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So I was on the borderline of selling my rectifier and switching it for a framus or something, but somebody convinced me to change the tubes and get a boost pedal and give it one last try. I was skeptical, especially since I couldn't find the tubes they recommended me to get locally (EL-34Ls). I ended up getting Mesa Boogie EL-34s in a matched quartet along with a Maxon OD-808 overdrive pedal (the good version of an Ibanez Tube Screamer) and went home to see if I could get "my" sound out my dual rectifier.
And I sure as hell did. First I tried just the OD808 running into the mesa with the normal 6L6 tubes. It did tighten things up a lot and added a wicked sizzle to the sound. I was able to get the serious crunch I wanted even turning the gain way down. This in turn tightened up the amp a lot as I was no longer in the last quarter of the dial's range, which just adds some sizzle and makes things sloppy. But the sound stayed almost the same, with the bottom end having this sick chunky sound. Even better was how much more crunch I had in the high end, because usually palm mutes on the top three strings sounded pretty weak before they could still bark pretty good when I had the OD808 going.
Then I changed the tubes from the 6L6s to the EL34s. This was when I really got excited. I plugged it in, and tried it out. Fucking Awesome is all I have to say about that. With the 808 going, every channel sounded absolutely amazing. The amp was super tight, not quite like a MarkIV, but definitely closer to that kind of sound then the normal rectifier sound I had gotten tired of. Better yet, not only the modern settings sounded good - with the EL34s, the vintage setting on channels 2 & 3 gets so much more character and growl that they actually sound good, which I thought was impossible. The raw setting on channel 2 also sounds great - now I can play old classic rock with a pretty convincing sound, and if I switch to the neck pickup I've got more of a Hendrix kind of vibe going on then the stupid fuzz (think Helter Skelter) the vintage and raw modes were before.
Even better is the clean channel actually works now! While there is still a volume deficit compared to the other channels, it doesn't have this crappy dark grumbling sound like it did with the 6L6s. Its got some actual character and while it is not great, and I will still probably buy another head to handle my cleans in the future, it is good enough that I could use it and people won't be wondering what the hell I am trying to accomplish with such a crappy tone.
Having a pedal to handle the boost is also totally kickass. I can toggle it in the vintage mode to get an extra little kick that puts me from crunchy rhythym tones to a sizzling lead tone, and if I use it on the clean channel it gets this perfect sound that is pretty comparable to the tone Jimmy Page had going in Black Dog.
Cole's Notes: If you've got a Rectifier, do yourself a favor and get EL34s and a boost pedal... it sounds fucking awesome. Clips coming later, so you can A/B my old clips with 6L6 tubes and no boost and the El34s with a boost.
And I sure as hell did. First I tried just the OD808 running into the mesa with the normal 6L6 tubes. It did tighten things up a lot and added a wicked sizzle to the sound. I was able to get the serious crunch I wanted even turning the gain way down. This in turn tightened up the amp a lot as I was no longer in the last quarter of the dial's range, which just adds some sizzle and makes things sloppy. But the sound stayed almost the same, with the bottom end having this sick chunky sound. Even better was how much more crunch I had in the high end, because usually palm mutes on the top three strings sounded pretty weak before they could still bark pretty good when I had the OD808 going.
Then I changed the tubes from the 6L6s to the EL34s. This was when I really got excited. I plugged it in, and tried it out. Fucking Awesome is all I have to say about that. With the 808 going, every channel sounded absolutely amazing. The amp was super tight, not quite like a MarkIV, but definitely closer to that kind of sound then the normal rectifier sound I had gotten tired of. Better yet, not only the modern settings sounded good - with the EL34s, the vintage setting on channels 2 & 3 gets so much more character and growl that they actually sound good, which I thought was impossible. The raw setting on channel 2 also sounds great - now I can play old classic rock with a pretty convincing sound, and if I switch to the neck pickup I've got more of a Hendrix kind of vibe going on then the stupid fuzz (think Helter Skelter) the vintage and raw modes were before.
Even better is the clean channel actually works now! While there is still a volume deficit compared to the other channels, it doesn't have this crappy dark grumbling sound like it did with the 6L6s. Its got some actual character and while it is not great, and I will still probably buy another head to handle my cleans in the future, it is good enough that I could use it and people won't be wondering what the hell I am trying to accomplish with such a crappy tone.
Having a pedal to handle the boost is also totally kickass. I can toggle it in the vintage mode to get an extra little kick that puts me from crunchy rhythym tones to a sizzling lead tone, and if I use it on the clean channel it gets this perfect sound that is pretty comparable to the tone Jimmy Page had going in Black Dog.
Cole's Notes: If you've got a Rectifier, do yourself a favor and get EL34s and a boost pedal... it sounds fucking awesome. Clips coming later, so you can A/B my old clips with 6L6 tubes and no boost and the El34s with a boost.
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