Off Topic Triple Rectifier, etc.

[liquidtension89]

Ok, so I've had my 7 String EBMM JP-BFR for a couple months now; absolutely love it. My band will soon be going on tour so I thought it would be time to take my equipment to the next level. I'm not a huge gear junkie so I don't really know whats good. That said, I have an extreme bias to MESA gear because I am totally in love with JP's tone.

Like I said, I'm not a gear junkie, so I don't know the "electronic" side to making my guitar sound the best it can. I'm looking at getting a MESA Triple Rectifier and a MESA 2x12. I don't see the need in having a big 4x12 if the cab is gonna be mic'd. One of my friends (who IS a gear junkie) said that's like topping a 500 horsepower car at 25 mph - speaking of the ohms and wattage and what not. I honestly don't know how ohms and wattage, etc. works. Any feedback would be GREAT! Thanks

Oh yeah, if you like Dream Theater or LTE, I'm in an instrumental Prog/Metal band. Check us out, our album was just released about 2 weeks ago. http://www.myspace.com/tetrafusion Tetrafusion Home

 

[DT1607]

hmm well personally I would go for the 4x12 just because if your playing at a lot of different venues you have no idea how the sound guy/PA will be. If they're just small clubs you should be fine with a 2x12. You could also consider a roadster combo.

 

[fatoni]

if you dont need a 412 then you are gonna want to avoid the triple. if you want a rec tone then get a roadster. that way your cleans dont suck. i dont like the recto series at all though to take that into consideration...or follow my opinions blindly and get a mark v

 

[liquidtension89]

hmm well personally I would go for the 4x12 just because if your playing at a lot of different venues you have no idea how the sound guy/PA will be. If they're just small clubs you should be fine with a 2x12. You could also consider a roadster combo.

And if we had our own PA and mics, would that sway your opinion any?

if you dont need a 412 then you are gonna want to avoid the triple. if you want a rec tone then get a roadster. that way your cleans dont suck. i dont like the recto series at all though to take that into consideration...or follow my opinions blindly and get a mark v

I've briefly looked into the Roadster. So are you implying that a Roadster is more "compatible" per se with a 2x12 than a Triple Rectifier?

 

[Jason2112]

Ah, from the sound of your post, you are in over your head (to put it bluntly). You are set on getting a Triple Recto, running it into a 2x12, yet you "honestly don't know how ohms and wattage, etc. works". I think you should do some more research into how wattage and impedence works, then look what other professional guitarists are using, and then you may have a better understanding of what you need. Any one of us can give you advice, but it doesn't mean anything if you don't understand it.

 

[73h Nils]

A Triple Rectifier is ludicrously loud. We're talking stadiums and arenas here. Even a 100 Watt amp is ridiculously loud. The Roadster's a really versatile amp for that stuff; I would know. Plus, you can set it to 50 watts, for "lower" volume, even though it's STILL really loud.

If you're set on a Mesa, you should head on over to The Boogie Board • Index page to get some more opinions.

 

[zombi]

For a triple rec, you gotta go 4x12. A 2x12 and a triple rec sounds like you are just trying to cut corners. I agree that a COMBO amp might be the right choice for what you are looking for. I'm sort of curious how many shows you've played, seeing some of the questions you've asked. The myspace page seems like you guys mean business, but this question just seems sort of the lazy way out... Playing is fun, but half the fun, as I see it, is hunting for that right tone. If you like it because JP plays it, maybe thats all that matters, but have you used one? There are a lot of knobs and switches and it might be months before you get the tone you want out. It seems like with the influences you have, you might want to do some research and try different things to find the perfect tone. You should be taking your tone as seriously as you are taking your musical career. Knowing how to play the guitar is only half the battle. The other half is knowing how to make it sound good...

 

[RocketRalf]

I'd go for a Roadster instead of a Recto. That being said, I'd listen to the suggestions above and try different amps before committing to one make.

Now, talking about JP tone, what era are you aiming for? For TOT tones, the Roadster should be a good choice. For almost everything else, get a Mark Five. You'll get the Mark II (SFAM, Octavarium, etc) and Mark IV (Awake, SC) tones with it, plus some others you might like better.

 

[Shadowbox]

Whatever you get, I would consider getting a Hot Plate for the smaller venues. Nothing sounds worse in a small club than a guitar amp that is so loud that it's not even running through the mains and still drowns out everything else on stage. I'm heard it too many times!!!!

 

[liquidtension89]

I appreciate all the responses! And about trying out things myself, when the day comes that I have the money in my hand to pay for it, I will try things out then because, where I live, there are no music stores around that have great guitar gear, especially MESA. I don't really have a way of trying things out unless I drive about 5 hours south...it really sucks.

Yes, I'm a n00b when it comes to gear, but like I said, I don't have access to anything. I will look into the Mark V as well. I'm really into the Octavarium era tone so, that could work for me. Sorry for all the clueless questions, but would the Mark V be okay through a 2x12?

 

[Rage]

If you are considering spending all that money it is most certainly worth that 5 hour drive, an over-night stay and play with your own guitar through as many different set ups as you can. Everyone's idea of a great rig is different... it's only your ears that will let you know what is best for you. If you hear two different players using the exact same rig and guitar, their tone will be different. The guys here will always provide you with great advice... they've helped me a lot... but at the end of the day it's all subjective.
I use a Mesa Dual recto through a Marshall 4x12 with 4x20 watt Celestion Greenback speakers in it and a DR Z Air Brake... but I daren't even say what I add to get my solo tone... all I'll say is that sometimes you can spend thousands searching for that particular sound, then a piece of kit comes along and does it way better for a few quid (bucks)... don't rule ANYTHING out and trust your own ears.

 

[mikeller]

I gotta backup what Shadowbox said. I play small-medium clubs regularly and use either a Mesa Express 5:50 (1x12) or a Mesa Maverick (2x12). It is a rare day I can turn the master volume past 2 without being too loud, and the amps just don't sound their best that low. It is an ongoing struggle...

 

[ivanmihaljevic]

You've got to try out the amp before buying it!
I also love John Petrucci's guitar sounds, but whenever I plug into a Mesa amp, I don't like it... It's not the same thing to listen to someone else play through an amp and playing it yourself.

You should try Engl Powerball too and take it into consideration! It's what I play at the moment and I think it's great! I plan to record a rig demo in a couple of days, so you'll hear what it sounds like.

 

[jamminjim]

Some ideas for good combo amps (in addition to the aforementioned mesas)

Carvin Legacy VL 212
https://www.carvinguitars.com/products/single.php?product=VL212

Peavey 6505 212 Combo
Peavey.com : Products : 6505 Series

Peavey JSX 212 Combo
Peavey.com :: JSX Series

A Marshall handwired
Marshall Amps :: Handwired

pickup an older Marshall JCM800
Marshall JCM-800 Combo amp -Tone Monster - eBay (item 270354167833 end time Mar-16-09 00:55:49 PDT)

Ampeg VT40 or VT22
1974 Vintage Ampeg VT-40 - eBay (item 250383834583 end time Mar-11-09 12:49:50 PDT)
1974 Original Ampeg VT-22 Near Mint! VT22 V4 combo 2x12 - eBay (item 180333681306 end time Mar-08-09 12:52:16 PDT)

Or vintage Fender Blackface or Silverface like this one or a Super Reverb
1974 FENDER TWIN REVERB AMP ORIGINAL TUBES! AMPLIFIER - eBay (item 130292033931 end time Mar-13-09 16:23:13 PDT)

Hiwatt Bulldog
HiWatt Bulldog 50 Watt Guitar Amplifier - eBay (item 200272557814 end time Apr-05-09 22:33:59 PDT)

then there's Bogner, Soldano, Engl, etc., etc. etc...

 

[joe web]

i´m a 4x12 guy, so i would go for a 4x12. but i never heard bad things about the mesa 2x12 cabinets.
like alot worte before, i would also recommend the roadster head instead of the recto.
100 watts are enough and the roadster has the better clean-channels as well. you can tweek the red-channel to sound identical to the orange channel of a dual recto, i never played the triple, but own the dual recto and the roadster.
overall the roadster is the better package.

 

[jamminjim]

roadster review

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJBlSc8DTM]YouTube - Judge Fredd and the Mesa Boogie Roadster Dual Rectifier[/ame]

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Roadster

one on CL
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/msg/1053682220.html