Mesa/Boogie Mark IV Rev A Metallica Tones

Time Stamps
0:03 Kleenz
1:42 Hebby
So I won’t lie, I’m pretty bummed I missed out on the special Het Set that has a COA signed by James…. But ya know, given how these 80s Humbuckers sound, I can’t be too mad.
All jokes aside, this is SEVEN MONTHS in the making. So let’s rewind.
Big thanks to Justin for trading me my old XPL (as well as for helping out later, which we’ll get to) for this, what is this exactly?
A ‘90 Mark IV Rev A with 777 serial number.
This old thing was owned by one fella out of Minneapolis in combo form who mainly played “just rock”
This amp doesn’t like just rock, this amp is very, VERY angry.
Now, I’m not dogging the guy, and I’m appreciative he took such good care of it (for the most part, again getting there).
So I get the amp in, throw it in a rack unit, fire it up, and immediately one something pops and starts smoking. Take it to my local tech, he’s too scared to open the thing up. Send it to Petaluma and it sits for a LOOOOONG time. But finally gets the TLC and tune up it needs, and either they added some spice to the Lead Channel, or again. This amp is very, very, very angry. What you’re hearing is no frontal boosts, and no external EQs. Just guitar and amp for the gain. And good ‘ol chorus on cleans.
I’ve rambled enough, thanks again to Justin for the trade, and helping make good on it. And whoever worked on it at Boogie.
This thing isn’t Crunch Berries, it’s Art the Clown. Because it’ll mutilate you in the most aggressive ways

[@Padreblue11]

0:03 Kleenz 1:42 Hebby

[@BlueSkiesBlackDeath]

While everyone was collecting III Stripes, I was grabbing the most mint I could find of the IV’s :) I have both medium and wide A/b versions of the heads and combos. Love these !!!!

[@Padreblue11]

@@BlueSkiesBlackDeath awesome! How do the A & Bs differ you’d say? And any differences in tone between the Long and Short boards of the same revision?

[@BlueSkiesBlackDeath]

@ the primary difference lies in the design of the effects loop, with the Mark IV A having two separate mono effects loops (one "normal" and one "switchable") while the Mark IV B has a single send/return loop that can be assigned to different modes or operated manually; the Mark IV B also generally has a larger power transformer and different internal components compared to the Mark IV A. The B is a bit darker sounding. To tell the difference properly, you have to look at the rear of the head where the effects placement etc is. You’ll have to google it. One isn’t “better” than the other, just different. I’d have to look, but I believe the B version has a removable cord, but don’t quote me on that. Tone wise ( everyone calls them short and wide, but the “short” is actually just standard. Tonally not really any difference. I think it’s more like how Marshall’s Jubilees had the 2553 and 2555 with the 2553 just being shorter (I think that’s how the numbers went). So yeah I’d do a google. And there’s KZbin with plenty of comparisons. Another downside is nobody wants to service them these days.

[@Padreblue11]

@@BlueSkiesBlackDeath oh believe me I know. It sat at my local tech’s for 3 months before another 4 at Mesa themselves lol

[@BlueSkiesBlackDeath]

@ ha! Yeah when people are pretty new to getting into Boogies, I always tell them the JP2C is the one to get. Personally I think it is, because you still “feel” the difference, AND, it’s reliable with the times. The 2’ s, 3’s and 4’s. It’s like “I’ll close my eyes and turn it on and hope it works “ lol. But when it does, everyone knows because it’s brutal. I haven’t heard the new IIc+. I’m curious. The VII did nothing for me. Even the build quality felt cheap. I was reading a post today from 2006 and everyone was joking that maybe one day in the future they’ll magically have a revised version lol.

[@JamieSlays]

this sounds great :D

[@Padreblue11]

@@JamieSlays thanks man!

[@sheldonmacdonald3602]

Dude that clean sanitarium sounded dead on

[@Padreblue11]

@@sheldonmacdonald3602 thanks dude! That’s the good ‘ol Boss CE-2 in the loop working its magic

[@lostinpa-dadenduro7555]

It’s glorious.

[@nihilist92]

Absolutely savage! 🔥🔥

[@Padreblue11]

@@nihilist92 thank you!

[@danyoo1208]

I think i'm in love with this amp more than the IIC+, sounds like a more aggressive Justice tone

[@Padreblue11]

@@danyoo1208 the IIC+ from what I’ve seen and heard is more compressed and brighter, and I imagine the ++ is like that but with more gain lol Doesn’t help that all the videos of the IIC+ reissue are allergic to high gain tones it seems

[@donsmith5385]

My favorite Boogie amp! I love how tight the MKIV is! Almost solid state tight! Yup! OD’s are optional, these amps have a shit ton of gain! This is why when the dual Rec came out I was disappointed, there was nothing that came out after that was better. That’s just my opinion. When this amp came out people hated it. “It’s too tight sounding!” Was what I would hear all the time! What has kept me away from this amp is the maintenance, not everyone will work on this amp as you experienced, I live in LA and no one hear will work on one! So are you saying you were using older EMG”s? I always thought this amp is the most versatile amp! As you demonstrated, the cleans are beyond clean and the gain this amp has is so angry!

[@Padreblue11]

Thanks man! And too tight? lol that’s hilarious! Yeah my tech here in SoCal too let it sit for like 2 months because he was too afraid to open it up. Ended up sending it to Boogie themselves and thankfully they did a bang up job! Nah these are the stock pickups in my Gibson 80s Explorer reissue, they’re just called “80s tribute humbuckers” they sound pretty close to Dirty Fingers to me, except the neck pickup is about half as much output

[@donsmith5385]

@ that explorer sounds amazing!

[@Padreblue11]

@ yeah it does, plays amazing too!

[@cjmpyt]

You lucky bastard

[@Padreblue11]

@@cjmpyt didn’t feel lucky for several months there lol

[@hartlee1160]

Is this camera mic? Your tone always sounds so vicious and what I'd expect a amp in the room to translate as. Either way you nailed these

[@Padreblue11]

@@hartlee1160 yup, iPhone mic! Thanks dude!

[@0megalul309]

rev a owner here, theres a mod on the fb group showing how to tighten up the channel 2

[@Padreblue11]

@@0megalul309 it’s not bad tightness wise, just doesn’t have a whole lot of gain. Feels like an “edge of breakup” kind of channel

[@gerrydaly5409]

Great playing. Those clean tones sound spectacular- are you using an EV or V30?

[@Padreblue11]

@@gerrydaly5409 thanks! They’re 70w V30s

[@gerrydaly5409]

@@Padreblue11 Awesome, thanks

[@lootbaglarry8.2]

Sik!

[@Padreblue11]

@@lootbaglarry8.2 thank you!

[@AdamFague]

In light of recent humiliations (Mesa/Boogie’s 2C+ reissue video featuring nothing but the worst dad rock garbage tones), it’s an honor to be joined by MEN.

[@Padreblue11]

@@AdamFague seriously were they told not to do metal tones? lol

[@micah7448]

Yeah, or whatever happened there.

[@omarheavy2009]

What speakers are you using here? I paired mine with 2x12 MC-90 and EVM 12L and sounds sux, but with 4x12 V30 sounds great!

[@Padreblue11]

@@omarheavy2009 70w V30s here, it sounds way better through my G12-65 4x12 cab!

[@omarheavy2009]

​@@Padreblue11Do you boost it as well?

[@Padreblue11]

@ not in this video, no but it sounds great with a tube screamer or 6-band in front

[@embracetheonslaught]

Did they use this or a Roland jazz chorus for cleans? I'm pretty sure they used the jazz chorus

[@Padreblue11]

@@embracetheonslaught they used the Jazz Chorus, the Boss CE-2 I have in the loop is the same chorus circuitry that the JC-120s have

[@scription7277]

​​@@Padreblue11What do you think of the stock clean channel? I have the same amp and I find it pretty nice.

[@Padreblue11]

@ it’s good, I just always throw a chorus onto my cleans

[@paulrudder658]

Harmonic or mid gain?

[@Padreblue11]

@@paulrudder658 Mid Gain & Pentode all day. Harmonic sounds like a midy box over the cab, and Triode is quieter and less gain to me. I actually preferred Class A for a bit too but after swapping to Sylvania 6L6s in the inner sockets that changed lol

[@paulrudder658]

@@Padreblue11 Sounds fucking legit. Thank you for posting this. ITS ALIIIVE!!!! Fuck the 2c+ MkIV shits on it and is way more usable / versatile. (and yes Ive owned a real '83 2c+DRG). where id you get the Sylvania 6l6's? I have Mesa 443's in middle and JJe34L's outer.

[@Padreblue11]

@ yeah dude no problem! I’m really enjoying mine so far, though I’m tempted to eventually get a reissue IIC+ just because lol How was the high gain of the IIC+ compared to your IV?

[@paulrudder658]

My experience on playing both amps side by side and I’m in c standard tuning (drop Bb) The mk4 is at a 10 and the 2c+ is at 12 if that makes any sense? It’s like the mk4 is a few calories less. You can hear it when they’re side by side but in the context of getting ur jollies from the amp the mk4 holds its own and has the magic. I’m the kinda dude that would rather have a mk4 and all the shit it can do and be in it for a few g’s vs a 1 trick wonder at 5/6-9 grand. To me a 2c+ isn’t justifiable. But the 2c+ guys are weirdos anyhow. Folklore and all that bollocks 💤

[@Padreblue11]

@ oh I agree, especially with how much they try and ask for those vintage heads used

[@oliv9632]

Funny all these clean song were recorded on a randall clean chorus

[@Padreblue11]

@@oliv9632 never head that before, unless you’re referring to the Roland

[@mrshredder0076]

What chorus pedal did you use?

[@Padreblue11]

@ Vintage boss CE-2

[@mrshredder0076]

i’m buying a mark iv after i sell my two rock

[@Padreblue11]

@ Nice! Hope you dig it