Mesa Mini Rectoverb

guitarfishbay

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Rectifier_Series/Rectoverb_25/Rectoverb_25.html

I reckon this will be a good product for Mesa as the addition of a spring reverb tank will probably help them capture some sales from other expensive low wattage amps.  I can't help but think a lot of people were hoping for a mini Mark series amp at the same price point instead though!

guitargeek62

:O That settles it, I'd already decided on a Mini Recto as my next big purchase. If this isn't much more then I'll go for this one instead!

That said, it's still pretty tempting to grab a used Mini and a Strymon... B-)

*edit* hmm, combo time;

guitarfishbay

I reckon probably sell more as combos than as heads.  

fretmeister

It will be stupid money. I had a mini rec, but it didn't sound like my old dual rec did.

octatonic

fretmeister said:

It will be stupid money. I had a mini rec, but it didn't sound like my old dual rec did.

Ditto.

Mini rec lasted a weekend- I sent it back.

guitargeek62

Oh. But did it sound good in it's own right? I've not heard one in person yet

octatonic

guitargeek62 said:

Oh. But did it sound good in it's own right? I've not heard one in person yet

Didn't do it for me- but I decided that what I like requires wattage.

fretmeister

I didn't like it at all. Nothing like what a Rectifier should sound like. Drive channel was lacking in balls and the clean channel has no sparkle.

ICBM

I didn't really like it either, other than as a curiosity because it was so small. It was astoundingly loud for 25W when it was cranked, which was the main thing it had going for it, but I thought it had a rather harsh tone with no depth to it.

What I like about the proper Dual Rectifiers is less the in-your-face aggression that they're mostly known for, and more the big open mid-gain sounds and jangly cleans which I think they do better than any other high-gain amp. (I know I may be in a minority here!)

I don't like the normal Rectoverb either - that may be surprising since the Trem-o-verb is my favourite amp ever, but they're not actually that similar. The Rectoverb has a cleaner but much less interesting clean channel and a tighter but smaller-sounding dirty channel, and the reverb is terrible. Although it looks like the mini one actually has valve reverb…

I'd be interested to give it a try but there's no way I'll be buying a new one at whatever ridiculous price it is.

Drew_TNBD

Would rather have a EVH5153-50watt
:ar!

guitarfishbay

ICBM said:

I didn't really like it either, other than as a curiosity because it was so small. It was astoundingly loud for 25W when it was cranked, which was the main thing it had going for it, but I thought it had a rather harsh tone with no depth to it.

What I like about the proper Dual Rectifiers is less the in-your-face aggression that they're mostly known for, and more the big open mid-gain sounds and jangly cleans which I think they do better than any other high-gain amp. (I know I may be in a minority here!)

I don't like the normal Rectoverb either - that may be surprising since the Trem-o-verb is my favourite amp ever, but they're not actually that similar. The Rectoverb has a cleaner but much less interesting clean channel and a tighter but smaller-sounding dirty channel, and the reverb is terrible. Although it looks like the mini one actually has valve reverb…

I'd be interested to give it a try but there's no way I'll be buying a new one at whatever ridiculous price it is.

Haven't tried a Rectoverb, but I think my Roadster sounds noticeably better at 100 watts than it does at 50, and I've heard a Dual compared to a Single and the Single just doesn't have the same depth, so a decent amount of that might be power section again (same reason the Mini sounds small).

Drew_fx said:

Would rather have a EVH5153-50watt
:ar!

Agreed.  Though I'd still get the 100 over the 50 if there was a used one available.  I'm surprised you've lasted this long with the 50, I thought the shared volumes thing was going to drive you nuts.

Drew_TNBD

Well it isn't perfect, but I am figuring some things out. I am probably going to either get the amp modded, or use a modeller for my clean tones. But I love the high-gain tones, so am prepared to do something in order to make it work. I know I don't want the weight of the 100-watt, that much is certain. Now that I've actually found a 50-watt amp that doesn't sound like bees in a jar, I seriously doubt whether 100-watts is necessary anymore.

I bought a GSP1101 which is quite nice in 4-cable method, but the midi switching isn't ideal and I don't really like the amp sims through the power section, so it isn't really doing the clean tones for me. But as a noise gate and post amp delay and reverb, it's really good.

(Sorry for the derail!)

ThePrettyDamned

I'm assuming the 5153 50 watter is near identical to the Peavey 6505+ 60 watt combo amp. If so, a great way if getting a clean channel (proper clean, not the half arsed one that is so much quieter!) with its own eq is to run an Amt f1 into it. The Amt p2 is actually so close to sounding identical, you could bypass the whole valve pre, but as you're stupidly happy with the sound, I'd just get an f1. Run a line selector (?) so one goes into the crunch channel in front of the amp, and balance that for crunch and lead. Then have the second line going into the f1, then into the effects return. It's probably not the prettiest solution, but it'll sound great and save modding the amp. In truth, it's so constructed for gain and crunch, I don't know if it could be modded for an independent clean with separate master..

Drew_TNBD

There is a simple resistor change that some guys have done, and they've said it raised the volume of the clean channel significantly. But your idea is a good one too.

fretmeister

Not played a 5153 yet, but the demos sound much closer to my old RevG 2 channel Dual Rec than the Mini-Rec does.

And at a more sensible price.

guitarfishbay

Drew_fx said:

Well it isn't perfect, but I am figuring some things out. I am probably going to either get the amp modded, or use a modeller for my clean tones. But I love the high-gain tones, so am prepared to do something in order to make it work. I know I don't want the weight of the 100-watt, that much is certain. Now that I've actually found a 50-watt amp that doesn't sound like bees in a jar, I seriously doubt whether 100-watts is necessary anymore.

I don't see the weight as an issue personally.  If I'm using a valve amp head I'm also likely to be using a 4x12 cabinet, or at the very least a 2x12 one.  A 100 watt head in a flight case is probably about the same weight as my 2x12 but an easier shape to move (for me), and still significantly lighter than a 4x12.  If you get a flightcase with handles at either side it can be a 2 man job too.  

Just as a YMMV disclaimer for anyone else reading - I'd only recommend a flightcase with end handles if you've got a decent wingspan or else you probably won't be able to lift it on your own if you ever need to, the bassist and second guitarist in my band don't have long enough arms to lift my head flightcase on their own.  They're 5 foot 7 ish, I'm 6 foot.

ThePrettyDamned said:

I'm assuming the 5153 50 watter is near identical to the Peavey 6505+ 60 watt combo amp. If so, a great way if getting a clean channel (proper clean, not the half arsed one that is so much quieter!) with its own eq is to run an Amt f1 into it. The Amt p2 is actually so close to sounding identical, you could bypass the whole valve pre, but as you're stupidly happy with the sound, I'd just get an f1. Run a line selector (?) so one goes into the crunch channel in front of the amp, and balance that for crunch and lead. Then have the second line going into the f1, then into the effects return. It's probably not the prettiest solution, but it'll sound great and save modding the amp. In truth, it's so constructed for gain and crunch, I don't know if it could be modded for an independent clean with separate master..

The EVH clean channel is totally different.  It is actually a really good clean channel, especially considering it is from a high gain amp. 

The AMT F1 idea could work if Drew could get all his other FX to work with that chain.  The P2 direct to power amp would only really give him the lead channel and a clean though, which is a shame as the crunch channel on the EVH is fantastic too.

If you haven't tried an EVH head but like the 6505 I'd definitely recommend giving one a go.  They basically kept the spirit of the lead channel but gave it a better clean and slightly more classic sounding crunch channel.  Also, the EVH feels tighter on the lead channel.  I don't think I'd be running a boost with the EVH lead channel, it felt super tight already when I tried it.

guitarfishbay

fretmeister said:

Not played a 5153 yet, but the demos sound much closer to my old RevG 2 channel Dual Rec than the Mini-Rec does.

And at a more sensible price.

At the price of the EVH 50 and Mini Rec I'd get the 50 EVH for sure, but then again the Mini Rec isn't powerful enough to do what I want and the EVH 50 is.

The EVHs are superb amps and you can get fairly close to a 'boosted Recto Modern' tone from them on the lead channel - and arguably it is voiced even more suitably for live use if you want to cut through against rather than sit behind vocals (as a simplified generalisation).  But the EVH amps do not sag the same way as a Dual Rec if that is a characteristic you like, and you can't get them (or I couldn't, to be more accurate) to loosen up and get that massive soft+warm mid gain tone like ICBM alluded to in his post.

I honestly tried them with an open mind to switching from a Mesa Roadster (for recording + gigs where I bring my own cab, that head is very picky about cabs) and a Laney Ironheart (for gigs where I use other cabs, it isn't very picky, sounds decent and I got it cheap s/h) to an EVH 100.  I came away thinking that the EVH could replace the Ironheart but could not replace my Roadster as there are tones that it can't do and the Roadster can - more importantly they are tones I like and use for recording with even if I don't currently use them live.  These were all tones at the softer end of the 'gain' spectrum (not clean), if you're a straight up rock player that wants to cut through a live mix then I'd probably just head straight to an EVH and skip a Mesa altogether these days.  As always YMMV.

Ultimately long term I do want an EVH.  If I get one for live to replace the Ironheart it has to be the 100 for my tastes and requirements, if I get it for recording only I'd probably get the 50 (and keep the Roadster) unless a killer deal came around for a 100.  Beyond that the only other 'amp' I'm interested in these days is a Kemper - once they've 'finished' it and you can just buy a Kemper + Kemper footswitch in a shop and take it home and edit your live rig and switching easily on a computer screen and call it quits*.

* = GAS get out clause.

Drew_TNBD

Find myself agreeing with GFB quite a lot in these sorts of threads!

(As an aside some guy offer me a straight swap for my Marshall and his Kemper; I was going to do it, but he then said he'd sold it already - mailed him back like 30 seconds after his email arrived, so I'm calling bullshit on that one and that he just had a change of heart)

ThePrettyDamned

GFB, I'll definitely try a 5153 out sometime.  Not that I can afford an amp at all, but so far they've all been identical to the Peavey amps, so this would be the first change (and, from what I've heard, it definitely is a more radical change, though I suspect the lead and crunch are either identical or very closely voiced, especially the lead).  

Also, the 5153 50 watter is one good looking amp...

Drew, if the mod is easy, cheap and reversible, I'd try it, it'll save you needing to rewire all your effects etc.  And definitely post a results video on here

guitarfishbay

There are video clips of this thing up btw.  Here are the ones I found more interesting, there are 11 in total (rest are here   ).  As before, I don't think the mini sounds like a proper Rectifier when it comes to high gain but I do think this will be a good product for Mesa compared to other expensive low wattage amps with reverb.

Plus there is a rack option.

rockmonster

A mate of mine has a mini rec and loves it. I've been using a 100 EVH III for a couple of years now. I rate them over several booteek amps. It's nice to see some of you guys finally catching on to them! =D>