Anyone here gone from a Road King to a Mark IV?

[newfinator]

As stated in the title has anyone here gone from a Road King to a Mark IV? If so why?

I've ordered a Mark IV but still keep wondering if I should have waited to test drive a Road King. I preferred the Mark IV to the Roadster I tested out so figured I'd have similar thoughts on the RK knowing that it would be a bit better.

 

[chris_EIT]

hey dude I have not personally done this BUT, I will put it this way. If you like a tight sound for fast runs and an overall DISTINGUISHABLE tone and an AMAZING Solo tone, the Mark IV is for you. If you want huge power chords and crunching sounds but not much leads or tightness then go the Road King

 

[devilrob1979]

The Roadster IS a Roadking. It just doesn't have Progressive Linkage. If you didn't like the Roadster chances are you wouldn't have liked the Road King.

 

[Machine Gun]

I have both. I bought the Mark because I missed the tightness when using the RK ( this is my second Mark IV). Not that I don't like my RK, but what these gentlemen say is exactly true.

 

[Detox]

I have both. I bought the Mark because I missed the tightness when using the RK ( this is my second Mark IV). Not that I don't like my RK, but what these gentlemen say is exactly true.

I have 'em both too. RK is a bot more modern sound and has better clean sounds. Mark is a classic and you can't go wrong with it.

 

[newfinator]

Thanks for all the replys I feel more assured now in my decision.

I also have a Legacy and a 5150. I think the 5150 covers off a similar niche as the recto tone and I've been myself moving away from that to playing the Legacy almost exclusively. So, I think this also backs my Mark IV purchase.

 

[ANIMATED SUSPENSION]

hey dude I have not personally done this BUT, I will put it this way. If you like a tight sound for fast runs and an overall DISTINGUISHABLE tone and an AMAZING Solo tone, the Mark IV is for you. If you want huge power chords and crunching sounds but not much leads or tightness then go the Road King

+1
Couldn't have put it better myself !! 8)

 

[JimAnsell]

i went from the roadster to the mark IV, and never looked back.
i'm way happier.

 

[hazbin]

Sold the RK and bought a Mark III running stereo with my Mark IV. I could not be happier. The Mark series amps are the best IMO!!

 

[richb]

As stated in the title has anyone here gone from a Road King to a Mark IV? If so why?

I've ordered a Mark IV but still keep wondering if I should have waited to test drive a Road King. I preferred the Mark IV to the Roadster I tested out so figured I'd have similar thoughts on the RK knowing that it would be a bit better.

Yes,I did.
a few years back J.P. told me about the RKI(he never used the II)so I bought one.I didn't mind the fact that it had alot of knobs etc... because i took it one channel at a time.
I never got a amazing clean tone outta it but i did get a amazing rhythem tone on channel 4.(i always kept my gain down in order to get definition outta her.the lead channel on 3 was so,so(again i wasn't so crazy about it).
back in 1991 I had a Mark IV combo but never dialed it in correctly.I refound my love for the tones of the IV and I bought a used 93 combo,this time i spent more time with dialing it in and was just blown away by how tight and how clean is beast is..I'm NOT a combo guy so I ordered a custom headshell from Mesa a month ago and this is the final result!!!
I sold my Road King I because once I got the Mark IV the RKI was just in the corner NOT being touched AT ALL!

http://img514.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00132zy0.jpg

http://img241.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00139iq5.jpg

Enjoy the pic's
Richb

 

[CudBucket]

See what happened to Dream Theater?

What happened to them? So JP is using a Mark IV on the road now. Who knows what he'll use on the next album? When he goes back to the Road King everyone will be selling their Mark IVs to get one. Happens every time he switches Boogies.

 

[Anonymous]

I saw DT a few years back at Gigantour when JP was using Roadkings and his tone was MASSIVE. I'm seeing them again next month at Prog Nation and I'm curious to see how is tone has changed.

 

[kmanick]

When I saw Petrucci on the G3 this past year he was using Mark IVs and his sound was Massive with those as well.
the guy just knows how to dial in a Mesa amp.

 

[shredi knight]

I saw DT last summer in Dallas and JP's tone was absolutely killer. Best live lead tone I have ever heard.

 

[newfinator]

I remember seeing the G3 tour in 2000 or something and not really knowing who JP was (sorry, I was living under a rock that he hadn't yet visited at the time). One thing that stuck out was that Satriani had mediocre tone, Vai had great tone but Petrucci's tone was exceptional and, by far, the best. Very organic an full. It's not what drew me to the Mark series but certainly hasn't hurt.

 

[mrd]

I remember seeing the G3 tour in 2000 or something and not really knowing who JP was (sorry, I was living under a rock that he hadn't yet visited at the time). One thing that stuck out was that Satriani had mediocre tone, Vai had great tone but Petrucci's tone was exceptional and, by far, the best. Very organic an full. It's not what drew me to the Mark series but certainly hasn't hurt.

If it was in 2000 he might have still been using RoadKings. The G3 DVD I have with him in it, you can see like 3 RKs on the stage with him.. easily recognizable with the progressive linkage lights and rectifier lights hehe.

 

[newfinator]

I remember seeing the G3 tour in 2000 or something and not really knowing who JP was (sorry, I was living under a rock that he hadn't yet visited at the time). One thing that stuck out was that Satriani had mediocre tone, Vai had great tone but Petrucci's tone was exceptional and, by far, the best. Very organic an full. It's not what drew me to the Mark series but certainly hasn't hurt.

If it was in 2000 he might have still been using RoadKings. The G3 DVD I have with him in it, you can see like 3 RKs on the stage with him.. easily recognizable with the progressive linkage lights and rectifier lights hehe.

I remember seeing his setup and it had a older Mark in it that I can only assume to be a Mark IIC+. I didn't see anything that looked remotely rectifier-ish.

 

[richb]

See what happened to Dream Theater?

What happened to them? So JP is using a Mark IV on the road now. Who knows what he'll use on the next album? When he goes back to the Road King everyone will be selling their Mark IVs to get one. Happens every time he switches Boogies.

hahaha,your so right bro
Honestly i owned a mark IV combo back in 1991 but i really didn't get the tone i wanted now i know i just never dialed it in correctly.
yes i had a RKI because J.P. told me to get one,so i did.
it was massive sounding but not exactly what i was looking for(just NOT tight enough for me)the whole recto thing is awesome but i was really looking for something different.
so back to the drawing board! Mark IV combo.
This time i spent ALOT of time talking to reps @ Mesa and just getting tips from Mark IV owners etc...
I just transfered the guts into a custom headshell that Mesa sent me and it Looks sweet more-so i'm getting the tone that i really want!
I'm in Love with my 1993 IV.
this is for keeps

 

[Herbie the Rad Dorklift]

John Petrucci's Live Dream Theater rig as of 1998-2001:

Triaxis
Dual Rectifier
Mark IIC+
Mark IV
Formula Preamp
2:90 power amps

His G3 rig would have been smaller though.

 

[metal190]

Funny how this has turned into a Dream Theater / JP thread.

Yeah, I have to admit through much embarrassment that I bought the Road King mostly based off the JP endorsement. Much to my dismay, I could not get my rig to sound anything like Petrucci's. Go figure.

What the dude said about Petrucci knowing how to dial in a mesa amp is absolutely true. And I guarantee you that at the level he's at he's got people who would pay him to take their advice on new tones to try or how to tweak his sound. I'd love to be good enough to have professional sound engineers listen while I play and make suggestions. (Not to take away any credit to Petrucci and his ear for tone.)

Bottom line, I bought a Road King, ended up buying a Mark IV when I couldn't find the Dream Theater tone. When I didn't find it in the Mark IV either I sold the Mark IV and in the meanwhile found my own tone in the RK. Different sounds, both of them great if you take the time to find them.