first impressions - Mesa Mark IV

[Leon]

first impressions - Mesa Mark IV...


i took a trip to the GuitarCenter in Toledo, and just before i left, saw a used Mesa Mark IV sitting atop a marshall 4x12 and decided that i could spend another hour or so there

i grabbed an Ibanez SA(220? it had a transparent grey top with a H-H config) off the wall. and, i was amazed. i loved it! i use a modulating pedal with my Mesa Nomad 45 2x12 to give single notes more color, but this Mark IV needed no such extra flavoring. it was $1299 used. man, i wanted it! however, some of it was screwed up... the EQ couldn't be turned off, and one of the other buttons on the pedal was messed up.

granted, i still really dig my Nomad, but i think having a Mark IV around would be nice for some different sounds.

and btw, they only had 2 7strings there. one was an Ibanez AX i think. the other was a Schecter 7string lefty, not sure of the model, but it was pretty. i'd have played it if i were ambidextrous!

 

[No Soul]

this forum needs more Mesa threads

 

[Andi Rauscher]

has anyone of you guys ever checked out Diezel amps? They definitely rock with 7s... so much punch!

 

[Drew]

Agreed, the Mark-IV's are insanely sweet.

I got pretty close to the general "feel" of a mark-IV out of the Vintage Channel 3 on my 45 2x12- presence at 0, treble 5-6, mids 6-7, and bass 4-ish, with the gain a touch over half, and it was like a IV with just a hair more aggression. One of the best lead tones I've ever dialed up.

Sick amp, though, eh?

-D

 

[No Soul]

has anyone of you guys ever checked out Diezel amps? They definitely rock with 7s... so much punch!

They are pretty hard to find in the USA, not to mention incredibly expensive.

 

[Andi Rauscher]

They are pretty hard to find in the USA, not to mention incredibly expensive.

yeah, I know.... but don´t worry, they´re expensive over here , too... but worth every cent.

 

[Leon]

Agreed, the Mark-IV's are insanely sweet.

I got pretty close to the general "feel" of a mark-IV out of the Vintage Channel 3 on my 45 2x12- presence at 0, treble 5-6, mids 6-7, and bass 4-ish, with the gain a touch over half, and it was like a IV with just a hair more aggression. One of the best lead tones I've ever dialed up.

Sick amp, though, eh?

-D

were you in the extreme or normal mode on the power voicing switch?

 

[Drew]

lately, normal. It seems more "open" somehow, more responsive, and I like the clean channel more in normal. Although, for rhythm, three modern in extreme still owns.

Good thing you can switch back and forth while recording.

-D

 

[Leon]

yeah, i dig the normal mode myself. in extreme, the floor noise level of the amp really presents itself, and kinda sucks. but, if it's a song that's just all balls and chunk, then it's all good

 

[Leon]

so, yeah, i went and played that same Mark IV head again. as it turns out the pedalboard is fine, i was just ignorant of the buttons/switches on the back panel . i also played more with the different power options on that back panel. seems that there's ALOT one can do with that lead channel.

this was at the same place, GC in Toledo. this time, they set the head up with a 1960 marshal 4x12 from 1977 that was sitting up front (where all the expensive stuff is ). one of the salesmen gave me props for playing CoverMyEyes.

this time i played through a Schecter Omen 6. great guitar. i thought the neck was a bit nicer than my wizard neck on my RG570, as it was a bit thicker and sat in my hand more comfortably, but wasn't near as playable or fast as my RG570. it had a walnut satin finish on it too. it was perdy

now, someone go buy that head before i start selling organs!