MKIV vs Sig X

[KnightBrolaire]

I can currently only buy one, and they're all around the same price.
the mkiv and sig x are relatively local so I can drive out and grab em.
I know I love the mesa sound, but I've always wanted to try a fryette, and the sig x sounds pretty awesome from the clips i've heard/profiles I have of it.
If you have any experiences with them feel free to chime in.

 

[TedEH]

I vote for the Mesa both because I'm a Mesa fan, but also because any video I can find of the Sig:X doesn't really sound very exciting to me. It's almost... too aggressive for my taste? I'm hearing super dry, 99% "chunk" sound but not very much body. I've played a couple of amps that were on that sort of super dry side of things and none of them really excite me very much. Marks are dry, but not thaaaaaaaaat dry. You can still get a saturated-ish sound of them if you want. Like if a Recto is loose and saturated and a Sig:X is tight and dry, the Mark sits right in the middle.

I'd also be worried about versatility - the gain character strikes me as something that would work really well in some scenarios, but really not fit into other scenarios. What if you want to roll the gain back, or the guitar volume, and play something more mellow? What happens if you put single coils through it? All the demos I found on youtube were down tuned - what does it sound like in standard?

In the end though, it's gonna come down to taste. IMO, go try the Sig, and if it excites you in all the right places go for it, but otherwise it's reaaaaally hard to go wrong with a Mark IV, IMO.

 

[Hollowway]

Ugh, I don't know if I could make a decision in this situation, either. I've tried both, but not side by side. The siggy will do better if you need the multi channel feature, because the cleans are amazing.
I'm actually reading about sigX vs UL, right now. I'm about to pick up a UL, I think.

What sort of music are you playing?

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

What music are you playing?
What volume level situations are you in?

These are important. If you can't turn up the Fryette, I'd suggest not contemplating it.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I vote for the Mesa both because I'm a Mesa fan, but also because any video I can find of the Sig:X doesn't really sound very exciting to me. It's almost... too aggressive for my taste? I'm hearing super dry, 99% "chunk" sound but not very much body. I've played a couple of amps that were on that sort of super dry side of things and none of them really excite me very much. Marks are dry, but not thaaaaaaaaat dry. You can still get a saturated-ish sound of them if you want. Like if a Recto is loose and saturated and a Sig:X is tight and dry, the Mark sits right in the middle.

I'd also be worried about versatility - the gain character strikes me as something that would work really well in some scenarios, but really not fit into other scenarios. What if you want to roll the gain back, or the guitar volume, and play something more mellow? What happens if you put single coils through it? All the demos I found on youtube were down tuned - what does it sound like in standard?

In the end though, it's gonna come down to taste. IMO, go try the Sig, and if it excites you in all the right places go for it, but otherwise it's reaaaaally hard to go wrong with a Mark IV, IMO.

You can get some pretty cool hotrodded Marshall tones, I think. Just gotta set the two gains, the gain switches, and mid range correctly. You can get a ton of different tones out of it. Plus, I like that it's super dry because I can add pedals which I love to mess around with to get it wet.

Those are definitely things to think about, but it sounds great, and you can get it to sound right depending on your situation. Want it wet? Use an overdrive pedal. Want it looser sounding? Set the Gain I up to be looser. The Lead channel on the amp is darker and more saturated.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Ugh, I don't know if I could make a decision in this situation, either. I've tried both, but not side by side. The siggy will do better if you need the multi channel feature, because the cleans are amazing.
I'm actually reading about sigX vs UL, right now. I'm about to pick up a UL, I think.

What sort of music are you playing?

I play a bit of everything, though lately it's been more gojira/behemoth esque stuff and sludge with some 80s riffage thrown in here and there.

What music are you playing?
What volume level situations are you in?

These are important. If you can't turn up the Fryette, I'd suggest not contemplating it.

gojira/behemoth esque stuff, some sludgier stuff like mastodon, pelican, high on fire, also a sprinkle of 80s metal like maiden/ratt/crue. the amp doesn't have to nail all of those tones since I can get most if not all of those with my f30.
-Decently loud, depending on what time of day I'm playing.
I'm obviously not going to be cranking it through a 4x12 or anything, but I can probably run it through a 2x12 or something.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I play a bit of everything, though lately it's been more gojira/behemoth esque stuff and sludge with some 80s riffage thrown in here and there.


gojira/behemoth esque stuff, some sludgier stuff like mastodon, pelican, high on fire, also a sprinkle of 80s metal like maiden/ratt/crue. the amp doesn't have to nail all of those tones since I can get most if not all of those with my f30.
-Decently loud, depending on what time of day I'm playing.
I'm obviously not going to be cranking it through a 4x12 or anything, but I can probably run it through a 2x12 or something.

Regardless of what it's played through, the fucking thing is proud to be loud. Judging from replies in the Mark thread, it's more usable at more volumes than just loud.

It can definitely nail the Ratt/Dokken/White Lion thing on the Rhythm channel.

 

[diagrammatiks]

Sig x

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Mark4, Mark4, Mark4




Way more versatile, sounds better at low volumes, and will be a more familiar sound. The Fryette amps are really nice and well built... but have a unique sound that may or may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The SigX never blew me away for the heavy stuff.

I read in the other thread you mentioned a MKIII... only go for one with the graphic eq. It makes the entire amp. Also depends on the version... some sound a bit different than others.

 

[Hollowway]

The tough thing here is that the sig X is the markiest of the Fryette amps. It's got the big bottle power amp, it's not as tight and unforgiving as the Pittbulls, and it's got 3 channels. I'd be willing to bet if you played them side by side you'd STILL have a hard time deciding what you want to get. Is the price/condition between the two the same?

 

[KnightBrolaire]

The tough thing here is that the sig X is the markiest of the Fryette amps. It's got the big bottle power amp, it's not as tight and unforgiving as the Pittbulls, and it's got 3 channels. I'd be willing to bet if you played them side by side you'd STILL have a hard time deciding what you want to get. Is the price/condition between the two the same?

Price is exactly the same for both, just to make it harder.

Mark4, Mark4, Mark4




Way more versatile, sounds better at low volumes, and will be a more familiar sound. The Fryette amps are really nice and well built... but have a unique sound that may or may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The SigX never blew me away for the heavy stuff.

I read in the other thread you mentioned a MKIII... only go for one with the graphic eq. It makes the entire amp. Also depends on the version... some sound a bit different than others.

One of the MKIIIs I was looking at was a red stripe, the one without a graphic eq didn't specify what version.
I think I'm gonna go with the mkiv, I know I love mesa tones and that they mesh with all my gear.

 

[Hollowway]

Price is exactly the same for both, just to make it harder.

One of the MKIIIs I was looking at was a red stripe, the one without a graphic eq didn't specify what version.
I think I'm gonna go with the mkiv, I know I love mesa tones and that they mesh with all my gear.

Can't fault you for that. For me, if I had to get a Mesa, it would be the Mark IV. If I had to get a Fryette, it would be the UL.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Can't fault you for that. For me, if I had to get a Mesa, it would be the Mark IV. If I had to get a Fryette, it would be the UL.

I was quite interested in the UL for a while there, but they're kind of hard to find with the eq, plus I don't think an amp with the reputation of being one of the most unforgiving and ridiculously tight is what I need If the sig x was anywhere near as tight as the UL I wouldn't even have considered it.

 

[NinjaRaf]

I voted for the Mark IV. The response and character of these amps is just something really fucking magical. I have spent some time with a SigX, and it will need a boost to get as tight as the Mark IV. Both are super versatile, incredible sounding, high quality amps...just about which tone, response, and character you like better.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

I voted for the Mark IV. The response and character of these amps is just something really fucking magical. I have spent some time with a SigX, and it will need a boost to get as tight as the Mark IV. Both are super versatile, incredible sounding, high quality amps...just about which tone, response, and character you like better.

I've pretty much decided I'm getting the MKIV, now I just have to move some stuff around to get it.

 

[jwiltz2072]

I have owned 2 Sig X heads and the Mark IV. Sold the Sig X in favor of the IV. It is true that the Sig X still needs a boost to do what the Mark IV can do without one. I wanted to like it but everytime I plugged back into in the Mark IV it would remind me of the character and feel the Sig X was lacking. Still a great amp, I am just spoiled to the Mark IV.

 

[Shask]

I have never heard a Sig X, but I had a D120 for awhile. It sounded pretty good, but yes, ridiculously loud. This was next to my Triple Recto. You really had to give it some volume to sound right, and at that volume, something about the high end presence made my ears physically hurt, like there was too much treble or something that couldn't be dialed out. I read somewhere once that VHT amps "crystallize" in the highs when you palm mute, and I could hear this. I will say that the depth and weight behind each note was crazy. It had so much natural depth to the tone that it sounded huge. Very clear, dry tone, with a very quick low end response that just jumped out of the cab. Each palm mute was like a ninja kick to the chest.

I also owned a Mark III for many years, and these amps are dry as well, but not as dry, and can get more compressed and saturated. More tone variation with the Graphic EQ. I actually find them fuzzy, so I tend to run the presence on like 2 to darken them up some. All of the Mark IV talking lately has me wanting one, lol. This is one amp I miss that I wish I still had, but at the same time, I know why I traded it. It sounded like 1994 all the time. It did that early 90's thrash sound perfectly, but had issues trying to dial in anything else. I was really into my Triple Recto at the time, so it was the one I kept after I traded away most of my tube amps.

 

[protest]

The Sig does a great crunch that probably no Mark is capable of...maybe the V. I prefer the cleans on the IV, I'm not a big fan of the cleans in the Sig, not bad but I was expecting something different since they get described as amazing.

The lead channels are different, the Sig might have more chunk to it but the IV is more enjoyable to play and has fantastic solo tones. The Sig is the most dynamic high gain amp I've ever played. It's also more raw, especially on the orange channel, than the IV.

It's a tough choice. I like them both, but probably prefer the IV.

 

[BurningRome]

I love the Sig X. I've had 3. I rotate a lot.

Buy based on the best deal. Fair to ask what each is priced at? I've bought all my Sig's for under $1000 and worth the price. They fantastic amps.

Sounds massive cranked and stops on a dime. It's a great amp if you use a lot of delay like I do, allows for great transparency. Has it's own sound that stands out from the crowd too, like an orange.

 

[Hollowway]

I've bought all my Sig's for under $1000 and worth the price.

I need new buying circles. I can’t get anywhere close to that at the sigs I’ve looked at!