Search results

I own both a RK1 (since 2005) and a MK IV B (since 2007). Regarding looks, you can customize both amps (chassis, wood, grille, etc.) through Mesa's custom shop. As for tone, I don't think it's fair to say that one is "better" than the other because they just sound completely different...

I use JJ's for the 84's. I think they came with the yellowjackets. 2x6L6 + 2xEL84: I love this combination. You can dial in a kind of Mark IV-ish simulclass tone. You get the smoothness of the 6l6 and the chime of the 84's. 2x84 + 2x34: Brit to the max.

Just to clear things up. I'm the guy who first started this post almost 2 years ago. I'm still running my RK1 in that configuration. I've run it in bold and spongy and had no problems. I did not need to modify my chassis to fit the yellowjackets and el84's. They slip right in.

Update: My dealer just told me that he placed my order with Mesa and they gave him a delivery date of late October.

What's the average turnaround time for a Mark IV these days? I ordered a new one this week and I'm wondering how long to expect to wait.

I did it to my RK and it was one of the best purchases I ever made. I love the 84 tone. If you search the forum for my posts, you'll find more details about when I did the mod.

9 Steps to Mark tone on a RKI: 1. TS-808 between amp and guitar. Tone dimed. No overdrive. Level to taste. This will tighten things up and make them sizzle. 2. Boss EQ or some other EQ. Use to dial out the frequencies that cause the harsh recto chainsaw sound. Put this in the serial...

As mentioned earlier, they use Vox. That distinctive tone you're after is due to the trademark sound of a Class-A EL84 power section. Many of the suggestions mentioned will get you close, but none of them will reproduce the distinct tone of an EL-84. If you want to reproduce the sound, buy...

With my current setup, I cannot easily provide clips of useful quality. Also, I've been quite busy lately, so I've only been able to play my new setup 2-3 times. However, I will share my experience so far: Ch1: Greatly improved cleans with the EL84's in Class A. I add a wad of reverb and it...

I use one pedal in front of my RK1, and that's a TS-808. I only use it for two reasons: 1. Occasionally on Ch 3/4 Vintage to tighten up the tone and to replace the harsh recto crunch with a more focused Mark-ish tone. 2. In front of the clean channel using neck pickups to get a SRV...

My RKI with 2 of the 6L6 replaced with yellowjackets and el84's, is probably the best mesa el84 amp out there ;-)

I got the standard yellowjacket adapters for replacing 6L6, EL34, etc. type tubes. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/THD-YJSD-Yellow-Jacket-Standard-Duet?sku=210390 If you face the back of the RK1 head and look to the right, you'll see the 2 rectifier tubes. Then, the next two tubes to...

This may be of interest to some of you: http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=7555

I did it. The yellowjackets came on Friday with JJ's EL84's. I swapped out 2 of the 6L6 in my RK1 for 2 yellowjackets with EL84's. I swapped the pair of 6L6's that get used when you set progressive linkage to 2x6L6, so my old and new progressive linkage options are: 2x6L6 -->...

After calling both Mesa and THD, both companies told me that it should be safe to do what I originally described. I ordered a duet of yellowjackets with JJ's EL84s today. I'll keep you all posted.

Good call on the TS-9. I use a TS-808 in front of my Road King, and it does wonders for tightening up the distortion and adding clarity to the notes. I haven't tried the settings that were recommended earler, but here are the settings that I use on my TS-808: Drive: Off to very low Tone...

Yes, IMO, I would say that there is some truth to that quote. But as a RK owner, I don't think that the EQ is your problem. The problem is that a Recto is not generally known for producing the distortion that you've described as: "heavy metal, yet the notes are crystal clear." The Recto...

Here's the plan: Replace two of the RK's 6L6's with yellowjackets and EL84s. The configuration (old) --> (new) would be: 2x6L6 --> 2xEL84 2xEL34 --> 2xEL34 2x6L6 + 2xEL34 --> 2xEL84 + 2xEL34 4x6L6 --> 2xEL84 + 2x6L6 4x6L6 + 2xEL34 --> 2xEL84 + 2x6L6 + 2xEL34 Is this safe? I should probably...

I've been experimenting with my RK1 and my TS-808 lately, and I've found that I can get surprisingly tight-tracking, focused metal tones by putting my TS-808 in front of my RK under certain settings. For the TS-808: Tone = all the way up Overdrive = none Level = set so that the volume is the...

I wouldn't say that that RK has more gain than the triple, but it probably sounds that way because the RK can run 4x6L6+2xEL34 while the triple is running 6x6L6. The addition of the EL34's to the 6L6's in the RK adds a more "urgent and brash" high-end to the silky crunch of the 6L6's, giving...