Anybody here has a DR or TR modified by Voodoo Amps ?

[V!N]

The describtion sounds awesome:
http://www.voodooamps.com/standardmods.html#Rectifier

I've seen a couple of heads modified by Trace appear on the German eBay, but never got to hear one myself though.

 

[clutch71]

I played a Triple modified by Voodoo for more gain. :?: Can't say I was that impressed. It smoothed it out a little but they had el34Ruby's in it too. I played through a full stack too, cranked! I actually liked the 3 ch DR played through a 4x12 straight that was right next to it at the time. Then again I'm not a shredder. Maybe they do "track tighter." That my friend is a whole other argument and Mark IV territory in my opinion.

I look at the price of the standard/deluxe mods and think of the cost you'd have to ship it overseas and I wouldn't personally do it.

NMore folks on here will be able to explain exactly what you are getting based on the different Voodoo options. That's just my 2cents + singular experience.

 

[V!N]

Hi Clutch,

Thank you for taking the effort to reply, I really appreciate it. Your two cents are priceless compared to the HC reviews.

I recently got to try a TR halfstack and wasn't impressed at all by the sound of the distortion. I must have tweaked it for an hour with nearly all the guitars in the store, but I couldn't get rid of the buzz/fizz in the top end.

Mesa Boogies are very hard to come by over here and really, REALLY expensive. To give you an idea, here are some prices of a store in Germany:

€ 2590 / US$ 3242 for a DR, TR, or TA
€ 2777 / US$ 3476 for a MK IV short head
€ 3690 / US$ 4618 for a RK

I could have a custom ordered TR with chrome chassis and black diamond plate (like the one MesaENGR412 has), with the Voodoo Deluxe mod, a mighty fine flightcase, shipping, handling and import taxes and end up spending about the same for a stock one over here.

But I'm afraid it's going to take more for me than "smoothed out a little bit" before I can really love such an amp. Yes, for that kind of money, I want to love it, not like it !

Some of the clips posted in the Rigs & Tones section here made me think about not getting a Rectifier, but rather a MK IV or TriAxis.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

This is a big expense in your situation, so you want to make sure you do it right!

I'll give you my little story...might help you a bit.

I bought a brand new Dual Rectifier solo head....I'll admit, this was when I was still a bit of a newb...I'm much more knowledgable on the tube amp scene now.....so I bought it because basically all the bands I listened to used them. Plugged in, and loved the sound. Killer!

I've owned the amp for about a year and a half now....after about a little over a year, growing as a musician and guitarist, the Rectifier just started getting bland and sterile to me....no dynamics....not too much real tone...a lot of fuzz and mud. Can't stand the amp anymore to be honest. I recently got a traditional Mesa 4x12 (as opposed to the oversized) and the amp does sound a lot better, but I'm still now there.

I went through hundreds of dollars in tube swaps, etc, trying to tweak my tone, and while it got better, it felt like I was polishing a turd....those rectifier characteristics that I can't stand were still there.

Long story short, I have a Mark IV on order right now....I played the amp at a GC and was BLOWN AWAY! Clear, dynamic, tight....like a guitar should sound.

My advice....go straight for the Mark IV....and for the cab, get a traditional....not the oversized....the smaller construction is far superior!

 

[Aart]

Prices here are insane. If you want to try a boogie yuo can better find someone that has one, cause shops only have recto's or F-series.

BTW: If you want to try a Mark IV you're welcome. I live in Didam, near Arnhem.

 

[ConvexStone]

In my ears, the voodoo standard mod did a lot for my tone (2ch rectifier), now it sounds clearer, the fuzz/buzz was taken out, tighter, cuts through better, just soo much better overall. Everything that they claim they can do its true, BUT it did not change the voicing of the gain. it still sounds like a rectifier NO DOUBT. the mods are more for someone who loves their amp, but just wants to improve it not change it.
Hope it helps

 

[ThunderMonkey]

I've met Trace personally and had a Marshall JCM800 modded for more gain last year when I lived in upstate NY. I went to his shop and he discussed, showed and explained to me what he was going to do to the amp. He does incredible work to get your amp to sound the way you like it.
I tested and played through a deluxe mod DR and he couldn't get me off the **** thing, seriously. It was more responsive, clearer even with FULL distortion and the lows were nice and tight. The reviews to me are not hype, he doesn't sprinkle magic dust, they do their best to get an already great amp to be the best.

I know there are some purists on this board that say, don't muck with a good thing, you're changing the amp ! Yeah, you are but I can tell you from first hand/ear experience you're changing it for the better.
It will still sound like Recto just much better.

If it's going to cost you the same to get one from the US, modded, with case and shipped as it would to get a "stock" DR over there, I don't think that takes much more thought ! :wink:

my $ .02

 

[ToneAddictJon]

I haven't played a Voodoo modded DR or TR yet, but I know I love my DR with JJ EL34L's in it. I wouldn't jump right on a Mark IV, I love mine, but I don't know if I'd choose it or my DR if I could have only one. The DR is much better for certain things and so is the Mark IV. If you want grind and insain amounts of gain, go for the DR (if given the choice over a stock and voodoo for the same price I'd go with the voodoo because resale on them is better than a stock one) or if you want the insainly smooth lead tone and a nice crunchy rhythm go for the Mark IV. And of all the people saying the Mark IV tracks better than the Recto, I would say they are just voiced differently, because I get a super tight sound out of my DR. Clean channels in both are really good, so that shouldn't be a concern.

 

[V!N]

Thanks for all the replies lads, you're helping me a lot on this !

While a fully souped up custom made DR or TR from the US would cost me indeed as much as a regular DR or TR on my side of the pond, it's still an enormous amount of money ! I don't want to gamble for that as bit about the higher resale value isn't happening around here. Those on the German eBay sold for way less since the average guitarist over here has never heard of Trace and therefore thinks of it as "a non original amp".
Strange and sad, but true.

There's plenty of other nice stuff I could get for that kind of money. Things that pop to mind are a pre 500 DR, MK IV, Quad and Studio. I'd have even more money left for a case, switching system and effects.

Aart, thank you letting me have a go your MK IV ! We'll most definetly have to make an appointment. Preferably when my JCM 800 is done so you can hear something new and interesting that day as well.

V!N

 

[nqd]

While a fully souped up custom made DR or TR from the US would cost me indeed as much as a regular DR or TR on my side of the pond, it's still an enormous amount of money !

mesas in europe....sad but expensive :twisted:

 

[Guitarzan]

Trace does come here to the board and defend his product. I like the recto tracks he has on his web site. I've heard all kinds of stories both negative and positive, mostly positive. I'm happy the way it is and with a few tube substitutions, and Genz Benz cabs, I love my DR's.

 

[jdurso]

A few years ago i had a DR modded by Trace and it was the best money I ever spent..... i'm not going to go through what the amp sounded like after the mod because it would just be redundant to whats been said in this thread and the reviews on their site.... but what i can tell you which hasn't been mentioned is how important it is to be there when you get your amp after the mod for all the fine tuning...... Trace and his guys take a lot of time to get it right for each customer and helps tune the amp the way you want...... for instance i had them recalibrate all the eqs so it would be easier for me to dial in my prefered tone..... thats a double edged swod for a buyer if you ever decide to sell it because it was tuned to my liking.... in the end the moeny was well worth it and makes me kind of wish i never got rid of it

 

[Platypus]

I haven't played a Voodoo modded DR or TR yet, but I know I love my DR with JJ EL34L's in it. I wouldn't jump right on a Mark IV, I love mine, but I don't know if I'd choose it or my DR if I could have only one. The DR is much better for certain things and so is the Mark IV. If you want grind and insain amounts of gain, go for the DR (if given the choice over a stock and voodoo for the same price I'd go with the voodoo because resale on them is better than a stock one) or if you want the insainly smooth lead tone and a nice crunchy rhythm go for the Mark IV. And of all the people saying the Mark IV tracks better than the Recto, I would say they are just voiced differently, because I get a super tight sound out of my DR. Clean channels in both are really good, so that shouldn't be a concern.

You're certainly entitled to your view on the topic and this is in no way meant to say you're wrong because tone is VERY subjective, but in my experience (the below is my opinion, not fact) (I ran a 3CH DR w/ JJEL34L's for quite some time), the DR is much more limited than the Mark IV. It can certainly get lots of diverse tones but in the end, it only really excels at 'the rectifier sound.' Furthermore, the Mark series has way more gain on top, no question about that. I truly believe it tracks much better than the Dual Rectifier can, even after putting tons of different tubes into it. The clean channel is just junk on the DR compared to the Mark IV.. no bones about that, you're comparing Fender blackfaceish tones to the flat uninspiring clean of the DR.

There is very little in the way of picking dynamics with the DR compared to other amps in Mesa's outfit like the Stiletto/Mark/Lonestar series. You can really dig into those amps and hear the difference in your force. With the DR it's very static as far as that is concerned in my experience.

The 3CH DR/TR series is also primarily a rhythm amplifier. Dialing a usable lead requires some sort of boost to sound even half as good as the Mark IV's lead abilities. I've heard people pull it off before but it doesn't quite capture that boogie liquid lead sound that put them on the map.

As far as the mod, I'll say this. If I was going to purchase an amp second hand, I wouldn't touch something that was modded to suit someone else's specific needs no matter how reputable the company is. I'm all for modifying amp designs and making them better.. hell we wouldn't even be talking about any of these amps without Randall and others having modified Leo Fender's designs, but I think you're spending a lot of money reinventing the wheel here.. it is what it is.

Both the DR and the Mark IV are great at what they do, I just happen to think the Mark IV is a much better amplifier for my specific needs and for tone in general. Like I said before, this post might rub some folks the wrong way but in the end it's just some random crap some random guy said on the internet about an amp, use your own ears to decide.. I don't think I'd mod an amp without hearing and playing what the mod does first hand but that's me.

 

[jr3d]

The thing that really caught my eye was that it said for the deluxe mod, it gets a more cranked sound at lower volumes.

 

[voodooamps]

I played a Triple modified by Voodoo for more gain. Can't say I was that impressed. It smoothed it out a little but they had el34Ruby's in it too.

To interject for a moment; We designed the modifications to work hand in hand with 6L6's, not EL34's. I'm a fan of EL34's but in all honestly I do not care for EL34's in the Rectifiers (just being honest).


Have a great day
Trace

 

[clutch71]

I want to point out that after reading more on this board and talking to Trace personally I'm thinking about the mod.

Hope I didn't offend you Trace. That comment seems like long ago on my Mesa path.

 

[voodooamps]

I want to point out that after reading more on this board and talking to Trace personally I'm thinking about the mod. Hope I didn't offend you Trace. That comment seems like long ago on my Mesa path.

No worries at all my friend, you were just commenting on what you heard. I just wanted to comment so that those who may have been reading but not posting would be aware that we designed the mod around 6L6's and not EL34's. Again I love EL34's but I honestly think that 6L6's need to be in place in order to keep the characteristics/qualities that players love about a Rectifier. Naturally there are exceptions to every rule (as the 'ol saying goes--ha, ha) however the Dual/Triple Rectifiers are in the top 5 amps we mod the most and the larger majority of players favor the 6L6's.


I hope it helps
Trace

 

[MrSlate]

I Just got back my Dual Rectifier Rackmount with the Standard Mod and Push Pull gain installed.

I also own a Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ and I have to say, the Voodoo modded Rectifier is better all the way around. The tone has character and responds to your style of playing. Turn down the volume on your guitar (PRS Custom) and play light, your tone completely responds. Crank it back up and it is HUGE.

Trace has the golden touch, in my opinion, this is how the amp should leave the Boogie factory. I have been a Mark series Boogie user for 18 years, then a Triaxis - 2/90 user, and now a Rectifier user. This modded amp is the most versatile amp I have owned. The Triaxis was close because the cleans I could get were always fat and clean, but the overdrive lacked something... character.

Compared to other Rectifiers I have played, this one doesn't even compare.

Yes I am a Voodoo Amps disciple, because Trace made me one the second I flipped the Standby switch to "Off"

I got the Standard Mod as the Deluxe mod wasn't possible with the Rackmount version of the Rectifier, New Ruby tubes, New preamp tubes, Push Pull gain knob installed on the Red Bass knob for extra umph when needed. But I don't think I will ever need it to tell you the truth.

I can't say enough great stuff about Voodoo Amps.

 

[voodooamps]

I Just got back my Dual Rectifier Rackmount with the Standard Mod and Push Pull gain installed. I also own a Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ and I have to say, the Voodoo modded Rectifier is better all the way around. The tone has character and responds to your style of playing. Turn down the volume on your guitar (PRS Custom) and play light, your tone completely responds. Crank it back up and it is HUGE.

I'm happy to hear that you are hearing the mod the same way we designed it.

Trace has the golden touch, in my opinion, this is how the amp should leave the Boogie factory. I have been a Mark series Boogie user for 18 years, then a Triaxis - 2/90 user, and now a Rectifier user. This modded amp is the most versatile amp I have owned. The Triaxis was close because the cleans I could get were always fat and clean, but the overdrive lacked something... character. Compared to other Rectifiers I have played, this one doesn't even compare. Yes I am a Voodoo Amps disciple, because Trace made me one the second I flipped the Standby switch to "Off"

Thank you for the overly kind words, we truly appreciate it (sincerely) and thank you for taking the time to share your experience with everyone else here.

I got the Standard Mod as the Deluxe mod wasn't possible with the Rackmount version of the Rectifier, New Ruby tubes, New preamp tubes, Push Pull gain knob installed on the Red Bass knob for extra umph when needed. But I don't think I will ever need it to tell you the truth.

There are those who have concerns that there will not be enough gain after the modifications (after reading a couple of the reviews) so we offer the push/pull gain boost as an Add-On control feature, which will add a pretty fair amount of gain to what is already on tap after the modifications.

I can't say enough great stuff about Voodoo Amps.

Again thank you so much for the support as well as for the kind words. If you need anything what so ever please do not hesitate to call or email.


Have a great Monday morning!
Trace

 

[MichiganboySB]

Trace,
Say I got a 3 channel Dual Rect and its kinda noisy... do you guys completely handle this as well? I purchased an ISP decimater Pro G hearing how it doesn't diminish the sustaining qualities etc... but it still does. Although it sure has helped out the sound and extraneous noise I was getting.
Ken