The Boogie Board

So I just recently got a used Mark IVa, and the first day I used it sounded great (maybe I was just excited?) but ever since I really sat down with it, it doesn't sound right. It sounds more fizzy and loose, on both distortion channels, when I compare it to other clips online and I can seem to get it to sound like other peoples even when I set my amp up like theirs. I have my Mark IV setup that exact same settings as seen here: https://youtu.be/3VrPE-Oa6aw?t=1m26s with using Full Power, Triode, and Simuclass. Here are some clips I recorded to show what I mean:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cudvedytgpr9ca9/suhr%202.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bwhok9aw96pb1de/suhr%203.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2549irx6qw3cuv8/suhr%201.wav?dl=0

I don't have a good mic'ing setup at all, but I record some anyway just in case it was the Suhr reactive load making it sound bad.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v48rqgqfjyzpuac/mic%201.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/oflpsw8zz1rboea/mic%202.wav?dl=0

Any ideas what it could be?

My first guess would be it sounds like you may have the GEQ engaged.

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Lefty guitars: Gibson SG standard (1977) • Gibson LP custom (1979)
Amps and such: Mesa Boogie Mark IV-B • Mesa Nomad 45 • Peavey Vypyr Tube-60 • Effectrode Blackbird • Kingsley Jester • AMT SS-11a • Zoom G5

I mostly just copying people's settings right now to try to get something that works, but it seems nearly everyone uses the GEQ on the mark iv. I was thinking maybe the tubes need changing, but they aren't really giving any signs that they are bad. Everything else on the amp appears to be working, it just doesn't sound like other clips I hear online.

For what it's worth, I don't use the GEQ a whole lot (and, for context, I don't play metal).

I was guessing the GEQ since your clips didn't seem to have any mids. And, when I looked at the video the first time, I thought the "loop" light was on, not the "EQ" light. I went back and viewed it again and noticed I was wrong the first time.

From my experience with my Mark IV, I would not necessarily guess power tubes. I would go first to see if a preamp tube may be bad.

Have you tried running class A, instead of SimulClass. On the chance it is power related, that would eliminate two power tubes immediately.

_________________
Lefty guitars: Gibson SG standard (1977) • Gibson LP custom (1979)
Amps and such: Mesa Boogie Mark IV-B • Mesa Nomad 45 • Peavey Vypyr Tube-60 • Effectrode Blackbird • Kingsley Jester • AMT SS-11a • Zoom G5

Yeah I'm not thinking it's the power tubes either. I'm gonna try swapping around the preamp tubes and see if it makes any difference in tone, maybe one of them are worn out.

Alright so I was doing so research on the preamp tubes, and in the A version that I have, apparently, the reverb has a different tube type (12at7) than the other slots, I didn't know that before hand (I just assumed they were all 12ax7) and I had it in the wrong slot so that seems to have helped a little bit. I might end up replacing all the preamp tubes still since it looks like they are all the originals.

So I moved some tubes around today (not sure if it made a difference exactly) and spent a good two hours messing around with the controls and I am actually very happy with the sound I got, albeit it took some weird settings to get it where I liked how it sounded though. But with a finicky amp like the Mark IV, I'm sure everything effects how it sounds (guitar, pickups, room, volume, etc.).

Once you get used to how they work, they are excellent amps. You have to learn to dial them in with your ears, and not your eyes.

_________________
Lefty guitars: Gibson SG standard (1977) • Gibson LP custom (1979)
Amps and such: Mesa Boogie Mark IV-B • Mesa Nomad 45 • Peavey Vypyr Tube-60 • Effectrode Blackbird • Kingsley Jester • AMT SS-11a • Zoom G5