Mark IV Can't find settings I seek

Hey,
I decided to change my lead sound again, I still didn't find all of the possible good sounds, which I believe is impossible on a Mark IV cuz there are too many... but now I want something that sounds like whitesnake. I have a mark IV combo, without cab, and a fender stratocaster with seymour duncan hummer and 2 texas specials.

Anyone any suggestions? I can't find a good match, maybe cuz I don't have the extension cabinet, cuz I can't dial the deep, raw tone. Maybe if anyone knows a good pedal to get this sound?

Grtz

Ive always been able to shape my tone best by having a decent parametric equalizer in the effects loop. The cool thing about that is that you dont really effect the core tone of your amp (or else we might as well be playing line6s) I dont even use any effects anymore because I have so much diversity just by adjusting the frequencies.

pie4peace said:

Hey,
I decided to change my lead sound again, I still didn't find all of the possible good sounds, which I believe is impossible on a Mark IV cuz there are too many... but now I want something that sounds like whitesnake. I have a mark IV combo, without cab, and a fender stratocaster with seymour duncan hummer and 2 texas specials.

Anyone any suggestions? I can't find a good match, maybe cuz I don't have the extension cabinet, cuz I can't dial the deep, raw tone. Maybe if anyone knows a good pedal to get this sound?

Grtz

Click to expand...

From what I can remember, the famous Whitesnake tone (from the '1987' album) was recorded using the lead channels of Mark III Coliseum heads. A closed back cabinet is pretty mandatory, as well as a *very hot* ceramic bridge humbucker. A Les Paul type axe with a mahogany body and glued in maple neck helps alot.

I wouldn't bother with any kind of pedal for this tone, since you already have a pretty close to it already, in the preamp of the Mark IV. It's a very sucked-out-mid V-slope on the 5-band EQ. I Keep the volume 1 on 6-7, lead drive on 5, bass between 0-2, mids around 2-3, and 7-8 on the treble.

I can get close to this with my Mark III Simul-Class combo with these settings, but since its open back with an EVM-12L speaker, you have to keep the 750hz slider almost all the way down and create a very drastic dip in the mids. 60hz way up, 240hz a little above center, 2200 lower than center, and the 6600 way up about 3/4. I keep my presence around 6. At low volumes, I keep all knobs pulled out except the bass control. A closed back 4-12" cab would change the graphic EQ settings completely. Give it a shot and see if this helps at all. 8)

LesPaul666 said:

From what I can remember, the famous Whitesnake tone (from the '1987' album) was recorded using the lead channels of Mark III Coliseum heads. A closed back cabinet is pretty mandatory, as well as a *very hot* ceramic bridge humbucker. A Les Paul type axe with a mahogany body and glued in maple neck helps alot.

I wouldn't bother with any kind of pedal for this tone, since you already have a pretty close to it already, in the preamp of the Mark IV. It's a very sucked-out-mid V-slope on the 5-band EQ. I Keep the volume 1 on 6-7, lead drive on 5, bass between 0-2, mids around 2-3, and 7-8 on the treble.

I can get close to this with my Mark III Simul-Class combo with these settings, but since its open back with an EVM-12L speaker, you have to keep the 750hz slider almost all the way down and create a very drastic dip in the mids. 60hz way up, 240hz a little above center, 2200 lower than center, and the 6600 way up about 3/4. I keep my presence around 6. At low volumes, I keep all knobs pulled out except the bass control. A closed back 4-12" cab would change the graphic EQ settings completely. Give it a shot and see if this helps at all. 8)

Click to expand...

Hey man, thanks! I totally nailed the sound now with the EQ settings you advised, I only put the lead drive a bit higher.. I'm buying a les paul in august and a recto cab 2x12 (I get some money for me 18th aniversary + gonna work in a supermarket 1 month)... maybe you know if I should take EV's in that cab or celestions?

I dont have the bass control knob on my mark IV though, but with the full shift,pull bright, pull fat it works totally fine. What amount of lead gain do you use? (not drive!)

I now have tweed power-class A-lead harmonics, any better suggestions?

Anyway, thanks... I gonna remember those EQ-settings

pie4peace said:

LesPaul666 said:

From what I can remember, the famous Whitesnake tone (from the '1987' album) was recorded using the lead channels of Mark III Coliseum heads. A closed back cabinet is pretty mandatory, as well as a *very hot* ceramic bridge humbucker. A Les Paul type axe with a mahogany body and glued in maple neck helps alot.

I wouldn't bother with any kind of pedal for this tone, since you already have a pretty close to it already, in the preamp of the Mark IV. It's a very sucked-out-mid V-slope on the 5-band EQ. I Keep the volume 1 on 6-7, lead drive on 5, bass between 0-2, mids around 2-3, and 7-8 on the treble.

I can get close to this with my Mark III Simul-Class combo with these settings, but since its open back with an EVM-12L speaker, you have to keep the 750hz slider almost all the way down and create a very drastic dip in the mids. 60hz way up, 240hz a little above center, 2200 lower than center, and the 6600 way up about 3/4. I keep my presence around 6. At low volumes, I keep all knobs pulled out except the bass control. A closed back 4-12" cab would change the graphic EQ settings completely. Give it a shot and see if this helps at all. 8)

Click to expand...

Hey man, thanks! I totally nailed the sound now with the EQ settings you advised, I only put the lead drive a bit higher.. I'm buying a les paul in august and a recto cab 2x12 (I get some money for me 18th aniversary + gonna work in a supermarket 1 month)... maybe you know if I should take EV's in that cab or celestions?

I dont have the bass control knob on my mark IV though, but with the full shift,pull bright, pull fat it works totally fine. What amount of lead gain do you use? (not drive!)

I now have tweed power-class A-lead harmonics, any better suggestions?

Anyway, thanks... I gonna remember those EQ-settings

Click to expand...

Glad to hear that you dialed it in.

As far as the lead gain, I find that if I keep it above what I set the Lead Drive at(which is around 5) at like 8, you get the drenched gain going, this may be too much, but dial to taste.

I would keep it on full-power simul-class in Pentode Mode (not class A), keep the Tweed Power off, and set the voicing switch to 'Lead Harmonics'. This way you get the power section pushing in full power mode for the tightest bottom end, and the the cutting upper midrange for this tone. For the closed back cab, I think EVM-12L's would do the best justice for this kind of tone. My 1-12" Thiele Boogie cab with this speaker nails it as close as I've ever heard. Lemme know how ya make out! :wink:

Well, both the mid-gain,class A, pentode, tweed power and
lead harmonics, simul class, pentode, full power sound great...

I keep the 2nd settings because it sounds pretty raw, but I keep my drive around 7, not 5. Maybe 5 sounds better with a gibson les paul than fender with seymour duncan bridge hummer

I just wanted this sound to get my own sound out of it, and it worked pretty well When I use my neck pickup (texas special) I get the sound of 'tie your mother down' by queen. Pretty nice too xD

For the cab I'll take the EVL's, I have read that the celestions give more punch but I don't think I'll need that with this kind of amp... It already gives me tons of punch with the right settings First need the cash though so I can read some more about cabs... Thank you for your help!