Mark V or Mark V 35

[Dreamtheaterrules]

First, get some ear plugs because if a V35 on 8.5 is lost in a mix, that Fender is about ready to explode and when it blows it will take out everyones eardrums.

Now, if you have the 750 slider all the way down like many I see, then even the 90 watt version may not be enough for you. The only way I can imagine a V35 getting lost in the mix is if the mids are totally sucked out of it. And that is the #1 recipe for getting lost in a mix.

 

[Boogie Mike]

Hey folks, Thanks again for everyone's opinions. I decided to go with the Mark V head with my 2x12 vertical which was awesome but then sold it all a few months later and got a Mark V 35 combo; I haven't looked back since. It is versatile, portable and more then loud enough for all venues. I've used it in small bars all the way to large outdoor stages and never needed to set the volume over 11 o'clock. (I play hard rock and some metal). In the studio it kicked major ass! Recently I purchased a 1x12 recto cabinet to add that closed back v30 tone to my rig and the combo sits perfectly on top of it. The 4 el84's seem to be doing the trick although I would still love to see a 6L6 switchable 35w model in the future. The only thing I dislike about the Mark V 35 is the footswitch. I just don't understand why they designed it with 2 separate volume boosts (which i don't use) and I never turn off the eq so it's basically an over sized channel selector taking up way to much room on my pedal board. It's 5pin DIN and no 1/2 inch external switching. I'm current trying to figure out alternative options to save space as I only need a one button channel switch. This will soon be a new topic I will be posting. MESA PLEASE HELP OR DESIGN AN ALTERNATIVE 5pin DIN FOOTSWITCH!

 

[zem100]

The Fender is also tube and was sitting on about 5/10 and yes we were wearing ear plugs. The drummer is really loud.

I was playing with the EQ on and off to ensure I wasn't scooped out but the gain was at 12 o'clock for Ch1 and about 1:30 for Ch2. I thought adding more gain will add more grit to the sound which I did not want, I just needed more volume.

Take a look at my levels here please guys: https://goo.gl/photos/jqX59kG72pQW4XMz9

Thanks.

 

[Boogie Mike]

The Fender is also tube and was sitting on about 5/10 and yes we were wearing ear plugs. The drummer is really loud.

I was playing with the EQ on and off to ensure I wasn't scooped out but the gain was at 12 o'clock for Ch1 and about 1:30 for Ch2. I thought adding more gain will add more grit to the sound which I did not want, I just needed more volume.

Take a look at my levels here please guys: https://goo.gl/photos/jqX59kG72pQW4XMz9

Thanks.

I would suggest making sure you are using the 8ohm speaker out. Try the mark IV mode with less gain as it's more punchy. You could also try cranking up the presence; it will help you stand out a bit more.
I've compared cabinets in the past and the recto closed back with v30 (60w) are a bit quieter compared the C90 (90w) speaker in an open back combo. Personally I love the sound of both together in harmony. Might want to consider tossing a C90 in you cab although I don't know if that would help for sure.

 

[zem100]

Thx Rocket.

I was considering another 1x12 cab for a bit more spread but will try tweaking the settings before outlawing more coin. So it seems only I am struggling for volume with this amp and I didn't think my drummer is that loud compared to guys I used to play with.

Would a rack mount Mesa power amp be something I should consider?

 

[IronSean]

Make sure you're standing where the 1x12 cab isn't just blowing past your knees, or you'll have a lot of trouble hearing it that way.

 

[bandit2013]

I would be on the fence..... I like the Mark V in many ways but I also don't like it in many other ways. I have not tried the Mark V:35 and have considered replacing the Mark V with one but only for reasons to downsize. Some things have changed and I did play though a new Mark V and thought that sounded really good. Now that there is a solution to improve the tone of CH3 with a simple tube swap on V4 (some are doing it to V6 as well). Mark V 90W head weighs about 44lbs, Mark V:35 head weighs 27lbs

What has blown me away.....totally.... beyond words and is killer though the Vertical 212 cab is the JP-2C. You want that Recto low end with 6L6 you will get it but with more of a tight bass response, plenty of midrange and treble that is well balanced. Dual EQs.... All of this at 100W /60W that fits in the same box as the Mark V:35 (head only). 41lbs is not too bad. Midi control, cab clone too. Note that you will be limited to use 6L6 tubes as it does not have provisions to use EL34 tubes.... This amp is a beast. JP-2C head weighs 40lbs I am still having trouble believing how they crammed everything into such a small enclosure.....

Another amp but different that also has me captivated is the TC-50. Once you get the EL34 tubes warmed up this amp also delivers the goods. A bit shy from a Recto or Mark series amp but don't let that fool you. The head is a bit larger than the JP-2C (mostly for style of the enclosure) and weighs about the same. TC-50 head weighs 35 lbs

What voice is for you? That is hard to say unless you have an opportunity to play though each of them.

 

[zem100]

Thx for the reply.

I ended up buying an old Recto Solo 50W head with a horizontal 2x12 can so now I have a lot of options along with the 35 Amp and vertical 2x12. I will probably try out running a stereo rig with an ABY switch. Yet to try this Amp as currently on holidays so looking forward to cranking out. When I tested it it seemed to thump a heap harder with more low end than the 35.

I’d love the JP-2C but I’m not worthy of the Petrucci name haha. Sweet Amp from what I’ve seen but yet to play one. I’m still learning the guitar, pretty average player actually.

 

[bandit2013]

I am not all that great of a guitar player either.... To point out I am not much of a drummer or bass player. But when you mix it all in it does not sound that bad. There are many in here that can walk all over me as my skills have declined over the years. I used to be good but now can barely do much so I keep things simple. Besides, I like pissing off my neighbors in the middle of the night (only kidding, I actually have good neighbors and so far no complaints).

 

[zem100]

So am presented with the option to buy a Mark V 90w head brand new for about $1,000 cheaper than shop price.
After a bit of reading I am concerned that it might be too technical to get some nice tones out of for an average Joe without an engineering degree...or is a lot of that hype and the settings from the 35W should move across to the 90W with a little bit of tweaking?

Does the 90W sound any different to the Mark V:35, other than the 90 having more headroom and bottom end?

 

[bandit2013]

For starters, you do not need any technical degree to dial in the Mark V 90W amp. Controls are relatively intuitive. Nothing cryptic at all. The same would apply to the smaller versions as I understand. Even the TC-50 is a plug and play amp too. JP-2C does have a few tricks to it but that too is relatively simple to dial in. Roadster or Roadking II, that does require some decoder ring understanding as the controls are not as straight forward as the Mark V. I originally wanted to get the Roadster but found the Mark V to be easier to understand when I compared the two side by side. I cold not find a satisfying tone from the Roadster so I bought the V. Mind you I did eventually get a Roadster and figured it out.

Many who have had experience with the earlier versions of a Mark amp may reflect on how difficult it was to obtain tone for the different channels using one set of tone, gain and volume controls. Pull this, push that dial this in. That in itself was too complex and made the clean channel muddy when you have the lead channel dialed in just right. The Mark IV was an improvement but the Mark V topped it off with many other features. IMHO the Mark V has three voices for each channel. CH1 for clean, fat, Tweed (fender circuit), CH2 edge (not very useful for me) Crunch (yeah baby) and Mark I (some interesting characteristics on this voice) and then the heavy hitter CH3 (IIC+, MKIV, Extreme). Now comes in the power section with two power settings (full power or variac) and coupled with 10W, 45W and 90W settings. What is cool about the 45W mode, CH1 and CH2 can be set to use the tube rectifier power as this will reduce the volume a bit which brings out a more vintage feel due to the slower response on the tube rectifier vs the silicon diodes.

There is so much you can do with the Mark V but do not let that sway you towards something different or if you do fear the number of controls then the 25W or 35W amps would suffice. Just because it has 90W it can be dialed back using the master volume control and you can get some great tone even at full power. This is not an amp you need to force into the hot zone to get awesome tone like you would with the Roadster or JP-2C. The sweet spot on the Mark V has to be the 45W power setting for all channels but more than most I love the 90W power and usually stay there most of the time.

Keep in mind that early models may have had some tone issues on CH3 but most of that to my understanding has been ironed out. I even tried a new Mark V combo just for fun when I was trying out the new TC-50. I was impressed with the Mark V that was built in 2016.

 

[zem100]

bandit, thx so much for your considered response, much appreciated.

I own the Mark V:35 and it it great, however it does not have the bottom end thump that I loved with my JCM2000 100W head and 1960A.
I am needing to make a decision tonight if I pull the buy lever on the Mark V 90w head to match with my Vertical 2x12 - I am hoping the bigger amp will 1) give me all of the sweet Petrucci tones the 35 does 2) still sound unreal for home use and 3) provide a much desired bottom end chug.

Note my wife has advised I can't afford to keep both amps, but I do have this Rect-O-Verb 50 here I got for a steal a few weeks ago which I purchased for more thump and granted, the thing pushes like a Mack truck compared to the 35.Can't say I love the tone but it does have some real balls.

Perhaps the Mark V 90W will be the only amp I need...?

 

[bandit2013]

On a slight sacrifice on a few features (difference voices) the JP-2C is the way to go for that kick in the pants feel and aggressive nature of the beast. It all depends on your focus of attention. I have been running my JP-2C with the Vertical 212 cab and love it, much more than say the Mark V 90W. However if you wanted than thin tone of the edge mode or tweed on the CH1 clean you will not get it. The JP may be 100W but can be driven at reduced volumes too even at full power (may get a bit boomy but trick to compensate is to use the shred on CH2 or CH3). I have spend so much time and focus on trying to make the Mark V better and as close to the JP-2C as much as possible. That may never happen. I would do some more digging before you pull the trigger on what amp to get.

In a biased opinion (based on my own likes or dislikes) I would go with the JP-2C. Heavy Metal and some hard Classic Rock all the way. Note that JP cannot be used with EL34 tubes but that by no way should hinder its consideration.

Mark V can be run with EL34 but should be done so at variac power. For EL34 type amp I would personally prefer the RA100 or TC-50.

If you had the means to try them out before buying, that would give you the best idea which amp is right for you.

 

[zem100]

Thanks for your input again, however I missed the deal as he had another buyer and I really wanted to play it A/B with my 35.
Oh well, I guess I don't know what I am missing and should focus more on playing than on gear lol.

Will go into a shop and try the Mark V and JP-2C one day.

(Feeling a bit gutted as I hate letting a good deal getaway).

 

[bandit2013]

Sometimes a good deal may not be what you bargained for. There have been some minor changes to the Mark V since it came out in 2009, exactly what those changes are is not completely understood. The one I have was not easy to bond with and it appears to be much brighter than the others I have tried out when I found them. Most should be great but a handful may be problematic. I have been holding back on this as it is not fair to pass judgment on all of the Mark V amps. If the V is something you are really considering, and if it is used, do not buy until you try (this should be a golden rule for any tube amp).

The JP-2C is just incredible. Its fundamental tone sits just between the Mesa Roadster and the Mesa Mark V. It is definitely the most aggressive sounding amp I own and very responsive to change in settings that it almost seems easy to dial in much more than what you can get from the Mark V considering the two lead channels on the JP vs the one on the V. The Vertical 212 is the perfect match for the JP-2C as it is with the TC-50 or the Mark V. I am so impressed with the vertical 212 cab that I want another. Considering I have two OS Recto 412, one Horizontal 212, one 1x12 wide body, the Vertical 212 wins over all of them. Besides having two of them would allow me to run two cabs with the JP-2C for extreme aggressive tone. Also I would have a place to put the TC-50 and JP-2C so I do not have to keep tearing down the rig to use one or the other.

The only issue I see with the JP-2C is you cannot drive one of the 1x12 cabs using the 100W power (unless you mount a different speaker in the 1x12 cab). Other than that it is a power house amp that lives up to its name.