Mesa Recto with over-sized 4x12: experiences?

[cardinal]

So I'm giving it another go with a Mesa Rectifier head, and this time will try for a dedicated 4x12 for it. My OCD would like the Mesa oversized 4x12, which seems like "the" Recto cab.

Is it hopeless to get tight rhythm riffing from an unboosted Recto with the oversized cab?

There's one available locally, but I know that it'll be hell to sell if I don't like it. FWIW, I currently have an Engl XXL that seems quite bright and tight with my other amps, so perhaps the way to go is to just stick with the XXL or something else that's similarly front-loaded.

 

[gnoll]

Why would you not boost it?

I think tightness has less to do with cab and more to do with amount of bass pre gain. Which I would assume would be problematic with an unboosted Rectifier.

 

[MASS DEFECT]

In my experience, the OS 4x12 sounds its best during gig levels. The traditional sounds good both during practice and gigs. I never got a good sound for home practice with the OS.

 

[c7spheres]

When I had an oversize Recto it was tight and chugged and pumped without a boost without any problems but I was using a 2:90 with it. When I had a Recto head long ago I only had a 2x12 so I don't know. I think the Recto head is kinda flubby. Put on silicon diodes.

 

[cardinal]

Why would you not boost it?

I think tightness has less to do with cab and more to do with amount of bass pre gain. Which I would assume would be problematic with an unboosted Rectifier.

I guess I tend to prefer their growl and touch sensitivity when unboosted.

In my experience, the OS 4x12 sounds its best during gig levels. The traditional sounds good both during practice and gigs. I never got a good sound for home practice with the OS.

When I had an oversize Recto it was tight and chugged and pumped without a boost without any problems but I was using a 2:90 with it. When I had a Recto head long ago I only had a 2x12 so I don't know. I think the Recto head is kinda flubby. Put on silicon diodes.

Thanks guys. Sounds like the Mesa OS is not likely to work out well. I'll see if I can find a Traditional cab. I may just stick with the Engl or try the Diezel frontload and take the logo off the cab.

 

[gnoll]

I never got a good sound for home practice with the OS.

I do.

I guess I tend to prefer their growl and touch sensitivity when unboosted.

That's fair, but to be honest it seems a bit backwards to me to look for "tight rhythm riffing" with a Rectifier and not want to boost it but rather worry about the cab having too much bass. Tightness usually comes from having less bass pre gain, so cutting bass in the cab part of the chain seems like a weird way to go about things. If you want you can use an eq for a boost and just cut bass, it doesn't have to be a tubescreamer or other od.

 

[ATRguitar91]

I only have experience with the OS 412, but it sounds great at bedroom volumes to me. I love the added thump it provides at low volumes so the sound still feels full. I even lay it on its side so it's off the casters for more low end.

 

[wakjob]

When I tried that half stack, I didn't hear those gnarly Recto. mids until it was too loud for home, or to sit and practice in front of. Great cab. Just too boomy and doesn't open up til' it's too overbearing for general use.

 

[Descent]

I'd imagine the tightness of the riffing would come from the player's skill?

Generally, Mesa tends to sound a bit loose but with the right pickups you might not need an overdrive. X2N comes to mind - I have one of these and it is like a natural built-in overdrive on that guitar.

 

[Shoeless_jose]

Silicone diode mode and dont be afraid of a boost, the OS cab is great... although honestly my fav sound for my Recto was through a 1960B cab, it added this bit of grit that the Mesa cab did nothave.

 

[cardinal]

I'd imagine the tightness of the riffing would come from the player's skill?

Generally, Mesa tends to sound a bit loose but with the right pickups you might not need an overdrive. X2N comes to mind - I have one of these and it is like a natural built-in overdrive on that guitar.

I'll freely admit I'm a terrible player, but independent of that, the Recto is just kinda slow to start and stop IME.

I'll agree that they are sensitive to pickups. EMGs do seem to tighten things up. It'd be cool if there are Dimarzios that'll do it to. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[gnoll]

I'll agree that they are sensitive to pickups. EMGs do seem to tighten things up. It'd be cool if there are Dimarzios that'll do it to. Thanks for the heads up.

EMG 81 is tight mainly because it doesn't have much bass. There are of course other tight pickups, but not many that are as tight as an EMG 81.

But again, if you're looking for tight pickups, using a boost can help in the same way, i.e. cut bass. You can only do so much about a muddy tone if it came from a bunch of bass frequencies clipping in the preamp. But if you control the bass in front of the amp, you can use whatever cab you want, turn up the bass/resonance on your amp and maintain a tight, punchy tone. Just saying...

 

[cardinal]

EMG 81 is tight mainly because it doesn't have much bass. There are of course other tight pickups, but not many that are as tight as an EMG 81.

But again, if you're looking for tight pickups, using a boost can help in the same way, i.e. cut bass. You can only do so much about a muddy tone if it came from a bunch of bass frequencies clipping in the preamp. But if you control the bass in front of the amp, you can use whatever cab you want, turn up the bass/resonance on your amp and maintain a tight, punchy tone. Just saying...

Yeah, I think I'll just give in to boosting it for passages when I need to play on the low F#. Tinkering around with it, boosting it but running it with the tube rectifier and with passive pickups gets the amp to track quickly but still has enough of that charming "Recto-ness." Probably will stick with a front-loaded cab and avoid the OS Recto 4x12 based on the responses here, though. I don't particularly want it looser sounding.

 

[sevenfoxes]

Never needed a boost with my Roadster or MW. Just find the sweet spot for the bass.

 

[gnoll]

Never needed a boost with my Roadster or MW. Just find the sweet spot for the bass.

I never needed strawberry ice cream.

But it was tasty

 

[Choop]

Yeah, I think I'll just give in to boosting it for passages when I need to play on the low F#. Tinkering around with it, boosting it but running it with the tube rectifier and with passive pickups gets the amp to track quickly but still has enough of that charming "Recto-ness."

This is what I do and I much prefer it to running in diode mode.

 

[NorCal_Val]

Never have had issues with my 360w Boogie Recto 4x12 being “woofy” with the Triple Rectifier.

 

[TheArsonistsDaughter]

I love my Mesa OS...also had the traditional which I also loved. Honestly, they’re not as different as they’re made out to be. Side by side they were really close to one another.

I’d tend to agree that tightness in this case is less dependent on the cab and more on the amp. I loooooove my Dual Recto even though it’s in semi-retirement in favor of my Axe Fx rig (where I use the Dual Recto model with a boost...go figure), but I definitely got my best results by boosting. I used an MXR 10 band for years, moved on to a Digitech Bad Monkey, and settled on a TC Electronic Dark Matter. Cutting bass and raising mids is part of the boosting equation, but it’s equally about hitting the front end with a hotter signal...that’s why EMGs and other hot pickups pair well with it.

If you’re set on not boosting...using the bold and diodes on the back is a must, and you might try running Channel 2 Vintage as your high gain...I had pretty good luck running that w/o a boost until I went over to the dark side...lol.

 

[cardinal]

Found a reasonable price on an over-sized cab with the ridiculous side armor and took the plunge. How could I resist all that diamond plate.

Only question now is whether I should also get a tribal arm tattoo to complete the rig?

 

[c7spheres]

Found a reasonable price on an over-sized cab with the ridiculous side armor and took the plunge. How could I resist all that diamond plate.

Only question now is whether I should also get a tribal arm tattoo to complete the rig?

Get a back brace and eat your vegtables. You're gonna need it.