New Mark V observations...

[dudleydawson]

Generally speaking - in music, as in most aspects of life, i prefer simplicity. My brain is hardwired to prefer simple amps. When i initially look at an amp like the MkV, i see all the knobs and buttons and think that it's not for me. i think that - while it must be nice to have options - who wants to be fussing and tweaking all the time?

sure, i've got pedals and toys - but i always sort of wish i was one of those players who could just plug straight in and have enough command that i don't need to do anything besides play the guitar... i feel like there are a lot of people in this boat. the trick of course, is getting your amp set to the perfect sweet spot where you can sing if you want, crunch if you want, clean up nicely... all by messing with your guitar volume and tone controls. easier said than done.

i think a popular misconception (amongst the cork sniffers perhaps) is that this can't be done with the MkV. maybe this comes from the fact that it has so many options - and 3 channels - people turn up noses and say "3 channels? ha! i can get any sound i want from the 1 channel on my PTP umptysquat amp blahblahblah"

BS. i can set this amp up as shown below. walk away. play all night and not even have to turn around to touch the amp. this is the absolute best setting i have ever had with any amp.
and the beautiful part is that you can find a ton of different-flavored-but-just-as-sweet spots like this within the amp.

Mark IIC+
6L6's
45W; Variac; Triode
Gain 10:30-11:00
Master 1:00
Pres 12:30
Treb 1:00
Mid 10:00
Bass 12:30
Normal or bold to taste
Use the graphic to boost mids just a touch.
(using a double fat strat SD alnico pro II/JB w/ a 5way switch.... i can't put it down!)

I'm just posting this because it describes my one hang-up i had with the V before i warmed up to it.
I probably would have bought my MkV much sooner if i knew it could be like this!
not missing my LSC or ED at all.
BTW - just put EL34's in it too. awesome.

 

[iFreedom]

Thanks for posting. I'll definetley have to try your settings...I love the iic+ mode in this amp with just very little scoop on the mids as I like that mid sound it's got. But a boost might just be cooler 8)

 

[dudleydawson]

Thanks for posting. I'll definetley have to try your settings...I love the iic+ mode in this amp with just very little scoop on the mids as I like that mid sound it's got. But a boost might just be cooler 8)

the actual knob settings are off the top of my head... so season to taste! and let me know what you think!

 

[Scary]

Its very easy to get awesome tones out of each channel with a little knowledge. These settings are really close to what I use, only difference is I push my mids to 11 in the preamp. There is so much useable gain in ch. 3, I rarely benefits from being past 3 or 4 imo.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I find the Mark V to be a relatively simple amp. It looks complex, but if you treat it like it's three separate amplifiers it's not that big of deal.

Further, I think this amp kind of perfects the 3 channel setup. Other multi-channel amps I've used felt like they were really a single channel amp with the other channels tossed in to make it somewhat versatile. So you have a great high gain but a crappy clean, or a great clean but the built in overdrive sounds like crap.

The Mark V however I have zero issues sitting in any channel and using it like it's a single channel amp - clean to scream - using my guitar's volume and maybe an overdrive if I need it.

 

[dudleydawson]

The Mark V however I have zero issues sitting in any channel and using it like it's a single channel amp - clean to scream - using my guitar's volume and maybe an overdrive if I need it.

...exactly!

 

[Hendog]

Generally speaking - in music, as in most aspects of life, i prefer simplicity. My brain is hardwired to prefer simple amps. When i initially look at an amp like the MkV, i see all the knobs and buttons and think that it's not for me. i think that - while it must be nice to have options - who wants to be fussing and tweaking all the time?

sure, i've got pedals and toys - but i always sort of wish i was one of those players who could just plug straight in and have enough command that i don't need to do anything besides play the guitar... i feel like there are a lot of people in this boat. the trick of course, is getting your amp set to the perfect sweet spot where you can sing if you want, crunch if you want, clean up nicely... all by messing with your guitar volume and tone controls. easier said than done.

i think a popular misconception (amongst the cork sniffers perhaps) is that this can't be done with the MkV. maybe this comes from the fact that it has so many options - and 3 channels - people turn up noses and say "3 channels? ha! i can get any sound i want from the 1 channel on my PTP umptysquat amp blahblahblah"

BS. i can set this amp up as shown below. walk away. play all night and not even have to turn around to touch the amp. this is the absolute best setting i have ever had with any amp.
and the beautiful part is that you can find a ton of different-flavored-but-just-as-sweet spots like this within the amp.

Mark IIC+
6L6's
45W; Variac; Triode
Gain 10:30-11:00
Master 1:00
Pres 12:30
Treb 1:00
Mid 10:00
Bass 12:30
Normal or bold to taste
Use the graphic to boost mids just a touch.
(using a double fat strat SD alnico pro II/JB w/ a 5way switch.... i can't put it down!)

I'm just posting this because it describes my one hang-up i had with the V before i warmed up to it.
I probably would have bought my MkV much sooner if i knew it could be like this!
not missing my LSC or ED at all.
BTW - just put EL34's in it too. awesome.

You said "variac" and then "normal or bold". Am I missing something??? I want to try this out but I'm confused...

And what style of music are you using this setting for?

 

[iFreedom]

variac power setting and I think he ment bright instead of bold...

 

[scoden]

Im also confused by the normal or bold.......but another question to op....what style music do you play and are these settings for bedroom/home or with a band.

I am also able to set and forget MArk IIC mode and ride my vol and pickups for different tones...but I need more headroom than these setting allow esp for cleaner / crunch tones to stay out of the muddy zone. Also feel that variac sounds good at home but I dont have enough balls to sit out in front of an acoustic drum set with moderate drummer.

I typically have my gain at 230 in 45 watt pentode . I use either a EBMM JP6 or an Anderson Drop Top with hot pickups that coil tap

I play anything from Hendrix to VH to Journey to early Ozzy like this. Im thinking alot of hw this works is dependant on what style(s) you play, hw much of a range in gain you need , and the type of electronics in your guitar

 

[dudleydawson]

oh yes... i meant the bright switch. sorry about that!

and this is for home playing - gets me from warm sparkly clean to a hard rock grind with a good amount of thump to it...
obviously this setting is just where i have found my own personal happy place.
the session where i used this setting was the 1st time i truly bonded with the amp. awesome sounds - smile plastered on my face - knowing my money was well spent and i'd be playing this amp for a long long time.

the intent of my OP was really just to point out, for those who might not know, that you can set this amp up at one of its many sweet spots - walk away from the knobs and play as if it were a single channel amp.
i'm really thinking that with some practice i could gig this amp without the footswitch and get every sound i needed without touching the amp.

 

[igfraso]

I find the Mark V to be a relatively simple amp. It looks complex, but if you treat it like it's three separate amplifiers it's not that big of deal.

To me, the Mark V is an amplifier with a built-in GPS. :lol:

You want a Mark I sound? Go to this channel, flip that toggle.
IIC+ is what you want? Go to that channel, flip that one.

 

[Rkorn]

Just one observation...
I have a nova reverb but with this amp... It went to The shelf and i only use The amps reverb. I use no fx, just The guitar, amp and reverb of The amp...
This jeans that i don't use The output and solo knob. I've read The manual and these knobs, i believe, are only usable with fx Loop on! Am i missing something by not using these 2 knobs????

 

[screamingdaisy]

Just one observation...
I have a nova reverb but with this amp... It went to The shelf and i only use The amps reverb. I use no fx, just The guitar, amp and reverb of The amp...
This jeans that i don't use The output and solo knob. I've read The manual and these knobs, i believe, are only usable with fx Loop on! Am i missing something by not using these 2 knobs????

I find the solo boost is useful in a band context. It lets you really step out in front of the mix. If you A/B the solo boost against an OD pedal it makes the OD pedal sound really pathetic.

The master output knob just makes it easier to set the overall volume as you don't have to constantly fiddle with all three channels to get the balance right when switching. This is handy at a gig if you're the type of band that starts off at lower volumes when the house is still pretty empty and slowly raises the volume as the crowd comes in.

 

[iFreedom]

Ok, just tried the settings and yea, pretty wicked for blues! I tried it with my strat with '52 pups and wow. I just installed a treble bleed too, so rolling back for crispy cleans is quite nice with this setting. I actually tried to copy it to channel 1 tweed so that I could still use the iic+ for blazing metal. Tweed is close, but honestly I like the iic+ setup you've got here much better.

It's fun! Thanks! And as you mentioned, very hard to stop with this as the spanking goes on forever...

 

[Rkorn]

By the way... has anyone opened up their MV?
I would like to see a pic of the heart of the beast! Without having to open mine :?

 

[SBG200]

BS. i can set this amp up as shown below. walk away. play all night and not even have to turn around to touch the amp. this is the absolute best setting i have ever had with any amp...

Cool post. Along the same lines, I'm doing the same thing with Ch1. Set for clean sound with guitars vol down a bit, and a real good grind on 10, then have an 808 out front with the output all the way up to get into pretty high gain. Sounds unique from any other dirt settings I can get elsewhere on the amp.

Here are the settings:

Ch 1 Tweed, bold on
G: 10:30
M: 1:30
P: noon
T: noon
M: noon
B: 10

I originally set this up with my Les Paul with my main sound being vol 8/tone 5 (50's wiring). With my Strat and Tele, base vol around 6, tone 3-5.

 

[Jimi D]

Great post, and an excellent point... And it's certainly true for me, as well... One of the bands I play in is a Classic Rock cover band (I know, I know... but I'm an old fart and what can you do...) where I'm working my guitar volume on Channel 2 Crunch mode (EL34s) for 35 of the 40 cover tunes we do, and I could stay there all night if I wanted to use a couple added effects on my M9 a little more (some compression, mostly), but I'm always thinkin' in the back of my brain that I paid for this wonderful three channel amp, and I should use it! :lol:

 

[boogieman60]

It's beautiful....worth the look....heavy though...