Justin_Blackened
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- Joined
- Oct 21, 2014
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Gday All.
My name is Justin and I am from Melbourne Australia. I finished my degree in Industrial Design in November last year and as a gift to myself I bought a Mark V 25. I preordered as soon as I could find time to get to my local dealer. Took me months to pay it off, but I made sure to secure mine early. Serial is #7xx so I guess I got in pretty dam early.
Anyway I have had it for maybe 2 months now. It is everything I imagined it to be, in 2011 I traveled to America to participate in the Metallica 30th anniversary shows, when In Frisco I bought a LTD snakebyte. But Joe from Audio images organized for Joe Delaney from Randall, and a rep from Mesa (wish I could remember his name) to show us a few amps and tell Tallica stories. That was the first time I played a Mesa they had a Mark V. I said to my brother if they ever make a Smaller more affordable Mark V ill be first in line. (epic foreshadowing).
Better get this review back on track, I tend to go on a bit about my Metallica stories.
So after living with the Mark V for a couple months I do not regret the grossly over inflated price (thanks OZ distributor! its not like US and OZ dont have amazing trade laws or anything...) I had to pay for my Mesa. As soon as I dialed in my poor empty student wallet felt alot better, WORTH EVERY CENT! I do ALOT of research and had read a metric ton of threads about how difficult Mark series amps are to dial in and tips on how todo it. So the first thing I did was go on youtube find my favorite Mark V 25 demo (John Petrucci's) and copy his settings. Worked like a charm.
Onto the amp itself.
Channel 1:
Clean/Fat. Exactly what I search for in a clean channel. CLEAN, i like it sparkly and pure. Having a bit more trouble dialing in this channel than channel 2 but Ill get there. My previous amp a Hughes and Kettner tubemeister 18 also had a sparkly clean channel, but it was very very glassy and brittle. A splash of Chorus and delay smoothed it out but the Mark V needed nothing.
Crunch: HOLY S*&T anyone who has this amp knows what I am talking about. Truly amazing, so much depth and dynamics to this channel. I love how open it is, and is a great contrast to say the Mark IV mode which is very compressed.
Channel 2:
IIC+: as a Metallica Fan boi (oh god Im on to Metallica again, I actually run the Official Melbourne Metclub chapter https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melbourne-Militia-Metallica-Fanclub-Metclub-Chapter/176780862347394?ref=aymt_homepage_panel )
This channel intrigued me the most as I had heard and read so much about this legendary amp (IIC+ that is) Awesome channel but yet to find that "ZOMG best mesa amp ever built, please reissue it" sound. More dialing me thinks.
Mark IV: This is where I live, has everything I like about the IIC+ mode. Just with a little more punch and compression. My 84 Explorer in 'E' loves it, my Snakebyte in drop C loves it. My previous amp was a Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18 watt head. Amazing little head, HUGE price difference. The H&K I needed to use a Tubescreamer type boost and a eq in the loop to get a great metal tone. Particularly with my 84 explorer which has an old Passive in the bridge which I have failed to identify.
The Mark V does not need any help what so ever. I unplugged all my pedals bar a tuner and noise gate, and sold them. Straight in just like a $2400 amp should be, my cheap ass pedals can piss off. With Petruccis settings as a base I tweaked from there. I am a Metallica fan boi as I said but I like my super scoop'd sounds to stay where they belong (on the albums \m/ however Hetfields modern live tone is like pornography to me) I prefer the slight mid scoop you find in Johns rhythm tone, and I found it pretty quick.
Extreme: This mode I have not explored much, I am glued in Mark IV (god I love it) any settings to try???
Well how about some photos????
God its beautiful isnt it!!!! I wanted to get a custom grille but was gonna cost $360 so i bailed on that. The build quality is just amazing, like Apple finish quality. Every switch, every knob and dial is solid and I have no fear in breaking it what so ever. I dont feel I have to baby it, although I do.
10 out of mother %(^ING 10. Best amp ever, it can do it all!!!!!
On to the only negative... the "Slip cover" the Hughes and Kettner had a great little bag to cart it around in with space to hold your cables.
Mesas how ever fails in every department (wait I lie the materials used are top notch). I am an industrial designer and could draw up a cover 10x better on toilet paper while on the can (sorry mesa).
1: There is no slipping on to be seen. You have to unplug the cables to get the thing on, Input cable I can deal with. But having to unplug the speak and power to get it on is just silly, its very inconvenient. And what do I do with my cables when I haev the cover on? Let them dangle off the back of the cab?
2: Using it to transport the head fails too. Theres a separate (why separate its just another thing to carry) bag for the footswitch and cable? but no compartment to put the power cord and speaker cable on the cover?
3: It doesn't have a bottom, which I get its meant to 'slip' on/off. But If you are transporting it you want complete protection, even with the cover you have to be careful what surface you place it on which of course the owner always would be. But that one time you put the head down on a sticky Bar table you will wish it had a bottom. Not to meant it could easily 'slip off' leaving your amp unprotected.
The tubemeisters bag was alot better. It wasnt something you could use to protect the amp while set up at home, but when I took it to my mates house to jam I could carry the amp in one hand (cables inside the pocket) and guitar in the other and be ready togo. Unfortunately Mesas slip cover doesnt work as a slip cover or as a bag.
Anyway thats my 'review' I have a little youtube channel for the Metallica Chapter I run and plan on posting some videos and soundclips. I do gear demos and review, riff requests and a thing I call riff a week. I pick a Tallica riff learn it record it, upload it and get others todo the same and send me their videos. I then mash them together and upload a video. A bit of fun and gets peopleing playing and learning. Heres a link to a short video, feel free to check out some of the other vidoes and subscribe. Still learning so some are kinda rough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S3B9zkJ4fY
Have a good one guys!!!
J
My name is Justin and I am from Melbourne Australia. I finished my degree in Industrial Design in November last year and as a gift to myself I bought a Mark V 25. I preordered as soon as I could find time to get to my local dealer. Took me months to pay it off, but I made sure to secure mine early. Serial is #7xx so I guess I got in pretty dam early.
Anyway I have had it for maybe 2 months now. It is everything I imagined it to be, in 2011 I traveled to America to participate in the Metallica 30th anniversary shows, when In Frisco I bought a LTD snakebyte. But Joe from Audio images organized for Joe Delaney from Randall, and a rep from Mesa (wish I could remember his name) to show us a few amps and tell Tallica stories. That was the first time I played a Mesa they had a Mark V. I said to my brother if they ever make a Smaller more affordable Mark V ill be first in line. (epic foreshadowing).
Better get this review back on track, I tend to go on a bit about my Metallica stories.
So after living with the Mark V for a couple months I do not regret the grossly over inflated price (thanks OZ distributor! its not like US and OZ dont have amazing trade laws or anything...) I had to pay for my Mesa. As soon as I dialed in my poor empty student wallet felt alot better, WORTH EVERY CENT! I do ALOT of research and had read a metric ton of threads about how difficult Mark series amps are to dial in and tips on how todo it. So the first thing I did was go on youtube find my favorite Mark V 25 demo (John Petrucci's) and copy his settings. Worked like a charm.
Onto the amp itself.
Channel 1:
Clean/Fat. Exactly what I search for in a clean channel. CLEAN, i like it sparkly and pure. Having a bit more trouble dialing in this channel than channel 2 but Ill get there. My previous amp a Hughes and Kettner tubemeister 18 also had a sparkly clean channel, but it was very very glassy and brittle. A splash of Chorus and delay smoothed it out but the Mark V needed nothing.
Crunch: HOLY S*&T anyone who has this amp knows what I am talking about. Truly amazing, so much depth and dynamics to this channel. I love how open it is, and is a great contrast to say the Mark IV mode which is very compressed.
Channel 2:
IIC+: as a Metallica Fan boi (oh god Im on to Metallica again, I actually run the Official Melbourne Metclub chapter https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melbourne-Militia-Metallica-Fanclub-Metclub-Chapter/176780862347394?ref=aymt_homepage_panel )
This channel intrigued me the most as I had heard and read so much about this legendary amp (IIC+ that is) Awesome channel but yet to find that "ZOMG best mesa amp ever built, please reissue it" sound. More dialing me thinks.
Mark IV: This is where I live, has everything I like about the IIC+ mode. Just with a little more punch and compression. My 84 Explorer in 'E' loves it, my Snakebyte in drop C loves it. My previous amp was a Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18 watt head. Amazing little head, HUGE price difference. The H&K I needed to use a Tubescreamer type boost and a eq in the loop to get a great metal tone. Particularly with my 84 explorer which has an old Passive in the bridge which I have failed to identify.
The Mark V does not need any help what so ever. I unplugged all my pedals bar a tuner and noise gate, and sold them. Straight in just like a $2400 amp should be, my cheap ass pedals can piss off. With Petruccis settings as a base I tweaked from there. I am a Metallica fan boi as I said but I like my super scoop'd sounds to stay where they belong (on the albums \m/ however Hetfields modern live tone is like pornography to me) I prefer the slight mid scoop you find in Johns rhythm tone, and I found it pretty quick.
Extreme: This mode I have not explored much, I am glued in Mark IV (god I love it) any settings to try???
Well how about some photos????
God its beautiful isnt it!!!! I wanted to get a custom grille but was gonna cost $360 so i bailed on that. The build quality is just amazing, like Apple finish quality. Every switch, every knob and dial is solid and I have no fear in breaking it what so ever. I dont feel I have to baby it, although I do.
10 out of mother %(^ING 10. Best amp ever, it can do it all!!!!!
On to the only negative... the "Slip cover" the Hughes and Kettner had a great little bag to cart it around in with space to hold your cables.
Mesas how ever fails in every department (wait I lie the materials used are top notch). I am an industrial designer and could draw up a cover 10x better on toilet paper while on the can (sorry mesa).
1: There is no slipping on to be seen. You have to unplug the cables to get the thing on, Input cable I can deal with. But having to unplug the speak and power to get it on is just silly, its very inconvenient. And what do I do with my cables when I haev the cover on? Let them dangle off the back of the cab?
2: Using it to transport the head fails too. Theres a separate (why separate its just another thing to carry) bag for the footswitch and cable? but no compartment to put the power cord and speaker cable on the cover?
3: It doesn't have a bottom, which I get its meant to 'slip' on/off. But If you are transporting it you want complete protection, even with the cover you have to be careful what surface you place it on which of course the owner always would be. But that one time you put the head down on a sticky Bar table you will wish it had a bottom. Not to meant it could easily 'slip off' leaving your amp unprotected.
The tubemeisters bag was alot better. It wasnt something you could use to protect the amp while set up at home, but when I took it to my mates house to jam I could carry the amp in one hand (cables inside the pocket) and guitar in the other and be ready togo. Unfortunately Mesas slip cover doesnt work as a slip cover or as a bag.
Anyway thats my 'review' I have a little youtube channel for the Metallica Chapter I run and plan on posting some videos and soundclips. I do gear demos and review, riff requests and a thing I call riff a week. I pick a Tallica riff learn it record it, upload it and get others todo the same and send me their videos. I then mash them together and upload a video. A bit of fun and gets peopleing playing and learning. Heres a link to a short video, feel free to check out some of the other vidoes and subscribe. Still learning so some are kinda rough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S3B9zkJ4fY
Have a good one guys!!!
J
next on the list is a new cab though.
