NAD: Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Twenty-Five! (ow yeaahhh)

[Guitarjon]

I got a used Mesa Mini Recto head last week!

I already own a 100w Dual Rectifier but I've also really wanted a mini for ages.
They're so tiny but they really sound amazing!
I'm a huge fan of mini amps in general but this is one of the most impressive ones so far, for me personally.
It sounds really good, just as you'd expect any Recto to sound but with it's own characteristics.

I'm a sucker for modern mode and this amp does not disappoint in that area.
The low end is quite tight and the range of the presence control seems a little more gentle so this amp has a very wide useable range compared to my big Recto.
The cleans are sweet too and I love the fact that the wattage switch also changes the voicing of the amp.
Through my real cabs this amp is a little too bright on low levels but if I turn the wattage down to 10w the sound gets much more smooth and warm, perfect for low levels so that was a huge surprise for me!

Since this amp has a tight low end for a Recto it doesn't need to be boosted.
I personally perfer the sound of a Recto without boost anyway, but this added tightness definitely helps!
Of course it still sounds fuzzy and flubby (as a Recto should sound) but it does all of this in a pleasing way.
I can't wait to compare this amp to it's bigger brother very soon.

So of course I had to make a little demo.
This ons features the clean voicing for channel 1 and the modern voicing for channel 2.
For the leads I switched to the vintage mode.
Check it out:



So what do you guys think of this amp?
Anyone else own one?
If so, how are you liking it?

 

[protest]

Nice!

I really liked mine for everything but metal. The cleans and pushed mode were great and I really like the vintage mode a lot.

 

[Matt08642]

Nice! I'm not the most experienced with Mesa sounds (I've only played a handful in real life, and never at a decent volume to "experience" the amp), but it sounds good to me.

Good playing too! Nice to hear a demo on here that isn't d j e n t

 

[Guitarjon]

Nice!

I really liked mine for everything but metal. The cleans and pushed mode were great and I really like the vintage mode a lot.

Why not for metal?
Too soggy and fuzzy?

Nice! I'm not the most experienced with Mesa sounds (I've only played a handful in real life, and never at a decent volume to "experience" the amp), but it sounds good to me.

Good playing too! Nice to hear a demo on here that isn't d j e n t

Playing through a Recto or Mark at a good volume is a lot of fun man!!

 

[JK-PA]

Hell yeah!
The mini Rectos are awesome! I am extremely in love with mine.

 

[protest]

Why not for metal?
Too soggy and fuzzy?

Just not a fan of the voicing with the EL84s. I thought it worked great up to hard rock type stuff.

 

[wakjob]

Recto or Recto inspired gear is very hit & miss with me.

I originally played a V-Twin rackmount-->50/50-->4x12 rig years ago and LOVED it in the store. They told me the pedal was exactly the same. Drove 2.5 hrs. home, and plugged into my rig and was extremely disappointed. No matter what I tried that pedal with, it couldn't touch the rackmount preamp version.

Fast forward many years later, I played a Solo 50 head & cab looking for a transparent boost that day (Sparkle Drive won) and had the hairs on my arms standing on end.

A couple of years ago I tried a RectoVerb 25 combo and felt like the V-Twin pedal experience all over again... dull and lifeless.

Never cared for ANY digital recreation in the last two decades...not any of them.

Watched all the videos of the 25 watt Recto when they came out, and was put off by an Anderton's vid. The Orange Dark Terror mini was the better amp in that comparison.

Scares me away from the AMT stuff too.

IDK...this video sounds good, but I know better about what sounds good on YT, and the reality when it's in my hands.

 

[Descent]

I like mine so much that I cut my last EP with it:

http://reverbnation.com/scrollkeeper

Did actually put it against my other guitarist Dual Recto (old) and they came out quite close.

 

[Guitarjon]

I like mine so much that I cut my last EP with it:

http://reverbnation.com/scrollkeeper

Did actually put it against my other guitarist Dual Recto (old) and they came out quite close.

That was awesome man!
I'm going to compare my Recto's today.... should be fun!

 

[Descent]

Modern settings on EMG LTD guitars (both had the M-1000) thru same cabs rendered very close results.
The big one could go louder but when we dialed it to just cut above drums it was very close.

 

[c7spheres]

Recto or Recto inspired gear is very hit & miss with me.

I originally played a V-Twin rackmount-->50/50-->4x12 rig years ago and LOVED it in the store. They told me the pedal was exactly the same. Drove 2.5 hrs. home, and plugged into my rig and was extremely disappointed. No matter what I tried that pedal with, it couldn't touch the rackmount preamp version.

Fast forward many years later, I played a Solo 50 head & cab looking for a transparent boost that day (Sparkle Drive won) and had the hairs on my arms standing on end.

A couple of years ago I tried a RectoVerb 25 combo and felt like the V-Twin pedal experience all over again... dull and lifeless.

Never cared for ANY digital recreation in the last two decades...not any of them.

Watched all the videos of the 25 watt Recto when they came out, and was put off by an Anderton's vid. The Orange Dark Terror mini was the better amp in that comparison.

Scares me away from the AMT stuff too.

IDK...this video sounds good, but I know better about what sounds good on YT, and the reality when it's in my hands.

I know what you mean about the V-Twin's . I've been using the rack versions since 94. I go the pedal version as a portable rig and it isn't the same thing. It really is meant to be used in front of an amp as a compliment to a head. It can do the heavy thing quite well but it takes some work and tube changes/experimenting. I want to get another pedal someday just cause I like it, but not as my main Heavy distortion. It's perfect for bluesy/ non metal distortions though. Through it in front of a Fender Twin and you are in blues heaven for sure!I'm not sure if people know but the silver Mesa 20/20 was meant to be paired up with the V-Twin Rack originally and then the V-Twin Pedal thrown in the front end for a complete system. It works quite well and if I didn't use 2 V-twin racks and a VHT 2-50-2, I'd probably still use that setup. The 20/20 and V-twin pedal just aren't for metal, but they can do metal for sure, just not what most people want for metal tones.

I love these little amp heads. I want a collection of little heads. That Recto looks fun!

 

[Flappydoodle]

You've been on a spree! You were the "modelling" guy, and now you're the "shitload of real amps" guy haha

Only jammed on a mini recto once, in a store, and I didn't really like it. That said, I also didn't really know how to dial it in, and I couldn't crank it.

 

[Guitarjon]

Modern settings on EMG LTD guitars (both had the M-1000) thru same cabs rendered very close results.
The big one could go louder but when we dialed it to just cut above drums it was very close.

I've made my comparison and there is quite a difference between my Dual and Mini.
I can't really say which one sounds better though but I'll post the comparison on this forum soon.
The mini has more midrange 'bark' with a more grindy treble range while the big one has a more scooped sound with slightly more smooth highs and bigger lows.

I know what you mean about the V-Twin's . I've been using the rack versions since 94. I go the pedal version as a portable rig and it isn't the same thing. It really is meant to be used in front of an amp as a compliment to a head. It can do the heavy thing quite well but it takes some work and tube changes/experimenting. I want to get another pedal someday just cause I like it, but not as my main Heavy distortion. It's perfect for bluesy/ non metal distortions though. Through it in front of a Fender Twin and you are in blues heaven for sure!I'm not sure if people know but the silver Mesa 20/20 was meant to be paired up with the V-Twin Rack originally and then the V-Twin Pedal thrown in the front end for a complete system. It works quite well and if I didn't use 2 V-twin racks and a VHT 2-50-2, I'd probably still use that setup. The 20/20 and V-twin pedal just aren't for metal, but they can do metal for sure, just not what most people want for metal tones.

I love these little amp heads. I want a collection of little heads. That Recto looks fun!

I have never really tried a V-Twin, are they recto-like?

You've been on a spree! You were the "modelling" guy, and now you're the "shitload of real amps" guy haha

Only jammed on a mini recto once, in a store, and I didn't really like it. That said, I also didn't really know how to dial it in, and I couldn't crank it.

It's pretty nuts, I know, but it sounds soooo good.
I guess I was without tube amps for too long.

 

[Descent]

V-Twin - you mean the pedal preamp by Boogie? Those things were fantastic, never made sense why they discontinued.

 

[c7spheres]

I've made my comparison and there is quite a difference between my Dual and Mini.


I have never really tried a V-Twin, are they recto-like?

Short answer: No
Long answer: a little bit, but no.
Longer answer:
-They can do a Recto-like heavy distortion sound and do have that similar spongyness feel and fizzy top end. I'd say it's not as tight or as midsy as the MiniRecto or a Big Recto and also less forgiving in playing sloppyness, which I know sounds contradictory but it is. It can get better cleans, dirty, and chunk than a Recto, in my opinion, and the heavy is debatable. I like it more, but most people probably won't cause it doesn't have that throaty mid sound like Rectos or 5150's etc.
-People say it has the Recto's preamp section and it just doesn't. It's it's own thing. I've tried an actual Recto preamp and that is really a lot like a Recto, almost perfectly. I ended up selling it and sticking with my V-Twin cause of personal preference. If you want the ultimate Recto sound with versatility the Recto Preamp and 2:100 is the greatest combination. I like that setup a lot more than an actual Recto Head.
-Back to the V-Twin Rack; It also matters a lot what power section you pair it up with. I've ran mine with everything from Peavey 50/50, Mesa 20/20, 50/50, 2:90 and Vht 2-50-2. The Peavey 50/50 sounds really good but a bit flat (not like audiophile flat, like a bit nothing special, though that amp is incredible, it just didn't inspire me). The Peavey just doesn't translate the dynamics enough with it. The Mesa 50/50 and 2:90 sound great but it's almost impossible to dial out all the low end on those amps with this unit. I always thought those amps needed a low control on them. The 20/20 sounds incredible with it and was originally even voiced for the V-Twin rack, form what I understand, but it lacks a bit in the low end department, and also can break up a bit to soon for metal stuff, as it has the clip-able power section like a Fender or something. All the amps sound great with it but have their advantages and drawbacks depending on what works for you, and also what levels and how many cabs you play with etc. The 2-50-2 fits the bill for me in every dept and I can dial in what I like with it at any volume.
- The pedal and rack are different sounding from each other. There's even 2 different pedal versions as well which also sound different. Version one is a bit more open sounding, v2 is a bit compressed sounding. They are both great pedals. Compared to the rack there is no comparison as a stand alone preamp. The pedals are great but not as a main tone for heavy sounds. They really are best when paired up with another amp. I do love the pedals though. They are perfect if you're a blues/classic rock guy. They work wonders as lead boosts too. See my post above for more pedal info.
- Over the last 25 years I've been using this unit I have tried out many different amps and heads etc and I keep coming back to the V-Twin. It just works for me. If you're a metal tone chaser, this may not be the unit for you, though it can do metal. If you're a blues guy or jazz guy and know how to dial an amp in then pair this up with the 20/20 and a small cab and welcome to heaven. I use it for all types of tones and like them all, including the metal tones.
- It's funny how the V-Twin Rack is like the bastard child nobody seems to know about. It's not even on Mesa's website as having existed, but the pedal version is. I have a conspiracy theory that something went down with this unit that is no longer talked about. Keep it secret, keep it safe.

 

[c7spheres]

@Guitarjon , If you're interested I posted a section on my rig recently in the Random PIcs of your Rig thread. I talk a bit about it there and there's pictures too.

 

[Guitarjon]

@Guitarjon , If you're interested I posted a section on my rig recently in the Random PIcs of your Rig thread. I talk a bit about it there and there's pictures too.

Awesome!
Thanks for the detailed explanation as well.
A friend of mine has the pedal so I better try that out one day.
I guess I'm more of an amp guy rather than a pedal/preamp guy but it could be fun to own one if it sounds good

 

[Descent]

Yeah, the V-Twin was a great pedal. I let one slip past my fingers as another guitarist friend was selling his. At the time I had the Sansamp TRI-OD which was similar so didn't think I'd need another one, few years later I have a bunch of different flavor pres for recording

 

[Spinedriver]

Yeah, the V-Twin was a great pedal. I let one slip past my fingers as another guitarist friend was selling his. At the time I had the Sansamp TRI-OD which was similar so didn't think I'd need another one, few years later I have a bunch of different flavor pres for recording

I had one a long time ago as well. I ended up selling it for other gear but I agree that tone wise it was pretty decent but like others have said, it just didn't have enough gain for my liking.
That being said, it sounded pretty great when I used it with my bass rig.

 

[Descent]

Yeah, it was a touch less gain than what I wanted as well.
Now in retrospect, I think it had more gain than what I play with nowadays...LOL