The MARK V really is a collection of great amps!

[Hendog]

I have had mine for 6+ months now and the longer I own it, the more I realize that it really is a collection of great amps.

I used to think that it was a Boogie clean with a couple of different variations, a Mark I with a couple of variations, and a Mark IV with a couple of variations. That is just not the case. I can tell that alot of thought went into modes like Tweed, Crunch, Extreme, and so on.

You have to totally change the way you dial the amp in on the different modes. And just like most Boogies, you have to dial them in to make them sound good. You can't just put the dials at noon and go from there. A certail level of understanding has to be in place in order to get the most out of it's many voicings.

I wish the amp had more low end in Mark IV mode. That is my only gripe. Well, that and the faulty footswitch cable.

 

[sprada]

I wish the amp had more low end in Mark IV mode.

Not bitchin about this but.. there's a lot of people complaining about this.
I really don't understand.
There's more low end than you'll ever need if you're playing in a band. you'll really start to mess the bass's frequencies. in live settings i find myself backing the low end off.

 

[Hendog]

I wish the amp had more low end in Mark IV mode.

Not bitchin about this but.. there's a lot of people complaining about this.
I really don't understand.
There's more low end than you'll ever need if you're playing in a band. you'll really start to mess the bass's frequencies. in live settings i find myself backing the low end off.

Maybe you play different music or something, but for me and my band I need Mark IV mode to have more low end.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I have had mine for 6+ months now and the longer I own it, the more I realize that it really is a collection of great amps.

When I first got my Mark V I made the mistake of treating it like it was a single amp with a clean, crunch and lead channel and tried to use it as such... which it will do, but it's kind of limiting.

Once I realized that I could treat it like it was three seperate amps with their own seperate characteristics it opened up a lot of possibilities in that I could use each channel from clean to crunch to lead using a combination of settings, solo boost and pedal boosts to achieve my goals.

I wish the amp had more low end in Mark IV mode. That is my only gripe.

I don't wish for more bass so much as an extended bass. I like the overall balance of frequencies, but sometimes I wish the bottom end could reach a little deeper.

 

[boogieman60]

Well; You can plug in an 18" powered sub woofer out the slave jack!! Try it you'll like it..... :twisted:

 

[Cron]

About the low end comments: I find it funny that even channel 2 crunch's low end seems to extend to a lower frequency than channel 3 (even on extreme) if both channels use the slider eq and the lows are boosted. After swapping tubes i got the low end in channel 3 to a very good level..... and then i realised how deep it can be after listening to channel 2. Also note that i can run the bass control on channel 2 at 12 or even 1 o clock without it getting muddy... at the start i treated channel 2 like i would channel 3 but its a different beast. I crank the gain and treble on channel 2 crunch with the bass round 12 o clock and i get a sound thats deeper and bigger than channel 3 with a tad less gain.... but still usable for metal rhythms.

 

[niilz]

...to get more sub-bass:

Extreme-Mode (although this trick works in MK IIC+ and MK IV modes as well)
FX Send 2:00h (If you do not necessarily need the loop: Please Remove it!)
Gain: 12:00h
channel volume: 8:45h
Presence: min 10:15h (depends on volume/pickup - maybe up to 14:30h)
Treble, Middle, Bass: FULL!!! (no bs! - but do not even dare to dial in more gain than 12:00h! ...better is 10:30h to 12:00h for the gain)

bright switch "on" (if you like)


EQ Sliders to taste.

A good starting point is John Petrucci's Extreme Setting on his page if you use V30/C90 or similar speakers. Íf you like you can push the 80hz slider all the way up and add bass-density with the 240hz slider up to the upper line (imho: that's almost too much balls and get's flubby - but it can work...)

With EVM12L or similar speakers: keep the two treble sliders 2200hz / 6600hz very low.

...and cut the mids out! Drop the 750hz slider down to the first line - just on or above that line is a sweet spot!

 

[Brianiac5150]

Yes, OP, the Mark V is an astounding collection of amps. It's been a year now and I still find new things about this amp. I still especially love how different guitar/amp combinations work.

That said; in reading about the "bass issue," I've noticed a lot of provided settings have this amp fairly closed off, in the sense that, when this amp is opened up around and above 11 o'clock, there is tons of bass. I've run mine through a 1x12 wide-body, 2x12 OS and 4x12 cabs and often find the need to eliminate bass - mostly as a result of woofing. I have not run the amp much in a full band environment, though, and could see where "depth" or "range" of bass could be beneficial.

I'm still in love with this amp, though. I often run my Eleven Rack for jamming and recording, but when I plug into the Mark V, after some time away, I always think, "why have I not been playing you more often?"

 

[Scary]

Many times I play, I barely make it out of channel 1 Tweed. So much to do in that channel!

 

[igfraso]

The Mark V looks like a full-amp version of the Triaxis preamp, but with 9 preamp modes instead of 8 modes:
- a Tweed rhythm mode was added in Channel 1 (coming from the Mark II-A, maybe?)
- an Edge mode was added in channel 2 (coming from the Stiletto, maybe?) by freeing up the Triaxis Lead 1 Yellow "Modified Mark I" slot (replaced in the Mark V by the "Mark I Thick" mini switch?)

Mark V & Triaxis comparison
Channel 1/Rhythm = Clean/Yellow (Mark IV), Fat/Green (Mark I input 2), Tweed (Mark II-A?)
Channel 2/Lead 1 = Edge (Stiletto?), Crunch/Red (Rectifier Vintage), Mark I/Green (Mark I input 1)
Channel 3/Lead 2 = Mark IIC+/Yellow, Mark IV/Green, Extreme/Red (modified Mark IV)

The power amp looks like a Simul-Class 2:Ninety (mono; not stereo) and the controls lay-out looks like a Nomad.
Nothing seems to get discarded in Mesa!

Any suggestions to where the Tweed Rythym and Edge modes come from?

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to everyone that collaborates and keeps alive this wonderful Mesa Boogie forum!!