Mark V problem

[bandit2013]

Consider me envious--while I can reach around and under to pull my V1 tube, I bet you can easily play octaves on the piano or perform epic stretches on extended scale guitars

Ok, they are not that big. :shock: My problem is removing the bloody spring loaded covers on the preamp tubes. I find the cover on V3 to be more difficult. Then trying to get them back on without loosing the rubber o ring. After my first attempt I said screw this, I can easily remove the amp from the shell, retube it and put every thing back in place within 20 minutes. It is not that big a deal. That way I do not have to remove the power tubes and accidentially install the 5U4G in the wrong spot. If I did not reinstall the spring loaded covers, it would be easier to pull tubes without pulling the amp from the shell. I would rather have the shielding to reduce noise than to leave them out. It really did not make much of a difference with the preamp covers on or off.

 

[leeroy3636]

Consider me envious--while I can reach around and under to pull my V1 tube, I bet you can easily play octaves on the piano or perform epic stretches on extended scale guitars

Ok, they are not that big. :shock: My problem is removing the bloody spring loaded covers on the preamp tubes. I find the cover on V3 to be more difficult. Then trying to get them back on without loosing the rubber o ring. After my first attempt I said screw this, I can easily remove the amp from the shell, retube it and put every thing back in place within 20 minutes. It is not that big a deal. That way I do not have to remove the power tubes and accidentially install the 5U4G in the wrong spot. If I did not reinstall the spring loaded covers, it would be easier to pull tubes without pulling the amp from the shell. I would rather have the shielding to reduce noise than to leave them out. It really did not make much of a difference with the preamp covers on or off.

yeah, I had a problem with that, but after a few attempts I got it right, I find pressing on the end of the cover with the left hand then turning the cover with the right hand works every time, I also found that gently laying the combo face down on its front & on a table helps. I found I did not really need to remove the 5U4G, I could access V7 quite easily & I have printed off the tube schematic page to help, if I need to check.

This has all been done in run through test mode as the 12AX7 tubes have not arrived yet !!!!! Fustrated or what ? I want my Boogie back, I haven't had it long ......

 

[leeroy3636]

thats great :lol: you guys made my day.....sooo funny....i put the casters back on so i could roll it before i pick it up and throw out my shoulder :wink:
its like a giant suitcase......but boy it sounds fantastic... :twisted: oh and im hauling the 2x12 with it

The idea of getting the Mark V was to avoid carting around too much gear, I was using the 2x12 marshall TSL with matching 2x12 cab, can't complain about it - I am using it now while the boogie is ill, but its all so bloody heavy when you are doing a lot of gigs, the TSL combo clocks in at over 86 lbs, the ext cab is 53lbs which is not too bad.
Now I'm wondering about an extension for the Mark V !

One big difference I have noticed is that there is no escape anywhere using the boogie, it is so precise on voicings everything seems just right there, in fact I think it makes you more aware & play better because of that !

What 2x12 do you use & how heavy is it ?

 

[mesa metal]

thats great :lol: you guys made my day.....sooo funny....i put the casters back on so i could roll it before i pick it up and throw out my shoulder :wink:
its like a giant suitcase......but boy it sounds fantastic... :twisted: oh and im hauling the 2x12 with it

The idea of getting the Mark V was to avoid carting around too much gear, I was using the 2x12 marshall TSL with matching 2x12 cab, can't complain about it - I am using it now while the boogie is ill, but its all so bloody heavy when you are doing a lot of gigs, the TSL combo clocks in at over 86 lbs, the ext cab is 53lbs which is not too bad.
Now I'm wondering about an extension for the Mark V !

One big difference I have noticed is that there is no escape anywhere using the boogie, it is so precise on voicings everything seems just right there, in fact I think it makes you more aware & play better because of that !

What 2x12 do you use & how heavy is it ?

its the recto 2x12 weighing in at 61 lbs.its not that they are soooo heavy but awkward to carry :?
and this amp does help you focus more on playing.....

 

[bandit2013]

I was considering the combo, but I already have mark IV combo and a 412 rectro cab, so the head made more sense at the time. The mark IV is heavy too and the casters make life easier with it. The envelope for the head unit is a bit cramped so access even with the power tubes out is difficult to get to v1. Getting the tube out may be okay, putting it back it, not so easy.

To keep the arm lengths the same, cary the amp in one hand and the exteded speaker enclosure in the other.

The 412 on the other hand, too large and heavey for a one handed cary. It is manageable by one person but if you have to climb stairs with it, best to get some help. When I moved to NC from PA, I transported my amps and guitars myself so I alone would be responsible for damage if it were to occur. Getting the 412 cab into the house by myself was difficult. Hint, remove the casters if you have to tackle stairs by yourself.

It has been a long time since I played the piano, I can reach 9.5 inches between pinky and thumb, if the Sakai octave measurement is accurate, I can easily reach a full octave with one hand which is a span of 6.5 inches. Index and pinky I can reach 6 frets starting at the first. I do have issues fretting notes above the 17th fret since my fingers seem too big. All of my guitars are 25" scale, 24 frets. Probably why I like Carvins so much due to scale length and wide fredboard. I could probably play an 8 string guitar without any issues. It has taken me a while to get the strenght back in my hand to play the 12 string acoustic.

 

[farren]

I should've said playing octaves at high speed without any strain, but yeah, 9.5" from pinky to thumb is still quite large (8.5" here). I have a DC-127 and I did feel a bit cramped on the high registers when I used to play it (it is dead now--warped neck courtesy the factory failing to prepare the wood properly). I don't own any, but I think 26" would probably feel perfect for a 6-string, splitting the difference between most of my guitars and my 7-string.

mesa metal, Fates Warning... I'm still glowing after seeing them with John Arch a year ago in Hartford. Wow.

 

[mesa metal]

I should've said playing octaves at high speed without any strain, but yeah, 9.5" from pinky to thumb is still quite large (8.5" here). I have a DC-127 and I did feel a bit cramped on the high registers when I used to play it (it is dead now--warped neck courtesy the factory failing to prepare the wood properly). I don't own any, but I think 26" would probably feel perfect for a 6-string, splitting the difference between most of my guitars and my 7-string.

mesa metal, Fates Warning... I'm still glowing after seeing them with John Arch a year ago in Hartford. Wow.

i bet that was awesome...i hope the come to my area one of these days....there are some good quality vids on youtube
from that hartford show.....very cool man!!!!
check out the other band i have listed...some really good stuff and they use mesa amps...
sorry to be off topic
i almost got a roadster combo but this V sounds so much tighter
the heavyness of ch3 extreme is freakin amazing,,,,,i have it dialed up pretty well with the gmajor in the loop... :twisted:

 

[SteveO]

boy am i glad i got the combo :wink:

Let's revisit that thought in a year or so, when the arm that you use to carry that combo is three inches longer than the other one.

Lol, in my case the Mark V is 20lbs lighter than the Marshall combo, but still heavy & I took the casters off - in my opinion just a small price to pay for a decent tone, just need to get another one to balance the arms out so both will be three inches longer

I guess now I know why guitar straps come in such long lengths... :mrgreen:

 

[farren]

i bet that was awesome...i hope the come to my area one of these days....there are some good quality vids on youtube
from that hartford show.....very cool man!!!!
check out the other band i have listed...some really good stuff and they use mesa amps...
sorry to be off topic
i almost got a roadster combo but this V sounds so much tighter
the heavyness of ch3 extreme is freakin amazing,,,,,i have it dialed up pretty well with the gmajor in the loop... :twisted:

We sometimes get into these side conversations I hope you're not going out of town for Thanksgiving, because they'll be playing Lancaster PA November 27! They're extremely tight live if you haven't seen them. Jim and Frank usually play Dual Rectifiers they rent when on the road (Jim uses a Sans Amp PSA feeding into the power stage), but Jim's go-to amp for studio and, when he can find them to rent, live, is the Mark IV. Believe it or not, he keeps an original G-Major in the FX loop. He's a little behind the latest models but still, we are in very good company I won't be able to see them this tour. Nearest date is Dallas, a 5-hour drive for me... I splurged to see John in Hartford since that was like a one time only religious experience (I met him after the show and got a photo with him--I looked like I was on some **** good ecstasy) but can't really afford that sort of thing often. I'll definitely check out Martriden soon.

But yeah, I'll never understand all the people who say the Mark can't get heavy enough because it isn't a Roadster/Rectifier. People who have apparently never touched the gain and treble knobs maybe...

Regarding the FX loop and levels, I noticed Petrucci keeps his Marks' send level knob at 12:30 or 1:00... Never really tried mine past noon. I wonder if it has to do with the length of his signal chain, some sort of compensation for added capacitance or something?

 

[mesa metal]

i have my send level at about 1 oclock as well seems like it works right in that spot to have loop on loop off volume the same..
i still have the original gmajor too,,,i got around a month after they came out....going for a GM2 pretty soon...

i was just trying to log onto the fateswarning.com website but keep getting that annoying "page cannot by displayed"screen..so i wonder if the site is down.......i live an hour away from lancaster so im going to stay here at thanksgiving and go to that show.......cool man thanks for the heads up
i didnt see the show listed on the arch/matheos website..

 

[farren]

Yeah not sure what's up with the site, was up yesterday but down all day today. Sorry, I should have specified, it's a regular Fates tour with Ray coming up. The new album will be out by then so they'll be playing some new material along with the classic Alder-era stuff.

There aren't anymore confirmed Arch shows... That's why I was willing to fly across the country to see him, I knew those two shows (Hartford and Germany) would probably be the only ones, at least for a long time.

 

[mesa metal]

thats right...i remember one of my friends telling me there was only two arch/matheos shows.....ill probably go see fates warning anyway...still going to be a good show.

 

[leeroy3636]

I should've said playing octaves at high speed without any strain, but yeah, 9.5" from pinky to thumb is still quite large (8.5" here). I have a DC-127 and I did feel a bit cramped on the high registers when I used to play it (it is dead now--warped neck courtesy the factory failing to prepare the wood properly). I don't own any, but I think 26" would probably feel perfect for a 6-string, splitting the difference between most of my guitars and my 7-string.

mesa metal, Fates Warning... I'm still glowing after seeing them with John Arch a year ago in Hartford. Wow.

i bet that was awesome...i hope the come to my area one of these days....there are some good quality vids on youtube
from that hartford show.....very cool man!!!!
check out the other band i have listed...some really good stuff and they use mesa amps...
sorry to be off topic
i almost got a roadster combo but this V sounds so much tighter
the heavyness of ch3 extreme is freakin amazing,,,,,i have it dialed up pretty well with the gmajor in the loop... :twisted:

Yep got to admit theres just about every sound anyone ever wanted in the Mark V & the addition of ext cabs must add more dimensions.
Just had a listen to Fates Warning on youtube, reminded me of my yoof :wink: some nice twin guitar harmonies, memories of the Thin Lizzy live shows in London - great days ! Showing my age now lol .......

 

[farren]

thats right...i remember one of my friends telling me there was only two arch/matheos shows.....ill probably go see fates warning anyway...still going to be a good show.

Nice, consider me envious I last saw them with Ray on the Parallels reunion tour. Ray's voice is shot from all the cigarettes he continues to smoke, but he knows it and re-tailors his vocal lines tastefully.

Just had a listen to Fates Warning on youtube, reminded me of my yoof :wink: some nice twin guitar harmonies, memories of the Thin Lizzy live shows in London - great days ! Showing my age now lol .......

Yep, you probably listened to something from the Arch era. They've had three distinct eras, all with very different styles. The middle era is more progressive rock-oriented, much mellower than the early stuff. The newer stuff is more stream-lined, heavier for the most part. Something for everyone

 

[mesa metal]

im curious to hear the new fates album.i been listening to them from the beginning and i still have all the old vinyl records..
i like ray alder for what he does but im a fates warning purist!!!
they are a big part of how i play today along with many others..but the odd thing today i was listening to a lot of british punk from my other "old days"
sometimes i get in those moods.......undertones,,,,,,,,the jam,,,buzzcocks oi'
we should start a bands thread in the off topic section..

 

[leeroy3636]

im curious to hear the new fates album.i been listening to them from the beginning and i still have all the old vinyl records..
i like ray alder for what he does but im a fates warning purist!!!
they are a big part of how i play today along with many others..but the odd thing today i was listening to a lot of british punk from my other "old days"
sometimes i get in those moods.......undertones,,,,,,,,the jam,,,buzzcocks oi'
we should start a bands thread in the off topic section..

Great you mention those bands & tunes, I have just joined a covers band, doing those very things, Jam tunes, undertones, plus some of the 2nd gen ska stuff, like the specials along with trad ska/reggae like monkey man, pressure drop etc, some madness thrown in with a splash of small faces & the odd curve ball like the cult - she sells sanctuary & the thin lizzy version of whisky in the jar - I'm having a ball & the set changes gig to gig, no time for boredom - the mark V does the lot.

My other band does Funk & Reggae, the mark v really comes into its own there, the cleans are second to none in my view for a nice funk single note pick & chords, but being a guitar player there has to be some dirt involved, so we do versions of some obscure stuff like expansions by lonnie liston smith & maceo parkers pass the peas ( made more famous by prince lately - he stole it from us lol ) lots of solo indulgence by us, but the crowd seem to love it, making shapes on the dance floor !
Totally off topic, but what the hell ........

 

[mesa metal]

im curious to hear the new fates album.i been listening to them from the beginning and i still have all the old vinyl records..
i like ray alder for what he does but im a fates warning purist!!!
they are a big part of how i play today along with many others..but the odd thing today i was listening to a lot of british punk from my other "old days"
sometimes i get in those moods.......undertones,,,,,,,,the jam,,,buzzcocks oi'
we should start a bands thread in the off topic section..

Great you mention those bands & tunes, I have just joined a covers band, doing those very things, Jam tunes, undertones, plus some of the 2nd gen ska stuff, like the specials along with trad ska/reggae like monkey man, pressure drop etc, some madness thrown in with a splash of small faces & the odd curve ball like the cult - she sells sanctuary & the thin lizzy version of whisky in the jar - I'm having a ball & the set changes gig to gig, no time for boredom - the mark V does the lot.

My other band does Funk & Reggae, the mark v really comes into its own there, the cleans are second to none in my view for a nice funk single note pick & chords, but being a guitar player there has to be some dirt involved, so we do versions of some obscure stuff like expansions by lonnie liston smith & maceo parkers pass the peas ( made more famous by prince lately - he stole it from us lol ) lots of solo indulgence by us, but the crowd seem to love it, making shapes on the dance floor !
Totally off topic, but what the hell ........

well to stay off topic leeroy,,,i went to a high school that was very into the punk music scene...back in the day all the punk bands at one time or another have passed through our town...the reason why i listen to the heavy stuff today is largely because of punk music....i was also into rush and budgie and all the underground metal at the time as well...there are sooo many punk bands ive seen in my younger days it would take way to long to mention here....but the one show that stands out for me is seeing 999..and having all there autographs on my "high energy plan"album that i still have to this day...i was also in a couple of punk bands back then too....now for some reason as im getting older i really like the verry heavy metal..the heavier the better.. :twisted:
my MKV does it all.

have a great time in those bands and keep the old stuff going...i sure wish i had a MKV back then...
my apologies for taking this thread so off topic
after the weekend ill let you guys know how the tube roll goes with the 5751.....

 

[bandit2013]

Funny, I never really listened to music while I was in High School. That was until I saw my first music video, happened to be "Rock you like a Hurricane" by the Scorpions. At that moment I had direction. It may just have been all the girls terring up the cage in the video that inspired me. 33 years later, many guitars, and amps but no hoards of girls... Bummer dude.

 

[mesa metal]

Funny, I never really listened to music while I was in High School. That was until I saw my first music video, happened to be "Rock you like a Hurricane" by the Scorpions. At that moment I had direction. It may just have been all the girls terring up the cage in the video that inspired me. 33 years later, many guitars, and amps but no hoards of girls... Bummer dude.

now that you mention that ....i thought being on stage all that time would get hoards of girls. :? ..but here i am on the forum with my forum buddies.. :wink:
that was one of my favorite vids back then and is still a great tune now...i remember trying to learn that song way back when!!!
definately another inspiring band of my yooof"
right now my "world livingroom tour" is going great 8)

 

[leeroy3636]

Ok - Finally got the time to try & rectify the mark v problems, changed the 12AX7's one by one, did all of the usual tests to eliminate arcing or other valve probs etc.

No joy - still have the problem, I guess its time to find a local tech, I am a bit miffed about it, as I thought this would be a pre amp valve problem & an easy fix !

Its been a while since I bought it 2nd hand & wondering if I should contact the seller :evil: ?????? Beginning to wonder if they knew about this ......