Mark IV and strats = loveless mariage?(or maybe its just me)

No, no, no I am not talking about my private life here...
Just that I finally got a decent sound out of my Les Paul DC and the Mark IV combo using an extra 12" recto box. However, I still can't get my strat to sound any good on there. I am almost at the point of throwing this amp in the trash. Nothing sounds right on it. Rhythm 1 lacks body and tone, Rhythm 2 just plain sucks unless you use it with the gain way down (like an alternate clean), and the Lead channel is good for rhythms, but the lead tones thin out. Overall, a decent rhythm amp, unfortunately I am a lead player first and foremost. I played a classic 30 Peavey for 5 minutes the other day with a cheap Peavey guitar and it sounded awesome: round clean, with compressed mids and a chimey top end. I know the lead channel won't go anywhere what the mark can do, but apart from that, I felt it was a much nicer experience.

I have had this Mark IVa for over 10 years, I will have it checked by a tech next week, if he tells me there's nothing wrong, watch Ebay for a 1991 EV Mark IV combo with a hardwood cab and wicker grille.

Did you try with a massive Mids configuration? Expecially with 750hz's EQ?
I found out a good tone with Strat, my EQ is ^ shape for lead tone. Mid gain selected. And bridge and neck pickup (for high frets). My Strat has handmade single coil pickup, replaced those Texas Special.
I know, Strat it's not my prefered guitar, so I haven't spent much time in tweaking settings.
Maybe even with Mark IV it's necessary an OD pedal for Strat. When my Mark IV will return to work, I'll try it with a SD-1.

Thanks for the rely - when I wrote that post, I think I was just having one of those moments when I have been tweaking the amp too much, so much that I am lost. I took an hour break or so, unplugged everything and replugged my trustee Rocktron multivalve in the loop. I quickly configured some comp, extra tube gain, and para EQ and I got some of the best strat sounds I ever got out of an amp. It kind of goes back to my earlier post "does the Mark IV need processing to get to its full potential". I think I found the answer: sometimes! With a strat (mine is a HSS Jeff Beck), I find that i need processing, delays..etc to get what I want, most likely cause I am seeking more modern sounds. With my Les Paul, Tele or Starcaster, straight in sounds better. But I get more of a Robben Ford/Steve Cropper/Tom Petty sound then, you know, that 70's rhythm and blues thing.
With the whole rack setup (I use the Rocktron for comp,tube,EQ,hush and an old quadraverb for delays only), I actually get a great Steve Vai sound out of the strat. I also use an original Marshall Guv'nor to boost and that really gets me in that satch/vai/pettruci zone.
When you realize one amp is at the center of all these sounds, that's when you remember why this amp is probably the greatest ever made.
I know this sounds polar opposite to my first post, but hey, I have got a serious love/hate relationship with the Mark IV!

Noe5, I had the same problem last year. After I purchased my Mark IV I bought two new Malmsteen Signature Stratocasters, and both sounded absolutely horrible through the Mark IV. You mentioned a thin tone, which is what I experienced. I know Strats are thin anyway, but they both sounded good through my DC-2 and I expected them to sound good through the Mark IV. It just was not meant to be. They sounded better with pedals (MI Audio Crunch Box and MI Audio Tube Zone), but I was hoping the articulate HS-3 and YJM pickups would give me some cool shred tones with the Mark IV. They just did not match up well. In the end I sold the Malmsteen Strats, but for unrelated reasons. I am thinking about purchasing another Strat soon, but I will not be using it with the Mark IV unless I go through some pedals into the clean channel (I will probably use the MI Audio Crunch Box again).

The tone stack is in the first stage, (Fender design) so the tone controls lose some control over the sound because the signal goes through four gain stages. At each gain stage the caps and resistors create a certain EQ and the tone controls by themselves can be limiting. But that is why Boogie put in the Graphic EQ. That is post-preamp and pre-poweramp, you can then dial in your final sound using the EQ. You should be able to get anything you need if you use both.

Jack

Totally agreed with you Jangling Jack, I only discovered the EQ a few weeks ago when I was searching for the Whitesnake sound. Thanks by Lespaul666 I found a massive mid configuration which gives me the ultimate EQ for what I play + it sounds cool on my rhythm 1. Noe5: If you need a EQ setting or you want the sound of a band, just post it. People will help you to get it out of your Mark IV, no one knows it all, this amp is just too versatile.

I am almost at the point of throwing this amp in the trash

Click to expand...

I can help here....I'll be parking, er, uh, I mean, leaving a large blue dumpster near you're location that just happens to look like a Ford van (merely coincidence). You can throw it in there..... :lol: :lol: 8) :shock:

But seriously, and maybe you have.....tried experimenting with different tubes? speakers?
Sometimes these changes can breath new life.

I do hope one of the Mark series "old timers" on this forum can help you out. I have always considrerd getting one if the opportunity/price is right, so I am curious to see how this works out for you.

Hope it works out, Good luck!