NAD: Mesa Mark V:90 1x12 combo

[laxu]

So turns out "B-rig" meant "Boogie rig"! Picked up a Mark V:90 1x12 combo for a fair price, good enough that I can sell it for what I paid or maybe a bit more.

It's a bit of a beast to move around, but not as bad as I thought. Once you get it set and can move it around on wheels, it's easy. The wheels can be removed easily with a push button too, which is a really nice design. I need to test this coupled to the floor tomorrow.

It's definitely as hard to dial in as they say. I find the 2nd channel especially is a bit tricky where it can be easily too strident.

The 1x12 with the "Black Shadow" (Celestion C90) speaker isn't necessary helping. I like it for cleans, but it's not necessarily my favorite for overdrive where it becomes easily quite aggressive in the midrange where it would cut through any mix but feels like a punch to the face.

I tried it with my Bluetone 4x10 too and that was a lot easier to dial in, and surprisingly also felt less loud because it sounds less aggressive.

I might convert it to a head if I end up keeping it, but I definitely need to mess with it way, way more. It's certainly not an instant satisfaction amp.

So far my favorite mode on ch2 is actually the Mark I mode, it just needs to be dialed completely different from every other mode in the amp. Lots of highs, next to no bass.

 

[Frodebro]

Welcome to the club, I’ve had my head since 2009.

 

[gearJunkie]

Congrats! Awsome B-rig!

 

[JiveTurkey]

You made the right choice Congrats!

 

[Frodebro]

When you have the chance to get loud, try this: Hard bypass the loop/master volume circuit (the switch is on the back), set the three channel masters to noon, then be sure to not be standing right in front of it. You’ll sterilize yourself.

 

[laxu]

When you have the chance to get loud, try this: Hard bypass the loop/master volume circuit (the switch is on the back), set the three channel masters to noon, then be sure to not be standing right in front of it. You’ll sterilize yourself.

Yeah I noped out with the volumes at like maybe 11 o'clock through the 1x12. Those mids come at you so bad that it's not even the fun kind of loud.

I just set the loop to "always on" from the back so I don't blow my head off by accident.

Channel 1 was really easy to dial in, and ch3 is not too bad with the EQ. Ch2 is surprisingly the most challenging for me.

I now realize how easy I've had it with the BluGuitar's 3-knob post-EQ for all channels.

That said I'm glad I got the combo because it lets me try things with a totally different speaker and open back cab.

 

[Frodebro]

Yeah I noped out with the volumes at like maybe 11 o'clock through the 1x12. Those mids come at you so bad that it's not even the fun kind of loud.

I just set the loop to "always on" from the back so I don't blow my head off by accident.

Channel 1 was really easy to dial in, and ch3 is not too bad with the EQ. Ch2 is surprisingly the most challenging for me.

I now realize how easy I've had it with the BluGuitar's 3-knob post-EQ for all channels.

That said I'm glad I got the combo because it lets me try things with a totally different speaker and open back cab.

Channel two crunch is the easiest to figure out, it’s pretty straightforward. Mark 1 mode is bass heavy, so turn the bass all the way off. Edge mode needs the treble and presence rolled way back. I pretty much stick with Crunch mode on that channel, as it can sound great without using the five band.

 

[laxu]

Channel two crunch is the easiest to figure out, it’s pretty straightforward. Mark 1 mode is bass heavy, so turn the bass all the way off. Edge mode needs the treble and presence rolled way back. I pretty much stick with Crunch mode on that channel, as it can sound great without using the five band.

Yeah maybe it's the C90 that doesn't seem to go along with those modes, I actually found the Mark I mode easier to get to where I liked it.

 

[Eagle]

A friend of mine put an EV in one.

 

[Orvillain]

I love my MKV head. I've barely played the other amps since I got it to be honest. Here are my settings. Don't know if they'll work with the C90 speaker. I'm using V30's in a 4x12.

FX loop is always enabled. I use the loop output knob on the front as a master volume, basically.

 

[laxu]

I took another shot at dialing it in. I tried my 4x10 first, and that was way easier. Typical V settings, turn down mids and bass stuff works fine.

The 1x12 C90 is much more picky:

• The 2200 Hz slider must never go above the midline.
• Treble and presence work better if they aren't turned too high.
• Mids set pretty low seems good, but the 750 Hz slider shouldn't be set too extreme.
• Bass knob needs to be closer to halfway as it helps overcome excessively tight and mid-focused sounds.

The speaker just seems to have a very particular sound to it that goes against "accepted lore" for dialing Mark amps.

 

[newholland]

I took another shot at dialing it in. I tried my 4x10 first, and that was way easier. Typical V settings, turn down mids and bass stuff works fine.

The 1x12 C90 is much more picky:

• The 2200 Hz slider must never go above the midline.
• Treble and presence work better if they aren't turned too high.
• Mids set pretty low seems good, but the 750 Hz slider shouldn't be set too extreme.
• Bass knob needs to be closer to halfway as it helps overcome excessively tight and mid-focused sounds.

The speaker just seems to have a very particular sound to it that goes against "accepted lore" for dialing Mark amps.

c90s are so crazily different to me than evms, which i think is the lions share of mark lore.

i will say though- to buck mark lore- dont be afraid to push your rotary mids UP, and pull treble and bass DOWN (the bass thing is a bromide at this point.. but dumping treble isnt- although im not sure itd work on a iv, come to think of it cause you hae discrete channel blocks... nevermind!).

good luck and have fun!

 

[laxu]

Yeah I think the graphic EQ might work best if it's used more like a "tailor the amp to a cab/room/situation" system. I use the BluGuitar's 3-band EQ in much the same way.

 

[Frodebro]

Yeah I think the graphic EQ might work best if it's used more like a "tailor the amp to a cab/room/situation" system. I use the BluGuitar's 3-band EQ in much the same way.

I use the graphic on channel three only, and the preset knobs (next to the 5 band) for the other two channels. Download the manual, it will help understand how everything works together. It’s actually a good read, too.

 

[laxu]

I use the graphic on channel three only, and the preset knobs (next to the 5 band) for the other two channels. Download the manual, it will help understand how everything works together. It’s actually a good read, too.

Yeah I've read the manual a few times, still have to refer to it if I want to toggle anything in the back.

I find the preset EQ knobs don't work too well with the combo speaker, so I've set the slider EQ to be used on ch3 and dial the two other channels so I like them without the EQ.

Makes me wish Mesa had put a simpler 3 band EQ where the preset EQ knobs are, and you could instead assign that to the other channels.

 

[Stone]

Awesome ! Part of the official TGF club now

 

[Frodebro]

Yeah I've read the manual a few times, still have to refer to it if I want to toggle anything in the back.

I find the preset EQ knobs don't work too well with the combo speaker, so I've set the slider EQ to be used on ch3 and dial the two other channels so I like them without the EQ.

Makes me wish Mesa had put a simpler 3 band EQ where the preset EQ knobs are, and you could instead assign that to the other channels.

Yeah, the C90 isn’t my preference with that amp. I almost always run mine with V30s. Come to think of it, I have EL34s in it as well. I was messing around a while back and for whatever reason left them in there.

 

[Orvillain]

I took another shot at dialing it in. I tried my 4x10 first, and that was way easier. Typical V settings, turn down mids and bass stuff works fine.

The 1x12 C90 is much more picky:

• The 2200 Hz slider must never go above the midline.
• Treble and presence work better if they aren't turned too high.
• Mids set pretty low seems good, but the 750 Hz slider shouldn't be set too extreme.
• Bass knob needs to be closer to halfway as it helps overcome excessively tight and mid-focused sounds.

The speaker just seems to have a very particular sound to it that goes against "accepted lore" for dialing Mark amps.

So interestingly, back in 2007/2008 I bought a Rectoverb 2x12 combo. This was just as TNBD was just getting started, and I took it to the first few rehearsals. I kept getting lost in the mix, and I just hated how it sounded. Years later, I now mostly put that down to the C90 speaker. Because since using V30's I've never had that problem; even with my Dual Rect and Mark V.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Congrats!!! One of my favorite amps ever!! Welcome to the club!!

 

[TubeStack]

Beautiful amp, enjoy!