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iamqman « Little bit British a lot of American »
Published on 11/07/11 at 10:20We had one of these in my band and so I got to spend some good time with it. I go back and forth sometimes between Marshall grind and a Mesa grind. I love the way the amp responds and feels when pushing some air through one of their recto cabs. These amps are built like a tank and sound so sweet when cranking that gain up. One thing that always gets me is the headroom in the gain knob. I never really need to turn it up past 6 since they saturate so easily. The custom color combo on this amp is a little like an old JCM 800 which is cool and gives it a little more cool factor.
I have used El34's and 6L6 's in Dual Rectos, Mark lll, Mark V, and the Coli I used to own. Depending on the day I will give you a different answer but I probably lean towards the 6L6's in the Mesa amps. They have so much gain on tap that I feel like I need to get the power section a little more headroom and glassy sound to which El34 will probably give more distortion since they break up early. However, you will get more midrange than the 6L6's if that's your thing. Again it probably depends on what music I'm listening to will determine which tube I prefer. Such a great feature being able to switch power tubes in and out without even biasing the amp. Which is another great feature not having to shell out money for a bias rite or taking it to a amp tech to bias the amp.
UTILIZATION
I really don't understand the problem people have with not being able to dial these amps in correctly. So I have heard others say. I see how the Mark series amps can through you for a loop if you are used to Fenders or Marshalls. The rectos are very easy to dial in. They are very versatile with the option of Raw, Modern, and Vintage and Diode and Tube Tracking on the back. There are so many options to tailor your tone in the way you feel comfortable with. Then or course your have the option to cut the power down to 50 watts which is nice as well.
SOUNDS
Sounds9/10
I love the sound of a Recto. One is a staple tone in modern rock music. Nothing really sounds like a recto and a recto has that saturation that is immediately noticeable when compared to an JCM800. My personal favorite setting is the high gain channel on the modern mode. To me that is where this amp come alive and does what it was built to do. Don't get me wrong the clean are fantastic but this thing was made to get up and gallop like a American muscle car.
It is a very forgiving amp as well when switched to the spongy mode. It gives a very forgiving sag that makes you want to play fast. Switch it to the bold mode and the amp becomes tighter and more focused. Good for dropped tunings and more modern music that need the speed while remaining tight.
I used this with a Les Paul exclusively and a Recto 4x12 cab with V30's in it. The cab was slant cab and i ran some delays and such in the loop. matching this amp up with a recto cab is essential. I don't fell it can do what it was created to do with a Marshall 4x12. The speakers to me make a difference as well. For me you really need the V30's with this amp.
OVERALL OPINION
The recto is an amp any guitar player would own. So many records and professionals have used this amp for their main tone. Much like the Mark series and the Roadster and Road King this is a heavy modern rock amp. It can do some bluesy stuff too so it does not hold anything back. Given the chance to pick one up on the used market I definitely would pull the trigger. I think this is a great buy with the options and features that exist with it.
I have used El34's and 6L6 's in Dual Rectos, Mark lll, Mark V, and the Coli I used to own. Depending on the day I will give you a different answer but I probably lean towards the 6L6's in the Mesa amps. They have so much gain on tap that I feel like I need to get the power section a little more headroom and glassy sound to which El34 will probably give more distortion since they break up early. However, you will get more midrange than the 6L6's if that's your thing. Again it probably depends on what music I'm listening to will determine which tube I prefer. Such a great feature being able to switch power tubes in and out without even biasing the amp. Which is another great feature not having to shell out money for a bias rite or taking it to a amp tech to bias the amp.
UTILIZATION
I really don't understand the problem people have with not being able to dial these amps in correctly. So I have heard others say. I see how the Mark series amps can through you for a loop if you are used to Fenders or Marshalls. The rectos are very easy to dial in. They are very versatile with the option of Raw, Modern, and Vintage and Diode and Tube Tracking on the back. There are so many options to tailor your tone in the way you feel comfortable with. Then or course your have the option to cut the power down to 50 watts which is nice as well.
SOUNDS
Sounds9/10
I love the sound of a Recto. One is a staple tone in modern rock music. Nothing really sounds like a recto and a recto has that saturation that is immediately noticeable when compared to an JCM800. My personal favorite setting is the high gain channel on the modern mode. To me that is where this amp come alive and does what it was built to do. Don't get me wrong the clean are fantastic but this thing was made to get up and gallop like a American muscle car.
It is a very forgiving amp as well when switched to the spongy mode. It gives a very forgiving sag that makes you want to play fast. Switch it to the bold mode and the amp becomes tighter and more focused. Good for dropped tunings and more modern music that need the speed while remaining tight.
I used this with a Les Paul exclusively and a Recto 4x12 cab with V30's in it. The cab was slant cab and i ran some delays and such in the loop. matching this amp up with a recto cab is essential. I don't fell it can do what it was created to do with a Marshall 4x12. The speakers to me make a difference as well. For me you really need the V30's with this amp.
OVERALL OPINION
The recto is an amp any guitar player would own. So many records and professionals have used this amp for their main tone. Much like the Mark series and the Roadster and Road King this is a heavy modern rock amp. It can do some bluesy stuff too so it does not hold anything back. Given the chance to pick one up on the used market I definitely would pull the trigger. I think this is a great buy with the options and features that exist with it.