Advice on Mesa 4x12 cabs

[the.rev]

Before I get into detail here, I've Google'd this topic and read several other forms without getting any closer to an answer - there seems to be a split in preference between the Stiletto and Recto cabs.

I'm currently using a Rectoverb head into a Marshall 1960A 4x12, PRS custom 24 and ESP Horizon and play in a 5 piece progressive/metal/post-hardcore band and trade-off the rhythm and lead playing a lot with the other guitarist. The tone I'm going for is along the lines of bands such as Protest the Hero, Alexisonfire, Between the Buried and Me and Avenged Sevenfold to give an idea. My main problem is that the cab starts to sound very harsh and trebley when cranked past a certain point.

From what I've read, the Recto cab seems to be a lot easier to work with when recording, but can still come off too slow or thundering live, while the Stiletto has the opposite problem (sounds too shrilly when recorded, but great in a live setting).

Also taking into consideration that I'm playing with a second guitarist, what would fit well in the mix?

I'd like to upgrade my amp head eventually to one of the new Dual Rectos, so I'm keeping that in mind as well when deciding which cab to buy.

Just wondering if anyone can share from experience and point me in the right direction.

 

[Dave G.]

Ive had a similar problem when trying to find out info about these cabs and my conclusions are try both of them if you can and decide which sounds best to your ears. The recto cab will sound more "boomy" as it has more low end in it and its a lot looser. The stilletto cab seems to be a bit more mid focused and a tighter all around cab. Ive only used the Recto cab myself in the studio and it sounded great with really full low chords as well as trem picked lines. But then again i know a few people that used the stiletto cab in the studio and it sounded great too. The same goes for live ive heard great things from both.

Id say try them out if you can and see which one you like yourself. There are one or two good videos on youtube that show a/b of the two cabs but it still doesnt do them both justice.

 

[espboogie123]

My advice would be to head towards the recto direction... :twisted:

 

[b0nkersx]

I'm currently using a Rectoverb head into a Marshall 1960A 4x12, PRS custom 24 and ESP Horizon and play in a 5 piece progressive/metal/post-hardcore band and trade-off the rhythm and lead playing a lot with the other guitarist. The tone I'm going for is along the lines of bands such as Protest the Hero, Alexisonfire, Between the Buried and Me and Avenged Sevenfold to give an idea. My main problem is that the cab starts to sound very harsh and trebley when cranked past a certain point.

From what I've read, the Recto cab seems to be a lot easier to work with when recording, but can still come off too slow or thundering live, while the Stiletto has the opposite problem (sounds too shrilly when recorded, but great in a live setting).

Also taking into consideration that I'm playing with a second guitarist, what would fit well in the mix?

I'd like to upgrade my amp head eventually to one of the new Dual Rectos, so I'm keeping that in mind as well when deciding which cab to buy.

Just wondering if anyone can share from experience and point me in the right direction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f22Nsx6pHp8
This video can probably help you more than words can.

FWIW, I own a rectocab (never played a stiletto cab) and I like it a lot.

 

[HaggertysMusic]

Thanks for linking to our video. We set a Royer R-121 a few ft from the cabinets and it really accurately picked up how these cabinets sound in a room.

My take on these cabs is the rectifier is more scooped in the mids, and brighter on the top end. The stiletto has more emphasis on the mids and has a smoother, less harsh top end.

The Rectifier has more bottom end, but the Stiletto's bottom is tighter.

Overall I personally prefer the Stiletto, but there's no right or wrong here, just personal preference.

 

[Thatguy]

I run my rectoverb through the 4x12 recto cab. I think it sounds awesome. And I can pull off all of the sounds you are asking about. I have no trouble with it being booming. But I have heard of guys putting a couple of layers of 2" high density foam in the bottom to make the internal volume (that is cubic inches) the same as the stiletto cab. Not sure if it is the same but it makes sense to me.

 

[fluff191]

I love my Recto oversized cab. I used to have a straight and remember the lows being kind of all over the place, but man the angled is exactly what I like.

Either way, if you get ANY Mesa cab, it will be worlds better than anything else out there (except for a Mills cab or something).

 

[HaggertysMusic]

I love my Recto oversized cab. I used to have a straight and remember the lows being kind of all over the place, but man the angled is exactly what I like.

Either way, if you get ANY Mesa cab, it will be worlds better than anything else out there (except for a Mills cab or something).

+1

I discovered that cabinet construction makes a difference when I A/B'ed a carvin legacy 4x12 (with vintage 30's) with a boogie rectifier 2x12 (also with vintage 30's).

The boogie ate it for lunch.

 

[Thatguy]

The construction has TONS to do with it. I built a 2x12 cab to the exact specs as a Mesa, I'm a carpenter and it was perfect. But I stupidly thought I would use mdf instead of ply wood. That was a huge mistake. It wasn't horrible, but it lacked the punch that it should have had. Same speakers, same tolex, same grill cloth, same exact specs, everything. It looked the part but it was no recto cab.

 

[fluff191]

Same speakers, same tolex, same grill cloth, same exact specs, everything. It looked the part but it was no recto cab.

I would be so pissed. :?

 

[YellowJacket]

The construction has TONS to do with it. I built a 2x12 cab to the exact specs as a Mesa, I'm a carpenter and it was perfect. But I stupidly thought I would use mdf instead of ply wood. That was a huge mistake. It wasn't horrible, but it lacked the punch that it should have had. Same speakers, same tolex, same grill cloth, same exact specs, everything. It looked the part but it was no recto cab.

Construction does have TONNES to do with it. MDF just sounds dead and lifeless. Of the two build projects I have been involved with (ordering my father in law around, HE'S the carpenter) I decided for both to get high grade birch plywood instead of MDF. They both turned out fantastically well. That being said, comparing my thiele back to back against a DR Z Z Best Cab was interesting. While I had a G12m 25 in it instead of a G12H 30, the Z Best Cab somehow sounded a touch sweeter and and phatter than mine. They were close though.

My favourite build result has to be the oversized 2 x 12, which I have commented on at length here. It seriously has a very similar frequency response to a 4 x 12, but without the beef of 2 extra speakers. I based it on the dimensions of the Mills Mach 212B but I made some modifications to the design. For instance, the internal baffle is installed on an angle and the speakers are slightly offset from one another. I cannot believe how great the cab sounds; it is tight from very low to high volumes.

I personally found my oversized 4 x 12 Rectocab to sound thick and muddy. If I was forced to buy another Mesa 4 x 12, I'd DEFINITELY get a Stiletto cab with a mix of v30s and c90s. I really like the less pronounced lows / highs with the rounder emphasis on the mids. The other 4 x 12 I'd own would be a Marshall with 4 G12m Heritage speakers.

Thanks for linking to our video. We set a Royer R-121 a few ft from the cabinets and it really accurately picked up how these cabinets sound in a room.

My take on these cabs is the rectifier is more scooped in the mids, and brighter on the top end. The stiletto has more emphasis on the mids and has a smoother, less harsh top end.

The Rectifier has more bottom end, but the Stiletto's bottom is tighter.

Overall I personally prefer the Stiletto, but there's no right or wrong here, just personal preference.

I agree 100% When I was shopping for a 4 x 12 back in the day I agonized between the Stiletto and Rectocab for such a long time. (Were the Traditional and Standard cabs back then) I found the Stiletto cab to sound very similar to the Marshall 1960vintage, but the Marshall was warmer and had more 'give' while the stiletto was darker and extremely thumpy / urgent. In hindsight I would have went with the Stiletto hands down, or maybe looked into a Mills Afterburner 4 x 12.

 

[coachjason]

Hi Rev.,

I have been using a Boogie Tri-axis system for years and have had a very 'crappy' old 4x12 cabinet. I have been looking to upgrade the cabinet for a while and I looked at and played both the Boogie 'Recto' and 'Traditional' cabs at my local dealer and they both sounded great.

I had an opportunity to go to THD Electronics a few years ago (I live in the Seattle area), and have them check out my Tri-axis rig. I was interested in possibly modding it. I didn't bring my cab because they said they had plenty to use. They had me plugged into one of their 2x12 cabs and it was absolutely incredible sounding. It easily held it's own with any 4x12 I've heard. Oddly the conclusion that they came to was they liked the tone of my amp better as it was. I had to agree. But I never forgot how great that 2x12 sounded.

So for a couple of years now I've been wanting to upgrade my 4x12 cab. I finally purchased a THD 4x12 cabinet and all I can say is GOOD GOD that thing is amazing. I don't feel like going into the details that you can just look up on their web site and read anyway but the description makes it sound like the ultimate cabinet. Unfortunately the description really doesn't do it justice. You really have to hear and feel it. But, WOW is it worth every penny. I'm not sure as to why other companies don't do the things that THD is doing with their cabinets. The only conclusion I can come up with is that most famous and touring musicians are usually miking the cabinet any way so it doesn't matter if it has two different off axis speakers, slot porting, and front diffusers.

Anyway, I thought the sound was so much better that I actually decided to upgrade my amp rig also. After trying many amps and A/B testing my Tri-axis with several other amps I decided on a Dual Rectifier head. Oddly the cabinet sounded even better. I feel that the sound settings in the Recto manual are O.K. but I'm a big Gary Moore fan and for leads that is the kind of tone I like. What I found is if you put everything (except the volume) at 12:00 and tweek from there you can get all sorts of amazing tones. You do have to think about what you are hearing, what you want, and use your ears but, the end result can be incredible.

Definitely spend some time to find just what you want. But, I have to say; I've never been happier with my tone. And, I'm one of those people who doesn't like to mess around with what I have if it's already working for me. The other thing that I would have to mention is that now that I've worked with the two companies (Boogie and THD), both of them are amazing when it comes to customer support and service. Hope you find what you're looking for.

Happy Playing!

 

[screamingdaisy]

I love the Recto 4x12 (slant) with Rectifiers.

As mentioned, they're a brighter cab, which helps balance the Recto's naturally dark nature.

Also, although they do tend to produce more low bass (boom), they don't produce a lot of high bass (mud)... which helps maintain a lot of clarity. The boom is only really an issue if you're trying to play fast chords, like in thrash, and the boom can easily be controlled through selection of pickups (pick a brighter pickup instead of a fat pickup), use of a Tubescreamer (cuts bass), or simply turning down the bass knob on the amp.

The cabs can get harsh when the volume is turned up, but it's more of an issue when you're playing alone and standing directly in front of the cab. When used with a band that "harshness" is usually called "cut", which is something that the Rectifier could always use more of.

I've never used the Stiletto/Traditional 4x12, so no comments on it.

 

[user 9884]

Thanks for linking to our video. We set a Royer R-121 a few ft from the cabinets and it really accurately picked up how these cabinets sound in a room.

I wanted to add my thanks for that vid too. Excellent demo, I don't know how it could have been better.