Hi - new to the Board. Have a 5:50; play mostly Fenders and am a roots/blues/rock player. Like the amp, but am interested in an amp with 3 settings for clean/crunch/lead + a bit more headroom. There's a Mark IV widebody for sale on CL and I am intrigued. Thoughts about one vs the other? Thanks -
Express or Mark?
- Thread starter teletdf
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ifailedshapes
Well-known member
I have both an Express and a Mark IV Widebody combo. They are different beasts. I'll assume you know about your Express, so I'll talk about my experience with the Mark.
You have 3 channels, Rhy1, Rhy2, and Lead. Rhy1 and Rhy2 share some of the tone controls, and this makes dialing in each of these channels really really difficult. You have to compromise a little, because once you get one set just right, the other will then be thrown off.
There is one global reverb control.
There are two volume settings, off and LOUD! Seriously, this is a loud mother-you-know-what of an amp. I have never had the master output higher than 3, and it usually stays between 1 and 2.
The graphic EQ is really cool, but it's easy to go overboard. I hate the scooped metal sound, but it is kinda fun to have that option available when you're just screwing around.
I say if you are looking for a new amp, keep your eyes open for a used Mark V. I don't know your age or physical condition, but I'm 27 and in pretty good shape. Lifting the Mark IV combo is difficult. It's almost impossible to get it in certain areas without help when it's in its case. The small difference in cost between the combo and a head/cab is TOTALLY worth it for Mesa's large amps. If it will be sitting in one room, combo all the way. If it will be gigged, or even just hauled around from time to time, get a head/cab.
Anyway, that's just my opinion of the amp. It's a killer amp, and there are amazing tones to be found in the Lead channel. There are also lots and lots of options to tweak the tone with pentode/triode, push/pull knobs, etc, and the tone controls are VERY sensitive!
Good luck no matter what your decision. Oh, one last thing, maybe poke around the Mark IV thread on the forum and see what others are talking about.
You have 3 channels, Rhy1, Rhy2, and Lead. Rhy1 and Rhy2 share some of the tone controls, and this makes dialing in each of these channels really really difficult. You have to compromise a little, because once you get one set just right, the other will then be thrown off.
There is one global reverb control.
There are two volume settings, off and LOUD! Seriously, this is a loud mother-you-know-what of an amp. I have never had the master output higher than 3, and it usually stays between 1 and 2.
The graphic EQ is really cool, but it's easy to go overboard. I hate the scooped metal sound, but it is kinda fun to have that option available when you're just screwing around.
I say if you are looking for a new amp, keep your eyes open for a used Mark V. I don't know your age or physical condition, but I'm 27 and in pretty good shape. Lifting the Mark IV combo is difficult. It's almost impossible to get it in certain areas without help when it's in its case. The small difference in cost between the combo and a head/cab is TOTALLY worth it for Mesa's large amps. If it will be sitting in one room, combo all the way. If it will be gigged, or even just hauled around from time to time, get a head/cab.
Anyway, that's just my opinion of the amp. It's a killer amp, and there are amazing tones to be found in the Lead channel. There are also lots and lots of options to tweak the tone with pentode/triode, push/pull knobs, etc, and the tone controls are VERY sensitive!
Good luck no matter what your decision. Oh, one last thing, maybe poke around the Mark IV thread on the forum and see what others are talking about.
@ifailedshapes - thanks for the cogent response. I've seen some of your posts elsewhere and enjoy reading them. I'm almost twice as old as you lol but can still lug stuff around. I used to have an LSC w/ 2 12's and that was almost impossible.
Thanks for the tip on thr rhythm channels. Right now, I use the Clean (set to "roots clean") and the Burn channel (set to "singing lead) or thereabouts. Then I use a OD808 to get some crunch in the Clean channel for the in-between sound. It's a nice set-up, but the extensive features and tweak-ability of the Mark IV, especially at the price offered, is almost too much to pass up.
Our other guitarist - "Mr. Shred" - recently went to a Mark V (after being a Marshall devotee his whole life) and is in tone heaven. Can't stop talking about it. And he does sound righteously good. Tells me to hold out for a Mark V. As a pretty committed Fender guy (with P-90 gibsons thrown in now and then), I am tempted to try the new SuperSonics. But they 22-watt version is as expensive as this used Mark IV - which can do 6L6, EL-34 AND 6V6 plus all the other stuff - and has a recording out to boot.
Maybe I should commission someone to build me the amp of my dreams...oh, well - part of the fun and agony of GAS and searching for grail-tone.
Thanks again.
Thanks for the tip on thr rhythm channels. Right now, I use the Clean (set to "roots clean") and the Burn channel (set to "singing lead) or thereabouts. Then I use a OD808 to get some crunch in the Clean channel for the in-between sound. It's a nice set-up, but the extensive features and tweak-ability of the Mark IV, especially at the price offered, is almost too much to pass up.
Our other guitarist - "Mr. Shred" - recently went to a Mark V (after being a Marshall devotee his whole life) and is in tone heaven. Can't stop talking about it. And he does sound righteously good. Tells me to hold out for a Mark V. As a pretty committed Fender guy (with P-90 gibsons thrown in now and then), I am tempted to try the new SuperSonics. But they 22-watt version is as expensive as this used Mark IV - which can do 6L6, EL-34 AND 6V6 plus all the other stuff - and has a recording out to boot.
Maybe I should commission someone to build me the amp of my dreams...oh, well - part of the fun and agony of GAS and searching for grail-tone.
Thanks again.
ifailedshapes
Well-known member
When the Mark V was announced, it appeared to have resolved all of my issues with the IV:
- Individual reverb controls for all three channels
- No shared tone controls
- Fatter sound on clean channel
- Individual EQ settings per channel (the preset knobs are better than nothing, but my ideal Mark has a graphic EQ for every channel. Yes, it's unrealistic.)
- Plus there are other things like the solo boost and tuner out.
I'm not saying that the Mark IV is a bad amp. I really like it. I am saying that if you can find a used Mark V for a couple hundred more dollars, you'd be better off with the V.
- Individual reverb controls for all three channels
- No shared tone controls
- Fatter sound on clean channel
- Individual EQ settings per channel (the preset knobs are better than nothing, but my ideal Mark has a graphic EQ for every channel. Yes, it's unrealistic.
)- Plus there are other things like the solo boost and tuner out.
I'm not saying that the Mark IV is a bad amp. I really like it. I am saying that if you can find a used Mark V for a couple hundred more dollars, you'd be better off with the V.
