****. Mark V out for repair already

[James_E]

First post.

Today is day 30 of my ownership. I love the amp. (1x12 combo)

Last night it started being VERY noisy on channel 1. Channel 1 is the clean channel and it was noisier than channel 2 and 3!! Channel 1 basically became unusable. Channel 2 and 3 seem to be behaving normally.

Took it to the store (Long and McQuade). Swapped all the pre-amp tubes... still noisy on channel 1. No idea what is going on. We didn't get to swapping power tubes since Channel 2 and 3 seem fine. So, it's out of my hands for a week or two to Yorkville sound to get looked at and repaired.

I'm bummed. But, they loaned me a lonestar special 1x12 combo while I wait, so that helps.

 

[mcnamee]

I'm guessing that since you bought it @ Long & McQuade that you live in Canada?
I'm located in the Toronto area and have been curious as to where to take my mesa should it ever breakdown. So is Yorkville Sound the offical Canada repair depot for Mesa, or does Long & McQuade have some repair agreement with Yorkville?

Good luck with the Mark V

If you don't mind how much did you pay for the Mark V @ Long & McQuade, was it a special order; I haven't seen any @ the local TO shops.

thx

 

[Jacko123]

Yeah I'm wondering how much Mark V's go for at Long and McQuade. My local L&M guys rock.

Good luck with your amp.

 

[James_E]

They told me Yorkville Sound is the Mesa repair center.

The Mark V 1x12 combo that I got is selling for ~$2400 at L&M, when they have them in stock. It was not a special order. I went in wanting to trade up from Traynor YCS50 combo amp and Line6 M13 (was only really using dirt in the M13) and before I went in was pretty much set on a combo dual rectifier. Ended up with the Mark V instead, it was just sitting on the showroom floor in the Markham L&M.

When I took it there today to figure out what was up... the ideal thing would have been to swap it for another, but they didn't have another and don't know when they will. I hope the warranty repair goes well.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I hope the warranty repair goes well.

Don't worry. They'll get you fixed up in no time.

 

[James_E]

Thanks Musicman. I don't like not having this amp here. Luckily I've got some gigs on bass this weekend so my attention is diverted right now. The Lonestar loaner is serving me well for my home noodling right now but it's not the same. Can't wait to get my Mark V back!

 

[JimmyB]

Yeah I'm wondering how much Mark V's go for at Long and McQuade. My local L&M guys rock.

Good luck with your amp.

If I recall correctly (three weeks is such a long time to remember anythin' new at my age! :lol: ) the current L&M price for the Mk V head is $2,350...

 

[James_E]

Yorkville Sound just called. Said he can't find anything wrong with it. He said it sounds just like the other Mark V he has there. "Maybe that's just how these sound"

I'm a bit concerned now. We talked a bit and he is going to run some more specific tests and call me back. Gave me some jibberish about how they "packed a lot into this little amp, so maybe this is just how it sounds." Hmm...

He said if he can't find anything wrong he'll be sending it back to the store for me to go pick up. Should be interesting. I'll just deal with it through Long and Mcquade if I'm unhappy.

 

[Scary]

oops posted in wrong thread..

Anyway, good luck with the FIVE. Hope when you get it back the ch 1 is to your liking.

 

[James_E]

Yorkville Sound guy said he DID find something in the Reverb circuit. Said he fixed it and it's sounding "better". He did say that the reverb on CH1 was turned all the way up.. but I distinctly remember turning it down... maybe I did it wrong! We shall see.

There's nothing more he can do, so he's sending it back to L&M tomorrow. I should be able to go get it tomorrow afternoon/night and hopefully I'm happy with it.

 

[James_E]

I got it back. I would say it is still noisy. Repair guy did do something in the reverb circuit, but I find CH1 a bit noisy even without reverb on.

I'm going to record some clips of it and post them. If any of you can mic your amps and do a quick noise test on CH1 I'd love to hear the clip and see how mine compares. For how I tested, see this thread: http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=41485

Hell, maybe i'm just too picky. The amp is likely not going anywhere though, as it just sounds too **** good.

 

[James_E]

Clip is available.

See the other thread for what is going on in the clip : http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=41485

 

[scott7d]

I am having some noise issues as well with channel one as well. It isn't constant, but after a little while there is bassy hum that gets louder and louder, and ultimately starts to sound like Satan is having a tupperware gang bang inside of my cab. Channel 2 and 3 are still screaming with ease. All of my reverb settings stay around 12:00, and I turn my bass down to 9:00 or so on all channels because it is boosted a little with the EQ.

Our problems are probably different. I am thinking preamp tube for mine.

Either way I hope you get it straightened out. Other than this bassy feedback, I am loving the amp!

 

[Anonymous]

have you try to use a cab and unplug the speaker from the combo?

and sorry to hear about your problem!!

good luck

 

[James_E]

I did try plugging directly to a cabinet instead of the combo speaker, same noise.

So, here's what I ended up doing.

Went back to L&M (Long & Mcquade).. with the Mark V. Decided I wanted to do some comparisons with other amps before taking mine apart and sending the chassis back to Mesa. It would be about 5 weeks at best for the repair. (about 1 week to ship it, 3 weeks is the current wait time at Mesa, and 1 week back.. plus likely get delayed by the holidays). Went out on the showroom floor and tried it compared to a dual rec combo, lonestar combo (2 of them), F-50 and also Express 5:50.

You know what? Every Mesa exhibited similar noise floor as my mark V when volume was increased. I would say my mark V was a bit higher than the other amps (I mainly tested clean channels) but not crazy high noise in comparison.

So my plan now is to wait until the L&M gets a new Mark V (they say they are getting one in a few weeks) and take mine in and A/B them. At that point I'll make the decision as to whether I send mine in, or try to get L&M to swap me the new one if the new one is much better. If the new one sounds the same, then I guess this is just an artifact of this amp circuit. (This is kind of what the guy at Yorkville Sound said "it sounds exactly like the other Mark V I've got here right now so maybe this is just how it sounds.")

My room at home where I play is a deadened, pretty much sound proof room, so ANY noise is more pronounced. Perhaps I'm just way too picky and it being a Mesa, I wanted to crank it up and see what it would be like, and noticed noise I hadn't had in other amps?

Anyway, I'll do the compare in a few weeks when L&M get one in.

(Unless someone here has one and is in the Greater Toronto Area and wants to let me drop by and do an A/B compare... )

 

[ericfrape]

Read your post last night... checked out your sound clip as well. Out of curiosity I checked mine based on the same settings and I get the same "noise". I agree with you you, it is strange that it is more present in channel one versus two or three given channel one is suppose to be the most clean. I do have to admit though, it doesn't bother me because when I play at home it is no where near those volumes and if I were playing with a band that level of noise does not seem relatively noticeable, given the overall volume you are playing at those settings.

Anyway, not suggesting it isn't something you shouldn't be concerned with - the amp has to suit your needs. I just thought I'd try to help answer your question as to whether or not this is something unique to the amp you bought or the Mark V in general. Unless we both got duds it looks like it is something that applies to the amp in general....

 

[shogun]

i've never heard any noise on my clean channel, but i'll check tomorrow.. i use the amp at gigging volume, but would never need to crank it.. the loudest i've had it was for recording, and i didn't hear any noise on the clean channel..

i'll post back here when i get a chance tomorrow

 

[ericfrape]

Just to clarify, the noise I mentioned on my previous post was present only present when the amp was fully or near fully cranked - output all the way up.

I'd be surprised if you could find an amp that didn't produce some background noise when it was fully cranked, especially a tube amp.

 

[davidl13]

Yorkville Sound just called. Said he can't find anything wrong with it. He said it sounds just like the other Mark V he has there. "Maybe that's just how these sound"

I'm a bit concerned now. We talked a bit and he is going to run some more specific tests and call me back. Gave me some jibberish about how they "packed a lot into this little amp, so maybe this is just how it sounds." Hmm...

He said if he can't find anything wrong he'll be sending it back to the store for me to go pick up. Should be interesting. I'll just deal with it through Long and Mcquade if I'm unhappy.

yea it seems channel 1 is pretty noisy...a hum all the time...not the best design, but a great sounding amp once you get above the noise floor

 

[James_E]

Well the Mark V head that L&M got in exhibits pretty much exactly the same noise as mine. I guess this is the way it is.

Completely unnoticable in band situation... but in my soundproof, deadened room where it is dead quiet, I can hear it. But not over the hum of the little PA I've got in there.