Why Are Mark Vs So Expensive?

[rarebitusa]

FWIW some years back I was fishing around for a 2nd Mesa amp to use live. Didn't want to be taking my beloved IIC+ to every gig and looking for a bit more tonal versatility. At that time IV's were very reasonable and was focused on getting one. Thaymz suggested I consider the V and then a V:90 "no brainer" deal fell into my lap. Have since added a LSS & an Ace. Each amp definitely has it's own special thing. Surely would have been happy with a IV... but find the V amazing, so versatile and easy to manipulate (now).

When I got it home.. couldn't wait, screw reading the manual, I have a Mark already... plugged in and started twisting knobs. It didn't sound very good at all. LOL But a few sample settings from the manual got it going. It definitely has a learning curve but years later there are still cool things that I discover with it.

 

[bandit2013]

I'm a new Mark V 90 owner. It is the single most impressive amp I've ever touched.

I have previously said that in general I don't care for amps that have more than 12 knobs or 2 channels. But Mesa has changed my mind about that with their logical way of laying out three sets of controls, one for each channel. Gone are the shared control functions that always made setting up the tones of any earlier Mark series amp a balancing act between the R1, R2, and lead tones.

I've previously owned two triple rectos and a 3 channel dual recto. They got me used to this setup. But the rectos were really not quite my type. I got them cheaply enough that they were well worth the experiment. (Sold them for modest profits, eventually, too.)
But to me, the Marks sound better than the Rectos. Tonally speaking, my Mark IV was better than the Rectos, so was my Mark III Blue Stripe. Now that I've got the Mark V, I have the best of all worlds. It'll keep up with and destroy all competitors, whether you play in standard tuning or drop tune down into the subsonic realm. Yes it chugs if you are into that.

I can barely imagine what a hypothetical Mark VI will be like. There's so little I can think of to improve on the Mark V.
It could be that the Mark V is the amp that gives me a reason to sell off all the rest of my amps...except a few pieces I want in my collection forever.

Is the JP2C even really better than the Mark V? The second EQ doesn't seem like a feature I'd really NEED. I use the one EQ, and the EQ presets serve well enough any time I may want to apply a different EQ setting to another channel.

Having two EQ is better than only one. The Mark V is so equipped as you stated you use the presets. You just can't adjust the preset cut/gain frequencies. With the JP2C, sometimes I want a different character for the CH2 vs CH3 or may use one for CH2 and CH3 and the other for the clean.

I use an assortment of 5 GEQ settings with my RA stereo rig. Boss EQ-200 has 4 recallable memories and one manual. I can also turn it off as the RA sounds great without it. Actually I found it essential for use with the Strymon BigSky reverb as some features bring in some sort of shimmer effect that tends to amplify the upper frequencies, it can also create an octave above the fundamental. Without filtering that, it would be an ice pick generator (mostly with the MW Dual Rec but the RA can be bright too). I did not need the aid of the GEQ in the FX loop for the JP2C since the GEQ follows the FX loop. Mark V on the other hand, GEQ is before the FX loop.

The Mark V does have a lot of cool features to choose from. It just did not fulfill my expectations. I can wait for the Mark VI but that will not happen (or would that be the JP2C and have to wait for the VII to come out). My V was made in 2012, I had way too many issues with it to be happy, tone was one of them.

 

[woodbutcher65]

One thing to note is that when I want to use an EQ, I REALLY use an EQ. I have an Alesis DEQ-230 in the effects loop and that has 30 stereo user programmable presets. (Plus 30 non-adjustable ones that as far as I'm concerned just waste memory.) If my needs expand I'll upgrade to the MIDI equipped DEQ-830 and be able to switch my EQ curves on the fly. And I can tell you, having a 31 band EQ to adjust really beats the pants off a mere 5 bander. It's such a precision tone shaping tool.

 

[Markooo99]

This post has made me curious about the Mk V. I have a I reissue, a IIb and a III green stripe.
I’m seeing prices from $2000ish to $3900 and slightly higher for 90w.
Some say 3 channel and I see three obvious sections on some amps and on another I see two rows of knobs and it’s listed as a 3 channel. Is that accurate?
I’ll read up about these but am confused that they are V’s but see very different front panel configurations. ???

I would think I would prefer that one made before Gibson took over … is there a difference?
Thanks.

 

[woodbutcher65]

Nothing has changed. Mesa makes them exactly the same now as they did last year. Gibson has made NO operational changes to Mesa that affect any aspect of amplifier production. Same parts, same assembly line, same people assembling them. NO DIFFERENT.

Why do people think that Gibson buying Mesa HAS to be bad for Mesa? The truth is, if there IS a company in the music business that totally supports American workers and wants top quality product, it's Gibson! The company that has consistently refused to send its production to any foreign country, and at MOST has licensed some guitars to be made in Japan, under the Orville and Burny names.

The Mark V is a series of amps, at 25, 35, and 90 watt ratings. Each is also a different size. The 25 is TINY. The 35 is "regular size" for a Mesa combo or head, with a 17" wide chassis. The 90 is the big boy, about the size of a long head or coliseum head Mark II or III.

 

[jsullivan2112]

This post has made me curious about the Mk V. I have a I reissue, a IIb and a III green stripe.
I’m seeing prices from $2000ish to $3900 and slightly higher for 90w.
Some say 3 channel and I see three obvious sections on some amps and on another I see two rows of knobs and it’s listed as a 3 channel. Is that accurate?
I’ll read up about these but am confused that they are V’s but see very different front panel configurations. ???

I would think I would prefer that one made before Gibson took over … is there a difference?
Thanks.

Only the original 90W Mark V is three channel, the 25W and 35W versions are two channel. Anyone advertising otherwise has got it wrong. Each channel on the smaller versions is found on the 90W, they just removed three modes to pare it down. Channel one on the smaller amps essentially combines 1 & 2 from the bigger amp. Channel 2 on the smaller amps is channel 3 on the 90W.

It still remains to be seen what sort of impact Gibson will have on the manufacturing, if any. I'd be more concerned by the impact of the pandemic and their supply chain issues and sourcing parts. They just recently had to redesign their transformers because of changes in EU import laws. Mesa are still struggling to catch up, so there's that. Basically not enough "post-Gibson" amps exist yet to say. And they could be problematic because of the pandemic, not Gibson. And I'm the last person to ever defend that company.

A lot of sellers are hawking their wares as "pre-Gibson" but at this point it doesn't really mean a lot, they're just trying to inflate their appeal. Hating Gibson is the coolest thing to do right now. Too soon to say whether those amps will be better, and for what reason.

 

[jsullivan2112]

Why do people think that Gibson buying Mesa HAS to be bad for Mesa?

Oh I dunno, maybe because they bought Epiphone and shipped them overseas for 5 or 6 decades? But don't get me wrong I agree with you, I'm not jumping to any conclusions. I'd sooner Gibson own them than some random holding companies where they're bought and sold over and over as the brand dies a slow death, like what happened with Hiwatt. Or Samsung buying Digitech? Seriously wtf was that all about. Anyways there have been a lot of companies setting seriously stupid precedents over the years, so who knows?

 

[Guinness Lad]

The mark amps were always under valued. Not sure they should be $3,000 now, but mid teens would be fair. A Mark IV is a great amplifier. Those people on TGP who can't seem to figure it out need a different hobby.

 

[Sinner's Swing!]

New to the forum here, just picked up a Mark V 25 locally for a great price. I like that the amp is small, its a combo but can easily be plugged into a 2x12 or 4x12 and not even look that weird sitting on top of it. Plus the volume is enough for me right now as I have an infant. So far I'm really digging the amp. I think it was made in 2020, I have to check the card. The crunch setting really gained up with a small mid push from the EQ has been really working for me. Wondering if there are any threads with pics of presets for the 25? Admittedly, not sure I would have ended up with this amp if I had to pay full price but the seller was very close to me and was fair with it. He also let me try it out at home with different guitars which really helped. Anyway, glad to be joining the Mesa community and may you all find the tones you seek!