Mark V and Speakers/Cabs

[metalcat]

Hey guys, I haven't been here for quite a while, and I never ended up buying a Mark V back then, but I'm in the process of selling some stuff to make way for one now.

My only concern now is in terms of cabs and speakers. What do you guys tend to use with your V? Examples I would like to hear about if you've tried them:
-Thiele cab
-Recto Cab
-Any combination of C90 and V30

Also if I were to decide I liked the sound of a C90 with a V30, I'd want to get two 1x12 cabs with the V30 in one and C90 in the other. My concern for this is that the V30 is a 60w speaker (70w according to some sources). Since the C90 is rated at 90 watts and would be used simultaneously with the V30, would that alleviate the risk of blowing the V30 in the 90 watt mode on the V?

Thanks for the input, and if you could direct me to some soundclips or videos that would be appreciated too.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I have the following cabs;

1x12 Widebody Open Back,
1x12 Widebody Closed Back/Front Ported (Thiele),
2x12 Recto,
4x12 Recto, and
a Mark V.

All those cabs are good. Some favour certain applications. Rock, metal, country, jazz. Playing in your basement vs playing with a band. Etc. Not sure what your goals/situation is, so there's not much I can say except to say that they're all good.

 

[SteveO]

Also if I were to decide I liked the sound of a C90 with a V30, I'd want to get two 1x12 cabs with the V30 in one and C90 in the other. My concern for this is that the V30 is a 60w speaker (70w according to some sources). Since the C90 is rated at 90 watts and would be used simultaneously with the V30, would that alleviate the risk of blowing the V30 in the 90 watt mode on the V?

The basic rule of thumb for power handling with multiple speakers is to multiply the wattage rating of the lowest-rated speaker times the number of speakers you're running. So a C90 (90 watts) and a Vintage 30 (60watts) together would be 120 watts-perfectly safe with a 90 watt amp.

 

[metalcat]

I have the following cabs;

1x12 Widebody Open Back,
1x12 Widebody Closed Back/Front Ported (Thiele),
2x12 Recto,
4x12 Recto, and
a Mark V.

All those cabs are good. Some favour certain applications. Rock, metal, country, jazz. Playing in your basement vs playing with a band. Etc. Not sure what your goals/situation is, so there's not much I can say except to say that they're all good.

I'm currently just in a cover band that plays everything from Led Zeppelin to Michael Jackson to Metallica (but mostly on the rock/classic rock side of things with a couple pop songs thrown in). After I will have had time to dial in my tones on the V, I'm going to try and reserve it just for gigs and maybe rehearsals.

I don't quite feel like the Recto 4x12 is necessary for my needs. I know 4x12s are known for their extra OOMPH, but I'd like a bit more portability found in a 1x12 or a 2x12, although I do occasionally jam on some heavier/high gain music along the lines of Dream Theater and Alter Bridge (hence my love of the Mesa sound). At the same time, I'll occasionally play jazz and fusion stuff, too.

Also if I were to decide I liked the sound of a C90 with a V30, I'd want to get two 1x12 cabs with the V30 in one and C90 in the other. My concern for this is that the V30 is a 60w speaker (70w according to some sources). Since the C90 is rated at 90 watts and would be used simultaneously with the V30, would that alleviate the risk of blowing the V30 in the 90 watt mode on the V?

The basic rule of thumb for power handling with multiple speakers is to multiply the wattage rating of the lowest-rated speaker times the number of speakers you're running. So a C90 (90 watts) and a Vintage 30 (60watts) together would be 120 watts-perfectly safe with a 90 watt amp.

So to make sure I'm understanding this correctly, this holds true even when the speakers are in entirely different cabinets?

 

[SteveO]

So to make sure I'm understanding this correctly, this holds true even when the speakers are in entirely different cabinets?

Yep, because they're still going to be wired the same (parallel in this case), even though they are in physically different cabinets.

 

[jb's 52]

SteveO's got the math right for the V90/V30 combo.

I'm running MV combo with it's V90 and a hollowed out Traynor with a V30 in it right now and I'm liking what I hear. We play covers with an emphasis on "punking out" our tunes. So, I don't change settings to match songs all that much. I've recently started using this combination of speakers and I think the V30s cut through nicely. The V30 adds the harsh to the V90's mellow, so to speak...hehe...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nf7OYXtBWI

That's the only gig we've recorded where I have used the V90/V30 combo.

The amp is on 90W, Ch1 Fat w/Fuzz for the beginning, Ch3 IV mode for the rest. I'm using a Catalinbread Pareidolia for the "tremolo" sound but the camera barely picks is up.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I'm currently just in a cover band that plays everything from Led Zeppelin to Michael Jackson to Metallica (but mostly on the rock/classic rock side of things with a couple pop songs thrown in). After I will have had time to dial in my tones on the V, I'm going to try and reserve it just for gigs and maybe rehearsals.

I don't quite feel like the Recto 4x12 is necessary for my needs. I know 4x12s are known for their extra OOMPH, but I'd like a bit more portability found in a 1x12 or a 2x12, although I do occasionally jam on some heavier/high gain music along the lines of Dream Theater and Alter Bridge (hence my love of the Mesa sound). At the same time, I'll occasionally play jazz and fusion stuff, too.

I'll be honest and state that I pretty much hate playing either of my 1x12s at home but they sound great with a full band. At home I find them bland with a bit too much top end. The small cab design also tends to choke off the bottom end. That said, in a band they sit exactly where a guitar is supposed to sit and they sound great. The top end cuts and the bottom end is provided by the bassist. They're a very clear, articulate speaker that have great note separation and detail. If I were a lead or jazz player that wanted to hear each individual note I'd lean towards these speakers.

I prefer the Recto cabs but my first good guitar cab was a Recto cab so I've grown accustomed to the sound/response. I find the Vintage 30s punchier and more percussive than the C90s. They produce the modern "chug" that Mesa is known for. The 2x12 sounds just as good as the 4x12. The 2x12 is slightly more relaxed in the mids while the 4x12 has a bit more midrange. It's not a huge difference, but when you play through both it is noticeable.

If you really want a 1x12 I'd suggest looking at the 27" Royal Atlantic cab. The wider cab produces a fuller bottom end and doesn't have the choked off "boxy" effect of the narrower 23" cabs. Every Mesa cab is made to order and they'll fit a V30 in it if you ask for it.

 

[metalcat]

SteveO's got the math right for the V90/V30 combo.

I'm running MV combo with it's V90 and a hollowed out Traynor with a V30 in it right now and I'm liking what I hear. We play covers with an emphasis on "punking out" our tunes. So, I don't change settings to match songs all that much. I've recently started using this combination of speakers and I think the V30s cut through nicely. The V30 adds the harsh to the V90's mellow, so to speak...hehe...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nf7OYXtBWI

That's the only gig we've recorded where I have used the V90/V30 combo.

The amp is on 90W, Ch1 Fat w/Fuzz for the beginning, Ch3 IV mode for the rest. I'm using a Catalinbread Pareidolia for the "tremolo" sound but the camera barely picks is up.

It's weird that you posted that cover of Helter Skelter...because my band plays that song sometimes. Ours is just less punk-ish haha. I liked the video though *thumbsup*

I'm currently just in a cover band that plays everything from Led Zeppelin to Michael Jackson to Metallica (but mostly on the rock/classic rock side of things with a couple pop songs thrown in). After I will have had time to dial in my tones on the V, I'm going to try and reserve it just for gigs and maybe rehearsals.

I don't quite feel like the Recto 4x12 is necessary for my needs. I know 4x12s are known for their extra OOMPH, but I'd like a bit more portability found in a 1x12 or a 2x12, although I do occasionally jam on some heavier/high gain music along the lines of Dream Theater and Alter Bridge (hence my love of the Mesa sound). At the same time, I'll occasionally play jazz and fusion stuff, too.

I'll be honest and state that I pretty much hate playing either of my 1x12s at home but they sound great with a full band. At home I find them bland with a bit too much top end. The small cab design also tends to choke off the bottom end. That said, in a band they sit exactly where a guitar is supposed to sit and they sound great. The top end cuts and the bottom end is provided by the bassist. They're a very clear, articulate speaker that have great note separation and detail. If I were a lead or jazz player that wanted to hear each individual note I'd lean towards these speakers.

I prefer the Recto cabs but my first good guitar cab was a Recto cab so I've grown accustomed to the sound/response. I find the Vintage 30s punchier and more percussive than the C90s. They produce the modern "chug" that Mesa is known for. The 2x12 sounds just as good as the 4x12. The 2x12 is slightly more relaxed in the mids while the 4x12 has a bit more midrange. It's not a huge difference, but when you play through both it is noticeable.

If you really want a 1x12 I'd suggest looking at the 27" Royal Atlantic cab. The wider cab produces a fuller bottom end and doesn't have the choked off "boxy" effect of the narrower 23" cabs. Every Mesa cab is made to order and they'll fit a V30 in it if you ask for it.

Hmm. Well it's apparent that I'm underestimating the importance of the size of the cabinet in the overall tone of the amp. Luckily for me there's a Mesa dealer nearby with a good amount of cabs in stock for me to mix and match with, so I'll be sure to see which ones my ears like the most. Trying them out is obviously the most ideal thing to do, and that is my plan prior to shelling out the money.

If anyone else has some input and/or videos/clips of your Mark V tone I'm all ears! Thanks guys

 

[sean106ESP]

I have massive good luck and great results with Diezel 4x12's rearloaded with V30's. I have two of them and they are outstanding. I had recto cab;s but I felt they were a little boomy for my tastes. Try em out.

 

[Traumatized]

I've run my MKV head thru a 2x12 Recto Vertical with V30's, a 2x12 Roadster Horizontal with V30's, a 3/4 back 2x12 with MC-90's and 1x12 Widebody Ported cabs. My favorite one, believe it or not is the 1x12 Widebody Ported. It just seems to have the right balance for my sound. Anything larger tends to be a bit boomy. I do prefer MC-90's to V30's too because the latter seems to be very shrill with my tone. The MC-90's seem to round it out a bit.

 

[ricorocks]

Mark V head halfstack with a Recto 4x12 Slant. cannot be beat. Period.... :twisted:

 

[Vittrup]

Mark V head halfstack with a Recto 4x12 Slant. cannot be beat. Period.... :twisted:

I quite agree. Have chosen the same combination. And it sounds great and is relatively easy to handle.