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Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet

Summary
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Manufacturer URL http://www.mesaboogie.com/
Features 8.5 (44 responses)
Sound Quality 9.4 (46 responses)
Reliability 9.6 (43 responses)
Customer Support 8.5 (24 responses)
Overall Rating 9.2 (45 responses)
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Product: Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet
Price Paid: US $400 used
Submitted 09/12/2002 at 01:05pm by Joe

Features : 8
Made in 2001, mine is the horizontal version with 2x12 Vintage 30's. Ordered detachable casters from Mesa, as this thing weighs about a Metric ton! Plenty of bottom end from this oversized, muscular looking closed cabinet.

Sound Quality : 9
Massive bass tone and the Vintage 30's help get every drop of sustain and cream from humbuckers. I play a mix of classic to newer pop/rock and this cab excels at pushing heavy riffs and power chords across the room. I am a rhythm player in a classic pop/rock band playing a stock Gibson 335, a Rick 330 and a Gibson WM-45 w/ Fishman Rare Earth p/u. My amp is a Mesa/Boogie F-100 2x12 100 watt combo. Together with this cab, my rig is a semi-portable (well, both pieces weigh about 70-75 pounds) half stack.

Reliability : 10
Well built with no defects whatsoever.

Customer Support : 10
Can't beat Mesa/Boogie for customer service. They answer the phone and give you same day call backs with answers to your questions.

Overall Rating : 9
Been a rhythm player in classic pop/rock bands since the mid-80's. Nothing like this cab for the heavier, power chord rhythm work. High power capacity, amazing depth.


Product: Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet
Price Paid: US $499
Submitted 09/11/2002 at 11:52pm by Screamer
Email: High_Gain at screamer<dot>us

Features : 10
This one is a 2002 model and unchanged from years prior..75 lbs Celestion Vintage 30's...I picked it up to complement my Dual Recto.

Sound Quality : 10
Wow, nice punch and clarity! It even makes the clean channel on my Dual Recto shine! The design really lets this thing act like a 4x12....nice tight bass.

I play a pretty wide variety of music and this cab works for all of them.

Reliability : 10
Built like a tank and I don't think I would need a backup.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Haven't had to use them.

Overall Rating : 10
For this cab, I play my PRS Cu22 and Les Paul Classic into a 2002 Mesa Dual Recto through it. Between the guitars and the amp I can create pretty much any sound I wish...Clean,Vintage, Modern dropped tuning stuff etc...But honestly I get the biggest grin from running the clean channel on the Mesa with a Holy Grail Reverb. Odd I know, I usually reserve those sounds for my Nomad 55. Anyways, all in all, I am very pleased and would replace it if disaster happened. I don't think there is another cab out there that meshes with the Recto head as well as this one. I guess that's why you see a lot of people running boutique heads througgh it as well.

My one improvment idea would be side handles since the thing does weigh 75 lbs. Maybe even recessed casters on one side corner and a handle on the other?


Product: Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet
Price Paid: US $499
Submitted 09/03/2002 at 10:57am by Micah
Email: toadie74 at yahoo<dot>com

Features : 8
2x12, closed back, vintage 30's. features have already been discussed.

Sound Quality : 10
This thing sounds great. It gives clear highs and great lows. Great for palm mute thumps. I play a Santana Se, with a Seymour Duncan distortion in the bridge and a 59 in the neck. I run it thourgh a Marshall avt 50. This cab is gret, makes me want to go get a better amp to do it justice. I play rock, Creed, STP, Sevendust, Green Day. This cab fits all though styles perfectly. It sounds great at both low and high volumes. This cab sounds better than alot of 4x12 out there.

Reliability : 10
It has worked fine for me. Seems to be built sturdy.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Haven't had to deal with them

Overall Rating : 10
This is great. I would be pissed if someone stold it, and I would buy another. This was my first speaker cab, and I couldn't be happier. I suggest trying one out. They are great.


Product: Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet
Price Paid: US $350 used
Submitted 04/08/2002 at 12:03am by Gergely Kota
Email: gergelyk<at>u dot arizona dot edu

Features : 6
2x12 Celestion Vintage 30s, 8 ohms, linkable in parallel with other cabs via 1/4 inch jack. Fantastic construction. There needs to be handles on the side instead of the one on the top. I wish it had stereo ability, but it is just a 2x12 after all.

Sound Quality : 10
I run a Marshall JTM60 and a Soldano Hot Rod 50 through it, and neither has come close to maxing this cab out. The sound is transmitted beautifully. My friend and I both also have a Marshall G12-75T 4x12, the Mesa has more bass and "juice". I absolutely love this cab. I would almost definitely get the Mesa Rectifier 4x12 if I needed a larger cab.

Reliability : 10
It feels super solid, weighs 75 pounds, and was in perfect condition after supposedly travelling through part of the country on tour (I got it used). I would never ever ever worry about this thing going bad.

Customer Support : No Opinion
No idea ... would probably never need it.

Overall Rating : 10
This was my first cab (I needed one after I bought my Hot Rod 50 head) and it is still the best one I have ever played through. I also have the Marshall, but I always plug back into this one.


Product: Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet
Price Paid: US $499
Submitted 03/26/2002 at 04:29pm by cocheese
Email: tylercrow at msn<dot>com

Features : 10
This is a 2002 horizontal Recto cabinet. The build quality is very good. Mine is black with black grille cloth. It has two Vintage 30 speakers made by Celestion. On the back are two jacks; one for input and the other for output to another cab. The 2x12 is very nice because it is not nearly as bulky or heavy as the 4x12 cabs.

Sound Quality : 10
I use either a Lentz Tele or a Lavelle Squire with a Komet 60 watt head through this cab. The tone is phenomenal. The amp and the cab are a wonderful combination. I was going to go with the Dr Z cab or even the Jenkins, but I couldn't justify the extra cash and shipping and the wait. I saw this cab at GC in Tacoma and just got it. I'm into this immediate gratification stuff. I'm glad that I did.

Reliability : 10
Seems to be built like a tank. I've had and used Boogie stuff in the past and have never had any problems with it. I've had a Boogie power amp take a nasty fall (no case) and it worked fine. I would have broken a bone if I would have fallen like that.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Haven't called them ar needed to. Hopefully I won't need to.

Overall Rating : 10
I'd say that this is a great cab. Sounds much bigger than any 2x12 that I've ever played before. Good "chunk" and really doesn't even budge when hit hard with a high power amp.


Product: Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet
Price Paid: US $499 + tax
Submitted 12/09/2001 at 10:20pm by Kevin
Email: stormhog at hotmail<dot>com

Features : 9
Mine's a 2001 model. I wanted a 2x12 for its versatility and the advantage of not having to lug a 4x12 to gigs. I plan on getting a Mesa 20/20 so I wanted a stereo cabinet to evenly distribute the load. One of the guys at my local Mesa/Boogie dealer got the stereo option for me for free - not bad! I had to wait a while for it to be built but it was worth it!

Sound Quality : 9
I'm running an ADA MP-1 through a Peavy Bandit through the cab. My original setup was a Digitech RP-12 through the Bandit which is what I used for gigs. Not bad (or so I thought ;) I graduated from high school last year and I bought the cabinet with my graduation money (hehe). This cabinet is pretty amazing. The Vintage 30's added so much clarity and warmth to my amp (considering I have an 80's Bandit with the old school Scorpion speaker). Anyway, it sounded so good that I stopped using my RP-12 altogether because it brought out the unit's limitations. The Vintage 30's are incredibly tight, focused, bassy, not too harsh, the right amount of mids. I've seen people complain about Mesa's prices, but I'm sure they've never heard of VHT or Bogner ;) Next time my parents are out of town I'll morgage the house and buy a Soldano, but that's another story... I'm giving the cab a 9 because it's not the best but it's damn near close.

Reliability : 10
When I opened the box at the store, I was amazed at how well it was packed for shipping! Mesa really goes the whole 9 yards. The cabinet is extremely solid and weighs a good 75 lbs. I'm amazed at the detail and love the hardware quality and how it's built. I definitely would use it without a backup.

Customer Support : 8
Here's where I had trouble. I was having a hard time getting in touch with my local Mesa guy and was really getting frustrated. I even called Mesa myself and found out that they don't deal with customers directly unless there is no certified dealer within a 125 mile radius. I was seriously thinking about getting a Carvin Legacy 2x12 and doing the stereo mod myself, but I knew I'd be happier in the long run with Mesa... so I'm about to call Carvin and order the cabinet, when the guy from the local store calls me (funny isn't it?) So that bothered me. Then (I'll cut out the details but I'll just call it a communication difficulty) it took FIVE MONTHS ordering and shipping... I ordered a slip cover too and that STILL hasn't come in yet. I talked to one of the other guys and apparently it wasn't Mesa's fault, the guy I was dealing with put off my order and didn't order the slip cover with it, so they had to order one. I'm still looking at a couple of weeks for the slip cover. The only thing I can say is, I'm so impressed with this cabinet that I don't even care... it sounds that great. I'll give the customer support an 8 because even though I had alot of trouble it was just the guy I was dealing with. Mesa was cool enough to build a stereo cab for me at no extra charge. When I called Carvin they told me they didn't do custom work (except for their guitars of course). So that's my short little story...

Overall Rating : 9
I've been playing 7 years now and my current setup is an Ibanez RG-470 to an ADA MP1 to a Peavy Bandit to the Recto cab. A great cabinet. If anything happened to it I would probably get a Legacy 2x12 because I couldn't afford another one or wait for another one right now. In the future though I'd definitely buy another one. I haven't got a chance to hear some of the higher end cabs but I can tell you that this one kicks the crap out of Marshall, Crate, Line 6, etc cabs. But to each his own. I give it a 9 because although I went through so much trouble to get it and it made a heavy hit in my wallet, it'll outlive my grandkids.


Product: Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet
Price Paid: US $500 (new)
Submitted 08/08/2001 at 01:31am by Brad Hinze
Email: hinzeb001 at hawaii<dot>rr<dot>com

Features : 10
This is not your ordinary 2x12 Cabinet. This thing is very solid. It is built like a tank and it is closed backed. It is thicker and bigger than most 2x12's, which helps mold the sound of this monster. It comes with 2 vintage 30's wired for 8 ohm. It has an extension out jack built in it for daisy chaining cabinets. Oh, and it comes with the best low end capability of any 2x12 in the market, and it dwarfs some 4x12's in the low end capability category.

Sound Quality : 10
My setup consists of the following: 2000 Gibson Les Paul Classic (1960 Re-Issue) plugged into a 2001 triple channel Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier which drives my 2x12 Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Cabinet.

This cabinet provides me with an unlimitted amount of razor sharp low end crunch. It has a load of punch and it has not ceased to amaze me. It is built very sturdy and it is very heavy for a 2x12...which is one of the main factors why it puts out such quality sounds. Although this cab handles crunch with awesome ability, it is very diverse and can handle any other style in the same fashion. I receive compliments on my rig/sound and tone very frequently. If you are looking for a 4x12 sound in a 2x12 enclosure...look no further. This cab is amazing...in fact this 2x12 eclipses some 4x12's in the low end capability category. It is absolutely amazing.

Reliability : 10
This cabinet has the same characteristics as a brick house. It would take a lot to damage this thing (if nuclear destruction were to occur...there would be a lot of cockroaches playing through Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Cabinets)! It is a Mesa/Boogie product, so rest assured that they will go out of their way to help you if there is a problem...I have first hand experience with them and trust me...they treat their customers like family.

Customer Support : 10
Grade A support here guys/gals...the best in the business!!! I had a rectifier tube in my Dual Rectifier that was arcing. I called and emailed Mesa/Boogie and left a message. The next day they returned my call. I explained to the tech what was going on, he said that the tube was acting improperly and that he was going to send out a new rectifier tube. I told him that I would like to have my tube by a certain date, as I had a gig and wanted to use the "tube" rectifier setting on my amp vice diode setting. He ensured me that he would do what he could to get a new tube to me as soon as possible. The next day I received an email that said that they mailed the tube via 2 day air to ensure I would have it in time for my gig. It arrived with 2 days to spare and the gig was a big success. That is quality service. I swear by Mesa/Boogie products, and their customer support just makes their stuff that much sweeter.

Overall Rating : 10
In closing, this cabinet basically gave me the sound of a 4x12...(in some cases better than a 4x12) in a 2x12 enclosure. It is smaller and easier to transport to and from gigs. It sounds absolutely killer from clean to bone crushing low end crunch. I am totally happy with this purchase and have not looked back since. Although this cabinet is pretty expensive...it is worth it. It gives you a huge, thick sound without having to break your back when transporting your gear to and from your gigs. Go try one for yourself...you will see what I mean.


Product: Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 07/26/2001 at 06:44pm by joshua
Email: starskyandhutch at yahoo<dot>com

Features : 7
Just 2x12" vintage 30's in a solid, well made cab. I wish that there was a stereo input (although the ohmage might be a little odd) or a parallel out.

Sound Quality : 10
The vintage 30's are great speakers in my opinion but not for everyone. They definately color your sound which is a good thing if they color it the way you like but it can be pretty bad if it's not the tone you're looking for. The top end is a little rolled off the the low-end can be a bit rounded. The mid-rage is the real power of this speaker. It's powerful and cutting with great grind. This speaker is especially great for blues players, which I am not but I use this in combination with a 1x12" Mesa Thiele cab which has a 200-watt EVM speaker. The EVM is bright and deep sounding and the combination of speakers together works very well for me. For me this speaker isn't a perfect solution for my tone by itself but with the EVN I get exactly what I'm looking for.

I basically play math-core style music which is similar to metal or hardcore but with lots of jazzy chords and odd time signatures and syncopated guitars so I basically need lots of tight low-end and clarity.

The gear I'm using is a Mesa 20/20 power amp, ADA MP-1 preamp (somtimes I'll use a Mesa V-twin, or even Johnson J-station), Marshall JCM 800 2210 head and a modded Sovtek Mig100H. For guitars I have a Les Paul with EMG 81's, Peavey Wolfgang, Schecter C-7 with Duncan Invader bridge pickup and Schecter CB2000 with EMG 81. My tunings range from standard and drop-D down to a perfect 5th (A).

Reliability : 10
Never had a problem with it. It's very well made and more solid than my Marshall 1960a. I added Mesa casters to it and they are sturdy as well.

Customer Support : 7
I've rarely delt with Mesa. I like that you can now email the tech. people though.

Overall Rating : 9
This is a great cab. I do wish there were a few options like stereo options, or parallel out like the Thiele cab. I'd also like it if the cab was ported, too much low-end can be a little hard on it but that's usually only at extreme volumes and with my lower tuned guitars.


Product: Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet
Price Paid: US $500
Submitted 03/27/2001 at 09:23pm by Antony

Features : 10
2001 model. 2 12 inch speakers (don't know what kind, but they rock). Closed back with a half back board included, a very pleasant surprise. I play jazz, pop and rock, more often pop and rock. This cabinet will be used for recording and a few live gigs.

Sound Quality : 10
I'm using an American Strat Deluxe with the humbucker on the bridge and a Heavy Metal Strat. I tried it out at the store with a TSL 100 head and a Rect-O-Verb combo. The Mesa 2x12 blew way past the Rect-O-Verb's speaker, and even silenced a Marshall 1960B cabinet (that's a 4x12). Woah. By the way, I liked the Rect-O-Verb amp a lot more than the TSL head. I really was not expecting that.

Reliability : No Opinion
It's a rock. Should last a good long time.

Customer Support : 10
Pretty good. This is my second Mesa product. My first was a DC-2 Studio Caliber. Mesa told me today that there is no warranty card or other paper work shipped with speaker cabinets, but they are covered by a warranty. They also told me the new Road King head would be about $2,400 and weigh around 80 pounds. I could get a TSL head AND a Rect-O-Verb head for that. But I'm sure I'll be the first in line at Chuck Levin's Music Center to try one out.

Overall Rating : 9
I really like this cabinet. I'm looking for a used Trem-O-Verb to plug into it. Up until last night I was getting a Marshall TSL 100 head to go with this cabinet, but the Mesa amps are thoroughly superior in my opinion. I really wanted to get a used cabinet and save a few bucks, but there were none in my area (Northern Virginia) over the last few weeks. Of course, I wished the price were closer to $400 new.


Product: Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Recto Cabinet
Price Paid: US $499
Submitted 03/23/2001 at 02:52pm by Anonymous

Features : 9
Well, it's a box with speakers in it, what kind of features do you want? It has an 8 ohm input and 2 Celestion Vintage 30 speakers. Looks nice too.

Sound Quality : 9
I am using this with a Mesa MkIV and Jackson Rhoads w/ EMG 81/85 combo. The cab sounds great, very good bass response that will hit you in the chest and crisp highs. It looks like very professional too.

Reliability : No Opinion
Well, I've only had it for a couple weeks so whatever. Looks sturdy and it weighs more then a Fuckin tank so it should be fine.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never dealt with them

Overall Rating : 8
An overall excellent cab, Especially for METAL. The only bad thing is the damn price.

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