Mesa Boogie Mark V

PhilTheBeard

PhilTheBeard

"The Beard"
Jun 23, 2009
2,709
4
38
Cape Coral, Florida
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I just got a chance to try one of these out and from what i can tell it is a pretty sweet not to complex amp. It is way easier to use then the mark iv was. im going to try and borrow it form my store and try all my tube screamers on it, and try and post some sound clips of it soon. has anyone eles got to try one out yet?
 
Im not a big fan of the mark series either but there just something about the mark 5 i really dig it just sounds a lil fuller and more saturated then the mark 4 did. the only bummer is the bass on it isnt very full. but i also havent gotten a chance to really crank the amp and see what it can really do yet.
 
Ok, well clearly my reputation precedes me, but yes, the Mark series offends me in the frustrating amount of options and obscurely annoying eq controls (tone stack before distortion, push/pull pots, 5-band eq, blehh), as well as the fact that I really haven't heard anything too spectacular rhythm-wise from 'em, all the clips I've heard sounded kinda "hollow" (leads are another story, but I feel most of a good lead tone is in the fingers anyway). Haven't heard the Mark V, and actually, I'm curious - does anyone know if the tone-stack is still pre-distortion, and thus equally obscure and weird? :D

But yeah, for the $2k entry price, Roadster all the way IMO! :headbang:
 
Dream Theater - The Dark Eternal Night
Mark IV rhythm tone
gogogo
unless that was re-amped through something else and i wasnt told
 
Ewwwww, new DT - but I'll suck it up and listen for the sake of the tone, though I gotta run now so it'll be later
 
They actully got rid of a lot of the push pull stuff and added the solo feature to it. and it isnt that hard to use anymore. but the eq is still tricky every lil move you make on it completly changes the way the amp sounds. and the preset's on it for teh five band eq are actully pretty cool.
 
It has presets for the 5-band? Is that what all those little switches are next to it? Interesting...

Still, my main problem with the others is not all the options, it's that despite them I haven't heard a clip that impressed me :erk: (which only makes the options piss me off even more :Smug: )
 
Metaltastic said:
does anyone know if the tone-stack is still pre-distortion, and thus equally obscure and weird? :D
Click to expand...

All the previous Marks were that way and I really don't see them being able to change the architecture and still have it sound like a MkIIC+ or MkIV in those modes.

It's actually a really powerful way to tailor the tone of the amp... shape the input tone before the distortion to get the gain character the way you like, then use the EQ function to get your overall tone for the amp.

I've got to admit though, the MkIV....At least based on the REV A versions I've owned... It's a very versatile amp on the one hand. Yet to me, it's too tight and dry sounding - it lacks character in a way. I'll be curious to try a MkV when I see one. Haven't found any local dealers with a floor model yet.
 
I'm definitely really interested in checking it out. I had a Mark IV for a while and absolutely loved it. It's a tweakers amp, but you can get some amazing sounds out of it. However, all of the reviews for the Mark V have been pretty 'meh'. It doesn't do the Mark I thing well, it doesn't do the IIC+ thing well, doesn't do the Mark IV thing well, and the Extreme channel from what I hear basically sounds like a beefed up Mark IV....minus the qualities that people like about the Mark IV.

If you're after the sound of the older Boogies, you're probably better off just getting the real deal instead of something trying to do them all. I've had 2 and 3 channel Dual Recs, the Mark IV, a TriAxis/2:90 combo, a DC-5, and currently a Roadster....and the Mark IV and Roadster are definitely my favorites of the ones I've owned. With any luck though, someday I'll pick up a Mark IIC+ and never let that thing go.
 
Metaltastic said:
It has presets for the 5-band? Is that what all those little switches are next to it? Interesting...

Still, my main problem with the others is not all the options, it's that despite them I haven't heard a clip that impressed me :erk: (which only makes the options piss me off even more :Smug: )
Click to expand...

They are definitely way less popular than the Rectos, that goes without saying. I wouldn't ever dismiss an amp because I haven't heard good clips of them. The majority of internet amp clips suck balls. Most players are not engineers and don't strive to be. I've heard some god awful Recto clips that sound like the guitar was plugged into ten metal zones, lol. My point is, OP should spend more time with the amp himself to form a real opinion.

While I have yet to play the V, I've owned a III and have played a IV. They are way different from Rectos, no doubt. Rectos have that huge low end and are fairly loose. The Marks seem a bit more refined and saturated in my opinion. It's pretty easy to get a shit tone with them, but they can sound pretty sweet given the settings. This is all subjective though and depends on what you play.

Honestly, they are really not that hard to tweak. For a good metal tone, use very small amounts of the bass and middle knob, use gain and treble knobs to taste for gain, and fiddle with the graphic EQ...done! I guarantee it will sound nice that way.

-Joe
 
Metaltastic said:
Ok, well clearly my reputation precedes me, but yes, the Mark series offends me in the frustrating amount of options and obscurely annoying eq controls (tone stack before distortion, push/pull pots, 5-band eq, blehh), as well as the fact that I really haven't heard anything too spectacular rhythm-wise from 'em, all the clips I've heard sounded kinda "hollow" (leads are another story, but I feel most of a good lead tone is in the fingers anyway). Haven't heard the Mark V, and actually, I'm curious - does anyone know if the tone-stack is still pre-distortion, and thus equally obscure and weird? :D

But yeah, for the $2k entry price, Roadster all the way IMO! :headbang:
Click to expand...

God forbid an amp be versatile and capable of achieving more than one good tone :D
 
this thing actually REALLY surprised me. demisephil and I are studio partners so I got a chance to hear him play thru the Mark V, although I didn't get a chance to play it myself, so I can't comment on the 'feel' of the amp.

interestingly tho, the mark V impressed me more than any Recto I've ever heard (in person, that is). i'd be interested to hear how well it takes to being mic'd up and thrown in a mix, tho.

for me, it seems like quite the amp to have around the studio because it's just so god damn versatile!
 
SigmundFreud33 said:
this thing actually REALLY surprised me. demisephil and I are studio partners so I got a chance to hear him play thru the Mark V, although I didn't get a chance to play it myself, so I can't comment on the 'feel' of the amp.

interestingly tho, the mark V impressed me more than any Recto I've ever heard (in person, that is). i'd be interested to hear how well it takes to being mic'd up and thrown in a mix, tho.

for me, it seems like quite the amp to have around the studio because it's just so god damn versatile!
Click to expand...

Cool, good to hear it is working out. It also comes down to personal preference. Some people just don't dig the Mark tone. I think it's a great tone, but for certain applications.

-Joe
 
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