How close is the Recto Recording Pre to the real thing?

[protest]

Yeah, that's why I like it - Ch 4 is pure "Recto" but Ch 3 gets closer into Mark territory than you'd really except of a Rectifier. I don't know why - different presence voicing, maybe? - but it's a great sounding, stupidly flexible amp.

Yea, I'm pretty sure it's the presence voicings. I actually like putting it to spongy and then boosting it. Spongy kind of rolls off the top end but then the boost tightens it back up.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Okay, one more question.

Does the Roadster have the same preamp as the Road King?

You brought up Ola, and I always thought this was his best tone. His Road King video.

 

[Phantom]

The Roadster was supposed to be the "little brother" to the Road King but idk if it has the same pre. I owned the Roadster and it was a great amp, but I regretted getting rid of my regular Dual Rec for the Roadster. I think in the end it just depends on if you feel you need all the options on the Roadster. I got rid of the Roadster and went with a Mark V in the end and have been happy with that, but I would totally buy another Dual or Triple Rec again.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

That's what I'm afraid of.

I'm afraid the Roadster will give me a sound, but not THE sound.

 

[wakjob]

Have you ever played a Recto. Jazzhands?

I've played many a Boogie amp that supposedly had a Recto. inspired channel in it.
Let me tell ya, there... is... no... substitute !

The first time I played the real deal, the hair on my forearms stood on end. No joke.

Also a deal breaker for me, is that the experience only came with a Recto. 4x12 cab.
I really would like a Recto. setup, but I need another 4x12 like I need a hole in my head.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I played a Single at quiet volumes once. I liked it, but since I didn't have a chance to open it up, I didn't get a full taste. I dug it for what it was, though.

And that's exactly what I mean. I dig the raspy cut of a Recto, and I'm afraid the Roadster, being darker, won't have it.

 

[wakjob]

Dude, just that menacing pissed off grind of a TS boosted Recto. into a Rec. cab is a thing to behold at volume.

It's funny, all these past 10-12 years it seems like we've been chasing that super tight metal sound and comes so easy now with amps like the EVH and Engl.

Now I'd much prefer the fat crunch of a Recto. with the option to tighten with a boost.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

That's exactly how I feel. I wanted the thickness of a stock recto, and when I want a more modern crunch, I can use my OD pedal.

 

[Phantom]

Rectos are awesome. Like I said, I would totally buy another one, but keep my Mark because I like it more

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I've been sitting on it all day. May need a bit longer to decide, but I may just settle on a Dual Recto. The cheap ass in me doesn't want to spend A BILLIUN DOLLAHS on a retube. And in some ways, I think I actually prefer the Dual Recto.

Then again, a lot of my favorite tones were Trips.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

I've been sitting on it all day. May need a bit longer to decide, but I may just settle on a Dual Recto. The cheap ass in me doesn't want to spend A BILLIUN DOLLAHS on a retube. And in some ways, I think I actually prefer the Dual Recto.

Then again, a lot of my favorite tones were Trips.

Get the Triple. Trust me.

The Dual is cool... but the Triple slays.

The Roadster is too dark and fuzzy IMHO. Had one next to a MKV for awhile... always liked the MKV way more.

 

[Sephiroth952]

I've been sitting on it all day. May need a bit longer to decide, but I may just settle on a Dual Recto. The cheap ass in me doesn't want to spend A BILLIUN DOLLAHS on a retube. And in some ways, I think I actually prefer the Dual Recto.

Then again, a lot of my favorite tones were Trips.

You can find duals all day everyday on gc's used site for around 1-1.2k. Be able to use that convenient return policy. If a triple pops up on there it will probably be around 800, but you got to be patient.

 

[Grindspine]

How about Triaxis? I was guitar tech for guitarist that was running that and two Mesa power amps on tour and it was amazing, very rugged as well. We also tried that Recto preamp, and I think mainly the difference is that the 2:90, etc. power amps also have a preamp section into them so it won't be exactly the same sound as the heads.
We found the Triaxis more versatile and it could get other Mesa sounds, plus the digital switching was godsend.

I was lucky enough to score a Triaxis 2.0 that has the Recto board piggy-backed onto the main board.

It does lack the ability to use a tube rectifier, but with eight 6L6 tubes and modern mode on the matching 2:Ninety, it can match a triple recto for output. The Triaxis' version of the Recto also has the finicky EQ that can be hard to tame without a boost in front of it. Overall, I consider it to be a real Mesa Recto in sound and function, even if it is not in head form.

 

[Given To Fly]

Final thoughts:

Rectifier Recording Preamp - As you can see, it is not for everybody. I imagine if you were to buy the Preamp, Power amp, and Mesa cabs at the same time you would experience more "instant gratification" compared to piecing the setup together over time. This may sound obvious but most people buy everything one piece at a time and usually used because of how much money is saved.

The "Recording" aspect has not been discussed which is fine, but it is a significant part of the Preamp. If you have no plans on using it for recording, I would suggest a Dual Rectifier. I say that only because simpler is usually better and there would be too many features you would never use on Preamp.

Roadster - Other than the weight (I have the combo), I have no complaints. Quite the contrary.

 

[vick1000]

Retube on a Triple is only one pair, and one rectifier more than a dual, that's about $50 if you go Mesa tubes. Compare that to the 2:100 you were eyeballing.

 

[protest]

Jazz, check your PM.

 

[Drew]

Get the Triple. Trust me.

The Dual is cool... but the Triple slays.

The Roadster is too dark and fuzzy IMHO. Had one next to a MKV for awhile... always liked the MKV way more.

See, this is why this whole thing is so absurdly subjective.

I think the Roadster is LESS "fuzzy" than many of the Rectos I've played - the slightyl darker voicing translates into less high end fizz, as well as a more forgiving throw on the gain knob (it doesn't need to be fully saturated to sound good). We're talking about what are ultimately pretty subtle differences of course, but one man's "muddy" is another's "balanced" and all that.

If there's ANY way you can, I'd go play a whole bunch of amps before deciding. I came to the Roadster from a Single Recto, and I'd played a few other Rectos of various colors before and after in my day. The single was actually kind of an impulse buy, I'd gone into GC to look at basses and check out the Express series, and they happened to be dropping the Single from stock at that particular GC so I got it at a pretty good deal - plugged into it, had a lot more fun with it than I expected, and then just figured "what the hell, let's give it a try." I ended up really liking, but not loving the amp, whereas the first Road King I ever played (before I bought the Single) I shut it off after 20 seconds on the 4th channel because I immediately knew any longer and it was going to cost me a LOT of money I didn't have at that time.

Which, anecdotally, I don't have extensive play time on Road Kings, but at similar settings I would expect the Road King (series II) and Roadster to behave VERY similarly, and I believe they do share a preamp design.

Meanwhile, my Roadster I bought off a buddy of mine down in DC when he switched to a Stiletto, and when I went down to pick it up, he also had Recto # R00005 in his practice room on loan, from an album they'd just finished tracking. We fired up both amps with a couple different guitars, and while a sub-500 serial # 2 channel Dual is about as desirable, on paper, an amp as you can get in the Rectifier line, I hands down preferred the Roadster, at least for the sorts of tones I was chasing.

Again - different strokes for different folks. Play a whole bunch of amps, figure out which particular flavor of Recto (or even something else) you like, and then buy that.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Jazz, check your PM.

Thought about it a good bit... Gonna just get a fuggin' Triple Recto.

That's the amp I set my eyes on at the beginning. Just gonna leave it at that.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Thought about it a good bit... Gonna just get a fuggin' Triple Recto.

That's the amp I set my eyes on. Just gonna leave it at that.

Wise decision.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Thread is over.

Just bought an early 2001 Triple Recto.