Hey guys recently I’m thinking of making the switch to the RKII from my beloved “V”…. reason is that no matter how hard I try (And I’ve tried all sorts of combinations….) I just can’t get the Tone that I want , which is JP’s Suspended animation solo album’s tone! :roll: Now he used a RKI not a 2, he had the BEST friggin’ tone I have ever heard, Period…. Now I’m thinkin’ why the hell did he go to the “V” if I , as many others believe his tone was MUCH better from that album which he also used to record TOT… people tend to say rectifiers are loose or saggy for leads!!! What??? come on , something’s not right here . he has the tightest and best rock solid tone on his Solo album (SA) and also when he played Glasgow kiss and damage control on G3 live. Thoughts anyone? Thanks Appreciate all your help. Am I the only one thinkin’ that behind his “V” gear that we all see and read about a KINGII is hiding …??? I mean does he “REALLY” love the “V” over the KING??? I don’t get it , don’t see why??? As I said his tone was the Sh?t on G3 live and SAnimation… Hey don’t get me wrong I love my “V” but I just can’t get that KING tone he had …hmmmm wondering…. Later guys. Thanks :wink: :wink:
Switch to RKII?!?
- Thread starter ricorocks
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Hi there,
I would be careful about such a drastic change. The DT stuff during that era was a lot of recto, but the leads on suspended animation were Mark 2C+. Idk if your favorite tone is lead or rhythm, but you may be enjoying the 2c+.
Also, the RK2 and roadster are very similar. I own a roadster, and I can tell you it doesn't do the SA rhythm sound exactly. The RK1 is a lot closer to a standard dual recto, and the RK1's can be found for pretty cheap.
Also, petrucci has used the recto traditional/ stiletto cabinets for the longest time according to most of the interviews I have read. The oversized cabinets change the tone a lot from the traditional cabs. You could try using a 212, as a big part of the sound is just the mesa V30 ( which sounds virtually the same close miked, regardless of the cab).
I would be careful about such a drastic change. The DT stuff during that era was a lot of recto, but the leads on suspended animation were Mark 2C+. Idk if your favorite tone is lead or rhythm, but you may be enjoying the 2c+.
Also, the RK2 and roadster are very similar. I own a roadster, and I can tell you it doesn't do the SA rhythm sound exactly. The RK1 is a lot closer to a standard dual recto, and the RK1's can be found for pretty cheap.
Also, petrucci has used the recto traditional/ stiletto cabinets for the longest time according to most of the interviews I have read. The oversized cabinets change the tone a lot from the traditional cabs. You could try using a 212, as a big part of the sound is just the mesa V30 ( which sounds virtually the same close miked, regardless of the cab).
discordance_axis
Well-known member
I own both heads and think a huge part of his tone comes from the characteristics of his guitars and Dimarzio's as much as the Mesas.
I also seem to be able to get very nice lead tones from the RKII without any problems or even a boost infront (which is also very nice though). There are a lot of complaints about the "fizziness" recto's tend to have but the general conscientious is that Road Kings and Roadsters are darker and thus smoother. Having the presence off, the treble below 12:00 and the mids around 12:00 gives a great lead tone in the vintage mode.
If you do make the swap i'd suggest you try one first if you can before taking the plunge. New amps take a long time to get used to. It took me a few weeks to get used to the RKII after having just the Mark V, and recently going back to the V after a few months of playing the RKII feels really strange aswell. By the way, I have no problems practicing at home with either amp at lowish volumes through a recto 2x12.
Hope this helps.
I also seem to be able to get very nice lead tones from the RKII without any problems or even a boost infront (which is also very nice though). There are a lot of complaints about the "fizziness" recto's tend to have but the general conscientious is that Road Kings and Roadsters are darker and thus smoother. Having the presence off, the treble below 12:00 and the mids around 12:00 gives a great lead tone in the vintage mode.
If you do make the swap i'd suggest you try one first if you can before taking the plunge. New amps take a long time to get used to. It took me a few weeks to get used to the RKII after having just the Mark V, and recently going back to the V after a few months of playing the RKII feels really strange aswell. By the way, I have no problems practicing at home with either amp at lowish volumes through a recto 2x12.
Hope this helps.
Thanks guys for all your help. Now I’m startin’ to think… could it be my Recto 4x12 Slant OVERSIZE that’s not getting me the tone I want?!? I know JP uses (LOVES) the straight Recto!!! Good to know that JP is sounding good playing these songs with the “V” though. Makes me kinda rethink about makin’ the change… also I will def. try a RKII before buying it first. I wouldn’t buy it blindfolded LOL… thanks for the great support guys Rock On… :roll: :roll:
I generally do not try to follow celebrities and their rigs. They change at random or may even have more behind the rig that what is seen or indicated. I have focused on my own sound and tone, My happy factor is more important to me. Good luck on your quest... I do understand getting the tone and gain structure right when recreating songs from your favorite artists. Have you tried EL34 or 6CA7 in the V yet? I would recommend the EH or Mullard versions over the JJ.
SED =C= 6L6GC or TAD6L6GC-STR will also give you a different tone over the standard Mesa (Ruby)6L6GC. Too bad they do not have the Mesa STR420 coke bottle tubes, those were awesome tubes, very close to the =C=. Then again, I had the pleasure of RCA and Sylvania back in the day with my Mark III.
Question though, could it be the speakers? I found the V30's did not quite work well in the oversized slanted 412. EV's were better suited for the larger cab. I transplanted my V30 in a smaller cab and could not be happier, they do not flub in the smaller cab and the bass will remain tight. I used to dislike the V30, now I love them. The Mark V is a different animal with different speakers. I have two to chose from (412 with EV, 412 with V30, or both).
SED =C= 6L6GC or TAD6L6GC-STR will also give you a different tone over the standard Mesa (Ruby)6L6GC. Too bad they do not have the Mesa STR420 coke bottle tubes, those were awesome tubes, very close to the =C=. Then again, I had the pleasure of RCA and Sylvania back in the day with my Mark III.
Question though, could it be the speakers? I found the V30's did not quite work well in the oversized slanted 412. EV's were better suited for the larger cab. I transplanted my V30 in a smaller cab and could not be happier, they do not flub in the smaller cab and the bass will remain tight. I used to dislike the V30, now I love them. The Mark V is a different animal with different speakers. I have two to chose from (412 with EV, 412 with V30, or both).
I have a Mark V and a Road King II. Until this week, I was at a loss for what to do with the Mark V due to channel 3.
Now I've started playing it set to 10W with triode enabled, and it's changed how I look at the app dramatically. Might be worth trying out. I'm playing it through a 4x12 recto cabinet, fwiw.
Now I've started playing it set to 10W with triode enabled, and it's changed how I look at the app dramatically. Might be worth trying out. I'm playing it through a 4x12 recto cabinet, fwiw.
Hey thanks all for the great info. bandit2013 I am seriously starting to believe it may be the V30’s in the OS Slant 412… I hate this cause now I gotta ditch this one and lose money “again” as always Sh?t … (THE ENDLESS SEARCH FOR THE HOLY GRAIL OF TONE) for a straight recto cab. The consensus seems to be that it’s way tghter and more focused, exactly what I need as I am a lead-Shredhead player , well 99.9% of the time … not always LOL. And yeah I did swap out the 6L6’s for El34’s and I find it sounds much harsher and thinner sounding as opposed to 6L6’s in ch 3 ( they are more compressed and yeah great for liquid leads but when you want big fat warm round (WHAT ELSE ) full cleans….?!?) you know.. plus I’m not crazy for all that distortion. (I feel you lose in Tone articulation definition, separation between the notes ,clarity you know) starts to sound like a Typewriter tone a-la Gilbert-Shawn Lane. Again listen to Glasgow kiss’s tone. Friggin’ awesome. That’s as far as I’ll go distortion wise so El’34’s will not help me , also I read an article where Petrucc’ says he prefers 6L6’s!!! is it true? Does he really love the “V”? is there something lurking in his RIG that we MORTAL HUMANS cannot identify??? Who the hell knows (he’s the only one who knows what he’s using) we see him play the “V” and run out and buy it to emulate his tone (at least me) , but… does he really use it?!? and if he does I believe that it’s NOT the stock ones (Just like the axes , you buy a JP model but he’s NOT playing that guitar , his guitars cost 20 grand at least!!! Just my OPINION…, I think they’re modded in some way (Big time) that’s my opinion and I’m sure lots of people will agree (Maybe custom made for him, thoughts???) why Not? I’d love to ask him in person but with that Poker face he’s got, you can’t really read him …. , I love the fat warm and round tone 6L6’s give. (AGAIN TONE IS ALWAYS subjective as we all know) plus I loose headroom and PUNCH in the clean dept. with EL34’s. Hey dlpasco what was the prob with ch 3 in your “V” man? we should continue discussing how petrucc’ really gets his TONE though!!! REALLY…. So should I get a RKII or NOT HELPPPP ( TO ROCK OR NOT TO ROCK THIS IS THE DILEMMA..) Later thanks guys and ROCK TILL YOU DROP… 
What I found with the V30's in the standard (oversized) recto cab was the beaming effect. Ice pick tone. I was so much not into the V30's I wanted to rip the cones out with a chisel. Just to mangle the dang things would have given me a second of pleasure but to what end? I am glad I decided to preserve the V30's, I could not destroy or throw away what appeared to be a well built speaker after I removed them. Tried them in other applications to no avail, I do not like V30's sam I am , not with my amp, not with that amp, not anywhere..... I could not be so wrong... Cabinet size is the key to great tone. The V30's found a new home in an inexpensive Egnator traditional sized slanted 412 and never sounded better. I am currently using that with an RA100 Head and it sounds awesome. As for my standard recto cab, my fix was 4 EVM12L Black Label. In my opinion, the Mark Series amps sound the best with EV. At a going price of $279 each, it can get expensive. I had two new and two used EV. The used one's I got on EBAY, two for the price of one. They looked like re-coned speakers. I had one that developed a slight buzz with low frequencies. I bought two more new ones to replace the Ebay deals. Cabinet never sounded better. I tested the two that were suspect, only one had the buzz so the other went into an extension 1x12 for use with my Mark IV. The Combo has a Fane AXA Studio 12L which is the Brit version of an EV classic.
I would agree, the Mark V sounds killer with 6L6GC but it matters what tubes they are. SED =C= 6L6GC selected for the Mark V bias is the way to go. However, TAD 6L6GC-STR sound really good too. Gold Lion KT77 are hot as well but out of all power tubes I have used, the SED =C= seem to be the best overall. I did enjoy the JJ 6CA7 for a brief period before they died (only lasted 2 weeks in the V, too bad, they sounded really good.)
Along with good speakers that match the envelope of the cabinet (need to have a good seal), great power tubes, the deal maker or breaker boils down to preamp tubes. The Mark V runs on the hot side (power tube bias) which leads to a strong high end frequency response with moderate lows and mids. Some of this is by design due to the bias circuits of the preamp tubes (the bypass caps on the cathodes network will enhance the high frequencies.) To remedy this, preamp tubes will effect the tone. I have been experimenting with many preamp tubes to get a tone I like in all channels as well as to prevent over compression on the CH3 gain structure. My favorites were vintage Mesa 12AX7A (Chinese) but I only have a limited supply and when they are spent, what next. I have used Tung Sol, EH, Preferred Series, Penta Labs, Northern Electric (only one), Gold Lion, Mullards, Sovtek, etc.... What I found to work best for me to cut the high end without sacrifice to the clean channel, Mullard Reissue V1, V3, V4, V5, V6, Sovtek LPS V7 and the Mullard CV4004 in V2. Seems to have great low end response and very tight. Nice roll off on the upper frequency under high gain or moderate gain. CH2 is incredible. Crunch mode has to be my favorite with EQ set to preset. For lead, either extreme mode or Mark IV with the switch set to triode will clean things up or set to pentode for a bit more edge and grunt. I was ready to let the Mark V go and give up on it entirely but would really miss the crunch mode in CH2. I am happy with it now. Problem is what am I going to do with the Roadster when it arrives? What cabinet will sound good with it? I guess I will have some fun soon. RA100 = V30 (no exception) Mark IV, Mark V = EVM12L (best I have heard) Roadster = ? Sometimes I will run both cabinets through one amp. Sounds really great with the Mark V with a slight delay due to different magnetics and driver coils between V30 and EV sort of gives it some ambience.
I would agree, the Mark V sounds killer with 6L6GC but it matters what tubes they are. SED =C= 6L6GC selected for the Mark V bias is the way to go. However, TAD 6L6GC-STR sound really good too. Gold Lion KT77 are hot as well but out of all power tubes I have used, the SED =C= seem to be the best overall. I did enjoy the JJ 6CA7 for a brief period before they died (only lasted 2 weeks in the V, too bad, they sounded really good.)
Along with good speakers that match the envelope of the cabinet (need to have a good seal), great power tubes, the deal maker or breaker boils down to preamp tubes. The Mark V runs on the hot side (power tube bias) which leads to a strong high end frequency response with moderate lows and mids. Some of this is by design due to the bias circuits of the preamp tubes (the bypass caps on the cathodes network will enhance the high frequencies.) To remedy this, preamp tubes will effect the tone. I have been experimenting with many preamp tubes to get a tone I like in all channels as well as to prevent over compression on the CH3 gain structure. My favorites were vintage Mesa 12AX7A (Chinese) but I only have a limited supply and when they are spent, what next. I have used Tung Sol, EH, Preferred Series, Penta Labs, Northern Electric (only one), Gold Lion, Mullards, Sovtek, etc.... What I found to work best for me to cut the high end without sacrifice to the clean channel, Mullard Reissue V1, V3, V4, V5, V6, Sovtek LPS V7 and the Mullard CV4004 in V2. Seems to have great low end response and very tight. Nice roll off on the upper frequency under high gain or moderate gain. CH2 is incredible. Crunch mode has to be my favorite with EQ set to preset. For lead, either extreme mode or Mark IV with the switch set to triode will clean things up or set to pentode for a bit more edge and grunt. I was ready to let the Mark V go and give up on it entirely but would really miss the crunch mode in CH2. I am happy with it now. Problem is what am I going to do with the Roadster when it arrives? What cabinet will sound good with it? I guess I will have some fun soon. RA100 = V30 (no exception) Mark IV, Mark V = EVM12L (best I have heard) Roadster = ? Sometimes I will run both cabinets through one amp. Sounds really great with the Mark V with a slight delay due to different magnetics and driver coils between V30 and EV sort of gives it some ambience.
If you decide to swap speaker in the OS cabinet, it is a chore which is not easily accomplished. Breaking the original seal (at least for me) was not easy. After removal of all the screws on the back panel, I had to remove one of the side handles and tap it with a hammer from the inside along the bottom edge. Back panel is held together with double sided adhesive tape. Removal of the V30's was also difficult as the foam seal on the cone was well set. Pry up with a flat blade screw driver to remove. You also need to remove the grill which has a multitude of wood screws from the inside. To install EV, you need to replace all of the #8-32 scews with #10-24 along with drilling the other 4 holes for more scews. EV uses a compressed paper seal. The additional screws are a best option for good seal and even distribution. I sealed up all of the grill scew holes and used scews to secure from the front similar to the grill on the front of the Mark V. Weather seal foam strips were also used to prevent vibration of the grill on the front of the baffle board. I used the same foam seal along the perimeter of the back panel and rubber plumbing tape around the handles. I also used black RTV sealant around each speaker. When I decided to replace the two ebay speakers (do not by used speakers) with new EVs, I had a very difficult time taking the cab apart. Removal of the two speakers was also a task but at least the rubber seal remained on the baffle board. My cabinet was 14 years of age by the time I decided to make the speaker change. The V30's were not fully broken in since the cab never got much use, that is until I got the Mark V head. Only had a Mark IV combo and Mark III combo at that time. The cab was bought same time as the Mark IV.
You could opt to buy a Marshal Spec cabinet that is well built. I had considered Mather's Cabinets for some time but have not done so yet. I may ditch the Egnator cab (not bad but flimsy, no comparison to the Mesa quality). The cost for a traditional cab (empty) is reasonable. That way you can choose what speakers to put into it. The difference between Roadster, RA100, RoadKing (including all of the DR's) is the power output section. They are all Full Class A/B amplifiers. It will take more volume to get into the Dumble mode of the power amp compared to the Mark Series amps that use an extended class A mode with a hybrid Class A/B at full capacity, aka Simul Class (tm). I would either opt for the traditional (smaller sized) 412 for V30 use or keep the OS (bigger cab) for EV. Keep in mind, the tone and character of the cabinet will sound different with a full class A/B amp compared to the Simil Class Mark Series. I found that the RA100 on the clean channel has really deep tone which is difficult to tune out with tubes. Way too dark for EV but great with the V30. Not sure how the Roadster will compare, it is due to arrive mid June. I suspect it will sound similar to the RK but without the EL34 power section and dual output transformers. I posted a link to Mather's, may be worth looking into.
http://www.mathercab.com/
You could opt to buy a Marshal Spec cabinet that is well built. I had considered Mather's Cabinets for some time but have not done so yet. I may ditch the Egnator cab (not bad but flimsy, no comparison to the Mesa quality). The cost for a traditional cab (empty) is reasonable. That way you can choose what speakers to put into it. The difference between Roadster, RA100, RoadKing (including all of the DR's) is the power output section. They are all Full Class A/B amplifiers. It will take more volume to get into the Dumble mode of the power amp compared to the Mark Series amps that use an extended class A mode with a hybrid Class A/B at full capacity, aka Simul Class (tm). I would either opt for the traditional (smaller sized) 412 for V30 use or keep the OS (bigger cab) for EV. Keep in mind, the tone and character of the cabinet will sound different with a full class A/B amp compared to the Simil Class Mark Series. I found that the RA100 on the clean channel has really deep tone which is difficult to tune out with tubes. Way too dark for EV but great with the V30. Not sure how the Roadster will compare, it is due to arrive mid June. I suspect it will sound similar to the RK but without the EL34 power section and dual output transformers. I posted a link to Mather's, may be worth looking into.
http://www.mathercab.com/
I know I cannot answer your original question, Only way to be sure the RKII is right for you is to spend some time with one if you can find one in a showroom or shop. I spent an hour messing with a Roadster head through a traditional sized Mesa 412, I could not find a tone I liked or could not figure out how to get the sound I liked. Spent 10 minutes with the Mark V thought the same cabinet after the sales person set it up, and found many tones and gain character I liked. Went to buy a Roadster, came home with a Mark V. After 2 years with the Mark V, 6 months with an RA100, 27 years with a Mark III, and 14 years with a Mark IV, I decided to get the Roadster to add to my amp selection. I miss the Mark III and I do not miss it. I am happy to hear from the person I sold it to made his son very happy. I considered a dual and triple rectifier, and also looked at the Road King (not in person), I realize there is far more to the Rectifier amps than what a Mark Series user can muster in an hour of time. My choice, was based on cost of ownership. Front end cost did not matter but maintenance cost does. 2 Rectifiers and 4 power tubes is enough. Having more tubes will definitely cost more since I like the expensive tubes over the cheap ones. Although having EL34 power section assignable would be a nice feature. As long as the amp has a bias switch to run EL34 or 6L6 I am happy. Definitely have to hear the Roadster with KT77 on board (probably would sound similar to RA100, in the Mark V (depending on preamp tubes) is the Holy S*** batman). Thing about different type of power tubes, you almost need to tune the preamp section to for the power tubes to get the best overall sound. What works for SED =C= 6L6GC does not do so well with KT77 or EL34 and vice versa, 6CA7 on the other hand, if it sounds good with 6L6 it will sound great with 6CA7 (EL34 bias)).
Another misconception about amps and such, I usually set everything way too high and expect it to sound good. As far as the amp is concerned I have my settings and just leave it that way. Am I really getting the full effect of the Mark V? I keep the gain set 10 o-clock on CH3 when I am pushing the envelope of my environment and hearing capacity. As for CH2, gain set to 2 or 3 o-clock. One thing I do not do, adjust guitar volume, why I always keep it all the way up not really sure. I have been learning that is a usable tool for obtaining a desired tone or character which is at my immediate disposal.
Also, are these artists using any additional effects or cab simulators with their rigs? Rush uses the Mark V just for the clean channel but output is sent to a cab simulator and then sent to pa system. Also at what volume are they running the amps? To be honest, they are not using the speaker cabinet unless it is mic'd or use the slave out sent to a mixer and such. There is a difference when compared to the raw signal sent to a stack of speakers. Every time I go to my friends house to jam, everthing is done at bedroom level due to the kids. He uses a old and should be retired Behringer amp that probably would sound terrible if turned up but at low volume level it sounds really good. He can easily get accurate tones to the song he is playing. When I am at home, it is full tilt, shake the foundation loose volume. I do not sound anything close to any artist tone or style (unless I become famous which will not happen).
Another misconception about amps and such, I usually set everything way too high and expect it to sound good. As far as the amp is concerned I have my settings and just leave it that way. Am I really getting the full effect of the Mark V? I keep the gain set 10 o-clock on CH3 when I am pushing the envelope of my environment and hearing capacity. As for CH2, gain set to 2 or 3 o-clock. One thing I do not do, adjust guitar volume, why I always keep it all the way up not really sure. I have been learning that is a usable tool for obtaining a desired tone or character which is at my immediate disposal.
Also, are these artists using any additional effects or cab simulators with their rigs? Rush uses the Mark V just for the clean channel but output is sent to a cab simulator and then sent to pa system. Also at what volume are they running the amps? To be honest, they are not using the speaker cabinet unless it is mic'd or use the slave out sent to a mixer and such. There is a difference when compared to the raw signal sent to a stack of speakers. Every time I go to my friends house to jam, everthing is done at bedroom level due to the kids. He uses a old and should be retired Behringer amp that probably would sound terrible if turned up but at low volume level it sounds really good. He can easily get accurate tones to the song he is playing. When I am at home, it is full tilt, shake the foundation loose volume. I do not sound anything close to any artist tone or style (unless I become famous which will not happen).
Hey bandit2013 thanks for takin’ the time man…you gave me lots of great info and knowledge man. Kudus to you man...great pic with the ev’s in your cab. Awesome lookin’ . I have 2 - G12k85 that sound really really awesome . they’re very well broken in… 20 yrs of plying on them. Creamy smooth warm tone. Beautiful lush, bliss whatever. I was thinkin’: would it be a good idea to mix them in with the V30’s in an X pattern in my box ??? I’d like to know your opinion before I go and pull out two speakers V30’s and replace with the G12k85’s, I also read somewhere that these are identical to mesa’s C90 , but I’m not sure on that!!! Thanks for the tube info as well. My only regret is NOT having bought a Straight Stilettto cab from the start. I probably wouldn’t be asking myself if the problem is the amp (Tone wise) . **** always spending a sh?t load of money on gear … very frustrating. I am really gonna go and check out a RKII . a dealer at about a 2 hour drive from me has one in stock, I’ll see how it works out and if I prefer the recto distortion over the Mark?!? I highly doubt it… so much in love with Mark’s singing lead voice. By the way did you like the roadsters tone/distortion?!? It’s a stripped version of the RKII .Thanks Rock on
Not sure on the G12k85, if they are similar to the MC90, only way to find out is to try it. Some speakers do not perform well in a sealed envelope. The V30's work best in a sealed envelope as do the EV. I did try 2 V30's with 2 EV in the cab since at the time I bought 2 due to high cost. It did not sound any better and did not cure the beaming from the V30's. The not recommended approach, I bought two EV of the same type on Ebay. They held up for nearly 2 years but began to buzz. Reason why I suspect they were re-cone, still had the original web untouched (normally have to pierce it to insert screws), in addition there was no EV logo on the dust cap. Seemed only one had the buzz so I put that one away and used the other with my Mark IV. (sorry for the recap)...
The inherent problem with the oversized cabinet and the V30 is the bass response. The oversized cab seems to cause the flub (over extension of the voice coil and lack of response to the speaker at certain frequencies). Just a smaller size by a few cuibic inches and the V30 sound better than ever. There is a reason for the split cabinet for the RK 412, 2 V30 sealed and 2 MC90 open. I have tried the MC90 in a 1x12 sealed cab and it sounded terrible. The V30 in the same cabinet sounded spectacular. It all boils down to voice coil diameter, driver gauss rating, stiffness of the spyder and cone suspension. MC90 also has a vented core along with fabric dust cap, not sure if air will pass through it completely. The V30 has a fabric dust cap as well but no vent in the core of the driver. Probably why they work well in a sealed cab since there is no air pressure issue in the voice coil. EV is all paper, no fabric dust cap. All venting is in the core only. Any seal leaks on the cabinet will cause noise due to air movement and imbalance of air pressure between enclosure and environment.
I can understand the long drive. For me to get to a Mesa Dealer, it is a 3 to 4 hour drive depending on traffic. Used to be only 1.5 hours but GC and Mesa had a fallout so no longer an option.
The point about the Roadster when I gave it a test drive, I could not get any gain structure or tone that I liked in the show room. If the proper rep was available at the time to help me understand the Roadster a bit better I probably would have bought the Roadster on the spot. Reason why I came home with the Mark V, it was easy to dial in what I wanted but also familiar with Mark III and Mark IV and messed around with a Nomad a while back when I was comparing that to a Dual Rectifier back in the late 90's. Note: the cabinet I played through was a Mesa traditional sized (smaller) 412. It had the V30's as well. Keep in mind, not many amp companies will use the same V30's, most are chines imports. Mesa uses the UK import which sound better. Something about British speakers made in England sound great, Fane AXA Studio also made in England is an amazing speaker. I almost like it better than the EV in my Mark IV combo. The Egnator cab had Chinese made Celestion Elites 75W-16 ohms. Had to remove them since my RA100 could not drive 16 ohm loads (it probably could as a safe mismatch load, but if I wanted to drive two cabinets it was not an option). Since transplanting my 14 year old (barely used) V30 into a traditional sized cab (Egnator 412, was cheap and under my budget for a cabinet build) they were transformed into world class performers. Not much in the beaming effect and frequency spread is more uniform, bass response is tight and not flub prone. I am not recommending an Egnator cabinet, there are better one's out there. Mesa cabs are built like a tank, they can take abuse of loading, unloading, transport, etc... The Egnator cab would not hold up, vinyl is paper thin and nicks very easily. I was in a pinch so it works for now. How does the V sound in the smaller cab, similar as it did with the oversized recto cab when the V30's were in there. However the tone is not quite ear piercing and the bass response is good. Does not compare to the EV in the larger cabinet. I can drive the bass as hard as I want too with the EV that would piss off any bass player if I was in a band. I prefer not to piss off the bass player since they are the back bone as is the drummer to any song. Note: EV can be just as bright as the V30 if not brighter. There will not be any tone coloring as is the case with the V30, so what goes into the EV is essentially what comes out of it.
In short, the Mark V is a bright amp. It will cut though the mix well. However, by itself, it needs to be toned down a bit, it can be very brittle with the Mesa branded JJ tubes. The RA100 is also super bright in the gain channel (cured that with Mullard reissue long plate). The clean of the RA100 is dark so the V30's seem to complement the amp. Both RA100 and Mark V do not use cathode follower circuits (not sure on the RA100 effects loop) like the Dual Rectifier, Roadster and Road King. So if you keep the Mark V, you should not have any issue with Russian preamp tubes in any position (Sarotov Russia: Tung Sol, Svetlana, EH, Mullard, Sovtek, Slovak Republic: JJ tubes). For cathode follower circuits, only the Chinese tubes will work without premature failure: Shuguang (has the nickel plated side clip): Pental Labs, GT, vintage Mesa tubes from the late 80-mid 90s. Ruby ( different than Shuguang) also same as Tube Store version Preferred Sereis 7025.
I would probably test drive the RKII first before changing your cabinet. If it is similar to the Roadster (yep, the RK offspring) it will be a bit darker than the Mark V. I did like what I heard on the Dual and Tripple rectifier amp but those are much brighter like the Mark V. A 2 hour drive is probably worth it. When I bought my RA100, never played through one. So before It arrived, I made a 3 hr drive down to the closest Mesa dealer and played through one since they had 3 in the showroom. When I first experience with the DR when they were introduced, I was not impressed. At that point I had only the Mark III. I just could not dial in that well known gain structure, knowledge is key to happiness. Reason why I wound up with a Mark IV. The Nomad was tempting though. I used to be a regular customer at Dave Phillips Music and Sound in NJ during the band days. Always needed something to keep us going. Now living in Kinston NC , Nothing local so a 2 to 4 hour drive one way is about as close as it gets. (when writing novels like this, always copy the window before posting or poof, you get the log in screen and no message.)
The inherent problem with the oversized cabinet and the V30 is the bass response. The oversized cab seems to cause the flub (over extension of the voice coil and lack of response to the speaker at certain frequencies). Just a smaller size by a few cuibic inches and the V30 sound better than ever. There is a reason for the split cabinet for the RK 412, 2 V30 sealed and 2 MC90 open. I have tried the MC90 in a 1x12 sealed cab and it sounded terrible. The V30 in the same cabinet sounded spectacular. It all boils down to voice coil diameter, driver gauss rating, stiffness of the spyder and cone suspension. MC90 also has a vented core along with fabric dust cap, not sure if air will pass through it completely. The V30 has a fabric dust cap as well but no vent in the core of the driver. Probably why they work well in a sealed cab since there is no air pressure issue in the voice coil. EV is all paper, no fabric dust cap. All venting is in the core only. Any seal leaks on the cabinet will cause noise due to air movement and imbalance of air pressure between enclosure and environment.
I can understand the long drive. For me to get to a Mesa Dealer, it is a 3 to 4 hour drive depending on traffic. Used to be only 1.5 hours but GC and Mesa had a fallout so no longer an option.
The point about the Roadster when I gave it a test drive, I could not get any gain structure or tone that I liked in the show room. If the proper rep was available at the time to help me understand the Roadster a bit better I probably would have bought the Roadster on the spot. Reason why I came home with the Mark V, it was easy to dial in what I wanted but also familiar with Mark III and Mark IV and messed around with a Nomad a while back when I was comparing that to a Dual Rectifier back in the late 90's. Note: the cabinet I played through was a Mesa traditional sized (smaller) 412. It had the V30's as well. Keep in mind, not many amp companies will use the same V30's, most are chines imports. Mesa uses the UK import which sound better. Something about British speakers made in England sound great, Fane AXA Studio also made in England is an amazing speaker. I almost like it better than the EV in my Mark IV combo. The Egnator cab had Chinese made Celestion Elites 75W-16 ohms. Had to remove them since my RA100 could not drive 16 ohm loads (it probably could as a safe mismatch load, but if I wanted to drive two cabinets it was not an option). Since transplanting my 14 year old (barely used) V30 into a traditional sized cab (Egnator 412, was cheap and under my budget for a cabinet build) they were transformed into world class performers. Not much in the beaming effect and frequency spread is more uniform, bass response is tight and not flub prone. I am not recommending an Egnator cabinet, there are better one's out there. Mesa cabs are built like a tank, they can take abuse of loading, unloading, transport, etc... The Egnator cab would not hold up, vinyl is paper thin and nicks very easily. I was in a pinch so it works for now. How does the V sound in the smaller cab, similar as it did with the oversized recto cab when the V30's were in there. However the tone is not quite ear piercing and the bass response is good. Does not compare to the EV in the larger cabinet. I can drive the bass as hard as I want too with the EV that would piss off any bass player if I was in a band. I prefer not to piss off the bass player since they are the back bone as is the drummer to any song. Note: EV can be just as bright as the V30 if not brighter. There will not be any tone coloring as is the case with the V30, so what goes into the EV is essentially what comes out of it.
In short, the Mark V is a bright amp. It will cut though the mix well. However, by itself, it needs to be toned down a bit, it can be very brittle with the Mesa branded JJ tubes. The RA100 is also super bright in the gain channel (cured that with Mullard reissue long plate). The clean of the RA100 is dark so the V30's seem to complement the amp. Both RA100 and Mark V do not use cathode follower circuits (not sure on the RA100 effects loop) like the Dual Rectifier, Roadster and Road King. So if you keep the Mark V, you should not have any issue with Russian preamp tubes in any position (Sarotov Russia: Tung Sol, Svetlana, EH, Mullard, Sovtek, Slovak Republic: JJ tubes). For cathode follower circuits, only the Chinese tubes will work without premature failure: Shuguang (has the nickel plated side clip): Pental Labs, GT, vintage Mesa tubes from the late 80-mid 90s. Ruby ( different than Shuguang) also same as Tube Store version Preferred Sereis 7025.
I would probably test drive the RKII first before changing your cabinet. If it is similar to the Roadster (yep, the RK offspring) it will be a bit darker than the Mark V. I did like what I heard on the Dual and Tripple rectifier amp but those are much brighter like the Mark V. A 2 hour drive is probably worth it. When I bought my RA100, never played through one. So before It arrived, I made a 3 hr drive down to the closest Mesa dealer and played through one since they had 3 in the showroom. When I first experience with the DR when they were introduced, I was not impressed. At that point I had only the Mark III. I just could not dial in that well known gain structure, knowledge is key to happiness. Reason why I wound up with a Mark IV. The Nomad was tempting though. I used to be a regular customer at Dave Phillips Music and Sound in NJ during the band days. Always needed something to keep us going. Now living in Kinston NC , Nothing local so a 2 to 4 hour drive one way is about as close as it gets. (when writing novels like this, always copy the window before posting or poof, you get the log in screen and no message.)
I tend to be wordy.... :shock:
Terms like high frequency roll off, has nothing to do with the fundamental frequency in most cases. Basically it is a measure of harmonics generated at the onset of clip. The natural or fundamental frequency will be sinusoidal (having nice rounded and smooth curves) when clipped, portions of the waveform will become flat, why it is called distortion. The more square the wave form the more distorted the signal. Distorted signal is comprised of the fundamental waveform and its harmonics. Ideally, a pure square wave form would have an infinite amount of harmonics. Roll off, on the other hand, limits the order of harmonics caused by the clipping of the signal. The reason behind the desire of tubes amps is they roll off the clipped signal and usually limit the harmonics below the 4th order. For instance if the natural or fundamental frequency is 1kHz, the 4th order would be 4kHz. Does not seem like much. On the high end of the spectrum, a 10kHz fundamental frequency would be 40kHz (outside of audible range). Without the natural roll off of high order harmonics, tube amps would sound terrible (just like solid state amps). So if there is some roll off on the upper harmonics, low frequencies when clipped will generate a more square shape however, due to the roll off the edges would be rounded off. The Mark III for instance set to high gain output limited to 3rd order harmonics. I used this amp during my Senior design project in college. My goal was to create a solid state amp that retained the characteristics of a tube amp. Don't be fooled though, tube amps can be designed to provide higher order harmonics and the end result will be brittle sound, ice pick or sounding like glass shattering (reference V3MC, Carvin corp). I found that this little Carvin amp was too hot on the harmonic side, basically due to the bias on the EL84 power tubes. The case with the Mark V, the inner tubes are biased on the hot side. If you have a good resource for tubes, always request tubes for Mark V bias, most reputable places will know what to give you for a specific tube. Not sure how that relates to a cold or hot tube. The place I bought the KT77, I specifically indicated the amp runs on the hot side, Mesa Boogie Mark V. End result, they sound great. Tried them in the RA100, they seemed a bit weak side. Same applied with the 6L6GC tubes I have ordered for the Mark V when used in the RA100 head. I have also gone the other way. Tubes that I had ordered specifically for the Mark IV sounded great in that amp, in the Mark V they sounded brittle. The RA100 and from what I recall, the Rectifier amps seem to use a moderate or safe bias which is on the cold side for longer tube life. Simul Class amps (most of the Mark Series) generally run the Class A tubes on the hot side. Mark III and Mark IV (that would be the outer tubes), Mark V use the inner pair. Note: 45W mode uses inner pair V8 and V9, 10W mode uses three tubes V8, V9 and V10 (indicated by which tubes are glowing blue in total darkness). Check it out for yourself. At least my amp runs all three tubes, though it should only be V10 and V8 as indicated in the manual, if you actually have read the manual, I had to double check, the other two tubes are used as a current sink so V9 and V11 will be functioning, V9 will have more glow than V11 due to bias differences).
Despite the brightness factor of the Mark V, I still like it. I am still learning a few things with it especially with CH3 and using the presence control as a fine tune adjustment for high end roll off. Helps to tailor the gain structure. Trick used by John Petrucci.
Terms like high frequency roll off, has nothing to do with the fundamental frequency in most cases. Basically it is a measure of harmonics generated at the onset of clip. The natural or fundamental frequency will be sinusoidal (having nice rounded and smooth curves) when clipped, portions of the waveform will become flat, why it is called distortion. The more square the wave form the more distorted the signal. Distorted signal is comprised of the fundamental waveform and its harmonics. Ideally, a pure square wave form would have an infinite amount of harmonics. Roll off, on the other hand, limits the order of harmonics caused by the clipping of the signal. The reason behind the desire of tubes amps is they roll off the clipped signal and usually limit the harmonics below the 4th order. For instance if the natural or fundamental frequency is 1kHz, the 4th order would be 4kHz. Does not seem like much. On the high end of the spectrum, a 10kHz fundamental frequency would be 40kHz (outside of audible range). Without the natural roll off of high order harmonics, tube amps would sound terrible (just like solid state amps). So if there is some roll off on the upper harmonics, low frequencies when clipped will generate a more square shape however, due to the roll off the edges would be rounded off. The Mark III for instance set to high gain output limited to 3rd order harmonics. I used this amp during my Senior design project in college. My goal was to create a solid state amp that retained the characteristics of a tube amp. Don't be fooled though, tube amps can be designed to provide higher order harmonics and the end result will be brittle sound, ice pick or sounding like glass shattering (reference V3MC, Carvin corp). I found that this little Carvin amp was too hot on the harmonic side, basically due to the bias on the EL84 power tubes. The case with the Mark V, the inner tubes are biased on the hot side. If you have a good resource for tubes, always request tubes for Mark V bias, most reputable places will know what to give you for a specific tube. Not sure how that relates to a cold or hot tube. The place I bought the KT77, I specifically indicated the amp runs on the hot side, Mesa Boogie Mark V. End result, they sound great. Tried them in the RA100, they seemed a bit weak side. Same applied with the 6L6GC tubes I have ordered for the Mark V when used in the RA100 head. I have also gone the other way. Tubes that I had ordered specifically for the Mark IV sounded great in that amp, in the Mark V they sounded brittle. The RA100 and from what I recall, the Rectifier amps seem to use a moderate or safe bias which is on the cold side for longer tube life. Simul Class amps (most of the Mark Series) generally run the Class A tubes on the hot side. Mark III and Mark IV (that would be the outer tubes), Mark V use the inner pair. Note: 45W mode uses inner pair V8 and V9, 10W mode uses three tubes V8, V9 and V10 (indicated by which tubes are glowing blue in total darkness). Check it out for yourself. At least my amp runs all three tubes, though it should only be V10 and V8 as indicated in the manual, if you actually have read the manual, I had to double check, the other two tubes are used as a current sink so V9 and V11 will be functioning, V9 will have more glow than V11 due to bias differences).
Despite the brightness factor of the Mark V, I still like it. I am still learning a few things with it especially with CH3 and using the presence control as a fine tune adjustment for high end roll off. Helps to tailor the gain structure. Trick used by John Petrucci.
dlpasco said:
I will search for your post on your issue. In short (or long) what are you experiencing with CH3?
WOWWWW bandit2013 are you an engineer or a rocket scientist!!! You sure know your stuff man. You are highly technical . why aren’t you working for mesa :roll: ??? With all your knowledge and experience you would have them build the recto’s with EV’s and have them Stop building the OS cabs that tend to produce flub ( why the hell are they making them, unless of course you are using a full stack which is highly unneeded nowadays…it’s just a Rock show in my opinion cause it looks awesome )?? If the straights are so MUCH BETTER???. Wow glad we hooked up. You gave lots more info. than I could ever imagine. Great, really appreciate it . thanks . I wanted to ask you: since you also have the Mark IV , how do you feel it compares with the V? since I trust what you say over anyone else at this point. You know your Sh?t! you should be Directing MB…(Mr. Smith’s right arm :wink: ). i noticed that I prefer soloing and rhythm playing on Ch3 in Mark IV mode, sounds really classic boogie, but when it comes down to Modern Prog tones for “Soloing” I prefer Extreme for it’s aggressive in your face accurate "solo tracking" especially in Pentode mode (Watch out)!!!. WOW. Gotta get used to that stifffy feeling though , takes a while. I noticed triode is much more softer creamier and more legato feeling, Vintage sounding, looser basically (For lack of a better term),. Pentode really stands out if you don’t totally scoop your mids, (I love my mids) it’s really focused and forward. It’s a punch in your guts (Cuts through any Mix...), you can hear note separation , definition and articulation especially playing with a setneck all mahog. Guitar because the gain isn’t as thick (So it seems). i feel setnecks have piano like tones... just awesome. But you have to have an extremely well technique , that’s probably why they called it “EXTREME” LOL I think few people play leads in this mode and prefer using it for heavy rhythm. But I love it for leads if you have the clean chops and great articulation. don’t you agree???(perfect synchronization between left and right hands when playing fast, no hiding behind the gain here, unless you turn your gain uo to 5!!! Which sounds like crap, I am by no means a high gain junkie. I like to hear each and every note separation especially when playing fast , and extreme delivers in spades . gives you the the clarity a-la Guthrie Govan and JPetrucc’s tone . the best tones I’ve ever heard honestly… I like to keep it set around 2) because this mode is “NOT FORGIVING” as Mark IV mode if you catch my drift!!! Anyhow I’m not as good as you in writing “Novels” LOL but appreciate all your help. Thanks … till next post…
My issue with communication is TMI. I get a notice from my boss many times to be more to the point and leave out the weeds.
The only battle I have with the Mark V is the high frequency response. Not enough roll off in the upper registers and tends to get brittle at times. I like to feel my music as well as hear it. I typically use the Mark IV mode due to the compressed tone. My favorite mode however resides in CH2 crunch which lends itself to a punk heavy metal tone with the gain dialed up to about 2 o'clock, mids about the same, bass at 12 and the treble dialed down to 10 o'clock (raise for lower for different attack) Presence can be used to tune the chug so I keep it low. The EQ set to preset with control knob at noon.
Extreme mode, that is a favorite too. All depends on what guitar I am using and what tone I am after. Works great for Billy Squire "lonely is the night intro" or the entire song. For Scorpion tones I use Mark IV or crunch. Same for Led Zep. CH2 Crucnh for ACDC sound. What I like the best overall out of all three amps, hands down the Mark V clean channel is the best for what I do. Piano like tones in the clean channel setting is amazing. 30 years means nothing (8 years of no guitar playing due to injury, now relearning how to play again).
In honesty, I like the oversized cabinet. Having a proper marriage of drivers to the size of the cabinet matters. EV is a good speaker after they break in. They are super tight during the break in process (recently replaced two that were bought used with new ones, now tone is tight and bright and will be for at least 2 more months) I prefer the Zakk Wylde black labels for the low end response. Classics have a softer bottom end but sound just as good.
The Mark IV is a great amp but is a bit different than the Mark V. In order to get similar compression with the Mark IV as you can get with the Mark V you need to push the master volume up to 4 (3 is at full peak output, anything higher compresses the tone considerably). Note with a Mark IV combo, you cannot do that with the MC90, it will break up severely. A Fane AXA Studio 12L takes a lot of abuse and I can literally set the master volume as high as I want, signal becomes more compressed as you get passed 4. Tone wise, the Mark IV basically has only one voice per channel. RHY1 (clean) is nice and dry (using combo speaker and 1x12 external cab). Similar through the 412 cabinet. RHY2 was a channel I did not use much. It can get muddy easily. However through the 412 it sounds really good. Lead in the Mark IV (without using the phase shift pulls on the presence control and with the lead voicing set to mid gain) can get close to the Mark V in Mark IV mode. What can be done with the Mark IV that you cannot do with the V (early versions of the manual of the V indicated you could, but later changed to you can) use an integrated quad (two EL34 and two 6L6) You do not gain that much and the differences is not dramatic but is a bit different. What I found that sounds really cool with the Mark IV is mixing TAD6L6GC-STR with SED =C= 6L6GC. Channeled into the 412 cabinet can really sound sinister. When using it as a combo, not noticeable as much. I like my combo but the Mark IV as a head would have been a better amp. I will not say one is better than the other since they are both great amps. The Mark V is far more versatile through its different voicing per channel. I actually like both amps and they complement each other running them in parallel with one guitar and a stereo effect used as a signal splitter. For lead work with note definition and articulation the Mark V would be the top choice. I have experimented with triode and pentode modes. If I need more headroom in my signal I will set to triode. Also the three power modes of the Mark V really set up the stage for versatility. 10W mode in CH3 has its merits. I used to use the 45W mode most of the time with the power switch in Variac position. Cuts the highs down a bit. The Mark IV amp, that would be the tweed setting. There is a lot to discover with the Mark Series amps than what meets the eye. How I have my rigs set up, Mark V, I use it for everything (blues to heavy metal). Mark IV, set up for chug metal. (helps to have an oversized 1x12 for deep tones) Chug Metal, not sure that is an accurate term. Perhaps I should become a Bassist instead, I seem to dwell in that frequency range most of the time. The RA100, that is just a raw amp best suited for vintage tones but can do some heavy stuff too.
Reason why I am not working for Mesa, they did not want me, never mind I never sent them my resume, but I did send one into Peavy and Carvin. The other reason, I am not an audio engineer, my career path took me into a different direction into process controls. Perhaps if I started in the guitar amp designs 20 years ago I would have made some fun stuff, I was more up to par than, now it is just cobwebs, besides I have fun with what I do now, no need to change career goals.
Randall Smith is a generous in his own way. Have to thank his efforts in providing a superior product that we can all enjoy. Not sure why Mesa and EV went their separate ways, either cost or politics got in the way. The EV I had in my Mark III was part of the reason it was a great amp, the other part it was a Mesa. If they still had the EV black shadow available I would be using it now. I know the basics with the tube amps but that is it. As far as information, I only skimmed the surface.
The only battle I have with the Mark V is the high frequency response. Not enough roll off in the upper registers and tends to get brittle at times. I like to feel my music as well as hear it. I typically use the Mark IV mode due to the compressed tone. My favorite mode however resides in CH2 crunch which lends itself to a punk heavy metal tone with the gain dialed up to about 2 o'clock, mids about the same, bass at 12 and the treble dialed down to 10 o'clock (raise for lower for different attack) Presence can be used to tune the chug so I keep it low. The EQ set to preset with control knob at noon.
Extreme mode, that is a favorite too. All depends on what guitar I am using and what tone I am after. Works great for Billy Squire "lonely is the night intro" or the entire song. For Scorpion tones I use Mark IV or crunch. Same for Led Zep. CH2 Crucnh for ACDC sound. What I like the best overall out of all three amps, hands down the Mark V clean channel is the best for what I do. Piano like tones in the clean channel setting is amazing. 30 years means nothing (8 years of no guitar playing due to injury, now relearning how to play again).
In honesty, I like the oversized cabinet. Having a proper marriage of drivers to the size of the cabinet matters. EV is a good speaker after they break in. They are super tight during the break in process (recently replaced two that were bought used with new ones, now tone is tight and bright and will be for at least 2 more months) I prefer the Zakk Wylde black labels for the low end response. Classics have a softer bottom end but sound just as good.
The Mark IV is a great amp but is a bit different than the Mark V. In order to get similar compression with the Mark IV as you can get with the Mark V you need to push the master volume up to 4 (3 is at full peak output, anything higher compresses the tone considerably). Note with a Mark IV combo, you cannot do that with the MC90, it will break up severely. A Fane AXA Studio 12L takes a lot of abuse and I can literally set the master volume as high as I want, signal becomes more compressed as you get passed 4. Tone wise, the Mark IV basically has only one voice per channel. RHY1 (clean) is nice and dry (using combo speaker and 1x12 external cab). Similar through the 412 cabinet. RHY2 was a channel I did not use much. It can get muddy easily. However through the 412 it sounds really good. Lead in the Mark IV (without using the phase shift pulls on the presence control and with the lead voicing set to mid gain) can get close to the Mark V in Mark IV mode. What can be done with the Mark IV that you cannot do with the V (early versions of the manual of the V indicated you could, but later changed to you can) use an integrated quad (two EL34 and two 6L6) You do not gain that much and the differences is not dramatic but is a bit different. What I found that sounds really cool with the Mark IV is mixing TAD6L6GC-STR with SED =C= 6L6GC. Channeled into the 412 cabinet can really sound sinister. When using it as a combo, not noticeable as much. I like my combo but the Mark IV as a head would have been a better amp. I will not say one is better than the other since they are both great amps. The Mark V is far more versatile through its different voicing per channel. I actually like both amps and they complement each other running them in parallel with one guitar and a stereo effect used as a signal splitter. For lead work with note definition and articulation the Mark V would be the top choice. I have experimented with triode and pentode modes. If I need more headroom in my signal I will set to triode. Also the three power modes of the Mark V really set up the stage for versatility. 10W mode in CH3 has its merits. I used to use the 45W mode most of the time with the power switch in Variac position. Cuts the highs down a bit. The Mark IV amp, that would be the tweed setting. There is a lot to discover with the Mark Series amps than what meets the eye. How I have my rigs set up, Mark V, I use it for everything (blues to heavy metal). Mark IV, set up for chug metal. (helps to have an oversized 1x12 for deep tones) Chug Metal, not sure that is an accurate term. Perhaps I should become a Bassist instead, I seem to dwell in that frequency range most of the time. The RA100, that is just a raw amp best suited for vintage tones but can do some heavy stuff too.
Reason why I am not working for Mesa, they did not want me, never mind
I never sent them my resume, but I did send one into Peavy and Carvin. The other reason, I am not an audio engineer, my career path took me into a different direction into process controls. Perhaps if I started in the guitar amp designs 20 years ago I would have made some fun stuff, I was more up to par than, now it is just cobwebs, besides I have fun with what I do now, no need to change career goals. Randall Smith is a generous in his own way. Have to thank his efforts in providing a superior product that we can all enjoy. Not sure why Mesa and EV went their separate ways, either cost or politics got in the way. The EV I had in my Mark III was part of the reason it was a great amp, the other part it was a Mesa. If they still had the EV black shadow available I would be using it now. I know the basics with the tube amps but that is it. As far as information, I only skimmed the surface.
Well i totally agree with the way you are using the modes for the styles of music you described. I’m sorry to hear you injured yourself geeze that sucks (it’s so true Sh?t happens man…) I hope your able to play the guitar just as well now, … your saying “I only skimmed the surface” Woooohh if you skimmed the surf. I have NO CLUE as to what’s what?!? LOL. Peavey or carvin should of called you and MESA. But hey we don’t choose our lives . life chooses us. That’s my belief. Great to know you feel the V is just as good as the IV (if I understood correctly). Lots of people are bashing on the V for some unkown reason. See that’s why i wanted to hear from you, because you know what you’re talking about. And you have both so you can give me an honest opinion (NON BIASED). Others may just be talking Sh?t just for kicks… or maybe they don’t know how to dial in a Mark v correctly so they fault the V for their incompetence. Great to hear from you as always take care. I’ll let you know what I think of the RKII as soon as I try it Wednesday . later I just hope it is playable at bedroom volumes, but I doubt it since it will only go down to 50 w at the most… there’s always a piece of the puzzle missing. Couldn’t they have made it playable in 10 watts like the v or even better throw a GEQ on it!!! That would really be killer. (GEQ and 10 w option on RK) just day dreaming LOL
Let me just say I understand the basics with tube amps. Some of the designs that have been done by Mesa blows my mind.
As for the Mark V, it does have its faults too, So does the MarK IV. I would miss either one if I let one go, but I would prefer to keep the Mark V. I believe most expect the amp to be like the amps it is similar to. They forgot to add the Mark III blue strip in there. Now I am disappointed. (not) :shock: I did not buy the V to replace any amp. I bought it because it was different, versatile yet familiar. All one has to do is take the time and explore its possibilities. So far, the V excels beyond the anything I have experienced. To me it is a great instrument and has value due to its versatility. If it lasts me as long as the Mark III did (that amp is still going strong) I will be happy. I bought the Roadster because it is different, not a Mark or RA, because it is a DR. It is versatile, 4 channel monster, but not familiar like the Mark amps. I do not mind owning 4 Mesa Boogies. It will be a blast when it arrives.
As for the RK, Roadster, any or all of the Rectifier amps (except the micro) RA100 (not a rectifier but similar) do not have 10W modes as I am sure you already know. Simul Class circuits of the Mark Series amps will push the power tubes into saturation much earlier than any of the Rectifier amps. I guess you will find out soon. The RA100 on the other hand, I can set the power soak and drop the output considerably in volume but yet retain the gain structure and character of the power tubes under saturation. To be honest, I rarely ever use 10W mode in the V. I keep it at 90W most of the time. Nothing sounds better than the grunt of saturated power tubes. I believe some in the forums have a solution, not sure if it does what I think it does, Cab Simulators, but they are expensive.
As for the injury, happed about 10 years ago, shoveling deep snow and snap, tendons in my left elbow ripped. To make matters worse, I broke my pinky finger on the left had when I slipped on the ice that same winter. It took 8 years of recovery, and to actually tolerate playing the guitar again ( I tried many times but convinced myself I was done with it.) When I sold my Mark III in 2012, had to give it a good send off only to discover there was no more severe pain to play again. My wife heard me playing and made me promise never to give up on it. I owe it to her for getting me started with music again. For the past two years I have been relearning how to play, most of it came back but have lost what I used to be able to do. Oh well, I won't quit the day job anytime soon.
As for the Mark V, it does have its faults too, So does the MarK IV. I would miss either one if I let one go, but I would prefer to keep the Mark V. I believe most expect the amp to be like the amps it is similar to. They forgot to add the Mark III blue strip in there. Now I am disappointed. (not) :shock: I did not buy the V to replace any amp. I bought it because it was different, versatile yet familiar. All one has to do is take the time and explore its possibilities. So far, the V excels beyond the anything I have experienced. To me it is a great instrument and has value due to its versatility. If it lasts me as long as the Mark III did (that amp is still going strong) I will be happy. I bought the Roadster because it is different, not a Mark or RA, because it is a DR. It is versatile, 4 channel monster, but not familiar like the Mark amps. I do not mind owning 4 Mesa Boogies. It will be a blast when it arrives.
As for the RK, Roadster, any or all of the Rectifier amps (except the micro) RA100 (not a rectifier but similar) do not have 10W modes as I am sure you already know. Simul Class circuits of the Mark Series amps will push the power tubes into saturation much earlier than any of the Rectifier amps. I guess you will find out soon. The RA100 on the other hand, I can set the power soak and drop the output considerably in volume but yet retain the gain structure and character of the power tubes under saturation. To be honest, I rarely ever use 10W mode in the V. I keep it at 90W most of the time. Nothing sounds better than the grunt of saturated power tubes. I believe some in the forums have a solution, not sure if it does what I think it does, Cab Simulators, but they are expensive.
As for the injury, happed about 10 years ago, shoveling deep snow and snap, tendons in my left elbow ripped. To make matters worse, I broke my pinky finger on the left had when I slipped on the ice that same winter. It took 8 years of recovery, and to actually tolerate playing the guitar again ( I tried many times but convinced myself I was done with it.) When I sold my Mark III in 2012, had to give it a good send off only to discover there was no more severe pain to play again. My wife heard me playing and made me promise never to give up on it. I owe it to her for getting me started with music again. For the past two years I have been relearning how to play, most of it came back but have lost what I used to be able to do. Oh well, I won't quit the day job anytime soon.
What ever you decide to do, especially when it comes to speaker replacement, things you should consider first.
1. Once you break the seal of the cabinet, it will be difficult to get it sealed again. It can be done with foam rubber weather stripping. You may need to remove the bump stops (plastic o rings with screws) that support the grill as they tend to generate noise due to vibration. Weather strip also helps with that.
2. With speakers, I can express my opinion but it is subjective. I admit I have a bias for EV but that being said, I really like the Fane speakers too. I did dislike the V30's ever since I bought the oversized cabinet in 2000. Probably why I did not use it much. However the V30 is a well made speaker and really sounds excellent in a smaller more traditional sized cabinet. The best speaker I ever heard with the Mark V has got to be the WGS Black Hawk HP100. I had one mounted in my Mark IV for a while (made the speaker cable long enough to try it with the Mark V head). Hands down the WGS speaker delivered the tones I really craved. It had its faults though, I do not believe the speaker can actually sustain 85W of tube power due to over heating the driver. Perhaps 4 of these in a 412 would be fine. The WGS wound up in my Carvin V3MC since its maximum output is 50W. Jensen Black Bird would have been a better choice for a ALNICO type driver. There are many speakers out there, not all are for everyone. I may prefer the EVM12L black label for its tight punch in the low end but some may think it is too harsh. They can be extremely bright too, similar to the V30. Trick with any amp is to fine tune the tone and character with preamp tubes that accentuate the power tubes. Many do like Eminence speakers, Webers and scumbacks. I would say my preference for EV began with the Mark III having the EVM Black Shadow. To me that was Mesa at its best. I wonder what the new Eminence / Mesa Boogie Filmore sounds like in comparison. If you have changed speakers before, then you already know of the break in period and that sometimes speakers sound best before they are broken in or vise versa. Usually it is the other way around. Good luck in what you decide to do with your cabinet, and he Mark V. Let us know about what you think of the RK.
I would recommend hearing the Road King first. When you test it out, check to see what cabinets they have available. Oversized or traditional. That way you will be able to hear the difference. This evening, I was trying to debate which I like better with the RA100, definitely the V30. Switched over to the Mark V, has to be the EV. (only comparing what I have at the moment). I am considering building another cabinet. Still uncertain if I will go the EV route or other. Depends on how the Roadster sounds with either cabinet.
Ask around, perhaps there is someone else in the forums that plays the same type of music style that you prefer. Me, I am an old fart stuck in the 90's and going in reverse to the 60's, typical Led Zepplin, Scorpions, Judas Priest, ACDC, always Pink Floyd. The new stuff, not bad, lots of talent everywhere you look.
1. Once you break the seal of the cabinet, it will be difficult to get it sealed again. It can be done with foam rubber weather stripping. You may need to remove the bump stops (plastic o rings with screws) that support the grill as they tend to generate noise due to vibration. Weather strip also helps with that.
2. With speakers, I can express my opinion but it is subjective. I admit I have a bias for EV but that being said, I really like the Fane speakers too. I did dislike the V30's ever since I bought the oversized cabinet in 2000. Probably why I did not use it much. However the V30 is a well made speaker and really sounds excellent in a smaller more traditional sized cabinet. The best speaker I ever heard with the Mark V has got to be the WGS Black Hawk HP100. I had one mounted in my Mark IV for a while (made the speaker cable long enough to try it with the Mark V head). Hands down the WGS speaker delivered the tones I really craved. It had its faults though, I do not believe the speaker can actually sustain 85W of tube power due to over heating the driver. Perhaps 4 of these in a 412 would be fine. The WGS wound up in my Carvin V3MC since its maximum output is 50W. Jensen Black Bird would have been a better choice for a ALNICO type driver. There are many speakers out there, not all are for everyone. I may prefer the EVM12L black label for its tight punch in the low end but some may think it is too harsh. They can be extremely bright too, similar to the V30. Trick with any amp is to fine tune the tone and character with preamp tubes that accentuate the power tubes. Many do like Eminence speakers, Webers and scumbacks. I would say my preference for EV began with the Mark III having the EVM Black Shadow. To me that was Mesa at its best. I wonder what the new Eminence / Mesa Boogie Filmore sounds like in comparison. If you have changed speakers before, then you already know of the break in period and that sometimes speakers sound best before they are broken in or vise versa. Usually it is the other way around. Good luck in what you decide to do with your cabinet, and he Mark V. Let us know about what you think of the RK.
I would recommend hearing the Road King first. When you test it out, check to see what cabinets they have available. Oversized or traditional. That way you will be able to hear the difference. This evening, I was trying to debate which I like better with the RA100, definitely the V30. Switched over to the Mark V, has to be the EV. (only comparing what I have at the moment). I am considering building another cabinet. Still uncertain if I will go the EV route or other. Depends on how the Roadster sounds with either cabinet.
Ask around, perhaps there is someone else in the forums that plays the same type of music style that you prefer. Me, I am an old fart stuck in the 90's and going in reverse to the 60's, typical Led Zepplin, Scorpions, Judas Priest, ACDC, always Pink Floyd. The new stuff, not bad, lots of talent everywhere you look.
