Is the Mark IVB version more sterile sounding?

[mr_fender]

Well put Russ. It all comes down to personal preference. None of the amplifiers put out by Mesa are bad amps. They are just different. Everyone has that sound in their head that they're shooting for, and that sound is very rarely the same between any two people.

My only complaint with Boogie is their strict sales and pricing policies. It makes them a lot harder to find, as a great many stores refuse to or cannot carry them. While I'm sure the folks at Boogie have good reasons for doing it this way, it makes it much harder to experiment with all of the products in their line. I live in central Texas, and I've been searching for several months now for a Mark IV to try out. I'll most likely buy one used from ebay, but I want to try one out first to make sure it is the amp for me. Even with literally hundreds of music stores in the area, my options for finding Boogies are very limited. I had an equally hard time finding a Triaxis to try out before I bought one of those used several years ago. It's kind of a bummer. I really think the Mark IV will be a good match for my style, and I'm just itching to play through one.

 

[Antoine]

A or B, a MarkIV is fantastic... i've got a B, my friend have a A, i like both really, differences are not so evident between them, but you can hear it if you play both side by side.
I think the B is a little darker and smoother, and a little more gain in R2, but it's not so evident .

 

[Shep]

i just bought a dual recto 3 channel and my mk iv A kills it...I KNOW BB you say's a old as you can get 2 channel but it was at a price that i REALLY couldn't refuse..i love my mk iv A it's very tight and smooth.. i have played a B i thought it was great. i understand the smoother detail...and the more gain on channel 2..but for how i have my mk iv set at the moment it's wonderful..rich tight and wonderfully fat..so for me this really couldn't be much better...my next amp i will most likely trade my three channel in for a two or get a mk iv b

 

[Nick_cor]

Instead of relying upon what others have to say you should really get out and play both amps because in the end it is you that has to coax the tone you are trying to get out of either amp. So, try both and see which you like better. If you can't try both then try the one that you can and determine if you even like the tone you get out of it. It has been my experience that when I plug into another Mark IV (usually a B) at a store that there is a common feel between the two amps but they are not exactly the same. Some of this comes from not being able to use my own guitars and speakers. I have felt that the R2 on the B is a little more aggressive sounding and that the lead feels a little different too. The A that I own feels a little smoother in both. To me, it seems like Mesa added gain to both channels. There too it could be the tubes and other factors but I still love my A. I am not one to bash the B like others may. I am more of the mindset that you need to play any amp before you buy. From previous experience with tube amps I have learned that even if you have the identical amps side by side that they will still have slight differences. Being that the A is no longer produced and hasn't been for a while now, common sense tells you that the A stock out there may need more service sooner than any B that you may find. You can still buy the B new if you want but I would still suggest to go buy used because then you can save a little dough from the new to used depreciation. In any case, be prepared because no matter which you choose it may take you a while to fully understand the amp and get exactly the tone you want from it. It is very very versatile so in time you will get most any tone out of it except the looseness and bottom found in the rectifier amps. It is my opinion that whether A or B the Mark IV is still the flagship of Mesa amps as far as real tone versatility is concerned. This is not to discredit the Lonestars, Stilettos, Rectifiers, RKs, nor any other series. I am sure that there are others that will argue this point but like I said in the end it is you that has to coax the tone out of the amp. The Mark IV just does it for me. I just happen to own the A.

Adam cannot "try" either amp because of his location, it'll cost him about 3000-4000$US to get a mark IV head in and no store carries that,... just thought you' should know

 

[mr_fender]

I'm in a similar pickle. No dealers near me have one in stock. I want to buy a used one, so having a shop order me a new one won't really work.

 

[Russ]

Sorry I didn't know adam's geographic location. I still don't. I often forget the convenience of living in Southern California where you can access just about anything you want within reason in a short time without too much of a drive. I am sorry to hear that in TX there isn't as much accessibility to gear. I would think that not to be the case though. Austin has a pretty good established music scene and Houston or Dallas seem large enough to accomodate gear searches. I do know first hand how large TX is as I have driven across the state in both N-S and E-W directions. I just assumed that one would drive if they really wanted tone.