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

[jdel77]

I posted this up at TGP and it's gotten some positive comments. Let me know what you guys think!
Cheers!
Jesse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Sf4FvwrDc

 

[Badronald]

Sounds great. I love mine.
They kill with a loud rock band. Sound huge.

 

[Racerxrated]

That sounds killer.

 

[brianiac5150]

Crap! You just made me want this amp. Very nice demo, sir.

 

[Mailman1971]

Great demo! I love the Mesa Mark Tones!!

 

[milin_im]

Great video! The "wah like" sound you described getting at around 9:20 was the 750 hz slider raised too much I believe.

 

[jdel77]

Great demo, very informative and concise. I wish you had properly mic'd the speaker though. Otherwise thanks for the great video!

I should actually do that.

 

[jdel77]

Great video! The "wah like" sound you described getting at around 9:20 was the 750 hz slider raised too much I believe.

True, but I find the Lead treble and mids add that cocked wah sound as well. It's all a balance.

 

[skoora]

Is it a IVa or a IVb?

 

[jdel77]

Is it a IVa or a IVb?

Version A.
The serial shows it to be late 1990/early 1991.
Sounds very similar to my old Blue Stripe Mark III but has way more versatility across the separate channels and the EQ.

 

[braintheory]

Is there really that much of a difference in sound between the IVA and IVB?

 

[Frehley12]

Did the IVa come with that tolex? My IVa has the rougher tolex.

 

[skoora]

Is there really that much of a difference in sound between the IVA and IVB?

The only thing I remember is that they may have given CH2 a little more gain for the b. Otherwise the main change, I think, is the loop.

 

[7 Stringer]

Cool demo man, thanks.

I did not know you could mis match tube types in there? How does the el34s get their proper bias with a fixed 6l6 bias and paired with the 34s?

I had a Natas at one point witch had individual bias points for every tube.

Just curious.

Chris

 

[Speeddemon]

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.

 

[Badronald]

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.

 

[Speeddemon]

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.

 

[TX6Strings]

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 think this is where most people go wrong with the Mark IV's R2. Their expectation is R1=clean, R2=crunch/rock rhythm, R3=lead, like a traditional three channel amp. R2 was never meant to provide hard rock/old school metal tones. Personally I think it's a great channel, especially boosted. It provides some great mid gain, in between tones but R3 is where the Rock is. It all comes down to expectations.

 

[jdel77]

Cool demo man, thanks.

I did not know you could mis match tube types in there? How does the el34s get their proper bias with a fixed 6l6 bias and paired with the 34s?

I had a Natas at one point witch had individual bias points for every tube.

Just curious.

Chris

No idea mate. Says it's ok in the manual so I put them in and away I went

 

[jdel77]

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.

What tubes did you use.
With mine with el34's on tubes 1 and 4 it gets me totally in that Marshally drive sound.
Maybe you were setting up your EQ wrong. Too much bass and gain and R2 can fart out but with the right amount it's big, open and clear.