Hi guys, here's my recent video on the mighty Mesa Mark IV!!

[thiswaythatway]

Had the same amp, mine was a '91. Loved the cleans and lead, couldn't bond with R2.
I actually found that it wasn't Marshall-y enough for me. My solid state Lead 100 MOSFET gave a better Marshall JCM-ish tone than R2 on the Mark IV and that's saying something. R2 has a sort of gurgling, sludge-fizzy saturation, whereas a good classic Marshall can be bitey, but more open. Totally different low and mid response.

So just to be clear, your Marshall gave you a better Marshall tone than your Mesa Boogie?
Ok, cool.

Sure,
My pocket-change SOLID STATE Marshall gave a better Marshall tone than a full tube $$$$ Mesa. (Mesa's are shit-expensive in Europe).

But to elaborate, I've since the sale of the Mark IV acquired the Sig:X and the Mark V:25, both of which outperform the Mark IV's R2 capabilities, when it comes to a convincing hard rock/old metal tone.
Mark V:25's Crunch channel is what should have been as R2 and I would have still owned that amp, that's all.

I found all that R2 needs is a Tube Screamer or other decent OD pedal. With some tweaking I feel it can sound great. For R2 I think of tones like Alex Lifeson and Neal Schon's rhythm tones on Escape. Won't get much heavier than that.

 

[Speeddemon]

Well, to answer your questions:
-tubes were all 6L6. Didn't have spare EL34's on hand at the time.

-I know how to EQ a Mark. Bass was under 10 'o clock at all times, whilst Treble was over 1 'o clock at least. Moderate to heavy V graphic EQ settings.

I didn't *want* to boost R2 with a Tubescreamer or the like, as I was hoping to use the amp live, and I play live without any pre-amp effects, just a few in the fx-loop. I don't use boosts for my Ironball or Invader either, FWIW.

Since I had the EVH 5150III 50W to directly compare the Mark IV with, I found that I could come close to my preferred Mark IV's lead tone, by using some extreme EQ settings on the EVH's red channel (mind you, that thing is 50% retubed for more warmth and less gain...RFT in V1, NOS Sylvania 5751's, Sovtek LPS in the PI, the works...).

I didn't need any boost in front of the EVH *and* its blue channel ran circles around the Mark's R2, for my taste at least.
Also, given that the EVH also has a footswitchable fx-loop and was almost half the weight, it became a no-brainer to make that amp my live-amp.
The main thing remaining where the EVH 'suffers' in comparison to the Mark IV, was the clean tone. The Mark IV's is to die for. The EVH's is 'pretty good for a high gain amp, but not spectacular'.

All that being said, and I've said this before; if Mesa comes out with a Mark V:45 type of thing, 2.5-3 channel, where the Crunch channel is it's own, 2x EL34 or 6L6, footswitchable fx-loop and maybe reverb too, under 35lbs, I'm game.
Then again, if Engl would do a similar thing with an Invader/Savage hybrid (think Savage 60, but with the Invader's clean channel, noise gate, fx-loop switching), I'm game too.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Sounds bitchin.. especially at the "rock" settings. Nice and raw at the lower gain settings too.

 

[Badronald]

The loop on my MKIV is footswitchable. My IV also has reverb.

You are correct about the clean channel. Stunning.

I've played a couple EVH amps and didn't hear any tones that approached the character and class of the Boogie.
Different strokes.