Grail vs Real Boogie

i just got done tracking my guitars for our new record last night and just wanted to post some of my thoughts on how the Grail performed

1st- I used my rig as the main tone which is Grail into VHT2502 (JJel34l's)
into a Randall XL cab loaded with V30's
double tracked

2nd we used a Mesa dual rectifier w/ 6L6's into a Marshall 1960's cab loaded with the higher watt speakers (not sure which one's .....does 70's sound right????) double tracked

the difference between the actuall base tones between the real deal and the Grail are really close , i'd actually say that the Grail is actually more refined and focused... it has a slight adavantage over the real deal imo

where the differences are is in the tubes and the cab's

WOW ... i really do not like 6L6 and higher wattage speakers!
the scooped out mids . the enhanced high's and boomy low end are just ridiculous to my ears
that being said

the combination in a recording enviroment is unbelievable !!!!!
the wall of sound you can create ...it's just brutal :twisted: !!!
it's clearly evident in the mix how you can identify each guitar and how they compliment each other in the frequencies they reside in !!! if you get the chance to layer guitars like this DO IT!!!

it was a good experiment for me, i know i will never have to drop money to see if i like the 6L6 / High wattage speaker tone by itself.. it's not for me...

but anyone who is trying to determine if these MODS are close to the real deal ...some of them are BETTER than the real deal!!!

i'll post some clips of the ear candy when record is done in August

If the Marshall 1960 cab had the stock G12T75 speakers then it wasn't a fair comparison. Those speakers, IMO, sound harsh and nasty. I own a 1960 cab and it sounded terrible (again, IMO) until I dropped 4 V30's in it. In a recording environment, however, I can see using the T75's for a different frequency response to complement the V30's.

If you want a true comparison between the Grail vs Dual Rec, take turns playing them through your Randall cab. I think you'll find the Dual Rec w/ 6L6's will be a lot more to your liking. That being said, I don't doubt that the Grail module can sound as good or better than the Dual Rec.

i don't know about the grail vs. the dual , but my modded ultra i prefer over a 6505, they are identical but with the randall i can get more out of it due to its versatility. take a stock ultra and change the resistor in r-25 to a 47k, bam its 6505+ with options( power tubes ) etc.

I'm guessing the 1960 had the G12T75s in it.

Which is the WORST speaker to match with a Recto.

is it just missing certain frequencies that the recto puts out? seems like its always paired up with v-30's

agreed about the marshall cab speakers sucking , although i don't know much about them, i tend to listen to me ears thou..

i couldn't stand the sound of that marshall cab w/ the boogie , but i had a trust thing with the engineer who said "wait till you hear it in the mix" and he was right ... it's the old saying "what sound like **** by itself , sounds fantastic in the mix "

because we matched up the 6L6's with the high wattage speakers we got a huge low end, crispy highs , and the mid's we on vacation , but that OK because my rig is EL34 with vintage 30's so i got the luscious Mid and lows and a smooth top end...

this made for a wall of brutal tone in the mix

it's cool stuff
oh and

RM4/GRAIL/VHT 2502 slayed the rectumfier!! imo i know it wasn't a fair comparison or set up ... but sometimes you can just tell!!!

Be sure and post the clip when you get it done so we can hear!

I tried A/B Grail vs. real dual recto only in my RM20. Nice and good, but totally different sound

hyenik said:

I tried A/B Grail vs. real dual recto only in my RM20. Nice and good, but totally different sound

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it's probably just me, but i really dig the tone of the grail w/ el34ls and V30's
the real thing just left me wanting more , if i get the change i'll throw the Boogie on my cab one day and see what i think then...

My heavily modded 2 channel older rectifier sounds very similar to the grail althought the grail lacks its clarity and weight but after a mod maybe not? I know my buddies new grail has the weight of my mesa.

MYDEMISE said:

My heavily modded 2 channel older rectifier sounds very similar to the grail althought the grail lacks its clarity and weight but after a mod maybe not? I know my buddies new grail has the weight of my mesa.

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i wouldn't hesitate throwing my grail and Vht2502 up against any Mesa head out there!!!