Question:
But what exactly does a rectifier do?
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I have no idea!

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j/k
in all seriousness, it converts line alternating current to direct current. you used to have to use vaccuum tubes for this, but now 2 simple diodes and a few capacitors suffice. the tube rectifiers ahve a few pros and cons tone wise that other on here could explain better than me.
i'll get some schematics up.
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no need, I haven't taken the time to learn to read them yet
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well, this may help anyone else who's interested. IMO, it's not a good article about rectifiers, but it's the fastest thing i could dig up.
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_3/4.html
and you ought to learn to read schematics, they're more simple than the look. even just making a card that shows what everything stands for and using that to check what things are is better than not reading them at all.
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It makes it sound better.
Maybe saying "refiner". It refines your sound.
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Originally Posted by SoapbarII It makes it sound better.
Maybe saying "refiner". It refines your sound.
um, not really, it actually doesn't do anything to the "sound" part of the circuit, all it does is determine the characteristics of the power being fed to the "sound" part of the circuit. refining would be like passing the signal through an EQ.
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yea. In addition to what What5647 has said:
Back in the day amps had tube rectifiers. When playing for extended periods of time at high volumes on the old amps, the tube rectifier couldn't draw enough current or convert fast enough or something like that, basically it was inefficient. Inevitably the amp was forced to stop performing the way it was and this resulted in a sort of natural compression to the tone, you may have heard the term "sag," which is a good way to describe what happened and what it sounded like.
It's not a good or bad thing. People who are really into vintage tone like it. Like What5647 said however, the rectifier of an amp is no where in the signal chain so it has virtually nothing to do with the tone.
Well then "Why mesa boogies with tube rectifiers" you ask? Don't know, but I can tell you that they have (I believe) two tubes that they use as rectifiers. That, plus modern technology will make it virtually impossible to achieve "sag" with the more modern tube rectifier amps.
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i thought the recto's switch between both tube or SS rectifiers? correct me if i'm wrong
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yea. on the dual and the triple you can select which one you want to use. Some say that the tubes give a 'spongier' feel to your playing and that the solid state rect gives it a "tight" sound, suitable for fast picking metal or whatever.
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Originally Posted by Casey yea. on the dual and the triple you can select which one you want to use. Also, on the single recto, the rectifier is SS.