Mesa 4x12 recto cab!

[Bert]

Just picked one up for a nice price. Dark green tolex, some wear, but overall good condition. Huge and Heavy as hell (both in sound AND weight).

Pretty cool how you can run it either in mono or drive each side independently for stereo. Supposedly this one is Vintage-30 loaded (it certainly sounds like it is.) I think it would be even more devastating with maybe a pair of 75's thrown in there. Anybody try this?

I'd post pics but the battery in the camera is dead dammit!

[horns666]

Bert,

I bought two new full stacks in my time. One was all Marshall 1960B cabs and the other was four Ampeg cab that came with the Ampeg Lee Jackson VL-100 ..Endorsed by Zakk early in his carrer with Ozz at that time.

Both Marshall and Ampeg gave you the option to either have them loaded w/ V30s or 75s..So I A/B them at fairly high volume levels..the V30 always seem to raise the cab's price about a hunded bucks..but money is not an issue trying to get my best tone..

So with that said.. everytime I compared a set of cabs side by side with those speakers..I instantly notice that there is alot of mids coming from the V30s..way too much for my liking..the 75s seem to have a tigher and better low end response and a much sharper ege..some player don't like the kind of lows I'm pushing..they usually reserve that area for bass players..

Now I've heard V30 in Soldano, Recto, Ampeg and Marshall cabs..also a Crate cab..They sound best in the recto cab by far..maybe it's the girth of that cab itself..it seems to give those speakers the punch and focus in the low end area..what they lack the other cabs..IMO!!!

The only other celestion I like better than the 75's are the 80s..I never tried the 90s..I would assume I would love those ..

I always thought that they stock recto cabs with V30s..what I see most common or the optional 90s..which I never played..my guess I would like the 90s..

Now Cleveland John loves the kind of low end I like..and he's raving about a pair of EV-Ls that he aquired..I haven't heard them yet..but these are known as Zakk's Black Label sig speaker now that sell for much more of course..he's pretty happy with them..I can't wait to hear them..

I don't think the oversized Rectos came stock with the GTM-75s..I could be wrong.. I always thought it was either V30's or 90s..

[Dreamland_Rebel]

the recto vin 30's have a tad more low end and a bit more presence than standard vin 30's do to the fact that they have a different voice coil than the standard vin 30's you'd find in marshall and other manufacturers.

great cabs though, some of the best built cabs out there.

michael from division and matt crooks (formerly of division) like the mesa cel 90's, and they both have good tone aswell.

[horns666]

the recto vin 30's have a tad more low end and a bit more presence than standard vin 30's do to the fact that they have a different voice coil than the standard vin 30's you'd find in marshall and other manufacturers.

great cabs though, some of the best built cabs out there.

michael from division and matt crooks (formerly of division) like the mesa cel 90's, and they both have good tone aswell.

I didn't know they were different..well they certainly sound different..I love the recto cabs..

I know I would like those 90s..!!!

I sure do love sound of the 80s..best celestion I ever owned..

I got 5 Marshall 1960B cabs worth of 75s!!

[Bert]

Yeah I don't think Mesa ever used the 75's. I have a Marshall 2x12 (a rather cheapy one) with the 75's which I think sounds pretty damn good. I'm thinking of putting them in the 4x12 so it would have 2 vin 30's and 2 of the 75's. This might be the ideal cab for me.

[Cleveland Metal]

Never saw thepoint of mixing speakers... I just want the ones I like haha...

I set up anold marshall with 2 EVM12L's and 2 celestion 25 watt greenbacks and the greenbacks have to go... Hate to spend such sick $$$ on the EVM's but I hate the 75s, Nice lows, too brash sounding...

Love to try a MESA with 90s....

[toejam]

Yeah I don't think Mesa ever used the 75's. I have a Marshall 2x12 (a rather cheapy one) with the 75's which I think sounds pretty damn good. I'm thinking of putting them in the 4x12 so it would have 2 vin 30's and 2 of the 75's. This might be the ideal cab for me.

Yeah, put them in an X pattern. The 30s and 75s mix very well together... the 30s have lots of mids, the 75s have scooped mids.

[horns666]

I'd go all four speakers in one cab..a 30..a 75..a 90 and the EV..

prolly sound KILLER..then again prolly not..

[siggy14]

I have the uber cab which is 75 and 30 mixed and it sounds killer.

The mesa cabs do have a different v30, they are designed to handle lower end better, they also cut some of the mid's out of them.

I find normal v30's to sound very close to greenbacks with better bottem end a slightly harsher top end.

As to the 75's, latley i have found myself drawn to them more, i just picked up my second Marshall JCM800 straight cab for $375 ($395 after tax) from guitar center and i am playing my XTC through both of them. I think when you play two cabs and seperate them (one on each side of the room) it instantly fattens up the tone. Technically that is how your ears are designed to hear anyway so makes sense.

For heavier music I usually put my uber through the uber cab and it also sounds killer, I think later today i will hook up my mesa 2x12 to it and seperate it to see how it sounds.

[horns666]

I have the uber cab which is 75 and 30 mixed and it sounds killer.

The mesa cabs do have a different v30, they are designed to handle lower end better, they also cut some of the mid's out of them.

I find normal v30's to sound very close to greenbacks with better bottem end a slightly harsher top end.

As to the 75's, latley i have found myself drawn to them more, i just picked up my second Marshall JCM800 straight cab for $375 ($395 after tax) from guitar center and i am playing my XTC through both of them. I think when you play two cabs and seperate them (one on each side of the room) it instantly fattens up the tone. Technically that is how your ears are designed to hear anyway so makes sense.

For heavier music I usually put my uber through the uber cab and it also sounds killer, I think later today i will hook up my mesa 2x12 to it and seperate it to see how it sounds.

Siggys thanks for confirming..I always wondered why V30 sounded different in the Rect cab..I assumed it was the over-sizxed can itself..

I want a Uberkab!!

I been playing Marshall 1960 cabs w/ stock GTM75s for so long..I tweaked and tailored them to my sound and style ..they are a big part of my tone..I like the edge they have..some think they sound too "harsh" or "Sizzle"..that's what presence knobs are for..I find all the "lively" harmonics are in THAT freq range..

One man's "sizzle" is another man's squeal..or "Pings" as Zakk calls 'em...Kill the "sizzle" and you kill the pings..I found...with Celestions aywhoo.

Zakk uses EVs and he PINGS..at least 50 per song..

I'd like to hear them..

[charvelguy]

75's are definitely more top end..but they have good bass definition and bit less mids than 25's and 30's. I find myself having to re-eq my stuff when I plug into a 75 loaded cab.

[horns666]

75's are definitely more top end..but they have good bass definition and bit less mids than 25's and 30's. I find myself having to re-eq my stuff when I plug into a 75 loaded cab.

Yeah, to me it's pretty much set and forget..I'm sure I would have to re-tweak everything if I plugged into anthing else..that makes sense.

but your description is accurate..they work for me. I'm not changing anything anytime soon..

I do like the 80's..but that was years ago..I may not like them now..I remeber them having more low end..but I think I have enough as it is..

I would like to find a matching Uberkab!!

[charvelguy]

Hey.. If John wants to sell his 25's.. I'm interested.

[horns666]

Hey.. If John wants to sell his 25's.. I'm interested.

You know what ask him..or I will..he has his old 70's Marshall cab loaded with two and two EV-Ls..I know he wants two more EV-Ls..

He just mounted them in there to see what they sound like..he likes them,..I haven't heard them yet..but the way he's talkin', I think I might.

so maybe..

[Cleveland Metal]

I don't believe I'm going to sell the greenbacks, The cab that I (stupidly) bastardized for this experiment was signed in two places by Jim Marshall, and I should probably keep them around for authenticity's sake in case in case I need to sell tha thing due to poverty.

I may have some 1976 25 watt watt 16 ohm "black" backs I may decide to move at some point tho to finance some EVM12Ls. Still juggling that concept. I may have three good ones, and one that needs to be reconed (dog incident).