The Mark IV thread....!!

[Russ]

The one I have now and my old one both had sockets and they were both from 91'. I haven't found any pictures without sockets, please post if you could.

Here ya go, MarkIV B without sockets

... and a black chassis?

 

[Russ]

I think he meant an A. GLydian posted a wide B above.

No my one is wide(medium) A head.
GLydian

Oops! My bad... :roll: I just looked at your head again and it is an A. You can clearly see the loop jacks too. What was I thinking?

 

[jvk]

... and a black chassis?

And neater wiring!

 

[Russ]

I haven't bothered to look at the underside. Is it black too? The A is the same as the inside just steel.

 

[Russ]

... and a black chassis?

And neater wiring!

Well they did have thousands to practice on...

 

[jvk]

You mean where the tubes are? That'll be black on all of them. Theyv weren't that desperate to save money :lol:

 

[Russ]

I kind of want to spray mine black... :roll:

 

[jvk]

That's the epitome of coolness. Russ is so cool that he only wears black underpants!

 

[Russ]

What are you talking about? I got central air.... :lol:

 

[Shep]

I think i know what those IC do.. They are logic chip's for the switching system..they work out which LDR's to use when switching channel..

 

[Russ]

I think GLydian said something like that on the last page :wink:

 

[fpoon]

lol these Mark IV's are being more and more popular. They're almost on every forum. Woot they rule! \m/

 

[Russ]

I think with the declining Rec interest more people are coming back to the Marks. The Mark IV really is a great amp.

 

[Shep]

we can say .. I had a mk IV before they were Cool...and we will rule the world..

 

[Russ]

Heh, I think it is going to be neat to see what happens to the amp market in the next few years.

 

[metalmm785]

IMHO, most mesa amps have a little bit of a sizzle to some degree. It's what makes them cut thru the mix. Some more than others, however, a 3 channel recto, for example, has far more of this than a mark iv. Either way, it's not hard to cut the presence down a bit. Lamb of god in my opinion make the mark sound extremely thin and piecing. Saw them live on gigantour and i couldn't believe they dialed the amp so badly.

 

[Shep]

rabies have a listen to chevelle.. thats a mk IV.just go to there my space..good tone. i agree about lamb of god live tone.. It's thin and not fat at all..

 

[Russ]

I think that the Mark series just makes you pay more attention to your playing. Amps like the JCM800 (which has lots of sizzle BTW) and the Rec's (who too have sizzle) cover you up in their blanket of sound more. Amps like the JCM800 and the Rec's are also way easier to dial in soundwise. Their less articulate nature makes them more forgiving also. The Marks are way more articulate and this might be what you don't like about them. As far as thin nasally sounds go, just dial your amp differently and/or choose different speakers along with different guitars. Artificial harmonics are also very seriously altered by what goes into the amp. Then, of course your preamp but pushed power sections further help thicken them up. Most don't push their Mark for modern sounds. Most only tap into the preamp and keep their power sections clean. This goes for most amps too. Many never get to fully unleash the amp and feel the wrath of the unchained beast. In case this was forgotten also, tone is predominantly in your hands. Your amp is merely a mechanical device that gives you a palette from which to make your tone be heard. As deft as you may be with your guitar, you must also be skilled enough to use the amp in front of you to get the best out of it. Also it takes some foresight to know what amp you need to achieve the tone you want to get knowing your own inherent tone and flavor that your guitars and speakers give you. Most of the time people complaining that an amp sounds too thin aren't opening them up enough and/or aren't dialing them in properly.

 

[Shep]

What about your greeen stripe mk III?

 

[MKIII]

Honestly - after owning Fender's, Marshall's and Boogie's; I think the MKIV is one of those amps that will go down in history as a defining piece of gear. Once you get the hang of it, it's a great amp - but I think most will agree it's not for the impatient or beginners. It takes time to dial in "your" tone, but when you get there it's Nirvana (not the band; the spiritual concept!).

Think about how the Les Paul, Strat et al are considered to be pivotal pieces of gear that shaped music history and, IMHO, I truly believe that the MKIV will be recognised for the important part it too has played in music.

Subjective rant? I hope not....