Just got rackmount kit for Mark IV, have a couple questions

[paleamberglow]

i just got a used rackmount kit for my mark iv and i have a couple questions...

a) did anyone have a hard time fitting their head into the rackmount kit? it seemed like an extremely tight fit, especially getting the front/logo piece on... i needed another person to put in the screws while i pushed the metal pieces together w/ all of my energy

b) i'm using this with a mark iv short head, and i'm wondering if anyone else is using their reverb tank in the rackmount kit? if you are, where do you put / install the tank? this isn't a huge deal for me since i primarily use digital reverb, but it would be nice to have the option of using the reverb tank in the rack

c) i noticed after i got the kit put together that it doesn't completely cover the top of the mark iv... there is about a 1/4" or less of space where you can see down into the wiring of the amp at the rear. anyone else run into this problem when they racked their mk IV ? The kit i bought is an older model so it might only be for the mark 1 - mark 3. I can probably just take a small sheet of metal and screw it to the top of the kit to cover the gap, but i was just wondering if anyone else encountered this.

that is all
cheers,
-david

 

[SFW]

Yes, when I racked my Mark IV short head it was a pain in the ***. It took me and a friend to pull it off. VERY tight fit. I don't believe that you can mount the reverb tank on the rackmount kit. I'm sure that you could get a rack shelf to mount it too. Or to the bottom of your rack case. Oh, and the top pannel covered all of the guts on my amp.

 

[paleamberglow]

as for the top sheet of metal leaving a gap over the wiring in the amp, i took it to my dad's boat shop and used a drill press to extend the screw holes in the sheet so I could slide it back over the gap and still get through to the screw holes. everything fits now

 

[metalmaster]

Hey. I just rack mounted my Mark IV a few months ago. I got it all together, but it was a pain. Don't assemble the kit and try to slide the amp in. It won't work. Instead, build the kit around the amp. Tighten the sides to the amp with the small silver screws (4) up top . Put the other pieces together with the bigger screws, but leave all the screws loose. This allows some play, and with a little moving around, all the screws can be started. Careful not to cross thread them. When all of the srews have been started, tighten them a little at a time, and voila, your Mark IV is ready for a rack! You CAN mount the reverb tank to the bottom of your rack. I called Mesa about this, and the tech said this is no problem. I havn't mounted it yet, but plan to use the rubber cushions that were on the head cab. The tank is mounted upside down in the Mark IV head cab, I plan to mount mine right side up, with the OEM screws, and some matching nuts, washers from a local hardware outlet. Be careful of the tubes when manipulating the amp. Hope this helps.

 

[paleamberglow]

cool! lots of very good information... I will attempt to install the reverb tank in the rack soon

 

[Russ]

I second the build it around your chassis comment. Yes, leaving everything relatively loose will also assist construction then just tighten it all up. There is no real reverb mount in the rack. The fan has a mount but you can move that too. I have been using foam to close any gaps in mounting, ie. when you can look into the chassis and see wiring from outside to inside. I just played with my rackmount kit and I cannot see inside. If you have a wood rack case mount your reverb to the bottom of the rack and install your head near the bottom (the bottom will remain coolest anyway)

As far as inverting the tank goes you might want to get some foam that is thin like the strip under your springs and mount it to the tank cover plate where the springs would hit the top/bottom. It is always easiest to just remove your tubes when migrating your chassis. I on the other hand like things challenging so I leave them in and invert the chassis before removal and install in the new cabinet still inverted. You just have to be careful not to slip your fingers off the chassis onto your PCB or other components like... a cap...

 

[paleamberglow]

pics...

i'll post the 'full rig' pic sometime later in the appropriate section

 

[metalmaster]

Looks great man. It's gonna be sick once all your other gear is mounted in the rack. I am SO happy with my rack mount Mark IV right now, I wish I had more time to smoke and play for hours on end!

 

[paleamberglow]

thanks man...
this rack is going to double as my guitar and keyboard rack for live shows w/ my band. this is what will go in it --

furman power conditioner/voltage regulator (1 space)
mark of the unicorn 828mkII audio/midi interface (1 space)
guitar fx processor (1 space)
roland jv-2080 synth module (2 spaces)
mesa mark iv head (4 spaces)

which will leave me 1 space for either a shelf / drawer or future equipment

 

[paleamberglow]

oh yeah, i had another question....

has anyone come up with a solution for how to protect the tubes in the amp while it's in the rack? just wondering, because sometimes AC adapters come loose from the power conditioner and slide around in the bottom of the rack, also cables can hang down there and hit the tubes, etc. i'm also going to have my axess CFX-4 sitting in the bottom of the rack, but i am going to try to mount it with velcro

 

[Russ]

Looks really good man, just make sure to tie everything well and you shouldn't have any problems with stuff floating around in there. You can get little loops that you can screw to the inside of the rack case to do your cable management and use either reuseable zip ties or velcro. If you choose to use regular zip ties then you have to cut them off and replace them everytime you make a change.