Mesa Boogie Mark VII and Fractal FM9

[Stratzrus]

I'm seriously considering getting a Mk VII and pairing it with a FM9 to be used with Jazz, Funk, and Hardcore*.

I've seen a lot of positive responses to the Mk VII and know the FM9 well.

Cons are reports of MIDI glitches between the two and noise in the 4CM.

*


Any thoughts or personal experience?

 

[JiveTurkey]

I am the only one reporting midi glitches. It's a me thing. I also would not take my noise report as gospel for what you are going to get.

If you learn only one thing in your forum time around me...it's that I am not the benchmark for any of this.

 

[Whizzinby]

JT configuring midi on the Mark VII

 

[Stratzrus]

I am the only one reporting midi glitches. It's a me thing. I also would not take my noise report as gospel for what you are going to get.

If you learn only one thing in your forum time around me...it's that I am not the benchmark for any of this.

Thanks for the clarification.

I've always said that the only way to know if a piece of gear is right for you is to get it in your own hands and use it with your own rig. I've commented on posts by people who read one complaint about something and then say "That's it, I'm out."

My real hesitancy about getting a Mk. VII is due to the price but I keep thinking about it and when that happens I usually end up getting the thing I can't get out of my head.

I've actually done gigs with a Cube 60 and I'm thinking "How much better would the VII be in a similar sized combo?" Night and Day.

Plus I could use the VII for everything else I play, not just Jazz gigs.

So yeah, I'm slowly talking myself into getting a Mark VII combo and keeping the St. James for when I don't want to lift it. I like my TC-50 but think I'll like the VII a lot more and if so I could sell the TC to help offset the cost.

Thanks for putting up with my string of questions about it, greatly appreciated.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Thanks for the clarification.

I've always said that the only way to know if a piece of gear is right for you is to get it in your own hands and use it with your own rig. I've commented on posts by people who read one complaint about something and then say "That's it, I'm out."

My real hesitancy about getting a Mk. VII is due to the price but I keep thinking about it and when that happens I usually end up getting the thing I can't get out of my head.

I've actually done gigs with a Cube 60 and I'm thinking "How much better would the VII be in a similar sized combo?" Night and Day.

Plus I could use the VII for everything else I play, not just Jazz gigs.

So yeah, I'm slowly talking myself into getting a Mark VII combo and keeping the St. James for when I don't want to lift it. I like my TC-50 but think I'll like the VII a lot more and if so I could sell the TC to help offset the cost.

Thanks for putting up with my string of questions about it, greatly appreciated.

No putting up necessary. I just come with a specific set of WTFs that you are probably not going to encounter in your own "adventures"

 

[jellodog]

JT configuring midi on the Mark VII

Appreciate the clarificaton Whizz. I thought it was a Carr amp build.

/jk I super love the work of Steve Carr, BTW.

 

[Orvillain]

I just come with a specific set of WTFs

WTT - What the turkey!?!

 

[la szum]

Can literally get 2 Mark Vs for the price of one MKVII.... and you won't have MIDI, but will have a
more well-rounded and versatile Clean Channel, choice of Tube Rectification or Solid State, and
the possibility that I will STFU about the MKV.

 

[Stratzrus]

Can literally get 2 Mark Vs for the price of one MKVII.... and you won't have MIDI, but will have a
more well-rounded and versatile Clean Channel, choice of Tube Rectification or Solid State, and
the possibility that I will STFU about the MKV.

If you get a Mark VII combo from Zzounds on the payment plan it costs around $4K otherwise with tax it's still pretty close to that.

I've been looking at the used prices on Reverb and figured I could save around $500 if I get a VII used in mint condition from a dealer with warranty. But $3,500 is still a tidy sum.

The Mark V is so much less because it's been out for a while and there are a lot more of them in the used market so I'm thinking if I take some GAS-X and wait for a while I should eventually be able to get one around $3K which is still a lot but not as much of a big pill to swallow.

I was on the wait list for a FM3 for around a year so hopefully around this time next year the VII will be selling for a lot less. I'd love to get one now but I just can't get past the $4K sticker price.

 

[Orvillain]

I will STFU about the MKV.

I call that, utter "chunder sheets"

 

[la szum]

Someone needs to wave the MKV flag around here. If not me, then who? If not now, then when?

 

[JiveTurkey]

Someone needs to wave the MKV flag around here. If not me, then who? If not now, then when?

Thing is; ANY Mark would have me at the exact same place. Killer toans but also

 

[AFKAEjay]

I've always said that the only way to know if a piece of gear is right for you is to get it in your own hands and use it with your own back.

Corrected that for you

Im gonna put in some counterweight if you’ll allow me

Its obviously a sexy amp…and you’d be buying it to make use of its channels (I assume)
That means building your sounds around those. The downside of that, is that when you decide to travel light…you are playing a whole different setup. Personally I wouldn’t want that…#levels a mess. #presetstress #didnt sound like this at home.

If you must buy an amp…why not something you always take with you..so small/light…to which you add the st James when you need more noise?
mark5 25 combo? hook wizard?
sizable rig with always the same core…stereo…

 

[Orvillain]

Im gonna put in some counterweight

 

[Stratzrus]

...when you decide to travel light…you are playing a whole different setup. Personally I wouldn’t want that…#levels a mess. #presetstress #didnt sound like this at home.

If you must buy an amp…why not something you always take with you..so small/light…to which you add the st James when you need more noise?

Truth be told, I don't know how much gigging I'll be doing in the future.

Most of my time playing with the VII will be at home or jamming with friends. I'd have to see some noticeable improvement in clean tone over the St. James (24 lbs) or my George Benson Hot Rod Deluxe (38 lbs with Neo speaker) to carry the VII combo to gigs at 58 lbs (or 52 lbs if I put a Neo in it).

Regarding the different setup, I plan to have two different sets of presets in the FM9, one for each amp so hopefully that won't be as much of an issue as it could be.

If it sounds good enough at concert volume I could see gigging with the St. James combo, particularly in smaller venues. One of the main rationales for buying a Mark VII would be to have a 90 watt 1x12 combo, something I don't have now, for times when a smaller footprint than a 2x12 is warranted but clean headroom is essential for Jazz concerts in larger venues without sound reinforcement.

MIDI connectivity and the gain channels would also be a major plus. I love my Fryette gain tones but always wanted a Mesa alternative available so I could choose whichever I was in the mood for.

But I agree. The weight is a factor and carrying a Mark VII combo up a long flight of stairs is no small consideration for a senior citizen with a bad back, bad knees, and who's had multiple hernia operations due to picking up stuff that was way too heavy.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Jammed through the VII for a long bit today. Treated it like I treat the BL; single channel amp, boost as desired. MUCH better for my mindset. I spent tweak time trying out different mic/cab combinations in the Stomp and was getting some great results.