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Belated NAD: Mesa

4K views 27 replies 12 participants last post by  Leon 
#1 ·
So having sold my Helix LT I've seen looking at everything to replace it. 5150, JVM, Dual Rec, Stiletto ACE, PRS MT15 and then I had a thought of finally getting my dream amp.

Looked every where and finally found on on eBay for a price I could just about afford.



Yep an old Mark IVa combo.

I've been wanting one for over 15 years and I finally took the plunge. I absolutely love it. It's stupidly loud but when you get it turned up, it's every thing I was looking for
 
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#4 ·
Nice, is that an HT-6? Would love a 7-string version of that! (and sorry to hijack your amp thread with guitar drooling...)
 
#14 ·
Thanks everyone. I got a chance to turn it up the other day and it's just incredible. The way the heavy rhythm tone just punches you in the face without much distortion is exactly what I was hoping for.

There's a couple of things:

It didn't come with a footswitch, so I'm going to have to save up and order one.

Eventually I'm going to convert it to a rack unit then use it with a 2 x 12 cab. There's nothing wrong with it being a combo, I'd just like that extra option.

Oh, I'll also need a power soak because it's fucking loud.


and feel free to add me on instagram, I've followed back everyone who already has :yesway:
 
#17 ·
Don't bother with the Mesa switch or rack mount kit. There's external switching jacks on the back of the amp, use those. If you're racking it and using it with effects, grab a Nux PMS-2 switcher. They're cheap and midi, take the stupid rubber side plates off and they fit in 1U of space too. I have one, they're awesome.

As for the rack mount, I literally made one for my Mark III (which Adam now has on his Mark IV) out of a 4U rack shelf turned upside down. I just cut the length down with a power saw and drilled 4 holes for the mounting screws. Adam refined it with a 3U vented blanking plate for the front.
 
#20 ·
Each jack is a 1/4" latching jack, so standard foot switches would do it, as long as you unlactched the one you were turning off first. That's where the Nux (or a similar switcher) comes into it's own, you program which switches need to be on for each midi message you send it. Absolute piece of cake
 
#21 ·
Steve, I've done exactly that. I got one of those nux boxes, it has multiple outputs and you just connect them to the back of the amp, activate whichever relays you need for whatever configuration you want and hit save.

Do you have any midi switching pedals?

I eventually switched out the nux for a tc g major, as that can do 2 relays which is enough for the channel switching I needed. The g major and mark iv together in a 4u rack was an awesome complete rig if you want to go down the multi fx route.

Then I just needed a behringer fcb 1010 for patch switching.
 
#23 ·
No midi switching at the moment Adam. At the moment, multi effects would be overkill for what I'm doing. I'm in a cover band and really one need 3 basic tones (crunch, heavy rhythm and a lead tone). At most I'd just need an overdrive pedal, noise suppressor and maybe a delay pedal.

Having looked about a bit I've seen people recommend the Boss FS-6 as a cheap solution for what I'd need. So I may give that a go and then have basic pedals.
 
#24 ·
So after all this time, I finally bought an FU-3 footswitch second hand for not too much money. A hell of a lot less than what Andertons were going to charge me.

However I'm now considering whether I should have stuck with the Helix set up. The Mark IV is amazing but I never get to use it as I'm no longer in a band.
 
#25 ·
I play a Mark-V as a bedroom-friendly practice amp. It takes some finesse with the master volume, but it CAN be done. I don't even cut it down from 90w all that much.
 
#26 ·
Does anybody out there have both a Mark IV and a Mark V?

My favorite heavy sound on my Mark V by far is Channel 2 Crunch with gain almost all the way up, bass most of the way down, and a typical V curve on the graphic EQ.

Channel 3 is actually pretty underwhelming. The Mark IIC+ and Mark IV modes on Channel 3 are both significantly quieter and lack balls compared to channel 2 crunch which is not what I expected.

I'm curious if this is typical of all Mark V's and also, how does the Mark IV mode on the V compare to a real Mark IV?
 
#27 ·
Resurrection again.

Just bought an Orange 2 x 12 cab to use with the Mark IV and it's exactly what I needed. The combo sounds terrible for metal so using with a good cab is the key.

It's off for a pot replacement this week too. Lead Drive pot is making weird noises when pulled out.
 
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