RA100 vs Mark v vs Roadster

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gabsonuro

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I am interested in these three amps:

- i am currently a basement player- 18w is my current amp and i like to crank it up a little bit, neighbors aren't a problem. would like to preserve my hearing within reason.

- hoping to gig in the future- currently busy with school and working.

- play all styles, but would say metallica style gain and above is my main territory. i like dark chimey cleans with a tight distortion.

- price isnt really an issue, aslong as i am happy with what i get.

i have been eyeing a mark v for a while, but will have to buy new as i don't see any on the used market near me. 2249 for the head.

RA100 will also have to be new, for the same reason. 2200 for head.

Roadster i can get used. 1500 for head, 1700 for combo.

I am leaning towards a mark or ra100. ra100 really intrigues me because it seems simple to control and has a great power soak option that is perfect. mark is a similar story, more options, not as good power options. I tend to be a tweaker- i like to hear different sounds out of my amp every time i use it. Roadster sounds badass from videos i have watched online and has nice dark cleans. loudness looks like it would be a problem as it is only 50/100 watts.

any help?
 
If your a tweaker then get a Mark V. You will be tweaking for years with that amp, it also also has selectable power outputs which would suit you.
 
If you are talking early metallica tones then yes the Mark V, since most of the older stuff was some sort of Mark amp. I do not think you would like the RA for what you are looking for. The roadster might get you close enough that you would be happy and you might like it more for home playing since it is basically the bass and guitar in one with how much low end it has....
 
The RA-100 is similar to channel 3 tones of the Mark V amp, but with EL34 tubes instead of 6L6's. It gives it a more Marshall/Orange/British type tone.

The Mark V is a tweakers dream and nightmare all in one. However, as you learn the amp you can dial in some really unique and interesting tones that I haven't been able to replicate on a Solo or Roadster head.

10 Watt Mark V can sound beastly when dialed, at both low and high volumes. and if you prefer the RA tone, you can always put EL34's in the Mark V, and still have a broader range of tonal options than the other amps.
 
Mungo Zen said:
The RA-100 is similar to channel 3 tones of the Mark V amp, but with EL34 tubes instead of 6L6's. It gives it a more Marshall/Orange/British type tone.

The Mark V is a tweakers dream and nightmare all in one. However, as you learn the amp you can dial in some really unique and interesting tones that I haven't been able to replicate on a Solo or Roadster head.

10 Watt Mark V can sound beastly when dialed, at both low and high volumes. and if you prefer the RA tone, you can always put EL34's in the Mark V, and still have a broader range of tonal options than the other amps.


I am terrified of purchasing any 3 of these amps as i am concerned i will regret it when i get home.

Tons of conflicting information online - one guy says the mark is awesome as a home amp and i think maybe i will buy it and another guy says it is a waste and you wont get the potential of the amp and i think maybe this isnt such a great idea.

I am scared of the volume levels and if the investment os really worth it for my use - could i get the exact same thing from a 1000$ mini rectoverb
 
If you think you are going to be unhappy than you need to keep searching and get all the answers you need.

Buy the amp you love, not the one you think you want or need. I love my Mark V and wouldn't trade it for anything. I have 'almost' bought a lot of amps over the years and with the exception of one specific modded Vox Birkenstock I do not regret not buying any of them.
 
I have a Mark V and a Royal Atlantic. I've never had a Roadster, but I had a Road King once upon a time. I also currently have an Express 5:25+ which is a suprisingly good little amp.

From what you describe, the RA probably won't make you happy, in that its gain channel is much more Marshall styled, thicker and richer, and not as "high gain-y"/Metal as you seem to describe.
The Mark V does have the ability to work well at low volume and certainly will get you pretty much any tone, as people have said, but it does take some time to dial it in. I think the biggest challenge with the Roadster would be getting it to thrive in low volume settings, as my memory is that you can't knock it down to a single tube.

You might consider looking at some of the lower powered amps- Rectoverb 25, mini-rectifier and the Express series.
Most importantly, you have to decide with your ears and your hands, not on paper or theory or by discussion or committee. Either go find a way to play one or some of them, or buy something used that might work, try it and either keep it or resell it and try another. However, if your only option is buying new, that makes it hard.
Good luck.

Brent
 
Which 100 watt amp do we recommend for a bedroom player concerned with protecting his hearing? :lol:
Pretty much any amp will sound like garbage because until you get the speaker cab moving air you're driving a Ferrari around in 1st gear.
 
Hell, my Mark V on 10 watt single tube setting is plenty loud in band rehearsal and house settings. 45 or 90 watts is all but unusable at household settings, as you can't open the tubes or the speaker up enough to get "tone."

To answer your question, my answer is: The only 100 watt amp good for bedroom use is a digital modeling 100 watt amp, as digital watts are to tube power as .. an Easy Bake Oven is to real cooking. :lol:

I stand by recommending a 5 or 10 watt single tube power section for home use. But, then maybe my definition of "home volume" really translates to "old fuddy duddy loud". :roll:
 
babow2 said:
I have a Mark V and a Royal Atlantic. I've never had a Roadster, but I had a Road King once upon a time. I also currently have an Express 5:25+ which is a suprisingly good little amp.

From what you describe, the RA probably won't make you happy, in that its gain channel is much more Marshall styled, thicker and richer, and not as "high gain-y"/Metal as you seem to describe.
The Mark V does have the ability to work well at low volume and certainly will get you pretty much any tone, as people have said, but it does take some time to dial it in. I think the biggest challenge with the Roadster would be getting it to thrive in low volume settings, as my memory is that you can't knock it down to a single tube.

You might consider looking at some of the lower powered amps- Rectoverb 25, mini-rectifier and the Express series.
Most importantly, you have to decide with your ears and your hands, not on paper or theory or by discussion or committee. Either go find a way to play one or some of them, or buy something used that might work, try it and either keep it or resell it and try another. However, if your only option is buying new, that makes it hard.
Good luck.

Brent

i tried them all today

RA sounded great at low volumes but is too vintage sounding for what i want.

Mark v sounded good aswell. not as loud as i thought it would be.

Roadster needed volume to breathe. Sounded weak on low volumes but couldn't find the sweetspot as the guitar store only lets you use it at like 0.0000001 watts.
 
Thats pretty cool one store had all of those specific Mesa's in stock. My local Mesa dealer fills their inventory with Mark V's, and after having a purple Road King II Combo sit for 3 years, I can't imagine they will branch out much except on special orders. It sounds like you had a fun day! :D
 
I've been really happy with my mark v. Haven't had issues playing it at lower volume. If you want a swiss army knife of tone you can't really beat it. You can get some pushed mid out of crunch on channel 2, or nice scoopage in Mark IV mode on channel 3. Also, it is important to note that you don't have to use the EQ on all channels. I run channel 2 without EQ and the mids boosted.
 
Just my observation, since I've had my Mark V for 3 days now.....Makes me a pro, right? I've also had a Roadster.

The Mark V is, by nature, a very mid-heavy amp and to me it sounds much better with a band. It also has the ability to cut a little better than the "Roadster"/Rectifier IMO.

The Roadster sounds a little more friendly and pleasing when playing by yourself, but I found I was getting lost in the mix sometimes. It's also a little easier to dial in and offers more "modern" tones. IMO, it has a little more gain on tap than the Mark series.

I like the Mark V best, but have not played a RA100..... The cleans could work perfect for anything from fat Jazz to twangy country. I also like my amps to have a good mid-range and the Mark series works perfect there (but the Graphic EQ can control that if you need it to).
 
I have all three and really enjoy them !

Mark V is quite versatile, will cover many playing styles and will cut though in the mix. Only the 90W mode is Class A/B , 45W and 10W are both class A power amp modes. It is a great performer.

Roadster is also quite versatile in tone. Great with all styles of music. Class A/B in 100W and 50W. Excellent in all aspects.

RA100 is perfect for blues, jazz, and classic rock. Not quite the monster you need for Heavy Metal. Perhaps an OD pedal will get you close. This amp was designed for headroom even though it uses EL34 (it can be switched to 6L6 but sounds much better with EL34). Amp will have a spongy character. Does not have a variac power supply like the Mark V or Roadster.

For me, it would be a tough choice between Roadster and Mark V. I really like the Mark V but also love the Roadster. There is a fix for the Roadster to cut thought he mix (change V1, V2 to Tung Sol, V6 to Sovtek LPS and change power tubes to either SED=c= 6L6GC or TAD6L6GC-STR). I do not play in a band, probably why I favor the Roadster a bit more than the Mark V (seems a bit too bright for my taste, don't let that sway you from one over the other). Both are great amps and will serve you well.
 
I have to retract my first vote. I re-read the original post. Perhaps my experiences may sway you in one direction or another.
RA100 yep, this amp has character to it. Power soak can be used to influence power tube saturation but at a penalty in output volume. With the stock preamp tubes, the clean channel tends to be a bit bass dominant. Tweaking the tone controls and boosting the treble is a means to overcome the low end. High gain channels (LO/HI) may seem a bit bright. I generally boost the bass and drop the treble down. What is interesting about this amp, it is two independent preamp circuits. Two tubes are used primarily for the Hi/Lo channel and two different tubes are used for the clean channel. This amp performs best overall with NOS tubes. My favorite are 1990 Mesa Chinese (square getter tubes) in both preamp sections. I like to drive the gain on both channels and the Chinese /Mesa tubes sound great. The current mesa tubes sound good too. This amp can achieve Heavy Rock character with an OD pedal on the front end, but there is a better option.... Roadster.

I did vote for the Mark V since you were leaning on the Mark V vs the RA100. however, my personal experiences with this amp (this time I will not hold back on opinion) has been less than satisfactory. It does have some versatility but can also be problematic. I have had more issues with this amp in 2 years than I ever had with my Mark III for 24 years. Same can be said for the Mark IV after owning it for 14 years. It does have some merits and if it is Metallica you want, the Mark amps is what they have used (as mentioned by others). Some people really love this amp, but it may not be for everybody. Sometimes I love this amp, sometimes I hate it. Perhaps I should not have recommended it due to issues I have had with mine. Also noticed you like the darker tones and gobs of gain. Considering what may spark your interests (tweaking) you may find yourself limited with the V. Sure the 10W mode may be great, 90W is also good too, 45W will eat up tubes :evil: I may just have a lemon :| unfortunately I have had too many issues blowing tubes out in 45W mode. It has been a while since I toasted tubes, probably because I only use 90W mode. I would recommend the Mark V over the RA100 if it is Heavy Metal you want, but in terms of performance and long term satisfaction, the RA100 would be of better value. There is another.....

I would definitely reconsider the Roadster. Do not let the 50W/100W power section scare you away. Using the Master volume control you can adjust output and still get great sound from this amp at lower volumes. I am amazed how much there is to discover with this amp. It surpasses both Mark V and RA100 in versatility and range of character. Even with 100W power setting, the amp sound great at lower volumes. Open it up and wake up the harmonic expression of saturated power tubes. I have not lost my hearing yet. Nor have I pushed the limits with this amp either. Note: The RA100 is just as loud unless you run the power soak to its max. I have gotten more satisfaction in the past 4 months of ownership of the Roadster than I had with all of my other amps combined.

The best option: find a dealer and try them out. RA100 is an easy amp to figure out, Mark V a little more complex, Roadster is quite different in its own way. I would also recommend printing out the sample settings for the Roadster from the online manual before test driving.
 
One characteristic I like about the Roadster is "channel cloning." The Mark V gives you a clean channel, a rhythm/crunch channel, and a lead channel. The Roadster gives you a clean channel and then it gives you the exact same clean channel again. Then the Roadster gives you a high gain channel and then it gives you the same high gain channel but with a boost in the presence. The traditional channel hierarchy does not exist with the Roadster which gives the player a tremendous amount of freedom. When it comes to amplifiers, versatility usually means an amp can give you many different tones. With the Roadster, versatility means it can give you many different tones OR the same tone on multiple channels. I have found this particularly useful with Channels 1 and 2 (the clean channels) which are both a proverbial "blank canvas" which can be tonally colored using the channel strip, mode selector, and tone controls. "Channel cloning" is something that I feel is often overlooked when discussing the Roadster when in reality its one of the best features on the amp. That is my 2 cents. :wink:
 
let's not forget the configurable power supply of the Roadster. You have two choices per each channel, silicon diode or tube rectifier tracking which is available in all power modes 50W and 100W. I am loving the tube rectifier tracking with 100W. The Mark V on the other hand only offers tube rectifier tracking for all channels in 10W mode, CH1 and CH2 at 45W only. I was unsure I was going to like it since I was not what I expected in the Mark V. Talk about some interesting harmonic content when used with the high gain channels. The Roadster is the tweaker's dream amp, then you have the Road King that takes it much farther with different power tube selections and cabinet switching, which would be the ultimate tweaker's dreamp amp. It is a tough call really. There is so much to explore on the Roadster alone, a few minutes with the amp may not be enough to really appreciate its potential. Both Roadster has one feature different from the rest (selectable FX loop ), The Roadster and Mark V can enable or disable the FX loop via the foot switch controller. The RA100, once you plug something into the loop, it will be there regardless. If the effect pedal or processor does not have a true hard bypass, the only way to take it out of the signal chain would be to unplug it. Reverb is adjustable for each channel on the Roadster and Mark V, RA100 uses a single pot to control reverb effect, there is a bypass switch if you need to pull it from the Hi and Lo channels, Hi channel or completely bypassed. RA100 may seem to have limited features, but it is all in how it sounds that matters and will it achieve what you want from it?
 
bandit2013 said:
let's not forget the configurable power supply of the Roadster. You have two choices per each channel, silicon diode or tube rectifier tracking which is available in all power modes 50W and 100W. I am loving the tube rectifier tracking with 100W. The Mark V on the other hand only offers tube rectifier tracking for all channels in 10W mode, CH1 and CH2 at 45W only. I was unsure I was going to like it since I was not what I expected in the Mark V. Talk about some interesting harmonic content when used with the high gain channels. The Roadster is the tweaker's dream amp, then you have the Road King that takes it much farther with different power tube selections and cabinet switching, which would be the ultimate tweaker's dreamp amp. It is a tough call really. There is so much to explore on the Roadster alone, a few minutes with the amp may not be enough to really appreciate its potential. Both Roadster has one feature different from the rest (selectable FX loop ), The Roadster and Mark V can enable or disable the FX loop via the foot switch controller. The RA100, once you plug something into the loop, it will be there regardless. If the effect pedal or processor does not have a true hard bypass, the only way to take it out of the signal chain would be to unplug it. Reverb is adjustable for each channel on the Roadster and Mark V, RA100 uses a single pot to control reverb effect, there is a bypass switch if you need to pull it from the Hi and Lo channels, Hi channel or completely bypassed. RA100 may seem to have limited features, but it is all in how it sounds that matters and will it achieve what you want from it?


The problem is i know i want the rectifier sound - the liquid rhythm distortion, but i don't want the volume associated with the roadster. I tried one in the store and its f******king loud, like really loud. I tried a mark V combo in the store and it was nowhere near as loud, but the tone didn't really blow me away- it sounded good, but nothing amazing. I hope that is just the case with the combo and not the stack. The mark V also seems like a nightmare to fix with all these knobs and PCB's inside the amp.
 
I believe many have come down this path. Even after getting a Mark V, I wanted more. It is a great amp for 80's type sound, some Metallica and I am sure many other bands will come to mind if I review who is endorsing it at the moment. I went in the other direction and wanted something that does the Classic Rock justice as well as expressive blues to get lost in. The RA100 was the answer to that, probably one of the most expressive and articulate sound machines to plug a guitar into. I guess there is a range that it will compete with the Mark V. I also have a dark side and always venture into Heavy metal type playing. I was really missing out on what I was after in the first place, the Roadster. I just did not see its potential on my first try out. My view on the Rectifier series was turned around and now I am a believer that this amp is one of the best Mesa has made for Heavy Metal and almost everything else. Not quite the holy grail but **** close (or is it spot on). I almost blew a few brain cells at lunch today, decided to try a drop D tuning though it. Now that was an experience to behold. Makes me want to get an 8 or 7 string guitar. RA100, just will not do it, Mark V okay but missing something, perhaps CH2 crunch with gain maxed out will get close to the Vintage or RAW tone, but Modern is untouchable. To get that Legendary Rectifier tone and gain structure, you need to get a Rectifier amp. Yeah, the Mark V has a single Rectifier on board, only works in 45W mode or 10W mode, it may add to the spongy character for the clean channel and center channel, besides that, the Rectifier does not create the tone, it is all in the preamp, so the V is just not the same thing. I still like it though but has lost that wow factor the Roadster has provided.

When it comes to the internals, all three amps are relatively complex in their circuit board designs. There may be more going on in the Mark V but should not really matter. Roadster, RA100 and Mark V have a multitude of PCB's. Separate preamp circuit board. Separate power tube board, Separate logic board with bias and output configurations. None of them are point-to-point simple peg and solder amps like some of the boutique amps. That should not mean they are better or worse. If Mesa's reputation holds up, I am hoping my amps will last as long as my Mark III (24 years that I have owned it, and it is still working quite well under new ownership).
 

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