MkIV - Greatest amp ever?

[srf399]

I don't know if my solution is multiple heads or multiple preamps through a VHT power amp or what, but this is what I need/want to have on a foot controller interfacing everything: Four channels, two modes each.

Channel 1: A) Fender-esque clean / B) more bell-like Vox clean

Channel 2: A) Vintage Marshall crunch / B) hot-rodded Marshall sound... Bogner/Soldano/CAE territory

Channel 3: A) Recto tone, but tighter à la pre-500. B) Looser, more saggy, modern Recto tone.

Channel 4: A) Milder lead tone. Maybe not Mark-flavoured, dunno. Just beautiful and lower gained. B) High gain Mark-flavoured lead. Tight, smooth, creamy, well-defined, articulate... everything that a Mark 4 is.

Have you tried a Stiletto Deuce Stage II yet? They cover quite a bit of the above keeping in mind that no amp will do it all.

Channel 1A is Fat clean....
Channel 1B is Tite Clean...
Channel 2A is Crunch
Channel2B is Tite Gain
Channel 4B is Fluid Drive

4A is in there as well using the Tube Rectifiers and the crunch/tite gain with the gain turned down. It's an incredibly touch sensitive amp that will clean up with softer touch an then overdrive as you pick harder. .

Anyway... sorry for hijacking this thread.... The MKIV is a classic amp for sure....

 

[HalfDeaf]

Recipe for a very-near-Marshall tone on mkiv's R2:

EL34s in the outside sockets, run the amp on Full Power, Class A, Pentode, R2 gain at 7 (pulled), R2 treble at 9, R2 master at 3, knock out most of 80 and 750 Hz with the sliders, boost 2200 and 6600 to taste. Then plug in a LP with a 498T pup in the bridge. Its pretty pretty pretty close to the Marshall sound, to my ears, and others who have commented.

Not like there's anything wrong with the Mesa tone, though...

 

[trem]

Have you tried a Stiletto Deuce Stage II yet? They cover quite a bit of the above keeping in mind that no amp will do it all.

Hey srf,

I'm quite intrigued by your Stiletto praises. So far I've never heard a convincing lead tone out of one. There's none in my area that I could try. If you could post a clip that'd be great. Thanks.

~trem

 

[fpoon]

*sees this thread and vomits*

 

[visualrocker69]

*sees this thread and vomits*

Wow, no one's ever used THAT before.

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

Uhmmm no. :lol:

I like the MkIII and MkIV, but they sound super thin compared to non master volume Marshall 18 and 20W amps, JTM45s and Superleads, Hiwatt DR103s ..... It's like you can't touch a non master old school amp for pure rich FAT tone. :shock: If I make the mistake of playing the Marshall first, I'm never happy with the Mesa. If I play the Mesa first, I always have fun.

Why do I have 4 Mesa amps? Because they are great plug and play amps! They sound good on their own and you don't kill your ears with brewtal volume to get to the gain. They have their own thing going and being able to switch to a good sounding clean channel is sweeeeeT !!

As far as the JCM900 and newer Marshalls, I'd take the Mesa any day of the week! :twisted:

 

[CudBucket]

The MkIV is only the greatest amp while John Petrucci uses it.

 

[jvk]

The MkIV is only the greatest amp while John Petrucci uses it.

Well said!!

Greatest amp for what exactly? Other offerings from CAE and Diezel are pretty good. If the MarkIV had 3 totally independent channels and a better control layout I'd consider putting it next to the Diezel Herbert or the CAE3+. But each one would still be different and unique in it's own way. The MarkIV does sound great and it's certainly my favourite amp. Do you guys remember the first time you looked at that front panel? I think I had to sit down... I got dizzy

I say, horses for courses...


/Johnny

 

[chris_EIT]

I think the Mark IV IS THE GREATEST AMP for ME! I think it would be unfair to say best amp EVER. No amp I think could ever hold that name, because not everyone likes the same thing, but for the sake of argument all of us HERE Love the Mark IV MOST! XD
Just my .02

 

[jerseydrew]

I am the original poster of this thread. I knew I would ruffle a few feathers when I said that the MkIV is the greatest amp ever.

I was really trying to say it's the greatest amp I have ever owned or played. I could have said that in the first post, but I was curious on what everyone was going to say.

I HAVE owned tons of other amps, but I kept coming but to my MKIV. I don't even bother buying other amps anymore.