Mesa rectifier mini head - anyone tried one ? Loud enough for gigging ??

riffpowers

im still looking for a new amp and so far I've enjoyed the Mesa stiletto most . I also liked the rectifier .

i used to have an orange tiny terror and loved it but it wasn't loud enough for most gigs and didn't have a solo boost .
i used to have a Marshall jcm800 2203 but it was far too loud really, and it didn't have a solo boost .

i wondered if the Mesa mini rectifier might give me those kinds of sounds , and might be loud enough for giggling in I 2 guitar punk / metal band . I was hoping the 2 channel design would mean I'd get a solo boost out of it too. 

Anyone got any experience of these Amps??

nick79

I've recently bought one, and i'm running it through a 4x12 cab with Celestion g12's and Eminence Governors. I haven't gigged it yet but i have used it at our rehearsal space at gig levels and it's loud enough. 
Cleans on channel 1 are just about loud enough without breaking up too much. Any kind of driven tones though you won't have an issue with volume. 
Personally i think it's a great amp, capable of everything from beautiful cleans to sweet breakup to full on metal. 
In fact i think it's even more aggressive than the big dual/triple's, although obviously without the headroom. 
For the record i'm using channel 2 set to modern at 25w and the volume is going no higher than 10:00. Above that and it kills everything in the room

I guess you may be able to dial in channel 2 as solo boost, but i haven't tried it. I use a boost pedal in the loop which works well. 

TimmyO

@Jalapeno  ? 

fretmeister

I had one. Sold it.

its not a bad amp, but it doesn't actually sound like a proper Recto.

Rectos often need a TS in front to tighten them up at high gain, and the mini needs it more than the big one.

Its plenty loud enough to gig with, and I understand Jal is very happy with his. But he pays jazz. I wanted proper brewtal and I found it a bit meh.

Jalapeno

nick79 said:

For the record i'm using channel 2 set to modern at 25w and the volume is going no higher than 10:00. Above that and it kills everything in the room

Ditto - run mine through a single or a pair of Dr Z 2x10s - awesome sound. Nornmally run mine on 10W with volume between 10:30 & 11:30 - ISTR @Timmyo & I did an experiment that difference between 10W & 25W wasn't that much at insanity voulmes

Jalapeno

fretmeister said:

I had one. Sold it.

its not a bad amp, but it doesn't actually sound like a proper Recto.

Rectos often need a TS in front to tighten them up at high gain, and the mini needs it more than the big one.

Its plenty loud enough to gig with, and I understand Jal is very happy with his. But he pays jazz. I wanted proper brewtal and I found it a bit meh.

I don't play jazz on it silly - it's my go to rock setup. I also have a Dr Z Maz 18w & Marshal 2061X (20w Plexi) depending on the vibe - but the Mini Rec is my defualt.

fretmeister

Fair enough! I thought you were all about the smoooooooothness these days!

riffpowers

Thanks for the input guys !!

will I like the core sound of the mini recto if I'm into boosted jcm800 sounds ?

i played a rectifier solo 50 the other day and although it had a great sound and feel, it seemed a little smooth and bass heavy for me , it didn't quite have the raunch and upper mid punch I like .

Adamski

Personally if I were looking for a small high gain head around that money, I'd go with a Friedman Pink Taco or Runt. 
had a Taco about 14 months and love it! Cleans up well on the volume at any level too. get the Runt if you want cleans too but it's not as high gain. 

Tried the Mini Rec and having owned a big one, was VERY disappointed. It was flat and lifeless. 

The Mini Mark V is a completely other story though - great amp. 

Jalapeno

Adamski said:

Personally if I were looking for a small high gain head around that money, I'd go with a Friedman Pink Taco or Runt. 
had a Taco about 14 months and love it! Cleans up well on the volume at any level too. get the Runt if you want cleans too but it's not as high gain. 

Tried the Mini Rec and having owned a big one, was VERY disappointed. It was flat and lifeless. 

I'd agree with everyone it isn't for Teh Brutalz (and hence probably unlike a Recitifer proper) - but it's a great all round rock amp.

riffpowers

Adamski said:

Personally if I were looking for a small high gain head around that money, I'd go with a Friedman Pink Taco or Runt. 
had a Taco about 14 months and love it! Cleans up well on the volume at any level too. get the Runt if you want cleans too but it's not as high gain. 

Tried the Mini Rec and having owned a big one, was VERY disappointed. It was flat and lifeless. 

The Mini Mark V is a completely other story though - great amp. 

Thanks, the shop I tried the recto 50 in also had a mkv. Maybe I'll try it.

riffpowers

Jalapeno said:

Adamski said:

Personally if I were looking for a small high gain head around that money, I'd go with a Friedman Pink Taco or Runt. 
had a Taco about 14 months and love it! Cleans up well on the volume at any level too. get the Runt if you want cleans too but it's not as high gain. 

Tried the Mini Rec and having owned a big one, was VERY disappointed. It was flat and lifeless. 

I'd agree with everyone it isn't for Teh Brutalz (and hence probably unlike a Recitifer proper) - but it's a great all round rock amp.

I'm not really worried about how closely it sounds like a full size recto, just if it can do old skool heavy metal and thrash!!

Jalapeno

riffpowers said:

Jalapeno said:

Adamski said:

Personally if I were looking for a small high gain head around that money, I'd go with a Friedman Pink Taco or Runt. 
had a Taco about 14 months and love it! Cleans up well on the volume at any level too. get the Runt if you want cleans too but it's not as high gain. 

Tried the Mini Rec and having owned a big one, was VERY disappointed. It was flat and lifeless. 

I'd agree with everyone it isn't for Teh Brutalz (and hence probably unlike a Recitifer proper) - but it's a great all round rock amp.

I'm not really worried about how closely it sounds like a full size recto, just if it can do old skool heavy metal and thrash!!

Definitely loud enough - like all small Boogies. You should try one - its fine for blues, 70s rock/pop and cleans, being an old fart that's all I want.

prh777

I have the mini rec.  It is easily loud enough for gigging.  We play modern metal, thrash, rock with a loud drummer 2 guitars and I rarely get it above 11 o'clock on the master (modern gain setting).  At that kind of dirt channel level it is harder to get pristine cleans but it does cope. I'd be interested in why people think it doesn't work for the brutalz.

I find it very sensitive to cab choice, well at least it can come across nasal through the Marshall cabs in our rehearsal venue.  Great thump through a mesa 2x12 recto cab though.  I haven't needed to boost it particularly on the modern gain setting as it is pretty tight sounding already.

Does some nice low gain tones too.  I was split between this and the Engl Ironball but couldn't find one of the latter to try.  Having an onboard reverb would save hassle.

riffpowers

prh777 said:

I have the mini rec.  It is easily loud enough for gigging.  We play modern metal, thrash, rock with a loud drummer 2 guitars and I rarely get it above 11 o'clock on the master (modern gain setting).  At that kind of dirt channel level it is harder to get pristine cleans but it does cope. I'd be interested in why people think it doesn't work for the brutalz.

I find it very sensitive to cab choice, well at least it can come across nasal through the Marshall cabs in our rehearsal venue.  Great thump through a mesa 2x12 recto cab though.  I haven't needed to boost it particularly on the modern gain setting as it is pretty tight sounding already.

Does some nice low gain tones too.  I was split between this and the Engl Ironball but couldn't find one of the latter to try.  Having an onboard reverb would save hassle.

Sounds like it might be one for me to try then!!

What do you do for a solo boost if you're in a 2 guitar band?? I play lead guitar and the other guitarist plays a 5150.

Maynehead

riffpowers said:

Sounds like it might be one for me to try then!!

What do you do for a solo boost if you're in a 2 guitar band?? I play lead guitar and the other guitarist plays a 5150.

EQ in the loop set to boost mids. I also like to have a delay in the loop as well and I switch both on with the "FX loop" button on the footswitch.

nick79

I use either an eq in the loop too to boost the mids, or occasionally a soul food with the drive off and volume up. 
From people's comment's on here  i'm starting to think the Mini Rec is sensitive to cab/speaker choice, because through my 4x12 it roars, definitely aggressive enough, and it has that upper mid punch there if you want it. I also find it very easy to dial in quickly, which isn't always the case with Mesa's.  

I only wish it was a 4 channel amp so you could use all 4 modes in the same session, i can get great sound's out of each one so it seem's a shame to not be able to use them all during a gig. But as problems go i'm happy to have that one, just shows how versatile it is. 

riffpowers

Maynehead said:

riffpowers said:

Sounds like it might be one for me to try then!!

What do you do for a solo boost if you're in a 2 guitar band?? I play lead guitar and the other guitarist plays a 5150.

EQ in the loop set to boost mids. I also like to have a delay in the loop as well and I switch both on with the "FX loop" button on the footswitch.

I didn; tknow it had an FX loop button on the footswitch, thats perfect!!

Maynehead

riffpowers said:

Maynehead said:

riffpowers said:

Sounds like it might be one for me to try then!!

What do you do for a solo boost if you're in a 2 guitar band?? I play lead guitar and the other guitarist plays a 5150.

EQ in the loop set to boost mids. I also like to have a delay in the loop as well and I switch both on with the "FX loop" button on the footswitch.

I didn; tknow it had an FX loop button on the footswitch, thats perfect!!

Sorry, it doesn't. I was talking about my Dual rectifier head. You can achieve the same thing using a looper pedal on the board though, or you can of course just put the EQ and delay next to each other and turn both on with one stomp of the foot.