Interested in a Mark V...

[gitaryzt1985]

I also posted something similar in the Express section, but a guy there mentioned that I might should look into a Mark V. I don't gig, even though I have played in church off and on over the past 5 years. I have a two year old at home, so until she's a little older I'm confined to late night playing in the man cave. The goal would be to play in church again when the time is right.

I play a Maz 18 combo right now, and I play everything from blues to contemporary Christian to full on Tremonti style hard rock and metal. I've been through 15 amps in the last 5 years from Fender, Vox, Marshall, Two Rock, Dr Z, Egnater, and even a Mesa Express and Mini Rec. What have I learned? That for 75% of what I play I like EL84 clean/dirty tones with my Strat. The Maz is probably the best sounding single coil amp I'm ever owned next to the Dr Z Carmen Ghia.

The issue I'm having is that I'm sick and tired of the amp hopping and want to find an amp that I can become my amp for many years to come. I also play a PRS SC245 and a MIM strat with Dimarzio Cruisers. Pedals are great, but I am more of a fan of what the amp can provide, and I honestly am an amp in one hand and guitar in the other type of guy. I've got the Flux Drive and Throttle Box on order, but quite honestly I know that all that is going to do is give me a Mesa flavor through a vintage styled amp.

Are there any strat fans that can give me an idea of the cleans on the Mark V? The clean channel is probably the most important thing to me, but I would love to be able to play metal with my PRS without having to use pedals. Maybe I'm crazy for that, but so be it. I like Fender cleans, I like Vox cleans, and if I have to, I could honestly make a little Blues Jr work for my blues kicks. My favorite strat amps in order are the Maz 18, Carmen Ghia, Blues Jr, and AC15.

There is something to be said about the mojo of carrying a Maz into the church and getting an immediately head turning chimey vintage tone. But, there is also the fact that the Mark V can probably offer up some outstanding clear cleans with more headroom and also give me some pretty nice classic rock and metal tones at the same time.

Sry for the long post, just very excited as to what a Mark V could do for me in the long run.

 

[jmontgomery]

I think the V would suit your needs perfectly. It's my opinion but I couldn't imagine anyone not being happy with the Mark V.

 

[miqueas92]

Well, the V is 9 amps in one, for the most part.

It sounds like a Mark.

Having said that, you can dial in so many tones, it is almost impossible to remember them all.

The clean channel alone has almost anything you would want for Church.

A friend of mine who has a AC30 sat down with my V and dialed in what he considered to be an AC30 tone with some break up on the Ch2 Edge in 10 watt mode. He thought his Vox was a little fuller but said that was from being a 2x12.

Ch3 can get you almost anything you want. IIC+ mode is great as you can have it with wild gain and then just back off the vol. and it cleans up great. Sometimes I will do a whole worship set in IIc+

I don't have a strat. But my MusicMan Reflex almost gets there.

Just some chorus, delay, wah to color the tone, everything else is the V's tone.

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

You get three flavors of clean on the clean channel itself. Anything from pristine, to fat (good with single coils), to tweed. All of them sound good with either my LP or Tele. Then you get channel 2 with the Edge mode. AC30 style worship tones right there on that mode. So if you're looking for an amp with GREAT clean sounds, the Mark V is it.

The rest of the modes and channels will cover that rock and metal, no sweat. Throw in a TS style OD in front of them and it goes even further. You probably can't lose. I am keeping mine forever. It is just that insanely versatile.

However, I'm not sure it's all too great for late night quiet playing. Get yourself an Axe-FX II and be done with it. Works great at church too, and for roughly the same cash. The Mark and AC30 tones in there are to die for.

Or do what I did and get both. That way you can never be sorry.

 

[SteveO]

However, I'm not sure it's all too great for late night quiet playing.

I bought my Mark V when I was still an apartment dweller, and it proved to be an excellent low-volume amp.

 

[SonVolt]

You get three flavors of clean on the clean channel itself. Anything from pristine, to fat (good with single coils), to tweed. All of them sound good with either my LP or Tele. Then you get channel 2 with the Edge mode. AC30 style worship tones right there on that mode. So if you're looking for an amp with GREAT clean sounds, the Mark V is it.

The rest of the modes and channels will cover that rock and metal, no sweat. Throw in a TS style OD in front of them and it goes even further. You probably can't lose. I am keeping mine forever. It is just that insanely versatile.

However, I'm not sure it's all too great for late night quiet playing. Get yourself an Axe-FX II and be done with it. Works great at church too, and for roughly the same cash. The Mark and AC30 tones in there are to die for.

Or do what I did and get both. That way you can never be sorry.

The Mark V is the BEST low volume tube amp I've ever played. And I'm playing through a full stack.

 

[guitarp77]

I think the V would suit your needs perfectly. It's my opinion but I couldn't imagine anyone not being happy with the Mark V.

+1

 

[Heritage Softail]

Play one if you can.

I bought one and fiddled with it for a year and a half, changing preamp and power tubes.

I wanted a Recto sound. And you can find hundreds of people to back this up... A Mark series sounds different than a Recto. They are not similar.

Mesa has a great modded high gain Marshall similarity, but it is not a Marshall crunch.

I would say you should play a few Marshall's and get to know the tone and feel.

Play a Recto and turn the beast loose, boost it and feel the freight train chug.

Then play the MKV. It does have many modes based off of old Mark series amps. It does not have a Recto mode, and Mesa is pretty much anti-Marshall.

I have two Mesa amps now. A MKIIC and single rec series 2 combo. Awesome amps with some of the most iconic Mesa tones out there. Not hating on Mesa in any way at all. I am saying it would be best to try them out and not just drink the kook-aid.

Good luck on the tone quest. Looking at spending a couple thousand bucks, I hope you are able to test those puppies out.

 

[TimeSignature]

I think you'll be happy with the Mark V. Great warm / fat cleans AND great overdrive / distortion. Sounds great at any volume. It comes alive when pushed! A little mid heavy (but so is an Express) IMO but a fantastic amp and much more versatile than an Express. Yeah, a little more pricey.

Mark V's are Mark V's though. They are their own thing. They don't sound like Fenders, Vox's or Marshalls.

 

[TimeSignature]

Not sure where you are located but the Guitar Center by me is blowing out Mark V heads for 2 grand. Not a huge discount but at least its something.

 

[bandit2013]

I have owned my Mark V head for 8 months now. I also have a Mark IV combo. I like the warm sound of the clean channel on the Mark IV, but that is about it. However, the Mark V almost seems endless in what type of character you want from a single amplifier. The clean channel in all three modes surpasses the Mark IV. If you want it mellow, use the variac mode with tube rectification in 45W gives it that spongy tone. Even though this is considered high gain, channel 2 and 3 provide well defined clarity even when compressed. I run the head through a modified 412 rectifier cab. No need for distortion pedals here. I barely get the effects out of storage. I love the raw sound of the amp as it is. The reverb is very nice too.

The Mark V offers 9 voicing modes (3 per channel). That makes it quite versatile. As for using a strat, I cannot offer any opinion since I do not have one. However, 4 of my guitars have coil taps and phase inverter switches. Not quite a strat sound but the amp sounds terrific with tapped humbuckers in single coil mode.

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

The Mark V is the BEST low volume tube amp I've ever played. And I'm playing through a full stack.

Might be that your 412 cab is loaded with V30's, right? And maybe you're playing a certain style of music that sounds good at low volume with scooped mids?

I've never found the MKV to sound good at low volumes, at least not the combo loaded with a C90. If I were to play that amp late at night at a volume that sounds good to me, my wife and kids would complain. Not to mention my neighbors. It is one of the loudest combo amps I've owned. Scratch that, make it THE loudest.

I just don't want the OP to buy a $2300 amp to practice late night and potentially find out it's not workable for him. That's why they make amp modelers.

 

[MBJunkie]

OP,

Lots of good suggestions offered by other posters so far. Here is my take....

I have owned my MkV since they were first released, and absolutely love it! The MkV is my number one amp when I rehearse and play live. Love It!! :mrgreen:

Yes, it can be set to sound surprisingly good at low volumes and of course very high volumes. However, I must say that "low volume" is a very subjective statement, and only each individual can determine what "low volume" really means.

Yes, all 3 modes of Ch1 offer terrific clean sounds with the tweed mode offering a very nice clean/crunch sound. And of course, Ch2 and Ch3 can take you to high gain sounds that can really deliver in tight rhythm and sustaining lead sounds....no question.

However, you mentioned that you don't gig and have a 2 year old in your house. Personally, I don't think the Mark V would be a good match for you. While it does sound surprisingly good at "low volume" for the powerful amp it is....it sounds much better at medium to loud volumes which won't work well for your 2 year old at night.

Honestly, the MkV sounds it's best on stage playing with a band!

Currently, my second favorite amp is my Mini Rectifier (and is my backup to my MkV), and one that I would recommend you try, but noticed that you already gave it a go, and it didn't work for you? I find this to be an AWESOME, grab and go amp and really love the clean and high gain sounds achievable. It can also be set at fairly low volumes while still sounding good to me. My guess is that the clean sounds offered of the Mini Rec were not to your liking which is a fair statement when compared to amps that shine in the clean sounds.

One last offering that you may not have considered is the TA30 (or even TA15). The "Voxish" clean tones offered in Ch1 (both modes), the "American Clean" voicing offered in Ch2 (Tweed Mode), the "Marshallesque" tones offered in Ch1 (H1 Mode), and the Mesa Boogie high gain lead solo sounds offered in Ch2 (H2 Mode) might be right up your ally? However, don't for a minute think that you will obtain "metal tones" out of any offerings from the TA Series.....think more on the line of vintage tones with this amp.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

 

[SonVolt]

The Mark V is the BEST low volume tube amp I've ever played. And I'm playing through a full stack.

Might be that your 412 cab is loaded with V30's, right? And maybe you're playing a certain style of music that sounds good at low volume with scooped mids?

I've never found the MKV to sound good at low volumes, at least not the combo loaded with a C90. If I were to play that amp late at night at a volume that sounds good to me, my wife and kids would complain. Not to mention my neighbors. It is one of the loudest combo amps I've owned. Scratch that, make it THE loudest.

I just don't want the OP to buy a $2300 amp to practice late night and potentially find out it's not workable for him. That's why they make amp modelers.

Yep, V30's and I play all channels equally. Just compared to my JCM 800 and Triple Rectifier, the Mark V sounds fantastic at TV volumes whereas the other two go from Zero to someone's going to call the cops just by looking at the volume knob and wishing to turn it.