Boogie goes from magic to meh in just one amp

[skoora]

...or maybe most of their amps.

Was trying a Mark V today and spent a fair amount of time on Channel 1. Really nice clean, excellent slightly dirty to full on rock tones. Hmm, pretty nice, let's try channel 2. Ok crunchy rhythm tones, but not as good as the crunchy tones on channel 1. Mark I, thick setting is a fun lead tone but needs graphic to sound like it's above the ocean surface. OK, let's check out some metal on to CH 3. Hmmmm, kind of harsh not too gainy, not hearing a lot of difference between all three settings. Let's kick on the graphic and start chugging. Still not super thick or all that metal. At least not compared to some mark IV's I've played. So the amp basically went from being glorious to extremely mediocre across the channels. With all variations of rectification and power choices thrown in for good measure.

What was funny was the store had a used MKIII (no graphic) head. Fired it up, beautiful clean tone. One of the nicest I've heard. Every setting beyond the clean tone (pre about 5) got progressively worse. Gain maxed on clean didn't get "Stonesy", just lousy. Rhy 2, is a preamp tube going out?. Lead, harsh and very grainy overdrive. Even an EQ in the loop would have been gold-plating a turd.

I would still like to get a MKIV because I've gotten good sounds out of all 3 channels but Boogies across the board for me always get worse the more gain is kicked in, within the amp. The only Boogie I tried besides a MKIV that cooked with gain was the Lonestar special and that was more PI and power tubes anyway as it was cranked.

I really want a Fendery/tweed amp and a good metal amp and was hoping a Boogie could do it in one but it looks like it's back to single channel purity and getting a Fender tweed combo and a pure metal head.

 

[Gitfiddler]

did you crank it? i played a friend's single rec for a bit and hated it until the drummer showed up and we cranked it to band volumes..

 

[stephen sawall]

The Mark amps are not like the Rectifiers ..... they do not need to have the power amp pushed.

I also feel the Mark III needs the graphic EQ to do Metal.

 

[skoora]

The Mark amps are not like the Rectifiers ..... they do not need to have the power amp pushed.

I also feel the Mark III needs the graphic EQ to do Metal.

I was kind of bummed it didn't have it but I figured I would still get the basic tone of the lead drive in effect and it was awful. Could have just been that particular amp but I played quite a few MKIII's in the 90's and never did get a great sound from the lead channel with or w/out the graphic. I was curious if my change in tastes over the years would effect how I perceived amps I was meh about before. It didn't in this instance. The MKIV I used to not like but quite like it now.

 

[stephen sawall]

My taste has also changed over the years ..... I seem to get phases.

The lead sound on the III without the EQ has a lot of midrange and well cut in a mix great. Pretty far from a metal crunch sound.

 

[Skirmish]

All the Mark amps have plenty of magic, it`s just really complicated to dial them in. Mainly it`s because of the interaction between all the options, e.g. turning up the treble is going to change the mids etc. I think it`s impossible to judge a Mark series amp from testing it in a store, especially if you`ve never owned at least a similar model before. You need to take that thing home and spend a week with it, if you still find it lacking it`s not for you.

 

[TX6Strings]

Sorry you had such bad luck with the V. I sat down with one and within 10 mins head great cleans, decent crunch (I've never been a fan of Mesa crunch) and great metal/lead tones.

 

[Big Rich]

you need to put time into the mark 5 dude, its not in instant gratification amp. i have INSANE metal tones dialed in on my 3rd channel. to me the mark 5 is the end all be all amp. it does everything and does it all very well

when i had my mark 4 back in the day i thought the cleans were flat and kinda meh and the rythm2 was completely unuseable. i even think the lead channels gain structure is thicker and alot more modern on the 5. its just a better overall amp in all areas

i can post vids i did showing the brootz of the 5 if youd like

 

[Motorpud]

you need to put time into the mark 5 dude, its not in instant gratification amp. i have INSANE metal tones dialed in on my 3rd channel. to me the mark 5 is the end all be all amp. it does everything and does it all very well

when i had my mark 4 back in the day i thought the cleans were flat and kinda meh and the rythm2 was completely unuseable. i even think the lead channels gain structure is thicker and alot more modern on the 5. its just a better overall amp in all areas

i can post vids i did showing the brootz of the 5 if youd like

Post em up Rich

 

[Big Rich]

 

[roadifier]

^^^^^^^
Total Win!!

 

[billboogie]

Those tones rip!

 

[thiswaythatway]

I don't know man, I'm not doubting that you didn't use an OD pedal or anything, but i played a few V's recently and they all sounded like crap to me on the 3rd channel and have nowhere near that gain. Well, not soo much the gain but the bottom end wasn't like that. I spent a good month with the V and liked it less and less the more i played it, and tweaked the shit out of it.

Maybe you got a good one or yout tube change really helped it? To me, the amp is still a turd after my experiences with it.

 

[glassjaw7]

Maybe you got a good one or your tube change really helped it? .

Bingo.

 

[Nico]

That sounds really good specially the 2nd clip. Ive never been a Mesa fan at all though....

 

[rupe]

I spent some time with one (completely stock) and got massive amounts of gain from it...perhaps there is some inconsistancy across the line? I thought it was a great sounding amp...it took less than an hour to dial in great clean, crunch and lead tones. It was in contention to replace my rack system last year until I ultimately went with the Axe, basically due to convenience and control.

 

[racerevlon]

I recently did a rehearsal with my Mark V combo and the biggest problem I'm having is the serious volume fall-off going from CH2 to CH3. CH2 is MUCH louder than CH3, even with the channel master on CH2 backed off and the channel master on CH3 dimed. Using MK IV mode on CH3--the "EXTREME" setting is a little too over the top for me. I ended up using CH2 for all my dirty tones and then just kicked in the SOLO feature for leads. Worked alright but didn't have that singing fluidity that CH3 has, just the volume wasn't there, and trying to hit the CH3 AND the SOLO button at the same time was a crap shoot. Could go All Access I suppose but still, what gives?

 

[thiswaythatway]

I recently did a rehearsal with my Mark V combo and the biggest problem I'm having is the serious volume fall-off going from CH2 to CH3. CH2 is MUCH louder than CH3, even with the channel master on CH2 backed off and the channel master on CH3 dimed. Using MK IV mode on CH3--the "EXTREME" setting is a little too over the top for me. I ended up using CH2 for all my dirty tones and then just kicked in the SOLO feature for leads. Worked alright but didn't have that singing fluidity that CH3 has, just the volume wasn't there, and trying to hit the CH3 AND the SOLO button at the same time was a crap shoot. Could go All Access I suppose but still, what gives?

I had the same problem with the head version. If you get channel 2 setup with a drummer and dial in the levels the same for channel 3, it will vanish. I actually turned up channel so loud and it still wasn't cutting over a drummer and then it feedback like crazy. Channel 2 though in crunch mode sounded great, at loud volumes channel 2 killed channel 3.

 

[stratotone]

I just retubed my coliseum mark III (damn near had to take out a loan to do so, LOL) and I have to disagree with the OP regarding the lead channel... a mark III kills with the lead channel. Now, I did use a graphic EQ and one thing a lot of guys do when dialling in a older boog with EQ is crank the bass on the dials/non graphic EQ - I run mine around 2 or 3 because it really flubs the amp up. You add the bass back in with the graphic and it's tight and sounds great.

I did my own R2 mod on the Coli, and it's ok... but not really enough gain for rhythms, and all the channels cascade, so if you want the most gain available in each channel, you have to crank the preamp volume on the clean channel as it affects the rhythm and the lead channel. I actually have a channel switching box I built that also includes a gain cut when you have the clean channel up, so you can crank it on the amp and still get good cleans... cranking the clean preamp volume sounds like shit on every mark series I've owned, IMHO.

Pete

 

[Tone Zone]

you need to put time into the mark 5 dude, its not in instant gratification amp. i have INSANE metal tones dialed in on my 3rd channel. to me the mark 5 is the end all be all amp. it does everything and does it all very well

when i had my mark 4 back in the day i thought the cleans were flat and kinda meh and the rythm2 was completely unuseable. i even think the lead channels gain structure is thicker and alot more modern on the 5. its just a better overall amp in all areas

i can post vids i did showing the brootz of the 5 if youd like

Exactly. If anyone has played the Mark V, and walked away unimpressed (while trying to capture Mark tones), it wasn't the amp's fault....it was user-error. Because it comes down to one of two things, being able to dial in the correct settings for the tones that you are looking for and/or being able to pick out the best tube selection (preamp/power) to compliment the tones you are looking for. Because the Mark V has been proven to deliver, time and time again.