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[EOengineer]

• Mark V 90 slave out -> Fryette PS-100 -> Bluetone 4x10 w/ 10" Greenbacks
• Mark V 90 speaker out -> Mark V combo's Celestion MC90

Sounded kickass! Being able to dial in the balance between the speakers and fine tune the 4x10 sound was nice. I think it might also sound bigger and tighter than just running both cabs with the Mark V speaker outs.

Sounds like there’s an opportunity to have fun with some stereo reverbs and delays!

 

[laxu]

Sounds like there’s an opportunity to have fun with some stereo reverbs and delays!

Or wet/dry!

I'd probably need to run fx loop send mono -> one of my Strymons and then one pedal out going to the Fryette and the other back to the Mark V.

All stereo pedals I have here are TRS input and I've got no Y-cables with me.

 

[László]

That can be fine tuned to some degree with preamp tube choice. Might be worth exporing in the VII as well, at least the V is quite sensitive to tube changes.

Oh, I'm a tube roller!

I had my Mark V loaded with NOS JAN-GE preamp tubes except for the phase inverter, where I used a rubber coated Mesa special 12AX7. The output tubes were probably Sylvanias. The amp sounded great. I liked the GE in v1, but also tried it with an RCA.

What I love about the Mark VII's Channel 3 is the Mark IIB mode position. It's just perfect for a lot of what I do.

And I haven't even rolled any NOS tubes yet!

 

[László]

Oh, I'm a tube roller!

I had my Mark V loaded with NOS JAN-GE preamp tubes except for the phase inverter, where I used a rubber coated Mesa special 12AX7. The output tubes were probably Sylvanias. The amp sounded great. I liked the GE in v1, but also tried it with an RCA.

What I love about the Mark VII's Channel 3 is the Mark IIB mode position. It's just perfect for a lot of what I do.

And I haven't even rolled any NOS tubes yet!

One thing that bugs me about all recent Mesas, though I haven't had a single problem with any of them and have had one here for 10 years: Circuit board mounted preamp tubes. Mesa used to use all ceramic tube sockets mounted on the chassis. I just felt better about that, it seemed to change around the time I got my Maverick in the early '00s.

On the other hand, my Mesas will probably outlive me by 50 years and run just fine.

 

[TubeStack]

Speaking of the Mark Series amps, a new Mark VII arrived here yesterday. I figured I'd yak about it in case anyone's interested.

I'm not a metal player. But this amp is surprising me in good ways! It's not merely a high gain or metal amp (though it's that, too).

Mesa is missing a trick here by not demoing the Mark VII for lower gain players. I’m tempted to do a YouTube video to demonstrate how good it is at low gain settings! They’re marketing this thing as a very high gain amp in all the demos, which of course it can be.

But it is also one of the nicest clean-to-edge of breakup amps I’ve ever owned. It sounds great clean in all three channels. The Mark IIB mode in channel 3, with the gain control set to around 11:00 is one of the best clean/low-gain tones I’ve ever gotten out of an amp! And I've had some pretty sweet amps.

Blues or country players just have to use the gain controls and they can get GREAT tones of the Mark VII, and not only that, have several excellent options to achieve those tones. I’m dazzled by its versatility.

Of course, the higher gain tones work well for me as expected.

I had, and liked, a Mark V, but couldn't really use Channel 3 much, there was a bit too much gain for my taste. The Mark VII is simply easier for me to work with on all three channels. I guess we'll see how it responds in the heat of battle with ad agency folks breathing down my neck...I think it should do fine.

If I needed to travel for a session, it’s the amp I’d take along. Does everything well.

In terms of speaker cabs, it sounds killer through the C90s on my Lone Star combo, through the 4x10 Mesa cab with Creambacks, and unexpectedly, it’s also wonderful with the PRS pine Grissom ported 2x12 cab that has V30s.

It’s pretty good through the closed back cab PRS cab that’s similar to a closed back Recto cab, but the ported or open back cabs seem to be its sweet spot.

Granted, I'm on honeymoon with it, but I think it'll see a lot of use.

Nice cabs! Completely agree about the VII and low gain/edge of break up tones, they are fantastic and that’s the zone in which I live, too.

The IIB mode is one of my favourite things about the amp, just an insanely great sounding and feeling tone + so touch sensitive. i’m starting to use it just as much as crunch, with my band.

 

[László]

Nice cabs! Completely agree about the VII and low gain/edge of break up tones, they are fantastic and that’s the zone in which I live, too.

The IIB mode is one of my favourite things about the amp, just an insanely great sounding and feeling tone + so touch sensitive. i’m starting to use it just as much as crunch, with my band.

We're just alike in that regard, then!

I love that IIB mode. It probably doesn't sound exactly like a IIB, but I don't care; it's just perfect for me as-is.

It's a wonderful amp. I thought it'd be great, but I had no idea how great until I put it in my rig and started using my own gear with it. The only pedal I've bothered with is delay. Damn thing sounds SO good to me.

 

[TubeStack]

We're just alike in that regard, then!

I love that IIB mode. It probably doesn't sound exactly like a IIB, but I don't care; it's just perfect for me as-is.

It's a wonderful amp. I thought it'd be great, but I had no idea how great until I put it in my rig and started using my own gear with it. The only pedal I've bothered with is delay. Damn thing sounds SO good to me.

Yes, I’m getting the best sounds I’ve ever had with a few pedals in front + a fractal VP4 in the loop.

What guitars/pickups are you using with yours? IIB is crazy good on the neck pickup of my LP Custom (t tops).

 

[TubeStack]

Pedals in front are just a couple flavors of boost + occasional phase or wah + HX One for octave-down on one song. Most of the time it’s basically the straight core tone.

 

[László]

What guitars/pickups are you using with yours? IIB is crazy good on the neck pickup of my LP Custom (t tops).

I'm playing a 2014 PRS McCarty Singlecut Private Stock with modded 57/08 (PAF style) pickups that it came with; it was part of a limited run. Tim Pierce plays the same thing his on his channel from time to time.

"Name dropper!"

"I'm incorrigible that way, but I didn't want people to ask, 'Why didn't you just get an LP', so I figured the Tim Pierce validation would make me appear less spendy and stupid!"

Seriously, the McSC has an LP vibe, but PRS Singlecuts are a bit different from an LP (though not in a bad way to me). I like the neck pickup with mine, too!

I also play a PRS DGT and a Tom Anderson Icon (vintage style) Tele. The Mark VII sounds great with all of them! It loves single coils and humbuckers pretty much equally, they just push the front of the amp in different ways.

I realize I'm on honeymoon after only a few days, but I just can't stop playing through it. I've yet to get a bad tone. I'm in love.

 

[László]

Pedals in front are just a couple flavors of boost + occasional phase or wah + HX One for octave-down on one song. Most of the time it’s basically the straight core tone.

I'm mainly a boost person as well, I have a few on the pedalboard with different flavors, but I even run dirt pedals as 'color boosts'. Really, the amps I have give me all the gain I need, I just like having the extra colors in case a client asks for something different.

I suppose if I'd had the Mark VII before getting the pedals I'd have fewer of them, as my other amps are either single channel, or I primarily use them as single channel amps because to me that's their sweet spot.

Not so with the Mark VII. Those channels and modes are gonna get used! It has some wonderful color options. Did I mention I really love playing through it?

 

[EOengineer]

I love that IIB mode. It probably doesn't sound exactly like a IIB, but I don't care; it's just perfect for me as-is.

I don’t have direct experience with all the revisions so I haven’t confirmed this with my own ears, but my understanding is there are at least 2 different IIB circuit boards and the sound of the IIB became gainier and more aggressive through the production run.

I wonder if Randall has ever spilled the beans on which IIB circuit the VII uses.

 

[Orvillain]

 

[László]

I don’t have direct experience with all the revisions so I haven’t confirmed this with my own ears, but my understanding is there are at least 2 different IIB circuit boards and the sound of the IIB became gainier and more aggressive through the production run.

I wonder if Randall has ever spilled the beans on which IIB circuit the VII uses.

I doubt the original parts are all still available. Then, too, any circuit has to be laid out in the confines of the Mark VII chassis and work with all the other Mark VII features.

So I'd be surprised if it sounds exactly like any vintage Mark IIB.

Seems obvious to me they're never going to sound 100% identical. The question is, does it need to be identical to an old amplifier to be desirable? For me, no. I get that for others it very well might, and I'm fine with that, too.

[EDIT]

I meant to mention that manufacturers invite impossible comparisons with previous classic products when they 'reissue'. How on earth is a Mark IIB, which has most likely been re-capped in order to function, and which has parts that may not be available from the same companies, etc., going to sound exactly like a brand new amp?

It's the same with Neumann's reissue mics. They have to stand on their heads to try to duplicate the sound, but in tests they sound a little different. Same vibe, maybe, but not a clone of each other.

I think they'd be a lot better off just naming these modes by descriptive words and forget all this old product nomenclature.

But that's just me.

 

[EOengineer]

I doubt the original parts are all still available. Then, too, any circuit has to be laid out in the confines of the Mark VII chassis and work with all the other Mark VII features.

So I'd be surprised if it sounds exactly like any vintage Mark IIB.

Seems obvious to me they're never going to sound 100% identical. The question is, does it need to be identical to an old amplifier to be desirable? For me, no. I get that for others it very well might, and I'm fine with that, too.

[EDIT]

I meant to mention that manufacturers invite impossible comparisons with previous classic products when they 'reissue'. How on earth is a Mark IIB, which has most likely been re-capped in order to function, and which has parts that may not be available from the same companies, etc., going to sound exactly like a brand new amp?

It's the same with Neumann's reissue mics. They have to stand on their heads to try to duplicate the sound, but in tests they sound a little different. Same vibe, maybe, but not a clone of each other.

I think they'd be a lot better off just naming these modes by descriptive words and forget all this old product nomenclature.

But that's just me.

I just mean Mesa likely based the VII’s IIB mode on SOME version of the IIB, just like they did with the IIC mode. It’s obviously never going to exactly reproduce the original, especially with the single gain knob.

Who knows, maybe we will see a limited run of IIB reissues soon.

 

[Tanax]

I just mean Mesa likely based the VII’s IIB mode on SOME version of the IIB, just like they did with the IIC mode. It’s obviously never going to exactly reproduce the original, especially with the single gain knob.

Who knows, maybe we will see a limited run of IIB reissues soon.

The question is; Which would be the thing to go for? VII, or each individual reissue? I have no doubt they'll go for a IV reissue at some point either, reissues is what Gibson does. So the only thing you'd be missing is the VII mode. On the other hand, you're gonna get closer to the original sound (probably?) with the reissues than with the VII. But I might be wrong?

 

[EOengineer]

The question is; Which would be the thing to go for? VII, or each individual reissue? I have no doubt they'll go for a IV reissue at some point either, reissues is what Gibson does. So the only thing you'd be missing is the VII mode. On the other hand, you're gonna get closer to the original sound (probably?) with the reissues than with the VII. But I might be wrong?

I don’t think you’re far off base. I’d expect a IIB reissue to be more accurate with the dual drive controls, not to mention having the clean mode which is AMAZING on a IIB.

The VII is making some sacrifices for the sake of flexibility, which might be totally fine depending on what you need out of it.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Had a little Boogie fest last night. The III is spectacular but needs to be LOUD. The V is the greatest polite amp I have ever owned. I would not normally use that descriptor in a good way but it just plays so nicely at all volumes without fuss. Love it. Going to the Multiwatt after the 2 Marks was a definite transition. SLOOOOOOOOOOOW response without a boost city. I also did get a better handle on the EV. I had to tweak some more mids out and I can definitely hear how this would work great in a closed back 112. Serious punch.

 

[TubeStack]

Yeah, I don’t care about accuracy towards an actual IIB in the slightest Do I like the sound? Can I use it? Done.

(This is with the VII; I see how with a reissue you would want it.)

 

[EOengineer]

Yeah, I don’t care about accuracy towards an actual IIB in the slightest Do I like the sound? Can I use it? Done.

(This is with the VII; I see how with a reissue you would want it.)

Based on the response, it seems Mesa made a solid choice in how they represent the IIB in the VII. I’ve seen it called out as a standout in MANY of the VII reviews and conversations.

I hope it didn’t sound like I was knocking the VII because I think that amp is a work of art.