Mesa Mark V Head: Excellent Shape $1,800 !?!?!?

[paisleywookiee]

Tonestacks are ubiquitous on every guitar amp, but post-EQs are not. Could
just as easily say stick a 5 Band EQ in the loop of any amp and there's your add-on
GEQ.

I do think the GEQ is brilliant... and iconic. I use it. I am just saying that a lot
of people with Mark experience never even try to get a tone from the tonestack
and develop an over-reliance on the GEQ, by fiddle-fucking with the broad sweeps
you get with micro-movements from the sliders. Can sink as easily as swim with that,
especially when playing with others and trying to get the mids to sit just right and
not be too in your face, or too scooped and empty.

Just like encouraging people to try things that not a lot ever think to do.

I agree that there are tones in a Mark amp with the GEQ that you can't get with the GEQ
disengaged, just as there are tones with the GEQ disengaged that you can't get with it engaged.
For example, my experience is British/Crunch tones are more easily achieved with it off, and just
using the tonestack.

Nice to see you back around.

Right, that’s why I said there’s not really a wrong way to use an amp, just personal preference. And there is obviously a legendary attachment to the GEQ for Marks. For the record, I hate how most people set the GEQ anyway

This is how I dialed one in today:

EDIT

I’ll take your recommendation. Ive already done all I need to do today photography-wise, so I’ll see about getting some gainy tones sans GEQ. It’s been awhile since I’ve tried it.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Hmmm, I'll set my GEQ however I want, and not worry about what anyone thinks. How bout that?

 

[mbenigni]

I was just thinking about this guy. “And another thing, Vonnegut… you don’t know shit about you.”

 

[spawnofthesith]

Played my first gig with the mark V today and I felt like it was the best live tone I’ve ever head. I was using a generous V shape

 

[la szum]

Hmmm, I'll set my GEQ however I want, and not worry about what anyone thinks. How bout that?

Haha! Show me on the GEQ doll where I inappropriately touched your EQ.



Or anyone else's for that matter.

Gonna stay to myself and not like legato or overly scooped mids for the rest of the night.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Now I kinda want a Mark again.

 

[la szum]

Played my first gig with the mark V today and I felt like it was the best live tone I’ve ever head. I was using a generous V shape

 

[la szum]

Now I kinda want a Mark again.

I can't believe how cheap Mark Vs are right now.

It also happens to be the only Mark series amp with switchable rectifiers (Tube or Silicon)
and a Tweed Mode. Still think it is the most feature packed Mark ever made, and sacrifices
nothing in tone. One could argue it actually offers more tonal options than any of the
other Mark variants.

 

[la szum]

Sounds like you had a blast today, @spawnofthesith .

 

[spawnofthesith]

Da lSounds like you had a blast today, @spawnofthesith .

Been a good time! Haven’t played out since April so it’s nice to be back, and have a decent schedule booked out the next few months. Supposed to play some more later ih the evenings super thing but there’s a rain delay right now

 

[Frodebro]

Now I kinda want a Mark again.

I never even considered selling mine. Bought it not too long after they were released in 2009, the S/N is in the mid 300s.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I know they’re not popular around here, but I’d probably get another 25w. I love the size, and the tones I can get out of them. Kinda waiting to see what a “Mark VII:25” ends up being though. (I literally know nothing about it/when/what though).

 

[Frodebro]

I know they’re not popular around here, but I’d probably get another 25w. I love the size, and the tones I can get out of them. Kinda waiting to see what a “Mark VII:25” ends up being though. (I literally know nothing about it/when/what though).

I saw a Mark VII in the flesh recently at GC, they're tiny compared to the Mark V.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I saw a Mark VII in the flesh recently at GC, they're tiny compared to the Mark V.

Yeah, 19” headshell, same as the JP-2C.

 

[Frodebro]

Yeah, 19” headshell, same as the JP-2C.

The innards must be absolutely shoehorned in there.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I never even considered selling mine. Bought it not too long after they were released in 2009, the S/N is in the mid 300s.

I traded an ENGL for one in 2010 and always regretted selling it a bit later. Super stoked to have one again and not gonna let this one go

 

[la szum]

I traded an ENGL for one in 2010 and always regretted selling it a bit later. Super stoked to have one again and not gonna let this one go

 

[la szum]

Not policing anyone's GEQ settings here.



I just find the conversation super interesting, and like to add in some thoughts
and experiences from an outliers point of view, and not the typical things we
tend to assume/believe about Mark amps and GEQs.

There is a lot of confusion about how scooped the mids were/are on a lot of the
iconic useage of Markseries amps over the years. I\'d even contend it borders on
a sort of mythology at this point. That the mids were totally cratered and Bass and
Treble where maxed on the GEQ.

Yet, look at the judicious use of the GEQ here, where the GEQ is used mostly (and very
little at that) to cut frequencies. Very much a professional mixing/engineering approach.

There's literally not a single slider boosting the preamp in a post-EQ manner. Hell,
even the Mids are mostly flat.

Mids are zeroed out on the tonestack/preamp side, though.

James was pretty much using more Bass in the preamp and less post/GEQ than is
popularly assumed. It's like people took what they thought he did and went way
farther. Nothing wrong with that. If it sounds good it is good.

A few years later and even Papa Het took the drugs.

I may need to try these settings. I wonder if he was using the MP-1
to reintroduce some midrange?? Because there is literally none coming
from the Mesas.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

Yep

 

[la szum]