Did anyone else just buy a Mark IV on a whim?

[Herbie the Rad Dorklift]

I'm reading quite a few messages about people who took ages deciding on what amp to buy.

I'm totally not like that at all :lol:

I walked into my local shop, saw they had a brand new Mark IV, played it for about 10 minutes, then said "Right I'll take it".

I wasn't even looking for an amp! :lol:

Any of you got your first Boogie purchase stories to tell?

 

[Anonymous]

Post removed.

 

[Shep]

the first time i played one was when i opened up the postage box from the one i bought off Ebay.. Good amp.that was about 2 years ago now..

 

[Buddy]

Late 1986 .
I was picking up a custom made electric guitar , when I saw a little combo sitting there . The guy seemed like he didn't want to turn it on , or plug in for some reason .

Played through for 10 min's or so , mesmerized .
Went home . Plugged into Fender product . Despair . Boogie separation anxiety . Gain jones . Turned out the first Boog I played was a 2c+ .......

Called Boogie for catalog . Received same that week .
Ordered MkIII .
Became owner of loaded Red stripe .

 

[carlosasi]

Needed a tube amp, bought a subway rocket reverb off of craigslist without even playing it. Got it home plugged in loved it. Sold it to buy more boogies, and I'm not stopping yet.

 

[dodger916]

My first was a Nomad 55 1x12, which I bought on-line. I chose it because it had the features I was looking for and seemed reasonably priced, especially compared to the other Mesa amps. I was able to get some decent sounds out of it, but the first time I plugged into a Mark IV, I understood the price difference, and my addiction to tone increased exponentially! I bought a Mark IV (used, on-line), sold the Nomad, and proceeded to buy a Mark IIC and a C+, and now I'm getting the urge for a Lonestar. It's hopeless now....

 

[adrenaline junkie]

Not a MkIV, but I bought a MkIII on a whim because I'd heard quite a few people talking about how good the Mk's are and I found one cheap. I'd had several Dual Rectifiers, a DC-2, DC-3 and 50 Cal, and one time when I was about 14 I tried an old Mk I or MkII of some sort in a guitar shop on vacation and I wasn't impressed with it (Probably too young and dumb to know how to dial it in.. :roll: ) so I'd never given them a second thought. After that MkIII I realized I'd been trying all the wrong Mesa's (For me) and since I've had 3 different MkIV's and now have two MkIIC's which seem to fit my style and tone preferences best but I'm a big fan of the Mk series amps in general.

 

[fmbighair]

Hey Buddy,

noticed you owned a SUBWAY ROCKET, just wondering your thoughts on it? I injured my back and need to switch to a smaller rig, but still want that Boogie tube rock n roll edge in my sound. I have tried some amps with 10s instead of 12s and it seems like they are able to get more mid range crunch which is what i like.

My question: Is this amp ALL tube, both pre amp AND power amp section? Any info would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[carlosasi]

The Subway was a really nice amp. It is more from the Recto bloodline than the Mark. It is all tube pre 12ax7 and power el84, light and loud. The cleans were nice, the lead was somewhat mark like and the contour switch really was saturated. It worked well with my seymour duncan pu but got too muddy with all my Gibson pu except the p90's bless there little hearts. Good all around all tube practice/home amp.

 

[glenecho]

Not a whim, because I had researched and decided on a Road King II for quite a while. Walked into the Hollywood Mesa Store, and played through the Road King II for about 3 hours. Tweaked like crazy tried all sorts of configurations. Wasn't happy with the clean sound and was even less happy with the raspy Recto-y dirt sounds. Despair, at this point I'd been trying amps for almost 2 years and everything either sounded good and wasn't versatile, or was versatile with cruddy sound.

Guy at Mesa store recommends that I try the Mark IV widebody combo. After 30 seconds playing through the clean channel I tell him to box it up. He asks "don't you want to try out the lead channel?". I say, "OK...but still I want the amp". He tweaks a sound on the lead channel...again 30 seconds later I'm even more convinced. It took me a grand total of 60 seconds to know the Mark IV was perfect for me.

 

[GiorgioV]

When I got interested in the DC-5, I checked some ads near my place, found a good deal and tried the amp at the seller's place in like 3 days. I liked the amp, altough I couldn't try it enough to understand the capabilities, and I bought it. I was very tired of my previous main amp not sounding exciting at all (a Brunetti combo, italian handmade amps, excellent quality but little personality) so I just bought the DC. After like 30 minutes I had plugged it in at home I was floored by the sounds I could get out of it.

So I guess I kinda bought it on a whim.

 

[bryan_kilco]

I found out that Lamb of God had used the Mark IV's and had been listening to As the Palaces Burn nonstop for about 3 weeks on a job in Chicago. I totally loved the tones they were getting and wanted to achieve something similar, so I bought a used Mark IV off of EBay which actually ended up here with powertubes still in the sockets, all 4 broken. Luckily, the seller shipped extra, used power tubes.

8)

 

[MesaDCLP]

Both boogies I've owned I bought off eBay.

I bought my mark IV just to make my dad jealous!!! :twisted: ... not really, but he said it was the Cadillac of Mesa ... that's funny, the owners manual refers to it as a Ferrari.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Both boogies I've owned I bought off eBay.

I bought my mark IV just to make my dad jealous!!! :twisted: ... not really, but he said it was the Cadillac of Mesa ... that's funny, the owners manual refers to it as a Ferrari.

that's right! :lol:

 

[stoz]

I bought my MK4 without ever having heard or seen one in the flesh. It was G.A.S. gone mental. I watched ebay for ages and eventually copped a beauty for a real bargain. Truth is, I rarely use it. It was and is a frivolous purchase, but I love it and I get a warm glow of satisfaction from owning and occasionally using it.
Its a curly maple hardwood combo. It sounds great. Its insanely heavy. Its beautiful.
I drove the length of England to collect it too.

 

[MarkofXlnts]

I purchased my DC-2 on a whim, and it is now my favorite amp. The other purchases were deliberate and planned. I purchased all of my Boogies without trying them out first. I used to have a Mark III Red Stripe (my overall favorite, but had to sell) and a Stiletto Deuce (1st version, sold). I now have the DC-2 (current favorite) and the Mark I, and ordered my Mark IV without trying one. I know this goes against standard procedure for anyone looking for gear, but I am comfortable purchasing anything that sounds like a Mark series amp (without hearing it first).

I have tried the Rectifier amps and two of the F-Series amps. I do not like the Rectifiers and the F-Series amps were just ok (not as good as my DC-2). The Mark IV will be my last new Mesa unless they debut a Mark V that incorporates the lineage of the previous Mark amps. If my Mark IV sounds even remotely close to anything I have had so far I will love it. My dealer has a widebody combo in stock and I have been tempted to play it, but have decided I don't want to ruin the suspense. I am looking forward to firing mine up at home for the first time.

 

[bryan_kilco]

My dealer has a widebody combo in stock and I have been tempted to play it, but have decided I don't want to ruin the suspense. I am looking forward to firing mine up at home for the first time.

dude.....man......that has GOT to SUCK! :lol:

you'll love it!

 

[phyrexia]

Herbie if you ever come to the US you give me a call and come see me at work

 

[Herbie the Rad Dorklift]

Herbie if you ever come to the US you give me a call and come see me at work

Why's that?

My band's playing in California nexy year, I guess that's pretty far from you.

 

[Tre4J]

The shop in my neck of the woods let me borrow a stiletto duece stage II about a year ago.

I brought it home, tried it out with my cabinet, pedals, guitars and such...and by the third day was up I was sold on it.

Then after owning it for 3 weeks or so...I found myself trying to dial in mark iv lead tones with no avail. So I returned it and exchanged it for a mark iv head. Haven't looked back since.