pre 500: substance or hype?

I don't know. I had one of the early dual recs back in the day. It sounded great. I now own a new multi watt triple rec. It sounds great, with more bells and whistles. I don't remember my old head that much more magical. Plugging in to my new head playing the old material, it brings back memories of the old head. I guess I'm going to take some flame for this, but personally the progression of the product line has been a plus. I welcome dissenting opinions.

It's both substance and hype.

You know... it's funny how opinions change over time.

In the early 2000s people were ditching the old 2 channels for the 3 channels because the 2 channel was too dark and didn't cut through while the 3 channel was brighter more cutting. At the time most people that owned a Recto had a 2 channel so they weren't considered anything special.

Fast forward to 2006 and the hype around the 2 channels was on the rise because they were darker and smoother and the 3 channel was too bright and fizzy. The 2 channels were also becoming a lot less common and people started treating them like they were something special.

I think there's always going to be this mix of tastes. Some want a brighter Recto (Revisions C thru F, 3 channel, Reborn), and some want a darker Recto (Rev G, T-Verb, Roadster). The trick is to figure out what your tastes are and forget what the internet has to say about it.

I kind of wonder how much of the negative hype around the old 3 channel was due to people trying to use modern on channel 2 or vintage on channel 3? The presence pot values were totally wrong for that configuration. Now that Mesa's started using stacked/dual presence pots so that the value is optimum for either mode on both channels a lot of that negativity seems to have dried up.

For the record... I have a 2 channel Rev F with the magic Mark III transformers and a Roadster and I like my Roadster a lot better.

I have owned a Rev E, Rev. G, FJA-modded 3 Channel and currently a Multi-Watt Recto.

Its all mostly hype. The early Rectos with the Mark III trannys DO feel really good and of course they sound amazing. But my favorite Recto I have ever owned is my Multi-Watt Dual Recto. Second favorite is my old regular 2 channel.

It's a bit of the dont know what you got till it's gone combined with boredom and the thrill is in the chase is'nt it.
My buddy has an old 2 channel 1992 ( I believe ) Dual Rec and yes it is a great amp... I got the most recent Roadking and a 07 Dual Rec 3 channel Solo head. I can get really close to the tones of his amp with mine with propper eq adjustment but he cannot get the tones from mine with his. I really believe that Mesa has done a great job developing their amps as time went on to make them more versitile and I can see that when me and my buddy get together.

Still though there is always the power of reminiscing back to the first... its just human nature.

I still love and mis my old Soldano but I would never choose it over the Roadking I currently own I will always miss my 1982 50 watt JCM 800 half stack but the Roadking is soooo much better! The old JCM 800 just does not even come close.

I have a Pre 500 Dual Rectifier (#0430).

I have owned an old Single Rectoverb, a 2 channel Triple Recto and a 2006 3 channel Dual Recto. Also had a Mark III and 2 Mark IV's. Still own a Studio Pream. I have never played a reborn Recto, so can't say anything about them.

I'm a tweaker, tweaking a tight palmmute sound.
The Pre500 doesn't need a overdrivepedal to sound tight, the others do.
With the pre500 there is no fizz.

In my band I'm the bassplayer/singer, I have 2 gitarist. One plays a StudioPreamp with a Peavey Classic 60/60 poweramp. The other has a Mark IV and a 5150, but favours my pre500, so he plays the pre500 only. He is a recto-hater, thinks they are vacuumcleaners, and yet he loves the pre500.

The Pre500 to me sound between the mark series and the later Recto's with more Mark flavour than recto.
There is a difference, but it all comes down to personal taste.

My 2 cents.

Got some clips:

Here is some clips of a Pre 500 Rev C:

http://tonefinder.com/files/15-pre500...mp3
http://tonefinder.com/files/36-pre500.12.mp3

And here is a clip from my Rev G Triple (pre modification)

http://tonefinder.com/files/100-Qiuck%202ch%20Triple%20Clip.mp3

Here is a clip of my Triple after the "Pre 500" mod:

http://tonefinder.com/files/47-Triple%20Recto%20Drop%20D.mp3

I can hear the differences but it's ultimately up to you which sound you prefer (in this case IMO I prefer the Rev C)

JCDenton6 said:

Got some clips:

Here is some clips of a Pre 500 Rev C:

http://tonefinder.com/files/15-pre500...mp3
http://tonefinder.com/files/36-pre500.12.mp3

And here is a clip from my Rev G Triple (pre modification)

http://tonefinder.com/files/100-Qiuck%202ch%20Triple%20Clip.mp3

Here is a clip of my Triple after the "Pre 500" mod:

http://tonefinder.com/files/47-Triple%20Recto%20Drop%20D.mp3

I can hear the differences but it's ultimately up to you which sound you prefer (in this case IMO I prefer the Rev C)

Click to expand...

Thanks for the clips. Man I honestly like the sound of your triple before the mod. They are all really good it just seems like there'd be more room for the singer in the pre modded triple. Nice playin too.

JCDenton6 said:

Got some clips:

Here is some clips of a Pre 500 Rev C:

http://tonefinder.com/files/15-pre500...mp3
http://tonefinder.com/files/36-pre500.12.mp3

And here is a clip from my Rev G Triple (pre modification)

http://tonefinder.com/files/100-Qiuck%202ch%20Triple%20Clip.mp3

Here is a clip of my Triple after the "Pre 500" mod:

http://tonefinder.com/files/47-Triple%20Recto%20Drop%20D.mp3

I can hear the differences but it's ultimately up to you which sound you prefer (in this case IMO I prefer the Rev C)

Click to expand...

I can definetly hearmore bass and a different mid curve between the pre and post mod Triple Rec... both are great tones... I still hear fizz in the pre 500 though. Thanks for posting.

I find with the Roadking a lot happens in the first quarter turn of the Bass dial which ultimatly has a say in how the mids sound. Also by dialing off the treble I get a more classic sounding mid curve and if I dial in the right amount of Presance I can then get that classic Marshall Plexi like shhhh in the top when the treble is dialed off.

Does anyone have any clips of a Pre-500 with the correct cab? Meaning, a 1992 4x12 with the Boogie speakers. I would bet it would sound much more Mid-present/thicker with those speakers versus V30's.

Third Age Amps said:

Does anyone have any clips of a Pre-500 with the correct cab? Meaning, a 1992 4x12 with the Boogie speakers. I would bet it would sound much more Mid-present/thicker with those speakers versus V30's.

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the Recto 4X12 always came with V30's.

Dom

James Lugo said:

Thanks for the clips. Man I honestly like the sound of your triple before the mod. They are all really good it just seems like there'd be more room for the singer in the pre modded triple. Nice playin too.

Click to expand...

Thanks man. I think I had too much mids dialed in on the post modded Triple Recto clip.

JCDenton6 said:

James Lugo said:

Thanks for the clips. Man I honestly like the sound of your triple before the mod. They are all really good it just seems like there'd be more room for the singer in the pre modded triple. Nice playin too.

Click to expand...

Thanks man. I think I had too much mids dialed in on the post modded Triple Recto clip.

Click to expand...

I think so too. I listened to those clips a bunch..

domct203 said:

Third Age Amps said:

Does anyone have any clips of a Pre-500 with the correct cab? Meaning, a 1992 4x12 with the Boogie speakers. I would bet it would sound much more Mid-present/thicker with those speakers versus V30's.

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the Recto 4X12 always came with V30's.

Dom

Click to expand...

Yea, just to clarify they always came with V30's. I actually have the prototype slanted cab with the diamond plate on it. I had to wait to acquire it till Boogie was sure they were able to have the plating made to fit the top cab. I have both the top and bottom cab. Been using 'em since 92!

Boogie4Life said:

domct203 said:

Third Age Amps said:

Does anyone have any clips of a Pre-500 with the correct cab? Meaning, a 1992 4x12 with the Boogie speakers. I would bet it would sound much more Mid-present/thicker with those speakers versus V30's.

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the Recto 4X12 always came with V30's.

Dom

Click to expand...

Yea, just to clarify they always came with V30's. I actually have the prototype slanted cab with the diamond plate on it. I had to wait to acquire it till Boogie was sure they were able to have the plating made to fit the top cab. I have both the top and bottom cab. Been using 'em since 92!

Click to expand...

OK then ... I always thought the mesh front 4x12's used the Mesa speakers. Black shadow or something like that.

Those grill front cabs were released before the dual recto was released to the public (mark 3 era) IIRC.
They were the predecessor to the recto cab.

I thought the secret in the Lynch tone was the black mesh workout glove!

I've gone back and forth on this issue as well...Do you go for the "holy grail" pre 500 or a revision up through F and then have limited channels, lackluster clean tone, or do you go Roadster and get close to the that killer grail, but gain in options (better clean, more channels, power options, rectifier options per channel, etc)?

I'm thinking I'd like another recto to pair with my Mark eventually but I don't know if the older=better thing is for real here. I've played 2 channels, and I remember them being amazing, but it's been so long that I honestly don't know which I'd like better in person. Gonna go put a Roadster through a workout pretty soon again...

Get the Reborn Recto!! All the aggression of the 2channels but with a great clean channel as well as 50 / 100 watt switching and recto tracking. OH, and the raw mode also sounds awesome!!!

Check my tread please:

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=60496