Mark IV Recommendations

[kingtone2017]

Hi,
First post, would have gotten here sooner...had trouble registering...you must use capitals for "The Boogie Board" question.

New amp day was a while back but I am still celebrating since got a mark iv head recently and I am enjoying it. It is versatile for sure...you can fall down a rabbit hole if you just play and tweak, etc. Running with a mesa compact 2x12 with creamback m65s.

I am curious if you guys have any tube recommendations all the way around. This amp was owned by a player in a national metal act but not really toured with, just recorded one song on an album. It is as new-clean condition.

This one is setup with str 440 6l6 in all 4 slots and I believe the regular mesa 12ax7 preamp tubes. I believe all tubes are what originally came with it. I used to have a mark iii green stripe and I liked it with el34 class a.

Any preferences for that with the iv?
Preamp tube preferences?

I do a variety of music (I play professionally for a living in nashville) and we do country covers as well as ac/dc, van halen, etc on up to metallica. I am a fusion player at heart and love to emulate holdsworth type sounds as well.

Funny thing is lots of people seem to dislike R2 but I seem to always have an easy time getting a sound I like out of it. I sometimes think I would have an easier time if the lead channel was exactly the same as R2 but had the amount of gain it already has.

 

[stephen sawall]

I always prefer all 6L6.

 

[kingtone2017]

any more details..? power tube or preamp tube preferences anyone?

 

[Tuna141]

I run my Mark IVA combo with 6L6's. I tried an EL34 mix a few years ago, but preferred the sound of all 6L6's. The only Mark that I like to run with a 6L6/EL34 mix is my MarkIIIblue.

Here are the premp tubes use:
V1 - 12AX7 - Sylvania JAN12ax7WN(?) (black plate)
V2 - Tungsram 12AX7 (NOS)
V3 - 12AX7 - EI silver
V4 - 12AT 7 - Mesa 12AT7
V5 - 12AX7 - (JJ balanced)

 

[swbo101]

This is what I use as far as pre-amp tubes. I have a Mark IVA head with a 4x12 cab running SED =C= el34/6l6 combo power tubes.

V1 - Tung-Sol RI
V2 - JJ
V3 - JJ
V4 - stock mesa 12AT7
V5 - Mullard RI

 

[stephen sawall]

STR415 or STR420 is what I use. I bought a lot of tubes off Mesa in the 80's. I use these preamp and power tubes in my Mark IV and Tremoverb .

 

[Nomad]

I like the JJ 6l6'Ssfor sure they are available with double mica's which make them sturdier IMO. For preamp tubes I also prefer JJ's. For V1 and V2 a good JJ ECC83 for warm tones and in the rest I prefer JJ ECC83MG. For the warmest tones use all JJ ECC83 and for the brightest tones use JJ ECC803 but not in V1 or high gain positions as these have long plates.

You can get the JJs from Mesa not sure what nomenclature they are or also Eurtubes is a great place too, specify Boogie.

PS I do not have a Mark IV this is just my sonic preferences for tubes.

 

[Silverwulf]

As much as I love STR 415s in the IIC+, I was surprised to discover that I didn't care for them as much in the IV. I ended up with STR 420s in mine.

 

[bgh]

I run EL34s in the outer slots and 6L6s in the inner slots.

At low volume, I don't see a huge difference in running "class A" vs "simul-class". But, as it gets louder, the differences start to become evident. At higher volumes, "class-A" has less headroom, and seems to break up quicker. With "simul-class", it's kind of hard to describe. But it's like the 6L6s make it hang on a little longer, but the EL34s start breaking up just a tad earlier. The mixture of sounds it pretty cool.

I have changed v1 to a TAD 12ax7. Running R1 at higher setting produces some really nice tones.

And, like the OP, R2 has some fantastic sounds in it.

On the lead channel, I find that playing with gain vs drive brings changes in intensity of gain and sustain.

 

[stephen sawall]

As much as I love STR 415s in the IIC+, I was surprised to discover that I didn't care for them as much in the IV. I ended up with STR 420s in mine.

STR420 is what I have in my IV and Tremoverb for the last several years. I bought the IV on the first run about 1990 and it came new with STR420. The amp was originally voiced to these tubes and is what I have used 90% of the time.

The STR415 sounded better to me in the II & III. Taste is very subjective. I have used Winged C 6L6 and got good results in the IV. I have not tried anything new in the last few years.

 

[kingtone2017]

thank you all for the replies!