Petrucci on MarkIV/MarkIIC+

[ytse_jam]

I just thought it may be interesting to know what a great player (with a great tone) like John Petrucci thinks about C+/IV:

"We used the Road Kings starting with Train of Thought, I guess, and I still love that amp. Obviously it’s a Rectifier sound. I had been using Mark series amps for a long time – the Mark 2-C Plus and Mark 4s, and I wanted a change. I was doing a lot of detunes and I wanted to do something that was more of a saturated sound, maybe not so classic sounding. That’s why I switched to the Road King. It’s something that had a ton of gain.

I did that for a few albums and a few tours and then I was ready to make a change, which I usually do. And I fell in love with the Mark 4. I have a bunch of classic C Pluses, and I fired those up and they sounded great, and then I fired up the Mark 4 right next to it and I was like, “Wow. This sounds amazing!” and like I said, I fell in love with it. Maybe it’s the combination of the new guitar with that amp – it sounds amazing, so I ended up using that on the whole album. I used it all through the three G3 tours I did, and I’ll be using it on the world tour as well."

Taken from musicplayers.com, great site!

 

[Soundstorm]

Bah...who is this "Petrucci" amateur? :shock:

 

[MusicManJP6]

Bah...who is this "Petrucci" amateur? :shock:

Hahaha...

Thanks for sharing ytse_jam! I love mine as well...

 

[Shep]

the price of the C+ will drop to the mk III level the mk IV will become a collectors item...next he will say it was a mk IV A and then they will be $2500 a Amp!!..lol

 

[phyrexia]

the price of the C+ will drop to the mk III level the mk IV will become a collectors item...next he will say it was a mk IV A and then they will be $2500 a Amp!!..lol

Yeah, then Mesa will discontinue the IV and start selling IIC+ reissues saying they "don't feel it's neccessary to reissue the Mark IV because all the tones can be found in the Mark I and IIC+ Reissues."

 

[reo73]

I was a bit surprised to see him talk as if he just discovered the Mark IV. He has had a Mark IV in his rig off and on for nearly 10 years now. I also thought that he had recorded 'Scenes' with the IV but he stated in this interview it was the IIC+.

 

[visualrocker69]

There is so much reference to Petrucci on the board as relates to the IV and C+'s.
Does anybody else that plays these amps have any influence as well?

yeah I'll be a noob and honest about this too, I've never heard/ listened to DT. Not that I won't, it just hasn't happened yet. But C+'s and IV's have been around for years and used by many others. It just seems there is very little reference to any of these others players. Why?

Can't think of a good reason, but what you say is true. I can't think of many users off the top of my head... well besides Metallica using IIC+'s, 'cause everyone knows that... uh... doesn't Chevelle use Mark IV's? I read somewhere that Santana used to have a Mark IV on stage for guest guitarists, even though he'd use a Mark I for himself. But he uses mostly Dumble now, right?

Anyway, we should make an OFFICIAL, stickey'd thread, listing (at least prominent) artists who use Marks.

 

[Octavarius]

There is so much reference to Petrucci on the board as relates to the IV and C+'s.
Does anybody else that plays these amps have any influence as well?

yeah I'll be a noob and honest about this too, I've never heard/ listened to DT. Not that I won't, it just hasn't happened yet. But C+'s and IV's have been around for years and used by many others. It just seems there is very little reference to any of these others players. Why?

Can't think of a good reason, but what you say is true. I can't think of many users off the top of my head... well besides Metallica using IIC+'s, 'cause everyone knows that... uh... doesn't Chevelle use Mark IV's? I read somewhere that Santana used to have a Mark IV on stage for guest guitarists, even though he'd use a Mark I for himself. But he uses mostly Dumble now, right?

Anyway, we should make an OFFICIAL, stickey'd thread, listing (at least prominent) artists who use Marks.

Lamb of God uses Mark IV's too...

 

[Rampage]

Anyway, we should make an OFFICIAL, stickey'd thread, listing (at least prominent) artists who use Marks.

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=14444

MusicManJP6 already started one for Mark IVs.

 

[Blueracer]

Walter Trout has used Mark series amplifiers through out his career. Currently he is using a Mark IV.

 

[phyrexia]

John Scofield uses IIIs and IVs according to Boogie's website

 

[Restless Rocks]

I use a sublimely tweaked mkIII to find my sound.

 

[sundaypunch]

There is so much reference to Petrucci on the board as relates to the IV and C+'s.
Does anybody else that plays these amps have any influence as well?

yeah I'll be a noob and honest about this too, I've never heard/ listened to DT. Not that I won't, it just hasn't happened yet. But C+'s and IV's have been around for years and used by many others. It just seems there is very little reference to any of these others players. Why?

First of all, how many people really used them? The C+ was around for a very small snapshot in time. It's not like a JCM800 that was produced for 20+ years and showed up on hundreds (probably thousands) of records. You don't hear reference to these other players because there really aren't that many.

Most Mesa players used them when they were new and then moved on as newer models were introduced. Other than maybe JP you don't hear of many "name" players with a C+ fetish. Even JP can get basically the same tones from the MKIV, at least to the point that his fans can't tell what amp was being used most of the time.

 

[visualrocker69]

There is so much reference to Petrucci on the board as relates to the IV and C+'s.
Does anybody else that plays these amps have any influence as well?

yeah I'll be a noob and honest about this too, I've never heard/ listened to DT. Not that I won't, it just hasn't happened yet. But C+'s and IV's have been around for years and used by many others. It just seems there is very little reference to any of these others players. Why?

First of all, how many people really used them? The C+ was around for a very small snapshot in time. It's not like a JCM800 that was produced for 20+ years and showed up on hundreds (probably thousands) of records. You don't hear reference to these other players because there really aren't that many.

Most Mesa players used them when they were new and then moved on as newer models were introduced. Other than maybe JP you don't hear of many "name" players with a C+ fetish. Even JP can get basically the same tones from the MKIV, at least to the point that his fans can't tell what amp was being used most of the time.

That, and he's been saying for the past X years that he doesn't really like to use the IIC+ anymore for leads. Unless its boosted.

 

[Boogiebabies]

What you don't know is how many players used them, recorded with them and did not show them. How many 80's bands used a fake wall of Marshall stacks?

So Steve Lukather and Mike Landau don't count? How many sessions do you think Luke did with the C+ that we don't know about.

 

[Karl Hungus]

There is so much reference to Petrucci on the board as relates to the IV and C+'s.
Does anybody else that plays these amps have any influence as well?

yeah I'll be a noob and honest about this too, I've never heard/ listened to DT. Not that I won't, it just hasn't happened yet. But C+'s and IV's have been around for years and used by many others. It just seems there is very little reference to any of these others players. Why?

Because Petrucci is the almighty!

 

[Juggernaut]

As far as the Mark IV is concerned my first thoughts are:

Petrucci (of Course)
Metallica
Lamb Of God
Sevendust

The IIC+

as with most:

Hetfield
Petrucci


They are just awesome tones. period. Just like anyone buying an old Marshall trying to nail vintage Hendrix or Van Halen....same concept, different amps.

 

[sundaypunch]

What is interesting about this is so many here say the C+ is the holy Grail of tone yet we can only name one or two well known players that use them. What does this say about our labelling these the Holy Grail and or about them being highly sought after for their tone? Are we here the only ones who seek these out and believe the tone to be so special?!!

You can say the same thing about Dumble and Trainwreck amps. They are each $25k+ yet there aren't many examples of people using them. They are also like a C+ in that many people want them because of the mystique rather than the tone. Many of the people that think they are so special have never played through one.

In the end the C+ is a great amp. For whatever reason it has become the grail of the Mesa line. It doesn't matter who used them. For the record I have no interest in John Petrucci or Metallica. I still like the smooth tone of my C+ more so than other Boogies I have had.

 

[ursinus]

I don't know, but I think Petrucci is using the MKIV again to renew interest and set the stage for the MKV, its coming....... 8)

 

[eagle]

What you don't know is how many players used them, recorded with them and did not show them. How many 80's bands used a fake wall of Marshall stacks?

So Steve Lukather and Mike Landau don't count? How many sessions do you think Luke did with the C+ that we don't know about.

Good point. Sponsors require exposure. I know of other fields where the actual equipment used is not what the label says it is.

In general though I was more or less wondering because so many here reference Petrucci and there isn't much said about anybody else.

btw terrible video (audio is very good) but great playing by both Steve Lukather and Mike Landau. check it out: ( I love jazz "fusion" like this!)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=613920336108323241

Landau uses Marshall and CAA od100.
Luke used X88R,s into VHT classics in the mid to late 80's and in the early 90's CAE 3+ and then a Rivera and now back to a W.D.W rig with a 3+SE