MKIV or M60?

[Optimus Prime]

Mesa/Boogie MKIV or the Rivera M60, which one of these amps do you think is the best buy?

I really don't need 100 watts, 60 will do fine. So wattage is not my main concern.

The reason I'm choosing between these is the fact that they cost just about the same and they both seem to be versatile enough to cover a lot of ground, soundwise.

Thanks.

[vaijem777]

Mark IV on the basis of versatility alone. The Riveras are great, and I loved my Suprema 55 (and still love my TBR-2SL), but..they're simply not as versatile as the Mark IV.

[Optimus Prime]

Okay,

I was still on the look out for a decent priced used MKIV when I ran into an amp I found to be almost the thing I wanted an amp to be, Rivera M60. I mean, I'm looking for exactly "that" sound, it's the sound in my head when I think of great ear candy tone!

But there is a flip side, I also'd like a more modern sounding amp at the same time. An area not so familiar to the more vintage sounding Rivera's.

What do you reckon the different voicings of the Riveras sound like? Most of them share the same kind of components, as with the preamp circuitry and what not, but are voiced very differently.

Has anyone A/B'd the KH's vs the RAKE's for instance? What can you tell me? How does the REKE sound in contrast to the KH's and the M/S-series? How is the voicing set on the RAKE-head?

If I had money I would definitly buy a Rivera in a second. But since I'm on a one amp budjet I really need to make up my mind.

Can a Rivera (Rake, KH) amp be more vintage sounding than a Mesa (MKIV)?
Can a Mesa (MKIV) amp be more vintage sounding than a Rivera (Rake, KH)?
Can a Rivera (Rake, KH) amp be more modern sounding than a Mesa (MKIV)?
What music styles do you think would fit the Rivera (Rake, KH) range of sounds?
What music styles do you think would fit the Mesa (MKIV) range of sounds?

What do you think is the obvious choice between Rivera (KH, RAKE) and Mesa (MKIV)?

[mesadude]

I've had a Mesa Mark IV since 1991. It's a killer little amp, especially for lead playing. I also use a Boogie MkIIc which I picked up new in 1983. It doesn't have as much shaping possibilities as the IV, but it's a dynamite little amp in its own right also.

If you're looking for bang for the buck, and an amp that can make your guitar sing at any volume, for any style of music, then I'd opt for the Mark IV.
Mesadude

[gkelm]

FWIW, the Rake/Jake sounds a bit more vintage than the MKIV, not as modern.
Greg

[bduersch]

I've had a Mark IV for a couple years now, and have been really impressed by the overall flexibility (I generally use a widebody combo with Custom 90 speaker and a Thiele extension cab with EV speaker).

I've used mine for gigging and recording in several bands. One band is a traditional big band--we play mostly standards, 30's/40's swing, and Latin tunes. The other band is a hard rock/funk hybrid that gets a little progressive at times (http://www.naughtybutterspoon.com/). Plus, I've done a lot of independent recording, mostly progressive rock and guitar instrumentals. The Mark IV has worked great for all of them. I think the Mark IV's tone is nicely middle of the road--not too vintage, not too modern.

Another amp you may want to check out is the Mesa Nomad. Another flexible 3-channel amp (though not quite as flexible as the Mark IV), I think the Nomad's channel 2 is more vintage than the Mark and channel 3 is more modern than the Mark.

--B