Mark V:35 Review and thoughts

[bandit2013]

First time reading this post, excellent review and comments regarding the amp and would find it helpful if and when I decide to scale things down.

As for the JAN/Phillips 12AT7 will be a warmer tube than the Mesa 12AT7 if used as suggested. It will effect both channels such that you may desire the gain characteristics of the standard or stock 12AX7 tube.

As for the EL84, I would recommend the Mesa version since some of the other brands may require bias changes as this particular tube can be quite different across the brands. It is somewhat similar to the larger tube EL34 as they are both power pentode tubes, but the tone and gain characteristic of the EL84 is quite different than the larger bottle cousin. I do have an EL84 based amp I use for practice that I keep at my friends house but that amp also has an adjustable bias (Carvin V3MC). Bottom end is no question and there is plenty of signal at top and bottom to satisfy anyone using a 6, 7 or 8 string guitar or alternate tunings. The signal is going though a 12AX7 tube so why should the size of the power tube matter in terms of frequency response? They are a bit different than EL34, 6L6 or 6V6 but in all respects they are just as good but lower in power rating.

I have considered many times to get one of the smaller Mesa amps, and I did just that.... but it has a quad of 6L6 tubes vs a quad of EL84s and weights about 14lbs more than the Mark V:35. JP-2C, probably louder than I need but why not? One of these days I will have to try out the EL34 Based Mesa amps.

 

[larriveeman]

I have the v:25 and mini rectifier 1x12 cab, I copied the petrucci settings he used in the demo for clean, crunch and gain, and the results are spectacular, no complaints, i was torn between the V;25 vs V:35, in the end I went V:25 as I am always miked, I think sometimes we never are never satisfied as when someones mentions a problem or "i wish it had", our mind thinks oh no maybe I should have got this or that...at least I'm done buying amps, this little thing does everything I need..

 

[gjohung]

So frustrated what ever set up that I have... Mesa V 35, Egnator, Marshall Haze. I became unfaithful and got me a Headrush... a Line 6 Helix compete.. I thought it was answer to all my woes...Cuz.. it did sounded good. Actually really good through the headphone. But somehow it didn't cut through the band.

I decided to give my V 35 another shot. may be with a different approach. clean channel and pedals. I could never find good balance between clean and dirty channel. Or too much fizz... Thank you for all the people here suggesting alternate choice for preamp tube.

So my set up is Channel 1 - clean on Fat.. Keeley Compresor, OCD, Tube Screamer, EP booster, - Fulltone Spa-Trem - DOD Delay - HOF.

WOW!!! I had all these pedals forever.. I got the good crunch with OCD... I am falling in love with OCD all over again. (I have Xotic LP, Archer, Boss DS 1, etc...) but why am I coming back to OCD. Stack it with Tube Screamer to get smooth sustaining drive. Kick in EP booster for solos.

Yep V:35 takes pedal real real well..

 

[paulg2uk]

Hi guys,

I sold my 35 combo last year buy a Clapton Journeyman strat. I was really sad to see it go but I still had a RKII which covers all I need. Since deciding to scale down my rig and go back to a conventional pedalboard from my Axe FX II (Nothing to do with the III that was announced yesterday I can assure you). I've now decided to buy a 35 again.

It's portable, has a great clean and dirty channel, the solo controls are a must for me and also has the cab clone, I couldn't ask for more. The only I'd miss on a gig is my RKII's chan 2 but I can always use an OD pedal for that. And also the ability to select what tubes I can use on each channel but that doesn't bother me too much. I've been a Boogie player since 1994 when I got my first amp which was a 2x12 Tremoverb combo brown grill version.

Anyway just thought I'd share my experience.

Cheers

Paul

 

[dalep]

I have the big V and a V25. I really like them both. They similar but different. I have been using the V25 for silent recording of late and really like it in that context.

 

[Pongo]

I had a 35 (head), and aside from weight & portability, found it to be a slight improvement in every way vs. the 25.

But I actually found it frustrating, as I couldn't stop comparing it unfavorably to the 25 (lower price point, much easier to cart around) and the 90 (just a lot more body and versatility).

Just my own psychological issues, I guess. It really was a nice amp. One odd thing I remember is that it actually sounded slightly better at low bedroom volume compared to the 25. And the tone controls/EQ seemed a bit more sensitive, so it required more tweaking, but the end result was generally more satisfying.

If you are only able to have one amp and portability is a requirement and the extra few hundred $$$ won't kill you, I'd definitely err on the side of a 35. But if you are able to swing two, I'd go nuts and do both the 25 and 90.

 

[Tiki295]

I like the bigger clean sound of the Five:35, so I am pursuing that instead of a 25. The weight difference alone is a factor in leaving my Mark IIC+ Simul at home

 

[crduval]

I have had a mark V:35 combo for about a month now, having sold my beloved Studio preamp and 50/50 power amp to upgrade. I just love this amp. I have not had any problem dialing into my kind of sound at all. The clean channels on this thing are both great, but I really dig the “fat” clean. So expressive, and with a compressor (I like the Xotic SP) in front of the amp you can Nashville your heart out. Throw on a little low gain OD pedal to go into Brad Paisley territory.

And although I like the crunch, IIC+ and Mark IV modes, Extreme mode is my absolute, hands-down favorite. That mode has such fast transient response, and it sounds like a preamp stage is bypassed or something. There is still plenty of gain there for me, but it is much more “up front” sounding and super responsive. I love that mode for a huge rhythm sound, and I use a Timmy pedal set to low gain to give me a little more saturation for my leads. The Timmy is so transparent that the lead sound retains the ballsy, in-your-face sound, with just that little bit more saturation to let those lead lines really sing. When I want to use my neck pickup, I use an Xotic SL pedal, again set to a low gain, rather than the Timmy. The SL By itself is a little thin sounding in the low end, but when combined with the neck pickup in Extreme mode, you end up with a rich, well defined neck pickup sound with some bite that works great for rhythm or lead work.

This amp has been everything I had hoped for and a little more. The other day, just for fun, I rolled the tone off on my P90 bridge pickup and played through extreme mode, and got the unholiest early Sabbath/Tony Iommi tone. I think it has been years that I have ever touched a tone control on a guitar since rolling them off usually kills the sound. But not any more! THanks BOogie, I’m having a great time with this amp!

 

[jestaudio]

All I can say is incredibly disappointed, the amp sounds fine, no issues with the sound at all however 3 warranty changes down the road for consistent popping when channel switch, eq switching and boost, not at all acceptable , PMT have been great however my lasts one has spent more time on the bench trying to figure out why its popping than its has being gigged, soon as its back its gone and ill go back to the calibre series

 

[Fernando]

I feel your pain about the popping when using the footswitch. Mine is not that bad, but since I use my MV:35 in a midi rig, which controls all the footswitch functions thru midi control instead, there is absolutely no popping. Maybe that could be a way to eliminate that issue for you or anyone else that has a real bad popping issue when using the factory footswitch.

 

[jestaudio]

I feel your pain about the popping when using the footswitch. Mine is not that bad, but since I use my MV:35 in a midi rig, which controls all the footswitch functions thru midi control instead, there is absolutely no popping. Maybe that could be a way to eliminate that issue for you or anyone else that has a real bad popping issue when using the factory footswitch.

Sadly RJM wont sell me a cable in the UK , I have a RJM amp gizmo and a home brew cable based on the information mesa released and backwards engineering the footswitch, just as bad, as soon as its repaired its gone, the amount I paid especially as its a uk model to 50% more than the usa I expected so much more

 

[Fernando]

Ouch, sorry to hear that... maybe there will be enough "noise" about it from us "users" that a fix will be found.... peace...

 

[gjohung]

Yep. I have the popping issue also. But it is not consistent. My main gig at church, we had electrical issue for years. Buzzing on the XLR snakes that runs my CabClone and DI from the bass playing. I take the same set up to another location, including my home. No popping. I have learned to live with it - assuming that this is an environmental issue.

I had mt Five:35 for about 2 years now. First I loved the tone. Then I went through a period where everything seemed too much in your face. I started using pedal only on clean channel (Fat) it seemed to tame it and I thought I had more control. I still think OCD is one of the best pedal that there is - which became center of my tone.

Few weeks ago I wanted to give the dirty channal another shot. Mainly the usual MKIIc mode. But this time I fiddled around the 5 band EQ....and I found the OCD tone on that channel. With my Strat with treble bleed. I can stay on MKIIc and roll my volume down to get clean with slight dirt. Now I am staying on MKIIc mode all day long... I kick in Archer "Gold" for solos.

 

[gjohung]

So this is again on going quest...

I had a gig where I was not able to take my main gear: Mesa V:35 So I took my other spare amp Egnator Rebel 30. Wow, I was surprised how good this amp sounded and blended into the band. This amp has variable power amp selector between 6L6 and EL84 34?. This amp has what I would call it a bit of a spongy tone, especially on the dirty channel.. Marshall like or OD channel with tube screamer on it?

This issue that I always had was the V:35 always has that sizzle on the gain channel. I lower the gain and I loose sustain. I thought I found a sweet spot with the 5 band EQ. But this $450 amp does it well.. I think it retails for $899 and I paid $450 used.

I really want to make V:35 work for me. I asked when I was swapping the power tube for minor microphonics issue. and asked it a12AT would make it less fizzy... They said these amp are not design to use another preamp tube..

unnn...