Been watching vids about this thing, and I'm really liking it. Depending on what video you watch, and how it is dialed in, seems to do everything from spanky red dirt to heavy British very well. I've always had a closet fetish for that EL84 tone, and this does it pretty well.
Has anybody here played on one of these? If so, thoughts? Tax return season is looming ;) See links for 2 very different uses for this thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ket_5LzuitA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acfwmNG994o
And this being right up my alley genre-wise:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCWscNz8HGQ
it sounds pretty cool doing it's thing... but maybe a bit limiting?
for that kind of money, why not a Mini-Rec or used Shiva... Lonestar? I've played a Lonestar... it can do all that, sounds fantastic.
not trying to be a wet blanket... but if you're spending a grand, I don't see why you'd want something that seems a bit one-trick pony... unless you just really dig that trick -- it does that really well, for sure.
From what I've heard, these sound good and are pretty versatile. However, at that price, I'm with Sheep. I have a Mini Rec and it sounds GREAT and is VERY VERY versatile. I bought it thinking I'd have my high gain recto tones I wanted, and actually use that mode the LEAST. I love it, don't get me wrong, but the Vintage mode kills and I spend more time there than the super high gain Modern.
You can pick one up used for $700-ish at TGP. It and the Budda Superdrive are the two best buys I have found yet.
Thinking along Howie and Sheep's line, I might suggest Mesa's Rectoverb 25. I actually like the sounds available on it more than the Mini Rec (I think covers more ground) and the verb, when used on a clean channel, is very nice. I've tried a combo with Mesa's new speaker The Fillmore and it is very tasty.
The H&K 18-watt version is $600... if the controls weren't so limited I'd be pretty stoked on the 5-watt version at $300.
Killer input guys....danka! Spent some time tonight listening to the amps you suggested. All are sweet. Very 'rich and creamy' sounding in solo mode. Def better than the HK in that regard.
Although I don't hear the HK as a one trick pony. In crunch, and dialed right, it gets really spanky. By the nature of how it is designed, it is rather bright. This guy shows the lighter side of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2GzSd6oVnc
(he is kinda strange and some of his settings don't make sense...but shows it from a different angle). Around 11:50 he has some pretty good sound.
After that he shows he doesn't know how to dial in high gain tone lol. But then does some nice clean stuff after that.
I'm still sold on the rythm grit this thing has on the higher gain settings over the other amps I listened to. I can add a tubescreamer to smooth out the solo tone. I just didn't get enough sharp crunch from the other amps I listened to.
Hey Chris,
After several people tried the new Rectoverb 25, they were posting comparisons like, "this one has more gain" of "that one is voiced different and has more mids" or " this one has less gain than the other, and a smoother top end." ( at The Gear Page). Randall Smith himself posted that the two are identical circuit and tonewise, and that the only differences in tone anyone would have heard AT ALL was ONLY the new speaker. Several people commented afterwards that they played them side by side And really thought there were some differences in the amps, and he replied again saying absolutely identical except for the reverb added ( and then he commented that the reverb unit didn't affect tone and that with it off it sounded identical), and again said any differences heard were the new speaker.
Of course, that sparked all kinds of inquiries about the new speaker, which is supposedly very nice!
Johnny,
I'm going to do you a favor and just say it. "Get a Mini Rec!" This is a KILLER amp. You'd love it.
Thank you.