Is the 18W this good?

[Crabman]

I recently had an opportunity to pick up a Mesa 25W Rectoverb at an estate sale. A pal of mine running it told me that I could take it home for the weekend and if I liked it I could have it for an absolute steal. No question a beautifully built amp that is packed full of options .. 2 channels each with 2 modes and a half power triode option as well.

I have always wanted a high gain rectifier type amp so you can imagine my excitement. So when I get it home and start noodling about I find it tough to get really good tones out of this thing running it through a 1x12 Marshall cab with a Celestion greenback and a 4x12 Marshall cab with Celestion T-65’s. I tried it with a Strat and an SG but just couldn’t dial it in, no matter which channel I'm in. Something missing in the tone, even with all that gain on tap.

Ok let’s get the DYI 18W Trinity Plexi hooked up …. I’m stunned. The 18W is a killer. Just dripping with luscious tone dialed back or full tilt on the TMB channel. IMHO it wasn't much of a contest! Couldn’t have been more proud.

So is it that I just don’t know how to dial in these types of high gain amps or is the 18W this good?

The 25W Rectoverb also runs on EL84’s but just doesn’t have the chime. Perhaps it needs a cab with V-30’s? Anyway, I returned it and it did end up selling for quite a bit more than I could have had it for which is fine by me since I don't think I would ever use it over the 18W.

I’m keen to know if anyone else here has had a similar type of experience?

[crgfrench]

In the late 1980s I bought a Boogie mark III 150W head with six 6V6 output tubes. It never came close to the warm juicy tone I had previously with my early 80s Rivera superchamp. Of course, it was louder. But it was flat and stale compared to the little 18W Fender. Now that I've built Marshall style 18 watters it's like deja vu.

[Daviedawg]

The answer to your question is yes, it is very good.

I have no in depth experience of more expensive amps like the Mesas, but among the moderately priced Marshalls, Fenders and the like for "everyday" use the only amp which I enjoyed as much as my 18 watt is a 15 watt Orange which my son has. It is different to the 18 watt but has a tone that makes me play it.

I have a subjective method of measuring performance of guitars and amps - the time it takes for me to lose interest in my playing. The longer until I go off the better the measure. Sometimes even bad sounding amps are fun just trying to get a good response from them.

Dd

[JMPGuitars]

I used to be a big fan of Mesa amps. I never liked modern production Marshall amps, or any Fender amps. I did like a couple Orange amps I had. I've had quite a few Mesas. Rectoverb, Double Rec, Lone Star 2x12, Nomad 55, a couple from the Express series, and others. My teacher had an early Mark 2 or 3 or something like that. ...and then I completely lost interest in all of them after building these 18 watt circuit variations. I could still dial in some decent tones, but there was simply no comparison. Compared to the DIY 18 watters, they all sound sterile to me, and lack any real touch responsiveness. I still think they look nice.

[colossal]

I like a Mark IIc in John Petrucci's hands or the very earliest Dual Rectifier (serial less than 50) but all around, I find Boogie amps overly compressed and flat sounding in general. I have seen some that had very undersized output transformers too, likely part of the sound. I much prefer the more dynamic and natural sounding 18W platform in comparison. They are very different animals of course. One thing I tell guys when they are considering their sound...you can always add compression, but if the signal gets squashed on the way in, that's it. Bye bye dynamics. I agree with Josh on this. I used to love the sound of high gain amps in the right player's hands but now I find them almost instantly fatiguing.

[Crabman]

Interesting feedback.

I had a look around at on line demo's and to be honest not many of the 25W rectoverb demo' sounded that great .... kind of similar to what I was hearing. Some of the Dual Rec and Mark series amp demo's don't sound too bad though. My guess is something inherent in this particular amp is preventing it from delivering the goods.

As far as the comment about transformer size ... yes the OT was fairly small in the recto25.

[katopan]

I've been building valve amps for 11 years now and my first was an 18 Watt variant after joining this site, Lite IIb channel on one side and EF86 on the other.

In that time I've built a number of amps, some which I've kept, some which only existed in a test chassis and some which were for other people. Ones I kept include the revered Wreck Express and a 6G6-B Blonde Bassman. Those two are fantastic amps and total keepers. But my first build 18 Watt is still the best of the lot and is usually my go to when jamming with friends or for a rare occasion I get to play live. Has pretty much ruined for me most commercial amps I find in the local music shops, which are bland in comparison.

[TexasTele]

Yes, the 18 watt is fantastic. So is the 36 watt on this site. I’m no expert. Amps and guitars are just a hobby for me. I don’t play live, etc. Maybe one day I will. So why might my view be valuable? I’ve played and listened to a lot of amps over the last 15 years. I also have an ear for music, having grown up with a father who only listened to classical. My mother liked country. I, like almost everyone else my age, like rock, but I never lost my taste and love for the other genres as well. My music tastes are extremely eclectic. This might sound crazy, but I think Beethoven, AC/DC, George Strait, The Hollies, Hendrix, Alan Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Wagner, etc. are all totally awesome. The amps on this site, and related sites, are true musical instruments. You can make them sound crunchy, sweet, clean, bright, dark, etc. When you consider the schematics, you see right away they are fairly simple and there is very little to get in the way of your guitar’s tone and playing ability. I am no expert amp builder, but the one I built honestly sounds better than any commercial amp I have tried. The folks on this site, and similar sites, are very kind to do what they do. They are keeping a certain and wonderful musical tone alive. Just my two cents.