Mesa Boogie Mark V - Head

The Home of Tone®

Built originally as hot-rodded Fender Princeton amps out of a shack in Northern California called the "Home of Tone®," the Mark Series has had a huge impact on changing the industry and making amplifier manufacturers rethink what is possible when it comes to vacuum tube amplifiers. There was one purpose for building these amplifiers: To Hand-Craft A Better All-Tube Amplifier. Originally just referred to as "Boogies®," the product line took on the moniker "Mark Series" as newer revisions were put into production.

 

 

Overview

OVER 40 YEARS OF RANDALL SMITH’S INNOVATION IN ONE AMP.

Longtime MESA® artist and Mark series devotee, John Petrucci.

IT TOOK 40 YEARS of Randall Smith's experience designing high-performance tube amplifiers to get this much TONE under one roof and keep it easy to dial. More than a collection of amplifiers, the MARK V™ is a living history of MESA's® contributions and a tribute to the evolution of electric guitar tone.

The MARK V™ is really a collection of amplifiers. There are far too many circuits and sounds to think of it as merely an amp. It is also a living history of our company.

From the groundbreaking MARK I™ that introduced the world to high-gain with it’s cascading pre amp, to the Mark II™ - the world’s first high gain Dual Mode Channel Switching amplifier and it’s later siblings that introduced Simul-Class™ power. From the MARK III™ that ushered in the era of 3 Channel footswitching performance, to the MARK IV™ which gave all this power individual control, the MARK V is the embodiment of the last 40 years of guitar amp history.

THEY'RE ALL HERE: the MARK I, the MARK IIC+, the MARK IV… all these are faithful recreations that benefit from our decades of refinement and leave many saying they're better than the original! More than our Greatest Hits, you'll also find some new Brit-inspired circuits here that rival these classic Boogie® sounds and are destined to become iconic on their own merit.

9 AMPLIFIERS IN 1 WITH 9 PATENTS DEFINING A HISTORY OF INNOVATION

9 Amplifiers in 1: A lifetime investment. No less than 9 patents stand guard over your Tone... ensuring your investment will be protected and your amp will hold its value. (MARK IIC's and MARK IV's still sell for more than their original purchase price). Beware of imitators! Fine musical instruments never go out of style and the Mark V is no exception.

Like its predecessor the MARK IV - in steady production for over 19 years - the MARK V is an investment in your musical future. The 9 preamps and 3 power amps it contains trace their roots back to the beginnings of amplified guitar. Yet while their lineage is time tested, the performance they unleash is brand new and cutting edge. This collection of amps will propel you through any musical style and project, and band any era of your development with confidence and command.

3 FOOTSWITCHABLE CHANNELS, 3 MODES PER CHANNEL

3 distinct Channels present the 3 footswitchable sounds in a simple to dial platform, but don't let that fool you… beneath each set of controls lies another layer of performance. Each preamp Channel contains 3 distinct Modes that are controlled by a simple mini-toggle MODE switch found in the upper left corner of each Channel, which is responsible for the voicing of each Channel.

MULTI-WATT™ POWER

The Mark V features our popular channel assignable Multi-Watt™ Power that determines the amount (wattage) and type (configuration) of power each preamp channel will be coupled with to create a classic sound via independent channel switches. Any amplifier's sound is 50% preamp and 50% power, so these switches are responsible for a large part of a given Channel's personality and feel. The choices repeat for all 3 Channels and they are 90W, 45W and 10 W. Using the switch is simple… just select the power/feel you want for each Channel, keeping in mind that the greatest headroom, focus and authority will always be found in the 90 watt position.

ICONIC BOOGIE® 5-BAND GRAPHIC EQ

Each Channel is fitted with a mini-toggle to select the 5 Band Graphic EQ, but the fun doesn't stop there. The MARK V gives you the choice of two ways to utilize the power of the Graphic EQ for each Channel! The mini-toggle within each Channel (center mini-toggle) allows you to decide whether you want the EQ on all the time in that Channel, off all the time or activated by the EQ button on the Footswitch.

A separate set of mini-toggles to select SLIDERS or PRESET for each Channel (located in the left side of the Graphic EQ section) allows you to select whether you will use the actual SLIDERS to shape your individual EQ curve or, a PRESET contour based on the ever- popular "V" curve. The ability to choose between these two options when assigning the Graphic EQ to your sounds gives you ultimate flexibility when dedicating the Channels. By combining subtle blends of the Tone controls with the EQ options, virtually any sound you can imagine is at your fingertips.

LEGENDARY SIMUL-CLASS™ POWER

Since 1981 Simul-Class™ Power has been the heart and soul of the MARK Series amplifiers, imparting its sweet, musical character onto any sound in the vast library of the now classic MARK legacy. The Mark V proudly carries that legacy forward with Cleans that shimmer with transparent layers of sweet delicate highs, while the bottom end breathes a warm fundamental under a bed of rich low mid ambience. Never harsh, always fat, the Simul-Class lead tone is the quintessential single-note solo sound that is best described with a human trait…VOCAL.

The MARK V provides access an unprecedented number of tone shaping features. At first glance it might seem a little intimidating but with a second look you’ll discover that it’s very intuitive, as each channel has the same basic features repeated - Once you know one, you basically know them all. Better yet, we designed the Mark V to deliver exceptional, fast and easy “plug and play” convenience. You’ll be amazed by the instant tonal gratification from each channel, as well as its ease of tonal “dial-ability” to find YOUR signature sound.

With so many innovative features, the Mark V may well just be our most versatile amplifier. Visit a dealer today and hear the magic of the MARK V, as there is truly no other like it.

FEATURES

    • Designed & Handcrafted in Petaluma, California
    • Simul-Class™ Power Amp (Patents 4,532,476 & 4,593,251) featuring Multi-Watt™ (Patent 7,602,927) and Duo-Class™ (Patent 7,173,488) technologies which provide three power and three operating class options that are channel assignable via 10/45/90 Watt Power Switches: Choose 2 power tubes operating in pure vintage Class A (single-ended), producing 10 Watts - 2 tubes running in time-honored Class A/B producing 45 Watts or 4 tubes running in Mesa's legendary, patented Simul-Class Power that blends the best of Class A and Class A/B simultaneously to produce 90 Watts of pure tonal magic / 4x6L6 (or 4xEL-34), 7x12AX7, 1x5U4
    • Bias Select Switch (6L6/EL34)
    • Fixed Bias for Consistent, Maintenance Free Performance
    • Full Power/Variac Power™ Switch (Patent 5,091,700)
    • 3 Fully Independent Channels with 9 Modes (Channel 1 = Clean, Fat or Tweed™, Channel 2 = Edge, Crunch or Mark I™, Channel 3 = Mark IIC+™, Mark IV™ or Extreme)
    • Normal/Bold Switch on Channel 1, Normal/Thick Switch on Channel 2 (Mark I mode only), Normal/Bright Switch & Pentode/Triode Switch on Channel 3
    • Each Channel features: Independent Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Master, Footswitchable or Auto-Assignable Contour Depth Control, Footswitchable All-Tube, Long Spring Reverb Control, Rectifier Tracking™ (Auto-selects Tube for all 10 Watt Modes, Diode for all 90 Watt Modes, selectable Tube or Diode for 45 Watt Modes on Channels 1 and 2, Diode for 45 Watt Mode on Channel 3 - Patents 5,168,438 & 7,193,458)
    • 5 Band Graphic EQ is Footswitchable, Channel Assignable and Selectable between 1 group of 5-Band Sliders or 3 channel specific, variable depth Contour Controls
    • Footswitchable, Channel Assignable or True Bypassable Fully Buffered FX Loop with Send Level Control (over all channels when activated)
    • Output Level Control (over all channels when activated)
    • Footswitchable Solo Level Control – Patent 6,724,897 (over all channels when activated)
    • True "Hard" Bypass Switch removes FX Loops, Output Level & Solo Level Controls from signal path
    • Tuner Output w/Footswitchable Mute
    • Slave Out w/Level Control
    • Fan Cooled with On/Off Switch
    • External Switching Jacks for Channels 2, 3 (channel 1 is default), EQ & Solo
    • Aluminum Chassis • 4x4 - 8 Button Footswitch (Bottom Row: Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3, Solo – Top Row: Reverb, FX Loop, EQ & Tuner Mute)
    • Slip Cover

FORMATS AVAILABLE

    • Medium Head (Width 22-7/8 inches)
    • 1x12 Combo, C90 Speaker, Casters

 

Quick Overview

Wattage Multi-Watt™ 10, 45 or 90 (Channel Assignable)
Power Tube Type 4x Mesa 6L6 (or EL-34)
Channels & Modes 3 Channels / 9 Modes
Mode Voicings / Styles Ch. 1 = Clean, Fat or Tweed
Ch. 2 = Edge, Crunch or Mark I™
Ch. 3 = Mark IIC+™, Mark IV™ or Extreme
Graphic EQ / Reverb / FX / Solo Graphic EQ, Reverb, FX Loop & Solo
Footswitchable Functions Ch. 1, 2, 3, Solo, Reverb, FX Loop, Graphic EQ, Mute
Speaker(s) & Impedance n/a
Weight 44 Lbs.
Dimensions 10" H x 22 3/4" W x 11 3/4" D
Available Formats Head & 1x12 Combo


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