Mark V

[JakeAC5253]

My friend just showed me a video of Peter Thorn doing a solo with Melissa Etheridge...it was sounding seriously good. My concern with the Boogie is that it would be able to handle some of the "saggier" Marshall tones; I know its not a Marshall, and it won't ever sound like a Marshall...

Man, I am striking out on my hunt for an amp...its tougher than I thought

Pro tip: Play the amps.

I still think that a Mesa amp is something that you have to own and play with for a while before you can really know if it is for you or not. That's why I said before just to buy the Mark V and use it for a while and return it before the return policy expires if it doesn't meet your needs. Try it with different boosts, different cabs, different guitars/pickups, try it in different rooms and scenarios. You can't get this kind of experience over the internet.

 

[DEWD]

Flip the low power sag switch on the back of the recto and its whole demeanor changes. It will give you great vintage flavor.

Or flip the variac and/or tube rectifiers on with the Mark V.

 

[some dude]

My friend just showed me a video of Peter Thorn doing a solo with Melissa Etheridge...it was sounding seriously good. My concern with the Boogie is that it would be able to handle some of the "saggier" Marshall tones; I know its not a Marshall, and it won't ever sound like a Marshall...

Check out channel 2's Edge and Mark I tones. Edge can be dialled in with a fair bit of bass, which induces a lot of sag into the sound. Mark I on the other hand does fat 70s rock tones in spades when the gain is turned down.

But really, like Jake says... all these descriptions really mean shit until you actually try the amp.

 

[lespaul3013]

My friend just showed me a video of Peter Thorn doing a solo with Melissa Etheridge...it was sounding seriously good. My concern with the Boogie is that it would be able to handle some of the "saggier" Marshall tones; I know its not a Marshall, and it won't ever sound like a Marshall...

Check out channel 2's Edge and Mark I tones. Edge can be dialled in with a fair bit of bass, which induces a lot of sag into the sound. Mark I on the other hand does fat 70s rock tones in spades when the gain is turned down.

But really, like Jake says... all these descriptions really mean shit until you actually try the amp.

Yea, I'm definitely gonna try to test one out sometime soon.

 

[Gooseman]

Can the Mark V handle other things besides metal? I would probably like channel 3 to be a nice high gain lead sound, but can channel 2 have a nice crunch tone thats not too thin...the reason I'm asking is because a lot of the clips I've seen seem to be kinda thin sounding. I defintitely don't want that. I'm playing everything from Collective Soul to AiC to John Petrucci to Red Hot Chili Peppers-I need something pretty versatile.

The Roadster and the Dual Recto were both mentioned earlier. Given the aggressiveness and versatility of both these amps, I think you would be best spending some time with them before getting a Mark V. One thing you'll read is that the Roadster can't give you good lead tone. I've never had trouble getting my lead tone from the Roadster, unboosted, mind you. I'd record you something, but I am not great at doing that. I can though, point you to some pro videos showing what the Rectos can do. Here is the Roadster at work comping some great lead tones - unboosted:

There are a lot of people who don't like Mesa. I do like Mesa, hence my support of their products. I have zero problems with my Mesa Roadster. I also have a Bassman and a Marshall, all of which I love equally. Good luck in finding your next amp.

 

[some dude]

One thing you'll read is that the Roadster can't give you good lead tone. I've never had trouble getting my lead tone from the Roadster, unboosted, mind you.

Honestly, I love the lead tone on the Roadster (channel 3, vintage, tube rectifier). I was really surprised as I've never been impressed by the lead tone on previous Rectos.

 

[Big Rich]

the mark 5 isnt thin .. i run mine through a bogner 2x12 and its just about as thick as a recto on extreme mode ...

the amp does everything, i cant find one mode on it that isnt useable to some point ... the only weakness it may have is the edge mode on the 2nd channel .. i dont really use it that much but i do love the mark 1 mode and crunch mode on ch2, they sound awesome when you mess with the eq sliders

that amp is a total gas killer for me

 

[Gooseman]

...the crunch on the V is kinda average. Compare it to a good Marshall and there's no comparison at all really.

I could respond to that with "of course there's no comparison! The Marshall amp sounds like shit compared to the Mesa/Boogie."

I mean seriously, the tone of a Recto or Mark series Mesa amp is significantly different than the tone from any Marshall DSL or JVM type amp. To say the Marshall tone is better or worse than the Mesa like that is not really helpful.

The other recent post was more practical... the guy who commented that the Recto and Mark series amps are significantly different sounding yet both have that signature Mesa tone. That was right on the money. But let's not turn this into a Marshall vs. Mesa thing. Each of them have great tones, and each appeal to different players.

It's Mesa Boogie who's saying 'Brit inspired' every other line in their catalog. And I'm not talking DSL or JVM. Mesa spent years telling us how much better 6L6's were than EL34's, now ever since 2006 or so, all they're doing is trying hard to copy a Marshall. They even claim the 2nd channel of the V ushers in some kinda of new era? They really like to stroke themselves over this stuff. I think the Electra Dyne is a great amp but the Stiletto's were a big failure.

To Scottkahn: He has every right to say that in his opinion there is no comparison, and frankly I agree 100%. You clearly like Mesa and that's fine, many on here do, I'm not one of them in general fwiw. Mesa has *definitely* been trying to imply that they can cop Marshall tones for quite some time in their advertising and that's why such a comparison is valid IMO.

For the OP, it depends where your needs and tastes really lie. If you primarily want the amp for that mk series high gain thing but need some crunch tones for church than I'd say of course it could do it just fine. But if you primarily need a marshall crunch type amp with occasional high gain leads than I would look elsewhere but I'm sure you already understand that if you're familiar with mark series amps.

I never knew Mesa bluntly said that their amps could do Marshall. Seriously! I know they state that their amps can give off vibes like amps across the pond, but I've never heard them explicitly say Marshall. If they have, you have brought up a critical critique of Mesa! Otherwise, you assume that when they say British flavor that they mean Marshall. They could mean Hiwatt, Blackstar, Orange, Vox, etc, and that's not even naming specific models! Are you sure they mean Marshall? I always figured Mesa just meant their British modes/amps have more upper-midrange bite to them, a vast difference from their American-voiced amp lines. I should say that I do like the Brit mode on my Roadster. I don't care if it is supposed to sound like a Hiwatt or a Marshall, it sounds good as is! I love when people bitch about this mode on the Roadster/Road King's, stating that there isn't enough gain or it doesn't sound like Marshall. Like Mesa ever claimed it was supposed to sound like a Marshall or be a high gain mode!

 

[Gooseman]

Just because Mesa makes amps with EL34s now, doesn't mean we should claim that they are trying to copy Marshall or be Marshall. Lest we not forget that Marshall amps were once intended to be cheaper Fender amps, replicas with different tubes. We all know how that story goes ... Mesa seems to be interested in making a line of versatile amps. They are just living up to their their namesake in their quest for innovation. I can't really fault them for it. After all, I've had good experiences with their amps. Of course the Mesa-hater is going to come out here and speak of his/her disdain for Mesa. No problem really, we all have a likes and dislikes.

That is my defense for Mesa based on what I know of them. Their amps are well made, their customer service is top-notch, but, like with a lot of things in life their amps aren't for everyone. I like my Mesa and I like my Marshall. I also really enjoy my Bassman reissue LTD. A great amp!

 

[Big Rich]

i hate it when people compare EVERYTHING to a marshall

its either it sounds like a hot rodded marshall, or it sounds like a marshall with balls .... WTF !!! SHUT UP ALREADY !!!!

every boogie ive tried so far sounded nothing like a marshall at all ...

if anything they all sound as if their based off of the mark amplifiers, each amp is sorta tweaked around that one amp that got boogie started, and they all manage to have their own unique traits about them ...

 

[spawnofthesith]

^I agree.



If you want a Marshall, get a Marshall. If you want versatility, look at the JVM. The Mark V isn't going to be a Marshall no matter ho much you try to make it sound like one. It will, however, sound like a totally kick ass Mark series amp, covering possibly the most tonal ground that any current tube amp out there can cover

 

[thiswaythatway]

i hate it when people compare EVERYTHING to a marshall

its either it sounds like a hot rodded marshall, or it sounds like a marshall with balls .... WTF !!! SHUT UP ALREADY !!!!

every boogie ive tried so far sounded nothing like a marshall at all ...

if anything they all sound as if their based off of the mark amplifiers, each amp is sorta tweaked around that one amp that got boogie started, and they all manage to have their own unique traits about them ...

Again, read through the latest Mesa catalog. All they do now is talk about Brit inspired tones and daring to go where no amp from the Kingdom ever went. Don't tell us to shut up, tell Mesa.

 

[some dude]

the mark 5 isnt thin .. i run mine through a bogner 2x12 and its just about as thick as a recto on extreme mode ...

the amp does everything, i cant find one mode on it that isnt useable to some point ... the only weakness it may have is the edge mode on the 2nd channel .. i dont really use it that much but i do love the mark 1 mode and crunch mode on ch2, they sound awesome when you mess with the eq sliders

that amp is a total gas killer for me

The problem I've had with edge is that whenever I get it dialled in the way I like it disappears at band practice. I'm sure it's user error, I just don't have a lot of interest in spending a lot of time on it when crunch mode is much easier to use.

 

[some dude]

In a way I'm kind of surprised Mesa hasn't done a Marshall yet. I mean, it's not like it's hard... you can buy kits and build one yourself if you're interested.

I originally figured the Stiletto was supposed to be their Marshall killer. I thought it would've been a Plexi on channel 1 and JCM800 on channel 2 with a switch that would kick the gain up to "modified" on each channel. I never did get to play the original Stiletto, however I do remember everyone freaking out when it first came out because they expected a Marshall/Dual Rectifier cross, and what they got was a vintage inspired amp with the appropriate voice/gain.... and Mesa subsequently modifying the amp to make all the gain heads happy at the cost degrading the tonality of the lower gain modes.

 

[Tawlks]

I predict that EL34s will get you much closer to that 'English crunch' tone and probably suit whatever crunch you're after better than 6L6s.

 

[lespaul3013]

Can the Mark V handle other things besides metal? I would probably like channel 3 to be a nice high gain lead sound, but can channel 2 have a nice crunch tone thats not too thin...the reason I'm asking is because a lot of the clips I've seen seem to be kinda thin sounding. I defintitely don't want that. I'm playing everything from Collective Soul to AiC to John Petrucci to Red Hot Chili Peppers-I need something pretty versatile.

The Roadster and the Dual Recto were both mentioned earlier. Given the aggressiveness and versatility of both these amps, I think you would be best spending some time with them before getting a Mark V. One thing you'll read is that the Roadster can't give you good lead tone. I've never had trouble getting my lead tone from the Roadster, unboosted, mind you. I'd record you something, but I am not great at doing that. I can though, point you to some pro videos showing what the Rectos can do. Here is the Roadster at work comping some great lead tones - unboosted:

OMG man, that Roadster sounds incredible. I just watched the guy from Mesa demo it online. Wow, I have to play one of those.

 

[Gooseman]

Can the Mark V handle other things besides metal? I would probably like channel 3 to be a nice high gain lead sound, but can channel 2 have a nice crunch tone thats not too thin...the reason I'm asking is because a lot of the clips I've seen seem to be kinda thin sounding. I defintitely don't want that. I'm playing everything from Collective Soul to AiC to John Petrucci to Red Hot Chili Peppers-I need something pretty versatile.

The Roadster and the Dual Recto were both mentioned earlier. Given the aggressiveness and versatility of both these amps, I think you would be best spending some time with them before getting a Mark V. One thing you'll read is that the Roadster can't give you good lead tone. I've never had trouble getting my lead tone from the Roadster, unboosted, mind you. I'd record you something, but I am not great at doing that. I can though, point you to some pro videos showing what the Rectos can do. Here is the Roadster at work comping some great lead tones - unboosted:

OMG man, that Roadster sounds incredible. I just watched the guy from Mesa demo it online. Wow, I have to play one of those.

Yeah, I have the same feelings with the Roadster. I've thought about letting it go, but it is too complimentary an amp, especially with my Marshall and Bassman. Personally, I don't care for Mesa's demo of the Roadster. They made it sound too hollow in tone. I think the guy just killed the mids or something, as I have never thought that the demo really got the Roadster sound correct. The videos I posted are some of the best examples I can find online. The Roadster is a good amp. So are the Mark V and ED.

 

[some dude]

I've always thought it was funny that in demonstrations Mesa themselves generally dial in some relatively shitty tones.

 

[Gooseman]

I've always thought it was funny that in demonstrations Mesa themselves generally dial in some relatively shitty tones.

Agreed. I think the video would've come out better had Marcus been demo'ing the amp. John Rinkor is respected for his music and work in sales for Mesa, but I really didn't like his clean tones at all. It could've been a lot of things from mics to placement that also contributed to the video, but all I know is that I don't think it does the Roadster justice. They should really just take that video down IMO. They did great with the Dual Recto and Royal Atlantic vids though.

 

[lespaul3013]

I've always thought it was funny that in demonstrations Mesa themselves generally dial in some relatively shitty tones.

Agreed. I think the video would've come out better had Marcus been demo'ing the amp. John Rinkor is respected for his music and work in sales for Mesa, but I really didn't like his clean tones at all. It could've been a lot of things from mics to placement that also contributed to the video, but all I know is that I don't think it does the Roadster justice. They should really just take that video down IMO. They did great with the Dual Recto and Royal Atlantic vids though.

Agreed...it didn't necessarily LOVE the tone, but it gave me an idea of how versatile the amp could be. Next step is to play the Roadster and the Mark V and see which one suits me the best.