TC50 combo vs Rectoverb 25 combo

So...........
Before I get started, if someone says, "Check it out before you buy it," I'm gonna scream!
I live on an island in the Pacific with no Mesa dealer around. I would have to take a flight, then a cab, just to check it out and I'd be out $300.........The other side of that argument is that I'd be out $200 if I shipped the wrong amp here and then back......Can't win!

Anyway.......
I just sold my Rectoverb 25 to a friend.
I loved the amp and it was almost (almost) perfect for my band.
We play mostly original music that ranges in style from 70's cop show music to Iron Maiden to Rush like.
We change time signatures and tones a lot within a given song.
I am the only guitar player in the band.

My setup:
2014 American Deluxe Strat HSH with Duncan Parallel Axis pickups
Fractal FX8
Combo amp with 1x12 extension cab (nice and light, but the extension cab adds girth)


Likes about the ROV25:
Great size and weight
Great cleans
Great OD tones
Lots of sustain

Dislikes about the ROV25:
Sounds kind of small
Lack of bass on lead channel (not really bass, more like girth, due to EL84's)


What I'm looking for:
Great cleans
Relatively light weight
Relatively small footprint
Great OD tones
Versatility
Lots of sustain
More apparent bass than the ROV25
Fast channel changes with no dropouts or glitches (we change tones mid note sometimes)

I guess I'd just like a little more oomph than the ROV had
Anybody owned both?

Unfortunately I never owned or played through the Rectoverb. Had to watch a few videos on the amp for reference. That amp sound great. I do not have the TC-50 combo so hard to relate. I do have the head and I am impressed with it. I did not notice any latency between switching channels. Even the reverb will remain intact without washing out momentarily like some of the other amps do. Artifacts in the tank will carry over.

I could only recommend listening to the demo videos on Mesa web site as well as what others may have placed on you-tube to get an idea if the amp will fit your needs. The Combo is 15lbs heaver but has removable casters. It is almost 4 inches wider than the Rectoverb. Bass response is tight and present and well blended with the overall tone of the amp. Midi controllable. Fits the 60-70 era style of music. I like the clean both normal and driven. Amp has more of a Orange/Vox/Marshal thing going on and is hard to narrow down what it really sounds like. Excellent for ACDC, Led Zep and other great bands from the early years to current. It is a hard call what you would prefer as I was impressed with the Rectoverb demo videos. How that amp sounds in person may be a different story. Same would apply to any amp compared to a mastered recording and how it is processed for the demo's. So far I can say the amp sounds much like the original demo at least the parts with the EL34.

I had to go by what was in recorded video to decide if I want it. I did have a chance to play though one but did not open it up like I should have to get a better idea of the amp at gig level. At the time I was 800 miles from home visiting family over the Christmas holiday. My bad I guess. You don't have to be on an island to feel isolated from a Mesa Dealer, there are not very many to choose from where I live. Closest is 100 miles and they did not have a vast selection to try out. We can order it for you was their response. Sorry if this is no help to you.

Thanks!

The Rectoverb was great. Much better than the original Rectoverb Series 1 & 2.
The clean was wonderful. I had to mod it slightly so that it was loud enough to use in a band situation and still sound clean.

The lead channel was almost everything I wanted, but lacked bass.
I think this is due to the small size of the cab.

Mesa says the TC50 has more gain than any other amp they have made on channel 3.
What do you think?

My ideal tone is similar to the lead tone on Santana Brothers album.
Thicker than a Mark, but not over the top aggressive like the Recto.

The TC-50 does have plenty of gain on tap on CH3. It does not seem to get muddy or soupy in composure with higher gain settings. It has the JP-2C quality of gain structure but different in sonic profile. Very interesting amp.

Based on your idea, it almost sounds like you would be more interested in a Mark 1.

I like the TC-50 as it is growing on me. Love the RA100 with non-stock tubes (very heavy amp in weight). But my favorite would have to be the JP-2C. It fits the music I play just as well as the TC-50. Its tonal pallet sits between the Roadster and the Mark V. It is a lot of amp though. Weighs about the same as the JP-2C head but packs a punch. Has a bit more sag in the delivery than the TC-50 but still tight than the rest. I would not call it insane in the gain department but it is up there with the rest of the Mesa amps. It seems there is a bit of headroom overall which takes to OD pedals quite well but it really does not need it. The catch is, it only comes in a head format. I would probably rate the TC-50 as high as the JP-2C. Both are fun to play though. Clean on the JP is rich and will sign the blues quite well as it does have a bit of graininess to it so it is not a pure clean tone like you would get out of a Mark V. The clean is very warm with the JP-2C but not dark. The TC-50 has more of a dry tone. JP may not have as many features or voices but so far nothing in my amp collection comes close. TC-50 can use three different types of tubes, 6V6, EL34, and 6L6. JP-2C is a 6L6 only type of amp.

In either case, I would review the many demos on both TC-50 or the JP-2C on Mesa web site as well as what may be out there on you-tube. Demos that are actually showing the guitar player and not a static picture usually will be based on live recording vs a re-amped track. I like the Sessions reviews even though I cannot understand German, it is the tweeking with the amp and play though that seems to bring you into the room. I believe they have one for the TC-50 and the JP-2C. Both are very loud amps regardless of the power rating.

Thanks!
If they used a Mark I on the Brothers album, I would be really surprised. Of course, with studio equipment and FX, who knows.........
I had a Mark I for a little while. It's a great amp, but I want more versatility.

How would you say the TC sounds in comparison to the RA?
I can get a used RA for around $1,000.
The weight is not really an issue. If I can move a Roadking combo by myself, I can move mountains!

As for the JP, it looks really cool! I need to stick to the combo format though. For now.....

The RA100 sounds very close to the TC-50. With the RA100, you may feel the bass is lacking on the Vintage Lo channel and the Vintage Hi tends to get soupy with higher gain settings. However it is a really great amp on all accounts. The RA has a bit more mid presence than the TC but that can be adjusted with the tone controls. I actually love both amps. The TC-50 does offer more versatility especially with the foot switchable FX loop and Reverb. The solo feature is a plus. The RA on the other hand does not have a switchable FX loop, it is dedicated when something is plugged into the send/return jacks. Reverb does have a hidden jack to plug in a single footswitch control for on/off. Reverb also has a defeat switch for the Hi, Hi/lo as well as enable for all channels. I will hold its own against the TC-50 with the proper preamp and power tubes, it can be a beast if you want it too be. Awesome for classic rock and blues. I would have a hard choice choosing the TC over the RA and vice versa. Generally they are about the same in tonal quality but when it comes to sonic detail, the TC-50 remains very tight on the bottom end, the RA is a bit loose with the vintage power sag with heavy chording. Clean channel on the RA is on par with the JP in that it is rich and warm just right for blues, it can be boomy unless you roll off the bass control. It becomes heaven with the gain pushed on the clean channel. TC-50 has a dry character to it. Lower strings are piano like in clarity (clean channel on normal mode). When the clean channel is set for drive it rivals the RA100 in that early crunch (soft to a hard clip but not overly distorted). I would say the gain structure is about the same on the clean channel. Vintage low, the TC-50 has more body to it and the RA seems a bit thin on the bottom end. Vintage Hi, the TC-50 remains tight with good bass response and distortion quality that does not muddy up or get soupy, very articulate and defined. RA may get a little soupy and less defined with a moderate gain setting. Both are quite reactive to your playing, touch sensitive, and reactive to touch harmonics, sustain, and liveliness. Both are quite dynamic and not sterile by any means. I think the Mesa EL34 tubes sound the best in the TC-50. Not so bad in the RA100 but there are better tubes for that amp that make a huge difference. The combo is a beast in its weight. I would not recommend picking it up with the top strap handle. However the side swing out handles are ideal. Make sure the amp comes with its casters as this amp is not light for one hand carry unless you like that sort of thing. Chimes in at 87lbs. If you look for thumbpick's post, he posts some well made videos of his band. He uses an RA100. Should give you an idea how it sounds in a mix. Drums, bass, guitar and vocals. Awesome stuff. Here is one link for your reference...

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=71372

Thanks! I really enjoyed the song.

Most of the TC demo videos make the amp sound small and compressed.
I do like the one from Mesa with the different styles of players.

I really loved the Rectoverb 25, just wish it sounded a little larger or had more bass. I've never had very good luck with EL84 amps and bass.....except for my old DC-3.

Yeah, I left that part out. With a higher gain setting on the Hi channel it does get more compressed and begins to reach a Mark IV tone.

Here is some noodling I did with the RA100 combo and the TC-50. First block if you can figure out where it ends was the RA100 combo in all stock form. The second block was after I swapped the V30 speakers with Celestion G12H75 creambacks. Third block was the TC-50 through the RA combo speakers and then followed by the TC-50 though a Vertical 212. I left the channel settings as is. I could have adjusted the TC-50 settings a bit when I ran the clean channel as I had the bass elevated when I was using the Drive mode on the clean channel. Both amps sound almost the same but keep in mind I was not running the RA100 where it should be so I can use mics without having to resort to the attenuator. I was also using a new mixer that I got for drumming. Perhaps an SM57 would have made a difference in the blend of mics I used. For added insult to your ears, my guitar was out of tune, my bad. best to play it through, then jump around to get a better feel for the difference between TC and the RA between the second and third block.

https://soundcloud.com/user-353100000/rav30-g12h75cb-tc50wav

Monsta-Tone said:

Thanks! I really enjoyed the song.

Most of the TC demo videos make the amp sound small and compressed.
I do like the one from Mesa with the different styles of players.

I really loved the Rectoverb 25, just wish it sounded a little larger or had more bass. I've never had very good luck with EL84 amps and bass.....except for my old DC-3.

Click to expand...

Just curious, did you ever try a Mesa 5 Band EQ in the loop? I run one in my Mini Rectifier 25 and once eq'ed correctly it has a decent amount of bass/girth for me. YMMV.

I didn't try an EQ. I hadn't been playing for quite some time and a friend really wanted the Rectoverb. He doesn't have much money, but he's a great guy that helps a lot of people, so I sold it to him for fairly cheap. I wound up replacing it with a Roadster and a Mark V. I do miss the size and weight of the ROV25 though!