Thanks for the review! I have a TA-30 and waiting on a V:25 delivery in a few days. I didn’t realize that subtlety about the tone controls, super useful! And good job on the video. You’re a charismatic character and the quality of the video and the editing lacks for nothing. Wish you success!
The genius of the Mark series is that they basically have an all-tube boost "pedal"in front with a 3-band EQ. Then it has an active post EQ. Truly unique in the world of amps.
I've had this amp since it was released! The finest amp I've ever owned & sent me down the mesa rabbit hole. Never looked back either! Picked up the markV25 combo, an express 25+, & a fillmore 50w. All are absolutely glorious
@@guitar_george you won't regret it! A buddy of mine has the 25w version & it's killer too. Less oomph & gives up the juice a bit earlier. I landed my 50w for an absolute steal at $1100
It's definitely got a bit of hum to it but I think a lot of that is because it's sensitive to the type of power you're sending to it. I live in an apartment in NYC that has 100 year old wiring so that can be part of the problem
Thank you, this is a good review. I also intent to get my 5th Boogie... before Gibson transgenre this amazing historical small gang ... Asy ou I would not really use the lead channel for tits features metal / hard. So did you experience the channel 2 in very low gain to be close to the channel 1 in crunch mode ? Then it could be switched from clean on 1 to a crunch OD on 2 ? Enjoy your Boogie !
What's really cool about the Mark 5 is the "Fat" mode shares the same circuitry as the Lonestar clean channel so you are basically getting (IMO) Mesa's best clean sound. Thats already in addition to excellent gain tones--a Marshall tone and 3 Mark tones that are great for either metal (v-scoop post-eq) or Dumbleesque leads (pushed mids, cut highs post-eq).
Gotta get my hands on one of these gems! Please correct me if I'm wrong - so the combo version and the head version are identical in regard to using the amp to power external speakers?
They certainly sound impressive, im looking at one for sale here in Northern Ireland along with two matching mesa boogie 1x12 cabs, all excellent condition with mesa covers for £2300 sterling .. English pounds .. thoughts ??
@@geoarthur6593 I'm not too sure on the exchange rate.. I'm pretty sure boogies are much more expensive in Europe. I think the amp is great and versatile though. Top quality
there is a low mid/dumble sound in the xtreme section, you do an inverted tick on the Grapic EQ, and use the front dials to control the gain. for some reason this cleans up the channel despite having the gain knob at 9 o clock
@@guitar_george ua-cam.com/video/EyY0C5bCLVM/v-deo.html, something liek this i set the 2200 and 6000, lower so it looks like an upside down tick. notice his gain is very high but his tone is relatively clean its one of my pet peeves with this amp, this setting only appears on this channel for some reason
Thank you for an amazing review. I now want one. But can you just tell me why you went with the 25 and not the 35? (Other than the small price difference).
I'm glad you liked the review! I went with the 25 for the lower price and smaller size. I believe the 35 is 400$ more dollars and 11 more lbs. I wanted an amp small enough to carry to gigs and recording sessions. The 25 was plenty loud for me
Got same amp, same grill…..do you think paying $200 more for that grill versus black is worth it? fact is, for that price (depending a little on vendor) you can also buy a Mark 5:35!😳 I wanted another 5:25, because my 2016 version needed a re Tube. FYI There is only one official Boogie authorized repair in all of Southern California If Sweetwater had had a 5:35 in stock, THAT would have been my choice. But I’m moving toward a stereo rig, and having 2 5:25’s will be the bomb😅
That stereo rig would sound sick! Yeah I'm not looking forward to servicing it... But it's built really well. To me changing the grill cloth was worth because it matches my cab
@@guitar_george my 2016 suddenly seemed to lose a gain stage …a few DB less…it faded…in a matter of days, at the output and it lost its top end brilliance over time as compared to the new replacement, but that was after 6 years and 5,000+ hours, service guy hasn’t opened it up yet, waiting on the Tubes, but I doubt it’s any thing but that, he tried it in the shop, louder than I typically play it, he said…ahhh likely nothing serious, around $400 to re-tube including tubes. so it’ll be quite awhile before yours will need service 🙂 I have a Boogie 50/50 power amp from my 90’s, rack obsession🙄, days, with an ADA-1 pre…..unless I play outside, with my 4x12 that also mostly gathers dust, 🫤 I’ll never need the power amp. 1 side is my right channel for now, another mono backup/additional amp i could use is my 70’s Musicman 75 watt head, I put a line input in it years ago, EL 34’s ….and EL-84’s sound a lot alike 34’s are just way louder. But because of the cab clone, on the 5:25, using a slave amp in addition is easily done. Your cabinet IS gorgeous 🙂I get it. But an EVM 12L in a Theil cab is plenty loud, just doesn’t move air like a 4 x 12, it would keep up with your 2x12, supper efficient speaker/cab set up! however, EVM’s are an acquired taste, very flat curve, kinda like a JBL, but tighter lo end
These are great sounding amps…I am sure you know,the tone stack is pre gain,which is why some people have a hard time dialing them in…It’s not like a Marshall where you set everything at noon…Sounds like you got it though..that thing sounds great…and with the matching cab,it’s a great looking rig…
Just got mine today trying to figure out how to dial it in,,,, this thing is loaded for bear, I love it with my tube screamer as well.... It's gonna take some time to figure out the controls my Marshall was dead easy it only had two sounds and no matter how much you turn the knobs it didn't make that much of a difference that's not the Mesa boogie V 25 lol... to funny
Nice review. I've had my Mark v25 for about 3 years now. I still love it every much as the day I got it. It's such a versatile amp
Nice! Glad to hear it's holding up. I believe it's underrated by everyone outside of the metal community!
I bought that same head/cab last year for the same reason - worries over Gibson's aquisition of Mesa. Super happy with mine too. Thanks for the video!
Good choice! Hopefully Gibson doesn't mess it up
Thanks for the review! I have a TA-30 and waiting on a V:25 delivery in a few days. I didn’t realize that subtlety about the tone controls, super useful!
And good job on the video. You’re a charismatic character and the quality of the video and the editing lacks for nothing. Wish you success!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the kind words!
How does the TA compare to the Mark?
The genius of the Mark series is that they basically have an all-tube boost "pedal"in front with a 3-band EQ. Then it has an active post EQ. Truly unique in the world of amps.
Active post eq ?
Late congrats on the new amp. What a dream, its beautiful
Thank you. I'm still in love!
I've had this amp since it was released! The finest amp I've ever owned & sent me down the mesa rabbit hole. Never looked back either! Picked up the markV25 combo, an express 25+, & a fillmore 50w. All are absolutely glorious
Nice!! I've been dying to try out a Fillmore
@@guitar_george you won't regret it! A buddy of mine has the 25w version & it's killer too. Less oomph & gives up the juice a bit earlier. I landed my 50w for an absolute steal at $1100
how's the express?
Good stuff, man!
I’m trying to resist spending over my budget. I like a Blackstar that could do the job. But why wouldn’t I want this?!
Sometimes I see used mark v 25 heads come up for sale on reverb for a great price
Is the amp noisy? I can hear hum/hiss ...every Boogie Ive owned had a lot of noise. Especially when gained up.
It's definitely got a bit of hum to it but I think a lot of that is because it's sensitive to the type of power you're sending to it. I live in an apartment in NYC that has 100 year old wiring so that can be part of the problem
Yeah, me to. I never jive with them…like PRS but always see people making them sound awesome, which has me thinking. Rinse repeat.
Awesome. Great review, going to be getting one of these!
Thanks! You're gonna love it
Thank you, this is a good review. I also intent to get my 5th Boogie... before Gibson transgenre this amazing historical small gang ... Asy ou I would not really use the lead channel for tits features metal / hard. So did you experience the channel 2 in very low gain to be close to the channel 1 in crunch mode ? Then it could be switched from clean on 1 to a crunch OD on 2 ? Enjoy your Boogie !
What's really cool about the Mark 5 is the "Fat" mode shares the same circuitry as the Lonestar clean channel so you are basically getting (IMO) Mesa's best clean sound. Thats already in addition to excellent gain tones--a Marshall tone and 3 Mark tones that are great for either metal (v-scoop post-eq) or Dumbleesque leads (pushed mids, cut highs post-eq).
It's a very versatile amp. And in such a small package! I love that fat channel
Gotta get my hands on one of these gems! Please correct me if I'm wrong - so the combo version and the head version are identical in regard to using the amp to power external speakers?
I believe you're right, but I haven't played the combo to be sure. The deal breaker for me is that the combo only has a 10 inch speaker.
Congrats bro! It sounds killer! I got the mark V 35 a while ago and it’s absolutely amazing. Mesa/Boogie is literally the best 🤘🏼.
Can't go wrong with any Mark V. Best amp I've ever owned
They certainly sound impressive, im looking at one for sale here in Northern Ireland along with two matching mesa boogie 1x12 cabs, all excellent condition with mesa covers for £2300 sterling .. English pounds .. thoughts ??
@@geoarthur6593 I'm not too sure on the exchange rate.. I'm pretty sure boogies are much more expensive in Europe. I think the amp is great and versatile though. Top quality
there is a low mid/dumble sound in the xtreme section, you do an inverted tick on the Grapic EQ, and use the front dials to control the gain. for some reason this cleans up the channel despite having the gain knob at 9 o clock
What do you mean by an inverted tick? I gotta try this out! Thanks for the tip
@@guitar_george ua-cam.com/video/EyY0C5bCLVM/v-deo.html, something liek this
i set the 2200 and 6000, lower so it looks like an upside down tick. notice his gain is very high but his tone is relatively clean
its one of my pet peeves with this amp, this setting only appears on this channel for some reason
Such a clean sound! Great vid
Thanks! 🙏
yeah, the singer during the intro has a clean sound.
Thank you for an amazing review. I now want one. But can you just tell me why you went with the 25 and not the 35? (Other than the small price difference).
I'm glad you liked the review! I went with the 25 for the lower price and smaller size. I believe the 35 is 400$ more dollars and 11 more lbs. I wanted an amp small enough to carry to gigs and recording sessions. The 25 was plenty loud for me
I’m considering buying this amp. Thx for the vid
I highly recommend it. I didn't even scratch the surface in this video. There will be more to come!
My favorite amp of all time, at least for right now.
Mine too!
Great little review man!
I appreciate it! Glad you enjoyed
Got same amp, same grill…..do you think paying $200 more for that grill versus black is worth it? fact is, for that price (depending a little on vendor) you can also buy a Mark 5:35!😳 I wanted another 5:25, because my 2016 version needed a re Tube. FYI There is only one official Boogie authorized repair in all of Southern California
If Sweetwater had had a 5:35 in stock, THAT would have been my choice. But I’m moving toward a stereo rig, and having 2 5:25’s will be the bomb😅
That stereo rig would sound sick! Yeah I'm not looking forward to servicing it... But it's built really well. To me changing the grill cloth was worth because it matches my cab
@@guitar_george my 2016 suddenly seemed to lose a gain stage …a few DB less…it faded…in a matter of days, at the output and it lost its top end brilliance over time as compared to the new replacement, but that was after 6 years and 5,000+ hours, service guy hasn’t opened it up yet, waiting on the Tubes, but I doubt it’s any thing but that, he tried it in the shop, louder than I typically play it, he said…ahhh likely nothing serious, around $400 to re-tube including tubes.
so it’ll be quite awhile before yours will need service 🙂
I have a Boogie 50/50 power amp from my 90’s, rack obsession🙄, days, with an ADA-1 pre…..unless I play outside, with my 4x12 that also mostly gathers dust, 🫤
I’ll never need the power amp.
1 side is my right channel for now, another mono backup/additional amp i could use is my 70’s Musicman 75 watt head, I put a line input in it years ago, EL 34’s ….and EL-84’s sound a lot alike 34’s are just way louder.
But because of the cab clone, on the 5:25, using a slave amp in addition is easily done.
Your cabinet IS gorgeous 🙂I get it.
But an EVM 12L in a Theil cab is plenty loud, just doesn’t move air like a 4 x 12, it would keep up with your 2x12, supper efficient speaker/cab set up! however, EVM’s are an acquired taste, very flat curve, kinda like a JBL, but tighter lo end
Where did buy the new grill?
I bought it directly from mesa boogie
wait, Gibson own mesa boogie now?
They sure do!
At the end of the video you swapped out the stock grill with a custom grill. Where did you get the custom grille from??
@@anthonyglaser929 I ordered it directly from Mesa boogie
@@guitar_george thanks, so 2 years with it are you still happy with the amp?
@@anthonyglaser929 I still love it! And I've gotten even better at dialing it in. It's also a great recording tool because of its DI in the back
These are great sounding amps…I am sure you know,the tone stack is pre gain,which is why some people have a hard time dialing them in…It’s not like a Marshall where you set everything at noon…Sounds like you got it though..that thing sounds great…and with the matching cab,it’s a great looking rig…
Thanks! With those cream grilles it was love at first site
Nice playing and demo bud
Thanks. I appreciate that!
Very nice introduction and tone comparison 🙂👍
Thanks a lot! Glad you enjoyed it
@@guitar_george Yes, I really love the Vintage and classic look of the Mark V. Of course the sound also 😅😉. I am waiting for my one. 🤩
They're a bit expensive, but if you get one you won't regret it 🤗
@@guitar_george thats true. The price is like 🤯😵
Great amp, where did you buy the cream grill ?
Cheers
I ordered it from Mesa boogie! The cab already came cream so I ordered a matching one
Thanks, I live in Italy, no way to order from US, delivery costs are unreal
Unlucky! You can buy it with the cream grille installed but it does cost a bit more. Try doing that
I feel the same way . I love mesa boogie amps but gibson buying them realy scares me. When randle goes what gibson mite chage and will destroy.
The price hikes too!
Yes crazy high.
Mesas rock!!
Heck yeah! 🤘
is this amp too loud for bedroom levels?
On the 10 watt setting I would say you could use it comfortably at bedroom levels
Can you play this at quiet volumes on the 10 watt ?
Yeah it's pretty quiet when you switch it to 10 watts. I use it in my apartment and the neighbors don't complain
@@guitar_george it seems like this is better for metal than the rectoverb 25?
I haven't used a rectoverb so I'm not sure
Can not believe these are up to $2k now! I mean I love mine, but holy crap lol
Crazy how high the prices have gone! I got in before the Gibson tax 🙏
@@guitar_george Yea, same, snagged a used one locally about 4 years ago for $900 and I thought that was a lot! Still my main amp.
Just got mine today trying to figure out how to dial it in,,,, this thing is loaded for bear, I love it with my tube screamer as well.... It's gonna take some time to figure out the controls my Marshall was dead easy it only had two sounds and no matter how much you turn the knobs it didn't make that much of a difference that's not the Mesa boogie V 25 lol... to funny
Now the fun begins. The tone shape is all in the graphic EQ. Tinker with that and the tones you get are virtually unlimited
Damn sexy!!!!!!!! Congrats
Thanks! Sexy is exactly how I'd describe this amp
Wish I had a amp like that. When I was a beginner. Great amp. U need to learn how to set in. And put the hours into your playing.
$4000 be to scared to take it to the pub