Are Mk IV's always this mid rangy?

[shredding]

Well, I did a A/B test of my Mark IV with the Marshall JCM 900 I barely got. Even I put the 6600 Hz knob barely below the top line and lead treble on 8, the mark IV still sound more mid rangy than the Marshall. Is this true to everyone's MK IV?

I have it full power with simul and pentode. On harmonics.

Also the R2's just crappy rumbling with no tone when the gain's at 10 (not pulled).

 

[trem]

Same cab?

 

[shredding]

Same cab?

Same cab!

 

[6L6C]

Also the R2's just crappy rumbling with no tone when the gain's at 10 (not pulled).

This caught my attention; you might want to check out this thread. Sounds like you need some new tubes.
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=25901

 

[trem]

Dude you've answered your own question!!

Or it might just be the cheap MG cab I played through. Mark IV can't reach its potential on that cheap cab I guess.

+1 on the retube.

 

[MrMarkIII]

Amps which sound too mid-rangey by themselves magically "cut through" the mix in a real-life band situation.

 

[phyrexia]

Even I put the 6600 Hz knob barely below the top line

What does your treble settings or the 6600hz slider have to do with mids? What are your settings? Have you tried cutting the mids with the GEQ instead of boosting the highs?

 

[fpoon]

Try understanding the amp before jumping to conclusions. If it sounds to mid rangy then thats what the 750 slider is for. Lower it to for a scooped tone. The 240 slider is for low mids and 2200 is for high mids so mess around with those. Pickups and picking technique can greatly effect that aswell. The Rhy2 isn't meant for heavy metal tones. Imo it's for bluesy, pop, and solo sounds depending on how you set it of course.

 

[shredding]

Try understanding the amp before jumping to conclusions. If it sounds to mid rangy then thats what the 750 slider is for. Lower it to for a scooped tone. The 240 slider is for low mids and 2200 is for high mids so mess around with those. Pickups and picking technique can greatly effect that aswell. The Rhy2 isn't meant for heavy metal tones. Imo it's for bluesy, pop, and solo sounds depending on how you set it of course.

Well, the 750 was dropped below the bottom line but with the highs turned up, it still doesn't have that chime. With the 750 too low,it's almost hollow sounding.

 

[MrMarkIII]

"Chime" comes from the Presence control and Bright switches.
Also helps if you're playing a Ric 12.

 

[atonal]

Amps which sound too mid-rangey by themselves magically "cut through" the mix in a real-life band situation.

I agree. What's so wrong with mids?


Nothing.

 

[Bullen]

The Mark IV is quite midrangey, it has more midrange than my Mark III, but I personally like that tone. Even with the eq set in a sharp "V" shape, it still has more midrange than alot of other amps. Rectos are more scooped for example, more highs and lows.

 

[phyrexia]

I think Rectos have an extended frequency response compared to Mark stuff - that is, I think the highs go higher and the lows go lower on a Recto, which contributes to them sounding so "big" compared to a Mark amp.

 

[LithiumZero]

The Mark IV is a very mid heavy amp. It kind of threw me at first but I love the mids now. It really sounds great in a mix.

R2 just sounds that way with the gain maxed if it's not pulled. Try pulling the gain and setting it to around 7 with the R2 treble set around 7 or 8. If I use R2 without pulling the gain it's only for much lower gain stuff. There are some great tones to be had with it pushed and lower gain settings.

 

[Killtone]

The Mark IV has a lot of midrange - but this is good because guitar is a midrange instrument. Like some of the other posters have said, the mid focused tone will make it fit into the mix of a band and cut through when necessary. IMHO, it is one of the best amps for playing with a band, but if you are just playing at home there are other amps that are more pleasing to the ear on their own.

On R2, make sure your bass is not above 3 if you are playing with more gain. Any higher than 3 and it will sound "tubby".

If you are a new Mark IV owner you may want to try out some of the settings in the manual for starters.

 

[mule#1]

You may want to try EL34 tubes in the outer 2 sockets to achieve the highs the Marshall gets. IMHO I think the mid range on those tubes are totally different as well as the high,s and low's. Remember as stated already it will sound different with a band then in the bedroom.