adam79
Well-known member
What rev. is a Dual Rec w/ a serial number of R0230?
Thanks,
-Adam
Thanks,
-Adam
Dual Rectifier Revison Question
- Thread starter adam79
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Silverwulf
Well-known member
Should be a "C," but it's best to confirm with pics.
adam79
Well-known member
Silverwulf said:
Is there a bluebook value or a going rate for a Rev. C?
Thanks,
-Adam
Silverwulf
Well-known member
adam79 said:
Not really. In recent times (the last year), I've seen them go in the $1500 to $1800 range. In fact, I'd sold 3 Revision C's and 2 Revisions D's in the last 1.5 years in that range.
adam79
Well-known member
Silverwulf said:
So as an owner of several C and D revisions, I noticed that you decided to keep the Rev. G at the end. Did you sell the earlier revisions cuz you needed the money, or do you feel that Mesa got it right at Rev. G?
Silverwulf
Well-known member
adam79 said:
Nothing to do with the money. I've owned over 100 Mesa amps, which includes 60+ Rectos...including all the Revisions now, Rectos that were owned by major label artists and/or used on some albums, etc. I'm a Revision G fan for a few reasons. For one, I have to have a clean channel for live use. Revision C and D have ridiculously terrible clean channels. In fact, I wouldn't even call them a clean channel. They're sterile, lifeless, lack any sort of volume, etc. Secondly, I don't like how the sub-lows sit in a mix with a band. I think the Revision G is a little more boost friendly, and most of the iconic tones people associate with a Recto were a Revision G. Everything from most of the Grunge and post-Grunge stuff like Soundgarden, Korn and all the nu-metal, down to Petrucci and his old Dream Theater Recto tones were Revision G.
It's all subjective. There's guys like me that like Revision G's, and there's guys who swear by their Revision C and D. There's others that love their 3 Channel Rectos more than any of the 2 Channels, and yet others who can't stand any Rectos other than Roadsters. There's as many opinions on Rectos as there are owners, and this is just my perception. I'm of the mindset that if you want the infamous Recto sound, you'll get it much more budget friendly with any 2 Channel Recto, regardless of Revision. Just get the one you get the best deal on. If you're looking to drop upwards of $2000+ to get an amp that sounds more like a Soldano SLO 100...then just buy a Soldano since the "Recto sound" wouldn't be what you were looking for anyway. Again, just my two cents.
adam79
Well-known member
Silverwulf said:
Are you 100% that Soundgarden used Rev Gs on the Superunknown LP? From what I've read, the DRs were just used for the solos.
Silverwulf
Well-known member
Yeah, Superunknown was Rectos. They talked about it in an interview with Mesa way back in the day. Cornell said he liked to have a couple running simultaneously, one dialed in for a cleaner sound and the other for a slightly dirtier sound. Thayil used them too, said he set them up slightly different than Cornell. I distinctly remember Cornell saying he used the Rectos in "Tube Rectifier" mode because he thought it sounded warmer. They were used on "Down on the Upside" also, but Thayil used them mostly for leads on that particular album and used a Mesa Maverick for a good bit of his rhythms.
adam79
Well-known member
The guitar in "Mailman" on Superunknown is classic DR..
fluff191
Well-known member
Silverwulf said:
Ditto for Rev. E.
It has volume, but man it sounds like the OD pedal is always on!
adam79
Well-known member
In terms of Rev. G DRs, do the pre-2000 or 2800s, whatever the number is, with the Mark series transformer a better amp then the Rev. Gs with the new transformer? The lowest Rev. G I've seen available is in the mid-high 3000s, at $1400.
Thanks for all the help,
-Adam
Thanks for all the help,
-Adam
Silverwulf
Well-known member
I see Revision G's all the time in the $800 to $1000 range. In fact, I think there's a a couple (or were) over at HC for $900/$950 OBO recently.
The OT in the first few Revisions wasn't a Mark III specific transformer. It was used on the IIC/IIC+, III, and a few other amps also. It's simply a 100W OT that Mesa was using at the time. It's no better (sonically) than the ones used in Revision G, though it does have a design flaw that the later ones don't have. You could probably swap one out of a Revision C and put one from a Revision G in and the owner wouldn't even know the difference (Mesa has in the past, actually).
The OT in the first few Revisions wasn't a Mark III specific transformer. It was used on the IIC/IIC+, III, and a few other amps also. It's simply a 100W OT that Mesa was using at the time. It's no better (sonically) than the ones used in Revision G, though it does have a design flaw that the later ones don't have. You could probably swap one out of a Revision C and put one from a Revision G in and the owner wouldn't even know the difference (Mesa has in the past, actually).
adam79
Well-known member
Silverwulf said:
What's HC?
Silverwulf
Well-known member
adam79 said:
Harmony Central. Not the greatest place to strike up lots of tech talk, but there's some good deals that pop up on occasion.
adam79
Well-known member
Silverwulf said:
If I'm gonna get a DR, I would only buy it from a big store, like Guitar Center, Daddy's, etc. That way I'd be able to have the 30 day trail period. I've never tried the 2 channel models, just the three channel ones; the local stores never have the older models. So what I've gathered is that all the 2 channel models are, sonically, 99% the same.. so as long as the amp is in good condition, the earlier serial numbers are nothing more than hype. Although I play mostly with heavy distortion, I need a good clean channel as well.
Thanks for all the help, and I'll right back when I get my DR.
-Adam
Silverwulf
Well-known member
No problem. And like I said, there's plenty of people here that would disagree with me on Revisions. It's just my perception. Best of luck in your search, let us know how it turns out!
adam79
Well-known member
I found one that's a grand, and the serial number is in the mid 3000s. The only problem is that some idiot connected the head to the cab via the effects send, and broke the amp. Supposedly all he did was blow out the power tubes, and the amp has subsequently been fixed and works fine. Do you think it's worth the risk to buy this amp, after what it's been through? I'm afraid that the head might have been stressed in other areas when the tubes blew, and will turn into a money pit. If you were me, would you steer clear of this particular DR? There are two other ones that are $1100, but the serial numbers are much higher. But from what I've read, a mid 3000 is the same as all the other 2-channel DRs made until the switch to the 3-channel models, right?
Thanks,
-Adam
Thanks,
-Adam
Silverwulf
Well-known member
Well, yes and no actually. To answer your questions...
Would I steer clear of a Recto that had previous issues? It all depends. If the amp only blew out it's power tubes and had them replaced and it was looked over by a certified/authorized Mesa tech and given a clean bill of health, I would have no problem with it. I'd get some verification from the tech that everything was "OK" though.
Are 2 Channel Rectos in the 3000 serial number range the same as all of the later Revision G's until the 3 Channel models were released? Yes...and no. The 3000's were the early inception of Revision G. Because of this, there's quite a few option crossovers that happen from the transition from Rev C-F into G. You'll see some in the 3k's with different cosmetics, small logo, some with attached power cords and some not, output jacks reading different, etc.
The rarest of Revision G's actually occured in this range. During this range, there was a run of Rectos (Duals, Triples, and Rackmounts) that all were built into "Pre-500" chassis' with factory serial loops as opposed to parallel loops like Revision G normally has. They are no different in circuit to any other Revision G aside from the serial loop. My '94 Dual Recto is one of those.
Would I steer clear of a Recto that had previous issues? It all depends. If the amp only blew out it's power tubes and had them replaced and it was looked over by a certified/authorized Mesa tech and given a clean bill of health, I would have no problem with it. I'd get some verification from the tech that everything was "OK" though.
Are 2 Channel Rectos in the 3000 serial number range the same as all of the later Revision G's until the 3 Channel models were released? Yes...and no. The 3000's were the early inception of Revision G. Because of this, there's quite a few option crossovers that happen from the transition from Rev C-F into G. You'll see some in the 3k's with different cosmetics, small logo, some with attached power cords and some not, output jacks reading different, etc.
The rarest of Revision G's actually occured in this range. During this range, there was a run of Rectos (Duals, Triples, and Rackmounts) that all were built into "Pre-500" chassis' with factory serial loops as opposed to parallel loops like Revision G normally has. They are no different in circuit to any other Revision G aside from the serial loop. My '94 Dual Recto is one of those.
Elpelotero
Well-known member
adam79 said:
Don't knock it until you try it. There's a reason you don't see 2 channels too often at those stores. Nobody turns them in. Your argument that they all sound the same is completely and utterly false. Don't talk about what you don't know, please.
adam79
Well-known member
Elpelotero said:
I have no argument, for the exact reason you just mentioned.. that I've never had the chance to try any of the 2-channel DRs. That is why I started off my sentence with "what I've gathered from the replies.." I'd like to get as many opinions on this topic, it's the reason I started the thread. What is your take on the 2-channel DRs? Which do you prefer?
Thanks,
-Adam
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