Traditional vs Standard Rectifer Cabinet?

[TheWinterSnow]

I have my mind set that I am going to get a Recto cab once I get the funds. Actually looking to buying one brand new since finding a straight cab used is pretty hard to come by. But something that totally didn't cross my mind until now, WTF is the difference between the Traditional and Standard Recto Cabinets and what is the difference between the Traditional Recto and the Traditional Stiletto Cabinets because as far as I am aware the only difference between the Stiletto Traditional and the Recto Standard is the dimensions.

The reason I ask was that I just remembered that John Petrucci uses the Trad Recto and not the standard, although he has some custom stuff done to his cabinets, but those are just aesthetics.

I know that it would be eve harder to come by a Traditional Recto cab in the used market than the Standard, but it would be worth the extra searching if that's the better choice

 

[P-E]

FWIR, Standard (oversized) Recto cab is a lot better for most people than Trad. Stiletto cab.

 

[Jaymz]

Both have their advantages, ive never played either but there are a lot of opinions for both sides. A lot of big players use the trads *before this thread turns into a trad hate*, I hear often the trad is more focused with more mids and the standard *OS* has a bigger bottom end and has more of a "wall of soung" vibe to it.

At the end of the day both cabs are Mesa and are quality!

 

[Metaltastic]

Had the Traditional (now called Stiletto) for months, recorded a lot with it, but now really can't stand it - yes it's "tighter" in that it doesn't have as much lows as the Recto Standard (oversized), but more focused I wouldn't say, though it depends on your definition of the word; basically, I would say the Stiletto cab has a lot more mids, but they're around the range (400 Hz) where too much makes things sound very stuffy and dense, and those are definitely my two favorite words for describing that cab. I don't think the lows are out of control on the Recto cab anyway, rather the emphasis is shifted down to the chunk, rather than those dense "wooly" mids, and so because it doesn't have an excess of mids, I feel it actually sounds more "focused" in that it feels more balanced to me, at least for high-gain. Check this out (though this was when I was still figuring out tweaking my Dual Rec, so apologies for the tones ):

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

Have never looked back since selling my Stiletto for a Recto cab, and I actually went back and tried some of my impulses I made from that era; they worked decently for leads after a decent cut at 400 Hz, but man alive, for rhythms, eek

 

[TheWinterSnow]

so Marcus you saying that the Rectifier Traditionals were renamed to the Stiletto after the amp was released. I think that was what confused me, I was like wtf is the difference between the Rectifier Traditional and the Stiletto Traditional. Kind of confused me for a bit.

 

[Jaymz]

Rectifier Standard = Oversized
Traditional/Stilleto = Normal size

If its got rectifier in the name it should be the oversized model.

 

[Metaltastic]

so Marcus you saying that the Rectifier Traditionals were renamed to the Stiletto after the amp was released. I think that was what confused me, I was like wtf is the difference between the Rectifier Traditional and the Stiletto Traditional. Kind of confused me for a bit.

Yeah, James got it in the post above this one, though actually "traditional" was short for "Rectifier Traditional", just to confuse things even more So, it used to be

Rectifier Traditional
Rectifier Standard

Now, it's:

Stiletto (Traditional)
Rectifier (Standard)

Best bet is to just look at a pic straight-on and see if it seems taller than it is wider! (the Stiletto cabs are about square-like in terms of length/width)

 

[Rex Rocker]

Don't quote me on this as I'm not 100% sure, but the 'Stiletto' cab seems to be a bit less wide than the 'Rectifier' cab, and also, it isn't as tall, basing myself on the specs on the Mesa site.

However, comparing the older 'Traditional' and 'Standard' cabinets, both were the same width, it was just the traditional that was shorter... Not entirely sure about this, but I remember seeing pics of both stacked together and appearing to have the same width.

 

[Bekanor]

Also the piping around the grille is black on rectos and silver on stilettos.


This thread made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside as I swam in the memories of buying my recto cab and getting home and hearing how amazing it sounded.

I wubs it very much.

 

[Dylan S]

The Stiletto cabs also have silver binding between the wood and the mesh, whereas the Recto ones have black binding.

EDIT: Beaten.

 

[motomoto]

Some say.... size doesnt matter, its how you use it

I say...size matters a fuck load Recto FTW

Do not,i repeat,do not think dirty........

 

[Jaymz]

A clue is also where the Mesa badge lies, if its dead center its a trad, further to the top a standard.

 

[2000ContourSVT]

My Stiletto Traditional has black piping around the grille. I'm not sure why though because Mesa says it should be silver. I bought it brand new this year so it shouldn't be the Rectifier Traditional.

 

[Jaymz]

Mine has no piping at all! Thats mainly because its a ninja cabinet.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Don't quote me on this as I'm not 100% sure, but the 'Stiletto' cab seems to be a bit less wide than the 'Rectifier' cab, and also, it isn't as tall, basing myself on the specs on the Mesa site.

However, comparing the older 'Traditional' and 'Standard' cabinets, both were the same width, it was just the traditional that was shorter... Not entirely sure about this, but I remember seeing pics of both stacked together and appearing to have the same width.

the Standard is exactly two inches taller and one inch wider than the Traditional. I have the dimensions memorized because I have been putting the Cabs under tough scrutiny, been comparing pretty hard. Its kind of amazing how much 105 cubic ft make a difference in the sound, that's a very small space

This thread made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside as I swam in the memories of buying my recto cab and getting home and hearing how amazing it sounded.

I wubs it very much.

haha right on, hopefully I will have that feeling soon. I was going to post a thread up the other day because I tried out a Roadster on a Traditional Cab. It was total crunch city, and was tighter than my 5150, but it had no balls to it what so ever, of course I didn't have a OD on it, although without one was almost as tight as my 5150 with one, it just had no grunt to it. Really loved ch 3 vintage the most but ch 4 modern came close but was wooly as hell. But to my point why does the roadster sound so castrated? If it had the crunch that it has plus the balls of my 5150, I would have changed my mind about my next amp. But still my next amp with have to be the uberschall.

 

[Metaltastic]

A clue is also where the Mesa badge lies, if its dead center its a trad, further to the top a standard.

Ooh, good call

 

[Bekanor]

haha right on, hopefully I will have that feeling soon. I was going to post a thread up the other day because I tried out a Roadster on a Traditional Cab. It was total crunch city, and was tighter than my 5150, but it had no balls to it what so ever, of course I didn't have a OD on it, although without one was almost as tight as my 5150 with one, it just had no grunt to it. Really loved ch 3 vintage the most but ch 4 modern came close but was wooly as hell. But to my point why does the roadster sound so castrated? If it had the crunch that it has plus the balls of my 5150, I would have changed my mind about my next amp. But still my next amp with have to be the uberschall.

You said it yourself man, no OD.

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, I wouldn't rule out the Roadster until you try it with some form of OD (anything sickeningly-green colored is always my vote ) and through a Recto cab, it's still my dream amp above all others!

 

[Bekanor]

Yeah, I wouldn't rule out the Roadster until you try it with some form of OD (anything sickeningly-green colored is always my vote ) and through a Recto cab, it's still my dream amp above all others!

Me too.


Although, if through some twist of fate I got a Mesa endorsement and they were like "Come in and pick out a couple of amps to do your album with" I'd be on a Roadster and a MKV so fast.

I spose I can dream.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

it wasn't the fact that I didn't have an OD on it, it wasn't that kind of tone, it just all over didn't have balls to it. With my 5150 when I don't have an OD on it sounds mushy, but still has balls and still can saturate hard without one, the roadster had that tinny black metal/old school slayer vibe to it. It didn't absolutely crush which took my by surprise. The tone was great it just didn't sound absolutely huge

EDIT: I will also add that I played around with it a bit, messed with the rectifier settings, power settings and the high and low power (spongy and bold) and the different channel voicing, it was either really small sounding or extremely boomy/wooly. I didn't really crank it but again compared to my 5150 it just didn't saturate with as much aggression and that's with no OD on my 5150 and I have JJs all across the preamp so its a muddy mess, I find it amazing that that mud mess that I have can still saturate with more aggression and have way more balls than the tightness of what the roadster had.

Maybe it was the EL34's or the fact that I didn't get it to a loud volume but I would imagine that a roadster on a mesa 412 should sound much ballsier than a 5150 on a 212