How useful is the 10w setting on the Mk V

[Newysurfer]

I got some questions no-one has asked before that I've seen.
ok ...I'm a 5:50 owner and the Mark V is my dream amp.
I've tested one out at a local store several times and am gasing bad for one.
But they're over $5000 in Australia so I got a lot of pennys to save first :mrgreen:
With the 5:50 I use the 5w setting for home use, recording and it's also perfect for small venue gigs with low volume duo acts n such. On the 5:50 the 5w setting is still pretty loud when you crank the gain and it's quite a different voice to the 50w setting. On the 5:50 the 5w setting is smooth class A more british flavoured and 50w is massive Mesa.

So that brings me to the 10w setting on the Mark V.
How does it suit for home use volumes and small gig settings ??
Is it too loud to crank the gain dial in these situations or is it just right?
Plus - is there a significant difference in tones between the 10w, 45w and 90w settings (all other things being equal) or are they mainly louder versions of each other ??

 

[SteveO]

I had a 5:25, and the Mark V does the quiet thing WAY better than the Express. Using the master volume control I can have the gain all the way up, yet have the volume low enough to hear the strings of the guitar over the sound coming from the amp. This applies to all three power settings, too. Plus, you can turn down the effects send level at the back of the amp and that will also lower the output. It still sounds good, too, but that has much to do with the fact that Mesas by nature get most of their distortion from the preamp anyway....

 

[Rezamatix]

Here is my review on the 10w mode. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHCqO7SUimU&feature=youtube_gdata

 

[Scary]

The 10 watt is awesome. I use it all the time.. it sounds great on it's own at low volumes or volumes loud enough to cause damage to your ears. The 45 and 90 watt modes have their own flavor too, and they both excel with body of their own.

 

[TimeSignature]

Doesn't the bottom end drop out at 10 w?

 

[smd24fan]

Doesn't the bottom end drop out at 10 w?

This is a good observation. The answer is, not as bad as the Express. I did not like 5W mode on my 5:50 because it had no bass response. It is WAY better on the Mark V, sounds great. I just said this on another thread, but is worth repeating. I think this amp sounds great at low volume in all three power settings. Mine sits in a medium-sized spare bedroom at the moment, and I play in 90W/Variac almost 100% of the time and it sounds just great, my wife is not complaining!

 

[Mauler]

I only dabble with 10 watt mode occassionally but it seems to me that there is less 'headroom' and dynamics in this mode when playing at quiet volumes. I haven't really bothered to crank my amp up in this mode, and only use it when playing extremely quietly but I am sure that when it is turned up you would still find it perfectly usable for whatever needs you have. I tend to find using the Tube/diode switches on the back in Ch 1 and 2 have more of an effect on the tone than the watt switch, but maybe that is just me.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I have to agree the most with the headroom comment. 10W reduces headroom considerably, but the voicing is still the same as 45 and 90. It sounds great at 10w/Full for late night practice as it is not as 'peaky' (less dynamic I suppose) and the volume control is smoother. I don't think the bottom end drops out that much really. It's a great feature for this amp!

 

[phyrexia]

i think they all sound different in addition to the loudness differences. 10w is smoother and more compressed. 90w is fuller and darker. 45w has a distinct thing too but i can't characterize it in words this early.

I want to get in another band so I can run the amp 45/45/10 in variac out of the 4 ohm jack. or maybe 90/45/10.

 

[MusicManJP6]

i think they all sound different in addition to the loudness differences. 10w is smoother and more compressed. 90w is fuller and darker. 45w has a distinct thing too but i can't characterize it in words this early.

I want to get in another band so I can run the amp 45/45/10 in variac out of the 4 ohm jack. or maybe 90/45/10.

Oh, yea, that is true. 10w is slightly brighter than 90/45. I'll have to try 10w and the 4 ohm jack! Good idea.

 

[phyrexia]

Yah. on 45w mode, 4 ohm is a proper match, and in 10w mode you're using two tubes (albeit two different tubes) so 4 ohms may still be the proper match.

that's one of the reasons for the change in timbre between power settings - an impedance mismatch will make an amp sound different. 90 and 45 ought to sound nearly the same if you switched impedances to go with them.

 

[dmcguitar]

why do you have to change the ohms setting when changing wattage? I know with standard amps if you pull two tubes you're supposed to half the ohmage, but I thought that was figured into the circuit somehow... or is it that since mesa designs most amps to not care about impedence that its not a "necessity" but should be done to be properly running?


also.. say you have 8 ohm speaker.. at 90 watts thats correct, 10/45 it should be a 4 ohm speaker which should have the same characteristics? but the 10/45 with the 8 ohm will have a different sound (and operate properly) and would 10/45 with an 8 ohm speaker i nthe 4 ohm jack work correctly, which would then produce a slightly different sound as well... or is that an impromper mismatch?

 

[SteveO]

why do you have to change the ohms setting when changing wattage? I know with standard amps if you pull two tubes you're supposed to half the ohmage, but I thought that was figured into the circuit somehow... or is it that since mesa designs most amps to not care about impedence that its not a "necessity" but should be done to be properly running?

You don't actually HAVE to, the transformer can handle the mismatch, it's just a tonal thang. I tend to tweak the tone controls when I switch wattages, anyway, since I'm usually using the 10W mode during quiet time playing, so I never bother changing the speaker outputs.

 

[Scary]

Doesn't the bottom end drop out at 10 w?

Yes. But you can dial bottom end back in with the tone controls. You don't get as much punch and authority in the attack, but that's expected. Each mode has it's strengths depending on the application.

 

[Newysurfer]

thanks for the great replies guys :mrgreen: