Tell me about the Mark V...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nashville Riff Co
  • Start date Start date
Nashville Riff Co

Nashville Riff Co

Well-known member
Too soon?

Future classic? Buy a full warehouse of 'em so that in 20 years when all the kids are grown up, i'll be a gazillionaire?

Correct answers only please

1734119885407.png
 
It has a really nice sounding clean channel, but mine doesn't seem to have quite enough headroom. The edge voicing (supposed to be a plexi sound) on the crunch channel sounds pretty good, but it's noisy. Crunch voicing (supposed to be a jcm800 sound) is ok but just lacks something. Mark IIC+ voicing on channel 3 is pretty good, and Mark IV is really good. Apparently Mark IV mode is closer to a IIC+ than the IIC+ voicing is, but I haven't played the real deal to compare. It has some great features, like the solo boost, as well as a normal master volume. Makes balancing volumes super easy
 
The Mark V is an awesome amp. It does many things well, even great, but will it nail your favorite IIC+ or Mark IV tones? Probably not. But it will come close. I think for the three channel versatility, options and tone, it is one of the best amps made recently. Everything from smooth Jazz to melt your face off is available with that amp.
 
It has a really nice sounding clean channel, but mine doesn't seem to have quite enough headroom. The edge voicing (supposed to be a plexi sound) on the crunch channel sounds pretty good, but it's noisy. Crunch voicing (supposed to be a jcm800 sound) is ok but just lacks something. Mark IIC+ voicing on channel 3 is pretty good, and Mark IV is really good. Apparently Mark IV mode is closer to a IIC+ than the IIC+ voicing is, but I haven't played the real deal to compare. It has some great features, like the solo boost, as well as a normal master volume. Makes balancing volumes super easy
The Mark V is an awesome amp. It does many things well, even great, but will it nail your favorite IIC+ or Mark IV tones? Probably not. But it will come close. I think for the three channel versatility, options and tone, it is one of the best amps made recently. Everything from smooth Jazz to melt your face off is available with that amp.

so i agree with both of you and jokes aside, i do think the price on these will fall so much that they'll end up getting used on some album the kids will love and then 20 years from now everyone will rave about the incredible classic tones that the mark V had "but good luck finding one for a decent price" lol
 
or perhaps by that time all music will only be generated by Dinesh AI (TM of Gibson corporation) lol
 
so i agree with both of you and jokes aside, i do think the price on these will fall so much that they'll end up getting used on some album the kids will love and then 20 years from now everyone will rave about the incredible classic tones that the mark V had "but good luck finding one for a decent price" lol
That will be funny to watch :ROFLMAO:
 
That will be funny to watch :ROFLMAO:

i think it was fusionbear who was saying how he has seen the evolution of the mark series from the early 80s to now so why would we be any different going forward hahaha
 
Fantastic amps. They really raised the bar on tube amps and feature sets. Everyone got so hung up on the 2C+ thing and with blinders on missed how good it really is an overall amplifier. If I could only use one amp to cover any scenario in a Studio or on stage, it would probably be that amp….and an IR solution. I had one since new for about 13 years or so and wouldn’t say no to another if I found one in a cool headshell at a good price…..first….find a job 😂
 
i think it was fusionbear who was saying how he has seen the evolution of the mark series from the early 80s to now so why would we be any different going forward hahaha
Ya I suppose it really is like that with anything, the new stuff is usually regarded badly until, like you said, it gets used on some huge album
 
Fantastic amps. They really raised the bar on tube amps and feature sets. Everyone got so hung up on the 2C+ thing and with blinders on missed how good it really is an overall amplifier. If I could only use one amp to cover any scenario in a Studio or on stage, it would probably be that amp….and an IR solution. I had one since new for about 13 years or so and wouldn’t say no to another if I found one in a cool headshell at a good price…..first….find a job 😂

Step 1: Job
Step 2: Purchase Mark V
Step 3: World Tour

i like this plan
 
I think we're going to see many tube amps hitting the market as boomers pass away in greater numbers

100%, I think a lot of the stuff that's been bought will need a home in the next 5-6 years
 
  • Like
Reactions: rsm
Had a V for over a year and never really bonded with it. I was constantly fighting with it trying to get the top end to be clear, cutting and not fizzy. Never really got it.

Low end was too boxy, lower mids a bit too compressed/stuffy. I tried a couple different sets of power tubes and preamp tubes with no luck, several cabs, etc.

The 35w Mark V sounded SO much better when I had that for about a month to demo. All my complaints with the 90 were gone and it was one of my favorite amps I played this year but the low end punch just wasn't there and I attribute that to the EL84 power section.

It drove me to the VII and I've never been more impressed with a Mark amp in my life. It just sounds incredible everywhere. Next to no time needed to "dial it in"... it just sounds good practically anywhere in any mode and being able to use it without a cab just going straight to the house and my FRFR on stage is really handy.

I don't know (or really care) how accurate IIC mode on the VII sounds and feels compared to an original or the reissue, all I know is that it sounds really good.
 
I've got the 25w version, and it's one of my favorite amps I've owned.

It's stupidly easy to dial in a great clean sound, high gain rhythm/lead, or practically anything in between. It's extremely useable at low/home volume, whether it's enough for a band/rehearsal setting is questionable; I can make it work in a scenario like that, and it becomes far less of an issue if you're playing out & mic'ing a cab. Better user interface & layout than the older mark series amps. FX loop sounds great, and both clean modes work well with pedals if you want to do that kind of thing as well.
 
Had a V for over a year and never really bonded with it. I was constantly fighting with it trying to get the top end to be clear, cutting and not fizzy. Never really got it.

Low end was too boxy, lower mids a bit too compressed/stuffy. I tried a couple different sets of power tubes and preamp tubes with no luck, several cabs, etc.

The 35w Mark V sounded SO much better when I had that for about a month to demo. All my complaints with the 90 were gone and it was one of my favorite amps I played this year but the low end punch just wasn't there and I attribute that to the EL84 power section.

It drove me to the VII and I've never been more impressed with a Mark amp in my life. It just sounds incredible everywhere. Next to no time needed to "dial it in"... it just sounds good practically anywhere in any mode and being able to use it without a cab just going straight to the house and my FRFR on stage is really handy.

I don't know (or really care) how accurate IIC mode on the VII sounds and feels compared to an original or the reissue, all I know is that it sounds really good.

This intrigues me and maybe someday I'll get a Mark VII. While I liked the 90w Mark V when I had it, I love my Mark V 35 too. I miss some of the headroom and the middle channel for some things.

What is the Mark VII mode like? Is it more mid gain, or Marshall voiced? Is it a fire breather like the Mark IV and IIC+? I love the full size Marks for the versatility for sure.
 
This intrigues me and maybe someday I'll get a Mark VII. While I liked the 90w Mark V when I had it, I love my Mark V 35 too. I miss some of the headroom and the middle channel for some things.

What is the Mark VII mode like? Is it more mid gain, or Marshall voiced? Is it a fire breather like the Mark IV and IIC+? I love the full size Marks for the versatility for sure.
I’m not sure I consider the VII full size, it’s so small and compact. Just try and quickly grab a knob to adjust a setting with anything but slim little, pencil fingers. It sucks. 😂

Also, who the fuck at Boogie thought, in this day and age, a three channel amp shouldn’t have a global master. Unbelievable.
 
I had a MkV for a good while. It is certainly a very versatile amp: great cleans, the best rhythm 2 channel to date, rectifier tube option and power scaling.

It was an amp I really dug for at home playing and some of the little riff recording I did with it, absolutely sounded authentic Mark series. Where it fell short (for me) was when comparing to an older Mark (in my case, a IVB and a friend's III Red and Green). At band volumes, it was just overcompressed and small comparatively.

So for me, great clean channel, absolutely loved crunch mode on channel 2, but felt the lead channel....the money maker of any Mark amp, fell a bit short. Not so much in tone, but definitely in feel, punch and aggression compared to an older Marks lead channel.
 
Back
Top