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rakoto « Indispensable »
Published on 04/30/14 at 00:47All-tube amp with four 6L6 power tubes. B Series, with stereo effect loop. Electrovoice speaker.
3 channels, two of which are entirely independent. EQ common to all three channels. The output power can go from 30W to 90W, depending on the settings of the power tubes (pentode/triode, class a/simul class, tweed/full power)
USE
The settings aren't what I'd call simple. You really need to read the manual to understand how the gain interacts with the tone controls...Luckily, the manual is very clear. Otherwise, you can always find some good starting presets at grailtone.
SOUND
You can get lots of different sounds. I use it mainly for jazz. And a bit of crunch for blues and fusion. It sounds great for jazz, fairly close to a Polytone, but with a tube touch. You can easily get a fat Wes or Jim Hall sound. The electrovoice speaker has a lot to do with that, because the sound can be really bass-heavy without it crunching (I have another Mesa cab with a Celestion C90 to compare it to)
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for four years. It's an amp with a big personality. I also have a Lone Star and I think the Lone Star really highlights the difference between guitars, while the Mark 4 imposes more its sound signature on them....I sometimes play both in stereo and I can get all sorts of nuances.
A real Mesa masterpiece!!!!
3 channels, two of which are entirely independent. EQ common to all three channels. The output power can go from 30W to 90W, depending on the settings of the power tubes (pentode/triode, class a/simul class, tweed/full power)
USE
The settings aren't what I'd call simple. You really need to read the manual to understand how the gain interacts with the tone controls...Luckily, the manual is very clear. Otherwise, you can always find some good starting presets at grailtone.
SOUND
You can get lots of different sounds. I use it mainly for jazz. And a bit of crunch for blues and fusion. It sounds great for jazz, fairly close to a Polytone, but with a tube touch. You can easily get a fat Wes or Jim Hall sound. The electrovoice speaker has a lot to do with that, because the sound can be really bass-heavy without it crunching (I have another Mesa cab with a Celestion C90 to compare it to)
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for four years. It's an amp with a big personality. I also have a Lone Star and I think the Lone Star really highlights the difference between guitars, while the Mark 4 imposes more its sound signature on them....I sometimes play both in stereo and I can get all sorts of nuances.
A real Mesa masterpiece!!!!