Mesa Boogie Mark V Amplifier | A Closeup Inside and Out Review with Playing | Tony Mckenzie
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- My 100th Review : Here's a review I just completed on the Mesa Boogie Mark V Head - its one of my Inside and Outside reviews followed up by some playing. Its a reasonably long review because this amp is one of the finest tube amps in the world. If you Don't really want to use a emulator or simulator and want the real deal, then this Mark V will absolutely press all the buttons. Link to Playing this amp: • Gibson Jimmy Page Les ...
Expensive here in the UK and around $2250 in the USA (a veritable bargain). I discuss the settings of my amp and give some slight insight of how to convert a Mark V to 240v UK... its all here if you look hard enough.
I also discuss the Mark IV and problems with floor switch pedal issues and how I solved those on a Mark IV boogie I used to have.
Find out more about this channel and Tony McKenzie by visiting my website at www.tonymckenzi... where you will find around 100 reviews of kit, guitar builds, some playing and lots of other stuff.
There's also a written review of this amplifier on my website here: www.tonymckenzi... that adds a little more information.
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What a decent and thorough review... the best opinion someone can get before they actually try the amp by themselves. Thanks, Tony.
It's great to hear those comments thanks. I spent an inordinate amount of time when I reviewed the Mark V Mesa Boogie as my 100th video and I really tried to achieve what you said above. Thanks for watching.
Stellar review / walk through...
Using a Mark IV myself and I just love digging in with every note, the response, the harmonics, its just a pleasure to play with. Maybe one day I will look at the Mark V, but the Mark IV is it for now.
Hey bro, you ever move on from the Mark IV to a different Mesa? Just curious. I owned both the 4 and 5 and really liked the 5 better since it encompassed the heart of the 4 along with all the other bells and whistles.
I have owned this amp (MESA Mark V) for several years now. I can't begin to describe how MAGICAL this amp is. It makes you a better player, because you will certainly get the opportunity to hear your notes - no matter how well, or how poorly you play them. Having said that - Everyone who has ever come by my studio, and 1) heard me play the amp, or 2) played it themselves, have been completely and totally blown away by the sound and the tone. I am an Electrical Engineer - this is well made.
Dam really i heard good things from this amp
Guys please note TH-cam is showing some comments as spam and won't let me say they are OK! So what's new? LOL Anyway if you made a comment and expected a reply its probably for that reason... just post it again ;-) thanks.
a person No problem....
Great review as always! Thank you!
Unscarred Kharl Thanks for watching ;-)
Thanks for the review Mr McKenzie! I was looking for something larger than my Fuchs Blackjack 21 MKII combo...and I already had a Mesa OS Recto 4x12 cab from a previous trade...so I went to GC looking for a deal after watching this video. And there, in a corner of the Used Gear section, was a old 1st year model Mark V 90 head (2009). No handle, no footswitch, and with a $1799 price tag. BUT...hand-written on the price tag were the words "Make an Offer". My buddy and I plugged that puppy in and played it with several guitars and it sounded absolutely godlike.
Long-story-short I offered $1200 and they accepted (mind. blown.).
I ordered a new footswitch and cable and couldn't be happier!
P.S.
On my circuit board there's a hand-printed phrase...it says "Mesa Mark II See Beyond". No idea what that means.
They cost a fortune here in the UK. A great amp that you do need to spend a little time on, but worth the effort! :) Thanks for the info and for watching.
Well I did it. 5 hours after commenting on your video I bought me a Mark Fkn V 90W head. So blown away by it. Got a lot of work today figuring some stuff out. Definitely need to get a better cab. I can sell my old solid states for a good cab. Your video helped a lot when i went to check the V out last night. It was a good appetizer before i knew i was getting the main course later.
Great to know. The 90w is a very good amp but you do need to settle down with it a bit to get the best out of it... but its one of those amps that can do almost anything I think. Do come back here if you get a chance when you have had it a short while and let me know how it is for you... thanks and stay safe.
@@tonymckenzieofficial I'm a Metalhead and found my tone last night. No amp I've had in the last 22 years sounded so perfect without help from a gain pedal. Put a 12 band eq in the fx loop and that was it. I haven't been so happy playing guitar in a very long time. Channel 1 is almost TOO clean, like air. That will be my focus today.
Flip the switch :) Thanks for posting on here with your findings... they always help other guys. Stay safe.
One of my favorite you tube reviewer
Thanks for your very kind words and support - appreciated.
I have had this amp for years now. And now I know what the preset knobs do, lol. Thanks Tony. But that screw driver pointer!! (Noooo....don't scratch it!!!....). Great video, Thanks again.
Ha I get it! The thing is, I like most I guess just turn on, twiddle for a few minutes and then never change anything :). But this amp has more and to get the best it dies take time to study it. I had mine for many years too. I did sell this to buy other gear and to lessen the earache from the wife :) (You've got too many amps I can hear her saying) but I recently bought ... more amps! :) Thanks for watching and stay safe too.
I been wanting a mark v since I was a kid in 87 and I think it's the best for a clean & dirty sound. So thanx for going thru the details and of course the humor!
+Bo88y Beretta Glad you liked the review and thanks greatly for watching.
As an Electrical Engineer, and someone who researched a ton of boutique hand-wired amps before I bought the Mark V, let me just say that I think Randall Smith's designs are brilliant. He has laid the Mark V out in a very rigorous, carefully designed, and uniform manner. If I ever have a problem with this amp, it will be reasonably easy to troubleshoot. That is NOT the case with many boutique amps, which look like a spaghetti mess on the inside. Hats off to Randall Smith, a true pioneer!
Looking at the mesa produced schematics for the mark v, it is a simple design once you figure out why an on off on switch is designated as a relay and figure out where all of the incomplete connections to those switches are really going and also what switching transistors are used and where the unconnected third leg goes. The schematic is really confusing and I guess there is another legend to clear that up but as a tech without full disclosure from mesa they just ate your lunch, ha ha.
I got mine in November of 2018, went for the 90w combo. This video definitely helped me make my choice, and it's been my go to amp for everything since. It's an awesome blues amp, the clean channel is amazing, and the 3rd channel can melt some faces when you're in Hendrix mode.
Great to hear! They are very good amps. And thanks for watching.
Happy New Year Tony!! Hopefully this finds you very well. Love your deep dives 👌🏼 thank you. What an amp, it has to be one of the most versatile & well made amps out there - no wonder they’re so hard to pick up on the 2nd hand market, I wouldn’t wanna let it go either!
Yes same to you too... These are good amps and I have always liked Mesa Boogie amps - irrespective of some 'engineers' that don't like them. I never really had any problems with Mesa Boogie. I sincerely hope they get the distribution sorted as getting them in the UK is a nightmare currently... yes keep hold of it and make no mistake over time they retain great value too. Thanks for watching.
It is great to be able to get a detailed look at one of these - they are almost the stuff of legend. I have always been a Fender Twin or Deluxe fan, but I'm using a Vox 2X12 Bruno which is actually a great amp - anyway cheers for the video Tony!
Glad you liked it all and thanks for watching..
Thank you for taking the time to publish this excellent review! Its wonderful to see a musician that is able to converse with his audience over youtube while reviewing a product. Keep doing what your doing! I'm at a crossroads deciding on a Mark V or a Roadster head. I've only played the Roadster but I think the Mark V would be an amp able to evolve over time with me and that could perhaps cover more territory. I recently just played my first Boogie which was a first generation Mark IV. Some of the pots were a little scratchy. But being a 20 year old amp it really wiped the floor with my 6505+.
Thanks for those kind words. If you're considering a Roadster or Mark V personally I would check out a Road King Version 2. I have owned all three and today I own the MK V and the RK II. The RK II is the most flexible amp over and above the MK V without question. However, the MK V is lighter, has some great sounds (I like the MK IV emulation) and costs less unless you buy a second user RK II (which I did). I owned a MK IV for well over 15 years and that was one of the best amps of that era. It is strangely enough one of the reasons I bought the Mark V as the RK II does not sound the same as the MK IV. Hope it helps ;-) and thanks for watching.
Thanks for the detailed review, Mr. McKenzie!))) \m/
Any time Andrey and thank you for watching.
greetings from France. old vid but great review and in depth glance. Still one of the best on YT. A dream amp that i've just bought a few days ago, haven't received it yet. can't wait to play it. in the meantime i'm just watching your vid over and over ... :-)
:) The MK V is a great amp for sure. My advice though is to take your time with it, let things settle in and honestly... take notes of the settings you love the best - or you will forget where they are :) There is such a lot available on the amp to pick up, but no doubt it will be worth the effort. Glad you liked the video, but old or not, it will always be pertinent as long as the amp is around - that's how I look at it... Thanks for your kind words and I really appreciate that you gain from the video - it's exactly why I made it. Stay safe.
tonymckenziecom thanks for your reply tony. Well I’m well aware of the potential of the beast ;) I had the chance to try one a few months ago, together with the V25 and V35. So I’m quite used to this particular set up. I was able to dial just the perfect tone for me.
Note to say that I’ve read the manual like 10 times :)
Thanks for your vid, they’re all very instructive and interesting. Keep up the good work and stay heavy 🤘
Thanks for watching - they are nothing without viewers ;-) and stay safe.
I LOVE THIS CHANNEL
A very nice comment... and thank you for that! Stay safe.
man love the shirt very cool. thanks for your time much appreciated and you pronounce Mesa correctly
in New Zealand they cost over 4k
Ouch.
More luck than judgement :) Thanks for watching too.
Hi Tony, I appreciate you showing the Mesa Boogie MKV review on you tube. I recently bught one of these amps only to descover the amp had been supplied with a 7 pin DIN cable. As you rightly pointed out the FX foot switch failed to work. My dealer promptly supplied the correct lead with the 8 pin DIN plug. Super Vids keep them rolling.
+John Macdiarmid Yes it can be very difficult to find the cause if you don't know about that. It got me too :) Thanks for watching.
Fantastically informative and in-depth review. Thanks for taking the time to do these as the majority of us would never get to see 'the guts' of so many amps. Cheers!
Great site, just ran across your vid when looking for Boogie reviews. I would love to own this amp. I currently have a DC-3 combo witch I love. Previous to that had a Hi Watt 100 half stack, getting to old to lug that around. Anyway, your tone and my ear are very compatible, I am 50+ years young, and love the 70's & 80's rock thing. Rock On!!!
Don't worry about age... there is NO ONE who watches you tube that has cracked that one yet ;-) and I know what you mean about the heavy stuff. Thanks for watching.
Greetings Tony, I really enjoy watching your deep and detailed reviews. I have been researching amps and guitars to find the last ones that I will ever buy and have been at it for months. I want to thank you for this review I’m the Boogie Mark V because you convinced me to try one. Well, I bought a Black W/Wicker grill combo. I am in love, what a incredible amp. I also bought a Paul Reed Smith McCarty 594 Wood Library 10 Top Korina/Zircote Flame Burnt Maple Leaf. Thanks again.
Good to know you like them... they are aimed at showing what other guys do not. There are so many amps out there it could certainly be bewildering and they all claim 'to be the best' :)
Ah so you bought one! You won't go far wrong with one of those - very well made indeed. PRS are also nice guitars and I have a few - they are light enough (generally) as I get older and that was a concern for me with guitars. But the quality is there and matched with that MK V that will be a really great setup with lots of incredible tones for sure.
I always like to hear other peoples opinions especially when someone owns the gear because they like me have no incentive to 'make things up' if you get my meaning. That sort of info is priceless so thanks for letting me know about what you bought. Thanks for watching also.
I know this is years late. But damn that’s a well built amp Tony. I’ve been looking at the smaller Mark V amps. I played one. Holy Crap!
It's OK, these videos get watched all the time... I have some from 2011 that are STILL the most watched videos I have! Yes, I create 'inside and out' reviews of amplifiers, because it shows you exactly what the reality is of any particular product, and in the case of an amplifier it shows often (for some gear) exactly what the maker does not want you to see. I have seen and documented some pretty horrible gear re build and quality. The Mesa Boogie MK V and the whole series though are built exceedingly well, that's one reason I buy Mesa amps. The smaller MK V is built similarly and you have no issues with quality on that amp. The price reflects the quality though. My way of thinking on that is buy it once and keep for a very long time! The chances of it 'letting you down' are probably in the < 1/2 percent area or lower, especially if you look after the tubes as you should. Glad you liked this one - I like the amp too and I have yet to see ANY Mesa amp not to be up to this standard. Singular dislike? You can't buy them in multi voltage PT format and changing the voltage is hard for most guys. Thanks for watching.
Best review on TH-cam ! Thx
Thanks for those kind words ;-)
100th Review, congrats. Please keep up the great work. Someone I feel I can trust for the truth.
Great review. I just bought the combo and this was very helpful for understanding the EQ and footswitch. What a great amp! Thanks again
Thanks for watching ;-)
Congrats the your 100th Tony, I always look forward to your next review, lov your work mate!
thank you so much Sir! i watched this because i hate reading Manuals. got the amp and cab 2 weeks ago and never played it yet because I wanted to be sure i understand the switches especially the back panel. 🤣
Ha there IS a lot on many Mesa amps... have a go with a Road King II !!! Thanks for watching and I sincerely hope it helped.
The best amp I've ever owned and I owned a lot. Buy it!
Yes they are pretty cool. I want to try the Petrucci model but a little expensive right now... I guess they will come down as second user some time. Thanks for the comments and for watching.
I picked up a Helix floor, that coupled with the Mark V, I think I'm set for life..lol Great videos, it's great to see what's under the hood before you buy something.
The Helix is probably one of the best floor units out there right now and I assume you watched my review on that.
This is my dream amp and I will get one soon enough. Great overview as always, my friend.
What an outstanding review Tony, and to make the Mesa Boogie Mark V your 100th review was a great choice! I bought one of these bad boys about 5 months ago after trying tons of amps out, this one to me was the best. You can get a Fender type Clean on the Channel 1, a tight Marshall type Crunch on Channel 2, and all out Mesa Boogie glory on Channel 3. I need no other amp. Thanks for taking it apart and showing us the inside of the amp head. Very well done my friend.
Thank you so much for this review! I bought my Mark V combo on Friday and it's incredible!
Now you know what's inside too! So rest assured that these amps are really well made and are of a great and flexible design for sure. I still have mine too :) Thanks for watching.
Yes, thank you. I've been working so much I haven't been able to read the manual. That will be my project for the next 2 days. :)
Ha... that's how I do it.... play first and manual later. Mesa in their wisdom do 'chat' a little in their manuals and I think that's a good thing because of how their sounds and the controls affect each other... and on the Mk V you have to really read that... but do experiment with the amp as the best tones are not necessarily the settings they show.... thanks.
To bad this amp is so expensive in Europe because this one of the best and most versatile amps on the market. Oh! And I am quite curious about the new Engl Invader II which has allot of cool options for changing tone.
They just released a baby MK V - check it out... its still ridiculous on price for what it is, but those greedy distributors are to blame. When you're in the USA the dealers hardly discount a bean too... but of course they are far cheaper over there.
Nicely built! When you see that, you can realize why it's expensive.
Yes I think so too - many of the Mesa amps are like this... in fact it's hard to know one that is not. Thanks for watching Paul.
Bought my first Mesa Mark V amp the 35 watt combo one today! Will be fun to play classic Metallica, Lamb of God, and Dream Theater riffs on it!
Oh I like Mesa amps and have had so many over the years... I'm sure you'll love your amp too :) and thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial it arrived this week and hell yeah it rocks hard! The 2C+ mode is killer for metal and the cleans really nice as well. My new favorite small amp. I went with 35 watt version and will be perfect.
See - I like Mesa too... who knows what the future holds but certainly I want Mesa to stay around without any interference from Gibbo which would IMO be a mistake. Can't get it here in the UK right now really hard to find and soaring prices for used. Hang on to it! Thanks...
My Dream Amp ❤️❤️
They are VERY good... but do take a little time to get used to... thanks for watching.
Man, never heard something like that! Your sound is amazing! if you try vintage tubes, like Siemens Halske, Telefunken ribbed plates or Amperex bugle boy for the input (60's), and vintage 60's Mullards Xf2 (Blackburn) or Phillips/Miniwatt EL34 Holland (Sittard) you'll see how this jewel can sound times better.
Thanks guy for this incredible performance and enjoying time!
My name is Luiz, And I'm a retired electronic engineer that works with tube devices, for high end and music, like this amp that you showed.
Thanks one more time!
Thanks Luiz and thanks for watching. Those comments from someone like yourself are great. Thank You.
I gotta tell you. I’ve played the Mark VII and I believe I’m just gonna end up getting a V. It just has more usable sounds to me.
Well thanks for that - I was also considering a VII but at the price.... and MK V cheaper used... thanks for the info and for watching.
I've played this head a few times at local stores and it is a AWESOME amplifier. It sounds great but in reality a bit to expensive for me to justify it. Mainly because I love Orange amps and other heads like Marshall.
The wiring looks great as well! Right up there with some of the best. Though I would say stuff like Matchless are slightly better done but that's just my ways and preferring hand wired stuff.
Was a great review Tony! I'm off to UPS now to pickup my guitar haha, Cheers mate!
Hay , Right on Tony , very decient reveiw. muchly enjoyed! Thx. for developing this .opened my eyes some. cheers!!
Thanks for watching this Barry... it was a while ago but I still have the amp...
Great review Tony. I have a Mark V myself. Owned it for a couple of years now and had a road king 2 before that. I found the road king too heavy when transporting it to gigs compared to the mark v. I just use the Mark v with a 1x12 boogie cab and my tc g sys and it sounds awesome. Never been happier with my sounds. Your right about the modeller's out there they don't sound the same and I'd rather have a real amp any day.
Love the review. Love the build quality. I want one!
joeherrjr But did you get one :)
Don't you think that amp is a little bit too complex ? They want offer so many things it costs an arm but PCB's are so full I see some cheap components inside. The blue electrolytic capacitors for example.
You're too cool Tony! great review of a fantastic amp
Sir, I absolutely love the chassis shots, the "inside the amp" review. I've always been a stickler for this kind of detail; it matters to me how it's built. MESA amps with this much bling are a decorative mess, not for me. But still, it's engineered so well it must be appreciated for what it is. The sound is stellar. Randall Smith knows his craft.
Yes I think the importance of the design and the overall quality are honestly as important as the tones really. The Mk V does have loads of controls and it does take a bit of getting the tone dialled in for sure. The singular thing was that the MK IV (tones that they say are in there) is really hard to find IMO. I owned a MK IV for years and can't find it in there. Thanks for watching.
Great tone. Thanks for the video!!!
Thanks for watching this. I made it a while back but its just as relevant today as it was at the time.
32:13 but in regards to that hopefully everyone read their manual because it says that if you run the amp with EL34's you ONLY run it in variac mode.
Good point and thanks for posting that.... and for watching too!
Nice review! Maybe you would like to make one for the most popular Mesa Boogie, the Mark V 25?
I just don't have one to review or I would. Thanks for watching.
Hi Tony! Thank you for the reply! TH-cam is not letting reply directly sadly so I hope this reaches you properly. Well I'm not using the amp at all now. It's just sounding too bad. I've tried variac mode and it just does the same thing. I have not tried swapping the tubes about however. As you suggested I'm just going to shelve it until I have the cash needed to send her away to be properly assessed and re valved. I just pray I didn't do too much or any damage to the rest of it whilst I used it those few times live whilst it was poorly.
OK. But you could change the two outer ones for the two inner ones, Run ONLY in the variac (power down switch down) just to check it. Obviously if its still there then turn it off immediately. If it is there it IS likely the amp :-( Best of Luck my friend....
Excellent video! Question - with hindsight, are there amps that accomplish similar tones with less knobs & finesse?
It sounds great but I can imagine it gets tedious to dial it in every time you introduce a new variable.
Well, the thing is, that the MK V (and probably MK VII) is extremely flexible, but the getting to grips with it initially at least was not that easy. I came originally from using the older amps (like Marshall, Laney etc. being here in the UK) but I have always liked Mesa Boogie amps. I used MK III, MK IV and this MK V, as well as dual and triple rectifiers, Triaxis and 2:90 rig and other Mesa amps. They each have their good points and sometimes less good points and some of the amps are great for a particular style (like the Triaxis and the Rectifier amps) but then not so good at some other style of music. I have not tried the latest amps from Mesa as they are not available in the UK currently. Hopefully that will change. I have many Marshall amps and also a Mezzabarba (which is probably one of the best amps out there) but that amp today is very expensive (but also flexible too.) On the MK V once you know it, and it sinks in a little it is not too bad. The Mezzabarba video is here: th-cam.com/video/C4WLh0vYaIs/w-d-xo.html a long video, but if you watch it all you might appreciate that amp also. Easier to use! :) Thanks for watching...
Great review Tony! Nice playn!!!!
Watched this vid several times since you put it up and finally got one :)! I got a USA version so I’ll convert it in the future. For now a step down transformer will do just fine. Thanks for your great videos! Cheers from Amsterdam.
Yes a very good amp is the Mark V... and the dropper will be fine, just make sure its a high output one won't you! Thanks for watching this and I trust the amp is as good as I said! Thanks.
tonymckenziecom Yes, it’s a high output one. The amp is fantastic, I love it. It’s such a joy to play!
@@TestChannel1978 Ha... reminds me of Crocodile Dundee and that guy 'pulls a knife' and says 'I have a knife'... the Crock pulls out this huge knife and says... 'no, THIS is a knife' :)
There are many amps with higher gain than the MK V for sure, but its a 'refined' quality gain that can sound really great... Thanks.
tonymckenziecom hahaha, loved that movie as a kid. Must have seen it dozens of times.
There is something about the mark series that I just love. Also I wanted a Metallica type sound sinds I was a teenager. The Mark growl is just fantastic I think.
@@TestChannel1978 Indeed it is! Metallica huh…. hmmm Triaxis and 2:90 all connected up - that's what I used to have many years ago. But also I had a MK IV and one of the reasons why I bought the MK V at the time. In any case I like Mesa gear and want to try out the newer stuff too.
I had the chance to play a Mesa Boogie Mark V this weekend and it is a fantastic amp! I think that this amp and a JCM 800 would be perfect together for the classic Mesa/Marshall stack of tones.
It is a great amp for sure, it can be harder to find your own tone but once you get there.... its all good :) Thanks for watching.
Great tone, man. Thanks for the video!!
Glad you liked it :) and thanks for watching...
Great video, I love the way you cover things (especially on your website). Then again, I'm not known for having a short attention span.
Regarding Mesa pricing in the States: authorized dealers are forbidden from selling Mesa products at a discount. Violating that rule is said to invoke the ire of our good Mr. Smith.
Your reviews are always pretty awesome.
I have a suggestion however. If there's a feature you don't know about or don't understand, don't just glaze over it and move on because you "don't like the sound of it" or "don't know what it does" anyway. It doesn't help the watcher trying to learn as much as possible about the product.
Love the stuff however sir, thank you for making these!
I understand your suggestion of course and thanks for that. The problem is, I don't know everything and never will. For example the Mark V took me two weeks to make and get on to TH-cam (not to mention the hours of website work). The problem is of course I can't go back and 'do it again' later when I have researched even more than I typically do. It's a fair enough point and I don't mind this sort of criticism (although its not really criticism but more of an observation I think) but if I was to learn every single point of every product it's likely you would never see any more videos - the time factor alone could become so invasive on my life that I honestly would not bother.
BTW just as a point the 'Helix' review I did I could not have ever covered everything as it is today on the Helix because at the review time there were things that did not even work or were not released in a workable version - the desktop editor was just one example. But that review took me literally many weeks of time. The result is 1 hour and 37 minutes of as many facts and operational information as I could ever display in any video about any product and it is probably a more in depth review than any other on the internet ever about the Helix... including those of Line6 themselves.
I guess that even on this Mark V review that you cannot show me a single competing review that shows what I did (inside and out) but might (with luck) show a very few things that I did not (or glazed over). That really is the difference between what I do for a review and what (either) the twiddlers or sales videos don't ever show you. I'm not perfect. :) But I'm pretty confident there's only one reviewer like me good or bad depending on the viewers subjectivity. Thanks fore watching - appreciated.
.. great review as always Tony. Thanks.
great video, I always find something that gives marshall a real run for its money but I just seem to hold my jcm 2000 so close to my heart. Maybe one day when I'm not a student Ill just plop a nice mark V on top of that head and be happy with both.
I like this overdrive sound better than the Electro Dyne
The MK V is a very good and very flexible and capable amp. Sad they cost so much these days :( Electradyne is not really very similar IMO. I have owned and reviewed both... check it here: th-cam.com/video/WoxSb6Mvg8g/w-d-xo.htmlsi=9H7yYzQmUhs07SnP and thanks for watching.
Great video Tony,Mesa makes a fine amp,expensive but worth it.👍
Thanks. Very expensive in the UK... cheaper over the pond. But as you say they are very good amplifiers and I have a few different ones, but have owned many. Thanks for watching.
My dream amp.Thank you for the video.
Awesome review... it really makes me want to get it... thanks for sharing ...
Thank you. The review IS designed to show you what those other 'reviewers' (for want of a better word) don't show you. Glad you liked it. I like it too ;-)
I have wanted a Mark V for a while but there are too many reliability reports, I believe? To top it off, a friend of mine bought one new last year and it started to sizzle and smoke recently when playing. Maybe these are rare cases.
I ordered one. Should be here on Monday! I figured I might as well spring a little extra for the Bubinga wood cabinet...
Awesome... I would hate to think of the cost here in the UK... good for you though ;-)
nice review tony!
Great review! Thanks for posting!!
Cool vid Tony.Its a bit of a job getting the chassis out to change tubes.Any tips or even a quick vid?
Turn the amp upside down (on its head) and then its easier. There is no real easy way to do it LOL. Even I had trouble... and don't forget to retighten that strengthening bar under the transformer when you put it all back! BTW you don't need to remove the chassis to change the tubes? (at least not the Power Tubes)...
Thanks for the review!!! Great job!!!
Why in the world is Mesa using carbon comp grid screens? What, so when a power tube fails and the CC coats the amp with carbon and possibly damages traces you'll be forced to send it to them for a replacement board?
+MuscleDad420 Ouch... but no use asking me why they did that... and I guess they would not comment. That's how some people or companies are. Great point and I appreciate your comments. Interesting and useful. Thanks for that input and for watching. Check out some of those other amps I have reviewed as I always show the boards.
Dude you are the coolest
+Luc Gaudet Thanks. and thanks for watching.
Tony, I guess the word "Kit" is an across the pond term huh? LOL I have never looked deep inside my amps and after looking at your vids I want to. I have heard the dangers of poking around the inside. How long after you unplug the amp does it carry a charge? Let's say you haven't played it in a fews days but it was still plugged into the wall socket? Thanks love the vids :-)
Aww Tony, when you were demonstrating the "edge" switch I was just waiting for a U2 joke, but it never came.... boo hoo.... hehe great review though, even if I'm extremely unlikely to ever afford one! cheers, Chris.
Hi. Great video and very informative. I have Mark V and just order Dual Rectifier. Wanted to get your thoughts on stacking them on top of each other to see if you think that would be safe due to heating,etc. Appreciate your input on this. Thanks!
I think you'll be fine doing that :) I stack amps here in the studio all the time.... thanks and stay safe.
I love my Mark V and I cannot imagine anyone wanting to make theirs louder.
Depends which version ;-) Thanks...
I really dug your guitar playing!
Thanks its good to know someone other than me likes it :-).
I really enjoy how you are taking your time to give these types of reviews, and this is why I would like to ask you this ? I have been thinking about buying a new amp but, nowhere to demo around here, I will have to order online., Sure could use some help on this, I play a lot of the 80's hair metal example, Whitesnake to todays Country without having to use a extra gain pedal. Mesa Mark V or Marshall JVM. Thanks for any help.......
I think either will do it... but if you buy a JVM make sure its a JVM410HJS the satch version as it outshines the older one by a great deal. Thanks for those kind words BTW.
Boogie always amazes with their ability to do a complicated layout. Have had my V for 10 years without a major hiccup so far. I did have to change out v1 due to some mild background static but that was it. I imagine the extra shielding is due to it’s placement right next to the transformer?
I have experienced the sort of crackle static on the pre-amp tubes and on other amps too. I cleaned the sockets and it solved it usually. I like Mesa stuff... they are built generally like a tank and sound great to me. I hope Mesa is not lead astray from the recent Gibson buyout though. Stay safe and thanks for watching.
Good video as usual.. Have you tried the Mark V combo? just wondering what the sound differences were between a combo and the head + cab option.
Tony...dude you gotta watch your playback on this, great playing man...but what the heck is going on with the tempo and pitch of the music ? I know it’s not just me hearing that.
Scarily... made in 2013 :) Who knows what is and is not on an 8 year old video - I don't remember it much and it could have been anything... or indeed even YT. Thanks for watching though and stay safe!
I had the opportunity to play a Mark IIc+ (fully featured simulclass + EQ and refurbished by Mesa) and those blow the Mark V (I played ia V at a Music store a small one that specializes in high end amps) The II's range of tones is not that great but what it does does it really well. At the faux class A setting (I say say Faux because the amp purist have proven that the Simulclass does not really do true Class A) is so sweet sounding. I haven't heard an amp, incl the Lonestar special as good.
I played guitar for a couple years (it was elementary school "play this flute sheet music" BS) then switched to drums. I was looking to get back into the guitar scene. I have a cheap little amp and 3/4 guitar from those years ago (junior in high school now) and if I start getting decent I hope to pick one of these up, although I might be biased in the tone/brand I'm looking for having listened to mostly Dream Theater these past six years.
Awesome review man! The Mark V is definitely one of my favorite amplifiers! By the way, have you ever tried an Axe Fx II? I don't know about you, but the Mark V tone matching is spot on as far as im concerned. Even after A/Bing I couldn't tell a difference.
Ho Ho Ho.... I'm not sure if you are serious about your comments re that unit with the dodgy welding, but hey, emulations are not the same as a real tube amp. The nearest I know of is the Kemper... and even that is not the same to my ears as this amp. Its not just the tone of emulators you need to consider - time spent twiddling knobs can be extensive on most emulators. I have tried almost all of the top emulators/simulators and what have you and they have either been sold or are gathering some age from dust and rarely used now. The Mark V (or for that matter most tube amps) sounds out weigh the simulators or emulators in every way except portability. And for me that does not matter. I do think that actually there are some tones that are good, but for anyone who has played tube amps for a long time, often the emulator or simulator is relegated to effects only and the 'preamp' is dumped in to the background. Petrucci uses Mark V for a very good reason and fills out the effects with simulators, leaving the preamp off. Another issue (with them all except the Multiamp) is the complexity as that increases over time and none of the manufacturers quite 'get it' re the increased complexity to change something that is a simple knob turn on a real amp. The Axe is aggro from the outset and the Kemper has been laden more and more with additions so that it loads slower (on boot) and there's not yet any way of editing or managing the massive amount of tones which is a pity because of all the emulators it has the nearest of any of those type of units to the amp it emulates. So, get a Mark V, plug in, turn on and without any faffing about get one of the best tones available. And I have never had a Mesa amp let me down once since my first Mark III a very long time ago. I do suspect some might think that I'm one of those 'tube snobs' but of course they would be very wrong about that. I do have an open mind about most gear and even emulators/simulators excite me when I buy one (maybe its all the hype that surrounds them) but frankly, I have learned the expensive way (buy one!) and found out that every unit in that genre is still a work in progress in one way or another. There are very few tube amps that I regret the purchase of and the Mark V is certainly one of my favourite amps especially in that MK IV mode. This little note is not intended to offend you BTW but to offer some of the experiences that I have personally had (and paid for) with emulators that then later cost me money when I have sold them or allowed the dust to gather for a while ;-). The simple choice is something like a Mark V (you know its pedigree) OR something you will spend a long time working on to understand and maybe has questionable quality, origin or even reliability issues. I wanted the Mark V for some time as here in the UK they are expensive, but eventually got this one second user. Thanks for watching.
Well, I guess it's debatable why Petrucci decided to stick with the Mark V instead of going all in the with Axe Fx. I'm sure nostalgia associated with his favorite boogies and endorsement has a lot to do with it. But like I said, it's debatable. As far as getting the dynamic changes of a knob turn down, I completely agree that none of these units even come close to simulating that. However, when it comes to nailing a static tone on record, I think the majority of the public won't be able to discern the two in a blindfolded A/B test (also debatable I know haha). I guess when we're talking about speakers being driven and it's responsiveness with the air, that's something that has yet to be properly emulated. But even without having owned either of the two pieces of gear, one can listen to sound clips produced by owners of both A/Bing them. Keith Merrow has one using the Kemper and the two clips sounded identical. If you haven't seen it already, I think it'd be good to check out. Thanks for your response!
Nafis Rahman You are right... the typical listener (non musician) frankly will not know the difference (indeed as they often don't on which tube amp you use either) so audiences are often oblivious to the gear I think. But the musician can be inspired greatly by what he is using, whether a specific guitar, amp or whatever - at least I know that when I play I can tell immediately when it works and does not - and the gear does somehow bring out inspiration - later when you check what you did it becomes obvious. Yes I did see Keith Merrow and that clip. There is a place for emulators there is no doubt of that at all, they just need to be a little more user friendly and not have various issues of operation. I'm sure they will get there sometime. You had some interesting points BTW and it's great to hear them. Thanks for your contributions as I' sure that other guys will be interested in your views and comments ;-)
Bro..nice review. If tou like this amp, you will love thd Fryette SigX!!!!
I'll have to check one out... not too common over here but we shall see. Thanks for watching.
I love your jokes. Great video. We get the other end of the trade stuff also. A JVM is a really expensive amp over here. All marshall stuff is much more affordable there.
I have an american version (120 V) and my power transformer is a LOT bigger than that...wonder why that is? Any idea why?
The USA transformer is diferent than the UK one! Literally... also by part number. Good point and thanks for watching.
great review
Nice review
I have a mark IV combo myself
I also owned a MK IV combo for many years. That amp is a really special amp and when set right it can sound incredible. The chips for the pedals fail (I had two that did) but are replaceable. But a great amp and easily underestimated. Stay safe.
Hi Tony, nice review. Thank you for posting this. When you say "inside and out" did you open this baby up and check out the layout? I'm curious, because it's enough of a chore trying to change some of the preamp tubes on this head, nevermind pull the whole thing out. I'm actually wondering if removing the top four screws would allow me to slide out the chassis and make some preamp tube changes easier.
Ha I sure did mean 'removing the chassis and taking a look' which I do on all my amplifier reviews and most other stuff too. It tends to show things that manufacturers don't always want to show :) but also shows great work when its there.
Removing the chassis comprises of those screws but also a nu/bolt arrangement under the PT that holds the chassis from being under strain of the high weight in that area. There are also a couple of other things like the power cable screw etc. but apart from that its not too bad. I don't recommend it unless you have a real reason as it can be dangerous in there if you used the amp recently etc. This video DOES show the inside here: th-cam.com/video/hPw_lJhWuZg/w-d-xo.htmlm42s and they are pretty nice inside - really well made... thanks for watching.
Hi thanks for videos i baught a exellemt conditiin one from guitar center it sais 90w watt middle size tubes does that matter
No you should be fine :) enjoy - good amps but spend time on those settings! and stay safe.
Very nice playing! Great sounding amp. What backing track are you using for the demo part?
Jack Thamarat (Jamtrackcentral)
Is the reverb spring or digital?
Its a long spring device... Thanks for watching.
I use a RJM mini-amp gizmo for the MIDI switching on this. Works like a charm.
I have heard some good reports about the RJM mini-amp gizmo. Maybe I'll get to check one out and if I do I'll put it up on here. But it's a pity Mesa lag behind in this technology really.
I agree that for the cost of the Mark V amp it should have MIDI capabilities. RJM makes a nice collection of products that accomodate this and they are really easy to use. Mesa Boogies us a prioprietary cable for their foot switches. The RJM Mini Amp Gizmo comes with cable fitted specificially for a Mesa Boogie (or any other amp that you reuqest). I use the Mini Amp Gizmo alongside my Midi foot controller. I simply go to a present that I want on my foot controller (it controls my TC Electronics G-Force). I then manually choose the amp channel that I want on my Mark V. I then simply hold down the "Write" button on the Mini Amp Gizmo and it memorizes that amp channel for the specific Midi present I was on. Just mindless so effective.
P.S. love your reviews!
Rob Kaz Interesting stuff Rob and thanks for sharing that... I'll maybe check one out, but it might be a few months or so. Glad you like the reviews too ;-)
It says on the tube replacement board inside: "To maintain warranty use mesa boogie tubes when replacement is necessary". If you really lose your warranty when fitting it with other tubes then that's NOT so great...
+hyperliteBo I would completely agree however, what I think they mean is that if you use a third party tube that damages the amp (and trust me they can) then they would decline warranty in that circumstance. I agree its a bit harsh. But they only warrant their tubes for 90 days (I think) so I guess when the amp fails with their tubes in there would they reject the amp on warranty too? I suspect the wording in reality is to get you to buy their tubes, and indeed if a tube fails at say 6 months and takes out the board then with either tube I reckon they might decline warranty anyway, citing a tube failure as the cause of the damage. I am not Mesa Boogie, so for the real answer you should contact their service department for advice. If you do, then do let me know what they say, it is an interesting question. Thanks.
Which they'd never be able to prove, especially if you outfit it with the original Mesa tubes when you return it to them. :)
of course :)
Great review , but have you ever used a good amp?
Of course LOL... but which one of the 70 or so I've used do you mean LOL.
***** Well you say this is a good amp , so ?? Ive never heard a good boogie amp ...
Bassman 1964 , AC30 and 15, Matchless , 18 watt Marshall, JTM45, Park 45 , Laney Klipp , Dr z's
they are all great amps you cannot mention Mesa amps on the same day , they are not even close tone wise and lets face it thats what we want amps for ?, as Santana told Mesa , the more knobs and switches you put on these the worse they sound ! ...
JendrixHimi Some of the amps you mentioned were a dog when made back in the day and still are. Nothings changed... The Laney Klipp is a good example. Think of it this way, your comments are subjective, maybe you have all those amps? That's a good reason to put forward your point for sure. But my comments are also subjective, and while this amp or that amp is 'better' or 'worse' both views are as valid. If you don't like Mesa that's OK - there are some Mesa amps I don't like too. But this is not one of them simply because it's got plenty of great tones (ask Petrucci) and unlike some of the amps you mention the sounds are there even when turned down. I also remember the 'Park' amp distinctly when it was out there to buy originally... if you had one it was like owning a 'cheap' Marshall (which in fact it was) but make no mistake it sounded different than the Marshall amps and still does unless it's been hacked a little. I also remember well the Marshall Plexi stuff, and when it's on top of 2x 4x12 it is extremely loud. Great in the day (ask Jimi ;-) ) for sure, but today, unless you're going to play stadiums every day (most people don't) OR you're going to devalue the tone a little with pedals (even Jimi did that) or a output reducer that could/will do the amp no good then where are you going to play it. One of the main reasons I no longer have one.
Santana has played many Mesa amps. Ask Metallica what they would do without Mesa? the truth is, I can list as many successful guys/bands as you that DO use Mesa stuff. BTW I HATE Mesa re their extortionate pricing over in the UK so don't think I'm a fanatic of Mesa and don't rate anything else... that would be plain wrong. Like I said, your points are as valid as mine, but I tend to have an open mind until I have owned equipment for a while really... so the question then becomes... How many Mesa amps have you owned that you base our comments on?
Thanks for the input as it's always good to get other points of view... and I think that makes the channel better for it. Oh and thanks for watching...
JendrixHimi Hah I don't agree with all of that. ALL Tone is subjective to the listener, what's good for one guy, the next guy might just hate. And that goes for amps too. That's always been the case and 'I should know better' is also rather subjective and presumptuous bearing in mind the 26000 other viewers of this video. Most viewers liked it (and that's not subjective, it's a fact!) with just 14 dislikes of people that did like or dislike the amp. If you have a very 'closed' view of equipment it's likely that your equipment will remain back in the 60's. Now that's not a bad thing in many ways (I have a JTM myself), but it depends on what you do/play regarding style. For example, if you play Jimi Hendrix and nothing else, then get the plexi stuff and either limit the volume or play stadiums... but there was only one Jimi for sure so you might have trouble with that. Don't use it in your bedroom or you WILL be thrown out LOL.
The Park amp was not the same as the Marshall in those days, it even sounded different and you certainly were 'looked down on' by guitarists with Marshall amps as indeed I was so I sold it and bought the 'real deal'.
If you need loads of different tones from one amp while playing live (most people do these days) then the plexi will not easily do that - there are simply not enough features in the design.
All of the Mesa amps I have ever reviewed have real transformers in there for sure. BTW my age in my head is about 25 to 30 and that's the only way to be when you review gear... I really don't fixate on one brand... that's why I have about 15 different brands of amps and am not stuck with one or two in the way that I could be if I stuck with 'vintage' gear. That does not mean to say vintage is bad gear, it says something else... like the music from 40 years ago required a different amp than the music of today for the most part.
You will know there are no loops, midi, extra channels, I could go on about the limiting factors of the (for example) Park... or indeed the Marshall amps of that era... and indeed on a 45 year old amp the reliability, which weighs a very big factor when you're out on the road every night or substantially out there playing.
To suggest that I don't know 'tone' is somewhat subjective LOL... maybe I don't know your tone... but bearing in mind you commented on my age as being similar to yours, I guess I have seen as much as you have on those old amps and if you're outside of the UK I suspect I've seen more of those classic amps than you.
I spent this time replying from my vacation, because your comments are a great example of someone who loves those old tones. There's nothing wrong with that, I like them too... but today, other than using those amps in the studio for very specific stuff, I would not personally bother. Check out a Kemper amp that will 'copy' that tone nigh on exactly if it's just tone you feel is the all encompassing answer. The truth is, most of the audience listening you your music (as is the case with us all) is that they won't know the difference and frankly they don't care either. If your mind is 'closed' to new technology then you ARE missing out a little and what that equipment could offer you.
Remember this, the Mesa equipment (the same as all of the equipment I either own or have reviewed) has it's own tone signature too. That's OK if you don't like it, but music sales have dictated that the Mesa gear IS actually a tone people like. As I have said throughout its all subjective.
I don't think we will ever agree on the Laney Klipp being a top of the line amp (even if vintage is what you want in tone). That amp was at the time quite unreliable and while it had the 'Klipp' feature that did not offset the other issues. If you like it, good for you, but I would prefer to use gear that is different to that era from Laney.
With musicians like John Petrucci still using the Mark V Mesa head clearly that amp is a professional piece of equipment used by todays pro's and frankly you don't get much better than guys like John. You might not like John Petrucci either.. that's OK too - I'm no fanatic over Dream Theatre's music for sure, but I know talent and great playing when I see it.
I play guitar today because of two guys... Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana (ala Santana III). It's interesting to note that Jimi used the Plexi's (as well as Sun and other brand amps) and that Carlos used the Mesa amps. So maybe, if you really do like real tone, then go and buy Santana III (or either of the first two Santana albums) and listen to those tones because they are absolutely as vintage as any other products you mention... and in reality, the Mesa amp as used by Carlos was based on a design much older than Marshall (basically a Fender amp). Remember Marshall early amps were also based on original Fender designs. I notice you never mentioned Fender once, but there is absolutely no doubt that they are also really great vintage amps that create excellent vintage tones.
In any case, you did enter what is a good comment on this video and I'm grateful for that, as indeed other views (that are not rude or nasty) are always nice to hear and I have really enjoyed thinking back to those yesteryear amps and what my original perception was all those years ago. I don't use them much now, but I do know exactly what you are saying. It's just that I am less fixated on one era of amps as my playing needs more.
Thanks again for the input.
I Must say you Sir make a great video! About the VARIAC tone drop. I wonder if it has to do with your Transformer swap? Also I have spoke with Mike B. [Father of the IIC+] at MESA He out right told me the IIC+ can't be recreated because the parts can no longer be found. Thats why they stopped production. The parts where old Soviet cold war surplus, When they got hard to find they did a a mass parts buy out and when they where gone they where gone. They can get close but never quite dead on.
love this vid! great and thanks :)
Great to know you liked this one - I liked making it too... and thanks for watching.
Check that you don't have the wrong cable for the footswitch...
Awesome Tony, many thanks for the deep review of this beast. Do you still have it in your possession?
I'm thinking about buying an USA version for "cheap", but I'm thinking about the export conversion transformer. The schematics for the Mark V does not say anything about the components like MOV for the export market, only domestic. If you still have the amp, could you please check them values please? :)
+Fraspe Yes I still have the amp. I also like the look of the Petrucci Mark V version but not the price :(
The MOV are usually 270v and there are a couple of capacitors that you will need (those are shown if I remember correctly... and probably you will also need an inrush thingy... :) as they had on the Royal Atlantic I showed on my channel. In any case most of the stuff is 'similar' to the road king conversion I did on camera a while back which is on my channel. if you go to my website and contact me that way then I can talk better than on here... just tell me I asked you and confirm that its a Mark V PT... then I'll email you. its a swine to get the chassis out of the Mark V but I think we can get the answer easier than that. I have a friend or two to ask :)
Thank you Sir for the Info....
I can see them in the video but not the type/value. It looks like there are 3 capacitors and the MOV. I've contacted you through your website. Cheers!