Scouting new Mesa 4x12 cab - opinions from Mesa nerds?

[hydro]

Hey people,

Soliciting advice --
I run a dual recto 3 channel, currently through an 80s Marshall 4x12 - which happens to be a bass cab with 100 watt Celestions in it. It has a lot of grunt but I have heard good things about the Mesa rectifier 4x12s and am considering a slant Traditional or a slant Standard 4x12 Mesa cab.

Two questions to Mesa geeks:
1) Should I go for the Mesa cab and will it make that much of a difference, keeping in mind that I am mostly a Neanderthal who plays post-Stooges ape/stoner rock with occasional invasions of psychedelia
And
2) if I do go for the Mesa cab, what are the pluses/minuses of the two varieties; trad. vs. standard/full size

Although I would dearly love to run a full stack my fellow band mates would knife me so I am sticking with a slant half stack. I am fairly happy with what I have now but I'm on a gear obsession trajectory that shows no sign of abating any time soon.

Advice/mockery/sympathy appreciated ---

 

[CTN]

Re: Scouting new Mesa 4x12 cab - opinions from Mesa nerds?

the traditional cabs are tighter, and more focused sounding.

I really dislike the oversized Recto cabs. They're not flubby or loose, but the added bass response from the larger cab IMO makes everything a bit more cloudy/muffled sounding, which, with a mesa recto, is a completely undesirably quality (to my ears anyway....apparently most recto owners think otherwise).

Both cabs have the same speakers (vintage 30s), which may or may not be an improvement over the 100W celestions in your marshall cab (I'm assuming G12T-100? or G12K?). Up to your ears though, which sounds better.

Try out the mesa cabs with your head so you can get a better idea of how they sound.

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: Scouting new Mesa 4x12 cab - opinions from Mesa nerds?

the traditional cabs are tighter, and more focused sounding.

I really dislike the oversized Recto cabs. They're not flubby or loose, but the added bass response from the larger cab IMO makes everything a bit more cloudy/muffled sounding, which, with a mesa recto, is a completely undesirably quality (to my ears anyway....apparently most recto owners think otherwise).

And for a totally different opinion, I find the Trads to be tighter but a bit more cloudy in the midrange (esp the lower midrange), whereas the low end extension of the oversized Recto cabs really lets the lower midrange breath and move in a way that I prefer.

That said, they're both great cabs and an inability to get a good sound out of either can't be blamed on the cab itself. If a band came into the studio with either to record through, I'd be thrilled.

 

[hydro]

Re: Scouting new Mesa 4x12 cab - opinions from Mesa nerds?

Thanks for the input guys.

The current cab has G12T-100 Celestions in it. It is a pretty cool cab actually, which I am going to keep.

Once I get the new one, whichever I pick, I'll post back with a comparison.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Scouting new Mesa 4x12 cab - opinions from Mesa nerds?

I think the bigger sound of the bigger cab would fit your style better.