Looking to start a second rig!!!!

So I am looking at some options for a new rig Big Mesa fan could not tell you why other then I am a Thrash metal and Metallica fan so that being said I own a mark v but would really like to branch out. I have owned just about every dual rectifier out there. I love the Mark 5 because it does so well with passive pickups. However the rectifiers are huge and fat sounding but not as tight as the Mark is there an amp out there that has the qualities of both? Tightness and big sound I love mesa but i really want to try something different I was thinking a Splawn saldono or rivera?? But i don't know much about voicings or the functions of these amps any ideas would be helpful try to feep it under 2000 please oh and something thats reliable as Mesas too let me know your thoughts i don't want to go back to EMGs but I feel they sound best with the looser rectifiers.

I have a EVH 5150iii 100 watt head. Has 3 independant channels with separate presence controls, very nice transparent effects loop, completely silent channel switching, can run a 4,8 or 16 ohm cab, extremely reliable beast under $1800.00 new. From super clean to rip your face off. Give it a shot you might dig it. Be sure to check out how awesome the sustain is. It still blows me away when ever I play it.

I'm into the same music as you and I've been down this path as well.
Huge sounding and tight are pretty hard to get out of a single amp since what it takes to get one is to eliminate the other. Do you play in a band?

Do you like to try my mark iv?

If you leave Mesa you end up coming back trust me! Try a the Mark IV. Being that Mesa's are hand wired you get slight differences from amp to amp. When you find the monster you will know what I mean. 5150 is a glorified distortion pedal. Tubes in Mesa's make a difference. V1 for sure.. No bag on Mesa but they use the best of the middle class in tube choice for obvious reasons.

Sorry for the Late reply I have a Mark 5 and no I do not play in a band currently I want to get a decent original or cover band together soon I tried a rev G with my current guitar situation and blah could be the tubes that where in it could be I am now used to the glorious mark V that amp kicks *** the only other amp that has ever sounded nearly as good is a rack mount dual rectifier which I should have kept and added a racked Mark 4 to but I am stupid and did not do that so I am here with the mark 5 for now rethinking it I am going ahead and building My bedroom tour rig complete with a rackmount tuner isp g string and some other toys I will be working on pairing with it I appreciatte the inputcompletely agree with what you guys are saying but in the end a dual head rig is too much rightnow

If you don't like Rectos, you should look elsewhere.

I've personally had great results with a recto when I outfitted all my axes with Bare Knuckle Pickups. The rig still sounds huge but it is now much tighter. 2 x 12s are also quite a bit tighter than 4 x 12s.

kippiejr said:

If you leave Mesa you end up coming back trust me! Try a the Mark IV. Being that Mesa's are hand wired you get slight differences from amp to amp. When you find the monster you will know what I mean. 5150 is a glorified distortion pedal. Tubes in Mesa's make a difference. V1 for sure.. No bag on Mesa but they use the best of the middle class in tube choice for obvious reasons.

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+1

Ive been down this road many times, I now own three Mesa amps.. I would suggest a Triaxis if your looking at a rack setup.. very versatile preamp if your starting a band, as it will cover a lot of sonic ground... Or try a tube swap, I replaced the stock Mesa tubes in my series 1 Road King with SED winged C 6l6, Genalex gold lion 12AX7s.. fat, and tight as a nuns $&%$ mate YMMV

The Bogner Atma is a great amp and a nice departure when you need a break from the Mesa sound. The Atma is relatively simple compared to the Mark V but still complex enough to maintain a guitarists interest. The video clips on Bogner's website are a good representation of the amps tone. http://www.bogneramplification.com/media-bogner/music-videos

ryjan said:

I'm into the same music as you and I've been down this path as well.
Huge sounding and tight are pretty hard to get out of a single amp since what it takes to get one is to eliminate the other. Do you play in a band?

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I agree 100%

BrentSSL said:

So I am looking at some options for a new rig Big Mesa fan could not tell you why other then I am a Thrash metal and Metallica fan so that being said I own a mark v but would really like to branch out. I have owned just about every dual rectifier out there. I love the Mark 5 because it does so well with passive pickups. However the rectifiers are huge and fat sounding but not as tight as the Mark is there an amp out there that has the qualities of both?

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Yes. A revision C Dual Rectifier. 8)

Unlike the more common 2-channel Rectifiers, the F and the G, it is actually very tight, while it still has that Recto-style overall sound. It is appreciably tighter than my Mark IIc+ but not as tight as the V can get. It is also heavier and bigger-sounding than either Mark, although not quite in the same class as an F (let alone a G).

It is not to every taste, but if it's pure unadultered thrash metal sound you're after, the Rev C gives you that straight out of the box better than any other Mesa amp I've played.

Good luck trying to find one. :wink:

Or of course you could just buy a SLO instead and get more or less the same kind of sound.

ryjan said:

Huge sounding and tight are pretty hard to get out of a single amp since what it takes to get one is to eliminate the other.

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There is wisdom in this.

That said, I believe some Diezel models have tried to achieve this - big, dark sound while relatively tight and dry at the same time. But the high-end Diezel amps have their downsides too, most notably their price and availability. And I've heard more than one Diezel owner complain that their amps didn't cut through in the band mix.