The greatest Mark IV setting I have ever heard!!!

[holdsworth]

After Toquay kindly gave me a link to download the original Mark IVa instruction booklet (thanks for that!) I have been trying out the sample settings, which are totally different to the Mark IVb booklet.

The first sample setting I tried 'Classic LA' completely blew me away! After dialling it in I understood the true sweetness of tone this amp was capable of, and it dawned on me that I had been dialling it in all wrong for the type of sweet sustain I was after. I ignored Mesa's advice to stay below '7' for drive and '8' for gain, and in doing so completely over-saturated the tone (which most users are doing) and neglecting the Mark IVs sweet mids!

Try this setting, and like me, you too will achieve tonal nirvana!

CLASSIC L.A

Skanky R1 Clean Sound/Grinding R2 Crunch Rhythm/Blistering Lead Solo Sound:

R1G = (p) 3
R2G = (p) 10
T = 6
B = 3
M = 6
R2T = 8

P1 = 5
P2 = (p) 5
PL = (p) 4

LG = (p) 8
T = 7
B = 4
M = 10
LD = (p) 7

R1M = 7
R2M = 3
LM = 3

Output Level = (full) 2-3

Harmonics Triode Simul-Class

Optional E.Q (use this for very heavy rhythm work and with/without E.Q for soloing!):

80 = 3/4 above centre
240 = centre line
750 = 3/4 below center
2200 = centre line
6600 = centre line


...try adding delay to the clean channel to get a perfect silvery 'Manhatten' or 'Tender Surrender' tone!

 

[Aart]

I have lead gain and drive both on 8. I like the extra ´oversaturated´ sound it gives me. It adds some punch and oomph I don´t have when drive is on 7.

But for the rest its real cool.

 

[holdsworth]

I have lead gain and drive both on 8. I like the extra ´oversaturated´ sound it gives me. It adds some punch and oomph I don´t have when drive is on 7.

But for the rest its real cool.

That's what I thought, but give these settings a try with a classic V in the E.Q and I promise you the Mark IV will have never sounded heavier!

 

[Russ]

Those settings are pretty cool. I remember trying that. It was one of those instant gratification kind of tones.

 

[Platypus]

Thanks, I'll give it a shot. I stumbled upon bliss myself on the lead channel and haven't wanted to touch it but I'll give this a whirl.

The amp itself is actually reall intuitive once you figure it out but the 5 band EQ still has me in a learning curve.

 

[Lucifer]

The thing i really like about my Mark (and probably many other Boogies) that when i THINK i found the tone of all tones..i turn it on the next day and find an even better one!

 

[Russ]

Yeah, no kidding. The amp never ceases to amaze me.

 

[Aart]

The thing i really like about my Mark (and probably many other Boogies) that when i THINK i found the tone of all tones..i turn it on the next day and find an even better one!

+1

You'll keep turnng the knobs for like years.

 

[Mesa]

Hi Holdsworth,

I just bought a Mk IVa a few weeks ago but without any manual. Can you give me the link to download the original instruction booklet for this amp?

Thank you.
Michael from Germany

 

[welshboogie]

After Toquay kindly gave me a link to download the original Mark IVa instruction booklet (thanks for that!) I have been trying out the sample settings, which are totally different to the Mark IVb booklet.

The first sample setting I tried 'Classic LA' completely blew me away! After dialling it in I understood the true sweetness of tone this amp was capable of, and it dawned on me that I had been dialling it in all wrong for the type of sweet sustain I was after. I ignored Mesa's advice to stay below '7' for drive and '8' for gain, and in doing so completely over-saturated the tone (which most users are doing) and neglecting the Mark IVs sweet mids!

Try this setting, and like me, you too will achieve tonal nirvana!

CLASSIC L.A

Skanky R1 Clean Sound/Grinding R2 Crunch Rhythm/Blistering Lead Solo Sound:

R1G = (p) 3
R2G = (p) 10
T = 6
B = 3
M = 6
R2T = 8

P1 = 5
P2 = (p) 5
PL = (p) 4

LG = (p) 8
T = 7
B = 4
M = 10
LD = (p) 7

R1M = 7
R2M = 3
LM = 3

Output Level = (full) 2-3

Harmonics Triode Simul-Class

Optional E.Q (use this for very heavy rhythm work and with/without E.Q for soloing!):

80 = 3/4 above centre
240 = centre line
750 = 3/4 below center
2200 = centre line
6600 = centre line


...try adding delay to the clean channel to get a perfect silvery 'Manhatten' or 'Tender Surrender' tone!

Yep +1 on this one, when I bought the IV, the guy had it set with this tone and it blew me away and I have used it ever since. I tend to tame the Clean Channel's sparkle a bit by maxing the Gain and pushing in the bright - with an MXR dynacomp and the Bridge JB humbucker, I can get an alternative lead tone which is very expressive.

With a bit of delay and chorus in the loop, its Lukather heaven for me!!!!!

 

[torquey]

Hi Michael

You can find it at http://torquey.ooblez.com. I'm not the original source, some kind BB member posted it a while back.

Incidentally, when I bought my Mark IVa new, it also came with a cardboard reference guide which had some different settings. If I can dig mine up, I'll post those too.

Cheers,
John

Hi Holdsworth,

I just bought a Mk IVa a few weeks ago but without any manual. Can you give me the link to download the original instruction booklet for this amp?

Thank you.
Michael from Germany

 

[Pinweaver]

These are indeed great settings and they are not in my B manual.
I adjusted 2 things though: I don't pull the bright on the clean and I put the lead drive at almost 10 for over-the-top distortion.
I used A guitar loaded with p90's, so I'm sure that's part of the reason for the minor tweaks.

 

[holdsworth]

I'm going to try this with my Mk III g.s. I usually have the mid set @ 5 or lower w/ humbucker gtr. Mid=10 should sound beefier.

I used to set the mids on my MKIV at about 2.5, but I've since learnt that the whole magic of the Marks tone is in the mids! You get that really sweet, Californian sound when you string bend in the high regions that you just can't get with the mids down.

holdsworth, do you use your Prestige gtr with this amp & settings? What pups do you have installed? I recently got a RG1570 and am going to replace the pups or sell the guitar (I like the neck a lot & high fret access).

I'm leaning towards passive Dimarzio or Bill Lawrence.

If I were you rabies, I'd dump the stock pups right away and get some Dimarzios, Bill Lawrences or Andersons. I've recently switched the Evo in my bridge to a duncan JB in my prestige, but I find this pup way too bright! I've just bought an Air Norton for the neck and I plan to (somehow) find a shop that sells Tom Anderson H3 pups to the UK online. If anyone knows of anywhere I'd be glad to hear of it!

One plus is that my prestige has a piezo system in the bridge so I can get a really nice quasi-acoustic sound.

These are indeed great settings and they are not in my B manual.
I adjusted 2 things though: I don't pull the bright on the clean and I put the lead drive at almost 10 for over-the-top distortion.
I used A guitar loaded with p90's, so I'm sure that's part of the reason for the minor tweaks.

I didn't like the Mark IVb manual settings at all, they were either too soft or too overdriven. Once you get past 7 on the drive it doesn't really embelish the tone all that much I find, it just causes problems with your playing dynamics. Trust me, if you play with a humbucker you won't need to go past 7 to get very heavy sounds with the E.Q!