In need of a mesa recto series amp. But dont know which one.

I have been a major fan of mesa boogie recto's for a few years now. And its now time to decide that I shuld pursue purchase of a combo of any of the recto series amps. Ive been playing for around 3 years but am starting to get into gigging, and very detailed and articulate playing. Im not one of those "0mg, M3sa's r da shiz" kinda guys that sucks at guitar and thinks that the more gain the better. Ive been playing for three years with strict practice and am progressing with improv at the moment. Im in need of a new amp. ive been playing my vox for the 3 years with a poor distortion pedal to give me a solid and tight gain boost that i need because the vox dosent cut it for me. The next amp I purchase will be one that I will Keep for another 5 to 10 years.

The genre's I Play

-classic rock
-hard rock
-jazz
-blues
-Metal (specialty)
-Progression

My main details for the Recto Im looking for are
-great gain settings (obviously)
-a warm clean setting that i can easily rig a mild blues overdrive stompbox up to for a great, shiny, tone.
On top of that, 3 channels would be awesome. But is it really necessary?

I play a schecter C-1 Hellraiser FR with coil tapped Emg 81/89's

The mesa's that I have played so far are (yet briefly) were Single Rectifiers, Dual Rectifiers, Tripple Rectifiers (not a fan, but yet again, i only played it for a short amount of time), Roadkings, Mark IV's, and Lonestars. The only one that I am in love with at the moment is the Roadking. But yet again, thats the pricy'est one on the list.

It would be awesome if you guys could really help out. Im in need of a new amplifier combo

go with the roadster the rk has alot of **** no one will ever use, the roadster is just as good and cheaper, btw it also has **** most wont use including me !!

155 said:

go with the roadster the rk has alot of sh!t no one will ever use, the roadster is just as good and cheaper, btw it also has sh!t most wont use including me !!

Click to expand...

how are the tonal qualaties with the clean channel? Does it have the Powertube exchange switch? because thats pretty filthy, im in search of a deep need of perfect tone

There's never been a better time to be into Mesas.

I'd suggest 3 things: the Stilleto, the Roadster, and waiting 2-3 weeks for the Mark5.

The stilleto will do pretty much everything on your list. It's el34 based but has a distinctive Mesa growl. The Roadster is like a roadking but with simpler controls. The mark5 is said to be the second coming of Christ and all rumors point to it being a revolutionary amp.

Remember the one complaint most have with rectifiers: lots of woofy bass. You'll need to learn how to tame it.

I would recomend, for one, that if you're only planning on keeping your next amp for 5-10 years than spend your money elsewhere, as a good Mesa that suits your playing style and abilities to progress should be the last amp you should EVER need to buy. ESPECIALLY for the amount of money you drop on one.

So you're looking for combo amp? If I could recommend anything to you, it would be to not get a combo. If size is an issue, go for a head and 2x12.

As for tones, if a good clean sound is paramount to you, the Road King will get you there. The Roadster will do alright, and as for the Duals and Triples, I really like the cleans on my older 2 ch TR, but many do not. I would recommend to you the Road King, as you flat out won't be disappointed.

However, know that the distortion on each amp is a little different. I think the older 2 channel Triples have the best, most brutal distortion. Versatility is an issue, which is where the newer 3 channel Duals and Triples come into play, but to be honest, I haven't been blown away by how they sound. I've heard the Roadster has a little bit smoother distortion to it, which could be really good for lower gain applications, but may not get the most brutal tone to it.

I guess with that in mind it comes down to how versatile you need it to be at a given time. If you only need clean and dirty, or low gain and high gain, go for an older 2 channel Recto. They're sick, and they'll cover a LOT of ground. However, if you need more sounds, consider a 3 ch. And if you've got money and like to play with knobs, go for a Roadster or Road King.

Lastly, do NOT skimp on a cabinet!!! If you're getting a combo amp, this won't be a problem, but if you want to be able to plug into more things, then a good cab is easily as important as the amp itself.

Hope that helps!

TheMagicEight said:

So you're looking for combo amp? If I could recommend anything to you, it would be to not get a combo. If size is an issue, go for a head and 2x12.

As for tones, if a good clean sound is paramount to you, the Road King will get you there. The Roadster will do alright, and as for the Duals and Triples, I really like the cleans on my older 2 ch TR, but many do not. I would recommend to you the Road King, as you flat out won't be disappointed.

However, know that the distortion on each amp is a little different. I think the older 2 channel Triples have the best, most brutal distortion. Versatility is an issue, which is where the newer 3 channel Duals and Triples come into play, but to be honest, I haven't been blown away by how they sound. I've heard the Roadster has a little bit smoother distortion to it, which could be really good for lower gain applications, but may not get the most brutal tone to it.

I guess with that in mind it comes down to how versatile you need it to be at a given time. If you only need clean and dirty, or low gain and high gain, go for an older 2 channel Recto. They're sick, and they'll cover a LOT of ground. However, if you need more sounds, consider a 3 ch. And if you've got money and like to play with knobs, go for a Roadster or Road King.

Lastly, do NOT skimp on a cabinet!!! If you're getting a combo amp, this won't be a problem, but if you want to be able to plug into more things, then a good cab is easily as important as the amp itself.

Hope that helps!

Click to expand...

I just shed a tear beautiful

ok so the verdict so far is leading to a roadster, most likely a head. But, would it really make a difference if i have the combo 212 vs. the recto cab 212? they both have v30's. and rigging up extra cabs might be ideal for the future...

i need more answers! im loveing this!

oh, im buying used to save the cash. you cant really mess up an amp tho, so it shuld be fine

Xpl0siv said:

ok so the verdict so far is leading to a roadster, most likely a head. But, would it really make a difference if i have the combo 212 vs. the recto cab 212? they both have v30's. and rigging up extra cabs might be ideal for the future...

i need more answers! im loveing this!

oh, im buying used to save the cash. you cant really mess up an amp tho, so it shuld be fine

Click to expand...

Sound-wise? It depends on how Mesa makes the Roadster cab. If they use the same dimensions and materials, it shouldn't sound different. However, speakers can sound drastically different from one cab to another based on the way the sound interacts with the cab, not to mention how much the cab itself resonates.

From a convenience standpoint, you'd need to make more trips with the head and cab, but they'd be lighter than a 2x12 combo and IMO, more manageable. The thing that tips the scale for me is not having to commit to one sound with such a versatile amp. You could plug into different cabs with the combo too, but I'd definitely go for the head.

Well big difference actually, an open back 2x12 combo compared to a close backed head with a 2x12 sounds different. An open back will not have as much bass, will not be as tight.

Weight thing is the biggest issue for most people when it comes to a combo, would you rather cary something that weights 90+ pounds or be able to make two trips of around 50 pounds each.

The head/cabinet also has many advantages of being able to try different cabinets, not sure if you will be playing alot of gigs but alot of times you can just bring your head and use other bands cabinets so that makes things simplier.

Other downsides, combo's can get tube microphonics alot more then heads can. heat can also be an issue with combos.

Honestly by what you describe I would go with a used Roadking1, great amp and can be had somewhat cheap.

Xpl0siv said:

ok so the verdict so far is leading to a roadster, most likely a head. But, would it really make a difference if i have the combo 212 vs. the recto cab 212? they both have v30's. and rigging up extra cabs might be ideal for the future...

i need more answers! im loveing this!

oh, im buying used to save the cash. you cant really mess up an amp tho, so it shuld be fine

Click to expand...

siggy14 said:

Well big difference actually, an open back 2x12 combo compared to a close backed head with a 2x12 sounds different. An open back will not have as much bass, will not be as tight.

Click to expand...

Roadster 2x12 combo is closed back!

Pretty cool, eh?

Get the head and cab I dont like the idea of speaker shaking the **** out of amp like it will in a combo

Is there a Mesa dealer anywhere near you?
To make a fair assessment you really need to hear these different models side by side in one location. 8)

But as Mesa dealers are often few and far between, that could be tricky.... :shock:

If heavy metal is your thing, you can likely eliminate the Lonestar (although, with the right distortion pedal.....)

I really like my Stiletto Ace, but that may be too smooth a tone for you.....

Recto's have, more or less, become the standard for metal, but other models can cover this territory as well.

Don't overlook Mesa's older models if your'e looking to buy used.
Tremoverbs and Mark 2, 3 & 4's have all been used for metal.
A friend had a Rectoverb and it was impressive, too.

Have you considered rack mount pre/power amp combinations?

My triaxis and 50/50 can really grind it out.

To get a good deal on used you may need look at equipment you would'nt have otherwise considered. But, generally, it's hard to go wrong with almost any Mesa.

Good luck with that.

Yeah i forgot they did that, but makes me stay away from it even more, to much bass on those poor pre amp tubes shacking them to hell.

TheMagicEight said:

siggy14 said:

Well big difference actually, an open back 2x12 combo compared to a close backed head with a 2x12 sounds different. An open back will not have as much bass, will not be as tight.

Click to expand...

Roadster 2x12 combo is closed back!

Pretty cool, eh?

Click to expand...

sweet! thanks guys. So it seems to be leaning to the mesa roadster head with a 212 closed back recto cab. Any objections? anything important that i need to know?

what are the unique features on the roadster?

I spent the last six months researching amps. While i was laid off work for about two months I spent day and night searching manufacturer forums, reviews, and video. After playing through head after head.....I settled on the Mesa Rectifier Series, the Roadster Head and the Mesa Recto cab to be more specific. (If only I had this beast when I wasnt working ) I cant tell you how happy I am. I like most people enjoy playing various types of music, and the thought of a modeling amp never even crossed my mind. Ive only been able to spend a few hours with it since I picked it up last weekend. Mesa's may be abit on the expensive side, but trust me, its worth every penny. There is nothing like walking into a room and smelling a fresh amp.

rockanomicon said:

I spent the last six months researching amps. While i was laid off work for about two months I spent day and night searching manufacturer forums, reviews, and video. After playing through head after head.....I settled on the Mesa Rectifier Series, the Roadster Head and the Mesa Recto cab to be more specific. (If only I had this beast when I wasnt working ) I cant tell you how happy I am. I like most people enjoy playing various types of music, and the thought of a modeling amp never even crossed my mind. Ive only been able to spend a few hours with it since I picked it up last weekend. Mesa's may be abit on the expensive side, but trust me, its worth every penny. There is nothing like walking into a room and smelling a fresh amp.

Click to expand...

Rectifiers paired with Recto cabs will be as legendary as blackfaces one day. Incredible combination; my favorite guitar sound ever.