# Mesa mark v 25 for live performance



## carvinx (Jun 1, 2016)

I am looking to get the mark 25 or 35 and wanted to know if it will be loud enough to perform. I will mostly be using it for practice but want that reassurance that it will be gigable. Anyone here gig with either amp?


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## Jacksonluvr636 (Jun 1, 2016)

carvinx said:


> I am looking to get the mark 25 or 35 and wanted to know if it will be loud enough to perform. I will mostly be using it for practice but want that reassurance that it will be gigable. Anyone here gig with either amp?



I am not much help as I have never played these exact amps but I would say you should have no issues as long as your gigs have a PA, a Soundman and they mic up your cab.

I have seen many local bands play with little combos just fine. I also have a 44 Magnum which is a 44w Poweramp pedal (solid state) and it keeps up with a full band without a mic.

I know that is apples and oranges but a good example of how you dont "need" 100W of tube power to play a gig.

I prefer more for what I do and if I were you I would go with the 35w option but I feel that you should have no issues at all for small to mid sized venues. 

If you are doing alot of DIY's with no PA then i would proceed with caution though.


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## TedEH (Jun 1, 2016)

The short answer is yes. The long answer is that it really depends on how you set up your sound, how loud your play, how loud other band members play, etc.

I'd guess that the 35 is probably enough for the majority of people. The 25 is enough for me, even in a metal context, as long as it's through a good cab and you aren't competing with someone who insists on always being so loud that you can't hear anyone else.

In a gigging situation, in most cases, you'll be mic'd anyway. You'll have enough volume from your own amp just to monitor yourself while standing in front of it. I have a Mark IV and a V:25- I'll usually use the IV for local shows and weekly jams, etc., but sometimes the small form factor and weight makes it more convenient to use the small amp (like out of town shows where car space is limited), or sometimes I'll bring it out just for the novelty factor. If I'm playing in a place where I know the PA support is going to be weak, I'll bring the bigger amp, 'cause the small one isn't going to fill a big room on it's own, but with proper PA support it's fine.

The trick with the lower wattage isn't so much volume, it's headroom. As you turn up, you'll get more compressed, maybe lose things like "punch" and all those other positive vague words people like to use to describe their sound. The 25 also doesn't have a huge low end, so if you're boosting the low end of the EQ to compete with something like a Recto, you'll eat up your headroom that much quicker.


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## MatthewK (Jun 2, 2016)

I gig the 25, but I run an XLR direct to the board. I know people .... on the cabclone, but I've been extremely happy with my tone. I don't think I'd have any trouble just going through a cab either, but I'm not playing with a metal band.


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## jrui (Jun 2, 2016)

at a price level of 1100&#65284;&#65292;&#12288;I think 5153 is a better choice for live.

not just headroom , but the powertubes , 6L6 have better performance than EL84s,
so the sound will be more powerful , better bass response.

and more , 5153's building quality is OK , not like most Chinese ones.

as for "enough", one more thing you should consider is what your partner use ? if he have a 6505, I think you may have some serious trouble.


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## MistaSnowman (Jun 2, 2016)

The V:35 with either a 2x12 or a 4x12 (with efficient speakers) should be enough to be able to keep up with the rest of the band.


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## Albionic (Jun 2, 2016)

jrui said:


> at a price level of 1100&#65284;&#65292;&#12288;I think 5153 is a better choice for live.
> 
> not just headroom , but the powertubes , 6L6 have better performance than EL84s,
> so the sound will be more powerful , better bass response.
> ...



Whilst I agree with everything you said if you want the Mesa mark sound I don't think the evh will do it for you


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## Jacksonluvr636 (Jun 2, 2016)

MistaSnowman said:


> The V:35 with either a 2x12 or a 4x12 (with efficient speakers) should be enough to be able to keep up with the rest of the band.




Those amps do sound really good.


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## jrui (Jun 2, 2016)

Albionic said:


> Whilst I agree with everything you said if you want the Mesa mark sound I don't think the evh will do it for you



yes, that's obviously.


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## carvinx (Jun 2, 2016)

I do like the EVH tone on the blue, red channel but, I am not a fan of the green. Way too bright and lacks compared to my fender and roadster I owned. Also the fact that blue and green share a channel is the biggest fault. I was too impulsive buying an EVH and wish I held out for a mark instead. The mark has better tone, versatility and reliability. Only problem is the price of the full size amp. The 25 is more affordable and suitible for me since I am not gigging, but for the money, I would want an amp that can handle any situation. This is my possible main amp we are talking about.


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Jun 3, 2016)

I want to know this as well. But i have a point of reference. My other guitarist uses a Peavey 6505+ through a Mesa 4x12. Settings are 
Gain 4.5, bass 6, mids 6, treble 8-9, presence and resonance 10. Volume at 2.5

That sh1t is very loud. Can the 25 or 35 or whatever handle that level?


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## jrui (Jun 3, 2016)

Djimbo said:


> I want to know this as well. But i have a point of reference. My other guitarist uses a Peavey 6505+ through a Mesa 4x12. Settings are
> Gain 4.5, bass 6, mids 6, treble 8-9, presence and resonance 10. Volume at 2.5
> 
> That sh1t is very loud. Can the 25 or 35 or whatever handle that level?



for loudness , 25w/35w stuff can be very loud . 
but at high volume , 25/35 will be thinner compare to 6505 head. 
which means cut through problems.

technically , that's because bass response needs more power than treble , and this phenomenon grows stronger from treble to bass , which explained why 25/35 sounds thinner than full powered head . because of this , your sound may fully covered by 6505 head .

ps. that's one reason why bass head 's power rating is so high, 300W or more


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## 4Eyes (Jun 3, 2016)

jrui said:


> for loudness , 25w/35w stuff can be very loud .
> but at high volume , 25/35 will be thinner compare to 6505 head.
> which means cut through problems.
> 
> ...


actually, from the band mix perspective it can be benefit, so bass player does not need to overpower guitars in the low end area, which will result in better and clearer band mix on stage. 

lot's of low end on guitars is good for playing alone, but there is no benefit of having "full" guitar sound in a band. your task is to sit well in the mix, in the midrange area - mids and trebble is what will help you to cut through the mix with your guitars. you have to sound full as a whole band, which means that bass and guitars complement each other and are not fighting for space in a band mix


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## jrui (Jun 3, 2016)

4Eyes said:


> actually, from the band mix perspective it can be benefit, so bass player does not need to overpower guitars in the low end area, which will result in better and clearer band mix on stage.
> 
> lot's of low end on guitars is good for playing alone, but there is no benefit of having "full" guitar sound in a band. your task is to sit well in the mix, in the midrange area - mids and trebble is what will help you to cut through the mix with your guitars. you have to sound full as a whole band, which means that bass and guitars complement each other and are not fighting for space in a band mix



you are right , band mix situation doesn't request much bass for the guitar. 
what I say better bass response doesn't mean huge bass response . 
that's for sure . 
my point is when compare a el84 20w amp to a 6L6 100w amp, you will notice the difference , there're something to do directly with the wattage , and that will effect the cut-through problems.


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## Albionic (Jun 3, 2016)

I have just bought the 5153 50w my other guitar player has the h&k grandmeister 36 loaded with el84's. The h&k easily keeps up with our very loud drummer and my vetta I'll be interested in how it fairs with the 6l6 loaded 5153.


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## TedEH (Jun 3, 2016)

Djimbo said:


> My other guitarist uses a Peavey 6505+



My other guitarist uses a Mesa Roadster, which, like any other "normal" Mesa head, gets insanely loud if you want it to. I've played the V:25 next to it in the same room, and while the Roadster definitely sound bigger, more room filling, etc., the Mark sound cuts through and is still audible/usable/sounds good.

The trick is to make sure the guy with the Peavey is willing to be reasonable with the volume. *Can* that amp bury a 25w "lunchbox" sized amp? Absolutely. But should it?

It's like anything else, it's not the size, it's how you use it.


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## NinjaRaf (Jun 3, 2016)

I dunno about you, but our volume at band practice is louder than our stage volume at shows.

Personally, when I had one, it could not keep up with a drummer. At that volume, it started squealing and compressing way too much. Pretty much lost all the awesomeness that it sounded like at low volumes. 

I would have a better chance of the 25 watter working for me at shows than at practice, though. You can either run the cab clone out to FoH, or you can mic it, and that negates any volume issues for the house. You may have a hard time with your stage volume, if you care about that at all.


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## TedEH (Jun 3, 2016)

NinjaRaf said:


> I dunno about you, but our volume at band practice is louder than our stage volume at shows.



That's going to depend entirely on the band, the sound, the room you're in, how loud your drummer is, etc. I almost always practice at lower volume than at a show.


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## NinjaRaf (Jun 3, 2016)

Oh yeah, I realize that, which is why I said it the way I did. My drummer is really loud, so I need the volume at practice, but for shows, the venues here all have great equipment, so I never have to be as loud.


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Jun 3, 2016)

well i need it to have some balls. we use low tunings so it probably will get lost in the mix. also our bassists tone is monstrous and he definitely wont change his setup. all i know is im not happy with my Line 6 HD Pro X. its never quite enough so i was looking at something from Mesa without paying $2,000+


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## Albionic (Jun 3, 2016)

Have you considered a caliber,DC or nomad head? I have no experience of these in person but often think about that route myself as financially a mark is out of my range


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## TedEH (Jun 3, 2016)

Djimbo said:


> something from Mesa without paying $2,000+



I feel like the used market should have lots of options that fit that description. My Mark IV cost me about ~$1000CAD used and it's been great. I've seen a bunch of different Rectos go for pretty cheap. I know the CAD vs USD makes it hard to compare, but I'd imagine there's lots of options for 2k USD.


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Jun 3, 2016)

Albionic said:


> Have you considered a caliber,DC or nomad head? I have no experience of these in person but often think about that route myself as financially a mark is out of my range





TedEH said:


> I feel like the used market should have lots of options that fit that description. My Mark IV cost me about ~$1000CAD used and it's been great. I've seen a bunch of different Rectos go for pretty cheap. I know the CAD vs USD makes it hard to compare, but I'd imagine there's lots of options for 2k USD.



i had a DC10 head. just wasnt pleased with the tone. it was like a rectifier, but just to grainy on the gain. didnt have the smoothness or clarity i wanted. i really want a Triaxis or maybe a Rectifier Recording pre. but i only have $700 currently, and they dont pop up too often. unless anyone here has a Triaxis they'd part with?

havent tried the Nomad. is it any good? there is one for sale locally for $500. worth it?


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Jun 3, 2016)

How hard would it be to make a rack mount version and run it through a different power amp? Kinda like how metallica did with their Mark III and IVs


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## carvinx (Jun 4, 2016)

I'm most likely going to settle for a fullsized Mark V. Going to have to get rid of some gear, but it's well worth the sacrifice. I hope it will be playable in my appartment. I was able to get decent tone at a low volume out of my Roadster on the 50 watt mode.


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