Do I need a Mark IV ?????

[lookslikemeband]

Hey gang!

I currently own three M/B heads:

Single Recto Solo (for clean)
Dual Recto Solo (for dirty)
Trem-O-Verb (extra)

My rig consists of my panning between the two heads (each running a 4X12) for clean -> dirty

OK. With that being said. I love my tone!

Buuuuut... like most people, I'm always looking for ways to improve it.

I play in the vein of Chevelle, Tool, Nickelback. Mostly Dropped D and Dropped C stuff.

Should I consider a Mark IV?

I've never played one before, but I hear glowing things about them (and I know that Chevelle, Metallica; etc use them).

Thank you for your input.

Lance

 

[Grandor]

It would mean completely replanning your entire rig.
The Mark IV will give you a very different sound to what you get from your recto's.
Personally. I'd prefer to have 2 recto's and a markIV than 3 recto's and no markIV...

 

[lookslikemeband]

I know this is a dumb question.... But not having much experience with Mark IV's...

What do they "do" best???

Metal?
Blues?
Leads?
Cleans?

Any soundclips out there I could hear or thoughts are very appreciated!
Thanks!

Lance

 

[pjrhd28]

I just got mine and I'm still working with it but I think the magic of the MK IV is that is does a lot of sounds very well and that you can go from one sound to another fairly easily.

Clean its not quite as sparkly as my Fender HR Deville but at the different levels of distortion it is serious no contest.

Best? think of Santana's live solos ( Have you got the Santana live albumn 'Moonflower"?). That's my favorite tone. A Les PAul neck pickup through the highest gain channel with just the right tweaking. I don't know of another amp that can get that rich , thick soulful distortion.

I just got the settings right for my strat- clean ( with a little dirt if I want it), 2nd channel is SRV, third channel is Eric Johnson.

 

[Reeko]

I just got mine and I'm still working with it but I think the magic of the MK IV is that is does a lot of sounds very well and that you can go from one sound to another fairly easily.

Clean its not quite as sparkly as my Fender HR Deville but at the different levels of distortion it is serious no contest.

Best? think of Santana's live solos ( Have you got the Santana live albumn 'Moonflower"?). That's my favorite tone. A Les PAul neck pickup through the highest gain channel with just the right tweaking. I don't know of another amp that can get that rich , thick soulful distortion.

I just got the settings right for my strat- clean ( with a little dirt if I want it), 2nd channel is SRV, third channel is Eric Johnson.

OK,
Got me interested..
I am new to my Mark IV and would love to know your settings for these 3 tones. SRV and EJ are my favorite guitarists.

Please post your settings :lol:

 

[pjrhd28]

Here are my clean/ SRV/ Eric Johnson settings- understand that this is as close as I can get to their tones BUT my hands aren't quite what there's were/are!!!!!

Guitar is a 1992 Fender Custom Shop set neck strat- think of a normal strat only on steroids with a humbucker in the bridge.

The combo with one 12- I hope to get a second 12 which will probably make me have to re load on these settings. RHY 1 = clean, RHY 2= SRV, Lead=Eric Johnson (but no pedals)


RHY 1 Gain- pulled out and 7
RHY 2 Gain- pulled out and 8
Lead Gain- 6.5 and pulled out
RI treble 8
Lead Treble 9
R1 R2 Bass 6
R1 R2 Mid 10
R2 Treble 9
Lead Bass 8
LEad Mid 7
Lead Drive 7 and pulled out
R1 presence 5.5
R2 presence 10 and pulled out
R3 presence 5 and pulled out
RI master 5
R2 master 4
R 3 master 4

Graphic EQ- think of a flattened V with the midpoint right at the middle line so just a little bit more lows and just a little bit more highs; not the "steep" V favored by more of th crunch/ metal bands.

Output- 3
Tweed
Triode
Class A
Harmonics

I'd like to see what others think.

 

[chris_bechtel]

For years I searched for amps that would be able to do both my favorite tones. I finally figured out that sometimes two heads are better than one. So I ended up with a Rectoverb and Mk IV.

I think you'd be crazy not to trade one of your Rectos off for a Mk IV. The thing I love about the Mk IV is that super sexy Mesa smooth you get from them. Just like how punchy and in your face the Rectos are the Mk IV is sexy smooth violin like and just warm and round and yeah!

The Mk IV's are incredibly versatile and toneful. I use both my heads mostly in the studio right now but I'm building a live rig right now with them and an Axess head switcher. I just love having the real punchy in your face clean that the Rectoverb has, the incredible scooped arpeggio monster clean on the Mk IV, the brutal modern mode of the Recto, and then top it all off with the lead tone of the Mk IV and you're just there! I'd love to upgrade my Rectoverb to a Road King and have seven channels of oh yeah!

The Mk IV is way cool, you'd dig!

 

[lookslikemeband]

Cool man.... I play a multiple head set-up already, so I could make it more complicated!!

Maybe keep the Single for cleans.... and run BOTH the Dual and a Mark IV for dirty?? With a high-gain switcher to choose which one I want for my dirty for a particular song???

Boy, that would make for a BIG road case!!! :wink:

Right now, I have the Dual in a case w/ some rack gear, with the solo sitting on it, and I was going to have a company custom make me a case to fit both heads.... maybe I can get them to make me one that would fit THREE heads and about 6 spaces of rack gear????

DANG IT!!! Now I want a Mark IV !!!!!!