Question About 4x12 Rectifier Standard Cabs

[Merryweather Stone Firm]

I am trying to find a good used Mesa Boogie 4x12 Recto Standard Slant Cab with V30's. I want to get one with standard Black Taurus vinyl and a Black Jute Grille. I would also like it to be no more than three or four years old. Am I correct that the model number for such a cab would be "4FB"? Also, I have been told that the serial number should not be LOWER than C38500 if I want one that is not more than four years old. Is this correct? That is, is it possible to tell the age of Mesa Boogie cabinets from their serial numbers? If so, in what year would a C38500 serial number have been made? Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

Yep its 4FB. The older of my two is 44109 and it's an '02, if that helps. IMO, as long as its in good shape, the older the better. V30's SUCK when they are new... the longer and louder you play on them, the better they get.

 

[Merryweather Stone Firm]

NoGlassNoClass: Thanks, that helps a lot. If your 44109 is circa '02, then 38500 must be, what, 1996? This assumes, of course, that Mesa builds a couple thousand of these 4FB's per year. Who knows what the real number is? Mesa certainly isn't saying. Too bad, it would be great to be able to date all of Mesa's products by their S/N's.

I agree that V30's sound better when they're broken in, but I don't want a set that has been dimed two hours a day, three or four times a week for five years either. In my experience, Celestion speakers (including the V30's) sound pretty muddy if they're too "broken in."

 

[jbird]

C31928, May of '00. For whatever it matters? :roll:

 

[Merryweather Stone Firm]

Well, I tried and tried, but couldn't find a decent Recto Slant 4x12 cab anywhere (and I live in Southern California!). So, this afternoon I bought one (a 0.4FBB-R-SL) from Guitar Center. S/N C2-559**. I would give the full S/N, but I haven't registered it yet.

So far we have the following serial numbers and approximate manufacture/purchase dates for the Mesa Boogie Rectifier Standard Slant 4x12 V30 Cabinet (Model 0.4FBB-R-SL):

C-31928 - 05/2000
C-44109 - ??/2002
C2-559** - 08/2006

I'll be happy to keep this topic going if others wish to contribute. With enough info we should be able to date these cabinets from their serial numbers for future reference. Then, anyone buying a used cab won't have to guess if the cab is two years old, or ten.