# Mesa Boogie Mark V - It's real



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I dont know how many of you guys like mesa amps, but i didnt see a thread on this yet.

first, a video from NAMM 09 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROjxB0w_4QE

and of course, the details: http://mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Mark_Series/mark5/mark5.html

cheers


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## Cowinacape (Feb 2, 2006)

Not the best clip in the world, will be looking forward to hearing someone else s clips once this amp starts to hit the streets though :smile: Sounds like it has potential though.


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

I got a Roadster a few months ago! It is the ultimate amp for me. It is my first Mesa and it introduced me to what a great amp should sound like. I will be getting a MarkIV combo!


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Don't even wanna know the PRICE these things will sell for


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

They're $2KUSD for the head - entirely doable for some, not so much for others haha.

and something to note on the video: NAMM has very strict volume rules, so that amp was really quiet - they have to keep them on down to talking volumes.

If i happen to see one, i wouldnt mind having a go for kicks.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

what i'de love to see is a Low watt Boogie like the Studio 22 in the day. They could do a Mark V 15 w or 25w..


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2009)

Oh my.

You think if I put Ch 4 on "Extreme" I'll finally be able to nail the solo in _Decadence Dance_? Bwaaahhhaahahaaa

And did you see the last bullet in the Features page?



> Kitchen Sink, Ice Maker, Beer Cooler (just kidding) but easier to use than this list suggests (not kidding)!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

al3d said:


> what i'de love to see is a Low watt Boogie like the Studio 22 in the day. They could do a Mark V 15 w or 25w..


there's a 10W setting


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Budda said:


> there's a 10W setting


ok..but a low W setting is good..but it's a bit of a waste on such a beast..a smaller version simply say 10w or 15w would be best..and price might be a LOT cheaper as well instead of the average 2800$ combo price


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

... the head is $2K, the combo is i think $2200? something like that.

given that a dual rec head is $2200CAD... that's not bad


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Budda said:


> ... the head is $2K, the combo is i think $2200? something like that.
> 
> given that a dual rec head is $2200CAD... that's not bad


Jeez, that's pretty damn close to bonafide 'boutique' territory, and boutique, they are not.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

The "boutique" amps i want are $2500USD and $4KCAD...

$2KUSD which will be more like $1500USD once people go "well its great and not for me" - not so bad in my mind lol.

and no, i cant afford that


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Budda said:


> The "boutique" amps i want are $2500USD and $4KCAD...
> 
> $2KUSD which will be more like $1500USD once people go "well its great and not for me" - not so bad in my mind lol.
> 
> and no, i cant afford that


I don't know. I guess I just spoiled myself over the past year with the amps I bought. I used to be into higher end guitars and average amps, but then about a year ago, I did a complete 180. I ditched all my middle-of-the-road amps and sold my higher end guitars and started buying higher end amps. So now, I can't stand Mesa amps. I went through a Mesa phase, owning a .50 Caliber, Lonestar Classic and Mark IIC - all in a years span. Just not for me anymore. The 'nasal' quality they have bugs me. The Mark V is suppose to mimic the Mark I, Mark IIC+ and Mark IV - which means more nasal tones.

What boutique amps were you wanting?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

a Peters and a Brunetti. guess which costs which LOL


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Budda said:


> a Peters and a Brunetti. guess which costs which LOL


Peters, I've heard of. Brunetti is totally new to me. What is their "forte'"?


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Budda..where did you get those prices?..a Mark IV combo was selling around 2395$ US. i doubt the new version will sell for less. Don't forget, the MARK series is the Flag ship at Boogie


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

vds5000 said:


> Peters, I've heard of. Brunetti is totally new to me. What is their "forte'"?


By the looks of things, everything. i want an 059 - a footswitchable 30W class A channel sounds appealing for some reason.. oh right, it saves me buying another amp (and costs as much as 2 LOL)



al3d said:


> Budda..where did you get those prices?..a Mark IV combo was selling around 2395$ US. i doubt the new version will sell for less. Don't forget, the MARK series is the Flag ship at Boogie


http://www.metalguitarist.org/forum/guitar-gear-discussion/6029-mark-v-details.html

"Model # Description Pro Net
2.MVM.BB Medium Head (Width 22 7 /8 ").............................................199 9.00
1.MV1.BB.CO 1x12 Combo • C90 Speaker • Casters........................................209 9.00 "


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

can't stand those amps, I almost sold my plexi to by a tremoverb: tried it out and am so glad I kept the right amp....almost bought right into that mesa-boogie marketing machine, "do everything" propaganda

good luck getting that thing serviced if anything goes wrong

blech....mesa blech


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

bolero said:


> can't stand those amps, I almost sold my plexi to by a tremoverb: tried it out and am so glad I kept the right amp....almost bought right into that mesa-boogie marketing machine, "do everything" propaganda
> 
> good luck getting that thing serviced if anything goes wrong
> 
> blech....mesa blech


I heard the same thing from a couple of sources - anything Recto and onwards is a royal pain in the rump to service.

Looks like we're just gonna have to chalk another to 'point-to-point' - hehehe!


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## Caribou_Chris (Feb 15, 2009)

*Mesa --> Blech*

Blech indeed. I had a F-50 combo for a couple of months late last year. The F-series has many glorious reviews on the web and lots of fansites/discussion groups dedicated to it. So, it must be good eh?

Not! I could not get a good sound out of it. Being an open-back 1x12 combo amp doesn't help, but it was very nasally, very screechy. One setting I had that was passable, in that it wouldn't hurt my ears was treble and mid ALL THE WAY OFF and the BASS ON TEN. What the hell? That shouldn't be.

I know tone is very subjective, and there are apparently lots of F-series devotees out there. Hopefully the guy I sold it to on eBay likes it. 

But one thing really stuck out for me. I would play the F-50 for 20-30 minutes at a non-window rattling volume, and my ears would ring afterwards. However I can play through my '83 Marshall JCM 800 head for hours on end at the same volume, and my ears don't ring. To me that says the Marshall is properly voiced, wheras the Mesa was voiced like a screechy alto sax that needed its reed replaced.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

or that you just dont like the mesa voicing, or there was a defect with your amp .

Marshall amps (any of them), vox, fender, peavey, mesa, orange, randall, krank - they're not for everyone.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Caribou_Chris said:


> ...Not! I could not get a good sound out of it. Being an open-back 1x12 combo amp doesn't help, but it was very nasally, very screechy...


Mesa's are kinda infamous for being 'nasally' - some people even say it on The Boogie Board. People either really like it or really don't (I don't).



Caribou_Chris said:


> ... I know tone is very subjective, and there are apparently lots of F-series devotees out there. Hopefully the guy I sold it to on eBay likes it.
> 
> But one thing really stuck out for me. I would play the F-50 for 20-30 minutes at a non-window rattling volume, and my ears would ring afterwards...


Yes, tone is very subjective. However, I may have to agree with Budda on this one - if it hurt your ears, perhaps something was wrong with the amp itself.



Caribou_Chris said:


> ... However I can play through my '83 Marshall JCM 800 head for hours on end at the same volume, and my ears don't ring. To me that says the Marshall is properly voiced, wheras the Mesa was voiced like a screechy alto sax that needed its reed replaced.


Funny, the dislike you have for the Boogie tone, I used to have for Marshalls. Now things are exactly the opposite - I love the Marshall-type tone, and couldn't care less for Mesa.


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## xbolt (Jan 1, 2008)

I have a Tremoverb and a Studio 22...

If you are looking for less of a so-called nasally Mesa tone I suggest using an older Marshall Cab or Celestions...I just slapped an older G12-65 in my Studio 22 and it is just amazing. The stock speaker was ok but at volume had little headroom...

With the T-Verb, I use 2 G12-65 in an old Marshall Cab paired up with a couple of EVMs and it sounds heavenly. Depends on what you are looking for I guess.

I also have a Marshall JTM/Bluesbreaker and an older 3203 which do what they do well. Altogether different/nice voicing but don't have the versatility of the Mesa's. I do like running an ADA MP1 through a Marshall power section though.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

cheers for the info - but i doubt that will sway the guys who dont like mesa's.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

xbolt said:


> I have a Tremoverb and a Studio 22...
> 
> If you are looking for less of a so-called nasally Mesa tone I suggest using an older Marshall Cab or Celestions...I just slapped an older G12-65 in my Studio 22 and it is just amazing. The stock speaker was ok but at volume had little headroom...
> .



I don't believe the nasal quality has much to do with the headroom/lack of headroom. It's just the general nature of the beast. I had my Mark IIC going through it's original speaker (Electrovoice EVM 12L), I had it running through a 4x12 Recto cab (Vintage 30's) and I had it going through my 4x12 Avatar cab (Eminence). Although there were subtle differences, the basic characteristics (i.e. tone) of the amp remained the same. I'm not saying it's a bad tone and I'm definately not saying it hurt my ears. It's just not my cup of tea.




Budda said:


> cheers for the info - but i doubt that will sway the guys who dont like mesa's.



Really depends on the reasoning for the dislike. I don't like the basic characteristics, so a speaker change won't do it for me. Others may be more concerned about the lack of headroom, so the speaker swap may just do the trick.


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## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

*Dealers in Edm.*

Some good info on the pros and cons here.

I will be looking for something different amp wise in the near future and having never owned a Mesa in 30 yrs of playing, I think I might give them a whirl. Really looking at the Mark IV and V as well as the the lower powered Lonestar Special.

Anybody know if the V's are available in Edm?

Thanx,
Jim


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

I sold my MKIII for 2 reason...first, was WAY to loud for me..and that nazarly sound as well..some of my friends loved it..but i got tired of it...so went back to good old Marshall GAH GAH GAH tone of the 80's..


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...obviously i'm not alone in my dislike for mesa.

i've tried to like them and auditioned them many times. yep, its that nasal quality. also found them noisy - lots of tube hiss.

wouldn't mind checking out this:

http://www.vhtamp.com./vht-12s.html

looks like it might be lacking an fx loop, however..

-dh


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

david henman said:


> ...obviously i'm not alone in my dislike for mesa.
> 
> i've tried to like them and auditioned them many times. yep, its that nasal quality. also found them noisy - lots of tube hiss.
> 
> ...


You know, I've found that effects loops are a bit over-rated. In my own personal experience, when I have an amp that sounds beautiful, I normally don't add any effects - they seem to take away from the sound. My Bruno had no effects, no reverb, no nothing - and it sounded wonderful. A decent amp should take to pedals quite nicely. I put a recently acquired Roctron Tsunami (analog chorus) in front of my Bad Cat, and it did sound quite decent. So, to make a short story long...don't rule out an amp just because it's missing an effects loop.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

david henman said:


> ...obviously i'm not alone in my dislike for mesa.
> 
> i've tried to like them and auditioned them many times. yep, its that nasal quality. also found them noisy - lots of tube hiss.
> 
> ...


VHT is now Fryette amplifiers


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## Tybone (Feb 12, 2006)

xbolt said:


> ...If you are looking for less of a so-called nasally Mesa tone I suggest using an older Marshall Cab or Celestions...I just slapped an older G12-65 in my Studio 22 and it is just amazing. The stock speaker was ok but at volume had little headroom...
> 
> With the T-Verb, I use 2 G12-65 in an old Marshall Cab paired up with a couple of EVMs and it sounds heavenly. Depends on what you are looking for I guess....


I picked up a MV a couple of weeks ago. 

I am a bit of a mesa guy but retro. Mark 1, Mark IIc non modern high gain kinda guy. When I tried the am I was quite pleased on how versatile it is. 3 basic profiles for each channel and 3 channels. I'll give you channel 2 is a little odd sounding on some settings but channels 1 and 3 unbelievably good. I find that there is a less dynamic range than some amps but I have a compressor on my pedal board! WTF. Also, I found that humbuckers drive the M5 very well while single coils (especially telecaster pickups) offer more touch sensitivity (based on my playing style ymmv).

BTW, I was instantly able to coax a few very nice tones out of the amp but, once I got it home, the M5 sounded freakin' amazing with an 80's Marshall slant cab with g12-65s. It sounds so good I need to take a couple out and put them in a 2x12 as I am old and lazy. Any way I look at it, the amp sounds quite good, It offers a boat load of classic rock type tones I need and I can lug less equipment to gigs. Based on my experiences with the Two Rock Opal, I have no shyness with amps that have lots (and lots) of knobs or require atypical settings to get good tones. 

I took a few days cuz, not being a huge mesa fan, I couldn't believe that I liked the amp....but I do. and we haven't even gotten into what all those knobs do!

There I'm out now.

Larry


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

epic bump...


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## LaRSin (Nov 27, 2006)

Good topic , don't stop now


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## Tybone (Feb 12, 2006)

It's been a few weeks now and I want to hate this amp but I can't....I just can't. Slightly hot clean sound. Gritty channel 2 tone and very smooth fluid lead tone on channel 3.


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## Jimi D (Oct 27, 2008)

I've had mine for ten weeks or so now and I'm still thrilled with it... It's the most versatile amp I've ever owned, bar none, and it's just so damned sweet sounding! My only issue with it is that there are so many cool tones in it that I can get distracted, and before I know it I've spent my practice time tweaking and twiddling rather than actually working on the tunes I'm supposed to be getting down... I'm especially loving this amp with my P-Rails loaded ESP Eclipse, because it really does work with the character of the pickups - I can get a huge variety of tones out of it just switching between the rails single coils, parallel bucker mode, P90s or full-on serial humbuckers... Add the volume control and I hardly need to touch my pedal board any more (I'm already down to one drive pedal from three, and it may go soon as well)... It's just a beautiful, beautiful amp...

My big thrill this week will be receiving my custom Saxon Cabs 1x12 slant front loaded with an Eminence Delta Pro 12A... I was going to spring for an EVM-12L loaded Mesa Widebody 1x12, but Mesa don't sell cabs with the EVs in them anymore, so I decided to check out what Tim at Saxon could do for me - best thing I could have done! Tim was great at helping me spec out the perfect custom 1x12" for my Mark V... I can't wait to receive it...


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