or Preset (down), where the amount of the EQ
in the signal can be dialed in using the three
Preset knobs. Like many others, I’ve always
found that the classic “V” shape works best,
and this new setup is a different way to blend in
the amount of EQ you want for each channel.
Also common to each channel section, but
unique to the Mark V, is a toggle switch that
lets you independently select three power
modes. Toggling up gives you the most power
and headroom with 90 watts. In this mode, all
four output tubes are in-line, but in two different classes of operation. The outside pair run
in class AB and run cooler, while the inside pair
run in “extended” class A and have a reduced
bias. The fact that they all work together simultaneously is where the term Simul-Class originates. The middle toggle position is 45 watts
(extended class A, push-pull). Here, only the
middle tubes are running in extended class A
with a reduced bias. What’s cool in this position
is that, with Channels 1 and 2, you can then
choose the type of high-voltage rectifier that
best fits your style. Two small toggle switches
on the rear offer Diodes or Tube settings. The
former provides maximum punch and impact,
and the latter reduces headroom and gives a
more classic feel. And, finally, toggling down
causes the channel to operate at 10 watts (class
A, single-ended). Single-ended design emphasizes the second harmonic, and on the Mark V
the two tubes next to the 5U4 power supply
are wired in parallel. The 10-watt mode delivers
the most old-school, spongy feel of them all.
Other features that differentiate the Mark V
from the Mark IV—and any other Boogie, for
that matter—are the three Reverb knobs on
the rear panel. Each channel features its own
reverb, and by turning the knob (mix control)
to the off position, the ’verb is bypassed. It is a
very nice-sounding reverb. Also on the back is
a useful 1/4" Tuner Output, which can be used
silently by tapping Mute on the foot controller. You can also pull on the front Solo control
to activate silent tuning. There’s a Bias Select
switch on the back, as well, and it allows you
to replace the stock 6L6s with EL34s. You can
also choose to run 6V6 tubes—but only on the
Variac Power setting.
The Mark V also has two incredibly useful
master output controls. The Output controls the overall output of the Mark V, but
only when the effects loop is engaged. For
the purest tone, you can choose the Hard
Bypass toggle switch on the rear panel, which
removes all effects loop circuitry from the
chain, leaving your channel Master in control.
The Solo control is wired in series with the
Output and can be set higher and activated
with the footswitch to give you a volume
boost—it’s not active when the footswitch is
not attached. That’s one feature that was certainly designed by a real-world player.
Plugging In
Despite all the similarities and differences, it’s
really all about the tone. To begin with, this
amp has a totally killer clean sound. Playing
through both the Marshall 4x12 and a Boogie
1x12 WideBody closed-back cab, it delivered
on all three wattage settings. My main guitars
are a Les Paul Custom and a Telecaster, and
both were quite happy to be playing through
this monster. It’s got a sense of clarity, crispness, and punch that even my Mark IV doesn’t
have. Damn! The night after I got the amp, I
brought it out to a jam and had the house guitarist, Joel Newton, check it out. Coincidentally,
he brought his 30-plus-year-old Mark I that
night, so we listened to each amp side by side.
As Joe played his Gibson ES-335 through the
Mark V, I stood back and listened to exactly
what I’d heard at my studio: clean, clear, wide,
fat tone. “I liked it and thought it was punchy,
with a vintage, tubey sound,” he told me. “It
seemed like a mix of vintage tube sound… big
mids but with a more shimmery, clear high end
than my Mark I—almost like a boutique amp.”
On a funky, groovy number, I plugged my
Tele in and opened up Channel 2 in Mark
I mode and Normal setting. With medium
gain and running at 45 watts with a tube
rectifier, it was sweet. I easily punched
through the jam, and I felt like I had full
control over my individual notes and chords,
and with volume to spare. I was able to dig
into the Tele and break the amp up more
as I picked harder, which was exactly what
I was looking for. It definitely takes some
tweaking to find what you want on this amp
(sometimes it was too thick for me, sometimes too crunchy) but you can’t love every
sound when it has so many to offer.
Back home at my studio a week later, I had
17-year-old wunderkind Brandon Ellis come
check it out. Ellis, who last year ventured to
Sweden to study guitar, played my Les Paul and
his Caparison Horus with EMG 85s. I had him
sit down at the amp without explaining anything. It took him a bit to look it over and dial it
in, as was to be expected from someone seeing
PRODUCT REVIEW
this thing for the first time. He set the Gain on
Channel 3 at 3 o’clock, with a 90-watt, Mark
IIC+ mode and Pentode setting. Listening to
the online audio examples, you can hear a crisp
Les Paul playing a lick in E-flat tuning, as well
as a heavier lick from his Caparison tuned to
C#. He also dialed in an Extreme mode setting
with Diode rectifier, which is a high-gain setting
pulled from the Mark IV. “It was more dynamic
than I expected,” he reported. “It was confusing to work with at first, but once I sat with it, it
was okay. It’s a more organic, woody-sounding
amp than I’m used to playing, versus the processed and compressed sound that I typically
use. It’s great for single-note lead work.”
The Final Mojo
The Mark V is not for everyone—especially
those who want a simple amp. It’s a somewhat
complex, seething monster of sound that
is a living history of what Mesa/Boogie has
offered—with new capabilities thrown in. But
with a little time and effort, you can go from
very clean to very mean and pretty much everywhere in between. The flexible design also
allows it to be as comfortable onstage as it is
in the studio. It’s not cheap, hitting the streets
at around $2K, but this is clearly a case where
you can be fully confident you’re getting what
you pay for. With the Mark V, Mesa/Boogie has
released another winner, and I suspect it will be
around for many years to come.
Rating:
you want the ultimate in flexibility
and everything the Mark series
has offered at your fingertips.
Buy If...
Skip If...
any more than two knobs is
too many, or if you just want
a single-channel amp.
Mesa/Boogie
street $1999 (head); $469 (wideBody
closed-back 1x12 Cab)
mesaboogie.com
CLICKHere…
or use a mobile
device to read
this QR code
to hear sound
samples of this
amp in action at
premierguitar.com
