Boogie Mark IV and Mark 3 ...

[JimAnsell]

I know I'll get arguments, and IMO R2 on the IVs is an embarrassment to the Mesa name. The IVb is a little better than the IVa, but that's not an endorsement. Fortunately the lead channel more than makes up for it.

R2 on the IIIs, especially boosted, can be pretty darn good.

Rhy2 is called Rhy2, not LD anything. the way i approach rhy2, is that its a 2nd clean channel but with more gain available, so i have it set like a boosted version of Rhy1. set pretty similar, but with more hair as if i was boosting RHY1 with a tube screamer. gives me that blackface + ts808 style tone. I'm happy with it like that. You can work it like a less dirty lead channel, but much like you, i've never really been happy with it like that, and found myself never using it.

I've also been keeping my 5 band flat, with only a slight dip in 750, and then sculpting the rest of the mids with a parametric eq. there are some other important frequencies in between the 240hz and 750 hz slider, as well as betwen the 750 and 2200hz sliders that need cutting. That way there isn't that crazy volume and mids difference when you switch from LD to LD-EQ, and it doesn't sound honky or weird. still scooped, but so much more balanced and ear pleasing than the old V shape on the 5 band by itself.

 

[anomaly]

+1

MKIII all day everyday over the MKIV (A or B).

MKIV is darker, smoother, squashed, more compressed. It just doesn't scream like a MKIII.

I find the Mark IV can get as bright as you'd ever need an amp to get especially the rev B because the Graphic has a stronger effect on the B, but i'll agree it's a little more compressed than a III, but seriously they're both fairly compressed amplifiers. I always find III's to be a little too harsh when you get them bright enough and nothing remedies this. I think next to the IIC+ the IV is the best sounding Mark series amp, it just has this perfectly balanced tone to it with no harsh frequencies and it has a really refined gain structure to it as well.

 

[anomaly]

Rhy2 is called Rhy2, not LD anything. the way i approach rhy2, is that its a 2nd clean channel but with more gain available, so i have it set like a boosted version of Rhy1. set pretty similar, but with more hair as if i was boosting RHY1 with a tube screamer. gives me that blackface + ts808 style tone. I'm happy with it like that. You can work it like a less dirty lead channel, but much like you, i've never really been happy with it like that, and found myself never using it.

I've also been keeping my 5 band flat, with only a slight dip in 750, and then sculpting the rest of the mids with a parametric eq. there are some other important frequencies in between the 240hz and 750 hz slider, as well as betwen the 750 and 2200hz sliders that need cutting. That way there isn't that crazy volume and mids difference when you switch from LD to LD-EQ, and it doesn't sound honky or weird. still scooped, but so much more balanced and ear pleasing than the old V shape on the 5 band by itself.

I like R2 on my IVb, but I use a Maxon od808 in front of it to boost it into hard rock territory, it does pretty well.

 

[VHTStark]

I find the Mark IV can get as bright as you'd ever need an amp to get especially the rev B because the Graphic has a stronger effect on the B, but i'll agree it's a little more compressed than a III, but seriously they're both fairly compressed amplifiers. I always find III's to be a little too harsh when you get them bright enough and nothing remedies this. I think next to the IIC+ the IV is the best sounding Mark series amp, it just has this perfectly balanced tone to it with no harsh frequencies and it has a really refined gain structure to it as well.

Agree with all of this, 100%

 

[GJgo]

Rhy2 is called Rhy2, not LD anything.

Well by that metric, we should be really confused in that the vast majority of Mark owners use the "lead" channel for their high gain rhythm sounds..

That said some notes I'll add IMO-
- The IIC++ on the rhythm channel makes wicked mid & high gain sounds when you throttle it.
- The MkIII R2 boosted I often think is a better high gain rhythm sound than on the lead channel.
- "Crunch" on the Mk Five 35 is a DAMN good gainy tone.

FWIW & YMMV.

 

[Techdeth]

+1

MKIII all day everyday over the MKIV (A or B).

MKIV is darker, smoother, squashed, more compressed. It just doesn't scream like a MKIII.

This. But I still love the iv

 

[Little B]

To answer op, mk iii's for me.More raw,immediate, in your face, aggressive in a good tone/ feel way.
I bought a mkiii red & blue,mk iv a and b all when they came out.
Mike b did the ryth.2 and rev. mod on the iiis.This makes the iii MUCH more usable in real world applications.......so much so I prefer it way more than the ivs ch 2 now.
A mkiii green str would be on my radar too.

 

[anomaly]

If you want an old school 80's style tone go for a III, if you want a more 90's to present kinda tone go for a IV. I find the III's can't lose that 80's sound they have, it's very hard to get a modern kinda tone out of one, but they do sound really good at what they do. I had a lot of trouble recording my red stripe Mark III when I had it, it kinda has this nasally sound when you get them to cut properly. When I was in the studio doing my bands demo about 12 years ago I ended up using a Randall rg100es with a boost for most of the tracks instead of my Mark III, it blew the Mark outta the water IMO, I wasn't expecting that.

 

[Little B]

^^^^ yep.theres always some upsets and unlikely surprises with amps at times.
I once had a huge rockman rig w/ it's humongous cabs dialed in and it almost sent my Marshall's packing before.
However, as for my mkiiis, I have a blue stripe 180 watt coliseum beast of an amp that will cut thru any mix this side of planet earth and rip your face off and simultanesly will punch u hard in the gut when it's mids are dialed in right.Even my
Regular red stripe never had a problem cutting thru a live band mix.
I guess it's like playing a wizard,bogner,Vht,etc..some people legitimately tried these amps and for whatever reason just couldnt get along with them.Ive played some boogies ( and even a iic+) I just didn't like and I've played some that are just the bomb.

 

[Candiria]

R2 on the IV is a great clean channel and pedal platform.

Much prefer the IV to the III. I've tried to like the 3 (Purple, Green, and Blue) IIIs I've owned/played, but they're too bright and too boomy at the same time. Presence pulled on the IV gets that style, but without the annoying frequencies.

I'm still hoping for a JP-IV. That would be the only thing that would potentially make me sell my IV.