# Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier meets Fame Bulldozer (sound demo included!)



## habib (Aug 19, 2010)

Hey Guys,

doesn't really post here as much as i read threads, especially the gear & equipment sub. I'm a gear nerd (as most of you are ) and i'm very interested in this side of "making music"... the gear side!

I always appreciate, when people share their gear and rig stuff by posting pics, demos and whatever... so do i 

Most of you apparently know the Mesa Boogie Rectifier. According to the phenomenal marketing policy Mesa is running over here in Germany/Europe, we have to spend much more on a Recto than you have to overseas. Nevertheless, even though a Recto is not as much as expensiv as it is to us, not anyone is albe to affort this shiny bastard 
One can claim, we need a cheaper alternative. People always search for this, i read that all the time...
I was searching for the exact same thing: Mesa sound, less money 

Et voila: Fame Bulldozer came to my mind...

Just for your understanding: the Fame Bulldozer is the exact copy of the old two channel Rectifier, built by the russian company Yerasov and distributed by the "in-house brand" of the german MusicStore (in Cologne) under the name "Fame". 
So much for the specs, you can easily google this amp by yourself 

After two years of experience, i do not consider the Bulldozer only as a duplication anymore. It's an amp with an independent vibe - sure with some Recto charakteristics, but you don't get a recto for half the price. 
BUT do not despair, this little piece of amplification kicks ass.
What you get is the balance of the Recto and a 5150/6505 or Engl Powerball. Tighter and more higher mids than the Recto but warmer than the 5150/6505 and less compressed than the powerball.

Ahhh... damn the subjectivitiy, just listen!

What you're about to watch/listen is the Fame Bulldozer mixed with a Triple Rectifier. Both amps doubletracked and boosted with Keeley Modded Ibanez TS808. Overdubs and cleans done by the Rectifier. No postprocessing on the guitars.





Hope you enjoyed it 
Thanks for your time...

So long, habib


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## Bevo (Aug 19, 2010)

Cool!
Would be great to hear it on its own or A/B with the triple.


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## Leuchty (Aug 19, 2010)

How is the build quality? Is there a chance to get a clip with JUST the fame?

Thanks for sharing, btw.


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## slayerrulesyo (Aug 19, 2010)

Monster tone, great playing.


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## habib (Aug 19, 2010)

slayerrulesyo said:


> Monster tone, great playing.



Thx ...



Bevo said:


> Cool!
> Would be great to hear it on its own or A/B with the triple.





CYBERSYN said:


> How is the build quality? Is there a chance to get a clip with JUST the fame?
> 
> Thanks for sharing, btw.



Build quality is descent, on the same level as the "substitutions". Some (me included) had little problems with the 5U4GB stocktubes. One blew out after a few month but was fixed with warrenty. This was the only problem i had in over two years of rehearsing and touring. Extremly reliable. Don't be deceived by "russian" or the affordable price, all components are high-class.


To the Bulldozer sound itself:
I don't have the Recto layers for the A/B, but i can get you a shorter (cutted) version of this song where you're able to hear only the Bulldozer without Recto, drums and bass. Once again doubletracked (with sm57 and neumann km140 micwise), boosted through the mesa oversized. Used TAD EL34 in the powersection and TungSol 12AX7 in the preamplifier. I really recommend the TungSols!

Same sloppy playing here^^... and due to a lack of experience, i used tooooo much gain on this and i think the presence was to high, but you get the idea 

Here you go for the sample: netmusicians.org - the guitar gear mp3 database

cheers, chris


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## HaZarD96 (Aug 20, 2010)

Bulldozer is not like the Mesa Double, it needs to be a bit moded to reach the normal sound, in original it is full shit.. we have some of them, bulldozer and detonator (slo100 copy) .. reason is that yerasov (fame) sometimes uses absolutely another parts that even don`t match the scheme of Recto .. all bulldozers need full check detail by detail according mesa scheme, then they begin sound ok but not absolutely recto..
a big plus is that they can be bought for 850$ new (with no shipping included of cause)


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## HaZarD96 (Aug 20, 2010)

habib said:


> all components are high-class




it is not so... 
body and mounting all is ok, but electric components are cheap...
they work, but no comparison with mesa`s "orange drops etc."
*fame/yerasov are great amp`s for the price but not absolute mesa copy*, just "very similar"
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## habib (Aug 20, 2010)

never ever said "absolute mesa copy"... and as i explained, i DON'T consider the bulldozer as clone anymore, but this is what yerasov / fame was tryin to achieve. according to look, features blablabla, they were successful, according to sound they weren't. But i'm not angry about that fact, i'm satisfied ... prefer the Bulldozer instead of any recto, but that depends on your taste..

ok maybe little miscommunication here... high-class is not any standard, you have to differentiate. I never said it equals the Mesa level, it equals the substitutions pricewise (5150, engls...). Maybe, high-class doesn't fit irrevocably, but cheap neither ... let's settle it between?

In refrence to your opinion, they sound like "full shit" without any adjustment, i totally disagree! The Bull sounds inferior to the "fixed one" (tubewise) but not as horrible as you're trying to describe. Allways depends on your liking and taste... as i see, you dislike the bulldozer. I totally can handle that 



HaZarD96 said:


> reason is that yerasov (fame) sometimes uses absolutely another parts that even don`t match the scheme of Recto .. all bulldozers need full check detail by detail according mesa scheme, then they begin sound ok but not absolutely recto..



Where did you get that knowledge?

//edit: doesn't look cheap to me:











































OK, maybe not as high-class as the Mesa, but not even close to cheap!

cheers, chris


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## HaZarD96 (Aug 20, 2010)

i do not understand where did you see in my posts that i "unlike" bulldozer or detonator.. i`ve said that they are good amps for the price but they need test step by step confirmation by slo100 & mesa double recto layouts and are "as like" but not mesa..
That pics seems normal to me, the most interesting of them is wima, maybe i`ve seen another version or maybe yerasov decided to use more interesting parts for "fame"
All info i`ve posted here is based on our real experience with that firm,never from somewhere else.
Some bulldozers and detonators passed through our hands and ears, also right now we have in use 2 lightly modified bulldozers and one detonator.. one thing is - that we `ve bought amps directly from yerasov not from fame..


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## habib (Aug 20, 2010)

yeah, don't take it personal... you never said you dislike the bulldozer, was just my interpetational feelings to your "undertone"... my imagination was deceptive and i apologize for that.

I don't even want to get you down on that fact, it really doesn't matter 
What matters is, that you have to "test them step by step" as you said, to make them sound good. What does that mean in detail? What do you "fix"?

I don't even doubt your first hand experiences and maybe the fame version differs from the "original" yerasov one, but as far as i'm concerned, fame is just labeling, the amps are the same. The pics are all from the yerasov version 

Just to lead that discussion to a consent, we both agree, quite good amp for the money but if you want a mesa: get the real deal! right?


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## HaZarD96 (Aug 20, 2010)

habib said:


> we both agree, quite good amp for the money but if you want a mesa: get the real deal! right?



yes 
also i can say that they are much similar to originals and both have good full-stack valve sound..


here is our experience - i suggest u to check your amps, this can make them better...

-amps that we tested worked , but there was some dirt in a tone and it was quite badly "readable" sound, it was really bad for full-stack head, the amp worked and people used it for a time, but still feelings were that there was something wrong, ~3 month `ve passed and at last when we `ve looked inside and started scheme compliance, we`ve found 2 small problems but with great sound influence, one was that volume potentiometers were not 1mega ohm like it is needed by orig layout -but 250 K Ohm - and maybe you will do not believe, but it was main trouble and after fixing it sound changed radical in very good way, also there was 1 capacitor that was half-dead (but it was changed first and it was just a standart fix, main influence was made by volume potentiometers.. in other yerasov stuff there was also noticed some small part non-compliance which make us feel that if yerasov do not have orig parts in stock he just replace them with those he have in a moment.. or maybe he make this things to prevent issues with mesa copyright..


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## grungedude82 (Oct 1, 2010)

HaAard96, I have a question for you. When you said "scheme" did you have the schismatics for the Mesa, or the Yerasov/Fame? Cause I have been trying to find the Bulldozer schismatics with no avail, so if you have them and could get me copy some how that would be awesome.


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## HaZarD96 (Oct 23, 2010)

i think i can, `ll search for it


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## grungedude82 (Nov 7, 2010)

Thanks for trying, I've been off the net for a little while.


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## neteraser (Sep 25, 2011)

Don't forget that the transformers are crap. Not only the schematic or single mismatched components. The whole thing is f-cked up. This is an opinion coming from both experience and technical knowledge.

We produce transformer replacements, currently for Yerasov 30 series under EVH Electric brand to help people get "right sound". But it's not enough really. The whole amplifier should be redone to make the owner feel all-right. 

Actually, those "something isn't rigth" feelings are not uncommon. I've seen and experienced the same. There're things defining "class of the amp" and "level of the amp" and there's a difference. Yerasov produces very low level amps. 

That means they have no clue what people really need in sound. They suck your energy. Most people who say "I'm happy with my Yerasov" end up selling it in the end. 

I've personally spent a few months to overcome it, then I stopped lying to myself and admitted that was a wrong purchase. I hope you're not selling it to somebody.  Take it to a tech for another $300-500 mod and it should be safe to use.


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## Andromalia (Sep 25, 2011)




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## TMM (Sep 25, 2011)

Andromalia said:


>



 holy  nice reference, rep!


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