Mark IV HATE!

[ANIMATED SUSPENSION]

Are the JJ 6L6's within Mesa specs ?? Could be a bias issue. Try the Mesa 6L6's in the outer sockets and run it in Class A. You are running it in 'harmonics' with the lead fat pulled aren't you ?? The JJ preamp tubes are dark and lower gain than most so I doubt it's those thats the problem. How does RHY 2 sound ?? I can get a nice lead tone on that too.

 

[JD]

I second trying mesa tubes I got some jjs that were supposed to be within mesa specs but when I tried them they sounded very naselly and thin I got some mesa tubes problem solved I use mesa pre amp tubes as well

 

[Jak0lantern01]

I disagree about the JJ pre-amps, they are flat out garbage. I have a recto that I popped a set of JJ's into this past weekend, they were aweful. There was this strange high frequency treble thing going. I swapped back to my Doug's pre-amp combo, the amp was smooth and tolerable again. Take my advice, get those JJ pre-amps out, call Doug's tubes, and have him send you one of his combos. I don't think you with be sorry. I know, I was dealing with a recto, but the same harshness can very well be experianced from the same brand tubes on a different amp. Oh, and there just was no dialing it out.

 

[Stonge]

it's the cab! get an EV (200watt speaker). And improve your technique. You have to be a good player if you are going to use a mark series amp. Or try the amp through a real 4x12..that is loaded with some good speakers. Those blue voodoo cabs are garbage. Try a marshall w/ V30s even. Any mesa cab that is closed back would probably work for you. But seriously look into getting an Ev200watter. Those speakers really give you the direct tone. BTW..you are a long way from Petrucci's tone. Don't plug in and expect to get the color he gets. There is a lot more to his tone than a MarkIV.

 

[straitouttahell]

something has to be wrong mate. I have bought my MkIV something like a couple of weeks now and, despite my little knowledge of the thing, I wouldn't tell it's an overly bright amp - on the contrary, with the wrong set of tubes it can get too muddy.

You sure you haven't installed ECC803 tubes (the long plate version of 12AX7) in the preamp? Those tubes are known to sound somewhat harsh on Mesa amps. I'd suggest you to buy a few 12AX7 tubes of different brands and try them in V1 position. I noticed on my amp that the tube installed in V1 makes a huge difference.

 

[HalfDeaf]

Sounds like you're in mkiv hell - I've been there man. But there's a mkiv heaven, too, and its awesome.

One of the issues I had, and it sounds like you are having, is that the mkiv is a very complicated amp and when it starts to get old and have little problems, it can be hard to diagnose. My advice it to send it directly to Mesa, not to a local tech, even a "Mesa certified" one. For around $200 or so, they'll give it a good once-over and fix what needs fixing. Its worth the cost and the wait. I had mine "once-over"ed by a Mesa certified tech, and it still didn't solve all the problems.

One thing to realize - the mkiv is NOT a "modern-voiced" amp, so no matter what you do, it will always have that signature mkiv sound. But I think that's a good thing.

I was at Mesa Hollywood last week, and the guy working there said that there is starting to be a big demand for mkivs, so much that he can't even keep one in the store. Tons of rectos, tons of roadsters, stilletos, lonestars...not one mkiv.

 

[ajtooke]

it's the cab! get an EV (200watt speaker). And improve your technique. You have to be a good player if you are going to use a mark series amp. Or try the amp through a real 4x12..that is loaded with some good speakers. Those blue voodoo cabs are garbage. Try a marshall w/ V30s even. Any mesa cab that is closed back would probably work for you. But seriously look into getting an Ev200watter. Those speakers really give you the direct tone. BTW..you are a long way from Petrucci's tone. Don't plug in and expect to get the color he gets. There is a lot more to his tone than a MarkIV.

Alright fine, I didn't want to say it earlier but I consider myself well above average, especially for the amount of time I've been playing.

The shop didn't have the MkIV that they had a few weeks ago, they're getting another on Friday. He said I could bring mine in and compare.

 

[Shep]

i have to say that playing doesn't make it trebley just Really messy.. sounds like something isn't doing something it should..i can get a huge sound out of a 1x12 EV 200 and a even bigger on with my quad...there is something wrong with the amp..

 

[VoodooChild24]

What the f%&#. Sorry, but treble on 10 with gain and drive on 8? Who the hell made that sh!t?

Dude, if your low E power chord sounds like an ice pick f%&# you in the ear then your amp is f%&#. Get those caps done, check out a MKIV in the shop and get back to us. I think we've given you all the help we can for now.

I have been gigging for 5 years and I haven't gotten any problem with my amp using the same setting. Just got my amp serviced last week (I live in Petaluma) and it's as strong as a 16 year old per Mesa. Note that mine is an old IVA800+ serial number.

You might want to listen to this clip done by Overdriven. Sounds awesome to me. He used those settings.

http://www.netmusicians.org/files/4-OverDriven-Panama.mp3

I play Heavy and Classic Rock so those settings works for me.

 

[LithiumZero]

What room are you playing in? My room tends to enhance super high frequencies a lot. But outdoors or in a big room it's no problem.

+1 This can have a lot to do with your sound. My rehearsal room always makes whatever amp I use sound spiky in the high mid range. As soon as I take an amp out to a gig it sounds soooooo much better. Also, that RG will sound kind of thin anyway. I play Gibson LP's which sound thick as hell through the Mark IV but I just picked up an RGA121 Prestige and it sounded a lot thinner. I'm dropping a Dimarzio Breed in the bridge slot to warm it up. That pickup is GREAT for making a thin guitar sound LP huge.

 

[Restless Rocks]

If you're standing right in front of a MkIV with the master volume on 5-6 it's no doubt you're already deaf and it's only a matter of time before you become sterile. I run my stage volume at about 2, sometimes 2.5 and anything higher the drummer starts to complain and the sound man is raising hell that I'm blowing his mix. When you get permanent damage to your ears it won't matter if the come out with a Mark V or Mark XXV

 

[Hailstorm350]

I think its the speakers, try a much larger 4x12 with V30s or something in them. I have tried a crate 4x12 like you mention, and I also did not like the sound out of it, yet my amp sounds great out of my cab (see sig).

One thing you may also not be noticing is that mic placement will change the tone a lot. Try turning your presences down a bit, they might be oversensitive for one reason or another. Let me know, but I think your speakers are gonna be what fixes it.

 

[ajtooke]

If you're standing right in front of a MkIV with the master volume on 5-6 it's no doubt you're already deaf and it's only a matter of time before you become sterile. I run my stage volume at about 2, sometimes 2.5 and anything higher the drummer starts to complain and the sound man is raising hell that I'm blowing his mix. When you get permanent damage to your ears it won't matter if the come out with a Mark V or Mark XXV

I run a 3/4 back 1x12, triode, class A, and lead channel volume at around 2.5. With the master at 5-6 it's not THAT loud. It sits well with my drummer at this volume on stage.

 

[Restless Rocks]

Sorry I didn't mean to be mean there it was that part about the Crate sounding better than a MkIV kinda set me off. Some folk love JJ tube and others hate them. At the levels you're running your volume you may be into heavy power tube distortion. Keep in mind that different brands and grades of tubes have very different characteristics when pushed to distortion. As our buddy Stokes pointed out the other day, the Mark series amps were designed around preamp distortion and cascading gain. When you push the preamp real hard and then re-distort the signal at the output stage some really crappy sounding harmonics can start to show up. (Fizz and Ice pick come to mind). When playing at higher stage volumes you might want to run on full power/pentode and reduce your lead drive settings. Too much distortion starts to sound "distorted" instead of smooth and creamy. Most importantly don't give up on a great amp; just about everybody can find their tonal nirvana with enough patience and tweaking.

 

[boola]

Did no-one say put it in simul-triode yet? Most of the MarkIV's 'harshness' comes from the power section imo.

Also a parametric with a shelf mode in the loop will allow you to chop some of the highs while keeping the trebble up on the amp.

 

[fpoon]

noobs

 

[mainly]

Try these settings NOW!!

hey where did you get that graphic of the mark IV?

is it an application of some kind??

 

[shredi knight]

Try these settings NOW!!

hey where did you get that graphic of the mark IV?

is it an application of some kind??

Not the same thing, but here something you (and other Mark IV users) might find useful:



http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/afraiddave/MarkIVSettingsBlankPrintable.jpg

 

[ajtooke]

I loved the tone I was getting a bit earlier today - standing behind and to the right of the speaker cabinet with a pillow shoved in the back. Same settings as before with channel vol. at 2-2.5 and master about 2.5.

I still heard a bit of the harsh sizzle sound, but overall it was very good. I was playing the 7-string Hellraiser btw.

 

[LEVEL4]

Sort of off-topic:

Interesting thread, since I've been hard-pressed to get some comparisons between the Mark IV, which I'm considering getting, and the DC-3, which I just bought used, and my 60-Watt 6505, that I've had for a while, but totally intend to keep.

From what the TS has said, it sounds like something's wrong with his amp. I doubt it has anything to do with his playing, his speakers, his guitar, or his pick-ups, because the words "fizz" and "ice pick" are the LAST words that come to mind when I think of Mesa amps. With all the heat and current running through these amps, after over ten years, something's bound to go out of spec.

Also, if he bought it used, there may be an unknown, homebrewed mod that he's simply unaware of. You know, maybe someone in the past was trying to "fix" the Mark IV's dark sonic character somehow. Also, I never really heard anyone complain about JJ preamp tubes. Is that a Mark IV thing? I happened to put TungSol 12AX7s in my DC-3, and JJ EL84s in the power stage. Sounds pretty good.

Now, on to my brief off-topic thing: I've read some descriptive comments here about the Mark IV. Comments I've been trying to solicit more explicitly in my own, on-topic threads. More specifically, for anyone who's played both, how does the Mark IV's lead channel compare with the DC-3's lead channel? The DC-3 actually has quite a bit of gain. It's just a very different-sounding gain from my 6505, which utterly pwns the DC amp's lead channel at low volumes. Turn the DC-3 up, and it starts to have that signature Mesa gritty-growl. Is that sound that much different compared with the lead channel on the Mark IV, and if so, HOW is it different?