Going back to the Mark V

[Supreeth]

Hey All,

It's been a while since I posted here. I hope you've all been well, rocking out to Mesas, and enjoying the holiday season!

As you know I had sold my Mark V head earlier this year in favor of the Axe-FX Ultra. While the AFX was amazing I slowly came to the realization that I really missed the intimacy of sitting in front of the Mark V and just playing rather than tweaking all the time. So the AFX is now gone and I'm in the market for a Mark V. I'm probably going to go the 1x12 combo route this time. Might put in a v30 instead of the stock c-90 in the combo.

It may be a month or so before I get the V (holiday season shopping and GAS just don't gel well together in terms of cash ) but boy am I looking forward to the ride once again!!

cheers,
Supreeth

 

[iceman]

Haggerty's sells the 1x12 combo with a V30 in it.

http://www.haggertysmusic.com/shop/mesa-boogie-mark-v-combo-1x12-custom-vintage-30-speaker.html

 

[Hendog]

I wouldn't run my Mark V through a single V30.

I'm not even totally comfortable when I run my V30 loaded 2x12 real hard.

 

[ifailedshapes]

Not to mention the sound of a Vintage 30 with the open-back combo. I'd say if you want a combo, get the stock C90 and consider an extension cab if you REALLY feel like you need a V30.

 

[Rkorn]

I have the Head as i do not have the money for the combo... its A LOT more than the head version.
And a 212 rec cab.
I would love to get a 112 cab with a c90... but they are so bloody expensive...

 

[Supreeth]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I had a Mesa Mark V head and used to run it through a 2x12 horizontal rectifier cab plus a 1x12 C90 mesa cab. I wound up selling it when we moved to an apartment in the city from our apartment in the suburbs. No way that setup could be used in an apartment in the city. I don't gig at all these days, but the lure of the Mark V is still great. That said I may just wind up getting a 1x12 Mesa Express 5:25 for my apartment noodling given all the not-so-positive reviews I'm reading about the Mark V combo.

cheers,
Supreeth

 

[screamingdaisy]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I had a Mesa Mark V head and used to run it through a 2x12 horizontal rectifier cab plus a 1x12 C90 mesa cab. I wound up selling it when we moved to an apartment in the city from our apartment in the suburbs. No way that setup could be used in an apartment in the city. I don't gig at all these days, but the lure of the Mark V is still great. That said I may just wind up getting a 1x12 Mesa Express 5:25 for my apartment noodling given all the not-so-positive reviews I'm reading about the Mark V combo.

cheers,
Supreeth

Put the Mark V on 10w mode and lift the cab off the floor so that the bottom end doesn't transfer via the floor into adjacent apartments.

IMO, most of the unfavourable reviews are due to people choosing the combo version then trying to use it for chunky/chugging hard rock/metal when an open back cab is an inappropriate choice for the tones they're trying to achieve. An open back Express combo will have similar tonal advantages/limitations as an open back Mark V combo.

(note: I'm not trying to sell you on a Mark V so much as get you to think about whether an open back cab is suitable for your application)

And on a side note, I actually like V30s in open back cabs. I sometimes think people forget that they were modelled on the Celestion Blue... which is a common choice for use in open back cabs.

 

[SteveO]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I had a Mesa Mark V head and used to run it through a 2x12 horizontal rectifier cab plus a 1x12 C90 mesa cab. I wound up selling it when we moved to an apartment in the city from our apartment in the suburbs. No way that setup could be used in an apartment in the city. I don't gig at all these days, but the lure of the Mark V is still great. That said I may just wind up getting a 1x12 Mesa Express 5:25 for my apartment noodling given all the not-so-positive reviews I'm reading about the Mark V combo.

cheers,
Supreeth

Just a heads-up from somebody who used to live in an apartment, have owned an Express 5:25, and currently own a Mark V... The Mark V is more apartment-friendly than the Express, believe it or not. I could watch TV while noodling with the V, even at 90W. The master volume in this amp is VERY good. The Express, even at five watts, gets too loud too quickly for apartment use, unless your neighbors are relatively cool.

 

[Rkorn]

A friend has an F-100 combo with v30, its open back and it sounds VERY VERY GOOD!