RoadKing head Vs. Roadster head

[nateb]

I did search and did find some useful information here about the Roadking and the Roadster and a lot of mixed opinions about the tone between the two. Myself and Darksaga went shopping yesterday and did try the Roadster, the JSX, and the Uberschall.

After shooting them out. We decided that the Roadster was the one. The JSX, which was a great amp but, I couldn't get into it. The Uberschall, well, lets just first say that it has a wicked distortion, probably one of the best dry distortions I have ever heard and LOUD AS FUCK! But, that was it. The Roadster was just the all around great amp from clean to lead channel and very flexable.

Now comes the question. I have found a few threads where people were going back and forward on the roadster - roadking. What was the difference between the two. They seem like pretty much identical amps when except for the routing of the effects loop on a per channel basis and how it uses the power stage. Also, are the 3 and 4 channels duplicate so basically you can have two different lead channels. We kinda ran out of time while down there.

Thanks,

Nate

[siggy14]

Big differences is the fact that you can use el34's and 6l6's at the same time, etc...

As to the channels 3 and 4, no they are different, 3 has more midrange and would be equal to the 2nd channel on a dual recto. The 4th channel is the same as 3rd channel on a dual recto.

I have heard alot of things about the roadsters, even people preferring them over the roadkings. I have had a roadking and it was great, but just to much for me. I played a roadster 1x12 combo and it sounded good but didnt have much time with it.

After the first year I am going to get a roadster, but I want them to work out all the little bugs first. For the money I would say go with the roadster.

I did search and did find some useful information here about the Roadking and the Roadster and a lot of mixed opinions about the tone between the two. Myself and Darksaga went shopping yesterday and did try the Roadster, the JSX, and the Uberschall.

After shooting them out. We decided that the Roadster was the one. The JSX, which was a great amp but, I couldn't get into it. The Uberschall, well, lets just first say that it has a wicked distortion, probably one of the best dry distortions I have ever heard and LOUD AS FUCK! But, that was it. The Roadster was just the all around great amp from clean to lead channel and very flexable.

Now comes the question. I have found a few threads where people were going back and forward on the roadster - roadking. What was the difference between the two. They seem like pretty much identical amps when except for the routing of the effects loop on a per channel basis and how it uses the power stage. Also, are the 3 and 4 channels duplicate so basically you can have two different lead channels. We kinda ran out of time while down there.

Thanks,

Nate

[nateb]

Hey Siggy,

Appreciate the reply. Just curious, what bugs?

-Nate

Big differences is the fact that you can use el34's and 6l6's at the same time, etc...

As to the channels 3 and 4, no they are different, 3 has more midrange and would be equal to the 2nd channel on a dual recto. The 4th channel is the same as 3rd channel on a dual recto.

I have heard alot of things about the roadsters, even people preferring them over the roadkings. I have had a roadking and it was great, but just to much for me. I played a roadster 1x12 combo and it sounded good but didnt have much time with it.

After the first year I am going to get a roadster, but I want them to work out all the little bugs first. For the money I would say go with the roadster.

[Robotechnology]

I like the Road King's voicings a bit more than the Roadster's. I had a Series I Road King. After one solid weekend of play with it... I fell in love. It has EVERYTHING! I only sold it to free up some cash (downsized to a Rectoverb Series II 1X12).

[sakeido]

I personally like the Roadster a lot more then the Road King, just because it is more affordable. The big difference is in the gain channels - the Road King lets you choose between EL34s and 6L6s without having to retube and a lot of different power levels so you can play 30, 60 or 120 watts to get different amounts of distortion at different volume levels.

Both amps are definitely much more worthwhile then rectifier solo heads in my opinion, just because they have tube reverb, the ability to choose effects send by channel, 50/100 watts by channel, and silicone diode/tube rectifier by channel... all tremendously useful features - and the reverb sounds amazing.

I don't know what the bugs are since I didn't have any trouble with my Roadster when I had it. Check the mesa boogie forum at http://forum.grailtone.com/ I think it is and see what is discussed on there about the roadster.

[siggy14]

On the original roadkings any amp under S/N 500 had to get a bunch of recalls.

On Version two, there was an issue with tubes or something, your best bet is to goto mesa forum and read up on them.

there are actually two versions, goto there websites and see the manuals, i believe RK2V1 had the trigger out like the originals, and RK2V2 changed the trigger out to a tuner out. I also know on the RK2 they got rid of the parallel effects loops and put in two series.

On the roadster, they have a recall too, I know so far up to S/N 616, not sure how much higher it goes. Basically they are replacing a reisister, it is nothing major so far. I have also heard a few complaints of channel 4, i just cant remember what anymore.

But always in the first year of anything there is bugs, amps, cars etc... I never buy the first year, or at least first 500 when it comes to amps unless it has been years later and there are no known issues.

Hey Siggy,

Appreciate the reply. Just curious, what bugs?

-Nate

[nateb]

Thanks alot of the information and the forum referral. I will check those out =)

-Nate