Should i buy new triaxis without recto board?

[rickgk]

Hi Guys,

I am looking to buy a triaxis, i used to own an old one with the recto board (no phat mod) which i really liked.
Now i see mesa have removed the recto board so now Lead 1 red has a classic boogie sound.
Can anyone who has heard both with and without recto board models let me know which i would be better off buying?
I prefer to buy new but not if i am missing out by doing so.

 

[disassembled]

Was the LD1R a big part of your sound? If so I don't think you should take a chance on the new style as it has very little circuitry on the new design. I was unfortunate that my TA had a busted effects loop when I bought it but luckily I fixed it myself for a few bucks. You definitely take a gamble when buying used but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Greg

 

[rickgk]

Thanks for the reply,

I used it fairly frequently I guess, but i also used all the other modes alot as well. And i don't know whether I would like the new mode better or just as much as the old ld1 red.
It's a really hard decision, i guess the new lead1red is quite different to the recto board models, it would be great to hear clips of the new models to compare.
I assume all the other modes remain unchanged on the triaxis? when you say alot less circuitry, is that just the removal of the recto board or is there more that has changed?
I have my eye on a 2nd hand unit with the recto board that is five years old, i am told that everything works perfectly, but i wonder how long the unit will last for before the quality begins to degrade?

 

[disassembled]

LD1R has it's own circuit board but the new version has a lot less parts on it. I would like to hear a new version myself but I don't think it would be a fair test since the settings on a TA can make or break it.

I have a non phat TA but if you buy one made in the last 5 years you will be buying a Phat modded TA.My TA was made probably between 95-96 so if you want a non phat TA it's probably going to be 10 or more years old. You can always modify the recto board to be Phat or non-phat.

If you want to know the difference between a phat and non phat do a search. I also am pretty sure there are NOT sound clips comparing the two but you can search for some if you'd like.


According to Mesa everything has stayed the same with the preamp over the years besides lead1 red (those **** Rectos!!! always causing trouble) and the V2 software change.

Greg

 

[rickgk]

Thanks so much, yes i have been told by mesa that there is no way i can make a new triaxis lead1red sound like the old one with the recto board.

So i would really like to know the opinions of those people that have used both.
If the new lead1red still has nice tight low bottom end crunch like the old non phat i had then i would probably be more than happy.

Yes i am aware of the phat and non phat models and i prefer the non phat, so if i were to get a 2nd hand phat modded one i would undo the mod.

How reliable are the triaxis? if i were to buy an old model how many years of use can i expect before signal degradation?

 

[disassembled]

Like I said mine is over ten years old and it still sounds great. It doesn't look so great but that doesn't affect the tone. My effects loop went bad on me but it was a cheap fix since I did the work myself. I would say all in all they are reliable enough that I wouldn't expect any part failure in the next ten years or so (if i even own it in that time). Maybe a cap job would be needed but isn't necessary now.

Mesa still does repairs on the TA so you won't be SOL if you buy a lemon. I wouldn't worry about reliability since Mesa uses pretty good design and pretty good parts in their amps.

Greg

 

[rickgk]

Hey Greg,

I think i have found the unit i am looking for. I just wanted to check the serial number on your unit if possible so i can roughly work out the age of this one.

Cheers
Rick