Mark V problems ...

[wilerty]

I'm close to buying a Mark V, just finished scanning through a dozen pages here, and am surprised by the number of problems people are having with the amp. My dealer is two hours away. I view amp warrantys like car warrantys ... They are great to have, but I don't want to need to use it.

Obviously, one can't tell if the problems expressed represent .005% of the units sold or a more significant number. I owned a 5:50 and a LSC before and did have a problem with the LSC. Also, people who had serious problems and took the amp back or sold it, aren't posting here any more. Just wondering if my observations are unreasonable.

 

[screamingdaisy]

In my experience the internet tends to magnify problems. The reason being is no one complains about how good their product is. The other reason being that some users love being the bearer of bad news and parrot every negative thing they've ever read elsewhere like it happened to them personally.

Not saying this is the case... every product ever manufactured has it's lemons. But the internet does have a way of amplifying things.

 

[Scary]

I'd bet more than half of those problems were related to user error, or to faulty tubes. The only real "problem" was the letters wearing off the faceplate that I noticed. I had to reverse the ends of my footswitch cable to stop my EQ from cutting out actually, but that was a quick fix.

 

[dmcguitar]

what problems are you referring to? remember as someone said the internet will make it seem worse (word travels quick, and gets reposted making it worse looking) also people only tend to talk about negative things at least for posting. (for instance imagine you go to a restaurant and its dirty and the waiter is never around and your food is burnt and cold, you'll tell all your friends it was horrible (to warn them not to go).. but if you go somewhere and its good/great it's less likely you will talk about how great it was, unless its 1 in a million)

anyway, i havent heard of any real issues, i've had shitty tubes... but if you call them or email your rep that gets fixed quickly and free... and i can swap them myself.. nothing else seems wrong.

 

[Barry]

Only problem Ive had was the rectifier tube was failing intermittently and a microphonic 12AX7 . Mesa sent me new tubes and problem solved . Your tubes have a 6 month warranty

 

[SteveO]

You are always going to see posting of problems, but the percentage of "bad" amps is extremely low. Go to a Toyota forum, and you'll see the same thing-people posting about problems they are having.

I have had my Mark V for about nine months now and it's fine.

 

[LPJunky]

The amp great and very robust, except the cable connectors for the footswitch. We have to admit that it's a bit finicky.

 

[G.I.G.]

I have to agree with the other posts. You are going to hear all the bad things because people come hear looking for answers to their questions and problems. Most of the issues people that have brought up about the the Mark V end up being tube related or a loose cable. Rule #1 in electronics troubleshooting....always check the setup!

There were a lot of complaints here with the 3-channel dual and triple Recto's. Many people would complain of a "popping" sound when switching channels, when it was just a static charge that built up in the switching relays when the amp was powered up, and was discharged when you cycle through the channels before turning the stand by off. Problem solved! Mesa tried to fix this "problem" with amps like the Series II Rect-O-Verb and added a slight delay when switching channels, which seemed like an eternity when playing live. Turns out the Dual and Triple Recto's preform better, especially in a live setting when you need instant channel switching, but I digress.....

I've owned a total of 3 Mesa's, 2 of which I still own, including my first Mesa that I bought in '02. They have been nothing other than rock solid for me. I've played many of the newer models and have no reason to think that their bullet-proof construction and reliability has changed. I have a Mark V head on order right now and there are not many other amp manufacturers that I would order and put a deposit on an amp if I didn't have 100% faith in the company and people building it.

You are always going to see posting of problems, but the percentage of "bad" amps is extremely low. Go to a Toyota forum, and you'll see the same thing-people posting about problems they are having.

Funny thing is I bought a 4Runner 3 years ago and it's the most solid, reliable, and fun to drive car I have ever owned. Despite all the bad press Toyota has received over the last several months, I don't know that I would own anything but a Toyota again. Same goes for Mesa.....solid, reliable, and fun to drive!

 

[MBJunkie]

I've had my combo for 10 months without any problems at all. Best amp I have ever owned for my needs! :mrgreen:

 

[Anonymous]

In my experience the internet tends to magnify problems. The reason being is no one complains about how good their product is. The other reason being that some users love being the bearer of bad news and parrot every negative thing they've ever read elsewhere like it happened to them personally.

Not saying this is the case... every product ever manufactured has it's lemons. But the internet does have a way of amplifying things.

+1000

had mine for over a year now, i had an issue with the footswitch cable..... mesa send me a new cable and no problems after that.....

amazing amp, reliable and overall extremelly versatile........