Thinkin of getting a Mark V - Combo vs Head

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QuantBlue

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So guys, Ive been playing the guitar for almost ten years now, and seriously considering going for my first tube amp (cant stand that digital Boss -GT, Line 6 crap anymore)
I ve been saving up money for quite some time now, and really want to get an AMP that can pretty much do anything, so as a big fan of varius Guitarist using Mesa Mark Series Amp i thought the Mark V would be the best choice.
However most of the time ill be using the amp will be at home, but also for jamming in the cellars of my friends house and for some gigs, so i need to be at least a bit portable.
Do you think it is worth buying the amp if im using it most of the time a home (neighbours are not sensitive to noise but i wont be able to crank it in any way)?

What would be the best choice? Combo or Head with a 1x12, 2x12? (Somehow i think i do not like V30, they have some high end frequenzy that absolutely ruins it for me, especially with high gain sounds, just my opinion)

Im playing pretty much everything from Blues, Funk, Jazz, Rock up to Metal but not any Metalcore, Deathmetal etc.

Can the combo still get decent sounds? ( i know it has a different speaker and open back)

Thanks for help :)
 
If for nothing else the Heads hold their value and resell much better than the combos. That said, I prefer combos for the stuff I play
 
Yeah, i thought about that value think, but if i pull the triffer i dont think im going to sell it anytime sooon, btw what speaker are you rinning in your combo?
 
i vote for the head, this will give you more flexibility as far as what type of speaker/cab you can use, plus, a combo is HEAVY where as the head, the weight is split between the two components (head and cab). Even though you only play at home for now, you never know when you might be gigging. Plus, in the event that you have to send the amp back to mesa for warranty, shipping the head in it's original box would be less expensive rather than shipping a combo. I used a 1 x 12 closed back cab on my V, the sound still is phenomenal. I normally use an open back 4 x 10 with my V, mainly because the head sits nicely on top. Either cab, the V sounds excellent, just need to adjust the settings a bit for different speaker cabs.
 
I prefer a head mainly because I seem to buy new amps here and there and sometimes I just want a new amp, so having a nice cabinet allows me to do so. I know I could always buy a combo but having a kick *** cab, I can save in most cases a few hundred bucks by getting the head. Plus nothing looks cooler than a badass head sitting on top of the cab!
 
The combo sounds great for cleans, blues, and classic rock. For metal, I prefer to use an external cab. I bought a combo only because it was the only thing easily available when I made my purchase. If I were buying now, when Mark Vs aren't in shortage, I'd get a head for sure.
 
I have two Mesa combos and wouldn't do it again, I'd get the heads instead. The roadster sounds fine but the weight is so limiting, it's like a 100+ lbs. I don't care for the sound of the combo for the V. I am happier with swapping the c90 with a v30 in the V. I have been thinking about trading for a head or buying a head shell.
 
gummx97 said:
i vote for the head, this will give you more flexibility as far as what type of speaker/cab you can use
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't.
You can connect the combo to any cab you can connect the head. It has the same exact connections available. Plus, you can use (or choose not to use) the internal speaker - which isn't available in the head.
The combo gives you all the flexibility the head does, and more.


gummx97 said:
a combo is HEAVY where as the head, the weight is split between the two components (head and cab).
Click to expand...

^This, on the other hand, is the best reason to get the head rather than the combo: the weight! I'm currently lugging the combo and an external cab around, and if I were given the chance to choose again, I would probably go for the head. But the option of using the internal speaker is nice for quick home practice and such (and fortunately, I have roadies, so what do I care, let them sweat...)
 
to me the combo sounds more shrill and boxy than the head.. that's why I went with a head+trad cab..
 
K-Roll said:
to me the combo sounds more shrill and boxy than the head.. that's why I went with a head+trad cab..
Click to expand...

Not sure what to make of this statement. Barring individual differences between one amp and another, when played through an external cab, the combo should sound the same as the head.

I'm boggled by this "it's a combo, you can't use a cab!" mentality. A Mesa combo like Mark V is more like a (bulky) amp head with a bonus internal speaker. You can still connect it to any external cab you wish (and disconnect the internal speaker), just like a head. And that's exactly what I do.

Of course, if you always use an external cab anyway, it makes more sense to just get a head.
 
QuantBlue said:
So guys, Ive been playing the guitar for almost ten years now, and seriously considering going for my first tube amp (cant stand that digital Boss -GT, Line 6 crap anymore)
I ve been saving up money for quite some time now, and really want to get an AMP that can pretty much do anything, so as a big fan of varius Guitarist using Mesa Mark Series Amp i thought the Mark V would be the best choice.
However most of the time ill be using the amp will be at home, but also for jamming in the cellars of my friends house and for some gigs, so i need to be at least a bit portable.
Do you think it is worth buying the amp if im using it most of the time a home (neighbours are not sensitive to noise but i wont be able to crank it in any way)?

What would be the best choice? Combo or Head with a 1x12, 2x12? (Somehow i think i do not like V30, they have some high end frequenzy that absolutely ruins it for me, especially with high gain sounds, just my opinion)

Im playing pretty much everything from Blues, Funk, Jazz, Rock up to Metal but not any Metalcore, Deathmetal etc.

Can the combo still get decent sounds? ( i know it has a different speaker and open back)

Thanks for help :)
Click to expand...

I would definitely get a head plus cab. Sound/electronics wise they're identical but it makes lugging a lot easier.

I love my IIC+ 1x12 combo but it is pretty heavy and I imagine the V will be even heavier!

As for 1x12 versus 2x12? Well my 1x12 completely smoked the other guitarist's Marshall 4x12/Marshall JCM800. For a gag I cranked it a bit at practice, he starts moaning "my amp is dead my amp is dead and sticks his ear directly on his 4x12 to test for any sound". You couldn't hear his rig at all so don't worry about "only having a 1x12" - Mesa Boogie do a lot with a 1x12.

That said - a 4x12 is "even bigger", especially in the bottom end department. If you play metal exclusively then I'd suggest a Recto 4x12 cabinet (or maybe a 2x12?). You can always add another cab down the track.

As for open back - the "open" aspect definitely makes clean tones come alive more. Which way you go open or closed depends on which tone you want to optimize (ie cleans or heavy).
 
I got a combo and the love the sound of it. The only time I miss that bottom thump is in a large area like a warehouse or outside w/o a PA/un-mic'd. I like that I can make it from the "car to the bar" in one trip. That's with two guitars, pedalboard, cables, etc.

The weight for me is no big deal, I even have mine in a road case and the only pain point is in/out of my van (down by the river :D ).

A head and a 1x12 would weigh even more I would think. I guess you can spread 'em out over two arms or two trips but the weight is still there. I'd bet it would be even more if the latter two were in road cases. I don't know.

With that said, I still wouldn't mind getting another ext cab 1x12 to put on the other side of the stage :D

Good luck with yer decision!
 
Thans for all the diffferent opinions i appreciate that!
In the end I think trying out combo and head with some cab will be the best idea, luckily i found out that a near store has them both.

Can you recommend any good 112 cabs? A mesa 112 here in austria is 500€ = 635 dollars > quite expensive.
Are there any other cabs you would recommend? 4x12 is definately to much, as i think a 212 is (they are heavy).

I heard that some people run a single 60 wattt v30 with a mark V ? Is that no problem? (considering i will hardly crank it)
 
It's probably safe if you don't intend to dime it but I wouldn't do it.

I don't get folks who boast "it's a combo and you can use a cab, flexibility etc.", yeah... you have one heavy thing to lug around just so you can lug another thing around with it and use both or one or the other. To my ears a cab sounds better for the harder genres anyway.

I would get a head+cab if I were you. 4x12 too big, get a 2x12, 2x12 too big, get a thiele :)
 
Jackie said:
I don't get folks who boast "it's a combo and you can use a cab, flexibility etc.", yeah... you have one heavy thing to lug around just so you can lug another thing around with it and use both or one or the other.
Click to expand...

Hey, we don't disagree here. That's exactly what I've always been saying.

As for flexibility per se, you don't lose anything if you pick the combo - but you will take a big hit in the roadability department, if you plan to lug around a combo and a cab (as opposed to a head and a cab). I just prefer to keep these two issues separate.

For people who play gigs and don't want to use the combo speaker, the head is by far the better choice. Unless they have roadies whose last names are Coleman and Cutler, that is.
 
I had a Mark IV combo and it was too **** heavy but it had casters at least. I think there is the problem of vibration or rattling of tubes with combos as well.

get a head unless you find a great deal on a combo (which are convenient also).
 
Well, I love my MkV combo with the stock C90 speaker for my needs very much!! :mrgreen:

I have also experimented using my MkV combo as a head by disconnecting the internal speaker of the combo and connecting it to my 212 recto cab (with dual V30 speakers) with different, but also very good results.

The MkV is capable of such a wide variety of great sounds with all of its modes and features that I would be very hard pressed to say either is better. For my needs....I prefer the combo, but I don't play death metal where the head and closed back cab would be a better choice for that style of music.

Some people immediately eliminate the combo due to weight, and yes, it does weigh more than the head, but I find it compact and fairly easy to transport.....especially with the easy to remove casters. Also, many players that opt for the head play through 212 or 412 cabs that alone will weigh nearly as much if not more than the MkV combo.

Definitely play through both prior to purchase to assess what will work best for your needs. Either way, the MkV is an excellent amplifier!

Best of luck! :mrgreen:
 

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