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[spawnofthesith]

I bought a Mark IV head for $1200 back in 2017. Those were the days

Got mine for $1k earlier this year

 

[TubeStack]

I bought a Mark IV head for $1200 back in 2017. Those were the days

I don't remember Mark prices, as I wasn't into them back then, but most Mesa heads used to be $800 Canadian around here, all day long.

I bought a mint Stiletto Deuce II head for $600 Cdn, which is like $400 US...

 

[Mongillo19]

JUST LET ME THINK I GOT A DEAL

 

[spawnofthesith]

But to expound on that,

-$1k for combo
-$150 to tech to rewire to US voltage (it was a 240v export model)
-$300 headshell
+$380 from when I sold the combo shell

So actually netting at $1070 spent all in

 

[EOengineer]

I personally would be wary of buying a used Mark IV. There was a run using caps that would prematurely leak and destroy the circuit board. Mesa no longer repairs these and will simply refuse to service it.

I think this was limited to Mark IVA models but would recommend doing research prior to throwing down money.

Edited to provide a “source”

Mesa Boogie Mark IV brown leaky caps clarification

I bought a second Mark IV-A. It was the hardwood cab I thought I always wanted. That is until I picked it up fully loaded with the EVM 12L I love. Now I'm not sure. It's so beautiful and such a great amp but if I keep it I'll have to get a harbor freight small dolly to move it around until...

www.rig-talk.com

 

[EOengineer]

Shit I didn’t mean to kill the thread.

 

[spawnofthesith]

May have to take a peak inside my IVb. Unscientifically assuming that that annual production numbers remained consistent over the course of the entire production span the serial would place it around 2005. My tech did give it a clean bill of health when he was in there re-wiring the voltage tap

 

[EOengineer]

May have to take a peak inside my IVb. Unscientifically assuming that that annual production numbers remained consistent over the course of the entire production span the serial would place it around 2005. My tech did give it a clean bill of health when he was in there re-wiring the voltage tap

I’d probably do the same. I don’t know that it’s the kind of thing that a tech would spot until after it happens since not all caps signal a visual indicator prior to failing. I have to imagine if you had the problematic caps that you would have already experienced the issue.

I’m not a tech though, so def better safe than sorry.

 

[EOengineer]

Welp the simul satellite I ordered from GC showed up last night…hanging out the side of a single ply cardboard box with one piece of bubble wrap. I took one look at it and refused the delivery.

I might hold out for a 2:90 if one comes up at a reasonable price, otherwise I will probably just rack my Mark III when I want to use the rack. Could open up cool options switching between the studio pre and mark III preamp section.

Total bummer.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Welp the simul satellite I ordered from GC showed up last night…hanging out the side of a single ply cardboard box with one piece of bubble wrap. I took one look at it and refused the delivery.

I might hold out for a 2:90 if one comes up at a reasonable price, otherwise I will probably just rack my Mark III when I want to use the rack. Could open up cool options switching between the studio pre and mark III preamp section.

Total bummer.

GC really be fuckin up. I guess that’s nothing new though



Second practice with the III tonight. Made a number of tweaks and it’s just sounding even more epic. Both ITR and Mic’ed through our IEMs


I had been running presence basically off before tonight but have that up to 3 and tweaked some other things. This amps an absolute menace and I mean that in a good way

Also finding myself having fun accessing different tones by working tone and volume knobs on the guitar far more than I typically do with other amps (i.e. almost never lol)

 

[spawnofthesith]

Reunited and it feels so good

This thing is so good. I love all my marks but it definitely has some special sauce going on that the V or even IV don’t have

 

[EOengineer]

All the Mark III chatter got mine promoted back to living room duty.

I’m not exactly trying, but I can’t quit this amp. It’s been with me for over a decade and my understanding of it continues to evolve.

I had been on a Gibson kick for most of this year but switched back to a 60s vintage spec tele today and had a realization somewhat informed by info I picked up learning about the bass and deep shifts in Mark series amps that I want to add to my Studio Preamp.

Anyway, I wanted to explore fatter mid gain crunch tones from the III and went about it by somewhat counterintuitively pushing in the deep function and then pulling the bass shift. This is exactly opposite of how I dial the amp in 99% of the time.

This new (to me) configuration produces more bass at the front of the circuit, more typical of vintage fender. This also allowed me to push the bass knob more, which helped fill things out tonally on the clean channel too. It’s a looser sound than starving bass up front and adding it back with deep and GEQ, but this also seems sweeter, maybe browner?

Then I’m using a Green Rhino and a Carcosa fuzz to boost the lead channel and give me different textures. Really fun to play.

Just to reiterate - this is NOT for tight high gain or Gibsons. Think single coils into a vintage fender cranked to 11.

 

[LCW]

 

[spawnofthesith]

View attachment 34738

 

[JiveTurkey]

Does the Crab amp count

obviously didn't order but cheap shit is cool

 

[spawnofthesith]

Does the Crab amp count

obviously didn't order but cheap shit is cool

I’ve been considering grabbing one just cuz wtf whit not..::: costs less than many hipster super delays

He quotes me $660 shipped last night

 

[spawnofthesith]

I know Ukraine is at war right now and don’t have a grasp of their economy but still can’t fathom the low price

 

[spawnofthesith]

There was some drama with deleted posts in one of the Mesa boogie groups yesterday but a dude DMed me some clips comparing to his mark VII and damn it was close

 

[JiveTurkey]

There was some drama with deleted posts in one of the Mesa boogie groups yesterday but a dude DMed me some clips comparing to his mark VII and damn it was close

I wonder what the build quality is like? Are the EQ bands the same as a Mark?

 

[spawnofthesith]

I wonder what the build quality is like? Are the EQ bands the same as a Mark?

Same GEQ frequency bands, I can’t speak to the build quality. What few end user comments I’ve come across are 100% positive

Supposedly “hand wired in the Ukraine”


The largest deviations apparent are the fact that he’s using torrioidal transformers, and that his “Marcus III” (which nonsensically is actually mark IIc++ based) is 50 watts… not sure on simulclass or not (though I think not?) also sounds like built to order and modifications can be made