Mark V & Roadster - Channel Switching lag, drop out, etc.???

[Monsta-Tone]

I've been on the fence for a long time about selling all of my amps and getting either a Mark V or a Roadster.

I like the size of the V combo, same size as my DC-5 which fits most stages and rehearsal spaces very well!
Plus, it's a little larger than my IV combo, which sounds small to me, even at high volume.

I like the 2x12 of the Roadster, but it's freakishly huge.

I love Recto tones.
I love the Lonestar cleans and reverb.
I love the lead tone on my IV.
I'm still torn between the 2 amps.


I have a question for all of you guys that own one of them or have owned one of them.....
What is the dropout time like when changing channels?
I have owned both Lonestar models. I ended up selling them because I could not adjust to the lag time when channel switching. The channels switched fairly quickly, but the reverb drop out was just unacceptable to me.

I also owned one of the early Roadsters (Serial # 400 or so) and it had huge popping issues when changing channels. I did not know about the trick of cycling through the channels on the footswitch while the amp was on Standby. I'm not sure anyone knew about it at the time.


So....
I would like to own one of these amplifiers.
I am very unsure about the channel switching, noise, dropout, etc....
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[theroan]

The Mark V only pops if the channel you're switching to or from is in the 10 watt mode. I use a bunch of reverb on channel 1 but none on 2 or 3 and I don't notice any issues.

 

[mdortona]

Hi Andy,

As you probably remember, I've owned both. Coming from the Lonestar end of things, the reverb switching delay was never a deal-breaker for me, having owned both models. The LSS remains my current gigging amp 85% of the time and practically speaking, neither the audience (nor me) notices the switching delay. For me, it was something "that I got use to quickly",although I admit that initially, it was mildly annoying.

As far as the Roadster was concerned, it was overkill for me power-wise, and I never really bonded with the "Recto tone". The clean channel was great, but I wanted more of a "milder" OD sound (which is why I'm using the LSS). I also knew about the switching trick to get rid of the pops. It was a very nice amp.

FWIW, in my band situation (the proverbial classic rock band), the LSS covers most of the bases (and your Baby Plexi and Chuck's Twin Jr. take care of business on alternate nights 8) ). I picked up a Wampler Triple Wreck pedal recently for the handful of tunes that need a Recto type of sound. Couldn't justify spending 1K for a Mini-Recto for 3-4 songs.

For a guy like you who seems to be into the "heavier" & prog stuff, I think that the V is going to keep you happier. It boils down to which tone is more important to you (MK lead tone vs. Recto chug). Just my two cents!

Matt

 

[screamingdaisy]

My Roadster pops when switching to channel 3 the first time after powering up. After I cycle the channels its a non-issue. I think the pop has mellowed over the time as I rarely even think about it anymore.

Both the Roadster and Mark V have the reverb dropout when switching channels. You probably already know this by now, but they do it so that switching from lead to clean doesn't cause your reverb to blow out your eardrums.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Thanks guys!
I tried the Mark IV with the band for the 1st time on Saturday. We have had a 5 week break after recording a demo cd.
It sounds so good by itself, but only took about 2 songs before the drummer and bass player (and myself) to realize that this amp just doesn't fit our band. I play lead and rhythm, so I want both the chunky Recto tone, plus the Mark singing lead tone and stellar cleans.

The Mark is just too focused for our sound, which was loosely based around a hot rodded Heartbreaker (SLO type overdrive).
On a side note, I have a Soldano Lucky 13 in for repairs (used to be mine). It has the SLO gain mod and sounds freakishly good but noisy. This amp sounded incredible with the band!
Not to diss Mesa, they have been my only amps for over 10 years. But....there is a reason I am always messing with them. Maybe it's time for me to try something else altogether.

 

[knotts]

The delay is noticeable on my roadster, but it doesn't bother me. On the other hand, the LSC doesn't seem to have that issue at all, or more likely it's so mild that I don't notice it. I wanted to buy a soldano lucky 13 but I went with the roadster instead. It just seemed more versatile...that and i couldn't find one.