Matthew Duncan - I dunno, but that's funny. The Mark IV is so interesting, it has this creamy swirly feel to it, but not like an effect. So hard to explain. One of the two best amps I ever plugged into. The other was a 50 watt Marshall, but I don't remember the model. Totally different sounds though, of course.
I'd put the bogner ubershall on par with it, own a Mark V and have played the bogner ubershall and the Mark IV and bogner ubershall are my picks for tone imo
For current/future Mesa Rectifier owners - if you have never treated yourself to El34 power tubes, it's worth a try. If you play in standard tuning, running the 34's will add aggressive focus and some much needed midrange. Also if you recto sounds fizzy, it means it's time for new tubes - this amp becomes fizz city after about 6-12mo of same power tubes (playing daily)... Good luck! My all time favorite amp...
Love the boosted rectifier sound in the back to zero album ! That being said , that Mark amp sounds very polished! It’s sword vs war hammer haha. Awesome video!!!
@@vonmilash823 If you boost the Recto with a TS the way most people do (Gain at Min, Tone at 50%-100 %, and Level at 60%-100%), you'll be sending a signal colored with a little touch of gain and more mids (800hz - 1khz). That specific range of mids into the input (helped by the minimum amount of gain) tightens the tone and the pick response of the amp. Its like night and day!! If you boost it with the TS set with tone at max, it tightens the tone even more and you'be getting a Mark feel out of yout recto while still maintaining that recto character.
@@erickchba2....very well said...and I agree 100%... the Seymour duncan 805 works really well too...thats what I got....gonna try a revv G2 soon....thatsba tube a creamer on steroids
I never was so much into the Mark IV. I thought it would be an amp for polished fusion session whatever guys. That was until I had one on my workbench, fixed it, checked it and fell in love. I wished I could have one. They are so great an versatile. What a great video!
I bought a MarkV to replace my triple rectifier.. yeah I still have both... I like having the simplicity of the rectifier whenever I get tired of constantly messing with channel 3 of the Mark V... hence why I’m watching this video... can never learn enough about sound shaping and acoustics... the war will never end .. very helpful video , thank you.
Thank you so much, Leon! I´ve got a MarkIV/A and this beast is my holy amp-grail! I like the Recto for open chords, because it sounds huge, but imho it´s way to flubby in the low end! The MarkIV beats them all!
That's amazing how much a tube screamer changes the character of the Recto. I've never wanted (or liked) the sound of a Rectifier, until I heard what that just did. Completely changed that amplifier.
I've been a Multi-Watt Dual Rectifier player since it came out summer of 2010. I'll never ever part with it. I've used all kinds of boosts in front of one and they all work great. Currently I'm using a Tech21 Double Drive 3x Mod, allowing me to not only sculpt the exact boost I need for the Recto, but can program 3 settings in digitally. "If you want to crush skulls." EXACTLY.
Cool video. I still have my White Mark IV Combo amp that I bought brand new in 1990. It is the first release Mark IV model from Mesa... I do wish however I still had my Mark IIA combo model as an alternate sound. That amp screamed also, just a little different in sound....Both amps, heavy as hell. Phil NYC-Jersey Shore Area
wow...what a great demo. Having never played either, this is obviously what I would have wished on seeing on youtube. Wish has now been granted. Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video.
Hey Leon...Nice to hear from you. I loved the Mark IV . It seems more versatile and capable of delivering excellent lead tones, but once you hooked the Tube Screamer with the Dual Rectifier, it too sounded great. What Cab are you using for this? The Analog world is so difficult to source and test, and so much to chose from. I am enjoying the Helix for now, but also eyeing the FM3. Digital world is consistent, if not 100% accurate yet :D Cheers!
Get a 4. I have a 5 and it’s the best amp I own, as well as the most versatile. I’ve never amp for amp compared a 4 and a 5, but it’s a given the 4 will be a historically great amp, the 5 will also but more for its versatility. There aren’t many amps since 1990 that do what they do and you really seem to love that 4. The smile tells it all. Great video.
Awesome video man. I’m a Recto guy...The Vintage (orange) channel with the “vintage to modern” option on the back did it for me. I also always drive the front end with either a TS-9 or 808 screamer. I can’t find a better tone for metal than that, now I have that stored in my Kemper.
Oh man these two. I always find myself going back and forth on which I prefer the most. The tightness on the Mark IV and the wall of sound from the Recto. I like your idea of quad tracking them. Best of both worlds.
As an owner of a 2011 Duel Recto and a Mark IV, I prefer the Mark over the recto. The mark is so much tighter on chugs and leads, and if you want recto tones you can mostly get them with considerable tweaking haha. But great video and comparison!!
To me a boosted rectifier is such an amazing sound. In person it blows my mind every time. With that said the mark series are probably some of the most polished amps they’ve ever came out with when it comes to playing high gain right out of box.
Great video. I've owned and played thru MKIV for over 20 years... Tip-make sure the lead gain and drive are both pulled out. Your excellent playing can over compensate for this, but those 2 "pulled out" is where the "magic" happens for the rest of us. Running thru a Boogie OS 4x12 recto cab also takes it to "beast mode". Thanks for another great vid Leon!
Using the TS and starving the low end going in and picking up the low on the way out tightens up the Dual Rec so much! I always thought the Dual had a flabby floppy sound from using the tube rectifiers. I had one once upon a time and after about sixth months traded it for a DC-5 and a MarkIIII. Some cash added in of course. I was thrilled. I was playing in a really fast hardcore band i.e. Converge then about 6 or 7 years after that was playing in a doom band tuned to drop G# so it was way down there i.e. Conan, Electric Wizard, Acid King, Bongzilla, Weedeater and so on. Any all Mesa amps are wonderful but I do prefer more of that DC and Mark series they make! But yeah very cool how that pedal tightened up the Dual!!
I've just bought the Triple Rectifier and already have the Mark IVa. Having just compared the two, I love the Recto for rhythm. It just sounds HUGE and shakes the room but I love the Mark IV for lead tones. Lead tones of the Mark IV are way more articulate and expressive. Wish I could keep both and use an ABY pedal.
Bought my Mark IV new in late '93...very early B version. Still have it and found a pristine Simul-Satellite and a straight Boogie halfback 4x12 to go with my slant halfback 4x12 around a year ago. Bought an Empress Echosystem to get some stereo delay/reverb because the Mark IV spring reverbs absolutely suck(at least mine does). Really is the ultimate rig. Can't believe how great it sounds. Need to make a video of it.
Mark IV owner here. I was told the following by a reputable source: the Rectifier gain structure is like gravel. The Mark gain structure is sand. This resonates true to me. It's smoother.
I don't currently own a Mark series hardware unit,but I have almost all the sim versions,the Amplitube versions stand out.I do own some Recto hardware though,a Triple Rec and a road King.The Road King is my favorite amp of all time(so far).
Having owned both the recto is "rough/course" if that makes sense where the IV is tight/smooth but face punching - sold the Recto as no comparison but if you don't like a tweakers amp then stay away from the IV cos with the slightest adj the tone will change dramatically - so much diverse tone range. The Recto can be set up in 5 min - IV will take months lol
I'm contemplating the purchase of my first really nice amp, and I'm torn between a recto and a mark. That said, the recto seems to me like a one trick pony, while the mark seems incredibly versatile and tight. Once you're done chugging the recto, the mark has got tons of things yet to offer. I think I know what to do, then. 😊
The recto is far from being a one trick pony, modern heavy music just overutilizes one of it's tricks. That being said, I still bought a Mk IV and didn't buy a recto (yet) because Mark IV tone is subjectively what I prefer.
Man. I’ve owned a Solo 50 for a hot minute, Mark IV for a longer hot minute & now a Mark V:25 and I never really understood the difference between a Recto & Mark. I knew how they sounded but You used that thing called words while crushing riffs to tie it all together. Awesome! Thanks!
I've played both and for metal the recto is more for slow rhythm/open chords while the mark is better suited for fast paced rhythm and fast chugging. Both are great, it depends of your style. They do cleans really well too.
excellent video. I have a mini rectifier, and I find this amp to be unusable without a boost (too flubby). but as you put a boost in front (maxon od808 in my case) it's a pretty versatile amp ! greatings from France.
OK, so I know I said I couldn't get over the flub of the rectifier. Well, I received a Demon Tube Screamer pedal yesterday. It's a clone of the TS9 & TS808. Now I love the sound of my rectifier. It's much tighter and the natural compression is impressive...something I don't get from the Mark series.
I play technical death metal and after 25 years it has punished my joints, tendons, and ligaments. For palm muted tremolo picking, palm muted gallops, and palm muted 8th, 16th and 32'd notes a boosted Rectifier has less note-choking grind and still retains a heavy tone. Basically I want my strings to feel like a warm, buttery sponge for both fretting and picking hands. A Marshall DSL can also get that squish if you crank them up though they are painful for me at low volumes.
I believe that the Awake record by Dream Theater was quad tracked with a Recto and a Mark IIC+/Triaxis throughout. And also one of the best guitar tone records of all time...I also believe it was a major pain in the ass and the last time JP quad tracked anything. Fun fact: You can get a Recto into Mark/Triaxis territory with a boost up front and the surgical precision of a pair of EQs, one out front and one in the loop. Have had good results with the real thing as well as with modelling. Not quite the real thing, but a girl can dream. 😂
@@Ascoundrel Yeah, it's been years in the making and it's quite an involved signal chain with 2 PEQs, a TS and a good compressor, but I am confident in the tonality. Now, it doesn't feel as tight as a Mark, I and it's a bit more forgiving than the Simul-Class and a lot more forgiving than the 100w big tranny ones like the 2C+ and JP-2C...but it absolutely SOUNDS like a proper Metallica or Dream Theater Boogie crunch...which is the best time ever. I just noticed the trade tariff shite mucking with the Helix prices...all the way to $1199 for the LT and $1699 for the OG. I remember smiling when I saw the LT for $999 that it was a fantastic price for a sick piece of gear. I saw how Line 6 closed down the thread in their forum where people were bitching, you know safe spaces and all that happy horsey. I will never buy a Line 6 anything ever again...I see that Fractal hasn't done that, they have the Axe Triple just sitting at $1999 with immediate delivery. I know this is completely off topic, I just wanted a place to vent. Maybe I should dump this Helix while it's still worth something and get on the Fractal train. Bye bye L6.
There is so much involved in settings -all the EQ settings-tone-gain-lows-mids-highs. Also how he mic's the cabs? What speakers he's using? I can tell that this is a biased pro-Mark IV video. But he is using an older version rectifier. I have heard dual rectifiers at their best, and I would say I would choose it over the Mark IV because of price, and you are getting a heavy duty "AMP FOR LIFE" Marshall Plexi on crack sound. The transformers and tubes are top notch, same as the Mark IV, but the Rectifier series can definitely get you the heaviest "chug" sound you want. You can't lose with either. Both made in USA. But I would go with a Rectifier. There are plenty of other sound test videos out there showing what it can do.
It's a matter of taste - once you "get" the Recto sound and know how to use it there's basically nothing else that can do what it does in a mix. You can hear this very amp recorded here. th-cam.com/video/Bo5KrylsNYY/w-d-xo.html
Hey Leon 👍 sounds killa as always👌. Can’t help but notice that diezel sitting next to you , would be awesome to hear the mk4 blended with that mid range bark of the Diezel mmmmm😆
Have a Mark V and a Triple. Bought the Recto not planning on being wowed, since I already had the V and already thought it was perfect. First time playing through it (with some EMG's, nontheless), I FELT it in my bones. That being said, I still much prefer the smoother and (a lot) more versatile Mark V...but not planning on getting rid of the Recto for when I want that one sound it does so well and shake my windows.
The Carvin V3 was designed to compete with the Mesa..I have one and really enjoy it's flexibility..I have played the amps in this video..and like them as well..I tracked a recording with the recto back in 2004 and one of my guitar players had a Mark IV..It would be really interesting to hear these amps the same way against the Carvin you own.
great video...prob have seen it 10 times in the last few days as my mark IV got here a few days ago...what an amplifier!!! already have a mark V:25 so getting a tc electronic mimiq pedal shortly to run both in stereo...my god!!! thanx man!!!
Having a recto-verb 25 combo I'd like to see an EQ comparison between the rectifier and the recto-verb, if you have one of course. but anyway, like this vid a lot, even how YOU enjoy it.
My answer, own both! I would never part with any of my Boogie amps. My Mark IV is definitely the favorite tho. BTW, Leon, I have been streaming Ragdoll Back to Zero after watching this and hearing you mention it. It's a killer album! Also checked out Rewound. Equally awesome. Dude, you are an incredible writer and player. I hope you are planning to put out something new soon.
Dude that means so much to hear you're enjoying the albums! If you haven't heard it yet we just put out a new single - th-cam.com/video/WlZymAoNWVs/w-d-xo.html
@@LeonTodd Yes sir, I am enjoying them both immensely. Sharing with some of my bros as well. Been watching your vids for a few years and knew you were a good player with great taste in gear, lol. Your humble reference to the album led me to check it out. I love them both. The live tracks on the remastered album show that y'all can pull it off live quite skillfully as well. You guys should be getting airplay here in the States. The new single rips !
I have a Mark V, which has the IV circuit and the Mark IIc+ circuit as well, which is totally killer.... three channels, three modes, three power settings it’s so fn insane.
This is fairly obviously the best thing ever uploaded to TH-cam.
Anything on this topic is the best thing ever uploaded to TH-cam.
Playing a Mark IV, you don't just hear and feel it, you TASTE it. Cannot be explained.
It even smells good
Mark V best of both worlds
Didn’t John Petrucci once say he was seeking a tone that tasted like chocolate cake? Haha!
Matthew Duncan - I dunno, but that's funny. The Mark IV is so interesting, it has this creamy swirly feel to it, but not like an effect. So hard to explain. One of the two best amps I ever plugged into. The other was a 50 watt Marshall, but I don't remember the model. Totally different sounds though, of course.
That can really be said of all Mesa amps LoL
I played a Mark once. It touched me in places I've never been touched before
Same bro. I played with a Mark V at guitar center with a chapman in drop d, jesus mary and joseph was it beautiful😵
You should speak to your therapist about this
kinda sus
😂 no just joking, in all seriousness though, I know what you are talking about. I have a mark iv. Greatest Amp ever.
Jewel Rectifier. With a Chube Screamer. Dig it.
Bedazzled amps
Man, aren't Mesa Boogies just wonderful freaking things. Glorious.
Beautiful machines
Jesus Christ that Mark IV is just fucking breathtaking. I don't play or even really listen to metal but that Mark tone has me straight up DROOLING!!!!
it does what it does SO well.
Mark IV is the best high gain amp ever created, you can literally play only 00000000 and it's gonna sound amazing.
This is extremely underrated comment
I'd put the bogner ubershall on par with it, own a Mark V and have played the bogner ubershall and the Mark IV and bogner ubershall are my picks for tone imo
8 string guitar? O.O
Love the rectifier! Gives you more edge and bite! Awesome demo man! Thanx🤘
For current/future Mesa Rectifier owners - if you have never treated yourself to El34 power tubes, it's worth a try. If you play in standard tuning, running the 34's will add aggressive focus and some much needed midrange. Also if you recto sounds fizzy, it means it's time for new tubes - this amp becomes fizz city after about 6-12mo of same power tubes (playing daily)... Good luck! My all time favorite amp...
I love them both for different reasons! But if I HAD to choose one for the rest of my life I'd have to go with the Mark Series. Great content
Love the boosted rectifier sound in the back to zero album ! That being said , that Mark amp sounds very polished! It’s sword vs war hammer haha. Awesome video!!!
Hahaha good comparison.
Had a Triple Recto and hated it , now I have a Mark 5 and love it!
Same here! Triple was huge but too flubby.
You guys don't know how to those amps.....triple rec!....omg dude
Michael Mitchell: What?
@@Kevin.Kelly. ...tune...half asleep man..lol
Michael Mitchell: I didn’t know you could tune amps. Might want to wake up first!
Now this is the type of content that I wanna see 🤟🤟
Yeah these back to back demo's are fun and really informative.👍
The tube screamer does wonders to a Rectifier. My choice? BOTH!
I was thinking the very same thing. I now have both a Rev G and a Mark IVa. Time to blend them.
What exactly does a TS do to a recto?
@@vonmilash823 If you boost the Recto with a TS the way most people do (Gain at Min, Tone at 50%-100
%, and Level at 60%-100%), you'll be sending a signal colored with a little touch of gain and more mids (800hz - 1khz). That specific range of mids into the input (helped by the minimum amount of gain) tightens the tone and the pick response of the amp. Its like night and day!! If you boost it with the TS set with tone at max, it tightens the tone even more and you'be getting a Mark feel out of yout recto while still maintaining that recto character.
@@erickchba2....very well said...and I agree 100%... the Seymour duncan 805 works really well too...thats what I got....gonna try a revv G2 soon....thatsba tube a creamer on steroids
I want to love rectifiers, but that flub. The Mark series amps are amazing.
I never was so much into the Mark IV. I thought it would be an amp for polished fusion session whatever guys. That was until I had one on my workbench, fixed it, checked it and fell in love. I wished I could have one. They are so great an versatile. What a great video!
I see a lot of pro Mark IV comments but to me... it's like the Rectifier sound just lights up my brain with joy, warmth and heavy metal bliss.
Sounds a lot better with drums than all the "tightened-up bass" modern high gain amps so many metal players seem to like.
Mark IV has the "teeth". Both are unique in their own ways.
I bought a MarkV to replace my triple rectifier.. yeah I still have both... I like having the simplicity of the rectifier whenever I get tired of constantly messing with channel 3 of the Mark V... hence why I’m watching this video... can never learn enough about sound shaping and acoustics... the war will never end .. very helpful video , thank you.
That dual recto is the filthiest sounding thing I have ever heard. Such a great sound!
OOOH look at that diezel sittin there in the background. Just waiting for a video to me made!
I did one with the Einstein a week or two ago :)
@@LeonTodd Oh shit, how did I miss that!!
I thought the same thing..
Get the mk iV and the Diezel side by side ?
🤤
Dual Rec always wins, wins everything, the internet and the 🌎
They both sound Awesome in a different way! I guess I need both!
Thank you so much, Leon! I´ve got a MarkIV/A and this beast is my holy amp-grail! I like the Recto for open chords, because it sounds huge, but imho it´s way to flubby in the low end! The MarkIV beats them all!
Your earlier videos with the Mark IV made me think really hard about getting one, and this one sealed the deal. Gotta get one!
So do I :)
I like how many different high gain sounds you can get with the graphic EQ on the Mark IV. Such a great all-around amp.
That's amazing how much a tube screamer changes the character of the Recto. I've never wanted (or liked) the sound of a Rectifier, until I heard what that just did. Completely changed that amplifier.
I've been a Multi-Watt Dual Rectifier player since it came out summer of 2010. I'll never ever part with it. I've used all kinds of boosts in front of one and they all work great. Currently I'm using a Tech21 Double Drive 3x Mod, allowing me to not only sculpt the exact boost I need for the Recto, but can program 3 settings in digitally. "If you want to crush skulls." EXACTLY.
fantastic video, really eye-opening for me on the character of these amps.
Cool video.
I still have my White Mark IV Combo amp that I bought brand new in 1990. It is the first release Mark IV model from Mesa...
I do wish however I still had my Mark IIA combo model as an alternate sound. That amp screamed also, just a little different in sound....Both amps, heavy as hell.
Phil
NYC-Jersey Shore Area
wow...what a great demo. Having never played either, this is obviously what I would have wished on seeing on youtube. Wish has now been granted. Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video.
My plague. Which one did you like the best?
Hey Leon...Nice to hear from you. I loved the Mark IV . It seems more versatile and capable of delivering excellent lead tones, but once you hooked the Tube Screamer with the Dual Rectifier, it too sounded great. What Cab are you using for this? The Analog world is so difficult to source and test, and so much to chose from. I am enjoying the Helix for now, but also eyeing the FM3. Digital world is consistent, if not 100% accurate yet :D Cheers!
Get a 4. I have a 5 and it’s the best amp I own, as well as the most versatile. I’ve never amp for amp compared a 4 and a 5, but it’s a given the 4 will be a historically great amp, the 5 will also but more for its versatility. There aren’t many amps since 1990 that do what they do and you really seem to love that 4. The smile tells it all. Great video.
Mark all the way !!
Awesome video man. I’m a Recto guy...The Vintage (orange) channel with the “vintage to modern” option on the back did it for me. I also always drive the front end with either a TS-9 or 808 screamer. I can’t find a better tone for metal than that, now I have that stored in my Kemper.
Mesa Mark IV for sure
Oh man these two. I always find myself going back and forth on which I prefer the most. The tightness on the Mark IV and the wall of sound from the Recto. I like your idea of quad tracking them. Best of both worlds.
Mark IV owner here and prefer it still.
As an owner of a 2011 Duel Recto and a Mark IV, I prefer the Mark over the recto. The mark is so much tighter on chugs and leads, and if you want recto tones you can mostly get them with considerable tweaking haha. But great video and comparison!!
To me a boosted rectifier is such an amazing sound. In person it blows my mind every time. With that said the mark series are probably some of the most polished amps they’ve ever came out with when it comes to playing high gain right out of box.
Both sound great, owned both. Graduated to a Mesa Triple Crown, 100w, 6L6. I am happy there
Ooooh nice!!!
Great video. I've owned and played thru MKIV for over 20 years... Tip-make sure the lead gain and drive are both pulled out. Your excellent playing can over compensate for this, but those 2 "pulled out" is where the "magic" happens for the rest of us. Running thru a Boogie OS 4x12 recto cab also takes it to "beast mode". Thanks for another great vid Leon!
Using the TS and starving the low end going in and picking up the low on the way out tightens up the Dual Rec so much! I always thought the Dual had a flabby floppy sound from using the tube rectifiers. I had one once upon a time and after about sixth months traded it for a DC-5 and a MarkIIII. Some cash added in of course. I was thrilled. I was playing in a really fast hardcore band i.e. Converge then about 6 or 7 years after that was playing in a doom band tuned to drop G# so it was way down there i.e. Conan, Electric Wizard, Acid King, Bongzilla, Weedeater and so on. Any all Mesa amps are wonderful but I do prefer more of that DC and Mark series they make! But yeah very cool how that pedal tightened up the Dual!!
First time find you and I love me some Boogie and this is the best side by side comparison I have seen! Love it. New sub and fan here!
Mark IV each and every day
Mark 4 is a Monster
I've just bought the Triple Rectifier and already have the Mark IVa. Having just compared the two, I love the Recto for rhythm. It just sounds HUGE and shakes the room but I love the Mark IV for lead tones. Lead tones of the Mark IV are way more articulate and expressive. Wish I could keep both and use an ABY pedal.
That was exactly my experience as well.
This is the kind of content the internet was created for!
both of them sounds are very good. I have only DR old version :) thank you Leon for presentation..
The mk series are just so sweet. I’m proud to play one!!!!
The first one you played dude sounds just like my 5150 ! I will never get tired of saying "my 5150" 😜😆💕
Bought my Mark IV new in late '93...very early B version. Still have it and found a pristine Simul-Satellite and a straight Boogie halfback 4x12 to go with my slant halfback 4x12 around a year ago. Bought an Empress Echosystem to get some stereo delay/reverb because the Mark IV spring reverbs absolutely suck(at least mine does). Really is the ultimate rig. Can't believe how great it sounds. Need to make a video of it.
Think I just fell in love with the Mark IV
Mark series definitely the amp to choose, so tight and cohesive !
Personally, I would take the amp that doesn't need the pedal in front, but that tube screamer definitely did wonders to that rec. Both great amps!!
Mark IV owner here. I was told the following by a reputable source: the Rectifier gain structure is like gravel. The Mark gain structure is sand.
This resonates true to me. It's smoother.
I don't currently own a Mark series hardware unit,but I have almost all the sim versions,the Amplitube versions stand out.I do own some Recto hardware though,a Triple Rec and a road King.The Road King is my favorite amp of all time(so far).
Mark Series any day.
Theres realy something about a boosted recto that i like a lot. both sound killer so may as well get both.
Recto - T-Rex. Mark - Velociraptor. Boosted Recto - Indominus Rex.
@@LeonTodd well i finaly made it, i now own a Roadking and a Mark IV rev A!
Having owned both the recto is "rough/course" if that makes sense where the IV is tight/smooth but face punching - sold the Recto as no comparison but if you don't like a tweakers amp then stay away from the IV cos with the slightest adj the tone will change dramatically - so much diverse tone range. The Recto can be set up in 5 min - IV will take months lol
Spot on!
MARK SERIES ALL THE WAY!
Just found your channel and I love it.
Thanks mate!
New Leon video my boredom is cured!!
Good morning Leon! Well done and thanks for sharing brother!
Be Well!
Early morning thrash before I Boogie off to work!
Omg man your place looks like a freaking guitar store!
Old dual rectifier. Best amp ever
I'm contemplating the purchase of my first really nice amp, and I'm torn between a recto and a mark. That said, the recto seems to me like a one trick pony, while the mark seems incredibly versatile and tight. Once you're done chugging the recto, the mark has got tons of things yet to offer. I think I know what to do, then. 😊
The recto is far from being a one trick pony, modern heavy music just overutilizes one of it's tricks. That being said, I still bought a Mk IV and didn't buy a recto (yet) because Mark IV tone is subjectively what I prefer.
@@digchevelle me too! I guess it's a learning curve, but a Mark has been my dream for quite some time.
The Vintage mode on the Rectifier series is under-appreciated, but I still way prefer the Mark. Just wish Mesa would reissue the Mark III somehow.
Just buy the real thing. Mark III's are under-appreciated and can be bought fairly cheap.
@@tacoconch7678 shh keep it down so nobody will know 😜
@@tacoconch7678 HUH? Mk III Cheap? 3-5K is cheap? Man if you know where I can get one cheap, shoot me a message!
@@1badsteed That comment was over 2 years ago and you can still find them on Reverb and Ebay for $2000. lol
Man. I’ve owned a Solo 50 for a hot minute, Mark IV for a longer hot minute & now a Mark V:25 and I never really understood the difference between a Recto & Mark. I knew how they sounded but You used that thing called words while crushing riffs to tie it all together. Awesome! Thanks!
My pleasure mate!
The Mark IV is the best Mesa Boogie ever built imo.
I've played both and for metal the recto is more for slow rhythm/open chords while the mark is better suited for fast paced rhythm and fast chugging. Both are great, it depends of your style. They do cleans really well too.
excellent video. I have a mini rectifier, and I find this amp to be unusable without a boost (too flubby). but as you put a boost in front (maxon od808 in my case) it's a pretty versatile amp ! greatings from France.
OK, so I know I said I couldn't get over the flub of the rectifier. Well, I received a Demon Tube Screamer pedal yesterday. It's a clone of the TS9 & TS808. Now I love the sound of my rectifier. It's much tighter and the natural compression is impressive...something I don't get from the Mark series.
I play technical death metal and after 25 years it has punished my joints, tendons, and ligaments. For palm muted tremolo picking, palm muted gallops, and palm muted 8th, 16th and 32'd notes a boosted Rectifier has less note-choking grind and still retains a heavy tone. Basically I want my strings to feel like a warm, buttery sponge for both fretting and picking hands. A Marshall DSL can also get that squish if you crank them up though they are painful for me at low volumes.
Actually bought a 2nd Mark IV, this one a 1x12 combo to go along with my head.
Niiiice!
Dig the Mark IV, thanks for the video!
These amps are made for Chin music.
My face looks the same teeth gritting and tight lower face while playing. Love these amps.
Great video Leon.
MARK IV all day long
Please make more videos like this!
I'd love to hear a 3 way shootout between these two and a Triple Crown.
Oooooh so would I!
I got a Triple Crown! It’s amazing!!!!!
The Mark IV for the win!
I would LOVE to see you check out the Mesa Triple Crown 100. It’s kind of like a mix between the Mark and Recto, with a little British flair.
Mark 4 is always the answer.
I believe that the Awake record by Dream Theater was quad tracked with a Recto and a Mark IIC+/Triaxis throughout. And also one of the best guitar tone records of all time...I also believe it was a major pain in the ass and the last time JP quad tracked anything.
Fun fact: You can get a Recto into Mark/Triaxis territory with a boost up front and the surgical precision of a pair of EQs, one out front and one in the loop. Have had good results with the real thing as well as with modelling. Not quite the real thing, but a girl can dream. 😂
@@Ascoundrel Yeah, it's been years in the making and it's quite an involved signal chain with 2 PEQs, a TS and a good compressor, but I am confident in the tonality. Now, it doesn't feel as tight as a Mark, I and it's a bit more forgiving than the Simul-Class and a lot more forgiving than the 100w big tranny ones like the 2C+ and JP-2C...but it absolutely SOUNDS like a proper Metallica or Dream Theater Boogie crunch...which is the best time ever.
I just noticed the trade tariff shite mucking with the Helix prices...all the way to $1199 for the LT and $1699 for the OG. I remember smiling when I saw the LT for $999 that it was a fantastic price for a sick piece of gear. I saw how Line 6 closed down the thread in their forum where people were bitching, you know safe spaces and all that happy horsey. I will never buy a Line 6 anything ever again...I see that Fractal hasn't done that, they have the Axe Triple just sitting at $1999 with immediate delivery. I know this is completely off topic, I just wanted a place to vent. Maybe I should dump this Helix while it's still worth something and get on the Fractal train. Bye bye L6.
There is so much involved in settings -all the EQ settings-tone-gain-lows-mids-highs. Also how he mic's the cabs? What speakers he's using? I can tell that this is a biased pro-Mark IV video. But he is using an older version rectifier. I have heard dual rectifiers at their best, and I would say I would choose it over the Mark IV because of price, and you are getting a heavy duty "AMP FOR LIFE" Marshall Plexi on crack sound. The transformers and tubes are top notch, same as the Mark IV, but the Rectifier series can definitely get you the heaviest "chug" sound you want. You can't lose with either. Both made in USA. But I would go with a Rectifier. There are plenty of other sound test videos out there showing what it can do.
It's a matter of taste - once you "get" the Recto sound and know how to use it there's basically nothing else that can do what it does in a mix. You can hear this very amp recorded here.
th-cam.com/video/Bo5KrylsNYY/w-d-xo.html
Hey Leon 👍 sounds killa as always👌. Can’t help but notice that diezel sitting next to you , would be awesome to hear the mk4 blended with that mid range bark of the Diezel mmmmm😆
Have a Mark V and a Triple. Bought the Recto not planning on being wowed, since I already had the V and already thought it was perfect. First time playing through it (with some EMG's, nontheless), I FELT it in my bones. That being said, I still much prefer the smoother and (a lot) more versatile Mark V...but not planning on getting rid of the Recto for when I want that one sound it does so well and shake my windows.
The Recto really is a character tone, once you get a taste for it you can't shake it.
The Carvin V3 was designed to compete with the Mesa..I have one and really enjoy it's flexibility..I have played the amps in this video..and like them as well..I tracked a recording with the recto back in 2004 and one of my guitar players had a Mark IV..It would be really interesting to hear these amps the same way against the Carvin you own.
I had a V3 for a while. I enjoyed it but the bottom was a tad weak. I traded it for a Krank Rev1. Neither one could bark with the Mark IV.
great video...prob have seen it 10 times in the last few days as my mark IV got here a few days ago...what an amplifier!!! already have a mark V:25 so getting a tc electronic mimiq pedal shortly to run both in stereo...my god!!! thanx man!!!
excellent demo !
Thankyou!
The Mark IV eats the Rectifier for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and the midnight snack!
Mark sounds amazing!
What are your settings on the front and back panel of the dual rectifier . I have an old Mesa racktifier I'd like to dial in.
I was always a Dual Rec person until I got a Mark V... now I can't go back!
Both awesome but the Mark is a winner 🤘
I absolutely love gear videos... so I’m gonna sub
Having a recto-verb 25 combo I'd like to see an EQ comparison between the rectifier and the recto-verb, if you have one of course. but anyway, like this vid a lot, even how YOU enjoy it.
I run a boss graphic eq in the mark iv. Ialso have the onboard graphic on too. Time to show everyone what happens. Totally different amp!!!!!
My answer, own both! I would never part with any of my Boogie amps. My Mark IV is definitely the favorite tho. BTW, Leon, I have been streaming Ragdoll Back to Zero after watching this and hearing you mention it. It's a killer album! Also checked out Rewound. Equally awesome. Dude, you are an incredible writer and player. I hope you are planning to put out something new soon.
Dude that means so much to hear you're enjoying the albums!
If you haven't heard it yet we just put out a new single - th-cam.com/video/WlZymAoNWVs/w-d-xo.html
@@LeonTodd Yes sir, I am enjoying them both immensely. Sharing with some of my bros as well. Been watching your vids for a few years and knew you were a good player with great taste in gear, lol. Your humble reference to the album led me to check it out. I love them both. The live tracks on the remastered album show that y'all can pull it off live quite skillfully as well. You guys should be getting airplay here in the States. The new single rips !
Thanks so much mate! Really hoping we can come back to the states and play some shows.
@@LeonTodd you're welcome. I hope that happens.
I really like the tube screamer recto sound
I have a Mark V, which has the IV circuit and the Mark IIc+ circuit as well, which is totally killer.... three channels, three modes, three power settings it’s so fn insane.