the IV—released to mark the 30th anniversary of the line—addressed almost every common "bench" complaint guitarists had for decades
Fender essentially took the most popular aftermarket modifications and made them standard.
Modified Preamp Circuit: The IV has a "fuller" sound with more defined low-end. It removes the "ice pick" treble that plagued the III, making it much friendlier to pedals.
Smoother Spring Reverb: The reverb circuit was redesigned to be less "splashy" and ambient. It has more "dwell" and a smoother decay, sounding more like a classic Princeton than a digital emulation.
The Speaker: It comes stock with a 12" Celestion A-Type speaker. This was a massive departure from the older Eminence "Lightning Bolt" speakers, offering a more balanced, "American" sound with a bit of British midrange punch.