Anyone use an Axis with Mesa Rectifier?

[Volfgang]

Hi all,

Just wondering if any Axis owners here have used it with a Mesa Rectifier?
I want to buy a Rectifier (or that new one by Bugera) and curious to hear what it sounds like,

Ive played my axis thru a digital modelling amp that has a rectifier setting in it, but yea thats just not right...
Modelling will never give you an idea of what it truly sounds like.

Anyhow yea so if any of you guitar slingers out there have this actual setup (Axis+Rectifier) please let me know (or post something on youtube if you can). I generally play heavy stuff and some rock/blues etc but mainly towards the hi gain side of things

 

[joe web]

i used to own the "old" 3-channel version of the dual recto and yes, i played my EVH through it.
and still play my guitars through a Roadster head, but the roadster sounds darker as the dual recto soloheads.

what do you want to hear?
the guitar screams, the amp roars - heavy stuff? no problem with this combination.
maybe one of the best sound-examples is listen to Rammstein. Paul H Landers plays Axis and EVH guitars through his mesa amps.

but one thing you should not forget is to buy a good cabinet for the amp!

btw. if you have the chance to get your hands on a Yerasov Bulldozer for cheap, go for it!
it´s a very good copy of the old 2-channel rectos, but with better clean sound as the mesas have had.

 

[Volfgang]

i used to own the "old" 3-channel version of the dual recto and yes, i played my EVH through it.
and still play my guitars through a Roadster head, but the roadster sounds darker as the dual recto soloheads.

what do you want to hear?
the guitar screams, the amp roars - heavy stuff? no problem with this combination.
maybe one of the best sound-examples is listen to Rammstein. Paul H Landers plays Axis and EVH guitars through his mesa amps.

but one thing you should not forget is to buy a good cabinet for the amp!

btw. if you have the chance to get your hands on a Yerasov Bulldozer for cheap, go for it!
it´s a very good copy of the old 2-channel rectos, but with better clean sound as the mesas have had.

Hi Joe, Yes I listen to alot of Rammstein but its hard to tell because cd recordings are all layered,processed,mastered etc etc.
But yea I didnt know Paul uses that combo, maybe Ill see if I can find a live recording.

When you say a good cabinet do you mean for example like any cabinet loaded with Vintage 30's? Or a certain kind of cab?
I want to hear 'chunky fast tight-bass palm muted riffs' and a 'nice soaring lead tone with great presence and harmonics', lol.

Here in Australia we dont have many German amps available and the ones that are for sale are EXTREMELY overpriced. The only german made amps available here is ENGL Powerball II and Invader, and I think Ive seen 1 Diezel amp that was like 4 or 5 grand (which I refuse to pay for just the head alone!)

I was also considering getting a Line6 Dt50 head and quad, the quad has 2 V30's and 2 G12H90's speakers in it....not a bad amp for the price

 

[auxren]

I know its not a recto, but I play my axis through a Mk III and it sounds amazing.

As for the cab, from my studies in speaker and cab design, you'd be surprised how much of a difference everything from the woods used in the construction, to the dimensions, to every detail; and all those details have to be designed with the exact speaker in mind. So much goes in to play. Vintage 30s can sound different depending on the cab. So many variables go in to play! The equations for calculating everything would boggle your mind.

My $.02. Thanks for letting me have a mini-rant

 

[ZeroFivefour]

Axis---> Recto = Fabulous tones

I have played my axis through my dual-channel early-nineties rackmount (4 space), for years. The tone is to die for. One of the most phenomenal sounds ever. Heavy tones, absolutely no problem. Lead tones with sustain for days. Even cleans if you know how to set up the dials.

Great tones, set the rectifier at silicone diode, run 6l6s, set orange to modern for some clean tones if you need them and this rig will kill. Run your time based fx in the loop and goose the output for a bit more juice and you can get some insane tones. I ran a triple and dual recto from 97 through 2002 while touring and recording, (used a luke 1 for most of this period and it was incredible). I introduced it to my axis in 2004. Wish I would have had the axis during the time I was touring and recording, the proprietary dimarzios really sound great with the amp. Use a clean or mid boost pedal to reduce the sag so your leads will track better, as the dual has a lot of sag unless you do this. The sag is awesome for the overall tone of the amp, but for very speedy modal runs a boost really tightens it up. Dont get me wrong, without a boost pedal, (they cost so little so its not really an issue), the rig will be phenomenal, but if you need very tight articulated speed runs the boost will really help out.

I love the combo in case you didn't pick up on my enthusiasm.

edit: Forgot to add that a HUGE part of the recto sound IS THE RECTO CABINET. I tried achieving the sound with marshall cabs and it was NOT happening. I've owned and played through both the 4x12 and 2x12 recto cabs and they both are fantastic cabs. The 2x12 is more than adequate for anything less than an enormous stage. The 2x12 is also a bit tighter to my ears. I still have the 2x12, but the 4x12 was sold many years ago.

Good luck,

Cheers,

Tom

 

[guitarp77]

Mesa rules!

I love my Mark V...it makes my MM sing!...all of ´em!

 

[Volfgang]

Axis---> Recto = Fabulous tones

I have played my axis through my dual-channel early-nineties rackmount (4 space), for years. The tone is to die for. One of the most phenomenal sounds ever. Heavy tones, absolutely no problem. Lead tones with sustain for days. Even cleans if you know how to set up the dials.

Great tones, set the rectifier at silicone diode, run 6l6s, set orange to modern for some clean tones if you need them and this rig will kill. Run your time based fx in the loop and goose the output for a bit more juice and you can get some insane tones. I ran a triple and dual recto from 97 through 2002 while touring and recording, (used a luke 1 for most of this period and it was incredible). I introduced it to my axis in 2004. Wish I would have had the axis during the time I was touring and recording, the proprietary dimarzios really sound great with the amp. Use a clean or mid boost pedal to reduce the sag so your leads will track better, as the dual has a lot of sag unless you do this. The sag is awesome for the overall tone of the amp, but for very speedy modal runs a boost really tightens it up. Dont get me wrong, without a boost pedal, (they cost so little so its not really an issue), the rig will be phenomenal, but if you need very tight articulated speed runs the boost will really help out.

I love the combo in case you didn't pick up on my enthusiasm.

edit: Forgot to add that a HUGE part of the recto sound IS THE RECTO CABINET. I tried achieving the sound with marshall cabs and it was NOT happening.

Good luck,

Cheers,

Tom

Awesome mate ,thanks for your reply. Did you use a recto cab?
I saw this video on youtube that had a side by side Stiletto and rectifier cab comparison, they both have V30's in them yet sound slightly different ,this is the link Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Stiletto vs Rectifier Comparison Video 412 - YouTube. I thought the stilletto cab sounded a bit better, but who knows.
Do you still use the same setup?

 

[ZeroFivefour]

Awesome mate ,thanks for your reply. Did you use a recto cab?
I saw this video on youtube that had a side by side Stiletto and rectifier cab comparison, they both have V30's in them yet sound slightly different ,this is the link Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Stiletto vs Rectifier Comparison Video 412 - YouTube. I thought the stilletto cab sounded a bit better, but who knows.
Do you still use the same setup?

My pleasure!
I've added more to my original post regarding the recto cab, (probably while you were responding), lol. yes I used the recto cab, both the 2x12 and 4x12. Never used a stilletto cab, but v30s are the only speaker I use. They just seem to work for me.

here is the portion that I added for ease of reading:

edit: Forgot to add that a HUGE part of the recto sound IS THE RECTO CABINET. I tried achieving the sound with marshall cabs and it was NOT happening. I've owned and played through both the 4x12 and 2x12 recto cabs and they both are fantastic cabs. The 2x12 is more than adequate for anything less than an enormous stage. The 2x12 is also a bit tighter to my ears. I still have the 2x12, but the 4x12 was sold many years ago.

Good luck,

Tom

 

[mikeller]

Not quite the same but I love my axis paired up with my MINI rectifier head and vertical 2-12" recto cab with a v30 on the bottom and a c90 on top

 

[joe web]

@Volfgang:

i mean a good cab! not any kind of cab. with V30s in it.
you can get a "Harley Benton" V30 cab. by Thomann.de for 369.- euros - but it will not sound like a mesa cabinet for 1200.- euros or a orange or engl box with this speakers.

i prefer old marshall cabinets. e.g. model 1982(A) or 1935A bass - so i would say any cabinet which is made in the years from 1970s to 1985 - don´t use a JCM900 or newer cab. they don´t sound as good anymore.

for the speakers, a mix between V30s and T75s is my preferred combination in those old marshall cabs. - so you will have to change the speakers.

btw. i just bought my 1st ever mesa cabinet a few weeks agao. which is a recto slanted/straight style cabinet with V30s.
i never thought this is true, but it is! Mesa Boogie Vintage30 speakers a different from the Vintage 30s you get from celestion or from the V30s in a marshall cabinet!
they don´t have as much bite to it in the upper mids as the marshall v30s have - which makes a nice rounded tone at the end.
i´m using the mesa cab with my DC-5, the roadster is still running through my old marshall 1982A cabinet.

 

[acwild]

Here's a useful formula;

Axis + Mesa = Awesome!

 

[djlynch]

It seems that Mesa's love EB's and dimarzios

 

[Volfgang]

@Volfgang:


btw. i just bought my 1st ever mesa cabinet a few weeks agao. which is a recto slanted/straight style cabinet with V30s.
i never thought this is true, but it is! Mesa Boogie Vintage30 speakers a different from the Vintage 30s you get from celestion or from the V30s in a marshall cabinet!
they don´t have as much bite to it in the upper mids as the marshall v30s have - which makes a nice rounded tone at the end.
i´m using the mesa cab with my DC-5, the roadster is still running through my old marshall 1982A cabinet.

Hi Joe,
so are you saying that Celestion V30's are better than the mesa version?

 

[joe web]

no, they are different.
depends on the cab and on the sound you are looking for.
i would never play a 4x12 cab with regular celestion V30s, this cab is way to sharp in the upper mids for me.
the mesa cab isn´t that harsh, but a marshall 1960AV is harsh.
as long as you mix the V30s with another speaker, it´s ok - for my taste.