Horrible News!

[mesadude]

Thanks to both of you. Sounds like that channel should be very versatile.

mesadude, what kind of gig did you play, and what was your overall impression of the Mark 5 in a live setting? Meet or exceed your expectations?

Also, did you enjoy it as much as your past Boogie gear? Thanks.

No, it didn't exceed my expectations. I don't believe I quite had it setup correctly. The gig was a loud, hard rock gig at a local venue. I had all channels set to 45W, and was running in the low-power (Variac) setting. The amp didn't have the power I usually get with the Mark IV, and I had to use the Zendrive on a couple of tunes to really get that searing quality for leads. The lead settings just didn't quite cut it. And I was on stage, under dark stage lighting, and didn't have time to really think about it, or adjust anything. I was also running through my Dr. Z Stang-Ray & my Lunchbox 2. Normally I use this setup, but with the Mark IV, and use the Mark Four for kicking in leads. The Five is a different beast, and I (apparently) haven't tamed it yet.

Thinking about this over the weekend, I believe that if I had used the Mark V in the 90W setting, and then used the Variac power, I should have been getting close to what I'm used to hearing with the Mark IV, as the Four doesn't have the individual channel wattage settings. I'll try again next time.

MeZadude 8)

Definately sounds like a work in progress, as to be expected this early on.

The only part that bothers me somewhat is the, "I had to use the Zendrive on a couple of tunes to really get that searing quality for leads. The lead settings just didn't quite cut it."

Thats supposed to be a Mark series amp strength, without the need for extra overdrive from a pedal. I realize some metal guys use a boost to tighten up some amps for their rhythm tones, but again, tightness I thought (I,ve never owned one before) was supposed to be another Mark series attribute...no?

What exactly was the probelm though, not enough sustain? That would be a deal breaker for me. I,m not a metal guy, but that fat, singing lead tone ala Santana, Petrucci has got to be there!

I wouldn't put too much stock in my early review here, as I've not had a chance to really spin this amp. I really set it up how I would have set my MKIV, but didn't take into account the lower wattage settings.

The lead quality was not powerful enough, or maybe I should say thinner than I wanted at times. So I used the Zendrive to boost & fatten on a couple of leads where I had to take complete command and soar out in front. But I also had to ride my volume pedal the whole time to make sure I was controlling the gain, etc.

I still believe it's just a learning curve. As the amp had a beautiful voice in rehearsal and at home while I was initially trying things out. This was the first time using it 'at volume' in a loud, biker bar.

MeZadude 8)

 

[Facelift]

I just called the guitar center They said that Mesa has halted production on all Mark 5 heads and he has no idea when it will resume.

Theres your problem. Take what they say with a grain of salt. Very few people that work for GC actually know anything about what they sell.

 

[phyrexia]

A run of Mark Vs is beginning final assembly tomorrow.

So once again, why does anybody think GC knows what they're talking about? Have they ever proven this to anyone? I for one have never had a positive experience with a sales employee there ("Oh we can get you a 2x12 Mark IV man." Yeah, since I work for the only dealer in the city and those don't exist.).

 

[Mark Fore]

A run of Mark Vs is beginning final assembly tomorrow.

So once again, why does anybody think GC knows what they're talking about? Have they ever proven this to anyone? I for one have never had a positive experience with a sales employee there ("Oh we can get you a 2x12 Mark IV man." Yeah, since I work for the only dealer in the city and those don't exist.).

FGC! :twisted:

 

[TTSTWO]

I just called the guitar center They said that Mesa has halted production on all Mark 5 heads and he has no idea when it will resume.

Theres your problem. Take what they say with a grain of salt. Very few people that work for GC actually know anything about what they sell.

Very true! I went to a GC last saturday to buy a new Mesa cab and when I asked the salesman if (or it does) come with the casters and cover he said it didn't come with a cover, but all the combos do. I said "OK" do you want to blow the sale? He went to the back and got the cover for me. I really wonder is he was going to try to make me pay extra for it??? :roll:

 

[theroan]

Mesa probably did halt production. They typically (from what I know) go in bursts. They'll do a run of express amps, recto's etc one batch at a time. They'll probably get back to them soon. I'm too worried. Gives me more time to sell my Mark IV

 

[mr_fender]

This is exactly what they do. You all have to remember that Mesa/Boogie, while very popular, is a fairly small company. They don't have some huge automated production facility that churns out hundreds of every model they make each day. They have a small team of builders that do a lot of stuff by hand. That takes time. They work in bursts where everyone works to build the same model amp for a short while, then they stop, retool, and start again on another model for a while. That's how most small production teams work. It keeps everyone on the same page and makes for more consistent products. It's more or less just luck, depending on when you place your order, that determines when your order will actually get built out. They don't have huge stockpiles of completed amps just waiting for orders. They build on an as-needed basis. It's more cost effective for small companies since you don't have to have as much cash tied up in a huge parts inventory. Patience folk. The wait will be worth it.

Also, you can completely ignore anything that those idiots at Guitar Center tell you. They are beyond useless. Every single time I go into GC to check out a product I ALWAYS know more about their products than they do. I once had a know-it-all salesman try to demo an amp by plugging an instrument cable between the speaker cab and the slave out of a tube amp. Luckily he kept switching the standby switch back and forth trying to turn it on, but he didn't have the power switch on. I just cringed and walked away. NEVER, I REPEAT NEVER buy anything from the floor of a Guitar Center. Always make them pull you a boxed one from the back.

 

[Puerco-araña]

Also, you can completely ignore anything that those idiots at Guitar Center tell you. They are beyond useless. Every single time I go into GC to check out a product I ALWAYS know more about their products than they do.... NEVER, I REPEAT NEVER buy anything from the floor of a Guitar Center. Always make them pull you a boxed one from the back.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one that feels this way :wink: