clean tone dilema

[fatoni]

ive got a mark iv and i have an opportunity to trade for a series 1 rk. im not too woried about the clean tones. i really want a series 2 or roadster because of the first two channels. imo the mark distortion is better and if the series 1 doesnt have a very good clean then the trade might not be worth it. besides doing a side by side (which is in the process) what is your input? thanks guys

 

[Sebby123]

Hmmm first what type of music do you play?
And are you more of a rhythm or lead player?
More staccato or legato in your playing? ( I prefer Recto's for staccato madness as they have more bite)
I love my mark iv but always have wanted a RK as well.
Have played on them they are great amps.
All comes down to personal preference and your playing style

 

[primal]

I own both amps.

The clean on the Roadking, IMO, is noticably better then the mark IV, even though it is a series 1. Just fuller, though I do like the cleans on the Mark IV.

Distortion wise they are just two very different amps. I tend to prefer the Mark IV mainly because of the style of music I play. Plus, it is easier to plug straight in and sound killer. Very tight and focused with no help from boosts or EQ's (other then then built in one it comes with)

With the Roadking, it tends to need at a minimum a graphic EQ in the loop.

If you love big low end, you will love the Roadking. Throw an EQ in the loop and you'll be in chugga chugga heaven. IMO the Mark IV can not match the Road King in this regard.

But in the end I mainly play the Mark IV as it is closer to the sound I grew up with.

If I were you, I'd keep the Mark IV and save up for a Roadster. You will miss your Mark IV if you trade it for anything.

 

[Sebby123]

Agreed with above post +1

 

[fatoni]

thanks fellas...i can feel this episode of gas fading.

 

[woodtones]

Distortion wise they are just two very different amps. I tend to prefer the Mark IV mainly because of the style of music I play. Plus, it is easier to plug straight in and sound killer. Very tight and focused with no help from boosts or EQ's (other then then built in one it comes with)

With the Roadking, it tends to need at a minimum a graphic EQ in the loop.

If you love big low end, you will love the Roadking. Throw an EQ in the loop and you'll be in chugga chugga heaven. IMO the Mark IV can not match the Road King in this regard.

I just owned the RK ser.1 2x12 and now have the MKIV widebody combo. Of course, I run both through ext. cabs. I have to agree and disagree with Primal on a few notes:

I did'nt feel that the RK needed any additional EQ especially on the heavier distortion Ch. 3&4 tones. I ran mine with the recto 2x12 cab, and it had all the chugga-chugga that one could ask for. It's really all a matter of each individuals ears and personal taste. The RK cleans are definately sweeter than the MK IV's - Not to say that the MK's cleans can't be dialed in very nicely, but the Recto's clean voicing to me has always been more "Fendery" if I can use that terminology here.

I agree that the Mark and the Recto are two totally different breeds of animal. The Recto is in comparison, probably more strait-forward in setting up and getting the sound out of it, where the MK IV can be tweaked for days and never pass by the same tone twice. Someone once told me that if you get a tone that you really like out of a Mark IV, you'd better write it down, 'cause if you start turning knobs, you might not pass that way again!

Thats what I like about the MK IV though, it's a knob twiddler's paradise!! ...Love it!!

-DLM

 

[Sebby123]

Agree with above post as well but the additional EQ on recto family amps is heaven I’ve tried them all and the eq's just help smoothen out the amp, also in my case i like certain frequencies band's so having a EQ is a must if a amp doesn’t have one already such as the mark iv.

 

[mesaftw]

Someone once told me that if you get a tone that you really like out of a Mark IV, you'd better write it down, 'cause if you start turning knobs, you might not pass that way again!

I wish someone told me that