Vintage or Modern High Gain

How many of you opt to run your 2nd or 3rd channels (depending on which model you own: two or three channel Rectifiers) in the vintage high gain mode instead of the modern high gain mode? I must admit I've never dabbled in the vintage high gain mode too much on my two channel Dual Rec until today! I've been yearning for that scratchy, grinding type of tone ala Bogners and low and behold I think I stumbled onto something! Vintage high gain mode, gain around 12-2 o'clock, treble at 1 o'clock, mid and bass at 12 o'clock, and presence around 9 o'clock. Bam, now thats what I call versatility! I'd like to know how many of you prefer the Vintage mode as opposed to the Modern mode :?:

Ive just started doing this after owning a Dual Recto for 8 years! Man what a difference. Ive always been the sole guitar player in most of my bands, so i wanted the BIG sound - but ive really grown tired of that tone, especially as 90% of the bands you hear on the radio have 'that tone'
Ive actually been wanting to sell it, but started fucking around with it, and realised the vintage channel is the way to go for rythm. Roll off your guitar volume, and it's 'clean' - I now only use the modern channel for solos.
Ive realised all that fizz, gain, and bottom end sounds **** in a mix, especially when playing with another guitar player - i could never hear my self (cos of the scooped mids!) - now, tone city!

I like the vintage mode in channel 2 for soloing over a clean tone rhythm gtr. IMO the hyper pres control on ch3 kind of defeats the purpose of the vintage setting. Ch3 mod cuts just fine as long as you dont scoop the mids and max the bass and gain.

jbird...try those settings in modern, maybe just a hair more pres and less treb and see what you think of that.

NoGlassNoClass said:

jbird...try those settings in modern, maybe just a hair more pres and less treb and see what you think of that.

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Yeah, I've tried alot of different scenarios with that modern setting, and after dabbling in the vintage mode, went back to modern to compare. Enabling the modern mode I find the tonal spectrum opens up and yields more highs and lows which contribute to that chunk heavy rhythm sound. Finding that scratchy, compressed, grinding tone with the vintage setting was just what the doctor ordered. I'm happy for now! :lol:

After reading the on-line owners manual for two channel Dual and Triple Recs, I've learned something new :!: :shock: When running the red channel in vintage mode, both the orange and red channels presence controls are functioning. :idea: Therefore, you gain access to two different regions of presence on the red channel. 8) So while I'm running the presence of the red channel down around 9 o'clock, I'm also using the presence of the orange channel which is at 2 o'clock! (Note: my orange channel is set to clean, not variable high gain, which is why the presence is up, to elicit bell like cleans). Interesting stuff I thought I'd share, ya learn something new everyday!

I like both...a lot. When I'm playing a section with my other guitar player, I use the Vintage mode. If a section calls for just my guitar, I'll often use the Modern mode to fill things up.

When I use the Modern mode, I make sure my mids are boosted even higher than I usually run them, which REALLY fills out the sound.

I use both.

Mines a two channel amp, but the 2nd channel is dual mode....in normal it uses modern + Master output, and on solo it switches to vintage + solo output.

I generally run;

Gain: 10:00 - 14:00
Treb: 13:00
Mids: 13:15
Bass: 11:00
Pres: 13:00
Mast: 12:00

and I run the master output between 13:00 and 15:00 for rhythm, and 15:00 or higher for soloing.

Looks like the old 2-ch heads have some interesting options not available on the 3-ch. Think I will have to check one out.

jbird...where you at in Sacto? maybe we could get together and compare notes.

NoGlassNoClass said:

Looks like the old 2-ch heads have some interesting options not available on the 3-ch. Think I will have to check one out.

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Mine's not a head....it's a separate pre/power rackmount.

Hey NoGlassNoClass, I actually live not far from Northridge Music, where I purchased my Dual Rec five years ago. Not playing in any bands right now. Last gig was temporary for the band Downshift, before that I was with Satellite Chronicles, and before that with 27inch Pipe. While with those bands I played about everywhere there is to play in this town! How 'bout you, playing anywhere? I'll come check ya out man!

+100000 Nothridge Music!
I'll PM ya so this doesnt turn into an HC off-topic thread

Well, enough of that vintage mode for me. It's back to modern. :lol: It's weird, the volume difference between the two modes on these two channel beasts. It just feels normal this way. :wink:

jbird said:

It's weird, the volume difference between the two modes on these two channel beasts.

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The 3-ch heads are the same way. Switching to modern takes the negative-feedback loop out of the signal path. Result: punchier and WAY louder. FWIW I use the modern setting most of the time for metal tones, and have never had any problems cutting thru the mix, even with my rhythm-guitarist's marshall. Just dont scoop out all the mids. I run my mids (ch3 mod) around 11:00-11:30 and use an EQ to slightly boost the 1K to 4K range for leads.

On my Road King, I use channel 3 as vintage....using only 2 6L6s...great JCM 800 type lead sound....a little Guyatone Micro Delay in the loop...Woooo-hoooo!



RB

I've had my recto for about 3 months now and have never used the modern :shock: But then again, we don't play alot of heavy stuff either. My cover band plays 80, 90s and some modern rock/pop rock stuff and even a few country tunes (Bon Jovi, Poison, Creed, Van Halen, Nickleback, 3-Doors Down, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, ect...).

I like the Vintage on channel #2 with the gain at 100% , Bass at 11:00, Mids at 11:30, Highs at about 12:00 and presence around 10:00.

I use Raw on channel #3 with the gain up around half way and the eq set about the same way (maybe a few less highs and presence). I know it's kind of backwards, but it works for me. This is my Semi distorted channel.

Is the third in the 3 channel rectos the equivalent of the 2nd channel in older 2 channel versions?

I think ch2-modern. In the 3-ch heads, ch's 2 and 3 are identical except for a much stronger presence control on ch3. Pres wide open on ch2 is about the same as 9-10:00 on ch3.

I think ch2-modern. In the 3-ch heads, ch's 2 and 3 are identical except for a much stronger presence control on ch3. Pres wide open on ch2 is about the same as 9-10:00 on ch3.

is it that much more? wow, i guess i didn't have it cranked up enough to tell that big of a difference... but then again those GC employees do know everything. so they tell you to turn it down.... i dont think they understand that if your going to drop $1700 on an amp you want to know how loud it can get :?

I use the vintage mode on my single rec. I find that it cleans up better, it is more dynamic, but when it is time to play Parabola (Tool, you know) I turn around and flip the switch. The Modern mode, I think, is better when tuning low.