Its true! The only better value in guitar amplification is the Hughes and Kettner TriAmp.
Would you rather have a Mark V or three $1000 guitars.
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Its true! The only better value in guitar amplification is the Hughes and Kettner TriAmp.
Soo... apparently there will be a Mark VII announcement soon, perhaps tomorrow.
There was a leak about a new midi switching Mark, and someone said 3700 price tag. That sounds like an amp that would last me a lifetime. Might could drop 3500 on something like that.
Its always a good idea to kick the can down the road on discretionary purchases.
There was a leak about a new midi switching Mark, and someone said 3700 price tag. That sounds like an amp that would last me a lifetime. Might could drop 3500 on something like that.
Its always a good idea to kick the can down the road on discretionary purchases.
Very cool! While it is still more amp than I need, I am happy they continue to develop the idea. I am happy with my simple 1 channel 5-knob Mesa.
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
Gibson owns Mesa now so you can plan on a $3500 amp of theirs going for $7K.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Are the crunch tones on the Mark stuff good? Can they get Marshally? I might be a bit ignorant to the Mark stuff because as soon as someone says Mark, I just think Master of Puppets/And Justice/Black Album, but I also think Santana used the Mark stuff for fluffy blueasy lead tones?
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
Mesa-ly not Marshall.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Didn't someone from Guns n Roses use a 2C+ as well? I mean, certainly not a style I'd use a C+ for, but it can do it, right?
I just watched the video for the VII and the features look amazing, but none of the demo sounds really grabbed me. They had it set completely dry and it may have just been IR recordings, for demo purposes.
I would love to own it, but the reality is I only use a few tones. Clean, clean with some grit, and high gain. Everything else is from effects. I don't know if having more amp variations would be inspiring or distracting?
I would love to own it, but the reality is I only use a few tones. Clean, clean with some grit, and high gain. Everything else is from effects. I don't know if having more amp variations would be inspiring or distracting?
NegativeEase
New member
They don't BUT one Friedman BE-OD pedal and you have a Marshall sound in a Mesa.
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
I've been listening to all the Mark V / Mark VII / and JVM410H demos I can find, and my opinion is that Marshall is the sound of guitar music. Its easily identifyable. I dont think the mark can do Marshall.
The Mesa's don't have a signature sound imo. Mesa's most identifyable amp is the Dual Rectifier, and that amp was "the sound" of lots of 90s metal and alternative rock. But the Mark is not close to a DR, imo.
If all you listen to is Metallica and John Petrucci, then maybe Mesa's sound "correct".
The Mark series is like a high gain marshall without the upper mid bark and a more refined top end. It may be better, it may be more versatile, but I'm not sure it is "the sound".
What is perplexing to me, is that some metal heads are demoing a JVM410 on youtube and the gain is ripping and they say "this doesn't really do metal." What!?
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Yeah, I've been listening to the clips, and it did seem underwhelming. Like, not bad, but not like WOAH.
But Mesa's official clips are kind of always like that.
Fluff's demo also sounds pretty bad. No edge or oomph at all. Like all mids and no agression. But it looks like he did use a 1x12 there, so...
I don't understand if it's a matter or tradition of it's just an excuse not to use like heavier trannies, but the never have 16 ohm taps on those amps. Which is a shame, because I bet those Mark amps would sound cool through Marshall cabs with Greenbacks as well.
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Thanks for pointing that out. Didn't know. A stereo 4x12 would work though with two cables. IDK if that is a design decision to make it incompatible with a bunch of marshall cabs?
It also doesn't have a master volume. Which seems like something I would really miss on a channel switcher. In practice, I would have it set up with my GT100 in the loop, which has a master volume, but its just an odd omission. Maybe if it sounds better it makes sense.
I though the Fluff demo sounded great, but its just a fluff piece.
For a gigging guitarist, the 3x cab clone per channel is really cool. I guess you can do the same thing with an IR pedal? (Not sure)
Atm, I'm thinking a used JVM might be closer to what I want.
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JMP/HBE
Well-known member
I got decent tones w/a MK III combo but i had to juice it w/a power soak cuz it had waaay too much headroom. And the EV 12L was completely un-useable for my tastes.
And the combo weighed like 80# it was a knee breaker.
Ive had a MK III / MK IV & Dual Rec all gone.
Marshall JMP modified is where i live.
I would have kept the MK III if it were a head.
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NegativeEase
New member
I love the way you use that dreamcatcher to get that Chorus effect.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Yeah, I'm sure you can do it. But I don't think it's ideal. Never on a Mesa amp, but I've mistakinly plugged my Marshall cab into several of of the amps' I've had 8 ohm output, and it always takes me a while to figure out why it's sounding a little off/weird/bad, LOL.
But then again, transformers don't have to be as beefy if they're designed to run at 8 ohms max. Maybe they do it as part of the whole Fender heritage of the Mark series. Maybe they do it because they do have to fit a lot inside those smaller headshells. Or maybe they just do it to save some money in iron. Or maybe all of the above.
Honestly, I've seen lots of people complain about how small the transformers are in Mesa amps if you compare them to other amp makers. Even Marshall amps have pretty beefy trannies comparatively. Then again, I don't think I've seen anyone complain about lack of balls or volume in a Dual Rectifier either. But I've also read neither Duals nor Triples put out as much wattage as they claim they do.
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