Time to stop kidding myself about Dual Rectos

[SEAN RAF]

I know a lot of you people here are divided in opinion about the Dual Rectifier, and now I'm starting to side with the against camp. I've had mine (3 channel Solo head) from new since January 2005 and I still can't get it to sound like I want it to. The bass is too loose and the gain is too fizzy, no matter what I do, it never alters these unfortunate facts.

In the time I've had mine, I've ran it on EL34's, replaced with new 6L6's and new 12AX7's, joined every nerdy web forum about tone in the hope of someone having a solution, ran it with EQ's and put every stomp box through the front end (the closest result was using the Line 6 Ubermetal...I know!!), all to no avail.

So what replaces it? Any ideas?

[Inearthed]

What guitar are you using with what pickups and what tuning?
What cab are you using?
How loud is the Mesa when you're playing?
What are your full settings on the amp (including the stuff on the back)?

[quiksilver]

I can never get a Mesa to sound good, either. How about a Splawn, or a Peavey JSX? That's what I'm leaning towards.

[SEAN RAF]

I've used every setting in the manual, then I joined several forums and copied down tens of different settings (I photocopied the blank sample settings pages from the Mesa manual and fill them in each time some one gives me advice). I'll get back with the settings I have at the moment when I see my amp in a couple of hours. Volume is always at 12 (half way) on the master.

Guitars

Charvel 2005 San Dimas Strat, 1 Seymour Duncan TB4

Jackson Soloist 2001 Seymour Duncan TB4

Cabinet

Mesa Engineering Standard Cabinet with V30's

[SEAN RAF]

I can never get a Mesa to sound good, either. How about a Splawn, or a Peavey JSX? That's what I'm leaning towards.

Currently looking at Splawn, just need to find a stockist here in the UK. The JSX sounds too fizzy also. My amp before the Dual Rectifier was a 5150 combo, which was great, but it couldn't keep up with my guitarists TSL (slightly fizzy as well).

Most of the 'boutique' amps out there, to my ears anyway, suffer from that fizziness. In the pursuit of gain, high dollar valve amps seem to be suffering from the same ailments as a low dollar Valvestate/Transtube. Out of all the expensive amps I've heard, the Framus Cobra appears to be the closest to what I want so far. There have been some jaw dropping surprises while I've been testing amps out in the last few weeks, not least just how bad the two Krank heads are (same for the Uberschall and Ecstasy) and how amazing the Roland Microcube is (not getting one though, they make me look fat...ter).

[Dreamland_Rebel]

try turning the treble knob all the way down. should solve all your problems.

[Inearthed]

try turning the treble knob all the way down. should solve all your problems.

+1 Sounds incredibly goofy but it works really well with the modern mode. I also drop down the bass almost to zero as well. Still remains very heavy too.

Could simply be that the Mesa sound is not for you.

[mhenson42]

I had a Dual Rectifier for 8 years and was never truly satisfied with it. I replaced it with an Uberschall (among other things) and I've never been happier.

[arjacobson]

I know the mesas are popular but i could NEVER get a good sound out of them. Splawn was FINALLY the right amp for me. jake

[siggy14]

If you think the XTC and the ubershall sound bad, maybe high gain amps arent for you. Maybe you need a JMP, or prefer solid state distortion over tubes. Both those amps are great amps and the XTC is not buzzy at all.

Currently looking at Splawn, just need to find a stockist here in the UK. The JSX sounds too fizzy also. My amp before the Dual Rectifier was a 5150 combo, which was great, but it couldn't keep up with my guitarists TSL (slightly fizzy as well).

Most of the 'boutique' amps out there, to my ears anyway, suffer from that fizziness. In the pursuit of gain, high dollar valve amps seem to be suffering from the same ailments as a low dollar Valvestate/Transtube. Out of all the expensive amps I've heard, the Framus Cobra appears to be the closest to what I want so far. There have been some jaw dropping surprises while I've been testing amps out in the last few weeks, not least just how bad the two Krank heads are (same for the Uberschall and Ecstasy) and how amazing the Roland Microcube is (not getting one though, they make me look fat...ter).

[jcm800x]

My bud just got the new Marshall JVM, insane.

[SEAN RAF]

If you think the XTC and the ubershall sound bad, maybe high gain amps arent for you. Maybe you need a JMP, or prefer solid state distortion over tubes. Both those amps are great amps and the XTC is not buzzy at all.

I love tube amps, just not the Mesa/Bogner/Krank ones. Solid state is exactly what I'm trying to avoid, Mesa/Bogner/Krank have an element of solid state in their sound to my ears. It's difficult to describe, they initially sound great, until you REALLY listen, then you hear that undercurrent...solid state fizz.

After all these years it looks like I've come full circle back to Marshall 800 series or, from what I've heard so far, Splawn.

[jgcable]

Sounds to me like you just don't like the Rectifier tone which is very distinct.
I would suggest you try out a 5150 or maybe a Savage 120.
If you want to stick with Mesa... look at one of the new Stiletto's

[sworn_enemy]

What do you want it to sound like? Give an example of the tone you're looking for.

[thenine]

My bud just got the new Marshall JVM, insane.

tell me more about the JVM????????