fluff191
Well-known member
There are ALOT of the same threads going up about the same things and thought maybe an all encompassing thread would help :lol:
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Q: What's the best cab for my Recto?
A: Without going in to too much detail, ANY Mesa Boogie cab (2x12, 4x12, 1x12) will be better than 90% of the rest of the cabs you have ever even heard of in terms of build quality and construction. An exception would be a Mills Acoustics cab. And no, your Marshall doesn't come close to a Mesa cab. Construction is everything and has a huge effect on the sound.
Q: How do I sound like __________ ?
A: Simply, you can't. Tone is in your fingers. But you may be able to get close. Start by setting all your tone controls to NOON (12:00) as a starting point and go from there. It may take hours, it may take days. And no, you can't just go buy an overdrive pedal to make things magically better.
Q: OMG My amp doesn't sound good/doesn't make sound/sounds funny! What do I do?
A: 99% of the time something goes wrong with your amplifier (while being used under normal conditions i.e. not beer has been spilt inside it, etc.) a tube is or has failed. Your friendly Mesa Boogie manual has troubleshooting tips to help you fix your amp without having to send it in to a tech. Cool huh?
Q: My amp gets quiet and then loud (rolling volume). What could be the cause?
A: Check to see if your Cathode Follower preamp positions (typically V3 & V4 on most Rectifiers) have Russian tubes. If they do, try installing some Chinese preamp tubes. 90% of the time, this will solve your volume roll issue.
Q: My 3 Channel Recto 'pops' when I switch channels after first turning it on? Is this normal?
A: Yes. Totally normal.
Q: What speakers are best for my Recto?
A: Mesa Boogie likes Celestion Vintage 30's and C90's. Outside of that YouTube is a wonderful way to research different speakers config's but at the end of the day just trying some different kinds will help you to decide. No, we here on the Forum can not just simply tell you what to pick.
Q: Do ________ brand tubes sound good with my amp?
A: Again, this is very subjective and trying different tubes in your preamp and power section is a good way to really know what you want out of your amp. Electro-Harmonix, Shuguang, Tung-Sol and Ruby are all popular choices for Mesa amps. But if you want your Recto to sound more like your old 5150 you had in college, save everyone some time and sell your Recto and buy a 5150.
Q: What kind of tubes are currently in my Mesa amp?
A: Mesa currently offers JJ preamp tubes that are branded as Mesa and Chinese 6L6 power tubes as O.E. equipment in today's Rectifiers.
Q: Which is better? Roadster, 3 Channel Recto, 2 Channel Recto, Road King, 2010 Recto, Single Recto, etc.?
A: That, like tubes, speakers and guitars, is all subjective. What are you looking for? Versatility? Brutal metal? Blues rock? Half the battle is just knowing what you want out of your guitar tone and the rest will come.
Q: Why can't I get a good 'cranked' tone out of my Triple Rectifier at bedroom volumes?
A: This is like buying a vintage muscle car for your 6 year old to play with in the backyard: Doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If you plan on playing in your bedroom, Line6, Guitar Rig, etc. all offer great computer-based amp simulation so volume isn't such an issue. But if you insist on having an actual Recto for your bedroom, check out the Single Rectifier series of amps or a power attenuator.
Q: Can I pull (4) power tubes out of my Triple Recto to make it 50 watts so I can play in my bedroom?
A: No.
Q: Do I really nede to buy matched power tubes?
A: Yes. You bought a tube amp. They require matched sets to operate properly. Don't skimp on the most important part of the amp.
Q: If I ditch my Crate 4x12 and get a Mesa 2x12, will my amp sound better?
A: Yes.
Q: I can't seem to get enough gain out of my Recto. Is there something wrong?
A: Yes. You may need to go back to your Line 6 Spider combo.
Q: How do I use a boost?
A: 'Boosting' is generally referred to as the act of getting an overdrive pedal (not a distortion pedal) and putting it after your guitar and before the input jack of your amp (i.e. not in the effects loop). This is generally done to 'tighten' the attack and feel of your guitar and to give more sustain for solos, etc. An important distinction is an overdrive does just that: it over drives your amp, meaning it gives it more signal than your guitar is capable of. A distortion is generally used when there is little gain available on the amp itself (think of a Fender Twin or something). The most popular (but not only) use for an over drive is setting the Volume FULL and turning the Gain OFF. This will give you the cleanest boost.
Q: What boost pedal should I get?
A: While there are literally hundreds of boost/overdrive pedals on the market, a few really seem to work well with the Rectifier series. The most popular would be the Maxon OD808, but other great OD's include the Fulltone OCD (my personal fav), Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, Boss SD-1 Overdrive, and if you are on a budget the Digitech Bad Monkey is a great sounding pedal for little money.
Here is a video I made comparing the OCD and the Maxon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ4m_m-Szqw
More to come!
--------------------------------------------
Q: What's the best cab for my Recto?
A: Without going in to too much detail, ANY Mesa Boogie cab (2x12, 4x12, 1x12) will be better than 90% of the rest of the cabs you have ever even heard of in terms of build quality and construction. An exception would be a Mills Acoustics cab. And no, your Marshall doesn't come close to a Mesa cab. Construction is everything and has a huge effect on the sound.
Q: How do I sound like __________ ?
A: Simply, you can't. Tone is in your fingers. But you may be able to get close. Start by setting all your tone controls to NOON (12:00) as a starting point and go from there. It may take hours, it may take days. And no, you can't just go buy an overdrive pedal to make things magically better.
Q: OMG My amp doesn't sound good/doesn't make sound/sounds funny! What do I do?
A: 99% of the time something goes wrong with your amplifier (while being used under normal conditions i.e. not beer has been spilt inside it, etc.) a tube is or has failed. Your friendly Mesa Boogie manual has troubleshooting tips to help you fix your amp without having to send it in to a tech. Cool huh?
Q: My amp gets quiet and then loud (rolling volume). What could be the cause?
A: Check to see if your Cathode Follower preamp positions (typically V3 & V4 on most Rectifiers) have Russian tubes. If they do, try installing some Chinese preamp tubes. 90% of the time, this will solve your volume roll issue.
Q: My 3 Channel Recto 'pops' when I switch channels after first turning it on? Is this normal?
A: Yes. Totally normal.
Q: What speakers are best for my Recto?
A: Mesa Boogie likes Celestion Vintage 30's and C90's. Outside of that YouTube is a wonderful way to research different speakers config's but at the end of the day just trying some different kinds will help you to decide. No, we here on the Forum can not just simply tell you what to pick.
Q: Do ________ brand tubes sound good with my amp?
A: Again, this is very subjective and trying different tubes in your preamp and power section is a good way to really know what you want out of your amp. Electro-Harmonix, Shuguang, Tung-Sol and Ruby are all popular choices for Mesa amps. But if you want your Recto to sound more like your old 5150 you had in college, save everyone some time and sell your Recto and buy a 5150.
Q: What kind of tubes are currently in my Mesa amp?
A: Mesa currently offers JJ preamp tubes that are branded as Mesa and Chinese 6L6 power tubes as O.E. equipment in today's Rectifiers.
Q: Which is better? Roadster, 3 Channel Recto, 2 Channel Recto, Road King, 2010 Recto, Single Recto, etc.?
A: That, like tubes, speakers and guitars, is all subjective. What are you looking for? Versatility? Brutal metal? Blues rock? Half the battle is just knowing what you want out of your guitar tone and the rest will come.
Q: Why can't I get a good 'cranked' tone out of my Triple Rectifier at bedroom volumes?
A: This is like buying a vintage muscle car for your 6 year old to play with in the backyard: Doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If you plan on playing in your bedroom, Line6, Guitar Rig, etc. all offer great computer-based amp simulation so volume isn't such an issue. But if you insist on having an actual Recto for your bedroom, check out the Single Rectifier series of amps or a power attenuator.
Q: Can I pull (4) power tubes out of my Triple Recto to make it 50 watts so I can play in my bedroom?
A: No.
Q: Do I really nede to buy matched power tubes?
A: Yes. You bought a tube amp. They require matched sets to operate properly. Don't skimp on the most important part of the amp.
Q: If I ditch my Crate 4x12 and get a Mesa 2x12, will my amp sound better?
A: Yes.
Q: I can't seem to get enough gain out of my Recto. Is there something wrong?
A: Yes. You may need to go back to your Line 6 Spider combo.
Q: How do I use a boost?
A: 'Boosting' is generally referred to as the act of getting an overdrive pedal (not a distortion pedal) and putting it after your guitar and before the input jack of your amp (i.e. not in the effects loop). This is generally done to 'tighten' the attack and feel of your guitar and to give more sustain for solos, etc. An important distinction is an overdrive does just that: it over drives your amp, meaning it gives it more signal than your guitar is capable of. A distortion is generally used when there is little gain available on the amp itself (think of a Fender Twin or something). The most popular (but not only) use for an over drive is setting the Volume FULL and turning the Gain OFF. This will give you the cleanest boost.
Q: What boost pedal should I get?
A: While there are literally hundreds of boost/overdrive pedals on the market, a few really seem to work well with the Rectifier series. The most popular would be the Maxon OD808, but other great OD's include the Fulltone OCD (my personal fav), Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, Boss SD-1 Overdrive, and if you are on a budget the Digitech Bad Monkey is a great sounding pedal for little money.
Here is a video I made comparing the OCD and the Maxon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ4m_m-Szqw
More to come!