My first Boogie

[Cathode]

Hi just joined the forum and just picked up my first Mesa a couple days ago. I demoed the 25 watt version at a local shop and was impressed with the tones , being a home player i didn't consider the 90 watt model because i figured it would be too much, but they are both switchable to 10 watts the sales person said either would work for my application.
Now confused as to which i should get i went home to do more research and checked my local CL to see what was floating around used. found two 25 watt heads and a full sized 90 head within an hour from me fired off a few mails saying i was ready to make a deal today. first one that got back to me was the MKV 90 so i jumped on it.

Really glad i did so far the owner bought it new in 2012 and used it only at home and very little the condition is mint , Having never even played through a mesa before i had no real expectation that it would exactly nail the previous Mark models it's voiced for. What was most important to me was awesome versatile cleans , good crunch rock tones and the ability to deliver good high gain tones. So far with the short amount of time i have been able to spend with it i can honestly say i'm over the moon happy so far!

Right now i have to hooked up to a 16 ohm 2x12 cab with V30's that is switchable to 4 ohm. would i be better off running it at 4? I'm not opposed to pulling one of the V30's and finding a 1x12 cab and run it @ 8 ohm if that even better. Any advise is appreciated.

Here is a pic of the beast as if you have never seen one before

 

[Nicklotsaguitars]

Well why not just switch to 4 ohms on the cab and plug it into the 4 ohm socket?
Always better to match than mismatch. Though Mesa say you'll be fine running a 16 ohm cab into the 8 ohm socket.

Personally I think you made the right decision going for the 90 watt. No one uses 90 watts for volume these days. No one. I gig pubs regularly and do so with either one of two 2203 heads or my Mark V. Non get anywhere near the upper end of the volume control and I don't want them to. I want my gain from the preamp I want the power amp to remain clear and deliver consistently. That power amp drive stuff is fundamental if you're playing 60's or 70's rock. But I'm not, I play snotty fast punk. Clarity is a must.
And being as though you can knock down to 10 watts you can still get all the power amp drive without causing a local incident. Though you'll annoy your neighbours. And you've gained an extra channel and the ability to use other valves should you wish.

My Mark V was my first Mesa too. After decades of using single channel Marshall amps. Be prepared for a journey mate. The amp has the ability to annoy you as much as it pleases you.

 

[Cathode]

Thanks Nick wasnt sure if i could just plug into one 4 ohm socket or if it needed to be two 4ohm cabs to equal the 8 it seems to want.

Really glad i went with the big guy, I think i would have missed the tube rectifier and reverb/solo/fx loop switching. I have to say im amazed how good this sounds at low volume. I'm still finding my way around all the controls but wow this offer's so much its mind boggling.

When retubing these is it best to stick with the mesa brand tubes or do vintage tubes work well too? i ask not because they need replacing yet but i have a bunch of NOS tubes 12ax7's and 6L6's

 

[Nicklotsaguitars]

Mate, I've worked on amps for people, built my own amps. Revalved a load of amps, repaired amps. And I used Mesa branded valves. I dunno how the warranty works. Whether it stays with the original buyer or transfers throughout it's lifespan. If it transfers and the amp is still under warranty, use em. The money you save by going elsewhere isn't worth the amps warranty.
I did read somewhere not to use JJ E34L's. Though I can't remember why. If you're using EL34's use the amp in Variac mode. And don't try and mix EL34's and 6L6's in 10 watt mode.

On speaker hookup. The useful info starts at page 53.

http://www.mesaboogie.com/media/User%20Manuals/MkV_140612.pdf

 

[bandit2013]

The JJEL34L have a low impedance that will not work with the cathode bias of the 10W mode on the Mark V. Also, variac power mode is recommended for longer tube life when using EL34 tubes as the full power has a higher plate voltage than what is required for EL34 types. I personally have not had much luck with JJ power tubes.

I would also set the cab to 4 ohms and use the 4 ohm jack on the amp. If you removed one of the speakers, you could use the 8 ohm but if you wanted to use two 8 ohms, you should run both in the 4 ohm jacks (switching your cab to 4 ohms and using a single 4 ohm jack would do the same thing) Keep in mind that a V30 speaker is rated for 60W so if you opt to use only one, do not use the 90W mode. For two V30, 90W is safe. Note that the ohms 8 or 4 on the amp represents total speaker load, not the individual speakers them selves. Also if you had a duplicate 16 ohm cab, you can run both with each plugged into the 8 ohm jacks since they will be running parallel.

I generally run my amp at 90W setting but keep the volume low. I love how the clean sounds with the extra headroom. However, I think the amp sounds better at 45W. I have not used 10W power all that much and would have to go back and try it out again as it has been a while since my Mark V has been plugged in. (have too many amps at my disposal and one has my attention at the moment).

 

[mace]

A good source of 12AX7 tubes is Mesa or Doug's Tubes (you can google it).

The power tubes I always get from Mesa since they are matched and are gauranteed to have the proper bias (you cannot adjust bias on the amp, except with a switch between EL34 to 6L6). Remember to put the same "color" (Mesa color codes power tubes based on their inherit bias) in pairs in the inner and outer sockets (same color on inners, same color on outers).

The warranty should be transferable if you got the purchase receipt etc., but it does not apply to the tubes. I think if you have "foreign" tubes installed then that is no good for the warranty either. Enjoy rolling!

The manual is worth a read. I still refer to it once in a while, even after 5 years with the thing.

 

[Mycle]

I just bought my first Boogie too, about a week ago.

Also a Mark V head so just go back to the top for a picture of it.
Not sure but it looks like my knobs are even set about the same way. :lol:

I have been playing on a brand X, also build in California, with three channels and lots of knobs, dials and voicings so this format isn't quite as daunting to me as some "one channel players" have found it to be. It's just that it all WORKS on this amp. AND, The power scaling on this amp is awesome.

I have found it to produce WAY superior tone to any of my other amps and as long as she keeps running, I'll probably keep running her. After over 50 years of playing guitar I think I have finally found my one true amp. Kind of heavy but I carry it for five minutes and play on it for 4 to 6 hours. Good enough for me.

Now that I own a Mark V ... I've got a whole herd of other amps for sale.

 

[Cathode]

I just bought my first Boogie too, about a week ago.

Also a Mark V head so just go back to the top for a picture of it.
Not sure but it looks like my knobs are even set about the same way. :lol:

I have been playing on a brand X, also build in California, with three channels and lots of knobs, dials and voicings so this format isn't quite as daunting to me as some "one channel players" have found it to be. It's just that it all WORKS on this amp. AND, The power scaling on this amp is awesome.

I have found it to produce WAY superior tone to any of my other amps and as long as she keeps running, I'll probably keep running her. After over 50 years of playing guitar I think I have finally found my one true amp. Kind of heavy but I carry it for five minutes and play on it for 4 to 6 hours. Good enough for me.

Now that I own a Mark V ... I've got a whole herd of other amps for sale.

Very cool congrats! The more time i spend with it the more i find there is really no territory you can't cover. I agree about the power scaling flexibility best i have seen. Though even at 10 watts its way to loud to get the tubes really cooking in my apartment.

This amp like most sounds best pushed so I just picked up a Suhr Reactive load box and can now run everything at the full 90 watts pushed through some Own Hammer IR's & my FRFR's or headphones for silent practice or recording. Now there is no situation this amp won't fit perfectly into.