Considering getting a mark IV!

[tempest1226]

hey everyone. I have two 3 channel dual recs right now and honestly am getting sick of my muddy tone. No matter how much i drop back the gain and ad an OD pedal as well as all the advice people have given me, i'm still at a loss with it. Everytime i hear a mark IV clip its always really tight in the bottom end and has a nice heavy chugg for lack of better words. I am considering selling one of my dual recs and trying out a mark IV. THe only problem is, NO ONE EVEN CLOSE TO ME HAS ONE. But how much can i expect to pay for a used mark IV that is still in great shape. Also just out of curiousity. Is there any difference between the small, med, and long head as well as the rack mount version. Thanks everyone

 

[guitardude05]

i would highly suggest playing with one and messing around with it for a few hours before considering buying one. i dont think there should be any tonal differences between the head sizes. um, i bought my IV widebody combo locally for $725 in pretty good condition (few nicks in the tolex at the bottom and rip in leather handle) but no footswitch. but expect to pay at least $1k and up on ebay.

 

[fpoon]

No there is no tone difference between the small and medium heads. The only difference is the medium head has two switch's on the front and the small head has them on the back. Go to the mesa boogie website and try and look for a dealer, you might find one. It's an amazing amp, in my opinion one of the best in the world. Print out some settings and try it.

 

[ToneAddictJon]

Before you sell one of your heads, what guitars and cabs do you use?? These will make a huge difference in how any boogie sounds. As far as the Mark IV goes, I can get my Dual Recto (3 channel) to sound as tight as it no problem, but I also use a 1x12 open back with EV in it and Ibanez 7 strings with EVO and PAF pups.

 

[tempest1226]

im using the recto standard cabs with a EBMM jp model and schecter C+ model with seymours in it. FUNNY STORY FOR EVERYONE. I just called 10 guitar centers within a 100 mile radias from me asking if they had new or used mark IV's.. .................NOBODY HAD ONE. I called every store chain at that point for up to 150 miles. Medley music, sam ash, guitar center, georges music. Nobody. I then took the advice to look on mesa.com for a list of dealers in my area. I found a ma and pa shop 25 minutes from my house that was FULL of roadkings, marks, dual, triples. All cabs. So i tried out the mark IV. ONLY problem. It was small and crowded and there and i didnt want to crank it. I guess im too shy. haha. and it took me forever just to figure out how to work the **** thing. holy god theres a lot of controls, pull, push knobs, switches. haha. So after a while i got a somewhat good sound and could def. hear it was a lot more tighter in the bottom end. I was playing it (quietly) through a trad. mesa 4x12. I think im going to sell one of the dual recs. I mean.........I only use one anyways and there in perfect shape basically. The one was never even taken out of my room. So why not explore more tone options with a mark IV if i already have a dual rec. (thats me convincing myself to sell it). hahaha.

 

[Random Hero]

What's to lose? You don't need two Rectos. Even if the Mark isn't "IT" for you, sell it and get something else.

I don't think you'll sell the IV though :wink:

 

[tempest1226]

man now im itching. I mean i didnt hear it probally to even a fourth of its power and tone but just all the features had me drooling. haha. Sucks though because i have to sell the dual rec and then find a mark IV used. I can probally get around 1200,1300 for the dual rec so i wont have enough to get the 1900.00 mark IV new. I see them on ebay here and there for around 1300, 1400. I can add a couple hundred bucks if i need to but not much more.

 

[ToneAddictJon]

I didn't see you had 2 rectos, definitely sell one for the Mark IV, they compliment each other so well (I run mine in stereo each through a 1x12 cab). There are a ton of options on the Mark IV, but it seems to be easier (for me anyway) to dial in than the DR.

 

[tempest1226]

o yea i wanted to ask. When i was at the store playing the mark IV. The lead channel (obviously my main focus of crunchy ryhthm. haha) was extremely noisy. like buzzing practically. Is that normal and just requires a noise gate or is something wrong with that picture. It was kinda obnoxious but i kinda got used to it since i was so focused on trying to figure out how to use the **** head. haha

 

[ToneAddictJon]

It shouldn't of been noisy at all. The treble control acts like another gain stage when pushed passed 5 though, so that could of been it, and if it was on mid gain that adds a lot of gain.