Dual Reborn vs Roadster

Hi
As I have recently bought new reborn DR now I started getting second thoughts/buyer's regrets - „Maybe I should have gotten Roadster instead”

My resoning for choosing DR was: a) It's a newer design (probably upgraded even from '06 Roadster – or am I wrong?) b) no real need for on-board reverb (thought it may degrade the sound, one more thing to break ) c) I don't really play „live” - just some jamming with my friends + don't use cleans that much – so fourth, clean channel probably isn't that necessary. d) where I live difference in price could get me external reverb, booster and some 10-band EQ

Good distorted, mainly modern metal sound was the priority and I found brighter DR more appealing in the clips.

Now to the chase – playing 1 Ch I'm really impressed with pushed mode (and also RAW) for lighter, overdriven sounds which led me to some OCDed questions:

1. Which mode in Roadster – Brit or Tweed – is Pushed more like? Where to place Fat mode? How Brit is „Brit” – could you get '80 metal/hard rock JCM800-driven esthetics (with some boost) or is it aiming older models? Can you get close to the modes in DR just with some external EQing?
2. Are there some real differences between RAW modes in RS and post '10 DRs?
3. How do you find Roadster vs DR for strictly modern metal application?

P.S. I got Mesa for the Meas sound. Still I strongly believe in it's versatility What would be your advice for those mentioned above Marshally '80 sounds? At the moment I'm just experimenting with different Vintage mode setups + Maxon OD09.

Hey, well, I'm not the most boogie knowledgeable, but here's what I can tell ya:

I owned a new 2002 Dual Rec. Loved it. Period.

Got bored, thought there was better out there, sold it and found out there isn't.

I just bought a new Reborn Rec and frickin love it!

During the process, I wound up with a Roadster. I thought I was gonna be ok, but 3 and 4 were just too dark for me.
For the 8 months or so that I had the Roadster, I just never liked 2, but I would say that the new Recto pushed is more like brit than tweed.
I will also say the Reborn clean and pushed are FAR superior to the old version. I used clean before when I had to, but now I use it because I want to.
To my memory Brit was good, but I don't think it was close enough for an 80's Marshall sound. Maybe with a boost.
I think Raw, Vintage, and Modern with the gain dialed back on the Reborn give a great classic rock sound over the Roadster Brit.
As for the Raw between the two, I never played that mode on either amp enough to say if they differ.
I do think both of them are suited fine for metal, but with the improvements on the Reborn, I don't think the Roadster is worth the extra cash.

i

biddifour said:

During the process, I wound up with a Roadster. I thought I was gonna be ok, but 3 and 4 were just too dark for me.
For the 8 months or so that I had the Roadster, I just never liked 2, but I would say that the new Recto pushed is more like brit than tweed.
I will also say the Reborn clean and pushed are FAR superior to the old version. I used clean before when I had to, but now I use it because I want to.
To my memory Brit was good, but I don't think it was close enough for an 80's Marshall sound. Maybe with a boost.
I think Raw, Vintage, and Modern with the gain dialed back on the Reborn give a great classic rock sound over the Roadster Brit.
As for the Raw between the two, I never played that mode on either amp enough to say if they differ.
I do think both of them are suited fine for metal, but with the improvements on the Reborn, I don't think the Roadster is worth the extra cash.

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I play channel 2 a lot and love it through my Les Paul. The guitar has a darker sound so through CH2 it sounds good; slightly pushed. I like it but I play classic rock and not metal. My take is that the most people that play metal tend to dislike channel 2 but I could be wrong. That being said, it's not a Marshall.

I agree 100% that CH3 vintage with the gain low is great for classic rock. I put GT66's in the power section and it sounds great. I will say that my LP gets a little mushy on the bottom end of CH3 for classic rock. It's not super tight, but I think that is part of the Mesa Dual Rec sound.

Raw with the Bass at 10-11:00, Gain at 11:00 and full Presence with a hard boost gets some classic Judas Priest-ish sounds. Think "Electric Eye", but with more girth.

Tweed works really well for a lot of moderately pushed plexi tones. Using a boost in front will give you all kinds of tonal options with it as well. Honestly, I wish I could have two or three channels with the Tweed setting as an option.

silentbob said:

......... Honestly, I wish I could have two or three channels with the Tweed setting as an option.

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+1

I'd trade Brit for another Tweed any day.

Dom

Where you located, we could possibly do a trade?

You can't get a JCM800 sound even with a boost before preamp. You can't even get close to it.
This is the only complain I have about the Roadster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I_Vd4VQ-XE

Gontur said:

You can't get a JCM800 sound even with a boost before preamp. You can't even get close to it.
This is the only complain I have about the Roadster.

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If i wanted a JCM800 sound, i'd get a JCM800. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

siggy14 said:

Where you located, we could possibly do a trade?

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LOL

You looking to trade me your Tweed mode for my Brit mode?

domct203 said:

........ I'd trade Brit for another Tweed any day.

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Dom

I'm struggling with the same right now. I'm a dual recto guy and now can freely admit it. No matter what amp I play I always try to get dual rec tones so I gave in.

Currently own a 94 TOV and 06 roadster. Both are great both are different enough to justify having.

Cut to the dual red reborn. I played it in a store and it just freaking rips. I hesitate to say it's better because I'm really happy with my dialed in tones but now I'm gassing for a reborn.

Anyone else have both amps or all amps mentioned that can speak to the differences.

I feel like I'm building a museum of rectifiers :lol:

Thanks

I actually have considered a Reborn to have rectifier selection for each channel. I like the tube diode on Clean and Raw. I go back and forth with Modern, but it's usually tube diode if I'm using another mode, too. Vintage seems to need the silicon diode to firm up, so I rarely use that mode. Having the diode switching on the channel is a huge plus. I would get a lot of mileage with it and might use Vintage more.

I'm gassing for a Stiletto, so buying a Reborn probably won't be a reality, but I can see justification for having more than 1 Recto.

Thanks for all the answers! Maybe still some more people having experience with both DR reborns and roadstrers could chime in.

Unfortunately there are still many places when you can't just listen to both amps live... or neither of them. So there are only internet foums, youtube videos and gut feeling

I just can't help thinking of roadster as „bluesified/demetalized” DR (extra cleans, spring reverb). Not like the ladder model placement with RS higher than '10DR, but slightly different sort of an amp with added features complementing its role (and related to them higher price tag). Just didn't want to risk compromising my main aim – high gain tones.

Still clean/pushed/RAW modes really got me by surprise – very positively. I Just keep on wondering if there is really that much difference in clean tones as they are both Lone Star transplants. Do you also know if there are any big schematic changes (esp. to the gain channnels) between DR and Roadster?

Miro9486 said:

Thanks for all the answers! Maybe still some more people having experience with both DR reborns and roadstrers could chime in.

Unfortunately there are still many places when you can't just listen to both amps live... or neither of them. So there are only internet foums, youtube videos and gut feeling

I just can't help thinking of roadster as „bluesified/demetalized” DR (extra cleans, spring reverb). Not like the ladder model placement with RS higher than '10DR, but slightly different sort of an amp with added features complementing its role (and related to them higher price tag). Just didn't want to risk compromising my main aim – high gain tones.

Still clean/pushed/RAW modes really got me by surprise – very positively. I Just keep on wondering if there is really that much difference in clean tones as they are both Lone Star transplants. Do you also know if there are any big schematic changes (esp. to the gain channnels) between DR and Roadster?

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The Roadster is a simplified Road King II, not a "bluesified/demetalized” Dual Rectifier.

If you are using it for metal, a Reborn fulfills that.

The Road-series amps are more like Swiss Army knives with the kitchen sink thrown in on the Road King. The RK can cover almost any major style from Elvis to present day, including metal. The Roadster is a simpler RK, as Given To Fly stated. It loses cab and power tube options.

The Reborn can do a lot of things besides metal, but if metal is your main thing, it's perfect for it. That was a major factor behind the creation of the Recto series in the first place and is the bread and butter of the amp. Modern with the Gain past Noon is bliss.