Mesa Standard vs. Traditional Cab?

[2000ContourSVT]

My local Mesa dealer is having a closeout sale on Mesa products and I can get a Mesa Traditional 4x12 for $700 brand new.

So I was wondering, how good of a deal is this?

They don't have the Rectifier Standard so I have no way of comparing the Traditional cab to the Rectifier Standard myself. So, is there any comparison tests out there that will help me decide which of the two I think sounds better?

I'm going to be using this cab strictly for recording, so do you guys think I should wait for a Rectifier Standard on eBay (since I live in an area where not many people have Rectifier cabs on Craigslist), or should I just buy the Traditional?

Sorry for the long post.

 

[Metaltastic]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/equipment/485633-mesa-cab-duel-recto-vs-stiletto.html

Avoid the Traditional at all costs IMO (especially the cost of $700 ), I got my Recto Standard for $480 on craigslist, and that's really not that unusual of a price!

 

[Melodeath]

Traditional = stiletto?

Is the recto cab straight, or can it be slanted too? And then the oversized is yet another design? (wtfff)

 

[Metaltastic]

No, there are only two different cabs, they've just gone by tons of names

Ok, so there's the Mesa Rectifier Standard Oversized (actually, I don't think it was ever officially called "Oversized", but that's just become colloquially known). It was available only with a slanted baffle up until around 2 or 3 years ago (now it's straight or slant, before the bottom cabinet had a straight-shaped box with a slant baffle, thus leaving an overhang, kinda strange). 4x 8 ohm V30s

Then there's the Mesa Rectifier Traditional, now called the Stiletto Traditional, which was always available in slant or straight (I had the slant). This too has 4x 8 ohm V30s

And apparently, there's a Traditional that was briefly made that's half-open back with MC90 Black Shadows in it, and it may actually be even smaller than the regular Traditional, though I can't confirm that.

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Marcus (or anyone else):

Do you have experience with the Recto cab vs a Framus Dragon cab?
They both rep V30s but apparently the cab construction makes a fuckton difference.

I used to use a Mesa cab, but it wasn't mine and the owner came back for it haha, (so all I have now is my Dragon cab), which sounds good, but I want ICHIBAN!!!

 

[Jaymz]

Do you have experience with the Recto cab vs a Framus Dragon cab?
They both rep V30s but apparently the cab construction makes a fuckton difference.

Ive got the Dragon and a Trad but its useless comparing since I don't have v30's in my Mesa. But even though mines smaller than the Framus it weighs twice as much so I guess thats a testament to its build quality.

 

[Jaymz]

And apparently, there's a Traditional that was briefly made that's half-open back with MC90 Black Shadows in it, and it may actually be even smaller than the regular Traditional, though I can't confirm that.

Consider it confirmed.

 

[Bekanor]

And apparently, there's a Traditional that was briefly made that's half-open back with MC90 Black Shadows in it, and it may actually be even smaller than the regular Traditional, though I can't confirm that.

It's a 3/4 back, that's my cab. :Smokedev:


Thinking about pulling 2 of the C90's and putting in 2 V30's. Make it a mini road king cab.

 

[Jaymz]

It's a 3/4 back, that's my cab. :Smokedev:


Thinking about pulling 2 of the C90's and putting in 2 V30's. Make it a mini road king cab.

Ive heard a few people who have done that and they say the best parts of each speaker tone cancel each other out *fighting each other* and it sounds phasey

 

[K Odell]

Marcus (or anyone else):

Do you have experience with the Recto cab vs a Framus Dragon cab?
They both rep V30s but apparently the cab construction makes a fuckton difference.

I used to use a Mesa cab, but it wasn't mine and the owner came back for it haha, (so all I have now is my Dragon cab), which sounds good, but I want ICHIBAN!!!

Owned both and loved both. Now that being said, the Dragon did not handle low end as well as my oversized does. The dragon was way tighter that my oversized, but my oversized sound a lot bigger and thicker. Hope that helps a little bit.

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, the best way to describe it Tony is that the Dragon is very similar spec-wise to my old Stiletto, but actually, the thinner and lighter construction I think works to the Dragon's advantage in this case, cuz it's less oppressively dense and stuffy sounding than the Stiletto (judging by clips I've heard). That said, the Recto cabs just assault you with the powerful lows (which are still easily controlled) and the mids are just so fucking focused and defined and sit in a mix perfectly, oh good god I love mine (and they're so cheap here in the US for chrissakes, break the sentimental value of the fact that you bought that Dragon from that Unearth dude and craigslist it post-haste, preferably mentioning that it was his to try to get a better deal )

 

[noarin]

marcus, I'm sure you've mentioned this somewhere before (sorry..) but do you have a slanted standard or a straight standard? does it make a lot of difference? I'm thinking about getting myself a straight standard!

 

[Metaltastic]

I have a slanted standard, and I dunno, I'm able to get tones I'm plenty happy with out of it (and since the straights have only been out the past couple of years, most great Recto cab tones were recorded with slants too) - that said, I hate mic'ing the top 2 speakers in a slant cab, cuz they definitely sound noticeably less full; the easy solution of course is to just mic the bottom two, but when I was comparing all the speakers in my cab to see which I liked best, it meant I had to swap them around to get them all (at one point or another) in the bottom row so I could mic 'em. But I'd still rather have a slant for live playing; otherwise, straight gets my vote! (but if you find a used slant for a great price, by all means snatch it I say!) Check out the comparison thread btw:

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...te-speaker-sorry-lasse-but-youre-wrong-d.html

 

[Metaltastic]

Ive heard a few people who have done that and they say the best parts of each speaker tone cancel each other out *fighting each other* and it sounds phasey

That's why you should ditch the MC90s, get four V30s, and have a big ol' plank of birch plywood cut to the size of the cab for a full back panel!

 

[Jaymz]

That's why you should ditch the MC90s, get four V30s, and have a big ol' plank of birch plywood cut to the size of the cab for a full back panel!

MDF board yes and no MC90 ftw :Smokedev:

Plus if your sentiments are correct v30's would sound awfully stuffy in this size cab.

 

[Metaltastic]

Maybe, but I'd take stuffy over mullety! And screw MDF man, stuff is acoustically dead as a doornail, birch plywood! (they sell it at local hardware stores here, I'd imagine you could find it there, and more importantly, that's what the rest of the cab is made of! )

 

[Jaymz]

Maybe, but I'd take stuffy over mullety! And screw MDF man, stuff is acoustically dead as a doornail, birch plywood! (they sell it at local hardware stores here, I'd imagine you could find it there, and more importantly, that's what the rest of the cab is made of! )

Yeah already looked, best they got is MDF

Haha mullety....you and your ears Marcus

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Yeah, the best way to describe it Tony is that the Dragon is very similar spec-wise to my old Stiletto, but actually, the thinner and lighter construction I think works to the Dragon's advantage in this case, cuz it's less oppressively dense and stuffy sounding than the Stiletto (judging by clips I've heard). That said, the Recto cabs just assault you with the powerful lows (which are still easily controlled) and the mids are just so fucking focused and defined and sit in a mix perfectly, oh good god I love mine (and they're so cheap here in the US for chrissakes, break the sentimental value of the fact that you bought that Dragon from that Unearth dude and craigslist it post-haste, preferably mentioning that it was his to try to get a better deal )

I don't have any sentimental attachment, it's just the cab is pretty beat up seeing as it went on Sounds Of The Underground, and it has no casters, so I don't know who would want it.

Also, I've never craigslisted. I'm scurrred...hahah

 

[Metaltastic]

Hahaha, dude, you are the LAST person to need to be scared by selling shit on CL! And just see if you can find some casters at Home Depot or somewhere to sweeten the deal for a buyer! I'd imagine you could get $400 for that (maybe even $450, cuz Framus is all oooh ahhh exotic in these parts)

 

[2000ContourSVT]

I guess I'll try to find the Recto cab then. It's amazing that there is such a noticeable difference when the only thing I can see that's different between the two is that the Recto cab is about 2.5 inches taller.

Hopefully I can find one locally on Craigslist so I won't have to pay the outrageous shipping costs by buying one from eBay!