Mark 5 vs Mark 4 maximum gain

[mesa1360]

Hi,

Has anyone tried comparing mark 4 with drive and gain knobs cranked to 10 (both pulled) vs mark 5 extreme mode with gain cranked to 10? I read somewhere that the mark 5 is like having a drive knob fixed at 7.5. This makes me think that the max gain of the mark 5 is weaker than the mark 4. Is this true?

Basically I want to know which of the 2 has the stronger maximum gain (not that I have any use for that setting though).

 

[lesterpaul]

I see you have a MK iV-do you actually play it with lead gain above 8?the manual itself says something to the effect that it is not recommended over 7-8..cant rememeber,but its all noise and supercompressed mush at 10/mk V is replicating the sweet spot on a C+...when I pump the vol. on my Mk's, the gain comes down so I can hear some wood/articualtion/dynamics -based on what I have heard so far, there is more than enough for all of you gainiacs out there :wink:

 

[mesa1360]

For my most extreme gain usage, drive & gain at 7-8, treble knob at 7.

As said earlier, I have no use for those insane fully-cranked gain settings. I'm just curious to know.

Extreme gain setting will squel at loud volume at very low volume it's not too bad.

 

[primal]

I see you have a MK iV-do you actually play it with lead gain above 8?the manual itself says something to the effect that it is not recommended over 7-8..cant rememeber,but its all noise and supercompressed mush at 10/mk V is replicating the sweet spot on a C+...when I pump the vol. on my Mk's, the gain comes down so I can hear some wood/articualtion/dynamics -based on what I have heard so far, there is more than enough for all of you gainiacs out there :wink:

I think he is just curious how the two compare.

I never put my gain above 7 on the lead channel, a lot of times I keep it on 6.

But I would also be curious which one has more gain with the gain knobs maxed, even if the gain was unusable in both instances.

When it comes to amps with the most unusable gain, the 5150/6505 is the biggest offender I have come across.

I love the amp, but I never put the gain above 10:00 when I have messed with them.

 

[DaveDaveDave]

Hi,

Has anyone tried comparing mark 4 with drive and gain knobs cranked to 10 (both pulled) vs mark 5 extreme mode with gain cranked to 10? I read somewhere that the mark 5 is like having a drive knob fixed at 7.5. This makes me think that the max gain of the mark 5 is weaker than the mark 4. Is this true?

Basically I want to know which of the 2 has the stronger maximum gain (not that I have any use for that setting though).

Ya, the IV is definetly hotter than the V at max settings - I just went down and A/B'd after reading your post. Like you, I find the 10/10/10 setting kind of useless - it's square wave distortion with hotter pickups, which I can get with any $50 fuzz box. I imagine it could be more useful for singlecoils and the like, but I can't imagine the noise with single coils at that level of gain.

Others may have experienced differently, but at least with the tubes I have set up in both amps, my V always sounds warmer and more complex than my IV. I was supposed to sell the IV first for the cash for the V, but I'm really glad I've been able to compare the two more.

Dave

 

[Masterof1angel]

What I'm interested in is the C+ mode. Does it have as much gain as a real C+?

 

[MarkIVwidebody]

Read the manual....it IS a IIC+....not a replication of one. same circuitry and make-up as the original.

 

[Mark Fore]

...and the IIC+ mode does not have as much gain as the other two modes. Which I think has always been the case; that IIC+'s had less gain than the Mark IV's?? However, the IIC+ mode has been the mode of choice for me on the Mark V head... I just add a littel more gain. An OD out front doesn't really change things unless I'm playing at a very low volume. I find that I don't need any OD's out front.

 

[danyeo1]

I've owned 2 Mark IIC+ amps and a bunch of IV's. I do think the IV's had more gain. I DID in fact hear a difference between the Mark IV A and B versions. The B version had more preamp gain while the A was a little warmer.

I found to get the most gain from a IIC+ was to turn the treble up to 9 or 10.

 

[lockbody]

I found to get the most gain from a IIC+ was to turn the treble up to 9 or 10.

That's pretty much true for any Mesa.

 

[Masterof1angel]

I found to get the most gain from a IIC+ was to turn the treble up to 9 or 10.

That's pretty much true for any Mesa.

Yeah, your Youtube sounds freakin' awesome BTW. Inspired me and showed me the IIc has enough gain for me. Only thing that worries me now is the smaller bass cap. Hope it's not too big a difference.

-Angel