Mesa Boogie Recto 4x12 Standard Slant

I will get the build quality out of the way first. Mesa Boogie builds things to last through the rigors of tour. This cab just feels like a piece of quality craftmanship in every way. It is heavy, the casters are absolutely the best I have ever seen from an amp maker, the jacks are solid, the tolex is tough, and so is the grill cloth. I have opened this cab up and there is no shoddy work inside either. Some cab companies cover up bad joints with tolex or leave the insides a little under built but this cab is tough through and through. The only thing I would change build wise are the corner protectors. They are leather instead of metal. This is just nit picking as I have not had any problems with them.

Onto the sound. This cab is loaded with mesa boogie's celestion vintage 30 speakers and I have been told they are different than normal vintage 30s. I do not know if they actually do anything to change them but the cab is rated at 240 watts like any other vintage 30 loaded cab. I am not a huge fan of these speakers in a love setting as they have a tendency to get harsh in the high end once you get out in the crowd. They are great for recording metal though with enough highs to cut through dense mixes and solid low end. With this cab I find the speakers to perform a little better in live settings. It is probably a mixture of the over sized design and thick grill cloth that make the speakers a bit smoother sounding and more filling in the open. With certain amps this is great. It sounds absolutely huge with my 5150 and obviously works well with mesa amps. Some other amps don't fare as well with the oversize design. My Framus for example sounds overly bass heavy and boomy with a lack of definition compared to my other cabinets. Dialing the bass back cures it somewhat but takes away from the huge sound this cab is known for.


If you need a solid cab and run a 6l6 based amp this may be your best bet. My experience with el34 amps (framus and marhsall) was less than ideal.

Mesa is the king of solid built guitar cabinets. Their cabs are so heavy and so rock solid that it would take a steam roller to crush them. They are the quintessential American made product. When I think of solid American made products I think of care and quality put into the manufacturing and assembly on what ever product that may be.

There really isn't another cabinet builder out there that can build like these rugged heavy duty Mesa Boogie Recto cabinets. These cabs are just an absolute dream cab, but be weary of trying to transport it. They are extremely heavy and dense.

We had a slant version of the traditional recto cab and it was beaten gig after gig and it always hung together. This cab is a bit bigger than a traditional Marshall cab. Not only is it bigger but it carries a lot of mass to it. It takes two people for sure to pick this thing up but with my Marshall cab I could lift it by myself.
Mesa/Boogie 4x12 Rectifier Standard Slant Speaker Cabinet Features:

* 240 Watt
* V30 Speakers
* Closed Back
* Wired for Mono or Stereo
* 8 Ohm
* Mono / 4 Ohm Stereo
* Marine-grade Baltic Birch Cabinet
* Black Taurus Vinyl Covering
* Black Twisted Jute Grille
* Black Piping
* Trak-Loc Removable Casters
* Slip Cover

I believe Mesa Boogie gets their Celestion V30's differently than regular V30's I know that today's V30's are made in China which is awesome...blahhhh. I want to say that the Mesa V30's are still in the UK and have a little bit different tone to them. They seem to be a little warmer and smoother on the high end. Not that the China V30's sound that bad but the Mesa ones compared sound better.

In addition to Mesa's wood and construction, the wheel casters are top notch as well. Many guitarist will replace their casters from their Marshall and Bogner cabs for the Mesa because they are just heavy duty. The will hold up to pain and abuse.

Couple this with a Mesa 2x12 and you will have a solid wall of Mesa recto sound pounding you in the face and chest. Mesa's attention to detail and respect for the craftsmanship for quality guitar products is remarkable. In recent years many quality guitar amplifier companies have been changing quality for quantity and cheaper ways of construction. Not Mesa, they have stayed true to their roots when they were a new company and this cabinet is a shining example of that remarkable pride of craftsmanship.

I would recommend this cab to any Mesa player but also anyone who wants to get a solid built cab that has proper Celestion v30's in it. These cabinets will thump!

Detail
Speakers 4 x 12" V30
Cabinet Type Angled
Construction Material Birch
Mono/Stereo Mono, Stereo
Inputs 3 x 1/4"
Outputs 1 x 1/4"
Other I/O No other I/O
Power 240"
Impedance 8 ohms mono, 4 ohms stereo
Height 32.9"
Depth 14.25"
Width 30.1"
Weight 104 lbs.

The Mesa 4x12 cab is one of the best cabs out there. Once you get to Mesa territory, there isn't really anything better, but just different. These cabs are known for their super tight feel and excellent bass response.

I think the key to the great sound from the cab are the speakers; Celestion Vintage 30's. These are great sounding speakers for most any genre. Some people complain that they have too much midrange, but I think they are perfect. If you are looking for a looser sounding cab, I would go with a Marshall 1960AV or BV which also has V30 speakers.

To be honest, I don't really have anything negative to say about the sound. If you like vintage 30 speakers, this is one of the best cabs available on the market today. I should add, that this cabinet has very similar dimensions to the Marshal 1960, but a little larger. The difference between the two being the Mesa Boogie cab is built like a tank. There is no space between the baffle and the cabinet which really gives it its super tight full sound. If anything, this cabinet is a little overbuilt. Absolutely reliable, hands down.

I took mine apart (like I do everything to see what is going on behind the scenes) and I was quite amazed. Boogie uses an extremely thick gauge of wire which translates to better tone. The center post was positioned exactly in the center of the cabinet. There are rubber gaskets every place where there is a cutout in the cab. For example around the cutout for the handles, jack plate, and even where the back is screwed in. This helps to reduce vibration and also to make sure this baby is sealed. All birch ply construction, huge removable casters, super thick metal handles; excellent quality all around.


What thing do you like most/least about it?
I like the sound it produces most, and its weight least; this thing is heavy!

Did you try many other models before getting this one?
Yep, I've owned several Marshalls, an Avatar, a Port City, and a Soldano. This is my favorite of the bunch.

What is your opinion about the value for the price?
Well, you can snag them used for pretty cheap generally. The new price is a little expensive, but I would say worth it, used or new.

Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?...
I absolutely would buy this cab again. I feel really comfortable with it; it has become part of my sound.

Precision and quality of the sound?
This thing sounds killer. It is as good as anything out there, and really it is the standard of hard rock/ metal.

Mesa is the king of solid built guitar cabinets. Their cabs are so heavy and so rock solid that it would take a steam roller to crush them. They are the quintessential American made product. When I think of solid American made products I think of care and quality put into the manufacturing and assembly on what ever product that may be.

We had a slant version of the traditional recto cab and it was beaten gig after gig and it always hung together. This cab is a bit bigger than a traditional Marshall cab. Not only is it bigger but it carries a lot of mass to it. It takes two people for sure to pick this thing up but with my Marshall cab I could lift it by myself.

Performance Features:

* 240 Watt
* V30 Speakers
* Closed Back
* Wired for Mono or Stereo
* 8 Ohm Mono / 4 Ohm Stereo
* Slant Cabinet

Finish & Construction:

* Marine Grade Baltic Birch Cabinet
* Black Taurus Vinyl Covering
* Black Twisted Jute Grille
* Black Piping
* Trak-Loc™ Removable Casters
* Slip Cover

I believe Mesa Boogie gets their Celestion V30's differently than regular V30's I know that today's V30's are made in China which is awesome...blahhhh. I want to say that the Mesa V30's are still in the UK and have a little bit different tone to them. They seem to be a little warmer and smoother on the high end. Not that the China V30's sound that bad but the Mesa ones compared sound better.

In addition to Mesa's wood and construction, the wheel casters are top notch as well. Many guitarist will replace their casters from their Marshall and Bogner cabs for the Mesa because they are just heavy duty. The will hold up to pain and abuse.

Couple this with a Mesa 2x12 and you will have a solid wall of Mesa recto sound pounding you in the face and chest. Mesa's attention to detail and respect for the craftsmanship for quality guitar products is remarkable. In recent years many quality guitar amplifier companies have been changing quality for quantity and cheaper ways of construction. Not Mesa, they have stayed true to their roots when they were a new company and this cabinet is a shining example of that remarkable pride of craftsmanship.

I would recommend this cab to any Mesa player but also anyone who wants to get a solid built cab that has proper Celestion v30's in it. These cabinets will thump!