I got my Mark V head the other day....does anyone notice

[bradg]

Does anyone else agree that it has less gain and much less low end than the Mark IV? Also the graphic eq is not nearly as responsive as the IV. You can move the sliders pretty good w/o getting much of a change where with the Mark IV just a slight move of the sliders would be a huge difference.

It is a cool amp though. Channel 1 and 2 are great and I'm still trying to dial in something killer on 3. My old Mark IV settings aren't cutting it with the V.

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I tried a MK V combo yesterday for about 3 hours in the GC private room and noticed the same thing. I think the amp sounds great....but for those that say it blows the MK IV out..it's not true. Yes it has a better ch1 & 2...but IMO channel 3 on the MK IV is better.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I disagree. I think the MIV mode has more gain - or at least more usable gain. I thought that mode just SMOKED!!

Were you guys both playing a combo? I played a head through a 4x12 and a 1x12 and both sounded phenomenal.

 

[JohnDNJ]

I tried a MK V combo yesterday for about 3 hours in the GC private room and noticed the same thing. I think the amp sounds great....but for those that say it blows the MK IV out..it's not true. Yes it has a better ch1 & 2...but IMO channel 3 on the MK IV is better.

That's how I felt too, you're not alone.

 

[phyrexia]

I have a IVA I can make direct comparisons to, but I don't need to...the Mark V is a much better amp than the IVA I've used for practice and gigs the last three months.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Does anyone else agree that it has less gain and much less low end than the Mark IV? Also the graphic eq is not nearly as responsive as the IV. You can move the sliders pretty good w/o getting much of a change where with the Mark IV just a slight move of the sliders would be a huge difference.

Perhaps they were trying to make it less touchy so that it was easier to use?

 

[danyeo1]

DIsagree. The IV mode on the V has more gain and low end than a mark IV version A that i owned. Remember the IV mode is supposed to sound like the IV when the presence is pulled out, not pushed in. But the extreme mode has more gain and low end than any Mark series amp i have heard.


And more gain doesn't neccesarily mean that something will sound better. The IIC+ amps i owned both had less gain than the Mark IV's i owned.

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I disagree. I think the MIV mode has more gain - or at least more usable gain. I thought that mode just SMOKED!!

Were you guys both playing a combo? I played a head through a 4x12 and a 1x12 and both sounded phenomenal.

Yes it was a combo, but I also ran it through a 2x12 Recto Cab....I left with my opinion unchanged. To be clear, I'm not arguing the IV has more gain, I'm saying the quality of the gain was more pleasing to my ear (i.e. fatter, more defined, etc.) I found the V's a bit raspy (could have been the tubes I suppose).

I am getting a Mark V eventually....but it won't be for the Mark IV mode I will keep my Mark IV for that....it's definitely for the improved Ch1 & 2 (especially the Mark I on Ch 2...my favorite), and the IIC+ mode on 3.

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I have a IVA I can make direct comparisons to, but I don't need to...the Mark V is a much better amp than the IVA I've used for practice and gigs the last three months.

I could be wrong, but I thought the IVB (in addition to the effects loop update) had more gain than the IVA :?:

 

[Aart]

Remember the IV mode is supposed to sound like the IV when the presence is pulled out, not pushed in. But the extreme mode has more gain and low end than any Mark series amp i have heard.

I hate the Presence pulled out on my Mk IV, it makes the amp fizzy and less aggressive and defined. I guess I'll stick with my Mark IV since I use it for it's tight middy high gain crunch 99% of the time.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Remember the IV mode is supposed to sound like the IV when the presence is pulled out, not pushed in. But the extreme mode has more gain and low end than any Mark series amp i have heard.

I hate the Presence pulled out on my Mk IV, it makes the amp fizzy and less aggressive and defined. I guess I'll stick with my Mark IV since I use it for it's tight middy high gain crunch 99% of the time.

Why don't you try it, then decide?

 

[MusicManJP6]

I have a IVA I can make direct comparisons to, but I don't need to...the Mark V is a much better amp than the IVA I've used for practice and gigs the last three months.

I could be wrong, but I thought the IVB (in addition to the effects loop update) had more gain than the IVA :?:

Only on R2 channel, IIRC...

 

[PeeMonkey]

Remember the IV mode is supposed to sound like the IV when the presence is pulled out, not pushed in. But the extreme mode has more gain and low end than any Mark series amp i have heard.

I hate the Presence pulled out on my Mk IV, it makes the amp fizzy and less aggressive and defined. I guess I'll stick with my Mark IV since I use it for it's tight middy high gain crunch 99% of the time.

Why don't you try it, then decide?

Who trys out amps anymore when you have youtube and internet reviews. So if it sounds like **** on the internet it must suck in real life :mrgreen:

 

[danyeo1]

Remember the IV mode is supposed to sound like the IV when the presence is pulled out, not pushed in. But the extreme mode has more gain and low end than any Mark series amp i have heard.

I hate the Presence pulled out on my Mk IV, it makes the amp fizzy and less aggressive and defined. I guess I'll stick with my Mark IV since I use it for it's tight middy high gain crunch 99% of the time.

Depends on the cab. I had an old Boogie 2x12, the kind with the metal grill and could not use the Mark IV with the presence pushed in with that cab. It sounded like complete ****, treble and just nasty. Pulling out the presence and it sounded great. But on most 4x12's i did prefer it pushed in. Certain cabs really made a difference though.

 

[danyeo1]

I have a IVA I can make direct comparisons to, but I don't need to...the Mark V is a much better amp than the IVA I've used for practice and gigs the last three months.

I could be wrong, but I thought the IVB (in addition to the effects loop update) had more gain than the IVA :?:

Yes, the B version had more gain. I thought it was clearly evident when you had both amps in the same room.

 

[MarkIVwidebody]

Yeah, I go straight to youtube for my tone tests.

 

[bradg]

I disagree. I think the MIV mode has more gain - or at least more usable gain. I thought that mode just SMOKED!!

Were you guys both playing a combo? I played a head through a 4x12 and a 1x12 and both sounded phenomenal.

Mine is a head through a Mills Afterburner 4x12 and a Mesa Stiletto 4x12.

 

[bradg]

DIsagree. The IV mode on the V has more gain and low end than a mark IV version A that i owned. Remember the IV mode is supposed to sound like the IV when the presence is pulled out, not pushed in. But the extreme mode has more gain and low end than any Mark series amp i have heard.


And more gain doesn't neccesarily mean that something will sound better. The IIC+ amps i owned both had less gain than the Mark IV's i owned.

I'm not saying I don't like it I was just surprised at the difference. It definitely has less gain and low end than my Mark IV B had. If I maxed out the lowest slider on the IV, my whole house was shaking. Not so on the V in any mode.

 

[DudewithFr0]

I found the mark IV mode to be my least favorite setting on Ch. 3. I switch between iic+ and extreme most of the time.
The IV mode still sounds good though

 

[bradg]

Yeah Extreme and IIC+ are my favs as well. Mark IV is cool but like someone else said it is based on a Mark IV w/ the pres pulled and that's a little too fizzy for me. I did discover last night that the fizz can be mostly dialed out though.