Thinking of getting Mark five 25 but trade or sell needed

[waterboy]

Hello,
I ventured into the boogie family by purchasing a used Mesa f-50 a few years back. I love the f-50. I am now looking hard at the mark five 25 but it would probably require selling and/or trading my f-50 and american deluxe strat. I have the strat and a traditional les paul. just wondering if it would be worth giving uptake f-50 and the strat for hose of you that have this amp already. Thanks for the help.

 

[jc986]

If you can, definitely try to play a Mark V:25 before getting rid of your gear. Only you will be able to determine if getting rid of those 2 pieces of gear would be worth it.

I have a Mark V, and it is a great amp and incredibly versatile. I haven't played the Mark V:25 yet, but most seem to like it a lot.

 

[izzwardo]

Mesa Mark V 25 with a 1x12 rectifier cab :wink:

 

[waterboy]

Thanks. Unfortunately even in a large NC city there is not a boogie dealer near by anymore. I agree with what you are saying though it would be good to play one. I also should say I just played it again and I may have to wait and get one in addition to what I have. To hard to get rid of the strat and f-50.

 

[waterboy]

Mesa Mark V 25 with a 1x12 rectifier cab :wink:

Looking at this pretty hard. Do you guys think It's worth the trades to get the mark v 25? I know volume wise and the way I play out very rarely the cab clone feature and the other features of the amp are very interesting.

 

[elvis]

I had two F50s, and sometimes wish I still had one. That is a GREAT amp.

If you really like the tone and gain, then you might not like the V:25 so much. The big bottles in the F50 give you some low-end thump and presence you can't get out of EL84s. Also, the F50 has a gritty overdrive that is more like the Rectifiers than Marks. The marks have a very different character.

If you like the amp and guitar, then save up for the V:25. If you like it, then get rid of the equipment you don't want. But I wouldn't do a blind swap unless you just can't stand the GAS pains. And I really recommend taking a V:25 to rehearsals and gigs before getting rid of the F50. Not just a showroom trial. Maybe you can borrow or rent one.

Be patient. If the F50 is working for you, take your time.

 

[waterboy]

I had two F50s, and sometimes wish I still had one. That is a GREAT amp.

If you really like the tone and gain, then you might not like the V:25 so much. The big bottles in the F50 give you some low-end thump and presence you can't get out of EL84s. Also, the F50 has a gritty overdrive that is more like the Rectifiers than Marks. The marks have a very different character.

If you like the amp and guitar, then save up for the V:25. If you like it, then get rid of the equipment you don't want. But I wouldn't do a blind swap unless you just can't stand the GAS pains. And I really recommend taking a V:25 to rehearsals and gigs before getting rid of the F50. Not just a showroom trial. Maybe you can borrow or rent one.

Be patient. If the F50 is working for you, take your time.

Thanks Elvis. Awesome response. I am attracted to the mark because of the portability and flexibility but all great points. It's hard to believe but I live in a major nc city and the closest dealer is about 1.5 hours away. I think you're right about being patient but it's hard to do with the features on this amp. I have to admit when I play the f-50 and strat as well as the lp they would be hard to part with. I'm very torn. Patience is probably good advice!

 

[OldTelecasterMan]

I have the F-30 and I would not let go of it. I still use it on small gigs. The Mark V is my main amp and it is a tone beast. But letting go of something that you are happy with thinking the grass is greener in Mark 25 land. You will regret it. The "F" series amps are awesome.

Always buy...Never sell.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I, personally, could never totally get onboard with the F-series' tone. I think the Mark tone is much more refined and toneful for my tastes at least. Playing one first would definitely be a good idea, but I bought mine based on clips on YouTube. It did not disappoint by any means. It is a different beast compared to the F's, but if you are happy with your tone then there's no need to rush...

Where are you located?

 

[OldTelecasterMan]

After reading my post, I didn't really clarify my advice. Yes you will love the Mark 25... I would recommend the Mark V but my point is, regret will always follow when you sell one piece of gear to get another. The two amps are completely different animals so loosing the F-50 will later cause remorse. Not that you traded one for the other but that later the F-50 will be gone.

Everyone needs backup amps.

 

[waterboy]

Thanks guys. I'm located in Charlotte. No mesa dealer here. How different do you think the sound of the 5 25 is? I know it's hard to describe. you guys are giving great advice. I should probably wait for the right time and get both. It's such a cool little amp.

 

[elvis]

the 5:25 is completely different. It has WAY more available gain. The EQ gives a HUGE amount of control over the tone. The modes give a lot of flexibility. The reverb is useable.

It's a Mark tone. It tends toward smooth. Where it is tuned to be rough it tends to be meaty and brutal. Watch the Mesa video with Petrucci playing the 5:25, that is pretty representative, and it really shows off crunch mode, which is the hidden gem of the 5:25.

By comparison the F50 will have way more thump and general low-end presence and projection. And the F50 is a bit more shrill and crispy on top. The F50 is about definition and bite. Lower gain, high-mid presence.

The 5:25 loses a of low-end punch due to the EL84. At high volume, the EL84 gets to be pretty nasal, it really loses the low drive. This can be compensated by running the direct out to the board and just using the 5:25 for stage volume, but some people don't have that option.

 

[waterboy]

the 5:25 is completely different. It has WAY more available gain. The EQ gives a HUGE amount of control over the tone. The modes give a lot of flexibility. The reverb is useable.

It's a Mark tone. It tends toward smooth. Where it is tuned to be rough it tends to be meaty and brutal. Watch the Mesa video with Petrucci playing the 5:25, that is pretty representative, and it really shows off crunch mode, which is the hidden gem of the 5:25.

By comparison the F50 will have way more thump and general low-end presence and projection. And the F50 is a bit more shrill and crispy on top. The F50 is about definition and bite. Lower gain, high-mid presence.

The 5:25 loses a of low-end punch due to the EL84. At high volume, the EL84 gets to be pretty nasal, it really loses the low drive. This can be compensated by running the direct out to the board and just using the 5:25 for stage volume, but some people don't have that option.

That definitely gives me a lot to think about. I'm playing Sunday and having a head would be a real advantage with this setup. It will be interesting to see how it sounds. I have to put the amp backstage and run a mic but I can open it up. They also have cabs so the fact of just taking a head is really interesting. I use the line out into garage band a lot to practice with he speaker mute on the f-50. I wonder if I would miss the low end with my playing style and normal volume level. Definitely goes me something to think about. It's almost like if the mark had the cab clone or a silent recording option I would make the extra money jump. BTW the crunch option is pretty awesome. I would be able to run direct some of the time but in some situations here and there it may not be an option.

 

[waterboy]

Well the f-50 and my Lester sounded pretty good today. Had to run long cords though and it would have been really nice to have a head in this situation. Really made me think hard about the mark v 25 plus I did not run it that loud even with it back stage. It did sound great though. do you guys think I am getting the low end of the F-50 or maybe I'm running it so low I wouldn't miss it anyway. The master is about 8 o'clock definitely no more than 9:30.

 

[MusicManJP6]

That definitely gives me a lot to think about. I'm playing Sunday and having a head would be a real advantage with this setup. It will be interesting to see how it sounds. I have to put the amp backstage and run a mic but I can open it up. They also have cabs so the fact of just taking a head is really interesting. I use the line out into garage band a lot to practice with he speaker mute on the f-50. I wonder if I would miss the low end with my playing style and normal volume level. Definitely goes me something to think about. It's almost like if the mark had the cab clone or a silent recording option I would make the extra money jump. BTW the crunch option is pretty awesome. I would be able to run direct some of the time but in some situations here and there it may not be an option.

You do know the V:25 has a CabClone built-in (as well as a speaker mute which acts as a load box), right? It sounds great running direct to my PC through my monitors.

I actually think you would have MORE bottom end if you were to pair the V:25 with a closed back cab (compared to your F-50 combo's open back cab design).

Just some more info to think about...

 

[waterboy]

That definitely gives me a lot to think about. I'm playing Sunday and having a head would be a real advantage with this setup. It will be interesting to see how it sounds. I have to put the amp backstage and run a mic but I can open it up. They also have cabs so the fact of just taking a head is really interesting. I use the line out into garage band a lot to practice with he speaker mute on the f-50. I wonder if I would miss the low end with my playing style and normal volume level. Definitely goes me something to think about. It's almost like if the mark had the cab clone or a silent recording option I would make the extra money jump. BTW the crunch option is pretty awesome. I would be able to run direct some of the time but in some situations here and there it may not be an option.

You do know the V:25 has a CabClone built-in (as well as a speaker mute which acts as a load box), right? It sounds great running direct to my PC through my monitors.

I actually think you would have MORE bottom end if you were to pair the V:25 with a closed back cab (compared to your F-50 combo's open back cab design).

Just some more info to think about...

Good point. So would you guys go closed back Thiele or rectifier?

 

[elvis]

If you want to go 1x12, then Widebody Ported. It sounds a lot bigger than the Thiele.

Thiele is OK if you must keep it small.

Stacking two Thiele or (better) two WP is great.

If you can go with 2x12, then recto all the way.

 

[elvis]

If you keep the F50 AND get a V:25, you can try running the FX send of the V:25 into the FX return of the F50 to use the bigger power amp...

 

[waterboy]

Compact would be better but I will have a cabinet I can use at church I think also. 2X12 may be out of the price range. I amy look for a used cabinet. I was looking at sweet water and they had a price cut on a rectifier cabinet but I was not sure how which cabinet would go best with this amp. Edited to add that my F-50 is a wide body and I guess I could just use it as a speaker cabinet until I figure out another cabinet option. Maybe the best of both worlds?

 

[MusicManJP6]

Compact would be better but I will have a cabinet I can use at church I think also. 2X12 may be out of the price range. I amy look for a used cabinet. I was looking at sweet water and they had a price cut on a rectifier cabinet but I was not sure how which cabinet would go best with this amp. Edited to add that my F-50 is a wide body and I guess I could just use it as a speaker cabinet until I figure out another cabinet option. Maybe the best of both worlds?

The F-50 widebody is still an open back so you'll prob want to compensate for the EL84s with a closed back or ported cab most likely.