The Mark IV thread....!!

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Shep

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Hey here is a little right up on the mk IV amp!!

MkIV A 1991-1994
serial 0000-around the 6XXX's
-two mono FX loop's (normal And Switchable) The four plugs form a box shape.
-12at7 in V4 ( the reverb tube slot)
-No reverb foot switch on the back.
-older style tolex and LED's.
-Smaller power transformer than the B.
Voiced alittle brighter than the later models which seem to give them a closer to C+ sound to the newer models ( in no way am i trying to start hype)

Mk IV B 1994 to 2008
6000's onwards
-has a 3 plug stereo FX loop replacing the two mono ones..these plugs are in more of a line
-12at7 is replaced with a 12ax7 for V4
-reverb foot switch jack added on back of chasis.
-satellite send function..
-slightly bigger power transformer than the A.


Also

-The B was voice to have a darker lead tone and more gain on the rhy2.but i think the difference is still Very Little.


-Reverb switch on the A could be made by adding a RCA Y splitter to the input of the reverb tank with one side going to the reverb tank and the other side to a ground to tip short pedal. this shorts the reverb tank to ground effectively creating a on/off switch.WORKS GREAT!


Tubes- Power mesa types that work great are the Str 420 and of course the 415. But other non mesa brands that sound great and last ages and don't cost $400 for 4 are JJ 6L6 and =C= are Great! Pre amp i would be going in V1 and V3 a 1950's/1960's (rca mullard or FRT) these sound amazing! the bass is huge! and you can really push it on your amp but it NEVER sounds tubby at all.cheaper nice sounding tubes are JAN, TUNG Sol, JJ and EH.

Speakers,

Everyone is pretty same in this department you ether like the traditional 4x12 with vintage 30's OR a 1x12 theile with a EV200 watt speaker. There are others which sound good too like C90's and other black shadow model's but i reckon these sound the best!
 
Thanks for one complete explaination.
I really like my '05 Mk-IV... next purchase is extension cab with high power AlNico speaker
 
read the first post..if it has satelite send and a reverb switch it's a B ..i am not to sure about the serial # but i know that the first few thousand e,g mkxxx/1xxx/2xxx/3xxx are A's...
 
I have an older MK IV. I put a Sovtek 12ax7wxt+ tube in the lead channel (3rd preamp tube socket from the right) and Use 6V6 TUBES- SIMULCLASS/TRIODE/TWEED POWER. BEEN PLAYING IT THIS WAY FOR YEARS. YOU REALLY SHOULD EXPLORE THIS GREAT AMP , IT'S JUST WAITING TO PLEASE YOU! DON'T BE IMTIMIDATED BY THE KNOBS/SWITCHES/PULL POTS. APPROACH EACH CHANNEL AS THOUGH IT WERE A SEPARATE AMP. TRY THAT APPROACH. :idea: :idea: :idea:
 
MrMax-

Can you give a little description as to the tonal variation between the 6L6 and the 6V6 that you are running? I have been wanting to try that configuration but haven't sunk the $ for into 6V6's yet. Currently I like the Class A/triode/harmonics/tweed configuration with 6L6's. Will I be able to turn up much louder to achieve better power tube saturation/distortion at more reasonable levels? How much different is the tone with settings aside?

Shep-

I would like to start by saying, "Nice post..."

I believe that the 12at7 reverb preamp tube on a Mark IV A is in socket V4. At least that is how my socket is labeled in sharpie. All of my sockets are labeled in sharpie with exception of the power tube sockets. The preamp sockets were labeled by Mesa when it was built. Mine was in the first 600 built. V3 is the lead as was noted by MrMax.

To remove the flab you are hearing remove some Bass and remove some from your eq also. I have absolutely no flab. My Lead setting is 4 on bass and barely over halfway up on the eq. Then again, it is set up for Lead playing. The shared R1/R2 Bass knob on mine is also around 4. Though my Lead channel is dialed in for a good Lead tone I can use it for some great rhythm tones too. I actually forget sometimes that I am in Lead and go to stomp into Lead. This is another reason why I like to use an overdrive. This allows you to get a good tone and push it further.

Another option to remove the flab is get a speaker with a proper voicing. Then put it in a cabinet that has the proper resonance. I find this to be a major contributor to good sound anyway.

I don't get flab from my amp. Whenever it begins to rear it's ugly head I just back off a little or adjust my setup to control it. Though I tend not to play rhythm on the bottom-most spectrum and frequencies like some of our friends, I get a nice solid rhythm that is where the guitar should be sonically. I usually leave those lowest tones for the bass player to have more room to fill. Besides, who plays Leads that low? When I play rhythm I tend to mute on the lower notes but I do not drop to C or anything like that either. I would say the lowest I ever go is a full step and at that it is more for Lead feel than for rhythm. Don't get me wrong I like some stuff with severely dropped tunings but I just don't play them myself. Besides, I don't like what those tunings can do to a guitar. Once you cut your nut and saddles you have to replace them to ever come back to a more common tuning, this does not even include having to have a truss rod adjustment. I think I just love my guitars too much. It would be hard for me to do that to my Gibsons though I know that they would take it in stride. I would just assume buy a Baritone guitar which I will probably do just for the flexibility.
 
does any one know where you can ge those mark iv setting templates people post on forums for trying different setting?
 
I just got my mark IV today, I bought it used. The seller told me he had it serviced by Mesa about 6 months back, and that the new tubes didn't have much time on them 20 hours or so. I play it for 2 hours and everything is fine, then I hear a loud rumbling noise, so I turn off the amp, and leave it alone for about an hour. I come back play for 30 minutes and then that same rumble kicks in again. I turned it off left it alone came back again, and that **** rumble came back after 20 minutes. Is there something wrong with the amp or is there maybe some button on the back I have to press to have this stop happening? I'm pretty confused right now. :(
 
Have you ever played a DELUXE REVERB? It's a lot like that with much more gain/ tonal options & ofcourse channel changing. Volume wise the amp will be more tame for bedroom playing(turn it up !). Tone wise 6v6's are sweeter sounding than 6L6's. The 12ax7wxt+ gives the Lead channel more gain(they have a bad reputation for being noisy)maybe you'll find a good one.Triode/Harmonics will make it all come together with vintage breakup characteristics= BLUESY. Rich harmonics with sweetness. Beautiful clean sounds. When I put 6L6's back in, the amp loses a lot tone wise...not horrible... just not as sweet sounding. Now someone will probably jump on me for not trying EL34's w/ 6L6's(another option for the MK IV)... I'm partial to 6v6' amps , I have and have had quite a few. :) :) :oops: :oops:
 
bloodbath666 said:
I just got my mark IV today, I bought it used. The seller told me he had it serviced by Mesa about 6 months back, and that the new tubes didn't have much time on them 20 hours or so. I play it for 2 hours and everything is fine, then I hear a loud rumbling noise, so I turn off the amp, and leave it alone for about an hour. I come back play for 30 minutes and then that same rumble kicks in again. I turned it off left it alone came back again, and that **** rumble came back after 20 minutes. Is there something wrong with the amp or is there maybe some button on the back I have to press to have this stop happening? I'm pretty confused right now. :(
Have that amp checked out by a Boogie Service Center. Might not be that much $$
 
I guess I have to get off my tired butt and go get some. I know what a Deluxe Reverb sounds like and used to borrow a friend's years ago. This was just prior to my first run in with a Mark IV. I was not using either amp for what I have come to use it for now. Though, I do miss that sound. I never associated the tube compliment as being why I couldn't get the Mark IV to sound like the Fender. I just assumed that the difference was because it was an older amp vs. newer technology from different manufacturers. I think that for lead tones I might have to get out and get some 6V6's. I have been tweaking knobs incessantly trying to sweeten up the tone but it might just take going to 6V6's. I am playing Les Pauls, a strat, a tele, an SG, a couple V's, and an explorer. All of which I know can get that makes you want to cry tone. There is nothing at all wrong with the tone I am getting now but I wouldn't mind a slight upgrade in that tingling feeling associated with a sweeter than average tone coming from my amp. I haven't had that feeling in several years. I think it all went away when I stopped playing blues. There just isn't as much feel in Metal leads though the Mark IV can certainly dish them out. It would be nice to get more soul out of the Mark IV.

What 6v6's would you suggest for the drippiest like butter leads? I really have no clue about 6v6 manufacturers and types not to mention NOS findings. Also, will the 6V6's still allow me to maintain the Mark IV characteristics that I have already come to love? Tightness, clarity, punch, crunch, etc.?
 
Boogie makes 6v6's, but I'm using Ruby Tubes , been using the same quartet for over 4 yrs, I have Electro Harmonix as a backup. With 6v6's the MK IV will still sound like itself ...just a little bit richer. If you don't like the sound you can always sell the tubes. Look at things this way; Try pricing a new 6v6 amp($1700+, easy), not to mention one that has half the features of a MK IV. For the price of a quartet of new tubes ($50- $100) ,you'll have a "new" piece of High End Equipment. Think about that! :idea: :idea: :idea: :D :D :D
 
Lazarus said:
How is Mark IV to playing metal? I have never tried one. How is it compared to a Dual rec?

It can get ultrabrutal as well but retain that sweet Mark tone and have a tighter low end than the recto's.

Lamb Of God, for instance.

I don't go for brutal sounds though, but if can pretty much do anything.
 
Lazarus said:
How is Mark IV to playing metal? I have never tried one. How is it compared to a Dual rec?


hetfield used IVs as pre's into a marshall power amp with 34's in it for the black album along with some other records
 
I play a Mark IV and use it for metal. I run JJ's all around, with high gain front end (ecc83s) and 6l6gc in the power section. I am currently using an oversize Reco cab with vintage 30's. I use a Rocktron Hush to cut the noise associated with running the gain/drive almost all the way open. I also use a BBE Maxcom to tighten the sound up a bit. The sounds I am getting out of this setup are saturated thick and just plain nasty. I've loved metal all my life, and every day I plug in, and pound away, and man it is heavy. It does sound less flubby than a Dual Rec in the bottom end. IMO it puts my buddies old 5150 to shame. I've never compared it side by side to anything else though. The nice thing about the Mark IV is that it sounds good for so many other types of tones from classic crunch to nice smooth clean tones. You can get just about anything you want from this amp it's so versatile. I love mine.
 
I have two Mark IV's. A short head and a wide body head I just converted from a combo.

I use a time machine boost in treble boost mode (1973 Vintage). I don't boost much, but the treble "boost" takes the flub out. I can crank the preamp bass control to 10 this way at low volumes with no flub but a full, tight high gain tone. As I turn up the volume, I back off the bass but I can still run it well past 3 w/o flub.

The treble boost makes a huge improvement. I love these amps.

For reference, I also have Bogner XTC & Shiva Heads, a Voodoo Modified Dual Rec and a Carr Slant 6V Combo.
 
Channel 2. I havn't messed around with it a whole lot, just to play a little Sabbath or Zeppelin every once in awhile. My real area of interest is in face melting metal. I've heard that using E34L's in the class a power tube sockets (the end sockets) gives you more of a vintage crunch sound, however you are limited to certain power output options. I don't know much about this, nor do I know which channel is recommended. Sorry I can't help more.
 

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