Who's Still Playing Their Mark V?

[some dude]

I never thought the mid added gain, but the treble knob over 7 seemed to me to add lots of gain. I thought the mid knob just added honk.

And I usually played that IIC+ on a 2x12 so I often added more bottom with the slider, and my 4x12 was loaded with Greenbacks so I liked pumping that thing full of bottom.

But these amps are finicky and I wouldn't be surprised to see settings that seem wierd to me, work for someone else. And if the Mark V really nailed the IIC+ I would own one in a second. I don't currently own one.

I agree. Treble adds gain... mid acts more like a mid boost. Someone told me that "neutral mids" on a Mark was somewhere around 9:00 and that you're giving the mids a Tubescreamer like boost as you increase from there. I don't know how accurate that is... but that bit of info has made dialling in a Mark easier for me over time. I used to keep them parked on 5 and resisted lowering the 750 slider because I felt that I needed mids to cut... but I've relaxed that opinion over time. That said, the 750 slider isn't in a fixed position either... I nudge it up and down depending on my taste, needs, mood that particular day.

The other thing I'd like to add is that I don't think the graphic EQ has remained unchanged over time so direct comparisons might be misleading. I had a Mark III and I remember the sliders being far more extreme than the ones on my Mark V. With the Mark III pushing the 80Hz slider up too far produced a really fake sounding bass boost. The Mark V doesn't seem to have that issue.

 

[some dude]

Interesting. I actually liked the crunch tones I got on Ch 1 a lot better.

I really wish the Mark V was a six channel amp. Fat, Tweed, Mark I, Crunch, IIC+ and IV. I love all of them, but have to choose three.

I really wanted to like Edge mode because it was the most different sounding, but the first time I tried it with my band my guitar vanished so I haven't really paid much attention to it since.

 

[blackba]

Interesting. I actually liked the crunch tones I got on Ch 1 a lot better.

I really wish the Mark V was a six channel amp. Fat, Tweed, Mark I, Crunch, IIC+ and IV. I love all of them, but have to choose three.

I really wanted to like Edge mode because it was the most different sounding, but the first time I tried it with my band my guitar vanished so I haven't really paid much attention to it since.

It would be nice if you could at least footswitch between the modes on each channel, even if their share the same settings....

 

[philb]

One thing I noticed on the Mark V a while ago is to keep the channel 3 volume at around 9 o'clock.
If it's set higher, the bass seems to go away and the tone becomes mid heavy without changing the EQ.
I noticed that when I A/B between the Mark IV and V.

 

[gibson08]

MKV? Long gone, wanted my Tremoverb back.

 

[spanny]

I couldnt justify getting rid of my Mark IV for it. Thought the channel 2 on the V lacked.

 

[blackba]

I couldnt justify getting rid of my Mark IV for it. Thought the channel 2 on the V lacked.

Interesting, most reports of the mark V I have read think the 2nd channel on the V is a big improvement over the R2 on the IV.

Long time Mark IVA owner, BTW.

 

[Valtyr]

One trick I've learned for channel 3 is to reverse the last two sliders in the "Classic V" shape. It produces a more solid midrange with less top end sizzle than the standard V that everyone uses.

This is how mine is set as well. I actually stole the idea from when I saw a JP clinic, and his eq was set like this. I have the mid slider set like this as well just to give it the sound I like. Mark IV Pentode all the way though on CH 3.

I have my Mark III sliders set very close to that. I have a little more 80hz and 750.

 

[glassjaw7]

I couldnt justify getting rid of my Mark IV for it. Thought the channel 2 on the V lacked.

Interesting, most reports of the mark V I have read think the 2nd channel on the V is a big improvement over the R2 on the IV.

Long time Mark IVA owner, BTW.

This. If I could keep my IV's lead channel and have ch 1&2 from the V, it'd be a perfect amp.

 

[thiswaythatway]

I couldnt justify getting rid of my Mark IV for it. Thought the channel 2 on the V lacked.

Interesting, most reports of the mark V I have read think the 2nd channel on the V is a big improvement over the R2 on the IV.

Long time Mark IVA owner, BTW.

I think channel 2 on the V is better than R2 on the IV, but the edge and Mark I modes were useless to me. Crunch mode was cool but it ain't no Marshall. If you listen to Mesa they'll tell you it's a Brit inspired channel that ushers in a new realm of Brit mania, or whatever nonsense the write up. But I liked the lead channel on the Mark IV easily over the lead on the V.

 

[some dude]

If you listen to Mesa they'll tell you it's a Brit inspired channel that ushers in a new realm of Brit mania, or whatever nonsense the write up.

To me channel 2/Crunch always sounded like IIC+ mode with less gain and a notched midrange that's geared for rhythm.

I like Mesa amps a lot, but I don't buy into their propaganda.

 

[stephen sawall]

Played one today at length and got quite a few good tones out of it but still heard something that I've heard in previous tries.....

You can borrow my IV & Tremoverb if you want....I really think you should so you can do some direct comparisons with your new amp.

 

[Atropos_Project]

Owned one for a while, enjoyed IIC+ mode on channel 3, and found pretty much everything else to be not my cup of tea at all... especially channel 2. It's strange how differently people can hear things

 

[thegame]

Dear Mesa

Please stop building "British" oriented amps and/or channels in your amps. You are not even close. You can't even nail your own old designs in a newer one, much less an entirely different type of amplifier for that matter.

Sincerely,
Fed up amp buyers everywhere

 

[skoora]

Played one today at length and got quite a few good tones out of it but still heard something that I've heard in previous tries.....

You can borrow my IV & Tremoverb if you want....I really think you should so you can do some direct comparisons with your new amp.

Thanks, I've actually played both of those amps a fair bit. I was actually looking for a used Mark IV for a while but could never find one at a decent price so gave up. I think the Stiletto is much more my cup of tea anyway. The recto sound is definitely not for me. Eventually I want to find a Tweed/Blonde type combo/head for early 70's rock stuff. Maybe with a nice swampy reverb too

 

[stephen sawall]

Eventually I want to find a Tweed/Blonde type combo/head for early 70's rock stuff. Maybe with a nice swampy reverb too

I do not use the IV & Tremoverb much any more ... But keep them around since I have owned both since the first run and used them a lot at one time.

You already have the Marshall thing covered so a Tweed makes a lot of sense. Add a Blackface and a Vox and you could do about anything I would ever want to do. Maybe throw in a JCM800 also.....

 

[Les Zombie]

I owned a mkiv for over a year and loved the lead ch but sold it, great amp.
Just yesterday i got a 2011 mark v and its the 3rd mark v i have owned, for live stuff i like the layout of the mkv and i also like the cleans and crunch ch better than the iv. The V lead ch gets me close enough to the iv and i admit it doesnt sound as good as the Iv lead ch but i need the versatility and love the mark tone. So i gave up a little tone to get some versatility.

 

[petejt]

Dear Mesa

Please stop building "British" oriented amps and/or channels in your amps. You are not even close. You can't even nail your own old designs in a newer one, much less an entirely different type of amplifier for that matter.

Sincerely,
Fed up amp buyers everywhere

Hahaha!

'tis true though

 

[thiswaythatway]

Dear Mesa

Please stop building "British" oriented amps and/or channels in your amps. You are not even close. You can't even nail your own old designs in a newer one, much less an entirely different type of amplifier for that matter.

Sincerely,
Fed up amp buyers everywhere

Well they stopped making the Stiletto's. But I think the Royal Atlantic and Electra Dyne kick ass. No, they're not Marshall but they are both great sounding amps. Mesa should with their Brit tones propoganda though. I wonder if they really believe all that BS they write?

 

[thegame]

Dear Mesa

Please stop building "British" oriented amps and/or channels in your amps. You are not even close. You can't even nail your own old designs in a newer one, much less an entirely different type of amplifier for that matter.

Sincerely,
Fed up amp buyers everywhere

Well they stopped making the Stiletto's. But I think the Royal Atlantic and Electra Dyne kick ass. No, they're not Marshall but they are both great sounding amps. Mesa should with their Brit tones propoganda though. I wonder if they really believe all that BS they write?

I played the Royal Atlantic recently and I wanted to vomit afterwards. To be fair, it only made sounds 30 seconds into my session with it, after the store employee realized he forgot to plug in a speaker cab The amp may have been messed up because it sounded like a flubby mess.

As far as amp propoganda, the guys in Mesa are probably rolling on the floor in stitches as they come up with that crap.