Falling out of love with my Mark IV

[stompboxfreak72]

Thoughts on a Mark Iv through 2x12 mesa recto cabs ? Or is the head a better way to go than the combo since I already own the recto 2x12 cab ( actually I have 2 of them ) and a Recto 4x12 cab ?

 

[ursinus]

I'm definately going to try it with an extension cab before I finally give up with it. At the moment I'm considering whether to get a 1x12 Thiele, a 2x12 rectifier cab, or a 2x12 Cornford cab (which is slightly cheaper in the UK than Mesa products).

I play fusion and inst. music and I finally settled on a Lonstar 2x12 cabinet with a C90 and Eminence Cannabis rex in it and 2- 1x12 Mesa Theiles with EV12L's in them. This gives me the tones I desire. If I were playing different styles of music, then I will definitely consider other options. I recently bought a Stilletto Ace head and am still experimenting with speakers. Ironically, I love the the oversize Ritchie Kotzen 1x12 Cornford Cab with the Stilletto. Anyway, have fun experimenting, the journey for tone is never ending...

Cool, the flexibility of fusion and inst. rock is just what I'm after. I wonder , how does the Mark IV react with a Cornford sitting under her?

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/2-x-12/10987

...does purple go with brown?[/quote]



You know, I'm going to have to take my MKIV head and try that Cornford cab and see how it sounds. A friend of mine also raves about the Cornford oversize 2x12, but those are very expensive in the USA. What I like about the 1x12 is that you can remove one of the three back panels and "tune" it if you want some sort of open back sound, but I preferred it closed. I'll let you know what the MKIV does with it soon.... 8)

 

[holdsworth]

You know, I'm going to have to take my MKIV head and try that Cornford cab and see how it sounds. A friend of mine also raves about the Cornford oversize 2x12, but those are very expensive in the USA. What I like about the 1x12 is that you can remove one of the three back panels and "tune" it if you want some sort of open back sound, but I preferred it closed. I'll let you know what the MKIV does with it soon.... 8)

I'm after as much bass response as I can get (within reason). Keep us posted on how you get on with the Cornford cab.

 

[ukboogie]

hi there

Try a mark 3, I purchased a mark 4 back in late 1991 and have played through other mark 4 combo,s and head/ 4x12 combinations and although the 4 is a fine amp, imho it is not as fat and ballsy as a mark 3 which has a more organic sound imho.
I have owned a mark 3 red stripe fully loaded combo from new in sept 1987,I sold my mark 4 after two years in 1993.
I have also owned other boogies over the years, 1992 dual rec( sold regretfully) 2003 dual rec ( sold less regretfully) 2002 rectoverb series 2 (sold) 2005 stiletto series 1 (sold), 2006 roadster and 2x12 recto cab ( excellent, versatile, a keeper) but I still use my trusty mark 3 as my main amp and must have used it on well over 1000 gigs, give one a try.

 

[holdsworth]

^

I'm quite happy with the heavy rhythm sounds of the amp, it's just that there does seem to be enough bottom end for soloing. I like the sound when it's working for me, I just feel there is something lacking sometimes. Like I said, after 2 years of perseverance I've come to the conclusion that the combo has quite a thin sound characteristic for melodic solo work, which is certainly not for me.

Would the 1x12 Thiele really give me that much body to my sound, or should I just fit the combo chassis into a compact head and buy a 4x12 recto cabinet?

 

[Tuna141]

Would the 1x12 Thiele really give me that much body to my sound, or should I just fit the combo chassis into a compact head and buy a 4x12 recto cabinet?

Like everyone on the board has already suggested, I agree that you should add a 1x12 Thiele to your combo. I have Mark IIC, IIII, and IV combos and stacking them on top of a Thiele makes the tone so much fuller - you'd swear it was a 4x12 by the thickness. I really don't think buying a 4x12 Rectro cab is the answer. I think a Thiele 1x12 will do what you want.

Also, I have a Thiele wiith an EV, as well as one with a C90. The EV sounds slightly more clear and add a little more thump than the C90, but there really isn't that much difference between the two IMO. A Thiele with either speaker will sound great with your combo amp.

 

[holdsworth]

I can't speak as relates to the Mark IV but with a Mark III and a C+ the bottom end after adding a thiele with an EVM 12L was amazing.
I find the C90 in a combo or a 1x12 open back cab to be a little thin on it's own.

Thanks for the feedback and opinions. I guess I'll be buying a 1x12 Thiele to try and even out the sonic spectrum.

I have Mark IIC, IIII, and IV combos and stacking them on top of a Thiele makes the tone so much fuller - you'd swear it was a 4x12 by the thickness. I really don't think buying a 4x12 Rectro cab is the answer. I think a Thiele 1x12 will do what you want.

Just out of curiosity, what would a 2x12 do to my tone that a 1x12 wouldn't? And does anyone know where I can get a brown coloured Thiele cab? I don't think black would go with brown.

 

[Tuna141]

A 2x12" will sound bigger than a 1x12 as one would expect. The real difference is between an open-back and a closed back, and a Thiele. A closed back will give more thump than an open-back, but will have more rounded highs.

A Thiele bounces the sound waves off of the back of the cab which adds some tuned resonance, and sends them out of its ports. It's kind of the same principal as a bass tube, which is how Bose gets such big bass with their small boom box. A ported cab will almost always have more bass/thump than a similarly configured non-ported cab, which almost always has more bass than a similarly configured open-back.

I have no clue where'd you'd find a brown Theile. Where'd you find your brown IV? Is this one of Mesa's custom colors?

 

[vertigo_]

dark secrets of the mark IV coming out!.....

People that are having a falling out with mark IV can sing:

"I'm all out of love...I'm so lost without you...."

LOL

 

[holdsworth]

A 2x12" will sound bigger than a 1x12 as one would expect. The real difference is between an open-back and a closed back, and a Thiele. A closed back will give more thump than an open-back, but will have more rounded highs.

A Thiele bounces the sound waves off of the back of the cab which adds some tuned resonance, and sends them out of its ports. It's kind of the same principal as a bass tube, which is how Bose gets such big bass with their small boom box. A ported cab will almost always have more bass/thump than a similarly configured non-ported cab, which almost always has more bass than a similarly configured open-back.

The Thiele sounds almost perfect for my needs, but I'm wondering whether a 2x12 closed-back recto cabinet wouldn't suit me better?

I have no clue where'd you'd find a brown Theile. Where'd you find your brown IV? Is this one of Mesa's custom colors?

Well, this is the parculiar thing. When I bought the Mark IV the previous owner said that he had had it customised (god knows where) and that they had covered it in a brown leather with the classic wicker-type front. When I look at the Mesa website I can't find the colour anywhere on there, which leads me to believe he didn't have it done by Mesa.

 

[Tuna141]

The Thiele sounds almost perfect for my needs, but I'm wondering whether a 2x12 closed-back recto cabinet wouldn't suit me better?

I've never tried a 2x12 Rectro cab, so I can't comment regarding how it compares to the 1x12 Theile. I'm sure someone else on this board can offer a comparison.


That sure is an unsual looking IV - I'm assuming it's a non-Mesa custom. From a distance the brown tolex makes the cab look like hardwood. It sure is going to be difficult finding a matching cab :lol:

 

[ToneAddictJon]

The 2x12 Recto cab doesn't sound bigger than the 1x12 thiele to my ears. The Recto cab seems to cut the mids and bring out the highs and lows more and the thiele seems to be more even across the board (keep in mind mine has the 200 watt EV in it). If the IV is sounding harsh, you might want to try the 2x12, it seems to "soften" the soundscape a bit.

 

[ESPEcho602]

Off topic but is it better to put your guitars back in your case when you are finished playing? Does it prolong the life of your strings perhaps? I'm just wondering.

 

[ursinus]

I sold my vertical recto 2x12 because it didn't do well for fusion. It was too boomy, especially in the clean mode. The Theiles are not boomy at all, but very even and clear with EV12L's

 

[jdurso]

get yourself a freda live 1x12 and dont look back...... your mark iv will come to life :lol:

 

[MKIII]

I found mine was a bit thin too, but then I shoved it through a 4 x 12 (EV-12M's). Lucky it lives in the basement; it would have blown the roof off the house....

It seems to be all about the cab. I can channel Knopfler on R2 now as well....

My Chiropractor loves me now; have you guys ever tried to move a quad loaded with EV's?

:shock:

 

[disassembled]

My Chiropractor loves me now; have you guys ever tried to move a quad loaded with EV's?

:shock:

No, but i have a halfback that's built into a roadcase with 2 C90's and 2 EV's. THAT SUCKA IS HEAVY and not in a cannibal corpse kinda way either. I couldn't believe UPS accepted it for shipping. They must have my name on a blacklist now. (I better not order anything for a while)



Greg

 

[devilrob1979]

I'm in love with my Earcandy Sovereign 1x12. Tons of low end thump, the BEST build quality I've ever seen and a myriad of custom options. I know it's not possible to stray away from all things Thiele around here but you can give Tim an e-mail and ask him to call you back and you are pretty much guaranteed a call back. He's a small operation that takes real pride in his work. Lifetime warranty and here's what happens when a cab doesn't measure up:

http://www.earcandycabs.com/products.php?req=read&product_id=59#

 

[rippingrudy]

Here is what you need to do: Sell the combo and buy the short head with a Thiele cab with an EV or Delta Pro 12a speaker in it.

Or, do what I do: I have a Thiele and two 2x12 recto cabs so I'm set for 1x12, 2x12, 1x12 + 2x12 or 4x12. You'd be surprised how good the Thiele sounds with the 2x12 recto cab - they cover the entire spectrum of sound and have a HUGE bottom end. Awesome!!

 

[themisfit138]

so all this talk about Thiele Cabinet makes me want one. how much do they cost. then what is the best way to run a recto 2x12 cabinet with a Thiele Cabinet.