We start with the finest tubes from around the world, test and match each one under simulated operating conditions to the tightest, most demanding industry spec. Then we back them with the best warranty in the business - a minimum of six months. Mesa Boogie Roadster is WOW with Recto-Tracking!, 08:54 PM. That's what converts AC wall power to DC that tubes can use. It's just that the Mesa Dual Recto allows you to switch the rectification device from a tube rectifier to a solid state rectifier. They supply power slightly differently (the tube 'lags' behind in a way), so.
Hi i recently bought a mesa boogie roadster head. I have 'problem' with the gain in channel 4 on the modern mode. I need to turn up the gain to 4 o clock to get a really good 'lamb of god' type of distorion. Is this normal?
I mean it's almost all the way up! Ithe tubes are one year old. All stock tubes.
Can that be the problem? Playing with a schecter c-7 special with emg 81 and 85 into the amp without any type of boost pedal to a Harley benton cab with vintage 30'sI wonder if this is normal? I like the distorsion i get but i think it's wierd i need to turn up almost all the may:/Sorry for bad english. Well I will tell you a tip that I found in my road king that is the same pre amp as the roadster.So this amps have a special thing going on in the Ch3 and Ch4 that they look like they don't have a lot of gain, and they actually do not compared to a 5150 for ex.So the thing is, as you role up the treble knob in this channels the gain also looks like it goes amp because of the saturation of the pre amp, so maybe you are using your treble to low and your bass to high.Try this an see what you think.Good luck. Well I will tell you a tip that I found in my road king that is the same pre amp as the roadster.So this amps have a special thing going on in the Ch3 and Ch4 that they look like they don't have a lot of gain, and they actually do not compared to a 5150 for ex.So the thing is, as you role up the treble knob in this channels the gain also looks like it goes amp because of the saturation of the pre amp, so maybe you are using your treble to low and your bass to high.Try this an see what you think.Good luck.
Well I will tell you a tip that I found in my road king that is the same pre amp as the roadster.So this amps have a special thing going on in the Ch3 and Ch4 that they look like they don't have a lot of gain, and they actually do not compared to a 5150 for ex.So the thing is, as you role up the treble knob in this channels the gain also looks like it goes amp because of the saturation of the pre amp, so maybe you are using your treble to low and your bass to high.Try this an see what you think.Good luck. Click to expand.Great point! I have a Road King II as well and Manhell is a trillion percent correct, the EQ section has as much to do with how we hear the gain as just cranking the knobs.From the Roadster manual:TREBLE control ( in all four channels of your Roadster ) is the most powerful of the rotary controls and is next in line only to the GAIN control as a shaping tool. Because it is first in the signal path of the tone controls- and from here the Middle and Bass receive their signal - it is by far the dominant tone control. For this reason the setting of the TREBLE control is very important for equal representation of the three frequency regions to appear at their respective controls. Like most of the controls on your Roadster, there is an optimum region of the TREBLE control where ample top end is mixed in and yet enough signal is still passed on to the MIDDLE and BASS controls.&Your Roadster was designed to provide amazing gain and tone at less than extreme settings removing the need for you to crank everything all the way up. If you are not able to achieve the sound you want at sensible settings on any or all of the controls, your problem may lie elsewhere in the signal chain, i.e.
Pick-ups, cabinetry, processing etc. Keep in mind you can always call on one of our product specialist Monday through Thursday and seek some advice should you fi nd yourself struggling to get the sound you want.Derek. I read the Roadster manual cover to cover a couple of times, good read.It's more than what's being made out here. To get the punch and tight aggression with the Roadster you have to try to keep the gain around half, which to most metallers is painful because they feel like they need more gain.
If you start there, have your treble about 2oclock, mid around half way and bass to taste you can start to get some really tight sounds, they just aren't compressed and saturated like a Mark series.I also used Channel 4 Vintage a lot to get more mids and less fizz, it was my favourite setting on that amp by miles. Yup that's true, I got my Road King again recently due to technical problems and I am experimenting again.the 4th channel seems a bit less gainy and more tight than the 3rd, and that's also du to the amazing range of the presence on ch4. But now I'm really affraid that my RK goes kaput again so everything that looks strange give me an heart attack.I have to be patient and dial in for some time until I get my sound, you should do the same, and if in the end you still lack some gain just get a tube screamer in front of it, but first try to get the most out of it, it is a very versatile amp.Good luck.
Hey BlackVice. I own a roadster. I switched my tubes out for sovteks. HUGE difference. It was just being a pussy with those old tubes in it. Big expense, but my only regret is not doing it sooner. It sounded nice, just wasn't aggressive.
Mesa Boogie Roadster Combo
It basically wouldn't do a metal tone until I got new tubes. Usually when you buy a new head, the seller has no idea (or is lying) about how old the tubes are, so I replace as soon as funds allow. Good luckI bought sovteks because they are the cheapest available where I live.
Hey BlackVice. I own a roadster.
I switched my tubes out for sovteks. HUGE difference. It was just being a pussy with those old tubes in it. Big expense, but my only regret is not doing it sooner.
It sounded nice, just wasn't aggressive. It basically wouldn't do a metal tone until I got new tubes. Usually when you buy a new head, the seller has no idea (or is lying) about how old the tubes are, so I replace as soon as funds allow.
Good luckI bought sovteks because they are the cheapest available where I live. I think most Mesa Rectifier designs need a boost in front for that saturated death metal style distortion. Most pros that use or have used them have some sort of boost in front for their distortion tone e.g. Cannibal Corpse, Devin Townsend, KSE etc.When I owned a Roadster a few years ago, no matter the volume, I always needed a boost for high gain rhythms and leads, as the amp is not very compressed on it's own (or at least mine wasn't!). I liked channel 3 on vintage mode best, with the 'spongy' setting.Personally, I think the Roadster is the best sounding version of the Rectifier model currently available, so don't give up!