Bad-sounding mark 5: tube-issue?

[Orpheo]

Hi guys, it's been quite some time since I posted here, but now I really feel the need to do so.

I am in the market for a mark-series amplifier, again. I had a mk4, a long time ago, and I sold it. I miss the tone and 'feel' of the amp, and I thought, perhaps the mark 5 is a nice amp to cover the grounds of the 4, and perhaps even more.

Well, I tested the amp, but the amp didn't sound the way I thought it would. The first channel: well, where's the headroom? even on the 90w setting, with gain at 9 o'clock, the amp would start to crunch!

On the second channel, it was a flubby crunch/distortion, absolutely not tight or powerful. It just lacked in all aspects!

The Third channel was a major promise, but an equally major disappointment. The mk4 tone was nowhere to be found! It had LESS gain than the stock JCM800 which was there, which was already odd, it didn't have the power, the tight lows, the aggressive mids and singing highs I expected from the mk4 or even a mk5!

I really can't believe that this amp is just this...bad. I have an Engl Special Edition and an old Marshall JMP 2203, and I want something something else in the tonal range. I was hoping for the mk5, but perhaps I have to 'settle' for the mark 4, cause with that amp, I know what I'm dealing with...

to cut it short: was the mark 5 I tested just faulty, perhaps bad tubes, or is the amp really that bad?

 

[Oldschool]

Yes it´s really that bad!!!

Seriously, there´s obviously something wrong with the amp you tried. No way should the clean channel distort on 90w with the gain at 9:00 (except for Tweed Mode, possibly).

for the second and third channels, you really need to know how to dial in the EQ on a Mark amp (ease off on the bass and boost some treble...)

 

[shogun]

its doubtful that is was faulty. the mark v won't sound good with the same settings you used to use on your mark iv, and it will take a while to dial in.. you just need to spend more time with it and be patient

 

[Orpheo]

well, even on the third channel, extreme setting, the gain is at 10, treble at 4.5, mid at 2 and bass at 2, presence at 5, it still had less gain than the JCM 800! you can't tell me that this is due to 'bad settings', but really, less gain or a bad tube.

I used the settings which were described by the manual (I downloaded the manual and put it on my phone, which has a big screen, so errors in reading can be ruled out )

The thing is, even the salesmen said 'yeah, this is just the character of this amp... it isn't a metalamp, you need pedals for that'.

And the latter statement is something I just cannot exept

 

[Hendog]

Either there was something wrong with the amp or something wrong with the way you were dialing it in.

Either that or you expected to switch to "Mark IV mode" and the amp would turn into a Mark IV. It gets you in the ballpark of a Mark IV if dialed in correctly but does not (and can not of course) cover the entire sonic soundscape of the Mark IV and whatever little nitch you found within.

 

[Heritage Softail]

Sounds like a bad tube and a total douche for a salesman. I have 2 friends at Guitar Center but I hate to say it is not the place to go for a Boogie expert. Seems like lots of folks are not Boogie experts as the big chain stores? I found a mom&pop place that has a Boogie guy and a tube guy... Sweet. My MKV had a preamp tube going bad within 2 weeks. Ch 3, MKIV mode went in the crapper with lack of clarity then started to sound mushy, and then a low level noise when the gain was up. New tubes, took ideas from here, Winged C 6L6 and Tung Sol 12ax7's. Significant improvement to my ears. My ears like cool Knopfler bluesy licks (Communiqe, Making Movies), almost all Metallica, Foo Fighters, Petrucci, currently digging Living Dead Girl - Zombie. MKV gets in the ballpark for most all of that IMO. Or it should :wink:

 

[th0rr]

Sounds like maybe bad tubes. I have the gain on channel 1 around 11 O'clock and with a duncan custom in the bridge I don't get any crunch. Tons of headroom. No flub on any of the channels.

 

[beretta9m2f]

sounds faulty, i have my gain at almost noon on the clean ch with EMGs and don't get clipping unless i play aggressively. Not enough gain on the other CH? Definitely a faulty amp/tube , i don't know your tastes, but for most metal you probably won't need to go past 2 o clock on any of the gains to get good saturation and note definition. Also the manuals suggested settings may not be to your taste at all, tweak and try different things. All things considered, at the end of the day it just might not be the amp for you. Good Luck!

 

[Orpheo]

Hm faulty tube... good to know

perhaps I really have to try a mk5 with 'good' tubes before I 'settle' for the mk4

 

[lesterpaul]

i have spent a considerable amount of time with a V and various C+ amps and an E Dyne in side to side dial ins-the V gets close to a C+..difference is in feel and sub low tones IMO-the IV setting on the V gets me closest to a loaded C+
pedals for a metal tone?? if you want a rectumfryer,get a rectumfryer...salesman sounds like he has a few "good pedals" he wants to push on you :wink:
-the V is a lot of amp for the money, and it takes time to dial in..pardon the oft used expression, but you gotta "think outside the box" on these babies

 

[BoogiePete]

I've tried two Mk5 combos now. One sounded great, the other pretty awful! Seems to be quite a few sounding sub-par from the factory. Would be a bummer to buy one that didn't sound so hot thinking a valve/tube change would cure it, then that not be the case! I'm going to try the head next and see how it goes.

 

[sevycat]

I can't say anything about the amp you demo/played. I purchased a Mark V 2 weeks back and it knocked my socks off. Clean channel made my ears bleed. channel 2 was where I found more of the sounds I was looking for and the 3 channel made my pee pee stand at attention.

I don't play metal, so I am not sure exactly what the ideal sound you seeing would be. As for a bad tube, it's possible. Who knows, check out a different mark v and see if this amp is just not what your looking for. God knows folks are dumping their mark IV's on ebay, so if thats what your into you should be able to get one and find the lost love you seek.

 

[primal]

If Channel 3 on the extreme setting with the gain maxed had less gain then a JCM 800, then there was definately something wrong with that amp.

Mark V as loads more gain on channel 3 then a JCM 800. So if you were getting less with the gain maxed, something was faulty!

My Electra Dyne has more gain then a JCM 800 and doesn't have a s much gain as a Mark V.

 

[livewire78602]

I have to agree with the first post, this amp sounds thin and nothing compared to a dual/triple or roadking mesa head. I worked on it all day trying all diff effects, front of head, fx loop etc. Clean channels sounds good, but sounds as good as all my other tube heads. Channel two and three sounds like a real cheap combo amp, not that thick and warm, muddy, notes sound flat. Im sending it back, real frustration sets in with this amp.

 

[rabies]

I have to agree with the first post, this amp sounds thin and nothing compared to a dual/triple or roadking mesa head. I worked on it all day trying all diff effects, front of head, fx loop etc. Clean channels sounds good, but sounds as good as all my other tube heads. Channel two and three sounds like a real cheap combo amp, not that thick and warm, muddy, notes sound flat. Im sending it back, real frustration sets in with this amp.

0) the mark series is thin sounding compared to bass-heavy recto line. may not be your cup of tea but it's good for very tight metal riffing (metallica, LOG, DT, etc.)
1) did you turn up the masters to 2+ ??
2) did you try switching out the tubes?
3) be patient and remember, this amp is voiced like a tight mid-ranged instrument, not a low-mids focused recto (I've had a MK IV and RK1, so I know). But you can dial in some bass and it will get closer to a boomy sound.

 

[nicklang]

i believe the main issues you where having is 1. the salesman didnt know what the hell he was talking about and 2. if you where looking to just dial in a standard metal tone you should have probably tried switching it to pentode and maybe spent a couple more minutes just trying to dial in the tone you wanted with the right eq .

 

[scott7d]

Yes it´s really that bad!!!

Seriously, there´s obviously something wrong with the amp you tried. No way should the clean channel distort on 90w with the gain at 9:00 (except for Tweed Mode, possibly).

for the second and third channels, you really need to know how to dial in the EQ on a Mark amp (ease off on the bass and boost some treble...)

I agree with this post. On my clean channel, I have my gain set around 12:00 with 90 watts, and can strum pretty heavily with no break-up. And this is at gigging levels.

And again, I agree with you on the 2nd and 3rd channels. Those damned channels made me want to sell the amp within 3 days of owning it. After dialing in tones, I read my "V" bedtime stories and request time off work to come home and give it bubble baths, hoping to keep it nice and happy. A good book and some orchid pedal bath beads keep this amp happy and screaming.

Hopefully you get another fresh start with the amp since it left a sour taste in your mouth the first time.

 

[ixoye777]

You shouldn't get any clipping on the clean channel - NONE. I can't get it to break up at all.

You may be discouraged at first with the MV if you are looking for a thick booming modern metal tone. That just isn't this amp. It has plenty of gain but NEEDS to be EQ'd if you are looking for a thick bottom end to chug on. Run an EQ at the end of the loop and toss a drummer in the mix and it delivers.

My buddies recto has much more snarl then my MV but the MV is far more articulate, tight and crisp - it really sings. As others have said it really does take some work to dial it in. It may just not be the amp for you.