Mark IV vs Rectifier.

[screamingdaisy]

Long time no see.....

Anyway, after selling off most of my **** last year I'm basically left with a pair of Orange amps and a Les Paul. I'll be keeping the one Orange and selling the other pretty soon. I'm looking to get another Mesa to fill a void I've been feeling since I sold mine off.

For reference, I used to own a Rectifier (Preamp + 2:100) and a Mark III (Simul, EVM-12L, G-EQ, Rev... basically loaded).

Right now I'm looking at three amps... a Roadking, Roadster, and a Mark IV.

What I need is something with alot of versatility. I need a live head that'll get me all the way from 70s blues rock into modern heavy metal. I'm kinda thinking the Mark IV will get me there due to the sensitive EQ and the graphic EQ..... but if it's anything like the Mark III R2 is pretty much a waste of time so I'm stuck with a two channel head that needs alot of fiddle f*cking to change tones mid-set.

On the other hand, with the Roadking/Roadster I have two clean channels so I can do the Clean/Pushed thing, and two dirty channels so I can have a heavy rhythm + lead thing. The only drawback is I don't know how well either of these amps can do the classic 70s rock/metal thing. My old Rectifier was an awesome rhythm monster, but it was a little too modern/stiff feeling when the gain was turned down compared to some other amps.

Whatever I get it'll be going into an Orange 4x12 with V30s.

Thoughts?

 

[Platypus]

I was just thinking the other day how I haven't seen you in forever, good to see you around again man.

My vote would go to the Mark IV... R2 isn't the strong point of the amp but with a nice marshally OD it gets some downright awesome midgain tones. Here are some clips I made of R2 with an OD acting as a clean boost.

http://platypus.memoryfire.com/guitar/mark/ocd1.avi
http://platypus.memoryfire.com/guitar/mark/ocd2.avi
http://platypus.memoryfire.com/guitar/mark/ocd3.avi
http://platypus.memoryfire.com/guitar/mark/ocd4.avi

See if any of those are up your alley.

 

[Russ]

Nice choices to consider.

I think the Mark IV R2 isn't really all that bad. You can even use pedals to make it into something else. Personally because I like a very minimalist setup I use LD for rhythm anyway and use pedals to get boost. I have been playing with boosting R2 though to get a nice lead. Others just play R2 for rhythm and use LD for lead as it was designed. I think that the R2 is something that will grow on you in the end. Being that you don't need the modern as much as the classic I would look more at the Mark IV. The Mark IV is pretty versatile. It is so versatile that some never find what they want because they never learn to really use them therefor they can't appreciate them.

BTW, welcome back.

 

[Boogiebabies]

Whoa, did you get deployed to the Yukon Territory ?

I don't mind the MK III's R2 with the Xotic BB preamp.
It's like a 4 channel amp now. The pedal can add boost to R2 or overdrive it beyond the lead channel. It's insane and versatile.

 

[screamingdaisy]

No. After selling off all my Mesa gear it didn't feel quite right to hang out on this forum anymore.

Try as I might I've never been able to fully get on with an OD pedal.... so boosting R2 or even LD looks like a long shot for me.

 

[fpoon]

Platypus you got to work on your playing you seem so sloppy on all your clips no offence. Strange how I can easily get your R2 tones without an OD.

 

[musicman10_1]

fpoon: Is there any need to be negative about somone's playing? If you don't have anything nice to say . . .

 

[mesanomad100]

I have to be the turning point here

The MKIV is a beautiful amp,but as you said R2 is weak,I sat in the store for 5hrs tweeking before I ordred my recto

I love the MKIV but I needed a 3 channel amp with alot of choice with all three channels

Im gonna say this,I love my recto to rythem sounds you cant beat it,fo leads and cleans the MKIV own it!!!and its for this reason Im gonna buy a MKIV head,so I have a better clean channel and awsome leads but have the recto to AB between for rythem sounds,

But you are considering a RK or Roadster and its versatility you need and Im presuming its for live situations,Im both a live player and a studio guy,for the studio the MKIV is very versitile becuase you have time to tweek it,take after take etc. but live you gotta have it sittin with clean rythem and a lead tone so isnt that veritile,you do have the graphic to alter the tone to a degree

BUT

with the Roadking you have
4 independant channels all with progressive linkage
different modes for each so you can set 1 for clean,2 for break up,3 for high gain and 4 for outragous metal eg the recto
select different cabs per channel,different tube setups per channel giving different wattages and changing the breakup characteristics etc
you have the ultimate live amp basically I dont care what anyone says,for live it will do every job you need it to,in the studio the MKIV will destroy it

so for live go get yourself the most versitile amp on the planet!!!!

Im gonna get myself a MKIV so I aint biased towards(6l6 or el34,lol)any of the two amps becuase Im gonna own both!!!

just my 2 pence

 

[t0aj15]

I am so sick and tired of hearing how weak the Mark IV's RHY 2 channel is. The only weakness I see or hear is the ability of those who whine about it. It's an outstanding channel if you understand how to use it. IT AIN'T SUPPOSED TO BE A FILTHY DIRTY LEAD CHANNEL. It is what it is, deal with it and move on. :roll:

 

[JOEY B.]

Never played a Road King. But when I had my 2 channel Triple Rec, I had to use a V-twin as a clean boost AND a compressor to approach the singing lead that I was getting from my MkI + Boss OD-1 setup. The MkIV R2 channel is what it is. If you can live without the "chug-chug" of a Recto, get a MkIV and an OD if needed. Pick your poison!

 

[Anonymous]

Post removed.

 

[screamingdaisy]

But you are considering a RK or Roadster and its versatility you need and Im presuming its for live situations

Yes, live. I've run a few different amps that have sounded great in their own right but caused problems when run live. One of the reasons I'm looking to switch back to Mesa is for live use.... neither my Mark III or Recto ever failed me live. Neither has Orange, but I'm stuck with a pretty narrow range of tone/gain to work with that doesn't suit my requirements.

I am so sick and tired of hearing how weak the Mark IV's RHY 2 channel is. The only weakness I see or hear is the ability of those who whine about it. It's an outstanding channel if you understand how to use it. IT AIN'T SUPPOSED TO BE A FILTHY DIRTY LEAD CHANNEL. It is what it is, deal with it and move on. :roll:

I did move on. It's one of the reasons I sold my Mark III, so quit your bitchin.

Never played a Road King. But when I had my 2 channel Triple Rec, I had to use a V-twin as a clean boost AND a compressor to approach the singing lead that I was getting from my MkI + Boss OD-1 setup. The MkIV R2 channel is what it is. If you can live without the "chug-chug" of a Recto, get a MkIV and an OD if needed. Pick your poison!

The rhythm tone is more important than the lead tone.... I'm leaning more towards a Recto as this thread progresses.

Kept the AD ey? I'll receive my GT1 in a week or two.

My vote goes for either Mark IV or Road King. The Road King will cover the Brit stuff, but in all honesty.. the AD will smack it on the nose in that department. Which really only leaves you with one choice - Mark IV. Mark IV + AD = Broadest spectrum of Tone. The Road King.. I mean, half of the amp emulates what you already HAVE, so why bother? It would be for the awesome cleans, but then you'd sacrifice the tight Metallica grind.

Mark III perhaps? Easier on the wallet, twice the attitude imo.

Yeah, I'm keeping the AD.

I'm not really looking for a dual amp setup. I've done them in the past and they're always more of a headache than I'm interested in. I'm keeping the AD because it's a killer low wattage amp that's totally opposite to both the Recto and Mark IV. The Rocker that I'm getting rid of covers the AC/DC into JCM800 gain territories that either one of it's two replacements can easily cover. Basically, I want a all in one amp that covers alot of ground and doesn't require any stomp boxes to make sing.

 

[mesanomad100]

you have basically answered your own question there man,

you want a roadking or a roadster

 

[screamingdaisy]

you have basically answered your own question there man,

you want a roadking or a roadster

That's the way I thought it'd go. Just wanted to run it by some people to see if there was anything I was missing.

8)

 

[Anonymous]

Post removed.

 

[Platypus]

Platypus you got to work on your playing you seem so sloppy on all your clips no offence. Strange how I can easily get your R2 tones without an OD.

lol, I made the clips to show off tones for people who are considering an amplifier and/or pedal purchase, not impressing people on the internet

 

[Elpelotero]

+1 ^^

A lot of the clips people make around here are to simply show a sound, not to show off. This goes in general for comments people leave on clips...someone always comments on "sloppy technique" or what have you. We all know we're not rockstars, or else we wouldn't be on this board wasting our days!

 

[Antoine]

I am so sick and tired of hearing how weak the Mark IV's RHY 2 channel is. The only weakness I see or hear is the ability of those who whine about it. It's an outstanding channel if you understand how to use it. IT AIN'T SUPPOSED TO BE A FILTHY DIRTY LEAD CHANNEL. It is what it is, deal with it and move on. :roll:

So true... i couldn't have said it better, a lot of users don't even know how to use this amp, remember , it's not a plug and play amp, but once you've found your tones with it, it's really hard to find better...


Boogiebabies, i'm with you on the Xotic BB preamp, i've tried one and it really smokes, this little thing add so much to the tone of the guitar !

 

[Platypus]

I am so sick and tired of hearing how weak the Mark IV's RHY 2 channel is. The only weakness I see or hear is the ability of those who whine about it. It's an outstanding channel if you understand how to use it. IT AIN'T SUPPOSED TO BE A FILTHY DIRTY LEAD CHANNEL. It is what it is, deal with it and move on. :roll:

...or accept the fact that tone is subjective and what works for you might not work for other people? R2 in my opinion is a great channel and I like having lots of tonal options to play with, with a clean boost it gets BETTER for a lot of people. If it works for you without it then more power to you but don't get all sh!tty that other people disagree with you.

 

[Antoine]

About me, i'm agree with everyone tastes, i only want to tell that you can't judge this amp (and obviously RHY2)) without having it for some times and trying to find the rigth settings and knowing how things goes with this amp, you can't use a Mesa Mark amps and do as others amps, turn up the Bass knob for adding Bass or turn up Gain knob to have more distortion, Mesa amps are very hard to understand and they work totaly in a different way, and once you've understood how each settings work and how they interact each others, then you can tell if this amp is for you or not.
Now to each his own, about me i like to death RHY2 but i'm okay with different point of view.
:wink: