Help me decide! The ol' MKV vs Roadster.

[ryan.d.s]

*insert beating of dead horse animation*

Hello! Just registered... figured since I will soon be a Boogie owner, why not join and ask for some advice to make my final decision?

I'm very stuck between the Mark V and Roadster. I love the heaviness of the Roadster, but I love the character and amazing lead sounds of the Mark V, and it seems to put out a pretty convincing heavy rhythm tone.

My favorite player is Petrucci, and I love his tone. I know he uses a Mark V now, was using a Mark IV and IIC+, and also used a Roadking on some albums. To be honest, I'm not sure which tone I like more. I love how heavy his Train of Thought/Octavarium RK tone, but I also love the tightness of his SFAM Mark IIC+ and SC/BC&SL Mark IV tones.

One deciding factor will be if I can get good tone from the Roadster at lowish volumes. It'll be in my walk-in closet (I've already got a 4x12, and will be saving up for a better 2x12)

Since it'll be in my closet, I can definitely bring it up past bedroom levels. Is it easy to get a good recorded tone with the Roadster? I'm just wondering if I will be able to get that heavy rhythm tone with nice chunky palm mutes without killing everyone around me.

I'll mainly be using to record, and I will DEFINITELY be gigging soon. But still, a lot of the time I will be in my room.

Another deciding factor is how well the Mark V's lead channel is. I've been hearing a lot of people say it's not as aggressive as the Mark IV and doesn't replicate the IIC+ and IV's lead tone well. I've even heard that the Mark I mode is better for high gain rhythm.

I'm trying to find a balance of being selfish (suiting my needs as a hobbyist), and getting a head that suits my band. I play in a hard rock/pop band with a female singer... but I love to shred, play teh brutalz, and play some progressive stuff. (Which actually is some stuff my band might dabble into from time to time)

Any help is really appreciated. I'd love to own both, and hopefully will someday, but I want this $2000 investment to last me while and make me happy that I chose the one I choose. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to play any of these. Just clips and youtube videos for now... possibly when I get the money soon, I might be able to drive a couple hours to try them out.

 

[YellowJacket]

Apples to Oranges. If you are going to spend $2,000, spending the gas to drive 2 hours to cure your GAS is probably a great idea. Maybe you should pick up a Roadster or Mark V used and then save up for a John Petrucci signature guitar? Maybe you can steal his hands while you are at it! (hey, so much tone is in the guitar and the hands) Don't overlook the importance of guitar and pickups for tone. I bet if you get that right, the amp decision would be much easier.

I have a feeling if you play both of them, you'll have a much better idea. Listening to youtube vids is just a stupid time waster anyhoo. I've found that amps that sound almost identical online have surprisingly different personalities when you play them in person. (Or should I say that the amps sound almost identical online AFTER you hear the chasm between them in person) If you hear an Electra Dyne demo compared with a Dual Rectifier demo (both from mesa) they sound fairly similar COMPARED to when you play them and hear the added detail in a jamspace. I think the hands on experience will definitely pull you either way. I will say this, the Roadster and the Mark V are EXTREMELY versatile heads that can do everything from Jazz to Blues to TEH BRUTALZ OLOLOL! You don't have to worry about getting a one trick pony. I mean I'd recommend the Electra Dyne for a head but you seem to like high gain so I think you know your options well enough!

To stir the pot further, ScreamingDaisy was talking about how he was playing a Dual through a c90 Celestion and it made for a much better lead tone and clean. I'm planning on building a close back 2 x 12 with a c90 and a v30 and I am interested to see how this effects the lead tone I can get with my head. You 'can' get good low volume tone through a recto, but it is difficult with a 280watt 4 x 12 because the speakers simply aren't working hard enough until you crank the head a bit. IF you have a 4 x 12 for rehearsal and gigging, you can always do what I did and make / buy a 50watt 2 x 12 for home use and practicing. They sound far better quiet!

 

[Hendog]

I LOVE both amps on paper but when it comes to actually daily use I MUCH prefer the Mark V.

I would love to have that Lonestar clean and the Recto crushing riffing but when the dust settles, the Mark V is the amp for me.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Since it'll be in my closet, I can definitely bring it up past bedroom levels. Is it easy to get a good recorded tone with the Roadster? I'm just wondering if I will be able to get that heavy rhythm tone with nice chunky palm mutes without killing everyone around me.

A fair chunk of the Dual Rectifier sound comes from driving the **** out of a set of V30s, so while you can make a Recto sound good at lower volumes it's definetly an amp that works better at loud volumes.

Another deciding factor is how well the Mark V's lead channel is. I've been hearing a lot of people say it's not as aggressive as the Mark IV and doesn't replicate the IIC+ and IV's lead tone well. I've even heard that the Mark I mode is better for high gain rhythm.

Here's the scoop. The Mark V isn't a Mark IIC+ or a Mark IV.

 

[ryjan]

Recording, low volume, can't decide between a recto or a Mark? You need a Triaxis!

 

[xedwinx206]

I'd say get a Mark IV or the Roadster.

I was in the same dilemma and wasn't too impressed with the Mark V. So I now have a Roadster on the way.

So much of it is personal preference though.
If you can make the drive to play them in person. No one can decide for you. They are both awesome amps, just comes down to what your ears like.
Good luck in choosing.

 

[ryan.d.s]

Alright guys, I really appreciate your input!

Recording, low volume, can't decide between a recto or a Mark? You need a Triaxis!

Well like I said, I will be gigging and so I'd need a power amp. I'd rather just get a head, but a triaxis does seem nice. Aren't they out of production? I'd like to buy something brand new with full warranty as my first tube amp.

I'm thinking of getting the Mark V, and then saving up a bit more and getting the Recto Recording Preamp and running it through the Mark V's power section when I want to use it.

Any opinions on this, and would that work?

 

[Tuna141]

I'm thinking of getting the Mark V, and then saving up a bit more and getting the Recto Recording Preamp and running it through the Mark V's power section when I want to use it.

Any opinions on this, and would that work?

During rehearsal last night, I tried my Mark V with my Egnater preamp last night (controlled by a GCX switching system). The rig was configured so that I could switch between the Mark V and Egnater preamps. Each preamp feeds back into the Mark V through its Effects Return jack.This is the setup I use as my gigging rig, except that I normally use a Mark IV instead of the V, which I just recently acquired.

Anyway, to answer your question, using a different preamp into a Mark V works fine. However, I did find something that I did not like. When running the IV with this configuration, the Mark's graphic EQ is still available when using the external preamp (Egnater). This adds some nice tone shapping options. However, the EQ is not available when using an external preamp with the Mark V. Mesa must have changed the EQ routing when they added the "sliders/preset" option

 

[ryjan]

Well like I said, I will be gigging and so I'd need a power amp. I'd rather just get a head, but a triaxis does seem nice. Aren't they out of production? I'd like to buy something brand new with full warranty as my first tube amp.

I'm thinking of getting the Mark V, and then saving up a bit more and getting the Recto Recording Preamp and running it through the Mark V's power section when I want to use it.

Any opinions on this, and would that work?

Yes you will need a power amp unless you run the record outs direct to the board and no, the Triaxis is not out of production.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I'm thinking of getting the Mark V, and then saving up a bit more and getting the Recto Recording Preamp and running it through the Mark V's power section when I want to use it.

It'll work, but it might not be as 'impressive' as you're hoping for... particularily if you want it for 'modern high gain'.

 

[Garjaye]

Amazing!! I'm in the same situation as the original poster. I just sold my entire rack (which consisted of the Triaxis, Recto Recording Pre and 2:100). After 10 years of a rack, I was ready to go back to heads and even try other brands... I got an Egnater Renegade head and tourmaster 2x12 cab which I absolutely LOVE at the moment... but, now I'm also itching for a piece of Mesa gear to replace the ones I just sold and "keep it in the family".

To be honest, I was never totally happy with the Triaxis... Petrucci and so many others got great tones out of it, but I was never "truly" happy in the 5 years i used it as my main amp for 300+ shows! Recently, I was informed that it may have been due to pairing it with the 2:100 instead of the 2:90 with the Simul-Class and Deep switches...etc. That's very possible....

The Recto Pre and 2:100 together on the otherhand were absolutely brilliant!! I'm not a "Modern" setting player... I used the Vintage voicing for leads almost exclusively and got the liquidy, yet growling lead tone that I was after---singing sustain, articulate shredding (with PRS CU22's and Dragon II pickups)... However, I always used the Triaxis more because of the MIDI switching and flexibility live....

As of now, I'm in the position to get a used Mark IV, V or Roadster....

Something keeps pulling me to the Mark sound, despite my disappointment in the Triaxis. I hear tooo many great sounds on recordings and live with Marks...especially when paired with PRSi.

But, considering how happy I was with the Recto Pre/2:100... The Roadster seems like a logical choice, especially when you add in the Lonestar cleans.

Like the original poster, I'm not exclusively a Metal player... my bread and butter is Funk, Soul/R&B, Jazz and Pop/Rock.... BUT, I loooove the heavy stuff and like having an amp that can "go there and beyond" even if I don't use it everyday.

Conventional thinking is that the Mark is for leads and the Roadster is for rhythm.... I can't help being somewhat swayed by that thinking. Sometimes, if we hear something said enough, we start to believe it. But, it's hard for me to believe that a $2000 amp with multiple channels can't deliver both great rhythm and lead sounds....

 

[YellowJacket]

Try both, see what you walk away with. It is that simple. It is foolish to let other guitarists make your decisions for you. That is, unless you're a 14 year old zit faced puke who lusts over epiphones and marshall MG series amps and this is clearly not the case. In your case, this is an apples to oranges comparison. Both are well built amps that are pretty much equivalently priced and both seriously smoke. It all depends what YOU like the best. ScreamingDaisy said using a combination of c90 and v30 speakers in a cab might make it possible to coax much more lead friendly tones from a Recto type amp. I'm going to build a 2 x 12 to find out!! You can shop around and discover the benefits of different cabs but for now, just go with which amp makes you wet your pants the most!!

Don't overthink things, try and then buy!! ^_________^ (Provided you like it)

 

[Scary]

Try both, see what you walk away with. It is that simple. It is foolish to let other guitarists make your decisions for you. That is, unless you're a 14 year old zit faced puke who lusts over epiphones and marshall MG series amps and this is clearly not the case. In your case, this is an apples to oranges comparison. Both are well built amps that are pretty much equivalently priced and both seriously smoke. It all depends what YOU like the best. ScreamingDaisy said using a combination of c90 and v30 speakers in a cab might make it possible to coax much more lead friendly tones from a Recto type amp. I'm going to build a 2 x 12 to find out!! You can shop around and discover the benefits of different cabs but for now, just go with which amp makes you wet your pants the most!!

Don't overthink things, try and then buy!! ^_________^ (Provided you like it)

I'm pretty sure I have something like that in my cabinet, and believe me it's awesome with the Mark V.

 

[LTE]

I've only played a Roadster in a music store, for about 15 minutes. But the Mark V is incredible. It absolutely NAILS the petrucci tone. Although it won't be as loose as the Roadster so TOT type tones aren't quite exact, it's so good at everything else that you won't care. MkIIc+ mode nails the tight sound of early DT and SFAM. MkIV mode fattens up a lot, sounds closer to the LTE albums. The lead sounds are what it's known for, but the heavy rhythm tones are so tight and heavy in their own unique way.

 

[Heritage Softail]

GAS - I have done the old thing of playing an amp or guitar for a month on a few trips to the music store. Few things have kept my interest. Trying things 'outside' the Boogie family is good. Helps you find what you like best. I ended up buying a used single Rec to thicken up the chug on my MKV. It does not do a Rec. And you won't get the nice Mark lead tone out of the Rec. They want you to buy both :lol: .

I ended up selling the Rec and getting a Rivera Knuck for the more modern beat down brutal metal tone. All gets down to personal preference. What you have listed as two exclusive choices actually is probably a perfect complimentary combination of Mesa amp voicings. A Roadster with a string-thru EMG active guitar is absolutely thick-assed brutal. IMO you still have good leads in the Roadster, just not the same as on the MKV. But playing out, with no A/B in a quiet room, it is not that significant.

IMO, the MKV will feel vanilla before the Roadster. I like extremes. Roadster is more of a polarizing tone. Of course then you will need to get another amp.... probably a modded Marshall based amp like a nice Splawn.

Now that would be the shiznit!!! A QuickRod and a Roadster!!! :shock: :shock: Holy Crap... I just gave myself a gear-chub...