mark iv or dual rect

[cakewalkr7]

I've got a dual rectifier that I enjoy, but I've been thinking about selling it. I've heard so many good things about the mark iv. It seems to have a lot more tone shaping options and with an additional channel, it would definitely be more versatile. But, I do love the crunch sound of my dual rect.

So far though, I haven't heard any amazing rhythm clips of the mark iv to sway me in that direction. Does anyone have any clips of theirs? The lead stuff I've heard sounds good, but so far all the rhythm stuff I've heard sounds kind of fizzy 80's sound. Has anyone else had both and what did you end up liking better.

I'm trying to find someone close that has one in stock to try it out, but so far, the closest place is an hour away. Thanks.

 

[dylan7620]

So far though, I haven't heard any amazing rhythm clips of the mark iv to sway me in that direction.

what type of rhythm are you talking about. it can do tight agressive classic metal distortion but if ur talking about the roaring fury of a recto forget it... two different beasts

 

[jbird]

Chevelle's Pete Loefler uses Mark IV's.

 

[cakewalkr7]

Well, I went and checked one out tonight at the "local" 1 hour away guitar center. I'm not saying you can't get good tones out of it because I know plenty of people love this amp and do very well with it. Unfortunately, it just wasn't what I had in mind. It was much easier to get a good tone, faster, with my dual rect. I know a lot of it relies on knowing how the amp works, and the unfortunate part was that the store didn't have a manual for it and none of the salesmen seemed to know how it worked. So, consequently, they couldn't help me get a decent tone out of it. Anyway, thanks for the comments, but this ain't my baby.

As for roaring fury, I tried something yesterday that I've never done before and it sounded freakin' AWESOME!!! I ran my JSX into my old fender 4x12 and my dual rect into my marshall jcm900 4x12. Then I ran my guitar into a stereo chorus pedal with the effect off and each output running to a seperate amp. Talk about stereo bliss. The combination of the two was just huge. I'm working on a project right now and I can't wait for the wife to go out of town for a few days so I can rerecord the rhythm guitars with this new setup. If I can capture that sound, it should really have a great full crunch sound.

 

[dylan7620]

sounds like you had as much luck at GC as i did. i just wanted the guy to go away for a few hours so i could keep trying to dial stuff in. they are very hard to get a good tone the first time. and sometimes you just don't want to spend all your time tweaking knobs. thats cool (why i still have the nomad, plug in and play) :wink: but lately i've been really into tweaking stuff to find different tones... i'll probably get a IV in the not too distant future (i hope) and with more time to play around get the thing to scream.

 

[zakk615]

Both Guitarists from Lamb Of God currently use Mark IV's. They have a nice tight and aggressive Rhythm sound. No pedals either, they just go straight into the Mark IV. From my expieriences with the Mark IV, the Rectos have considerably more gain, but the IV should have enough gain for anybody's needs.

 

[no soul]

Both Guitarists from Lamb Of God currently use Mark IV's. They have a nice tight and aggressive Rhythm sound. No pedals either, they just go straight into the Mark IV. From my expieriences with the Mark IV, the Rectos have considerably more gain, but the IV should have enough gain for anybody's needs.

I was gonna mention Lamb Of God...

and yeah, a Recto has more gain on tap, but its not exactly usable gain over the MkIV.


Id take a MkIV over a recto any day of the week. Im probably going to sell mine and put it towards a MkIV actually. The voicing is different though, you wont be able to get that trademark recto bump out of a MkIV, but you will be able to do a million and one other things in trade.

edit:

yeah, the MkIV is probably one of the hardest Mesas to dial in, but thats what you get with all those options, VERSATILITY and FINE TUNING!

If you want a Mesa thats easy to dial in, try a 6l6 based F-series.

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

As for roaring fury, I tried something yesterday that I've never done before and it sounded freakin' AWESOME!!! I ran my JSX into my old fender 4x12 and my dual rect into my marshall jcm900 4x12. Then I ran my guitar into a stereo chorus pedal with the effect off and each output running to a seperate amp. Talk about stereo bliss. The combination of the two was just huge.

Try that with your Recto and a MarkIV. You will like it trust me.

 

[tele_jas]

Everyone is going to have their favorite....... You've tried one out so trust your ears, maybe even try it out again in a day or so and you might find out you do like it. I tried almost every Mesa amp out there on and off the market and ended up trading my triple recto for a 1995 Tremoverb head and I think that is the best sound I've ever heard!! And the cleans are GREAT too!!

To each his own, hopefully you'll find yours soon.

 

[Grandor]

Well I own both.

However the recto is still in the mail. In the next 7 days it will be here. So I'll lend you a hand then...

 

[overture2005]

Well I own both. I prefer dual recto's distortion.
Tone is subjective, everyone is going to have their favor, so you'd better try one out.

 

[wrxmania]

The thing I REALLY love about my Mark IV Hardwood is the amount of flexibility and tone. Once you find some good settngs - you can pretty much leave them. A bit of fiddling and adjustment in a live situation and you are there.

People seem to set a sound in the house and that's it - the only true test is with a band.

The ace up the sleeve of the Mark IV - and this is what makes it stand out - is that you can really hear the guitar tone - the guitar is what you hear amplified and amended by the amp. This is just superb and the way it should be. It's an amplifier and should amplify the instrument.

Loving it!

Brian

 

[screamingdaisy]

As for roaring fury, I tried something yesterday that I've never done before and it sounded freakin' AWESOME!!! I ran my JSX into my old fender 4x12 and my dual rect into my marshall jcm900 4x12. Then I ran my guitar into a stereo chorus pedal with the effect off and each output running to a seperate amp. Talk about stereo bliss. The combination of the two was just huge. I'm working on a project right now and I can't wait for the wife to go out of town for a few days so I can rerecord the rhythm guitars with this new setup. If I can capture that sound, it should really have a great full crunch sound.

Myself....I'm splitting after the preamp using a stereo chorus and running it into two delay channels, then running each into a channel of my 2:100.

One channel is analog and set for short delays (generally around 120-200ms), and the other is digital and set for longer delays (330-800ms). Not that great for thrash riffing (I turn the delays and chorus off for that), but it sounds killer if you're doing slower riffs (ie, Sabbath or CoC types stuff), or in a one guitar band. Plus, the dry signal comming through both cabs keeps the delays far enough back in the mix that they don't start to make things messy.

Just thought I'd toss that one out for something to experiment with.

 

[chris_bechtel]

I've got both right now (which are both for sale because of my Triaxis purchase) so I guess I'm qualified to chat about this one.

From the sounds of it I think you'd be better with the Recto frankly. The Mk IV is a very cool amp and can do a great number of things very well. It isn't a Recto though. Comparing the two amps is like comparing a Mesa and a Marshall. They are both voiced very differently and have a whole seperate feel to them.

How do you have the settings on your Recto that you like your crunch? Are you using Vintage or Modern mode? Are you looking for more of a big fur Recto sound or more of a smooth and tight sound?

My main rig for a while was a Rectoverb for rhythm and a Mk IV for leads. I'd use either one for the clean tones. Now, I'm using a Triaxis / 2:90 rig because I was able to find all the tones I was using in both heads in one six space rack!

 

[GenoBluzGtr]

I have used a MarkIV now for nearly a year. I am definitely NOT into the Recto Sound, but have tried several.

The Mark IV is an exceptional tone shaping tool. You can get pretty much any tone (within Reason) that you want. I use it for Classic Rock, Country, Blues, and Oldies (our bands song list).

Prior to the Mark IV I was using a Super Reverb with thousands of dollars of expensive modified pedals, just to get two or three great tones (in addition to the ultimate clean of the Super) to cover a wide range of tunes.

Now I simply set up my Mark IV, and use ZERO pedals. I have 6 distinct tones without changing a thing. I use each of the three channels without EQ and then use the EQ (footswitchable) to further shape each of those for a slightly different tone from each.

I get a wonderful Blackface Clean, a slightly dirtier "Tweed" clean, a great gritty sound that sounds like a low wattage tweed amp "pushed" to saturation, a great Southern Rock crunch, Classic Rock heavy grind and a smooth, liquid, saturated - Santana-esque lead tone. With no pedals! All this with an HSS Strat.

I don't push my Channel Three hard due to personal preference, but if I wanted (and have in rehearsals) to push it into "Recto-Land" it will go there. The Pre- and Post- Drive/Gain controls along with the Tone stack will give you pretty good dropped-tuned style chugging if that's your bag.

It does take a while to master the tweaking. THere are nearly 20 knobs (6 of which are dual function push/pulls), and more than a dozen switches. The slightest adjustment on each make a noticeable difference, and many are interactive with other controls. I had gigged for more than two months before I was pleased with my tones. Now I am addicted to the Mark IV.

 

[Grandor]

Well I own both.

However the recto is still in the mail. In the next 7 days it will be here. So I'll lend you a hand then...

Recto.