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[laxu]

I still think the V is Randall/Mesa's peak. Not every band/artists last album was their best, right?

I also believe the VII is a Gibsonified Mesa with pared down features, in a smaller enclosure. It
just smells of someone along the way pinching pennies and then crunching numbers to see
how much could be saved on parts/assembly over the long-term to increase bottomline profitability.

I am not writing a Doctoral Thesis on it, though. Yet.

The VII has some sensible simplifications. The back panel is a lot more straightforward with options people are likely use, and MIDI for footswitching. Putting reverb controls in the front panel is nice.

But at the same time I think they cut out other cool features like the 10W tube rectified mode, the Tweed variac power option, and especially the preset graphic EQ option. I think you also can't make channels completely ignore the graphic EQ because there's no separate "off" option like on the V, just footswitch vs on.

The V was more like several amps in one box, covering basically any style. The VII feels like it's more geared towards the rock/metal player like the JP2C. Which, to be fair, was probably the type of player most likely to buy the Mark series.

I feel like they could have done more on the VII to make it earn its "jumped a number" moniker. Keeping the larger chassis and having a dual graphic EQ ala JP2C would have been nice, and maybe better channel cloning.

 

[texhex]

Morning, shaky, Mark V riffing with a boost and some sauce. I bumped the mids up for ya!

 

[EOengineer]

View attachment 31793
Word up.
The MKV is my kittie Ozzy’s favorite amp.
He always posts up there, mark’ed his spot.

Love that Strat. AVRI 62?

 

[TubeStack]

Have you played a VII, @la szum?

It has a more immediate, raw feel that is much more appealing to me. Feels like an older Mark, even reminds me of a Dr Z or something.

Also, everything they took out, was nothing that I used. Literally none of it. And everything they’ve added/improved (cabclone, midi), I’ve used right away.

And the VII high gain mode is .

 

[TubeStack]

I think you also can't make channels completely ignore the graphic EQ because there's no separate "off" option like on the V, just footswitch vs on.

Setting it to off/footswitch shuts it off. It’s labelled “O/FS”.

Then if you are using the footswitch, you shut it off there.

 

[TubeStack]

The VII feels like it's more geared towards the rock/metal player like the JP2C. Which, to be fair, was probably the type of player most likely to buy the Mark series.

It honestly seems like more of a classic rock Mark to me? There’s even jokes in YouTube comments about it being the “boomer Mark” from the metal guys.

 

[spawnofthesith]

The only “removed feature” from the mark V that seems odd to me is that they ditched a Variac power mode, but I won’t question Randall. It was the last amp he actually designed and what he decided to end his legacy on, I think it deserves a little respect personally



I could rattle off a bunch of features that they “removed” between the IV and V too but that doesn’t seem productive.

if the VII was just a rehashed Mark V with midi that would be awfully boring. It’s a different amp

 

[CorrosiveMatter]

I still think the V is Randall/Mesa's peak. Not every band/artists last album was their best, right?

I also believe the VII is a Gibsonified Mesa with pared down features, in a smaller enclosure. It
just smells of someone along the way pinching pennies and then crunching numbers to see
how much could be saved on parts/assembly over the long-term to increase bottomline profitability.

I am not writing a Doctoral Thesis on it, though. Yet.

Thank you so much! My wallet thanks you too!

 

[TubeStack]

Thank you so much! My wallet thanks you too!

(Ask him if he’s actually played it.)

 

[CorrosiveMatter]

(Ask him if he’s actually played it.)

Shhhhh! Trying not to own 4 Marks

 

[DISTORT6]

 

[MadAsAHatter]

I feel like they could have done more on the VII to make it earn its "jumped a number" moniker.

Wasn't the Mark VI a special one-off made for James Hetfield?

 

[Orvillain]

I have mine completely off!

 

[Orvillain]

What I settled on for channel 3.

 

[texhex]

View attachment 31820

What I settled on for channel 3.

I prefer it below the line too. It comes and goes with me. That slider is the devil dude. You see people's videos online and they are always pushing that thing up, but I usually hate it when its' above the line, it's one overpowering slider.

I have such bad arthritis in my hands now that mornings are the only time I can play and only for a little bit. But my ears are fresh then too. This morning I tried the tiny mid bump. Listening back, I feel like I should have lowered it all the way down. LOL Cab makes a huge diff too, but I'm always using the same IR.

Grats on the V. It's one tight MFer and with a boost it just rips super smooth gain and chugs like a beast.

 

[EOengineer]

That middle slider becomes your “how do people hear me” control in a live mix.

 

[Desertdweller]

This is my Mark III. When I think of Mesa Mark sounds, this is what it sounds like to me.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Wasn't the Mark VI a special one-off made for James Hetfield?

I think they skipped the VI b/c of the JP2C. It was essentially the "VI" in the series.

 

[TubeStack]

Apparently there is a prototype that was the VI and Mesa still has it. Randall and Doug talk about it in interviews about the VII, saying their work on it was part of arriving at the VII. Could be marketing/tall tales, who knows.

 

[laxu]

Setting it to off/footswitch shuts it off. It’s labelled “O/FS”.

Then if you are using the footswitch, you shut it off there.

What if you have it enabled on the footswitch, but would like to have it off for say the clean channel? You need to switch channels and stomp the EQ switch. The V had that option separately since it had a 3-way on/off/f.sw option. Small inconvenience, and don't know how much people use the feature like that.