Researching Mark V for future purchase

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nightraider43

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So I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on a Mark V 90W head with 4x12 recto slant cab. Here's my question. I've never owned a Mesa and primarily been a Marshall owner all my life. I really like the versatility of the Mark V going from beautiful cleans to all out metal mayhem. My style of music is AC/DC, Priest, Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Celtic Frost...you get the point. I've never really found the total balls out Mesa grind in even my baddest of Marshalls. But can the Mark V replicate the roar of the meanest of Marshalls? I am aware the 6L6 is a completely different voicing than the EL34. But I would really love to get the Metallica tone without modding a JCM800. I do think the new JVM410HJS sounds good but still. I'm also kinda digging the Friedman BE-100 half stack as well. Anyone have any good recs? Even thought about the Mark V with the Friedman BE pedal in front of it in channel 1. My main guitars are a Gibson SG and a Jackson Pro King V with EMG's.

Thanks in advance!
 
The V an run either EL34 or 6L6. So you could swap back and forth. You will not get a real Marshall tone, but you will get a badass tone either way.

Mesa and Marshall are different. The Stiletto comes pretty close to Marshall based on posts I've read and some video recordings, but they're not the same. The Mark is a Mark. It's awesome in its own way.

Might try JP-2C as well, it has quite a live punchy tone even compared to the V.
 
Hmmmm Marshall tone from a Mesa... destined to fail.
I own two 2203's and a Mark V. I can't do it. I can't even get close to making my Mark V sound like a 2203. Not even crunch mode. It just sounds flabby too much gain plexi, to me. When I try.
The clean channel sold the Mesa to me. And I learnt to use the gain channels.
My 2203KK is much modded and I've heard nothing that comes close for hi gain. I got rid of the silly KT88's and put EL34's in (one resistor change). Put a second volume control on it. Which is footswitchable for solo volume boosts. And put a resonance control on the back to bring the low end more forward. It slays.
I've run my Mark V into loads of different 4x12's. It's never going to give that bass response on the high gain, in a million years.
Luckily, to work in my band, it doesn't have to. I found that level of bass being absent works a lot better. I'm just not all the way comfortable with it using it at home on my own. And the sheer aggression in the mids really is a learning curve too.

Those cleans though, nothing like em.
 
FWIW I use my Mesa way more than I use my KK, now. And I only play high gain stuff. And my JMP2203 doesn't get a look in any more
 
I would agree, hard to get the Mesa out of the Mesa for a Marshall tone. Especially with the Mark V. However, a good set of KT77 or 6CA7 in the Mark V can sound quite sinister when pushing EV black label speakers. Hint, if you want that bass response in less than a million years, EV seemed to work well with the Mark V, much better than the V30.

Before you get the Mark V, if it is not too late to consider other options, I would try out the TC-50. It is round 3 or 4 for Mesa crossing into the British tone arena. It's predecessor was the RA100, Electra Dyne before it, and somewhere there in that haze of amps of the past was the Stiletto series. I thing the Ace sounded better but that was a combo. However, if you want gobs of tone, with full axe grinding character but yet refined enough to maintain composure, I would try out the JP-2C. I guess it is time to dust off the Mark V and put the vinyl cover on it as it has been collecting dust since the JP-2C entered my life. Sure seems simple and limited in voicings but in reality it has more to offer than what meets the eye. I really do not miss the 9 voices of the Mark V (well except for the clean channel which is very nice). The only drawback of the JP-2C is the power settings, loud and louder. Mark V can be run down to 10W so it is family friendly. Then again, JP-2C has cab clone so you can use head phones if needed.
 
For the tones described by the OP, I would say that the MKV would be the wrong choice. The Marks have a very specific tone, not even close to the hot-rodded Marshall vibe.

The Mark series is based on early Fender style topology, the Rectifiers are closer to a Marshall than the Marks are.

I would recommend a look at the TC-50, or a Rectifier.

Dom
 
I had a Marshall JVM410HJS.
As good as it gets in terms of covering Marshall eras and the clean channel was very good.

I previously recently had a Mark V 25, a Splawn, and EVH 5150 III.

Marshall and Mesa are different, but to me not as different to me as other people experience, but I am kind of a hack player.
Marshall is more raw and sizzling and Mesa is more thick and smooth to me.

I ended up going to a Mark V 90.
The cleans are the best I have ever had. Stunning.
The mid gain crunch channel is not classic Marshall, but you can get great more raw tone from them.
Good low and medium gain to me.

The traditional Mark 1/2/4 channels are pure Mesa goodness and I do like the cascading or stacked gain thing.
The EQ and various watt options add to the versatility in all three channels.

I see some people just throw a good Marshall pedal of choice in front of the clean channel and are pretty happy if Channel 2 doesn't get them what they want.

I don't think you can go wrong with what you are looking at.
 
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