Mark IV w/ 6v6s versus lone star w/ 6v6s

Hey there...

I have a mark IV and am attempting to recreate a fender deluxe tone by using 6v6s. Specifically, I am trying to nail Trey Anastasio's tone that he achieved through a modded BF deluxe reverb with a mid boost amongst other mods. The GEQ on the mark IV seems to be helpful for getting the mid boost. My question is... Which amp, the lone star or the mark IV, does a better job of recreating the fender deluxe tone with 6V6s? I would get a BF deluxe reverb but they are too expensive and not worth modding due to vintage status. The dr reissue is supposed to be uninspiring...so mesa seems like a good option to find this tone!

Maybe I'm wrong but it's going to pretty tough to get a 6V6 tone out of a 6L6 in a MkIV. And unless you use something like a Yellow Jacket adapter (which only does EL84s, I think) -again, not factory warranty friendly - I wouldn't know of a way to retrofit a 6V6 into a 6L6 amp without serious mods. If you're looking for 6V6 sounds, I'd look at a 6V6 amp.

I have never tried it in my Mark IV, but the manual states that you can use 4 6v6s in it, with the following restrictions:

- You have to run in 'tweed mode'.
- You have to run in 'simul-class'.

They also recommend that you plug the (8 ohm) speaker into the 4 ohm jack.

Given those restrictions, it kind of scared me away from trying them. I tweak so much that I worry I would change modes and forget that I had 6v6s in there.

So, I run 2 EL34s and 2 6L6s and love the combination.

If you do try the 6v6s in your MK IV, I would be very curious as to how it does and how it sounds.

bgh said:

I have never tried it in my Mark IV, but the manual states that you can use 4 6v6s in it, with the following restrictions:

- You have to run in 'tweed mode'.
- You have to run in 'simul-class'.

They also recommend that you plug the (8 ohm) speaker into the 4 ohm jack.

Given those restrictions, it kind of scared me away from trying them. I tweak so much that I worry I would change modes and forget that I had 6v6s in there.

So, I run 2 EL34s and 2 6L6s and love the combination.

If you do try the 6v6s in your MK IV, I would be very curious as to how it does and how it sounds.

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I've got Tung Sol 6V6 reissues in my mark IV right now using the recommended settings. It's a different tone for sure, although I suck at putting tone into words. Do a search and you will find people who love 6V6s in the mark IV. I'm just wondering if the lonestar will be even better for my purposes. Also, the tung sol reissue 6V6 is a decent tube, but I am willing to bet that some vintage 6V6s would really help me get that old school tone. But w/ the mesa bias it's hard to find NOS tubes. Thinking about getting a bias mod on my Mark iV or lonestar if I buy one.

Yeah, I'm starting to think seriously about the bias mod too for my Mark IV.

As a Deluxe Reverb reissue owner I can tell you that they anything BUT uninspiring. One of the best > $1000 amps out there. However, they are a one trick pony. My friend has an original 1965 Deluxe Reverb and they sound almost identical. The circuits are the same, the difference is the reissues have pcb's and the originals were hand wired.

Hollis said:

As a Deluxe Reverb reissue owner I can tell you that they anything BUT uninspiring. One of the best > $1000 amps out there. However, they are a one trick pony. My friend has an original 1965 Deluxe Reverb and they sound almost identical. The circuits are the same, the difference is the reissues have pcb's and the originals were hand wired.

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I've read differing opinions on the DRRI, and honestly you might be in the minority. I need to try one out for myself, but my local gear shop selection stinks. Ever tried a lonestar? I hear the cleans are the same as the FAT mode on the mark V, and I remember that part of the mark V bringing a smile to my face for sure.

The cleans on the Lonestar may very well be just as good, probably better, and I'd have one if I had the money. I'm just defending an amp I own and that I know to be a great sounding, reliable low wattage clean amp. I just don't want you to avoid a great little amp because of some of the cork sniffers out there haha lol.

Hollis said:

The cleans on the Lonestar may very well be just as good, probably better, and I'd have one if I had the money. I'm just defending an amp I own and that I know to be a great sounding, reliable low wattage clean amp. I just don't want you to avoid a great little amp because of some of the cork sniffers out there haha lol.

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Oh for sure. And your DRRI is stock, right? I'm sure some NOS tubes and a speaker upgrade could add even more tone if one wanted to go that route. The thing is that my favorite DR tones come from a BF DR that was modded quite a bit, so it's hard to say.

What I meant in my last post is that I haven't seen any DRRIs to test out locally. Who knows maybe it's perfect for me? I am just a sucker for mesa gear for various reasons

Yeah, I'm a big Mesa fan too. I have some serious gas for an Electradyne. I would trade my DRRi for an Electradyne in a heartbeat! I just need to save some money. If I let my Deluxe Reverb go I know I'd regret it.