Just bought a used Mark V 90w. I own a Mark V 35.

Hello!

I have been reading these forums for years and just made an account. I bought a mark V 35 back in July of 2020 from humbucker music brand new. I recived a screaming deal on a mesa Dual recto cab a 4x12 closed back with vintage 30s for 400$ in great condition!. Some guy had not played his rig in years and was trying to get more space in his house because he had a 3rd kid on the way. I drove 8 total to get it but for that screaming deal it was totaly worth it.

Anyways I own a Less paul silver burst custom pro with seymour duncan distortion in the bridge and the seymour duncan seth lover in the neck. I also own a epiphone es 339 with jb in bridge and 59 in neck.

I can get some good sounds out of the mark V 35 but its allways not quite there.

Im hoping I didnt waste my time and money ordering the mark V 90w. I got a decent deal for $1699 +50$ shipping on reverb.com I talked a lot to the seller he purchased it in 2020 and production shows 2020 as well. Comes with manual and foot switch as well and still has the tags on it with the signatures. He had some major life changes after purchasing and just played it rarely for a hour tops a few times a year the seller says.

I guess to be direct my question is are the biger power tubes going to get me that deaper tone im looking for? Im excited for the other channels and the more options on the 90w.

For the cleans I realy loved the Fat channel. But that made the crunch mode unusable on the 35.

As for the 2nd channel I used the mark 4 mode the most. The 2c+ sounded good but was 2 thin and lacking the depth the mark 4 mode had. The mark 4 had the deaper tone but felt less alive. The extream mode was great but it felt like you could not really tweak the tone like the mark 4 or 2c+.

Are the biger power tunes and other options going to make the mark 4 mode sound bigger and more alive?

Im just looking for someone who has played a mark V 35 and A mark V 90 and can tell me the diffrence.

I play a bit of everything mostly 80-2000s ara rock metal and love metallica tool van halen the offspring pinkfloyd the cranberies nirvana and so on.

Was hoping i can get close to lots of those sounds with this amp. The 35 got me some of it but for offspring and metallica and tool it just wasnt there. For the others the 35 was lacking the fullness and depth. I guess i could say that was sorta the overall issue with the 35 in general sounded too thin harsh or dull and dead.

I have some other questions as well but lets start with this.

Also thanks in advance for the help everyone!

Ascendance said:

I guess to be direct my question is are the biger power tubes going to get me that deaper tone im looking for? Im excited for the other channels and the more options on the 90w.

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First congrats on a good V:90 deal

Just one player's opinion here. Do own a V:90 and have played a V:35 from time to time. You certainly will have many more options and features with the V:90, especially in the power section. Not only the choice of 6L6s or el34s, but the choices of power tube arrangements, variac and the option of tube rectification. But you know this already.

With 6L6s I expect you will hear a fat, denser tone vs the el84s of the V:35. The V:90 responds very well to tube changes, but suggest initially that you take the time to familiarize yourself and experiment with all the options before going after the tubes. The V:90 is a tweakers dream but can lead one astray with the variety of options. As a comparison I have a LSS (el84s) and there is a noticeable difference vs the LSC (6L6). The LSC does have more presence and an immediate feel vs the more squishy LSS. This is not a bad thing at all, just a different feel.

rarebitusa said:

First congrats on a good V:90 deal

Just one player's opinion here. Do own a V:90 and have played a V:35 from time to time. You certainly will have many more options and features with the V:90, especially in the power section. Not only the choice of 6L6s or el34s, but the choices of power tube arrangements, variac and the option of tube rectification. But you know this already.

With 6L6s I expect you will hear a fat, denser tone vs the el84s of the V:35. The V:90 responds very well to tube changes, but suggest initially that you take the time to familiarize yourself and experiment with all the options before going after the tubes. The V:90 is a tweakers dream but can lead one astray with the variety of options. As a comparison I have a LSS (el84s) and there is a noticeable difference vs the LSC (6L6). The LSC does have more presence and an immediate feel vs the more squishy LSS. This is not a bad thing at all, just a different feel.

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Thanks so much for the responce and the time you took to respond!

I think I like the squishy fealing. I had a lot of experance with modeling but bought my first tube amp in 2020. I loved the Dual recto modes on most of my modeling gear or the california wich I assume was a Mesa Mark emulation. They had that squishy feal. Im guessing thats cause of 6L6s in the emulation? Im assuming dual rectos come with 6L6 by defualt?

My first tube amp, it was some type of orange 1x12 combo. I hated it.I ended up buying the Mark V 35 from humbucker music. It was a massive improvment but it still was not it.

I have also had a lot of experance playing with my friends old fender tweed amp its from the 70s I belive it was a 1x12 combo and that thing sounded amazing with a tube screamer or other various stomp boxes infront of it hell even a boss metal zone and that pedel is kinda trash.

Im starting to wounder if its the 6L6s that i been looking for the whole time concidering I think the fender tweed amp had them in it.

Could someone shead some light on the diffences.

Im hoping EL34 are not a lot like EL84. They sound thin and have no fullness. Thin and fuzzy might be what im thinking here.

Ascendance said:

Thanks so much for the responce and the time you took to respond!

I think I like the squishy fealing. I had a lot of experance with modeling but bought my first tube amp in 2020. I loved the Dual recto modes on most of my modeling gear or the california wich I assume was a Mesa Mark emulation. They had that squishy feal. Im guessing thats cause of 6L6s in the emulation? Im assuming dual rectos come with 6L6 by defualt?

My first tube amp, it was some type of orange 1x12 combo. I hated it.I ended up buying the Mark V 35 from humbucker music. It was a massive improvment but it still was not it.

I have also had a lot of experance playing with my friends old fender tweed amp its from the 70s I belive it was a 1x12 combo and that thing sounded amazing with a tube screamer or other various stomp boxes infront of it hell even a boss metal zone and that pedel is kinda trash.

Im starting to wounder if its the 6L6s that i been looking for the whole time concidering I think the fender tweed amp had them in it.

Could someone shead some light on the diffences.

Im hoping EL34 are not a lot like EL84. They sound thin and have no fullness. Thin and fuzzy might be what im thinking here.

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Well.. it’s not only about the tubes.. the amp and finally the cab has tremendous effect on the tone and the feel of the whole system

I’ve had some amps with el84 and never bonded them.

In my voyages of tone (swap and disappointment) I have finally found out that i need the big amp with 6l6 or el34 and closed back cab. Preferably 4x12. Sometimes I envy guys a bit who can make combo amps sound nice and can bond with the feel

YMMW as always. Personal preference

Eevil said:

Well.. it’s not only about the tubes.. the amp and finally the cab has tremendous effect on the tone and the feel of the whole system

I’ve had some amps with el84 and never bonded them.

In my voyages of tone (swap and disappointment) I have finally found out that i need the big amp with 6l6 or el34 and closed back cab. Preferably 4x12. Sometimes I envy guys a bit who can make combo amps sound nice and can bond with the feel

YMMW as always. Personal preference

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Closed back is the thing for me too my mesa recto 4x12 with v30s is amazing. Im thinking of getting something with greenbacks down the line as well. For sure closed back though.

Ascendance said:

Closed back is the thing for me too my mesa recto 4x12 with v30s is amazing. Im thinking of getting something with greenbacks down the line as well. For sure closed back though.

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Yep.. Last year I bit the bullet and bought a Captor X to tame the loud and to have a proper direct tone. I’ve enjoyed playing with headphones too. With such a device it’s easier to hear how the amp works in different volume levels and my amps are heinously expensive dirt boxes

I will ask, is your Mark V:35 a combo amp? Or is it a head and you are using it with a 412 cab?

I do not have any experience with the EL84 dyna-Watt power Mesa products like the Mark V:25 or Mark V:35 so I cannot comment on that. I am surprised the amp only pushes out 35W considering the TransAtlantic TA30 was capable of 40W power (40W/30W/15W). I assume Mesa made some changes to that power section for obtaining the 35W/25W/10W modes.

Some video content makes the V:35 and V:25 sound epic. I assume you are not getting close to these demonstrations.

This is a video on the V:35, not sure how to cancel out the bass track here but if this amp can do this, I would not doubt it will push a 412 cab just fine. (assumed) Also have to consider this is a professional recording and geared to sell the product. Does it really sound like this?
Based on the video description: the cab used is only one H212. They called it traditional sized. Is that compact H212 or a Stiletto cab?


Mesa V212 and the Mesa traditional 412. One was using a grid slammer and the other a flux drive.


This is the V:35 with an open back C90 cab.


Even the Mark V:25 seems to do well with a H212 cab.


Sure, in the studio, things will sound completely different than what you get from the amp in the room.
This one has some blend of room and then studio magic with double tracking. What a difference the double track makes in depth of the sound. Again, it is processed like all the other videos.


To answer your question on the larger bottles vs the smaller 9-pin mini tubes. The answer is Yes and No at the same time. What @Eevil said is quite true. It is not just the tubes but the cab as well. Just for a slight reference on the EL84 topic, I had a Carvin V2MC which was a 50W combo amp. It sounded dead, thin, anemic as a combo, however, when pushing a Mesa 412 cab it sounded huge and quite colorful like the Mark IVB I had at the time. I would not let the smaller power tube influence your judgement on the actual tone of the tube. Most of it has to deal with how the tube is utilized in the circuit and its relationship with the output transformer.

The 6L6GC tube has a different impedance characteristic than say its distant cousin the EL34. Amps that are primarily focused on using the 6L6GC tube will have a better sound overall compared to running its British cousin of the EL34 tubes and its variants. There are many variants of the 6L6GC tubes that may sound good or bad in any given 6L6 based amp. Same will hold true for the EL34 and its related variants. Much has to do with the tube's impedance, bias, and the output transformer. Since the Mark V90 can run 6L6GC or the EL34 (with a bias switch set for that tube type) there will be a difference in character in some ways. I can say with experience that the Mark V90 pushing air with the Gold Lion KT77 was a rewarding experience. The Mesa stock STR447 was ok. The STR440 6L6 tubes were stock at the time I bought my Mark V in 2012. What they are using now is the STR441 tubes, different sound and characteristic for a 6L6GC tube but they sound good with that amp. The best 6L6 tube I have yet to hear though the Mark V90 was a full quad of the SED =C=6L6GC which are long out of production. Those are still my top choice for the Mark V90. It can vary depending on the actual tube variant used. Some are really good with the V90, some are not, but better suited with other Mesa 6L6 amps.

As for the EL34 tubes, amps like the Badlander and Triple Crown do exceptionally well with the stock EL34 STR447 or even the newer STR446 tube. They perform differently with the 6L6 tubes, the trade-off is a reduction in output volume. Moreso related to the output transformer than the actual tube.

Enjoy the Mark V90 when you get it. It will be a rewarding experience for you. It will sound different than the V:35 since they do not share the same preamp circuits, they will be close in many respects in gain characteristics. The simul-class power will make the amp sound a bit brighter than it would be if it was a Class AB power amp. This has more to do with the extended class A region of the push-pull power section of the 45W mode. 90W combines Class AB and extended class A push-pull. You can change the mode of the extended class A section in Pentode or Triode with the amp at 90W and at 45W. In the 10W mode, it is pure class A power and will be running the main tube as a triode, not sure what happens to the one used as a ballast on the OT, if that was not there, it would damage the OT windings. Never remove the tubes from the amp and try to run the 10W mode with less than 4 power tubes. I like the feature set on the Mark V90 and I never really grew to appreciate the features until after I bought the Mark VII. Both are different in many ways, but similar in others. I do like the variac power feature on the Mark V90. Too bad that is not on the Mark VII.

Eevil said:

bought a Captor X

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What IRs are you gravitating to these days?

The best way to change/shape the tone of any amp into the sound you want is to run parametric EQ in the FX loop. I've never met an amp that didn't need it to get the thick, sharp, chuggy sound I need. Even with my Mark V 90W, I run a 10 band parametric EQ in the loop, an analog Ashly rack unit. I also have a Source Audio EQ2 (2-channel 10-band parametric pedal). The preset capability is very convenient, but it does make the signal digital, so I only use it if I can't get a sound from the analog rack unit. It has so many knobs, I just keep it set & forget, because it's too difficult to get the same sound twice.
I got the Ashly PQX 572 for the price of that 3-band Empress pedal.

I love the sound of my Mark V 90W, but it does take the extra EQ in the loop to get it there.
I like it better with 6L6GC's, they have more bass, a little more high end, and more balanced mids than EL34's.

rarebitusa said:

What IRs are you gravitating to these days?

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I am the boring one and dropped the whole guest of the holy IRGrail. Using the built in DynIR with good enough results and life is good too much time is wasted in this era for hunting things that have no actual value for the content itself.

Eevil said:

I am the boring one and dropped the whole guest of the holy IRGrail. Using the built in DynIR with good enough results and life is good too much time is wasted in this era for hunting things that have no actual value for the content itself.

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I spent almost 3 years searching for a way to record silently. Tried hundreds of IRs, modelers, cab sims, including a few analog cab sims, and I just could not find anything that was acceptable in recordings. Compared to my mic'd speakers, they all sounded like garbage.
But I'm in an apartment and do my best work late at night, so I persisted in the search. I eventually figured out that I now had the ability to make IRs, since Ableton Live Suite upgraded to v12. So I made IRs of all my speakers, with the mics I usually record them with, and now with reactive load boxes and the Wall of Sound plugin to load the IRs, I'm getting acceptable silent recordings for the first time.

bandit2013 said:

Some video content makes the V:35 and V:25 sound epic. I assume you are not getting close to these demonstrations.

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I feel like thats mic and post processing. I own a mesa recto 4x12 cab with v30s that i use with the mark V 35. I even sent it back using the warenty when i first got it cause it sounded so off. Yes its the Head only.

They sent a whole new tube set that seemed to help a little the power tubes default that came with were making it more harsh.

Then I went from the het set emgs in my silverburst to the seymour duncan distortion bridge and seth lover in neck. Those pickups realy give you the best of both worlds. I even got NOS bumble bee caps for the tone pots that helped too. Honestly the Het set is trash. I had a mexican fender with dual emg 81s and it sounded better.

Part of the reson for some of my issues was I was reading the presets in the manual or looking at other payers settings online and my amp sounded like trash with those. After spending time with my amp over the years I got closer to the sounds im looking for but im still only like 2/3s or 1/2 way there. Im still the closest U have been in my life as of right now. The Mark V 90w should be here tomorrow or Tuesday. Im hoping thats the final thing I need to get those tones in my head I want.

Im just missing the tickness and fullness but whats funny is one of the sounds im looking for some times is there for a second when im shutting the amp off and im ringing out a note or chord. Telling me im I might be looking for that variac sound for one of my main tones.

No the amp does not sound like the video to me. Its for sure diffrent but somewhat simular but those all sound more full warmer and more prestine outside of what i have been able to do with the clean channels.

bandit2013 said:

Mesa V212 and the Mesa traditional 412. One was using a grid slammer and the other a flux drive.

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I have the cab on the right in this video it is from the early 2000s or 90s though. I tired doing the Hetfiled mod putting polly fill sheats in the cab to get that black album sound. Just made it sound worse so i took it out. So the gasket is stil there but not sealed like it was. I dont know if thats honestly changing much at all.

Honestly iv gotten tones simular bit never as full sounding as any of those videos. Dont get me wring I have gotten some great tones but i still cant get what I want on the mark V 35w.

I can get some amazing clean sounds with a echoplex and the fat channel. Some have decent stuff on the mark IV as well and the crunch. But like iv been saying its still off. I dont know how to put it into words and its def not because im trying to seek studio sounds iv heard mark 4s and mark 3s in person never got a chance to play them but those deff were putting out what I was looking for with little effort watching the owner of the guitar shop as a teenager.

Seen metallica 4 times along with many other bands that use mesa boogie amps. I know they use Axe FX now but even those sound better. Im not expecting to be able to get that sound just out if my amp and a mesa 4x12 recto cab either.

bandit2013 said:

The best 6L6 tube I have yet to hear though the Mark V90 was a full quad of the SED =C=6L6GC

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How about new production do those exsist? Are they any good also my amps comming with the STR-441s 6L6

bandit2013 said:

Too bad that is not on the Mark VII.

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Thats why I went for the 90w V. Well about 65-70% of why i picked it over the 7 is the amp choices for cleaner stuff, the bright switch on the mark 4, mark 1 mode and the edge mode (sounds fun i hear you can get EVH tones out of it like old school brown sound as well). Then the crazy deal that poped up i just could not decline.

Im planing on selling my mark V35 then i should only be out a around 400$ tops im thinking max depending on how I go about selling it.

Also thanks so much I was hoping to talk to you I read most of your posts and they are so helpfull.

Im just going to leave the amp as is for a while when I get and not swap anything out.

I am curious. You know how they said they left something out of the 2c+ channel to make it sound like the the non GEQ verson?

Is it possible to get the amp moded for the 2c+ to put that cap or whatever like origonal 2c+ with GEQ and how the Mark 4 mode is on the Mark 5 now?

Also if im still not getting the sound im looking for im going to look into getting a diffrent or new mesa 4x12 cab maybe something is wrong with my speaker cab?

Also what do you think of these if i want to give EL 34s a try?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2944470646...aWzQTERTDS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

DECEMBER said:

I got the Ashly PQX 572 for the price of that 3-band Empress pedal.

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Looking into that now looks like i found one for around $250. Metallica on the 2c+ they used a parametric EQ i forget what one off hand but its prob not nearly as good as this ashy. Just because it was famous from master of puppets i seen it sell for insaine prices lol... yeah im gonna be investing in one soon thats for the help.

Just looked it up lol.....

BB/Aphex EQF-1

I also found this... am I better off with the ashly?
https://www.mastereffectspedals.com/pmeq


I probibly just need to spend time with this amp stock first.

Ascendance said:

I probibly just need to spend time with this amp stock first.

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Yes I would suggest this highly. Also there are a number of previous forum posts here that maybe will provide input that can be helpful.

FWIW I found this video helpful as Euge goes thru his V:90 settings and signal chain in detail.

Tone Monster

Ascendance said:

I probibly just need to spend time with this amp stock first.

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That’s the best thing to do.. I dismissed my first Mark V quickly and moved on to other amps (Bogner, Diezel…) but later on came to appreciate what this amp has to offer.

It’s actually helluva amp in itself Cleans are exceptional, Tweed is glorious with 45w and tube recto, crunch is aggressive and with boost really fluid and solid, edge is fluid and has some glassiness of a brit amp in it.. and then Mark IV is my goto lead tone and triode/pentode 90/45 just widens the palette a bit.

Bought Boss GT1000 and EM Custom midi controller for the amp and one can safely say that it is a versatile package

rarebitusa said:

FWIW I found this video helpful as Euge goes thru his V:90 settings and signal chain in detail.

Tone Monster

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Thanks for this just watched it. Best review I seen on the mark V imo. You can tell they guy really loves the amp and is not just getting paid to do a review.

I actualy learned a lot watching that video.

Eevil said:

That’s the best thing to do.. I dismissed my first Mark V quickly and moved on to other amps (Bogner, Diezel…) but later on came to appreciate what this amp has to offer.

It’s actually helluva amp in itself Cleans are exceptional, Tweed is glorious with 45w and tube recto, crunch is aggressive and with boost really fluid and solid, edge is fluid and has some glassiness of a brit amp in it.. and then Mark IV is my goto lead tone and triode/pentode 90/45 just widens the palette a bit.

Bought Boss GT1000 and EM Custom midi controller for the amp and one can safely say that it is a versatile package

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definitely concur... I bounce back and forth between IIC+/MkIV for lead work. Do find that 10W pushed on Ch 3 floats my boat.

I had a GT-100 then upgraded to the 1000 Core, big, big difference. The effects are crisper with way more signal chain options. With the number of input/output level control options there's no issue with interfacing with the fx loop. Yea it's a great combination.

Ascendance said:

Looking into that now looks like i found one for around $250. Metallica on the 2c+ they used a parametric EQ i forget what one off hand but its prob not nearly as good as this ashy. Just because it was famous from master of puppets i seen it sell for insaine prices lol... yeah im gonna be investing in one soon thats for the help.

Just looked it up lol.....

BB/Aphex EQF-1

I also found this... am I better off with the ashly?
https://www.mastereffectspedals.com/pmeq


I probibly just need to spend time with this amp stock first.

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That first link is a 500 module EQ, so you need a 500 rack box to be able to use it. The box can hold and run up to 10 modules, but you can't even use one without it.
That second link is a semi-parametric pedal. Only the frequencies are adjustable. Empress makes a 3-band fully parametric pedal, the ParaEQ. And a version with a switch with 3 fixed bandwidths instead of a knob with the full range of adjustable bandwidth. But they're $399 & $275, respectively.
The Ashly PQX 572 is a rackmount 2-channel 7-band (5 fully parametric bands & 2 semi-parametric bands per channel) that can be found used for the price of the 3-band Empress pedal ($399).
I plug the output of ch1 -> the input of ch2, making it a 1-channel 14-band (10 fully parametric).
It takes up more space but is SO much more EQ for the price.
Ashly PQX 572 on eBay for ~$390
Rack EQ units from Rane and Symetrix are also good, but the Behringer PEQ-2200 was terrible.
There's also the Source Audio EQ2 pedal. 2-channels, 10 fully parametric bands each plus high & low shelving and LPF/HPF. It is digital, though, but has 128 presets. You have to use an app to adjust the frequencies and bandwidths (Q), otherwise it's just a graphic EQ. Also has a gate and limiter. The preset capability is very convenient, but being digital, I only use it when I can't get the sound I need from the Ashly, which has over 30 knobs, so I don't like to change it much, it's practically impossible to get the same sound twice.

Honestly, I've never met an amp that didn't need this EQ in the loop. Even my Mark V 90W, it just sounds terrible without the extra help. It doesn't sound like a $3000 amp without the extra EQ. The parametric is essential to be able to cut those harsh high-frequency overtones that are inherent in high gain. To cut those frequencies with very narrow bandwidths, so it doesn't darken the whole high end. I also cut several mid frequencies with narrow bandwidths, to tame the wonky frequencies and balance the mids without scooping out the whole midrange (which makes that hi-fi sound and gets buried in a mix).
Raw guitar is a mess of unbalanced mids and harsh treble. I don't know how anyone can stand to use amps without at least 5 bands of parametric EQ. The fixed bandwidths of graphic EQ are too wide and make for overly dramatic boosts/cuts, and they don't often have the specific frequencies you need to hit. Parametric lets you make narrow-bandwidth adjustments at specific frequencies, so you can tame the problem frequencies without taking big chunks out. Parametric EQ is tone shaping with surgical precision, while graphic EQ is more like chopping at your tone with an axe.

DECEMBER said:

Honestly, I've never met an amp that didn't need this EQ in the loop.

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The secret tone weapon

DECEMBER said:

That first link is a 500 module EQ, so you need a 500 rack box to be able to use it. The box can hold and run up to 10 modules, but you can't even use one without it.
That second link is a semi-parametric pedal. Only the frequencies are adjustable. Empress makes a 3-band fully parametric pedal, the ParaEQ. And a version with a switch with 3 fixed bandwidths instead of a knob with the full range of adjustable bandwidth. But they're $399 & $275, respectively.
The Ashly PQX 572 is a rackmount 2-channel 7-band (5 fully parametric bands & 2 semi-parametric bands per channel) that can be found used for the price of the 3-band Empress pedal ($399).
I plug the output of ch1 -> the input of ch2, making it a 1-channel 14-band (10 fully parametric).
It takes up more space but is SO much more EQ for the price.
Ashly PQX 572 on eBay for ~$390
Rack EQ units from Rane and Symetrix are also good, but the Behringer PEQ-2200 was terrible.
There's also the Source Audio EQ2 pedal. 2-channels, 10 fully parametric bands each plus high & low shelving and LPF/HPF. It is digital, though, but has 128 presets. You have to use an app to adjust the frequencies and bandwidths (Q), otherwise it's just a graphic EQ. Also has a gate and limiter. The preset capability is very convenient, but being digital, I only use it when I can't get the sound I need from the Ashly, which has over 30 knobs, so I don't like to change it much, it's practically impossible to get the same sound twice.

Honestly, I've never met an amp that didn't need this EQ in the loop. Even my Mark V 90W, it just sounds terrible without the extra help. It doesn't sound like a $3000 amp without the extra EQ. The parametric is essential to be able to cut those harsh high-frequency overtones that are inherent in high gain. To cut those frequencies with very narrow bandwidths, so it doesn't darken the whole high end. I also cut several mid frequencies with narrow bandwidths, to tame the wonky frequencies and balance the mids without scooping out the whole midrange (which makes that hi-fi sound and gets buried in a mix).
Raw guitar is a mess of unbalanced mids and harsh treble. I don't know how anyone can stand to use amps without at least 5 bands of parametric EQ. The fixed bandwidths of graphic EQ are too wide and make for overly dramatic boosts/cuts, and they don't often have the specific frequencies you need to hit. Parametric lets you make narrow-bandwidth adjustments at specific frequencies, so you can tame the problem frequencies without taking big chunks out. Parametric EQ is tone shaping with surgical precision, while graphic EQ is more like chopping at your tone with an axe.

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Found a empress version 1.0 with boost for 157$ and free shipping on reverb might pull the trigger.


Also its almost like the Mark V:35W and The Mark V:90w are completly diffrent amps. I can tell im gonna be able to get what I want with it but im gonna have to spend some serious time figuring it out.

The Mark V: 35 is easier to dial in but it just dont have all the tones you can get out of this amp. With the mark 5 35 and the Mark 5 90w on the exact settings on the mark 4 mode yeah its ALOT diffrent in my opinion.

For sure the 90W is the better amp.

The tweed mode is to die for on variac.

The edge mode is underated for sure along with the mark 1 mode.

Honestly the 90w what is worth it for the extra cleaner modes alone. I poped in a echoplex and I was in clean tone heaven on the tweed channel.

Gonna have to mess with the channel 3 options but looking like Triode is how I like the mark 4 mode. Extream sounds way better on the mark V 90w. Not nearly as huge of volume jump as the mark V:35 either imo.

The Mark V 90w makes you wish you had a GEQ for each amp lol. On channel 2 I feel Edge needs a completly diff GEQ setting than the other amps and on edge I feal the tone shapes like sort of like a marshal, the complete oposite of mark 1, 2c+, mark IV, Extream and even some of the cleans.

Also for the first time in my life my tone nobs dont sound like complete crap. Im still going to get the caps changed on the tone nob on my guitar to .014 uf or whatever on the neck.

Are EL34 like a hybrid of EL 84 and 6L6?