Errr....6505 or mark IV

[chadsxe]

I am in the market for a new amp and I am debating betwween the mentioned. I love the way both sound but there are some other factors to figure in. The 6505 seems more studio freindly then the Mesa Mark IV. God knows I have heard countless exampels of the 6505 on records that I love but not so many with the Mark IV that I can think of. In fact the band that I love that uses them (Lamb of God) live does not even use them in the studio anymore. Then there is the fact that I love the idea of having my amp racked. I would love to have the Mark IV racked when I play shows. So much easier to care for and carry around. Ekkkkk..... HELP ME

Chad

 

[Gaspard]

Both sound totally different, lamb of god use them in the studio, they just blent it with other amps (orange, mesa, marshall), but go with the peavey.

You can have a rack case for the head too.

Oh and if you wanna hear some mark IV recording listening to dream theatre or bruce springsteen.

 

[chadsxe]

Yeah...for sure....I know am well aware of them sounding completely different but I love them both.

What do you mean by "you can rack the peavy". Are you taling about ATA cases with rack slots above them?

Yeah...I seen the studio footage of them talking about blending the amps in order to get there "live" sound. I wonder if As The Palaces Burn was recorded strictly with the Mesa though. That was done before machine got his hands on things.

 

[Metaltastic]

Well if you really want rackability, you could just get any number of preamp/poweramp combos, the most fitting for your desired sound of course being the Triaxis and some Mesa power-amp.

 

[colonel kurtz]

I wonder if As The Palaces Burn was recorded strictly with the Mesa though. That was done before machine got his hands on things.

their old shit was 100% mesa

AOTW, according to mark morton, is about 70% mesa, 20% marshall, 10% DI(that's right!)

i couldn't tell you what they used for sacrament

personally, my end-goal is to get both a bitchin' mesa and 5150/6505 one of these days...but if i had to pick just one, it'd probably be the peavey

 

[AudioPhile777]

I vote you sit around on craigslist or ebay and pick up a used 5150... their less expensive and its the same thing...

I got one used... the thing is phenomenal... It actually has a very broad spectrum of tones, as I found out today...

 

[Sloan]

this forum makes me want a 5150 every damn time i visit. shit.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

5150s are the shit period.

 

[chadsxe]

I vote you sit around on craigslist or ebay and pick up a used 5150... their less expensive and its the same thing...

I got one used... the thing is phenomenal... It actually has a very broad spectrum of tones, as I found out today...

Hahaha...so get this. I have never heard nor have been on craiglist's before I read your post. That day I jumped on there, found a 5150 for sale about 40 mins from my house, and then ended up driving out there to buy it the same. The freaking things is flawless. In perfect condition. My hats off to you for the tip.

None the less I am now on a mission to get a Mark IV.

 

[Mood Bender]

if the Mark is for studio only, consider a Mark III

 

[AudioPhile777]

Hahaha...so get this. I have never heard nor have been on craiglist's before I read your post. That day I jumped on there, found a 5150 for sale about 40 mins from my house, and then ended up driving out there to buy it the same. The freaking things is flawless. In perfect condition. My hats off to you for the tip.

None the less I am now on a mission to get a Mark IV.

Your welcome. CL rocks for quick deals with people who need cash and have nice things... thats how I got my 5150 for $500. Also picked up a decent Ibanez RG for $40...

 

[aramism]

for the record the first two lamb of god albums were 100% mark iv. the first album they were using SD invaders the second one was sd sh 59. thus a more twangy tone.


AOTW had different amps blended in certain parts. for example you can hear a lot of clean picking (DI -> sansamp rackmount) in articulate parts clearly on the record on top of distorted tone. the main rhythm tone for the title track on that album is a mark iv with i think a jmp1 preamp through an old ass marshall 100w head. the majority of that album is mark iv but other stuff is layered on top.


sacrament is the same thing but more smooth so you don't notice it. not that AOTW was sloppy but the different amps are more noticable.




i love the mark iv. the 5150 is different. is is more modern by nature wheras the mark iv sounds sweeter. it all comes down to tastes ,they are both great amps. i feel that the mark iv is more versatily, and my personal taste i like the mark iv more. the mark iv is capable of being very heavy if you set it right, ive played it when people didn't know it was a mk iv. i feel it has a superior lead tone and better dynamics. but the 5150 is probably better for straight metal bands. it depends on you.


for the studio i'd say mark iv unless you realyl want the in your face heavy tone. the mark iv is super smooth, even if you try you can't make it sound unsmooth.

 

[aramism]

did i mention the mark iv kills the 5150s lead tone. the mark iv is dead on capable of replicating the mark iic+ lead and rhythm tone. the mark iv the final culmination of the mark I - III amps. it pretty much encompasses 10 years of mark series technology. a lot of stuff was recorded with mark series amps. metallica, eagles, santana, the who, larry carlton, dream theater, etc.


the mark iic+ lead tone IMO destroys anyother amp in history as far as a high gain focused creamy lead tone. listen to most john petrucci solos especially from albums before train of thought. the 5150 is a great head and is brutal and is good for headbanging stuff, but for like true beauty in tone i think the mark iv takes the cake.

 

[kaomao]

Black Album is a mark IV

 

[cobrahead1030]

you'll get A LOT more versatility from the mark IV which IMO lends it to being more studio friendly...you can go from smooth to agressive, and dry to saturated, hitting just about every point in between, and also some great clean tones

the 5150 is a great amp but you get a couple good high gain tones from it, and that's pretty much it IMO

i've played 5150's for years (and loved them) and currently own a mark III (one of the best amps i've ever played)...i finally decided to sell the 5150 and move onto trying other things, the mark III is going nowhere

 

[aramism]

the mark iii rules also thats next on my mesa hitlist after a lone star, studio pre, then mark iii, havent decided on what stripe.

the black album was actually like 10 different mesa amps. it was like a iic+, studio pre, iii (several versions) and a iv.


and im sure other boutique amps for different songs. the main "rhythm and lead" tones i read in an interview with bob rock once were all blended mesa heads some of them fed through marshall heads to use their el34 power section.