A few questions as a new Mark V owner

[Notyelf]

Greetings all!

So I have a few questions regarding this amp now that I have owned it for about 2 months now.

The first question is regarding the clean channel. I have seen many people rave about this channel, and for the most part I think it is a great channel. The major problem I have however, is in order to balance its levels with channel 2 and 3, it is turned up so loud that it is distorting quite easily. I have it on the fat channel currently, and the gain is at about 9 to 10 o'clock, and the volume is about 3 to 4 o'clock. If I play very gently the sound doesn't break up, but if I pick at normal strength the sound breaks up and sounds slightly distorted.

My question is; is this normal? I would think the highly claimed channel wouldn't break up so easily but maybe I misunderstand that . To me a 'good' clean is loud and does not break up at all unless you really start pushing it. I have tried this through a few different cabs as well, the most current being a mesa standard angled cab that is brand new, so I know it is not the speakers. I also have a line 6 spider IV that I have cranked pretty **** loud without the issue so I know its not the guitar. I have a gibson gothic Les Paul (early 2000 rare model) with a duncan Jazz in the neck and a duncan Invader in the bridge. Even the Jazz PU buzzes which blows my mind.

I have been doing some reading and I have noticed a few people have 'noisy pre-amp tubes' that need replacing, which makes channel 3 buzz pretty loud, which I seem to be having this issue so I am wondering if that might solve both issues?

Last but not least is the liveliness of channel 3. I have been playing on a peavey triple xxx and more recently my line 6 spider 4 (economic reasons) for a while now, and one thing I notice on the Mark V, is that even with the gain all the way up on extreme mode, the strings still do not have that saturated 'lively' feeling. For instance even on lower gain settings on my line 6 I can set it up so the strings feel very active and require very little effort to get sustain and string articulation. With the Mark V some times it feels like more of a struggle.

Is this generally the case? Or am I missing something with a real amp ?

For my rhythm tones I am looking for more of a Killswitch Engage End of Heartache era guitar sound (I use channel 2 which is AMAZING for some of my 'signature' tones) and I am wondering if I should locate an OD808 to throw in front of the amp to liven things up a bit?

Anyway, overall I love the sound coming from this amp, but sometimes it can be intimidating as I can't quite dial in the exact tone I am looking for. Some days it sounds good and right, and the next day, without anything being touched it can sound a bit harsh, or not quite right lol.

 

[ryjan]

What guitar/pickups are you using?
Check/replace tubes.
What are your settings on channel 2 and 3?
Check/replace tubes.
Do you have channel 1 on 90watt mode?
Mark amps have a very dry/non saturated quality to the gain structure. With the proper pickups and pick attack it will be as brutal as any amp out there but it is an acquired skill.
Check/replace tubes.

 

[Notyelf]

LOL sounds like I should check/replace the tubes

I am not a technician, is there a simple test for checking the tubes? Also since I just bought this amp, are replacing tubes under warranty?

Guitar/pickups are in my OP

Channel 2 sounds fine however Channel 3 my settings are currently , Gain 3, volume 9, Pr essence 1, treble noon, mid 9, bass 9. My EQ is in sort of the V scoop pattern but I edged the middle up just a nudge and took town the high end just a little so its more of a check mark

Yes Channel 1 is on 90 watts

 

[SonVolt]

Ate you boosting channel 3 with an OD?

 

[screamingdaisy]

Greetings all!

So I have a few questions regarding this amp now that I have owned it for about 2 months now.

The first question is regarding the clean channel. I have seen many people rave about this channel, and for the most part I think it is a great channel. The major problem I have however, is in order to balance its levels with channel 2 and 3, it is turned up so loud that it is distorting quite easily. I have it on the fat channel currently, and the gain is at about 9 to 10 o'clock, and the volume is about 3 to 4 o'clock. If I play very gently the sound doesn't break up, but if I pick at normal strength the sound breaks up and sounds slightly distorted.

Instead of turning up channel 1 try turning down channels 2 and 3. Start with channel 3's volume down around 9:00 and adjust the other two channels to match. If you think the amp is too quiet turn up the master output.

My question is; is this normal? I would think the highly claimed channel wouldn't break up so easily but maybe I misunderstand that . To me a 'good' clean is loud and does not break up at all unless you really start pushing it. I have tried this through a few different cabs as well, the most current being a mesa standard angled cab that is brand new, so I know it is not the speakers. I also have a line 6 spider IV that I have cranked pretty **** loud without the issue so I know its not the guitar. I have a gibson gothic Les Paul (early 2000 rare model) with a duncan Jazz in the neck and a duncan Invader in the bridge. Even the Jazz PU buzzes which blows my mind.

Most Mesa's have a clean channel that's designed to have a bit of breakup in them. The idea is that they produce a sound reminiscent of an overdriven blackface Fender without the need to produce the kind of volumes required to overdrive an old blackface Fender. If you want less grind in your cleans try using "Clean" mode since it's lower gain than Fat or Tweed.... however if you're looking for pristine cleans you want a solid state amp and not a tube amp.

I have been doing some reading and I have noticed a few people have 'noisy pre-amp tubes' that need replacing, which makes channel 3 buzz pretty loud, which I seem to be having this issue so I am wondering if that might solve both issues?

Mark's have a lot of gain... it tends to amplify everything, including noise... particularly if you have the gain maxed on Extreme mode.

Last but not least is the liveliness of channel 3. I have been playing on a peavey triple xxx and more recently my line 6 spider 4 (economic reasons) for a while now, and one thing I notice on the Mark V, is that even with the gain all the way up on extreme mode, the strings still do not have that saturated 'lively' feeling. For instance even on lower gain settings on my line 6 I can set it up so the strings feel very active and require very little effort to get sustain and string articulation. With the Mark V some times it feels like more of a struggle.

This is a common complaint when people switch from solid state/digital to tube amps. Tubes are typically less compressed with smoother clipping, so they sound less distorted and you have to work a bit harder to get the same levels of sustain (playing at moderately loud volumes helps a lot). It'll come with practice.

I suggest turning down the gain. Try running it somewhere between 1:30 and 3:00 on the dial and pick harder. If you're using a thin pick switch it out for a heavier pick so that you can dig in. If you want a more saturated/lively feeling try Mark IV instead of Extreme. I find Extreme is a little dry and tight, particularly at lower volumes. Mark IV has more grease in it. I prefer using the preset EQ instead of the graphic. I find it's a bit brighter and punchier than what I've been able to dial in on the graphic, which sounds kind of harsh in the basement but fits in great with a band.

Anyway, overall I love the sound coming from this amp, but sometimes it can be intimidating as I can't quite dial in the exact tone I am looking for. Some days it sounds good and right, and the next day, without anything being touched it can sound a bit harsh, or not quite right lol.

One thing I've found with a Mark is to never touch the EQ for the first 10 or 15 minutes of playing. They're generally kind of harsh and stiff when you first fire it up cold and start to compress and smooth out once it heats up. If you adjust the EQ for the cold sound you'll throw off the hot sound and find yourself dialling in the old settings eventually... basically chasing your own tail.

 

[Notyelf]

Thanks Screamingdaisy! That is a lot of good and articulate information. I will definitely have to test all of that out.

I think part of me turning up channel 3 louder is the theory of 'pushing the tubes'. From what you are saying though...are the tubes being pushed via the master channel? So I don't need to worry about turning each channel volume up super high to get the desired tone?

I should also note both channel 1 and channel 3 can make a lot of buzzing noise even when my guitar volume is off. From what a few others have said searching around the net, their channel 3 is pretty quite unless things are maxed out and the amp is turned up quite a bit.

SonVolt, no I am not using an OD pedal in channel 3.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Thanks Screamingdaisy! That is a lot of good and articulate information. I will definitely have to test all of that out.

I think part of me turning up channel 3 louder is the theory of 'pushing the tubes'. From what you are saying though...are the tubes being pushed via the master channel? So I don't need to worry about turning each channel volume up super high to get the desired tone?

The channel volume controls the signal level entering the effects loop while the master output controls how much signal is entering the power amp.

I should also note both channel 1 and channel 3 can make a lot of buzzing noise even when my guitar volume is off. From what a few others have said searching around the net, their channel 3 is pretty quite unless things are maxed out and the amp is turned up quite a bit.

The noise could be from a number of sources. If you unplug the input cable from your amp and it goes silent then the problem isn't within the amp... it's from somewhere else in the chain... cables, pickups, pedals, pedal power supply, etc...

 

[Notyelf]

Thank you again Screamingdaisy!

The Mark IV mode instead of the Extreme mode was the best suggestion! I spent about 2 hours with it (and my girlfriend for extra opinion!) and finally dialed in the tone I was looking for. I do have some buzzing that is present even with nothing plugged in to the input. It does seem somewhat less than before though. I am still leaning toward noisy preamp tube lol. This mode does feel much more alive and reach toward the tone I like (albeit much better!). Also the gain is at about 1 o'clock which is considerably less than before but still sounds every bit as saturated!

Additionally I put channel 3 at just above 9 o'clock and dialed the other channels in accordingly. The clean channel stands out much better and doesn't sound so buzzy to me so that is great!

In regards to your comment about the 10-15 minutes for the amp warming up properly; I usually follow the manual and turn on stand by mode for a minute before playing. Can I just do this for 10 to 15 minutes and then start playing, or does it actually require you playing for this amount of time? Just need to figure this out because at shows I would like to make sure to get this warmed up properly before playing!

Last but not least, I was contemplating doing the ole od808 in front of the amp (yes I realize that will increase the noise!) what are your thoughts on that?

 

[screamingdaisy]

In regards to your comment about the 10-15 minutes for the amp warming up properly; I usually follow the manual and turn on stand by mode for a minute before playing. Can I just do this for 10 to 15 minutes and then start playing, or does it actually require you playing for this amount of time? Just need to figure this out because at shows I would like to make sure to get this warmed up properly before playing!

Unfortunately you'll have to play through it. Leaving it on standby between sets however will keep it from cooling down as fast. Once you have a whole band however the initial harshness is generally buried in the mix.

Last but not least, I was contemplating doing the ole od808 in front of the amp (yes I realize that will increase the noise!) what are your thoughts on that?

I like it with channel 2/crunch for an alternate lead tone. I find boosting channel 3 tends to cause too much feedback. In general the only pedal I use is a wah and I rely on the amp's built in solo boost. Having a noticeable jump in volume is far more impressive than any overdrive pedal.

 

[Notyelf]

Thanks again for all the information! This was all very helpful! My band was fairly excited at practice yesterday that I wasn't constantly tweaking knobs during practice . At practice volumes I had to dial a touch of presence and treble back (I waited about 30 minutes before messing with anything) but aside from that all is well!

Now I just have to land on a spot with Channel 2 that I really like

As for the booster, one of my all time favorite albums is Killswitch Engage's 'End of Heartache'. The guitar tone on that album is very close to the sound in my head. I know that Adam D uses the OD808 exclusively to help along his aggressive tone and pick attack. Just curious if that would make any diff on the mark V. I may get one anyway just to see...I can always trade it in for other pedals I need!

 

[screamingdaisy]

It's always useful to have an OD808 around. I rarely use mine, but every once in awhile it gets used.