market. if you just turned it on and spun the bass mid treble and gain a few times at random you didn't come close to trying the amp. it's got knobs and switches on the back that change the amp character immensely. along with having a very delicate EQ to dial in just the right sound....meaning big knob turns make huge sound changes and little knob turns make big sound changes. your review is way off plain and simple since you were new to the amp and obviously didn't know how to set it! that's understandable but don't bash an amp that's been used by more bands live and to record than i could even name right now just because your quick time with it wasn't favorable due to lack of knowledge of the amp.
-Mike
Rich_T
Kyuss_Rockologist
Re: Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo
Its very much a tweaker that amp. I've spent hours with one once, going through it all, and there are some of the best tones in the world in there, it just can take a while to find them. So i went for a 6 knob Marshall for the plug and go factor.
Its very much a tweaker that amp. I've spent hours with one once, going through it all, and there are some of the best tones in the world in there, it just can take a while to find them. So i went for a 6 knob Marshall for the plug and go factor.
Re: Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo
Xssive basically hit it exactly, the amp is a monster! I get great tones out of it everyday and man can I change it all so damn quick its not funny. Just the Bold and Spongy switch on the back changes so much its just amazing.
I can get some of the most wicked harmonics out of my dual, its perfect for what I wanted. But when I want to clean up and do some Allman Brothers it has some of the most crisp, clear, clean tones (Jb or CR's) and can leap into a bluesy light gain.
Very versatile amp, but I've only gained what I wanted out of it by constantly playing with everything. I've played through a few other tube amps like a Marshall JCM2000. But that Dual definately hit the spot for me, I've seen alot of people not dig em though, so to each his own.
Xssive basically hit it exactly, the amp is a monster! I get great tones out of it everyday and man can I change it all so damn quick its not funny. Just the Bold and Spongy switch on the back changes so much its just amazing.
I can get some of the most wicked harmonics out of my dual, its perfect for what I wanted. But when I want to clean up and do some Allman Brothers it has some of the most crisp, clear, clean tones (Jb or CR's) and can leap into a bluesy light gain.
Very versatile amp, but I've only gained what I wanted out of it by constantly playing with everything. I've played through a few other tube amps like a Marshall JCM2000. But that Dual definately hit the spot for me, I've seen alot of people not dig em though, so to each his own.
J
Jay 77
Guest
Re: Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo
I wasn't so much bashing it, as voicing my dissatisfaction. I monkeyed with it for three hours, and at the end of the night, I still didn't come up with a sound I was happy with. I tweaked the eq, gain, and presence controls of all three channels so it was by no means random. You're 110% right in saying the controls are very sensitive and that even minute changes make a big difference. I noticed that from the start. I guess if I was to sum up the experience, I'd say that the overall dark/boomy sound of this amp just isn't for me, and not at all what I expected it to be. That's all. Not bashing it, or Mesa for that matter.
I wasn't so much bashing it, as voicing my dissatisfaction. I monkeyed with it for three hours, and at the end of the night, I still didn't come up with a sound I was happy with. I tweaked the eq, gain, and presence controls of all three channels so it was by no means random. You're 110% right in saying the controls are very sensitive and that even minute changes make a big difference. I noticed that from the start. I guess if I was to sum up the experience, I'd say that the overall dark/boomy sound of this amp just isn't for me, and not at all what I expected it to be. That's all. Not bashing it, or Mesa for that matter.
Skoora
New member
Re: Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo
I agree that they have no sparkle.
Before anyone yells at me let me say I had 4 years experience selling DR's and many years after playing them on and off after. So I'm very familiar with them.
I find the EQ doesn't do nearly enough. Subtle turns only work on the treble knob and that's usually about 3 O'Clock where you get the big jump in bite or what can also be fizzy depending on how much gain you have.
I do believe these amps need to be turned up some to sound decent and if you can get a little volume going the EQ knobs will probably start floating around noon.
You definitely want to have the channel masters quite high and main output set for the room. This works best on the clean and pushed setting.
Ultimately, they're a thick, dark amp (upper treble settings pretty useless) and they're never going to be Marshall like in their response. People who don't want a Marshall will probably like them very much and people who are more Hot Rodded Marshall prone are muchy better staying away. There's so many high gain amps now there's a lot of good choices.
I think I would like the amp better if all the switches and knobs actually gave you true variety in tone but for me they just give you subtle variations of the same basic sound. Vintage/ Raw/ Modern just sound like different EQ curves on the same gain stage. Sure the level of saturation changes a bit but the feel of the EQ and picking hard vs. picking soft all feels the same. The rectifier switching and bold and spongy effect the attack but don't really change the tone that much.
This is all just IMO so you boogie soldiers hold your fire! I'm recording a guy right now who uses one and he loves it. That's all that matters. I don't like them but he's getting the sound in his head through that amp. He's happy and I can dig that.
I agree that they have no sparkle.
Before anyone yells at me let me say I had 4 years experience selling DR's and many years after playing them on and off after. So I'm very familiar with them.
I find the EQ doesn't do nearly enough. Subtle turns only work on the treble knob and that's usually about 3 O'Clock where you get the big jump in bite or what can also be fizzy depending on how much gain you have.
I do believe these amps need to be turned up some to sound decent and if you can get a little volume going the EQ knobs will probably start floating around noon.
You definitely want to have the channel masters quite high and main output set for the room. This works best on the clean and pushed setting.
Ultimately, they're a thick, dark amp (upper treble settings pretty useless) and they're never going to be Marshall like in their response. People who don't want a Marshall will probably like them very much and people who are more Hot Rodded Marshall prone are muchy better staying away. There's so many high gain amps now there's a lot of good choices.
I think I would like the amp better if all the switches and knobs actually gave you true variety in tone but for me they just give you subtle variations of the same basic sound. Vintage/ Raw/ Modern just sound like different EQ curves on the same gain stage. Sure the level of saturation changes a bit but the feel of the EQ and picking hard vs. picking soft all feels the same. The rectifier switching and bold and spongy effect the attack but don't really change the tone that much.
This is all just IMO so you boogie soldiers hold your fire! I'm recording a guy right now who uses one and he loves it. That's all that matters. I don't like them but he's getting the sound in his head through that amp. He's happy and I can dig that.
Re: Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo
I think mine, the one I personally own sounds fabulous, but with that said, my band uses a rehearsal studio that has 2 Rectos in each room and they sound like CRAP! If these were the first Recto's I ever tried, I would be inclined to agree with the original poster. I think mine sounds better because I take care of it, change the tubes when needed and use the standby switch when I turn it off, the ones in the rehearsal studio are beat to crap. So I guess I would suggest the original poster try the recto again, one thats firing on all cylindars so to speak???
JQ
I think mine, the one I personally own sounds fabulous, but with that said, my band uses a rehearsal studio that has 2 Rectos in each room and they sound like CRAP! If these were the first Recto's I ever tried, I would be inclined to agree with the original poster. I think mine sounds better because I take care of it, change the tubes when needed and use the standby switch when I turn it off, the ones in the rehearsal studio are beat to crap. So I guess I would suggest the original poster try the recto again, one thats firing on all cylindars so to speak???
JQ
Skoora
New member
Re: Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo
You can't say enough about treating an amp right. When I was selling Mesa's they were very bad form the factory with tube quality. I was just trying a Roadking 2 at GC the other day and it kept blowing the HT fuse because one of the power tubes was probably bad.
Those amps at the rehearsal space probably have old tubes and nobody cares about standby when it's not theirs.
It's a shame, I respect gear that I use, whatever it is and whoever it belongs to. Even GC's. lol.
You can't say enough about treating an amp right. When I was selling Mesa's they were very bad form the factory with tube quality. I was just trying a Roadking 2 at GC the other day and it kept blowing the HT fuse because one of the power tubes was probably bad.
Those amps at the rehearsal space probably have old tubes and nobody cares about standby when it's not theirs.
It's a shame, I respect gear that I use, whatever it is and whoever it belongs to. Even GC's. lol.
J
Jay 77
Guest
Re: Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo
This was was almost new, and very clean. Again, please don't think I'm knocking the Mesa stuff in general, because the other guitarist in one of my bands uses a V-Twin into an M180 power amp and it sounds gorgeous! I just think I've realized that the 'Marshall sound' is more to my liking. That being said, I'm curious to try a Stiletto Ace.
This was was almost new, and very clean. Again, please don't think I'm knocking the Mesa stuff in general, because the other guitarist in one of my bands uses a V-Twin into an M180 power amp and it sounds gorgeous! I just think I've realized that the 'Marshall sound' is more to my liking. That being said, I'm curious to try a Stiletto Ace.
H
H8Red442
Guest
Re: Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo
I got Dual Recto and love it. I know what you're saying about the dark boomy sound though. At the same time I think that depends on the axe. I jammed with my buddies last week and the other guitar player had his mids up so high it sounded like I was being put through a flanger. Between the fat mahogany body of my Bich and that amp, I could barely be heard. However earlier in the day I jammed with some other people and my guitar fit perfect for the three piece we are forming as. Personally in a bed room tone and a band setting I think my Dualie is perfect. Plenty of saturation without loss of definition. It brightens up pretty well too. But it's also very easy to get buried in the mix depending on who else you're playing with.
I got Dual Recto and love it. I know what you're saying about the dark boomy sound though. At the same time I think that depends on the axe. I jammed with my buddies last week and the other guitar player had his mids up so high it sounded like I was being put through a flanger. Between the fat mahogany body of my Bich and that amp, I could barely be heard. However earlier in the day I jammed with some other people and my guitar fit perfect for the three piece we are forming as. Personally in a bed room tone and a band setting I think my Dualie is perfect. Plenty of saturation without loss of definition. It brightens up pretty well too. But it's also very easy to get buried in the mix depending on who else you're playing with.
