Mark series fan wondering which Recto to get. Tremoverb?!?

[JT_Marshmallow]

I like to play clean straight up jazz (ala Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery) so I crave a good warm clean channel that still sounds great when you roll back the guitar's tone knob (I'm not a big "twang" player). I also like to play a creamy jazz fusion style so I like a lead channel with lots of throaty mids.

My other favorite style to play is metal chugging like that of System of a Down. I fell in love with the girth of the Rectifiers when I was a teenager (back in the heyday of nu-metal) and still have a soft spot for it to this day. I can't really play much rock lead anymore because I spend most of my time on jazz, but god damnit I still love to just come home from work and chug some riffs to get my bowels moving.

So as far as a great clean and dirty sound for jazz and fusion, I've found it in the Studio Preamp which I proudly own. It also does a decent high-gain chunk, but still won't sound like a spongy Recto. So I've decided to get a Rectifier...again. (Probably won't ever be in a metal band, so its just for fun.)

I have owned two Rectifier heads in the past: a Roadster head and a Revision F model with a serial # in the 900's. I couldn't get an acceptable lead tone out of the Roadster because of the sharp "fizz" on every channel, and also had a hell of a time trying to not get the clean channel to break up at high volumes. So I won't be buying a Roadster again. As for the Revision F head, I needed an overdrive pedal in front to tighten it up and I don't want to have to do that again, so that's out too.

I really have my eyes on an old Tremoverb but I'm not sure if the extra features are worth it. I have never had the opportunity to sit down with one so of course I need to ask people who have. I would love to get a Rectifier that has a usable clean channel and perhaps a usable lead sound...? Is this too much to ask? Considering my musical tastes stated above, does the Tremoverb deliver? What I'd like to know is:

- How does the clean channel on the Tremoverb compare to the Roadster? Does it tend to break up quickly?

- Are the reverb and tremolo completely useless (such as extra noise or volume drops) like on many other amps?

- Is the Red channel voiced any differently than a regular 2 channel Recto?

- Does that Blues mode actually sound as good as the name implies, or is it just another gimmick to sell the amp?

- The Tremoverb's reviews say that its "incredibly versatile". (I could've said that about the Roadster if it didn't have that goddamned fizz when any gain knob was past 9:00.) Is the T-verb actually versatile? Most of the reviewers on harmony central don't really know how to judge any tone other than metal so I don't know who to believe.

I'm sorry this was long but I want to make the right decision. Thanks in advance!

 

[ShamefulAddiction]

The Tremoverb is nice, though the clean channel does tend to break up kinda early when you're using hot (Seymour Duncan JB) pickups... my Strat however, the Texas Specials are decent for a while up the volume chain.

The modern gain is exactly what you would expect from a DR. Blistering. All in all with the included Blues and Vintage channels can make for a very versatile amp, definitely able to seek out the tones you would want. Find one used and play on it a little bit. Within the first 3 minutes of fiddling around with one, I knew I had to take it home that day.

a) the reverb is very useful. Sure it's not a Fender spring, but who's gonna be able to really tell the difference?

b) the blues mode tends to boost the mids and give it a "different" tone. Not sure why they called it blues, but it's definitely different.

 

[JT_Marshmallow]

Ok I'm glad to hear the reverb is usable. I'm torn between the Tremoverb and a 2 channel Revision G Recto. The price difference on the used market is only about $100-150 so I'm debating if the better clean channel and overall versatility of the T-Verb is worth the extra money. I'm sure I'd love the Road King, but I only want to spend about $1250ish.

What I did not like about the Roadster is that "fizz" was on every channel and every mode when the gain was past 9:00. So I am curious if the Tremoverb will have this curse on all of its "versatile" tones as well? How do the Tremoverb's Vintage and Modern modes compare to a regular 2 channel recto? Some say the T-Verb is voiced "smoother" than the other models, but once again, I dont know who to believe.

 

[Elpelotero]

A Tremoverb is going to be very similar to your old Rev. F. VERY similar! Maybe a bit more of this, or a little less of that...but in the end the Modern mode will sound the same. The cleans will be very nice. If you really need a tighter sound than what a Rectifier can offer, you need to look into the Marks or buckle down and get the OD pedal.

A Rectifier is a Rectifier is a Rectifier.

 

[tetsubin]

Try out a DC-5/10 head.

 

[mr_fender]

You're gonna be pretty hard pressed to find a Mark style lead in any model Recto. That's exactly why I sold my Rectoverb and bought a Mark IV. Recto just had too much fizz and buzz. Mark IV is smooth as silk. Both are great amps, just different. I kept finding myself longing for that Mark style lead tone. I took the plunge and never looked back!

 

[JT_Marshmallow]

I don't really need a Mark-style lead. I was just wondering if the T-Verb's Blues or Vintage modes supply a decent midrange and smoothness for a good lead sound.

 

[1vic1]

ive got the tremoverb and its smoother the fizz and buzz is similer to all recto unless its the 92 models the clean is much better and the leads are better than a solo head but not that much better again as said before a rectifier is a rectifer