Soon to be a Mark V owner....

[Laskyman]

I've owned a few Boogies, spent the last 7 months or so with my AXE II exclusively, but next week I will be adding a Mark V Head to the stable! So, how you all doing? It'll be my first Mark, but I've been playing this one at the shop for literally 1.5 years, so I feel comfortable with her. Any advice for a new Mark user? caveats? concerns?
I am going to be using a Mesa 112 C90 cab- I'd love a Recto 212 or a Thiele, but beggars can't be choosers....
I'm excited to run the Mesa and Axe together- pretty much the top of the mountain for me at this time in my playing.....
Can't. Wait. ......

 

[talltxguy]

Just curious...are you using the AXE II for FX only or will you be doing a 4-cable method and using tones from the V & the II?

 

[Laskyman]

I'll be running 4CM- there is a ton of great stuff in the AXE II- and it is easily without question the best money I have ever spent on music gear in 30 years. That said, I have an UNREAL opportunity with the V that is just too good to pass up. this kind of deal won't happen again, there's a knock on the door, it's time to answer....if you know what I mean.
For the most part, I use the Axe II direct to house live with IEMs and personal mixer live. With the V, the Axe will provide the effects and I will primarily use the Mark channels. The Axe does amazing Mark II and Mark IV tones, but the Mark I is very difficult to sort out in the Axe. I think that mode in the V is just great!!
I fully intend on tone matching the Mark I in my axe....maw ha ha ha!!!

 

[thunder100]

Not an advice

As I own both too (AXE II and MK V) I can say that with correct IR Axe goes 99 %

But there are days I need that tube glow,the shifting channel crackle and the sheer lead response (in the Axe 90 % there since FW 10) of the Mark IIC+

Good luck

Roland

PS:Mark's (I had several) change tone on daily base,dont be surprised(I think that is tube breakin-then in the mid lifetime stable and torwards end changing again)

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

I've owned a few Boogies, spent the last 7 months or so with my AXE II exclusively, but next week I will be adding a Mark V Head to the stable! So, how you all doing? It'll be my first Mark, but I've been playing this one at the shop for literally 1.5 years, so I feel comfortable with her. Any advice for a new Mark user? caveats? concerns?
I am going to be using a Mesa 112 C90 cab- I'd love a Recto 212 or a Thiele, but beggars can't be choosers....
I'm excited to run the Mesa and Axe together- pretty much the top of the mountain for me at this time in my playing.....
Can't. Wait. ......

I had both. Now I have just one. My plan was to use the Axe in 4CM with the Mark V. Too much noise. And it was a newer Axe-II that shouldn't have had that problem. Set it up the recommended way.

In the end, I could only afford to keep one of them and while the Axe could do very good recorded Mark tones, it couldn't hold a candle to the real thing live, and that's my normal mode of play. My biggest complaint was about dynamics. Rolling the volume knob back on the guitar with the Axe, it became thin and brittle. With the Mark, it cleaned up, even on the highest gain settings, and it retained volume and a nice compression. There was no contest.

I highly recommend that 212 Recto cab, especially a vertical slant. The C90 will work okay, but it's not the same. I was not a V30 fan by any stretch, but there's something about the V30's that Celestion makes for Mesa. They are very different. More low mids, no real upper mid spike, easy as pie to mic up and get a good sound from.

If you're going to run the Axe and the Mark, and you find that it works for you, you're going to need a channel switching solution so you don't have a huge mess at your feet. I have an Amp Gizmo that I might be willing to part with. PM me if you're interested.

 

[Laskyman]

With the Mark, it cleaned up, even on the highest gain settings, and it retained volume and a nice compression. There was no contest

Yes, while the AXE is fantastic in this respect with most models, the USA Lead models DO NOT lend well to the guitar volume knob. And I also really, really like the ch 2 Mark 1 mode in nearly every gain stage- this is a model that is sorely missing in the AXE, although Cliff hinted at it being included in a FW update.

I am curious with the "noise" from the 4CM- I had heard "horror stories" from others about using a Fractal with a real amp, but I never had a issue when I did it with my Ultra, and the II should be even more streamlined for 4CM...I know you have a good understanding of the 4CM from the BOSS forum so I trust your evaluation and am glad you chimed in. I too, can not afford 2 "big boy" guitar rigs, but as I said earlier- this situation is a "perfect storm", and I cant afford NOT to grab this. God willing, I will be able to keep both for the long term - I may PM you about the gizmo in the future.
I would LOVE to get a Recto cab, and I agree with your comments about the V30's- I have demoed this V head with a variety of cabs (vertical recto 212, recto 212, C90 112 3/4 back (looking to purchase), and a Stiletto 412- (which by far absolutely owned, but is seriously too large to justify although the price is right). The 112 is both great sounding (and will sound better when fully broken in), light, and priced right.
I am excited to bring it home- this could be the "partner for life" amp...

 

[Tucker44]

Congratulations, i hope you like it. For me it was the amp that I was looking for. I went thru the tremoverb and RKII before settling with the V. The others are great amps but this one suits my style from clean to dirty and any venue size. I have the combo and believe it is truly a grab and go amp lol. you just don't very fast. anyway have fun!

 

[sprocket]

Congrats on my end also mate !

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

I am curious with the "noise" from the 4CM- I had heard "horror stories" from others about using a Fractal with a real amp, but I never had a issue when I did it with my Ultra, and the II should be even more streamlined for 4CM...I know you have a good understanding of the 4CM from the BOSS forum

I was a bit off put by it as well. The Axe II is supposed to be better designed for 4CM than the Ultra, so I was very excited to potentially use it as a very high quality effects processor for a very high quality amp. It didn't work as well at the GT-100 or GT-10. Not by a long shot. So that's what I'm using now. I know many a boutique pedal, amp, and effects snob will turn up their nose at the idea of Boss gear, but it just works. And the effects are honestly quite good. Good enough that I get compliments on how great it sounds before anyone knows what I'm using.

Another upside here is that there's a switching relay built into the GT units. Sure, you can only switch between two channels, but it works really well for some of the stuff I do, particularly at church where I don't have much cause to be going into CH3's Extreme mode.

 

[sprocket]

When do you think you ll get your Mk 5 mate !

 

[Laskyman]

No need to convince me of the GT series, I've spent over 10 years with them from gt6 through the 100...great stuff, especially for the money. I used a GT in 4cm with roadster, dyne, stiletto, and DC- with no issues of noise. I also used my Ultra 4cm with no issues. The Fractal and Boss are not in the same league, and there are several special effects I need to hear with the Mark. If I can't get them to "behave" together, I will get a Timefactor for the loop and be done. Maybe a Fulltone Clyde as well. But I am pretty comfortable with routing and 4CM...if it does work like it SHOULD, it will be a pretty unstoppable rig!
I am hoping to land the rig by Wednesday.....

 

[sprocket]

Hope you ll get it then .

 

[Laskyman]

She's home...getting acquainted with Fractal. It's going to be a great winter

 

[Laskyman]

And now the Fractal is doing the effect heavy lifting. After a brief struggle with hiss and white noise, a thrice of hum buster cables solved the problem! Now my effects are as pristine and powerful ad the mighty Mark V! If you struggled with a fractal in 4cm with noise, you need hum buster cables. Path at simple.
My rig is now ridiculous. Pinch me.

 

[danyeo1]

I'm thinking about revisiting. I prefer the tones of the older Mesa amps to the V but I want the features of the V an I think with some tweaking and a good OD pedal it will do the job well enough.

 

[Laskyman]

I'm thinking about revisiting. I prefer the tones of the older Mesa amps to the V but I want the features of the V an I think with some tweaking and a good OD pedal it will do the job well enough.

Od pedal?? pfffft....this amp doesn't need any pedals...but it takes them well...

 

[danyeo1]

I'm thinking about revisiting. I prefer the tones of the older Mesa amps to the V but I want the features of the V an I think with some tweaking and a good OD pedal it will do the job well enough.

Od pedal?? pfffft....this amp doesn't need any pedals...but it takes them well...

Every mark V I've played didn't have the preamp gain of a few Mark III's I've owned, if I wanted to get close I'd need a decent OD pedal. The III is just limited with it's shared controls and layout.