Bentaycanada
Member
I've just picked up a Mark V 35 and I won't be using it with my band anytime soon, but I am curious how the 4 EL84's hold up at band volumes?
Anyone had any good / bad experiences?
Anyone had any good / bad experiences?
Are you playing a large room with a beast of the drummer who just can't/won't hold back?I've just picked up a Mark V 35 and I won't be using it with my band anytime soon, but I am curious how the 4 EL84's hold up at band volumes?
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer; it really depends on your definition of "metal" and who you're playing with. It definitely will be enough for most situations, but if you want to be 100% sure, I'd suggest finding a used 90 watt V.I hope another rock/metal guy will chime in and confirm/deny 35watts is loud enough.
boogiemk535 said:As promised, I am back with a review after playing out with the Mark 5 35w head last evening. As stated above, I play in a classic metal/hard rock band with another guitar player with an ENGL powerball 2 head and a drummer who doesn't hit vary hard. We play Priest, Maiden, Sabbath, Metallic and so on. First thing I will say after hearing the live recording off of my portable Tascam recorder that I place out on the floor (we were all mic up), the tone is absolutely killer. As far as stage volume coming out of a venue supplied Tech21 4x12, I heard everything the same as I did with my Mark 3 head and my Orange Dark Terror 100watt head. I was on 35w mode and did have to raise that master volume a bit more then I did at home when I was sampling possible stage volumes. This did cause some feedback but thats to be expected and nothing I couldn't control with the volume knob or just moving away. I used the MK4 channel with settings as follows:
Gain - 2 o'clock
Treble - 2 o'clock
Mid - 9 o'clock
Bass - 10 o'clock
Presence - 2 o'clock
Master - 10 o'clock
EQ - Basic V with top sliders meeting the top line and middle slider meeting the bottom line.
I also used the SOLO boost which performed as expected. Solo's were there and very clear and loud.
All in all, the 35watts performed well. I was actually louder (cut through better) then my ENGL partner in the live recorded mix, and had no problem cutting through out there. Stage volume...maybe I could have used a little bit more punch, just maybe, but nothing to be concerned about. The 35watts handled the job well and I feel no need to purchase the 90watt head. However I do plan on purchasing the 90watt full version if I find one is great shape used. I would like the 35w for more portability reasons, and the 90w for extra power and channels. Its all the amps I would ever need.
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