mesa single rectifier

[shred1980now]

i've been saving up for a new amp for a while and i've been trying to decide whether to get a peavey 6505+ or a mesa dual rectifier. if money wasnt an issue i'd get the dual rectifier-although both amps are very close to what im looking for tonally right now. realistically i don't think i can rationalize spending that few hundred dollars more for the dual rectifier. right when i was about to call this guy selling his peavey in my area, i saw an ad for a used single rectifier priced $50 lower than the 6505+ (single rectifier is going for $600, 6505+ for $650). after doing a bit of research, my only hang up is the single rectifier is only 50 watts. i've seen some reviews say thats plenty loud, others saying you'd need to mic it. what do you guys think? im just concerned whether or not i'd be heard over a drummer at practice.

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: mesa single rectifier

If you can't get over a drummer w/ 50 watts then there's a problem. That's plenty for most any smaller venue. The only thing that's really going to change is your clean headroom. There's only 3db difference in volume between a 50 and 100 watt head. Even at 50 watts, you should be able to maintain a good clean tone unless you're using super high output pickups. In that case, roll your volume knob on your guitar back some.

Between the 2 amps, I'd take the 6505+. I own a good bit of Mesa gear including a dual and triple rectifier and I just don't like the single rec models. They are really a one trick pony and that's ballz out modern recto gain and they really needed to be pushed to give that up. All of the 4 or 5 single rectifier models I've tried, they have a really kind of fuzzy quality to them. They're not as tight or defined as their bigger brothers. It's hard to describe. You'd really have to have experience w/ both or play them side by side to know what I'm talking about. There's some other Mesa guys on here that can probably explain it better than I. I think Van Noord on here has/had a single rectifier and he got great tone outta his so, as always, YMMV.

 

[DankStar]

Re: mesa single rectifier

I had a single all of a few days. Couldn't hang with loud bassist and drummer without squealing so back to the store it went. I dug the sound then, but just didn't have the headroom. In hindsight I should have gotten a dual, but I changed brands to solve the issue and never got another Mesa since (except for a small cab).

 

[Surgeon]

Re: mesa single rectifier

Well, I got a rectoverb a month ago and so far I like it.... I won't argue with anyone who says that the duals/triples are better/different but I like the single so far. The rectoverb's clean is great and the gain is good so far, I'm still learning to dial it adequately though.

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: mesa single rectifier

Save up and get the newest dual that has 50 and 100 multi watt switching.....

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: mesa single rectifier

I had a single all of a few days. Couldn't hang with loud bassist and drummer without squealing so back to the store it went. I dug the sound then, but just didn't have the headroom. In hindsight I should have gotten a dual, but I changed brands to solve the issue and never got another Mesa since (except for a small cab).

What ??? . . . W O W !!!

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: mesa single rectifier

There was something wrong with it - I've used a 50W Mesa Rectifier before and they can hang with a band no problemo.

 

[DankStar]

Re: mesa single rectifier

Hmmm, it was from GC so I wouldn't doubt it. Dug the tone though.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: mesa single rectifier

I'm a big fan of the Single Rectifier, but have come to appreciate the 6505 recently. The 6505 has a very pleasing overdrive/distortion sound. I think the 6505 is more expressive as far as soloing goes, and you can get a lot of different kinds of rhythms from VH to thrash. The Rectifier is a great amp all around, and gives you the advantage of a good clean tone. The 6505+ doesn't have a stellar clean(ish) tone, however, there's something about the cleans on it that sounds REALLY good in the context of a metal or rock song. I couldn't describe to you exactly what it is because on it's own, the cleans are kind of lifeless, but when you're riffing and break into a clean passage, or do a clean into to some riffs, it sounds just the way you want it. It's kind of weird but it has this bell-like quality that sounds awesome for metal cleans.

I don't know because I would always say Mesa Rectifier, but I'm leaning towards the 6505+ these days simply because I really like the overdrive sound a lot. It has an exceptional lead tone that makes you want to solo all day long.

 

[shred1980now]

Re: mesa single rectifier

thanks for the advice everybody, looks like i'll be getting the 6505+.

 

[Adieu]

Re: mesa single rectifier

Whoaaaa... you guys actually LIKE the 6505+??? Couldn't get a single useful sound out of it myself and just wrote the thing off as some bs for chugging wannabe-vikings

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: mesa single rectifier

Tone is all in the fingers man.

 

[Adieu]

Re: mesa single rectifier

Tone is all in the fingers man.

Welll... JCM's help. Valvekings help. PRS 30s help A TON... even Epi Valve series amps help a bunch (except the Standard, that one's a mess).

...6505+, on the other hand, felt like a struggle AGAINST the amp. Sorta like Oranges and Bugeras, but more pronounced even. YMMV!