The Mark IV thread....!!

[fairfield2002]

I've had my Mark IV since 1991 and I've never had any problem carrying it by the handle.

 

[igfraso]

I found a really good MArkIVb from mid '90s, are there any differences with a 2008 b?

If it was made in 1993, it could be an early B.

Someone in the forum reported a February 93 s/n #6,00x and I have a 617x from April 93 that is an early B (or "no A/no B").

Boogiebabies has an end of 93 s/n 68xx which is already a full B.

Regards

 

[igfraso]

I have just seen a Mark IV A s/n 58xx in eBay, built in 1992.

In this forum, there is info about a Mark IV early B s/n 6038 dated Feb 1993 and a full B s/n 689X from Dec 1993.

Again, I am interested in what some people call the transition between "early A" to "late A". Is there any difference in the components or is it just fiction?
Some people call the "early B" as a "no A/ no B", so it could be an indication that there were only 3 "different stripes" in the Mark IV development.
Regards

 

[ryan.d.s]

Does anyone know around what year a MKIV with the serial number IV-01162X would be? I emailed mesa and they haven't responded for about a week, and I'm really thinking about buying this certain amp.

 

[dodger916]

Does anyone know around what year a MKIV with the serial number IV-01162X would be? I emailed mesa and they haven't responded for about a week, and I'm really thinking about buying this certain amp.

According to Mesa, my combo with serial number 1166X was shipped in Feb '04.

 

[ryan.d.s]

Does anyone know around what year a MKIV with the serial number IV-01162X would be? I emailed mesa and they haven't responded for about a week, and I'm really thinking about buying this certain amp.

According to Mesa, my combo with serial number 1166X was shipped in Feb '04.

Thanks! That probably puts it at around mid-late '03 I'm guessing.

 

[igfraso]

Does anyone has an estimation about what the last s/n for the Mark IV was?

 

[ryan.d.s]

I'd like to know too.

Also, where can I find the serial number on my Mark IV widebody combo?

 

[dodger916]

I'd like to know too.

Also, where can I find the serial number on my Mark IV widebody combo?

It's on the underside of the chassis. My head has it near the power transformer.

 

[igfraso]

I have just seen a Mark IV A s/n 58xx in eBay, built in 1992.

In this forum, there is info about a Mark IV early B s/n 6038 dated Feb 1993 and a full B s/n 689X from Dec 1993.

I have read in this forum about an early IV B, s/n 5854. It seems the transition happened somewhere in the s/n 5,800's.

Does anybody have any info about the last s/n of the Mark IV?

 

[ryan.d.s]

I'd like to know too.

Also, where can I find the serial number on my Mark IV widebody combo?

It's on the underside of the chassis. My head has it near the power transformer.

Alright thanks, I just wanted to know before pulling it out of it's corner and searching everywhere. It's in the 9000's, but it's virtually in new condition with only a few rips in the tolex, though the corner guards a pretty scratched up.

Also, is the Mark IV known for having extremely crappy reverb, or is mine messed up? When turned up, it makes the lead channel sound awful and barely gives it any reverb. It has to be turned all the way up for the clean channel to even seem like it's got some reverb, and it's very thin sounding.

And what's all the padding on the bottom of my combo? At the bottom underneath the speaker, there's a bunch of padding that's strapped down with wires going into the side of it.

That's all my questions for now, and please excuse me - I just got this amp a couple days ago

 

[sparklesmcgraw]

Padding on the bottom is the Reverb tank. If the Reverb sounds weak, try the reverb tube. If it is a Mark IVa then it needs a 12AT7 instead of a 12AX7.

 

[ryan.d.s]

Padding on the bottom is the Reverb tank. If the Reverb sounds weak, try the reverb tube. If it is a Mark IVa then it needs a 12AT7 instead of a 12AX7.

alright thanks, thats what I was thinking, but it's so huge I just figured it wasn't.

 

[K-Roll]

hey guys, I may have two questions related to the mark 4, maybe these had been covered somewhere around

1) does a filter cap change have an impact on the overall voicing of the amp? I mean in terms of using different brands, but keeping the same correct values.. if yes, do some sound brighter/darker/tighter/more mellow?


2) to tighten up and get more clarity is it better to - turn up the channel volume to lets say 7 but keep the main outpu volume around 1-2 or the opposite- keeping the channel volume low - lets say lead vol around 2 and cranking up the main output?


thx

 

[dodger916]

1) I've read that different brand caps WILL influence the voice of the amp. The blue Spragues are the "stock" boogie caps, but I read that F&Ts will provide a somewhat smoother tone.

2) This point is often debated, with diametrically opposed viewpoints. I'd say try both and see what works best for you.

hey guys, I may have two questions related to the mark 4, maybe these had been covered somewhere around

1) does a filter cap change have an impact on the overall voicing of the amp? I mean in terms of using different brands, but keeping the same correct values.. if yes, do some sound brighter/darker/tighter/more mellow?


2) to tighten up and get more clarity is it better to - turn up the channel volume to lets say 7 but keep the main outpu volume around 1-2 or the opposite- keeping the channel volume low - lets say lead vol around 2 and cranking up the main output?


thx

 

[K-Roll]

thanks dodger..

if I go with the new blue Sprague Atoms, can I be sure that these will reproduce the original mark 4 tone as well as reliability? I'd like to stick as close to the original as possible
Anyway, I am from Europe, if anyone knows any high quality distributors of sprague somwhere around, please let me know.. otherwise, I'll need to buy directly from US I suppose..
have a good rest of the weekend guys
oh and one last thing when you have your caps changed, do you only change the big blue cans or all the orange as well?

 

[scarface]

Greetings,

I’m looking for 2 x 12 cab suggestions for my Mark IV B short head. Right now I have 1 Mesa Thiele cab with a C90 and it sounds great but I have nothing to compare it to. I was planning on getting a Recto 2 x 12 but am also considering just getting another Thiele cab. Tons of other options I know. Was also thinking of a Bogner oversized
2 x 12. Both the Recto and Bogner have V30’s. Here are some things I have picked up in reading around.

- A good deal of people don’t like V30’s with a Mark IV
- The Thiele’s pair very well with Mark series amps

Also, I recently got this Mark sounding really really good. Killer "Grind" ala Jerry Cantrell! I bought it last April and was going back and forth on keeping it. I think I wanted more of a recto-like tone but every time I play a recto I’m like no way! I was looking for more bass but I didn’t realize how much I would have missed the Mark’s clarity. I have written off Recto’s and realized that it just took a lot of tweaking. I replaced all the Tubes (mesa 6L6’s and the 5 preamp tone kit from Doug’s tubes). WOW the pre-amp tubes made a huge difference. Rhythm channel sounds 10 times better. Now I am just running my Fulltone Fulldrive in front and it absolutely kills. I cannot stop grinning with the chunky grind I get. Anyway….back to the cab dilemma.

Would adding a Recto 2 x 12 give me more bass? Would it sound a little looser? That might be the last piece of the puzzle. Or is another Thiele a better choice? I’m assuming the Bogner would resemble the Recto cab as well.

Thanks!

 

[K-Roll]

Hey guys,


I've been looking for an EVM12-L speaker (or rather.. 2 ) But I've come across at least 4 types. Can anyone pls let me know which of these is the 'real deal'for the MK IV?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELECTRO-VOICE-EVM12L-GUITAR-SPEAKER-200W-8-OHMS-EVM-12L-/200543316605?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2eb1502a7d

http://cgi.ebay.com/ElectroVoice-EVM12L-Mesa-Boogie-300-Watt-Loud-Speaker-/170566807946?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b692f18a

http://cgi.ebay.com/ElectroVoice-EVM12L-Mesa-Boogie-200-Watt-Loud-Speaker-/170566808907?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b692f54b

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Electro-Voice-EVM12L-16-Guitar-Speaker-Classic-/220636423360?pt=UK_ConElec_SpeakersPASystems_RL&hash=item335ef4a4c0


thanks for any ideas, cheers.. oh and - how do these work with high gain rhytm sounds? are these suited more to cleans and crunchier sounds rather than raw thick saturated sounds? I am searching for a modern tone, ballsy, but not harsh, definitely not scooped, rather raw sounding with a kinda 'angry' grinding attitude and an interesting hamonical content that would suit to a MKiV A..

 

[fdesalvo]

The Celestion G12K-100 is an AMAZING speaker for the MKIV. I use a 4x12 loaded with these and they give you authentic fender cleans and fat leads and rhythms. They don't color your sound or sound sterile in the cleans, as the EVs can tend to.

 

[K-Roll]

and one more question to those previous - does the EV speaker work better in closed or open 2X12 cabs? how would a thiele 2X12 with such speaker handle low tunings and a 7 string guitar?

thx..