If you have a series tuner, just stick it in the tuner out jack. That way it will not add noise or loss of tone if does such in the loop. I use a snark for tuning, a bit better than a tuning fork and string tuning by ear. Just clip it on the head stock (assuming it is not a headless guitar, yes those are still around). Snark tuners work well on any stringed instrument. You could probably use it on a piano.
I will not tell you I converted the Mark V back to a head. I will keep the shell just in case I do such but I like the combo set up I have with it. I recently re-tubed it with the Mesa stock preamp tubes and installed the Gold Lion KT77. With the hotter bias of the Mark V, the KT77 really sound awesome. (I ordered them for the Mark V and requested tubes for a hot bias, I guess that is why the sound weak in the other amps). I went back to stock tubes in the V (with the exception of the power tubes) since I liked the Roadster as it came out of box it sounds perfect.
Here is much about nothing.... in short: the Roadster is comparable to the Mark V clean. Only difference is that you get 2 channels to select from compared to one. Tone and character is similar but yet not identical. Though a V30 cab it would be about the same. The big difference between the two amps is the presence controls. The presence on the Roadster is a bit more dynamic and actually loosens or tightens up the lows. Mark V, more of a high frequency fine tuner. In part it is related to the method of feedback from the power amp section and the differences of the two.
In long form (TMI if you prefer)
Comparing the CH1 of the V to the CH1 or CH2 of the Roadster. I would say it is close when using a sealed 412. Tweed and Brit modes are a bonus with the Roadster. I could not get the same sound of the tweed mode in the Mark V (until I changed tubes that is) A sealed cabinet will give the clean channel a bit of warmth and slight compression so blues and jazz type tones are preserved, not a country style amp by any means unless you are using an open back cabinet. Same effect with the Mark V and the 412. They are almost equivalent but the Mark V will have a brighter tone to it due to the power amp format. I normally run the V at 90W so the clean channel (as well as the others will be operating with silicon diodes). The Roadster,
has the capability to run tube rectifier at 100W and that gives it more flexibility. Since the Roadster is strictly a Class A/B (50W or 100W) there is a difference in sound quality or character that is more appealing for some reason. To make use of the tube rectifier on the V you either have to use the 45W or 10W mode but the amp will be operating as a Class A only. Sure there will be more clarity but seems a bit tinny or thin compared to a subtle crossover distortion of the Class A/B. It is a bit difficult to describe the differences in a way that even makes sense to me. A perception of wetness in the Class A/B and dusty powder of Class A. (that is a bit of a poor analogy
). At best, there is more depth to the tone with the Class A/B compared to the Class A of the Mark V. There is also a difference in the amount of headroom provided in the clean channels (onset of clip). It is all really subjective. At one point I was judging the clean channel on is capability to reproduce an acoustic guitar tone. The Mark IV did that with ease (open back speaker enclosure is the key). Mark V converted to combo duty, WOW, the CH1 channel in clean or fat can really generate that dry piano like tone with the open back cabinet. MC90 is capable of this as well but the EV performs better at high volume in the CH2 or CH3 under any gain setting. I guess there is some merits to the RK 412 cab and programmable output taps. With the RK412 (half sealed V30, half open back MC90) allows for that mix of compressed sound vrs airiness of the open back cab.
Got reverb? Probably my most coveted sound effect (all I really care to use). It is all in the circuit used in the amp. The Roadster, RA100, Mark V and Mark IV use the exact same reverb tank. It is the circuit ( level shifting used in channel selection through attenuating resistor networks, bypass capacitors on the collector of the driver triode and receive triode, etc...) I feel the Roadster has the best overall reverb circuit. It is just as good if not better than some of the Fender reverb sounds I have heard over the years. The Mark V would come in second (unfortunately mine had an issue and lost one of the FET's that switch the driver tube on and off, possibly the relay that switches the attenuation circuits for each channel, now it is too abundant. I did repair the amp just to keep the reverb signal properly attenuated so it does not drown everthing. The RA100 reverb is nice too but saturates easily at moderate settings. Mark IV is not as pronounced and much more timid and not as liquid as the other three amps. Compare that to the Mark III I used to have, it was sub-par as a reverb amp, tank was also much smaller in size.
