Bypassing my combo's pre-section

Hi

I have a Mesa F-50 and wonder if I can bypass it's presection and use a a Mesa rectifier studio recording pre-amp, and the best way to do it. I'm thinking of getting the rectifier studio preamp mainly for recording, but hooking it to the F-50 would be for live use.

And finally, could this give me a good tone? Forgive my ignorance.

Plug the preamp send into the F-50's effects return.

It should produce a good tone, but it may not necessarily produce the standard "Recto" tone, and you won't be able to produce authentic "Modern" sounds since that's a power amp thing and not the preamp.

As mentioned, "Modern" is a power amp thing.

See the bottom of page 7 in the manual.

http://www.mesaboogie.com/media/User Manuals/F-Series.pdf

Dom

If you use a 2ch effects loop pedal, you can switch between the amp's preamp and the preamp you buy.


Here's how:


The above image is actually mine and it shows how I've hooked up one of my preamps (I have a few) with an EQ pedal. Shown is the H&K Tubeman 2 that I own but any preamp will hook up the same.

The orange 2ch loop pedal shown (it's my actual pedal and it is a metallic fiery orange) actually has levels for each of the loop channels to adjust volumes and via a switch, both can be blended. To top it all off, via another switch, you can send the guitars clean signal direct into the amp's effect loop! How cool is that? It also has a phase switch (required when running 2 preamps simultaneously). Unfortunately, I have never seen another pedal like it. I bought it years ago from ebay and the guy who made this made some really fascinating pedals. I can't remember who it was.

If you want to get creative with 2, 3 or more preamps, just buy a pedal with more effects loops. But you'll be tap dancing. Alternatively, go midi with a midi-controlled looper (Rocktron, Voodoo Labs or RJM make effect loopers) and control all loops via a midi footswitch.

Anyway, it's another option you have to open your tonal palette.

-B