mesa boogie Mark IV vs Mark V

[LP1981]

Hey guys,

Don't know if this topic belongs here, but i was wondering what are the main differences between those amps?

On this site : http://homepage.mac.com/mesaboogie/MarkSeries.html i read that the Mark IV would be an ideal practice amp.
How 'good' is the Mark IV at low volumes?
Since i'm looking for a good sounding amp on low volume (i live in an appartment currently) it would be nice to have an amp that i don't need to crank up like hell like my previous amp (Marshall JCM 900).

Again thanks for your advice (i'm a newbie to Mesa boogie )

greetings!

 

[GD_NC]

I can't speak to a Mark V, but the Mark IV is fantastic at low volume. I play mine with my kids sleeping down the hall. No attenuator required.

The only caviot, you have to completely change your settings when you turn a Mark IV up. Not really a problem, but it leads to a great deal of knob tinkering at your first band practice. Be prepared to catch **** from your band mates when you feel the need to tinker.

 

[Retu]

Hi and welcome to the board.

Mark IV is an excellent amp for low volume playing and you can get every tone from mellow cleans to very hard distortion. You don't even need a booster or an attenuator for high gain sounds. You just have to pick up the right tubes and learn to tweak the amp. From this forum you will get all the information you need.

Many people say that you can't get a decent sound from a tube amp unless you crank it up. My opinion is that a working Master Volume will help you very much as the "pre-amp" distortion has a big role in the overall sound. All the recommended settings and information on tubes you will get from the members of this forum. Just tell us what kind of sounds you are after :wink:

 

[LP1981]

Thanks for the replys

The sounds i'm after are bluesrock to metal like: jimi hendrix, joe bonamassa, Slash/Guns N Roses, Metallica, Ozzy, Megadeth and maybe Children Of Bodom.

Also what's best a combo or head when you just play at home?

Thanks

 

[tonefreak25]

Thanks for the replys

The sounds i'm after are bluesrock to metal like: jimi hendrix, joe bonamassa, Slash/Guns N Roses, Metallica, Ozzy, Megadeth and maybe Children Of Bodom.

Also what's best a combo or head when you just play at home?

Thanks

Depends. If you are mainly planning to stay at home you could get the combo(doesn't take up as much space), then later add a cabinet to it if you play out. Or start with the head cabinet combination. I think it really comes down to your preference and space limitations.

 

[ryjan]

With the bands you listed you wont go wrong with either amp. If you got the money to burn then by all means, get a V. A nice IV head or combo should save you 6 or 7 big ones to blow elsewhere. I play a IV and my buddy has the V. I don't think there's enough difference (in channel 3 anyway) to sell my blood and amp and run out to buy a V. However, if my amp got stolen or mangled in a farming accident then the V will be my new precious. Either amp sounds rediculously good at bedroom volumes too.

 

[primal]

When I tried the V I thought channels 1 and 2 were much better then channels 1 and 2 on the IV.

However I thought channel 3 on the IV was better.

Now, to be fair, I own the IV and am very familier with it. So maybe if I had that familiarity with the V I would have prefered it. I liked channel 3, but found it to be somewhat fizzy and not as tight or thick as the IV. But again, maybe I needed to spend more time with the settings.

One thing is for sure. The EQ on the IV KILLS the EQ on the V.

I can't understand why Mesa nuetered the EQ on the V like they did. Not nearly the response you get from the IV (or any previous Mark amp with an EQ)

 

[LP1981]

are there different models of the Mark IV?

I can get a used Mark IV combo from 2003 for 1700 euro. Is that a good model and a reasonable price?

Tnx

 

[Retu]

are there different models of the Mark IV?

I can get a used Mark IV combo from 2003 for 1700 euro. Is that a good model and a reasonable price?

Tnx

Yes there are (a) and (b) models. Use the search function or "Mark IV thread" to find out more. 1700 euros is maybe a little too high price (in Europe) unless it's in a very good condition.

 

[straitouttahell]

If you are mainly planning to stay at home you could get the combo(doesn't take up as much space), then later add a cabinet to it if you play out.

Not that its integrated speaker isn't enough to be heard at a mile distance :lol:

 

[straitouttahell]

Hey guys,
[...]How 'good' is the Mark IV at low volumes?

Possibly the best practice amp ever.
It sounds like a "true" amp, just quiet. Of course you will end with a totally different eq from what you'd use at stage volumes.

 

[primal]

ON the volume thing for the Mark IV, let me also add the silent recording feature aint to shabby.

No, it doesn't dound as good as going through a cab, but late at night, like now for instance, I run the silent recording out into a stereo reverb pedal and run the left righ into my tascam and it sounds very good. Better then any of the models on my RP250 modeling pedal

 

[LP1981]

I was also wondering whether there's a difference in sound between a combo and the head?

 

[Retu]

I was also wondering whether there's a difference in sound between a combo and the head?

Yes, the head won't give any sound unless you get a cabinet to go with it :lol:

Combo gives you "The Combo sound" and the head gives you also "The Combo sound" if you combine it with an open back 1x12 cab. What I've been told is that, for home playing get yourself a short head and combine it with the 1x12 Thiele cab. Then you will have very nice sound in a small packet and the Thiele cab gives you those nice low frequency sounds also on low volumes.

 

[edge59]

I am very interested in the V's Clean and Mark I modes, I am not totally sure on the Lead channel yet, but maybe I can work with it. I love the Lead channel on my IVB. Any suggestions welcome! I don't know if anyone is interested in some kind of trade here, but I am putting it out there
Thanks!

 

[cho]

One thing is for sure. The EQ on the IV KILLS the EQ on the V.

I can't understand why Mesa nuetered the EQ on the V like they did. Not nearly the response you get from the IV (or any previous Mark amp with an EQ)

Are you referring to the Graphic EQ or the treble/mid/bass knobs? How is the Mark V different?

 

[bgh]

I have never played a Mark V, but I have heard great things about them. When I was looking to purchase, my budget was such that I was not even able to consider a Mark V - it was too expensive as even a used amp. I have had no regrets with my Mark IV.

The sounds i'm after are bluesrock to metal like: jimi hendrix, joe bonamassa, Slash/Guns N Roses, Metallica, Ozzy, Megadeth and maybe Children Of Bodom.

For some of these sounds (especially the metal) you will come to love the graphic EQ on the Mark IV. The “classic V” really draws out the metal from the amp. I don’t use the graphic EQ a whole lot. I find that the “classic” tones I am after can be reached via the tone knobs. But the graphic EQ gives you great flexibility with the amp.

Also what's best a combo or head when you just play at home?

I am very limited in space, so I went for the combo. It is heavier than a head/cabinet combination. (But, if you are looking at Mesa amps, you already know that they are heavy!) I have two professional grade spring-loaded handles recessed into the sides of the amp. It makes carrying the amp a whole lot easier. I am older an cannot easily carry it up and down stairs, but with the handles it is a snap to get someone in the family to “grab a side and lift”!. Some people may not like modifying the combo like that, but, it was a necessity for me.

I can't speak to a Mark V, but the Mark IV is fantastic at low volume. I play mine with my kids sleeping down the hall. No attenuator required.

This should help answer your question concerning volume when using a Mark IV for practice. The Mark IV is a great practice amp. Unlike other amps that I have had that got a lot of their sound from pre-amp distortion, the Mark IV's pre-amp distortion is very, very nice and sweet. I can practice at a very low volume and get a very nice sound.

Plus, as previously posted, the "silent record" feature is indeed pretty slick.

The only caveat, you have to completely change your settings when you turn a Mark IV up. Not really a problem, but it leads to a great deal of knob tinkering at your first band practice.

I have not really run into this issue - perhaps I use different settings. The Mark IV manual is great and does give some hints about what to do and what to adjust when playing at a low volume versus trying to cut through a mix.

Again, I have never played through a Mark V. So I know my post is very slanted toward a Mark IV. I don’t think that you will have regrets over a choice of either one of these amps.

One final word (and you may already know this): When “dialing in” your Mesa, use your ears, and not your eyes. The gain and tone controls are interactive. I found that the “start at noon” approach did not work. Instead, I would recommend starting with the sample settings in the manual. Then, play with adjusting the tone controls and learn what they do.

Keep us posted as to your decision.