Help! which amp to buy

[Gio_Force_One]

i have been saving to get a new amp and was looking for some help from you guys. i have a chance to buy a mesa tremoverb 2 x 12 or i can continue to save and get a mark v what do you guys think. as of versatility which one would be the best. thanks for the help.

 

[fatoni]

it depends on whether you want a distinctive mark sound or the recto sound. imo the recto is better for rhythm but with a tube screamer they can sing. you cant really dial the mark sound out of the mark. i sold a mark iv and bought an axe fx so now i can play with both sounds. fwiw, my main tone is a recto with a modded ts nowadays

 

[Costas Huber]

Hi. I own 2 Mark Vs and I would not change them for the world. However, they have a little more distinctive voice than the Rectos. I believe a sweeter one. However, if heavy rhythm is your target, then you can't beat a Recto.

 

[Gio_Force_One]

Hi. I own 2 Mark Vs and I would not change them for the world. However, they have a little more distinctive voice than the Rectos. I believe a sweeter one. However, if heavy rhythm is your target, then you can't beat a Recto.

i want a versatile amp with a warm thick tone. i used to have a mesa studio caliber dc 2 and didnt like the tone of that one.

 

[joe web]

if you are looking for a versatile mesa amp, you have two (three/four) choices:
mark IV/V or roadster / road king
as far as mark V vs. roadster, it depends on what kind of character you want. if you want a mark sound, go for the mark V, if you are more into the recto sound, go for the roadster.
but keep in mind, that the roadster does not sound 1:1 as a dual recto or tremoverb, the roadster is not as fizzy, has a darker overall sound and the poweramp is not as scooped voiced as the recto solohead amps.

i play a roadster and a dual recto and checked out the mark V few weeks ago.
i liked the sound of the mark V, but i would not trade it for the roadster.
you can´t beat an amp with 4 channels - clean, crunchy, tight rhythm gain plus an extra lead sound.

 

[nobozos]

Given the two choices, I would go with the Mark V.

 

[Roubster]

What about a Steve Morse ENGL? That amp is freakin awesome sounding...havent played it myself, but Steve certainly gets some amazing tones from it.

 

[fogman]

Hi. I own 2 Mark Vs and I would not change them for the world. However, they have a little more distinctive voice than the Rectos. I believe a sweeter one. However, if heavy rhythm is your target, then you can't beat a Recto.

quick hijack

Welcome to the forum!!!!

 

[Gio_Force_One]

I'm going to go try some today and see what i like i played through one a few weeks ago not sure what it was though it was a 1x12 mesa combo wasnt too bad.
since im in a cover band what would be good for versatility?

 

[joe web]

coverband? just like me, i´m very happy with the roadster.
my guitar-brother is playing a diezel herbert - which is a cool amp - but he´s always tweaking his sound because the roadster is way more noticeable without more volume.
i love it and never had problems with it.

 

[Wheresmypick]

I'm in a coverband and I own both the Mark V and the Road King II. The Mark V is motherf-ing amazing and personally I prefer it for my "own" sounds. It is insanely versatile - best lead tones I've ever had...the mid gain is amazing...and the clean is...well amazing too .

I use my RKII in my coverband only because most of what we cover calls for that recto sound. I cannot make my Mark V sound like this, and while I can get a really nice lead tone out of my RKII...it won't ever sound like my Mark V.
The Tremoverb has a cool mode or two (I believe there is one called "blues" that comes to mind) that you can't find in other Mesa amps, but the sound is still very much recto when it comes to hi gain assault, lol.

I'm getting to the point though that I might just use the Mark V live anyways, just because I prefer the clean and lead tones that much more.

I'm not sure about the Tremoverb, but the Mark V sounds much better than my RKII at lower volumes in my aparment (10watt mode baby!!)

 

[jam3v]

I love the Mark V... In the past 1.5 years I've owned a few of popular amps (Rectifier, Marshall JCM2000, ENGL Savage), and my brother currently owns a Soldano SLO 100.

Out of all of them, the Mark V is still my favorite... I doubted it for a while because it took a while for me to dial in settings I was really happy with (I actually based my current settings off Petrucci's, and adjusted to suit my taste), but I absolutely love it now.

I play in a cover band, and we play everything. The amp is perfect, and the 45w mode / variac are brilliant for getting mic'd in small clubs without killing people or losing your tone.

This amp doesn't do everything decently, it does everything really well. I love all 3 channels, and all the different modes have their own flavors. It's really a joy to play through.

 

[Gio_Force_One]

now if go with the mark v should i get the head or the combo?
also one of the GC around had a used mark IV on the website i was thinking about checking that out too, anybody use one of these?

 

[Slowlicks]

I like the Mesa amps just like everybody else.... The Mark V is my favorite. But, I must admit I also Like the JSX... It really is a great amp.... If your not committed to Mesa, check it out.

 

[Gio_Force_One]

I like the Mesa amps just like everybody else.... The Mark V is my favorite. But, I must admit I also Like the JSX... It really is a great amp.... If your not committed to Mesa, check it out.

i did try a 50 watt jpx head it sounded good till it warmed up then i really didnt care for it, but that could have been cause it was used and maybe it had a bad tube or something.
I'm am really looking for a good reliable amp i'm not 100% commited to mesa so any other recommendations are more then welcome.

 

[Costas Huber]

Thanks man. I appreciate it.

 

[Costas Huber]

now if go with the mark v should i get the head or the combo?
also one of the GC around had a used mark IV on the website i was thinking about checking that out too, anybody use one of these?

I would personally go for the Head and a 2X12 Cab. (or for a 4X12) You will have more projection than the 1X12 Combo. It would alsobe more easy for you to take the head only to a gig (in case they have any spare cabs there).

 

[Gio_Force_One]

I would personally go for the Head and a 2X12 Cab. (or for a 4X12) You will have more projection than the 1X12 Combo. It would alsobe more easy for you to take the head only to a gig (in case they have any spare cabs there).

very good point , and welcome to the forum.
i was leaning more towards the head and 2x12 cab but the 2x12 cab is very expensive if you want a mesa cab

 

[Blue Lizard]

Axe-FX Ultra - got mine a few weeks ago. Awesome!

Ultra-flexible; will definitely cope with everything in a covers band.

 

[jam3v]

now if go with the mark v should i get the head or the combo?
also one of the GC around had a used mark IV on the website i was thinking about checking that out too, anybody use one of these?

Depends if you always have a sound guy at your gigs. Our band has a pretty great and reliable sound guy so even the combo would be fine when mic'd up.

You could also buy an extension cab for the head if you want to push a little more air. I've heard really good things about the Mesa Thiele 1x12 as an extension cab for combos.

But me personally, I'd rather own the head and a 4x12. The vertical Mesa 2x12 is super nice, and the Mark V head fits perfectly on top of it, but they're really hard to find.