So...I picked up a Mark V today...

[mightywarlock]

And I'm not totally blown away.

1st off, it was just bought recently, and I am the 2nd owner, as the buyer on another forum sold it to get a Herbert.

I plugged it in, and noticed there is something wrong with either the footswitch or the footswitch cable, as it wasn't switching properly for the EQ unless I wiggled the wire inside the pedal.
not that big of a deal, I will call Mesa and see what can be done.

next, while switching modes and channels, the amp started to freak out in ch.1 when I switched from Fat to Clean. Like it got stuck in a loop of some sort. I quickly switched out of that mode, and all was well after that. I noticed some harmonic feedback from the stock tubes, but that was at an extreme setting on the EQ, so when I brought the slider down it stopped, and after playing awhile i forgot what those settings even were.

I have had a Triaxis for awhile now, and perhaps I was thinking I was going to be blown away by this new Mark V and it's tone, but, it seems like it is really just the same tone I have had for quite awhile, in just a different format.
In fact, since my Triaxis has the Recto board in it, and I realized i was using the Mark III mode a lot, it almost seems, at first thought, that I am losing some capabilities if I sell the triaxis. Now, the Triaxis is noisy, and the Mark V is slightly quieter, but the combination of a Triaxis and 2:90 is actually something of a good match i see now...
I know it is only my first night with the amp, and I could NOT turn up that much since it was late, (didn't want to piss off all my neighbors too much at 11pm), so much more experimentation is needed. I'm sure I will get good tones out of it, but just coming from all the amps I already own (Triaxis, 2:90, Pre-500 Dual Recto, previously Stiletto Deuce II, Marshall JCM800KK, JMP-1, EL34 100/100, 5150, and more...) I am not blown away YET.

YET.

In fact, I spent most of my time in Ch.3 mode, but I think I might like Ch.2 Crunch better at the moment. I like extreme note clarity, while still retaining an amazing amount of heavyness, and thought Extreme a little harsh, mkiv a little muddy or thick, but crunch was clear.

Just some first night notations.

I almost got a Herbert as well from someone in trade for my 5150 + cash, but opted to try the Mark V 1st, and see about selling the Triaxis.
Now I'm not so sure what I am going to do... yet...

Time to tweak and see...plus need to be able to crank it. I know Mesa amps well enough to know you need to crank the hell out of them to make them sound great.

 

[scott7d]

You have the right attitude about giving it a chance at least. I was ready to trade mine for a Roadster after about 3 days, but very glad I stuck with it. Had it for almost a year now and still finding great tones to use all the time at practice.

Some of the EQ settings that sound great, both pre and post amp, are a little "untraditional" from what I was used to. Once I looked away from the panel and started using my ears to adjust things, I fell in love with the amp. I was just using settings from previous amps that worked for those particular models, that don't really work for the V.

 

[sted]

yeah mate, it takes ages to dial these buggers in, im on about six months and still twiddling, it only gets better the more you mess with it and for sure read the manual cover to cover, it really is an eye opener and helps you understand the EQ and stuff a lot more, trust me!

 

[Scary]

I'd check to make sure those tubes are good and get a reliable connection with the footswitch. I had a problem where the signal would get weak a few months after I got mine. It was fixed by swapping ends on the footswitch cable. Once you're set then you can really get down to buisness.

I noticed you like the clarity of Crunch mode. That's one of my favorites, as well as Tweed or Fat with the gain cranked. For channel 3 I find Extreme to be closer to Crunch or Tweed than the other two. Also remember the power section. Low power is twangy and scooped. High power is bold and full.

Have fun. The FIVE is a big nut to chew on.

 

[mightywarlock]

I got to open the amp up a little more this morning before work and I can see, as per typical Mesa amps, you really need the thunder to unleash the beast in the amp.

I'm digging it more now, but I am still unsure if it is as MEAN as my Triaxis. Not sure if that is because I found myself drifting to the Mark III tone on the Triaxis, and the V doesn't get that tone, or what, but I also have a mix of tubes in my 2:90 (EL34's and 6L6's), whereas I am just using the stock 6L6's in the Mark V at the moment. I will probably pull the STR-450's out of the 2:90 to try them, or maybe my Recto's JJ EL34L's to see if i can truly hear that much a difference. I know with the Recto it is night and day, and mine, especially, shines with the EL34L's. The STR-450's were the only way I could get my Stiletto Deuce to sound the way I liked it, but I sold it, and kept the tubes, so it will be very interesting to hear the difference!

Don't have much money, so going to be a short while before I change out the 12ax7's...but perhaps I will scavenge my 5150 for some Tung-Sols to try as well.

Here it comes...Experimentation time!

 

[wezzley]

I got to open the amp up a little more this morning before work and I can see, as per typical Mesa amps, you really need the thunder to unleash the beast in the amp.
...

that hasn't been my experience. sure, opening it up is a good thing, but there's plenty of good tone at low to moderate volumes.
for home use i run a hot plate with my road king, but the mark v really doesn't need one.

 

[DrummerChas]

I'm still a new user with this amp as well, having only had it for about 45 days now. I can tell you that it can be a bit frustrating at first but I want to encourage you to spend more time with the amp using the stock tubes before you change them. During the first 30 days I found a bunch of different tones that were definitley usuable and some that were pretty bad. I kept trying things out to get the metal tones I wanted and some days it just wasn't there. I was really struggling to get a tight, crunchy high gain sound that met my needs. But....just in the last few days things have really turned around.

After reading through multiple forums, trying other peoples settings, dialing in a bunch of stuff just to experiment, boosting channel 2 with a Fulltone OCD etc...I thought man...I guess I'm gonna have to change the tubes to EL34's to get "that sound". Then I found a video on youtube that was a Mark V review done by a guy who had basically the same set up that I have. I borrowed his settings and fine tuned them for my ears and all of the sudden the amp sounded amazing. I actually have a happy place in all three channels plus in channel 3, I've got two modes, Mark IV and MarkIIC+ that really sound great to me.

All that said, I'm probably still going to try the EL34's just to see what other tones I can get with the Mark V, and maybe it will improve what I'm hearing now. But still with the 6L6's it sounds great. So give em a little more time so you know their potential before you make the change.

 

[mightywarlock]

Well now...

Yesterday I played with my drummer and found my Mark V to be a very THICK sounding amp, with the stock 6L6 tubes. I think I just prefer the thinner, more aggressive sound of EL34's...
so,
Tonight I decided to pull the tubes from my 2:90, which I have STR-450's (EL34's) in the outer section, and replaced them back with some 6L6's I had around...

I pulled the new 6L6's out of the Mark V, and replaced them with the EL34's (STR-450's). (in the process i decided to check out the 12ax7's and in the process of replacing those metal covers, I broke the tip off of the Mesa 12ax7 in V1! So, I had to scavenge the Tung-Sol 12ax7 out of my 5150 (replaced that one with a Groove tube I had sitting around) and popped the Tung-Sol into V1, this time being more careful when replacing the very hard to get to V1 position behind the transformer).


Immediate difference! (of course!)

I don't know why but I am just not a 6L6 fan. I just don't like them in any amp, unless I am playing cleans. For all out Metal, and Tightness, I seem to always go back to EL34's.

The Mark V now has more gain, it has a faster gain attack, and is overall more aggressive. It thinned out a bit, and I will now have to adjust my EQ settings, and before it was heavy and fat, with pretty good Thump, the same settings has it sounding thin and bright. But more aggressive, and tighter. Feels faster. Now whether it has to do with the EL34's, or the Tung-Sol 12ax7 in V1, who knows, but it sounds better To My Ears, anyways.

I can definitely recommend to anyone thinking about a Mark V to try some EL34's, for sure. I still want to try my JJ-EL34L's, to see if they add even more low end, but the STR-450's are good tubes for sure (they woke my overly bright Stiletto up, and tamed it at the same time).


Methinks the Triaxis will be going up evilbay this week unless I sell it here.

 

[sted]

Im a newcomer to MESA amps, the MV being my first, but the consensus does seem to be that EL34's are the more fitting tube for this amp, I'm a big Marshall fan so I had to have them in mine no questions, I wonder if Mesa are aware of the preferences of many of their customers?
On another note I was about ready to throw my amp at the wall yesterday during rehearsal as it just sounded shrill and gnawing and I couldnt do anything to dial out the horrible tinny sound......then I realised the wah pedal was on.................. :lol:

C'mon, weve all done it!

 

[dmcguitar]

I'm still a new user with this amp as well, having only had it for about 45 days now. I can tell you that it can be a bit frustrating at first but I want to encourage you to spend more time with the amp using the stock tubes before you change them. During the first 30 days I found a bunch of different tones that were definitley usuable and some that were pretty bad. I kept trying things out to get the metal tones I wanted and some days it just wasn't there. I was really struggling to get a tight, crunchy high gain sound that met my needs. But....just in the last few days things have really turned around.

After reading through multiple forums, trying other peoples settings, dialing in a bunch of stuff just to experiment, boosting channel 2 with a Fulltone OCD etc...I thought man...I guess I'm gonna have to change the tubes to EL34's to get "that sound". Then I found a video on youtube that was a Mark V review done by a guy who had basically the same set up that I have. I borrowed his settings and fine tuned them for my ears and all of the sudden the amp sounded amazing. I actually have a happy place in all three channels plus in channel 3, I've got two modes, Mark IV and MarkIIC+ that really sound great to me.

All that said, I'm probably still going to try the EL34's just to see what other tones I can get with the Mark V, and maybe it will improve what I'm hearing now. But still with the 6L6's it sounds great. So give em a little more time so you know their potential before you make the change.

what settings did you wind up taking?