Which Recto?

[EOengineer]

@2112 delivers again:



Personally, I don't think a Recto should ever use EL34's !!

This is one of those polarizing topics that will eventually be banned from gear forums, not unlike politics or religion. For whatever reason people are entrenched.

I use both for different things. The 6L6s typically have bigger, looser lows and a slower feel, while the EL34s have a leaner low end and push the mids and lower treble frequencies forward for a slightly less scooped, more focused tone that I find works better when you are using less gainy crunch vs the typical massively saturated thing.

For reference, Adam Jones used EL34s in his Recto on the earlier Tool stuff.

There’s also a feel thing happening there that needs to be felt through a loud cab in a room. It’s not the same through a reactive load into an IR.

 

[Orvillain]

I'd be willing to try it!

 

[EOengineer]

I'd be willing to try it!

The only reasonable way to approach this is to get a 2nd Recto to run EL34s. Since you’re going to need to directly compare them for accuracy your probably going to have to get another 4x12 too.

The hero we need.

 

[hehasthejazzhands]

@2112 delivers again:



Personally, I don't think a Recto should ever use EL34's !!

And again!


What a bad mamma jamma !!

The conclusion I'm getting

An EL34 Recto sounds better than a 6L6 Recto, but a Mark IV sounds better than both.
...I miss my MkIV.

 

[dk_ace]

I ran EL34s in my recto for a while before I sold it. I thought I liked them better, but I wasn’t unhappy with the 6L6s either. It’s really hard to say in hindsight, because you would really need to A/B them to know. I was convinced the 34s were better at the time, but I dropped some coin on those tubes which definitely would have biased me to think they were better.

D

 

[fiftyshadesofslay]

Which Recto? Definitely not the ones you mention as they’re weak as piss. The Multi-Watt is the best version.

To be fair all the big ones sound great, including the hated regular 3 channel which sounds like every other Recto if you know how the presence controls work for each channel. Better clean and loop on the Multi though.

Avoid the Rev C/D/E/F versions like the plague. They sound fine but they’re not any better than any other Recto unless you’re trying to sell one, then they’re soooo much better and well worth an extra few grand, despite the fact that Mesa thought they sucked so bad they couldn’t wait to get rid of them and bring out a new version.

 

[TSJMajesty]

The Multi-Watt is the best version.

Even Mesa Boogie thinks so:

"Better sounding and better feeling than any 2 or 3 Channel version that came before it."

 

[paisleywookiee]

Even Mesa Boogie thinks so:

"Better sounding and better feeling than any 2 or 3 Channel version that came before it."

Until the next version comes out. Then that’s the best version.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Until the next version comes out. Then that’s the best version.

Well, of course.

 

[la szum]

Haha! Yup. The current ones we sell and the only ones we profit from are the best ones.

 

[Dale B]

I have a MW Dual Recto, and have owned all of the 2 channel revisions (yes, Rev C). I had an early 3 channel version and a few 3 channel heads after that. Then, there have been several Tremoverbs.

They're all good. The MW Dual would get my vote. I need to fire mine up tomorrow. I just loaded some NOS Philips 7581a power tubes in it.