Not Another one of those threads - Should I Really get a Mark V ?

[Nik_Left_RG]

First off, apologize for the wall of text below!!

I know this topic has been beaten to death but hey, isnt that what these forums are for ?!!
Anyway, I have wanted a Mesa Mark amp for the longest time and it seems I might
be finally be able to afford one.I am looking for a high gain, atleast 2 channel amp, which can deliver
spanking cleans and roaring gains tones. Pretty sure the Mark can deliver on both accounts
but with cabs it comes to about $5000 (2x12 closed back mesa cab). I love JP's tone
but not his latest offerings.. To put things into perspective, I love his tone in Images & words.
That is the rhythm tone I am after. For solos, SFAM is my ideal lead tone.. they say that he recorded
ADTOE with a Mark V but except for the lead tones, nothing sounded that great to me. IMHO of course..

Here is the thing though, a Mark V head costs about $4000 here in India (Bangalore).Yes,
they do have dealers in India as well and Yes, it is THAT expensive.. Yippeee..Not quite..
I am kicking myself for not getting it while I was in the US. I did manage to
get a EBMM JP6 fully loaded and a 7 string.

Due to the cost, I have been looking at a cheaper alternative. In comes the marshall JVM 205(about $2000),
which just about seems perfect.. Good cleans,
great rhythm tones but it doesnt seem to do a singing lead tone too well.hmm... Ok, So I
decide to go the store because I am tired of reading these threads....mark yada this.. Marshall yada that..
They dont have a JVM but I did demo a Mini Rectifier($1800) - awesome clean tones - I love it but
the hi gain channel seems lacking - user error ? - could be.. they had a tiny terror($900) sitting
next to it, so we hook it up and surprisingly, very nice gain tones, better than the Mini.
NOOOOO.. this cant be.. after reading so many comments praising the Mini, the Tiny
terror beats its on the gain channel but alas it is a single channel amp..Back to the drawing board.

Now, the Mesa dealer here has a Mark V in store but he doesnt have a JVM yet.. So my question to
you guys is should I go F*** IT and buy the Mark or take some time and get the JVM 205H or maybe a 410H.
Having a wife and kid really puts a downer on some things, doesn't it??.. Arghhh.. Would have prolly bought
the Mark if I didnt have a kid..umm.. maybe if I was not married..

Note : Changed the name of the topic since this is becoming a mark discussion thread

 

[cGoEcYk]

Nothing wrong with waiting and trying it out. The difference in price is huge. Tons of people really like Marshall.

Mark V is kind of an "ultimate" amp though.

Also, do they have Craigslist in India?

 

[wheelsdeal]

F*** IT and buy the Mark

^This^

The JVM does not worth get mentioned in the same sentence with the Mark V.

I have tried it and its fizzy,noisy,tremply and cheap made.Only current production Marshall that is a bit worth mention is the JVM410HJS but still dont even come close to the build quality of the Mark V.

 

[Nik_Left_RG]

Nothing wrong with waiting and trying it out. The difference in price is huge. Tons of people really like Marshall.

Mark V is kind of an "ultimate" amp though.

Also, do they have Craigslist in India?

Oh yes, there is a local CL version as well as some other sites (olx,etc) but the used market is not as good as US

^This^

The JVM does not worth get mentioned in the same sentence with the Mark V.

I have tried it and its fizzy,noisy,tremply and cheap made.Only current production Marshall that is a bit worth mention is the JVM410HJS but still dont even come close to the build quality of the Mark V.

Dude, you are that voice in my head.. LOL..

I guess I am more inclined towards the Mark, just that it seems insane that it costs that much + I am not sure if it'll do ol' school DT type stuff.. And I still love the 80s Marshall stuff(Poison, Warrant, Ratt, etc).. Funny that I really love Kee marcello's tone in Superstitious and he apparently used a Mark there too..

 

[MrPowers]

Bear in mind that the mini rectifier that you demoed is in no way a reflection of the mark series tone. They are completely different animals.

That said, because of the astronomical price there, I would go demo the mark v to see if you like it. Personally I've never played a mark series, but Mesa amps in general seem pretty polarizing. You either like them or you don't, and I wouldn't take a risk on it.

 

[Shimme]

^Yep. It's one thing to say "Well If I don't like it I can just sell it and be out at most 2-300 bucks", or to be able to just return it. It's another to be like "Well crap, there's 5 grand down the drain."

 

[mr11]

I've always wondered for people outside the US... Would it be much cheaper to buy a used mark from the US and have it shipped you? Sure a couple hundred bucks in shipping but still much less than $5000.

Are there some costs I'm missing? Or are you set on buying new?

 

[jc986]

I have a Mark V and can't say enough good things about it. If you can afford it, go for it. Otherwise you'll always be wondering if you'd have been happier. As has been mentioned already, couldn't you buy a mint used Mark V from the states and have it shipped? I would think that would run you closer to $2000, unless there are some crazy import fees or something.

 

[Eliguy666]

I may be the only person with this experience, but the Mark V was really uninspiring to me. I wanted to love it, but it just had none of the aggression, gain, or tightness I've grown accustomed to with a boosted Peavey Triple XXX.
Marshall's low end stuff feels pretty lackluster, but I quite like the DSL and 2203kk, they play great for grindcore and oldschool death metal.

The Peavey 6505/EVH 5150 might be what you're looking for by your description: see if you can at least try one. Fryette stuff would probably work too, but I have absolutely no clue if it's available in India. Other than that, maybe a Triple Rec or a Randall of some sort?

 

[Nik_Left_RG]

Thanks for the input so far guys.. Much appreciated. I am definitely going to play the heck out of it in the store before I plunck the cash!! Funny that no one mentioned another alternative. I guess the Mark is a one of a kind amp. We do have Suhr and Bogner dealers here too. Although, you'd have to pretty much order sight unseen since they only seem to stock the badgers..

I've always wondered for people outside the US... Would it be much cheaper to buy a used mark from the US and have it shipped you? Sure a couple hundred bucks in shipping but still much less than $5000.

Are there some costs I'm missing? Or are you set on buying new?

Import cost is pretty heavy here. As per my calculation, I'd have to pay additional $1K for import tax (tax + shipping) and handling + insurance extra for a new one.. I'd have to recheck on how used gear is taxed..

I have a Mark V and can't say enough good things about it. If you can afford it, go for it. Otherwise you'll always be wondering if you'd have been happier. As has been mentioned already, couldn't you buy a mint used Mark V from the states and have it shipped? I would think that would run you closer to $2000, unless there are some crazy import fees or something.

I know, right ?!! That's is truly the thing that is nagging me.. Will I be left wondering what I missed if I dont buy it.. Import taxes are heavy here but I'd need to check on how they treat used items.

I have considered an Axe Fx2 which runs about $3K here but it seems to me that the axe by itself doesnt match a tube set-up yet.. Another thing is that there is always the next iteration of the unit in the horizon.. I guess this is OT but just putting my train of thought out there..

What do you guys think about running the Mark V with a 1x12 V30 cab ? might save me some on the cab expenditure... I dont really like the C90 clips I have heard so far though..

 

[Nik_Left_RG]

I may be the only person with this experience, but the Mark V was really uninspiring to me. I wanted to love it, but it just had none of the aggression, gain, or tightness I've grown accustomed to with a boosted Peavey Triple XXX.
Marshall's low end stuff feels pretty lackluster, but I quite like the DSL and 2203kk, they play great for grindcore and oldschool death metal.

The Peavey 6505/EVH 5150 might be what you're looking for by your description: see if you can at least try one. Fryette stuff would probably work too, but I have absolutely no clue if it's available in India. Other than that, maybe a Triple Rec or a Randall of some sort?

Not really. I have come across few guys who dont like the Mark V, mostly in comparision to its previous versions. the last couple of DT albums which features the Mark V doesnt do anything for me rhythm wise, lead tones are great though.. I guess I am not a fan of that overly compressed sound that JP seems to prefer these days.. And I have heard so many rave reviews of the 5150, will see if I can get a hold of one here.

 

[Eliguy666]

That might be it, I just generally can't stand excessive compression. I'm a fan of the open, dry, mid-heavy guitar tone more than anything else.

The 5150 is another controversial amp, I think. Most people like it, but people who don't really don't for some reason (probably the noise and lack of clarity at low volume).

 

[decreebass]

The only thing better than a Mark V, IMO, is another Mark amp when you're in a slightly different mood. While I love my Mark V, my Mark IV combo is just WAY more practical and suits my crunch style a bit better. But nothing has that sweet high-gain like the V - throw in a TS (or equivalent OD) and you're in heaven.

I can't say enough good about the Mark series amps. The V is by far the pinnacle, but so help me god if I don't own a room full of Mark amps before I die. I'm on the verge of buying ANOTHER identical Mark IV combo (as well as a Mark III).

The only downside is the price - or price AND weight if you buy the combo.

TLDR: ditch the wife and kid and buy the Mark V. It has much nicer cleans and high-gain than a wife and kid. Real talk.

 

[Nik_Left_RG]

^ LOL dude.. That made me chuckle.. Good stuff!! Do you think the Mark V works withs a single V30 ? Iam sure it works but just wondering if it sounds right..

 

[decreebass]

^ LOL dude.. That made me chuckle.. Good stuff!! Do you think the Mark V works withs a single V30 ? Iam sure it works but just wondering if it sounds right..

Couldn't tell ya. I'm not a believer in speakers or tone wood... or boutique/aftermarket pickups... or Bigfoot. Okay; I do believe in Bigfoot, but I'm amazed that in 60 years all we have is s***** blurry 35mm film of him. I mean, if these people in the Northwest claim Bigfoots harass them (sure, after feeding them and getting them hooked on dog food) - WHY are there no recent images, videos, or even a body or DNA sample? Anyway....

Where was I? Ah yes - I'm not refined enough to be able to tell one speaker from another, sorry. I envy those of you that can, but IMO, there's SOOOoooo much that goes into 'tone' before it hits the speaker that it's hard to ascribe particular characteristics to a given speaker. I never understood people that have speaker preferences. I mean, I've been playing almost 20 years and I've never A/B'd 2 speakers in the same cab with the same amp and same guitar to the end result of deciding which I liked best. I guess literally everyone is richer than me, has more time, a more refined ear, and access to a HUGE selection of new, old, and vintage speakers lol. Good luck with all that nonsense

FWIW, my 2x12 recto cab that I use with my MkV has Celestion V30s - so I imagine it would sound a little less ballsy. My MkIV 1x12 combo sounds about 1/4 as ballsy as my MkV w/ 2x12, but there again, we're comparing different speakers (the EV Black Shadow one in my MkIV is 25 years old) and open- vs closed back cabs, cabinet construction, material, covering, glue, atomic number, quantum divination, cycle of Brahman's Day....

Toom any vary ables, I say!

 

[guitarxtc]

Mark V is overrated amp for me,and for 4000$ is not worth taking the risk. I owned more than 50 hi gain(including all from Mesa) heads and i suggest to try Engl Steve Morse or SE before,or maybe Bogner Twin Jet.

 

[guitarxtc]

^ LOL dude.. That made me chuckle.. Good stuff!! Do you think the Mark V works withs a single V30 ? Iam sure it works but just wondering if it sounds right..

only single V30 cab that sound good to me is Bogner Cube

 

[decreebass]

Mark V is overrated amp for me,and for 5000$ is not worth taking the risk. I owned more than 50 hi gain(including all from Mesa) heads and i suggest to try Engl Steve Morse or SE before,or maybe Bogner Twin Jet.

Take this post with a grain of salt. Like, who even knows where Croatia is, for one... just kidding

But for cereal... 50 hi-gain amps? You're probably more confused than anyone who's contributed so far lol. If I went into Baskin Robbins and tried 50 samples, (a) 19 of them would be doubles, and (b) I very likely am looking for a flavor that they don't have...

ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE:

Go with what this dude says. After trying 50 hi-gain amps, he's the expert. I love my Mesas, but I haven't played the field - as it were. I pretty much saw Petrucci with the Mark amps and that's what I bought. I love Cantrell and the Friedman amps, but part of the Mojo is knowing that that Mesa's what JP plays... I might even get a Royal Atlantic since that's what he used on much of DT, their most recent album.

It's your call. He is right that that's a LOT of money. I spent about $3200 to get my MkV rig together... Not sure if I would have done it if it was $5K...

 

[guitarxtc]

Not every Mark V sounds good,there is no consistency when they go out from factory,and that is mostly the reason that someone like it or not.

 

[guitarxtc]

Take this post with a grain of salt. Like, who even knows where Croatia is, for one... just kidding

Is near Mars