Mesa Dual Rectifier Trem-O-Verb Head

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NorCal-Mesa

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Ok I just bought this head with a 2x12 cabinet, I really like this amp the tone kills. I live in a house with kids (its so loud), can I remove 2 of the power tubes to lower it to 50 watts? If so how can I do it and does it color or change the tone?

Thanks
 
Nice score!

On the back:

Set the switch to "Spongey"

Set the rectifier switch to tubes. Remove one of the rectifier tube (5U4).

Now this part I don't recall so hopefully some one will chime in and confirm this or say the reverse:
Remove either the two middle power tube (6L6s) or the two outer tube (6L6s).

Now your impedance will be double. The 8 ohms speaker jack is best with 16 ohm speaker load, 4 ohm is best with a 8 ohm speaker load.

Personally, I don't like lowering the power this way. I post on another forum why doesn't 'this method' doesn't sound like a cranked up "50 watt amp"? Posts answered: "Although your amp setting is so-called '50-watt', your output transformer is still a 'clean' 100 watt. Some of the amp's tone comes from the output transformer."

I'm looking at your signature of amps, right on! So how's the mini-Recto? Does it do the 'chunka, chunka' like the Red Channel - Modern Hi Gain of the Dual Rectifier? I'm guessing sure it does! :D
 
The mini is really nice, it's a great amps for clean to metal. I'm very surprised though it's not that quiet of an amp- next to the dual rec the mini is loud. If you put the mini on 7 o'clock it's LOUD. Not as much low end THUMP as the dual rec, don't get me wrong I love the amp.
 
From the Dual/Triple 2 channel Manual, this will work for all the older mesa 100 watt heads. You have two choices about the ohms, you can either run the 4 ohm output from the amp into a 8 ohm and it will be like normal, or you can just leave 8 ohm to 8 ohm, however if you do this the tubes will run hotter (where they should be) and will burn out sooner, but for great tone it is worth it.

NOTE: On the DUAL Solo Head it is possible to run two 6L6 or EL34 tubes by pulling the two center tubes leaving the far left and
far right tubes intact. This procedure reduces the power by approximately 50%. Remove one of the Rectifier tubes if you are using
the Tube Rectifier setting to assure a correct match.



http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/2chRecto.pdf
 
I'm not sure, but I was told after pulling the matched tube set that I can leave both rectifier tubes in amp ? What to do?

siggy14 said:
From the Dual/Triple 2 channel Manual, this will work for all the older mesa 100 watt heads. You have two choices about the ohms, you can either run the 4 ohm output from the amp into a 8 ohm and it will be like normal, or you can just leave 8 ohm to 8 ohm, however if you do this the tubes will run hotter (where they should be) and will burn out sooner, but for great tone it is worth it.

NOTE: On the DUAL Solo Head it is possible to run two 6L6 or EL34 tubes by pulling the two center tubes leaving the far left and
far right tubes intact. This procedure reduces the power by approximately 50%. Remove one of the Rectifier tubes if you are using
the Tube Rectifier setting to assure a correct match.



http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/2chRecto.pdf
 
NorCal-Mesa said:
I'm not sure, but I was told after pulling the matched tube set that I can leave both rectifier tubes in amp ? What to do?
The rectifier tubes are your power supply to your power stage tubes. That's why in a Triple Rectifier there are three 5U4. Of course rectifiers are in use when switch to tube rectifiers.

MESA used to send out flyers and one of the article, one testers said that he used a single 5AR4 instead of 5U4 when pulling out two of the power tubes.

Reason I asked about the mini-Recto, I thought it was a smaller package of a Dual Rectifier. Yes I know, the TremoVerb has rectifier switching, "Spongey / Bold", tremolo, reverb, the power thump of larger amp etc ... But I thought you could get a similar sound but without shaking the walls and you do lose some of the thump.

So wouldn't the mini-Recto give you practice bedroom level? Its pretty loud I would assume at 25 watt setting.
 
Pulling power tubes can be done as described above, but it's pointless - it won't make any real difference to the volume. It will also change the tone. If you prefer the tone it gives it's worth doing for that, but not for cutting volume. (Personally I prefer the tone with four tubes.)

Are you running it with the FX loop enabled and the Loop Active Master operating? If not, do! That will give you a huge extra range of lower volume using the LAM.

If you're already doing that and you still can't get the tone you want at low enough volume levels, you need an attenuator.
 
I have played the Dual next the the Mini all weekend, 7-9 on the volume they are about the same. After the 9 on the dual the dual get's LOUDDDDDDD. I have to say the mini is not an amp that you can crank the volume at bedroom levels, its really loud. The Orange Dark Terror you can crank in the bedroom its 7/15 watts. I really like all the amps they sound great, Im not sure if Im gonna keep the dual for the house its a beast...

RR said:
NorCal-Mesa said:
I'm not sure, but I was told after pulling the matched tube set that I can leave both rectifier tubes in amp ? What to do?
The rectifier tubes are your power supply to your power stage tubes. That's why in a Triple Rectifier there are three 5U4. Of course rectifiers are in use when switch to tube rectifiers.

MESA used to send out flyers and one of the article, one testers said that he used a single 5AR4 instead of 5U4 when pulling out two of the power tubes.

Reason I asked about the mini-Recto, I thought it was a smaller package of a Dual Rectifier. Yes I know, the TremoVerb has rectifier switching, "Spongey / Bold", tremolo, reverb, the power thump of larger amp etc ... But I thought you could get a similar sound but without shaking the walls and you do lose some of the thump.

So wouldn't the mini-Recto give you practice bedroom level? Its pretty loud I would assume at 25 watt setting.
 
I wouldnt say useless, like when making any change you need to change your EQ. As to volume level, yes it will not change the volume level much, however it will let the power tubes go into saturation alot sooner so that is the true advantage.

94Tremoverb said:
Pulling power tubes can be done as described above, but it's pointless - it won't make any real difference to the volume. It will also change the tone. If you prefer the tone it gives it's worth doing for that, but not for cutting volume. (Personally I prefer the tone with four tubes.)

Are you running it with the FX loop enabled and the Loop Active Master operating? If not, do! That will give you a huge extra range of lower volume using the LAM.

If you're already doing that and you still can't get the tone you want at low enough volume levels, you need an attenuator.
 
siggy14 said:
I wouldnt say useless, like when making any change you need to change your EQ. As to volume level, yes it will not change the volume level much, however it will let the power tubes go into saturation alot sooner so that is the true advantage.
No it won't. At most it will reduce the power output by half (to a minimum of about 30W if you're in Spongy/Tube mode, more in any other mode) and the breakup point of the power tubes by 3dB which is next to nothing. There is no way you can get even a 30W amp to power tube saturation at less than *massive* volume.

'House' volume is typically less than one watt. You cannot possibly get close to this low and get power tube saturation by pulling power tubes on any large amp. All you're doing is taking the same low-volume preamp distortion and amplifying it *slightly* less. Might be useful, might not be, but either way it won't involve any extra power tube saturation.
 
I called Mesa, I pulled 2 power tubes and 1 recto tube plug in the 4ohms jack and I'm good. Its not day n night but it pulled down the power f the amp for the house and the tone is the same. Thanks for help guys !!!! Love this amp.
 

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