Recto-Verb or Stiletto ACE

I have decided to buy a Stiletto ACE 1x12 combo but now have the chanve to get a great deal on a Recto-Verb. I will not have to play them side by side and I need to jump on the Recto if I am going to get it. I am playing mostly in the house to backing tracks on the computer. I play mostly Vai/Satriani type stuff but do play everything from blues to Metal. I want a versatile and very reliable amp that can cover most musical bases. So which amp should I go with? Thanks.

The best answer is to play both, listen, then decide.

With the music you mention and the way you'll be playing, I'd go with the rectoverb. Very versatile, great blues sound, and all the great distortion you could ever want. I love my rectoverb and could have purchased ANY of the Mesa's....(I tried almost all of them).

If your a one amp man, this is the one to own.

Side note: Haven't heard the Mark 5 yet though.

Tone is totally subjective.... I tried a Rectoverb and quite honestly though it was one of the worst amps I ever played. My guitar hated it too. Does that mean it is not a great amp? No.... not at all.... it only means it's not the amp I want. Go try them and decide for yourself.

I had a rectoverb for a while and actually really loved it.................for my 7 string metal stuff.
I play a lot of Satch/Vai/Vinnie Moore/Greg howe etc stuff as well and it didn't excel in the lead department. I used a boost, EQ in the loop, all different tube combination etc.
I bought a Mark III and sold my Rectoverb within a week of getting the mark III inside the house. It just fit my stle of playing much better.
I wouldn't mind grabbing another one down the road (probably a Roadster this time though) as I like the recto sound for certain styles............alot. but not for shred.

srf399 said:

Tone is totally subjective.... I tried a Rectoverb and quite honestly though it was one of the worst amps I ever played. My guitar hated it too. Does that mean it is not a great amp? No.... not at all.... it only means it's not the amp I want. Go try them and decide for yourself.

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I agree that tone is subjective but I will not stoop as low as the %$# that posted this reply. I very much enjoyed playing the Stilleto but decided to go with the RoV....

Google RoV reviews. Check my 2 year review of the RoV on the rectifier section. Many have traded their RoV's in only to regret it later.

As far as the narrow minded person that posted the RoV as the worst amp he ever played....please get a life. What an $@# thing to say.

I primarily play lead work and although I have not had a problem getting a good lead tone from the amp think the Stiletto may be better in this department. The ROV seemes to be one of those amps that you need to know how to play in order to have it sound good. There are many playeres that think they are the next Steve Vai but as soon as they plug into an amp that picks up subtle nuances of their playing they sound like ****. These people usually then say it is a bad sounding amp because THEY sounded bad playing through it. In my experience this is usually not the amp but the lack of talent on the side of the player. Anyway. I think the ROV sounded great I really got a chance to dig in and play it for a few hours today and was able to pull of blues and hard rock as well as some instrumental shredding with no problem. I love the fact that it is tighte because you can here every note. It may not be good for someone that uses a lot of hammer on's and ull off's but I have prided myself on taking the Shawn Lane approach to playing and pick as many notes as I am physically able. I appreciate all of the help but I still think I am going to swap it out with the ACE. I think it will just fit for lead playing a little bit more.

yohimbe2 said:

srf399 said:

Tone is totally subjective.... I tried a Rectoverb and quite honestly though it was one of the worst amps I ever played. My guitar hated it too. Does that mean it is not a great amp? No.... not at all.... it only means it's not the amp I want. Go try them and decide for yourself.

Click to expand...

I agree that tone is subjective but I will not stoop as low as the %$# that posted this reply. I very much enjoyed playing the Stilleto but decided to go with the RoV....

Google RoV reviews. Check my 2 year review of the RoV on the rectifier section. Many have traded their RoV's in only to regret it later.

As far as the narrow minded person that posted the RoV as the worst amp he ever played....please get a life. What an $@# thing to say.

Click to expand...

You want to call him any more names for no reason? He is entitled to an opinion as much as anyone else, and just because he disagrees with your amplifier preference DOES NOT give you the right to attack his post. On the contrary, your post slandering his opinion is about the most elementary and narrow minded thing I have seen on this board since day one.

Back on topic, I too agree the Stiletto will fit this bill better. It is a MUCH better lead amp than the rectoverb, or any rectifier for that matter. The stiletto was my only amp for a while, and after owning it, I found that I loved its sound most when playing leads. It lacked a little body for playing the modern rhythm parts I delve in IMO. So, I grabbed an old rectifier, which I now use for rhythm, and have the Stiletto A/Bed for leads. It's a perfect combination, with each amp doing what it excels at.

Long story short, with the very evolution of my rig, I could comfortably say that the Stiletto will fit you better as a lead player.

And to throw a complete curveball at you, as a lead player, you may also want to consider the Mark III/IV. :wink:

Hope that helps!

Eric

ibanez4life SZ said:

The stiletto was my only amp for a while, and after owning it, I found that I loved its sound most when playing leads. It lacked a little body for playing the modern rhythm parts I delve in IMO.

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This is my take on the two amps as well. I owned both in combo form at different times. The RoV was first, then right after that was the Ace. Both are great amps, but the RoV wins for Rhythm and the Stiletto wins for Leads. It's a toss up as to which one is more versatile. The RoV can do Metal with ease and the Stiletto really struggled in this department.

Eric, I bet your rig sounds killer!

I think it is possible to be happy with either. That does not mean that you won't prefer one over the other, but rather that I have played both (I own an Ace and a friend used to have an RoV) and I like them both a lot.
For me, I wanted to capture the classic British/Marshall/HiWatt type crunch and the Ace does this better IMO. I also feel it has a smoother lead sound. But for metal, the RoV is like it's cousins, the Rectos' and pretty much rules that genre. And yet either amp can cross over into the other's "territory". 8)

Yes it is best to try both if you can, but Mesa dealers can be few and far between, depending where you are located, and then finding one with BOTH models may be even harder.

If you can get a deal on a used RoV, that may be a good choice, as you could likely turn around and sell it for what you got into it. Then you can get something else.....A new amp will depreciate somewhat immediately after buying.

Just some food for thought here....good luck with whatever you decide.

ibanez4life SZ! said:

yohimbe2 said:

srf399 said:

Tone is totally subjective.... I tried a Rectoverb and quite honestly though it was one of the worst amps I ever played. My guitar hated it too. Does that mean it is not a great amp? No.... not at all.... it only means it's not the amp I want. Go try them and decide for yourself.

Click to expand...

I agree that tone is subjective but I will not stoop as low as the %$# that posted this reply. I very much enjoyed playing the Stilleto but decided to go with the RoV....

Google RoV reviews. Check my 2 year review of the RoV on the rectifier section. Many have traded their RoV's in only to regret it later.

As far as the narrow minded person that posted the RoV as the worst amp he ever played....please get a life. What an $@# thing to say.

Click to expand...

You want to call him any more names for no reason? He is entitled to an opinion as much as anyone else, and just because he disagrees with your amplifier preference DOES NOT give you the right to attack his post. On the contrary, your post slandering his opinion is about the most elementary and narrow minded thing I have seen on this board since day one.

Back on topic, I too agree the Stiletto will fit this bill better. It is a MUCH better lead amp than the rectoverb, or any rectifier for that matter. The stiletto was my only amp for a while, and after owning it, I found that I loved its sound most when playing leads. It lacked a little body for playing the modern rhythm parts I delve in IMO. So, I grabbed an old rectifier, which I now use for rhythm, and have the Stiletto A/Bed for leads. It's a perfect combination, with each amp doing what it excels at.

Long story short, with the very evolution of my rig, I could comfortably say that the Stiletto will fit you better as a lead player.

And to throw a complete curveball at you, as a lead player, you may also want to consider the Mark III/IV. :wink:

Hope that helps!

Eric

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An opinion is fine, but to call the RoV the worst amp he ever played is an #@3 thing to say. Sorry, but it just is.

If he had said " I do not care for the Rectoverb", I'd have no problem. His reply was as narrow minded as I've ever seen on the boards.

Just my opinion--And as you stated, I am entitled to my opinion...

I am a lead player and for me personally the ROV was very weak. I did like the aggression for rhythm (Great aggressive Rhythm amp) but it was way too grainy and buzzy for soloing. Quite frankly in 30 years of playing is was not my thing and in my professional opinion, sucked for soloing. If you have a hard time hearing what others think of your amp, all I can say is.... "too bad". I'm not going to appologize for saying what I think. And to personally attack me for expressing my opinion is cowardly. As for the next posters comment regarding not having the skill to play the amp.... It may have sounded great to your ears but, after 30 years of playing, GIT graduate, touring, recording, teaching.... to my ears.... it was the worst sounding Mesa I've ever played. I'd play a Traynor Amp before this amp. I've earned the right to my opinion... And yes.... it is only an opinion. There are many who like the ROV.... To which I say.... Great... go buy one Try all the amps you can and pick the one you like the best then express why you like or dislike each amp you've played without cowardly personally attacking others.

I agree with Ibanez, Actually the guy is very subjective in his post, he said for him and his guitar it is the worst amp he ever played and goes on to say that does not mean it is not a great amp, just not his amp. Now if he would have said the amp is a peice of crap, dont know why anyone would want to play it etc.. Then you would have the right to call him out, but his response was very subjective.

ibanez4life SZ! said:

yohimbe2 said:

srf399 said:

Tone is totally subjective.... I tried a Rectoverb and quite honestly though it was one of the worst amps I ever played. My guitar hated it too. Does that mean it is not a great amp? No.... not at all.... it only means it's not the amp I want. Go try them and decide for yourself.

Click to expand...

I agree that tone is subjective but I will not stoop as low as the %$# that posted this reply. I very much enjoyed playing the Stilleto but decided to go with the RoV....

Google RoV reviews. Check my 2 year review of the RoV on the rectifier section. Many have traded their RoV's in only to regret it later.

As far as the narrow minded person that posted the RoV as the worst amp he ever played....please get a life. What an $@# thing to say.

Click to expand...

You want to call him any more names for no reason? He is entitled to an opinion as much as anyone else, and just because he disagrees with your amplifier preference DOES NOT give you the right to attack his post. On the contrary, your post slandering his opinion is about the most elementary and narrow minded thing I have seen on this board since day one.

Back on topic, I too agree the Stiletto will fit this bill better. It is a MUCH better lead amp than the rectoverb, or any rectifier for that matter. The stiletto was my only amp for a while, and after owning it, I found that I loved its sound most when playing leads. It lacked a little body for playing the modern rhythm parts I delve in IMO. So, I grabbed an old rectifier, which I now use for rhythm, and have the Stiletto A/Bed for leads. It's a perfect combination, with each amp doing what it excels at.

Long story short, with the very evolution of my rig, I could comfortably say that the Stiletto will fit you better as a lead player.

And to throw a complete curveball at you, as a lead player, you may also want to consider the Mark III/IV. :wink:

Hope that helps!

Eric

Click to expand...

It is a great comination, I also have a stiletto II and a Roadking 1 as well as a 2 channel rec revision C. Now I dont really ever take out teh Revision C, well actually havent played live in awhile, but working on forming a band. But when I do I will be doing a two amp, the roadking for heavy grind and cleans and the stiletto for crunch's and lead.

MusicManJP6 said:

ibanez4life SZ said:

The stiletto was my only amp for a while, and after owning it, I found that I loved its sound most when playing leads. It lacked a little body for playing the modern rhythm parts I delve in IMO.

Click to expand...

This is my take on the two amps as well. I owned both in combo form at different times. The RoV was first, then right after that was the Ace. Both are great amps, but the RoV wins for Rhythm and the Stiletto wins for Leads. It's a toss up as to which one is more versatile. The RoV can do Metal with ease and the Stiletto really struggled in this department.

Eric, I bet your rig sounds killer!

Click to expand...

I think it's important to define what we mean by "metal." Talking about metal music is so general when there's so many different variations and sub-genre's out there. In some instances, I think the ACE would do wonderful for metal, others not so much.

For example, if by metal you mean stuff like old Slayer, Megadeth, DIO, etc...then I think the ACE would handle it with flying colors. If by metal you mean bands like Korn, Godsmack, Killswitch Engage, Nevermore, etc...then no, probably not the amp for you. I don't think we can generalize, though.

My new band is looking to be a hybrid of old Alice in Chains/Soundgarden meets classic metal on occasion, and I think I'll take the Deuce or ACE out on occasion live with them because it'll get that sort of tone. I had the ACE dialed in live once very close to an old "Facelift" sort of tone.

I own both a Deuce and a ROV. The Deuce blows the ROV away. I honestly haven't played through my ROV since purchasing the Deuce back in September. As of right now, I'm keeping it so I have an amp around if another guitar player is around that wants to jam.

You might also find later on you want to go back to the recto sound. I love the recto for what it does, i dont expect it to do what the stiletto does just as I dont expect the stiletto to do what the recto does. Both are great amps and depending on my mode depends on what I will play.

Go ahead and plug back into your ROV, you might end up with a grin on your face, everytime I have walked away from the Recto's, i go back a few months later and **** does it make me smile.

Jak0lantern01 said:

I own both a Deuce and a ROV. The Deuce blows the ROV away. I honestly haven't played through my ROV since purchasing the Deuce back in September. As of right now, I'm keeping it so I have an amp around if another guitar player is around that wants to jam.

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The ROV was just a bit too mushy for my tastes. It's not that the ROV is a bad amp, quite the contrary. It's just not the sound I'm into anymore nor does it meet my needs as a shared lead player in a two guitar band. There's also certain things that I couldn't seem to pull out of the ROV that I can easily do on the Stiletto.

The internet has a habit of bringing the worst out of people, and I'll just ingore the "worst ever" amp comment if you ignore my *&%$ calling.. Lets step back and have a laugh instead of getting silly---Chances are our discussions would be very different in person. I bet an RoV and Stilletto in the same room would be a lot of fun.

I really dont think Mesa makes any bad amps. I could take any of them and really enjoy what they do. I liked the Stilletto, but found the RoV covered more ground "for me"....

The bottom line is everyone should play and listen to an amp before making a purchase...It's really the only way. Only you can know what you want. The fact that one of use here loves the amp and others think it is a total POS shows that you really need to check it out for yourself.

One last thing. I had my brother over for a listen and he is a hardcore metal head.(I am not) The first thing he did was grab a double coil guitar, crank the gain, bass, Highs and reverb...(Dropping the mid) producing total blurry mess of sound. (Many guitarists like this-as well as him) It is the way he plays guitar. (actually sounded good if you like ths kind of music)

I asked him is I could make a few adjustments, turned the amps gain down 50%, and set the tone controls to a different place....I also took it out of modern mode to Vintage and Raw...

He HATED it.

I then grabbed a Strat with single coil pickups and asked him to try it...

He HATED it EVEN MORE and handed the guitar back. (he never touches single coil--I love them)

I had him grab a seat and played....

His comment? Wow, its your amp---you know how to make it sound good! That sounds amazing !!!

Sometimes its not the amps at all, its how WE as a player connect with the amp. I happen to connect with the ROV and really love it after two years of ownership.

Sometimes its not the amps at all, its how WE as a player connect with the amp. I happen to connect with the ROV and really love it after two years of ownership.

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RIGHT ARM BROTHER!!!!! 8)

If you go with a recto
Maxon od808 in front as a boost is a winner combination
I wanted to sell my single recto to get something else but after putting that pedal in front of the amp as a boost
I got some nice tight low-end and lead tones on vintage channel