Mesa Boogie has gone to well Read

[BillCartESP]

I bought a brand new mesa mark v 90w in late November. Channel one from the get go has nothing but loud popping and static noice with a scratchy gain pot on channel one. This also happens on channel 3 but significantly less and Channel 2 was a noisy but was even less than 3. I called mesa and asked for help. They sent new tubes saying it was power tube problem. When I got the new tubes I put them in. It did not fix the problem and actually got worse. They recommended replace inside tubes btw. After the tube swap I worked with another rep; I’m guessing another tech because the other tech was unavailable. He had me pull tubes, power on power off and all the stuff we do to troubleshoot; we all do this etc, well…I (as in ME) found that power tube socket V10 (as in the fckn socket)was damaged. It was loose and broken sinking up into the amp. I think they took me as a joke honestly; until they got it. They found that and the rectifier tube socket loose. I said holy cuss words to myself and fkn cried. I get a mesa and this is what I get. A fun mess that was brand new. . This amp ran for more than two weeks with socket V10 loose and the rec tube. It seems that this disabled vets amp wasn’t important enough to fix properly and they sent it back with the same problems minus a loose V10 and rec tube socket.. It seems that mesa fixed the sinking socket but cared less about the collateral damage that did. After so many heart felt messages to mesa I don’t think they cared about me. I’m a disabled vet so folks think how hard it is for a guy Ike me (with multiple spinal surgeries and ultimately a spinal fusion with screws and rods; to send this amp back and forth. I asked if it was good to go and they told me the man himself fixed it. How the F could they do this? What the hell happened to this awesome mesa support and help that some many people talked about? When it took over 3 weeks just to send it there I knew I should have just returned it to the seller. Just another vet getting fucked over.

 

[Hollowway]

Why do you think this has to do with you being a vet?

And what did they damage when they repaired it? You say they sent it back with the same problems, minus the loose sockets, and with collateral damage. But I’m not sure what problems were there other than the loose sockets, or what collateral damage occurred.

 

[Edika]

Are you having the same sound issues with it as before Mesa got it? Can you still return it to the shop for an exchange and saw the correspondence with Mesa to saw it was problematic from the beginning?

In your case, you should have taken it back to the shop you bought it the moment you plugged in and it didn't sound right.

 

[BillCartESP]

Hollow way it doesn’t. I’m a dv and am ranting very hard. I’m physically unable to send this back and forth. I had a severe breakdown. You might not understand. Well.., Unless you’re disabled too

Edika
I do have documentation to provide for a possible return. I do have to give an update ;the customer relations at Mesa wants to help me and make this a better experience. I would say names but i think that’s inappropriate. I do have to say the folks have been kind. But that doesn’t make an amp perform as designed though. I mean less then a week and major issues. Super sad atm.
Yes same problem but now worse. Constant Popping and static on channel one and is worse when in tweed. Any o’clock setting. Scratchy gain knob on channel one as well. Same thing just worse at any volume. Now it’s so loud. So much so I had a serious breakdown and I’m still going.
Mesa did fix tube socket v10. I had the amp brand new less then a week. So the seller, manufacturer or carrier damaged it. Or MF sold me a “new” reboxed return. Seems that a lot of sellers might be doing this these days. Anyways then after repair carrier damaged it again ; that or I’m the luckiest unlucky person around.
We i am alive so I got that going.

I’m not going to reread my post so if there’s anything inappropriate in there my apologies.

 

[tedtan]

Try to return it to Musician's Friend as an exchange for a new Mk V. If they won't take it back, contact Mesa again and insist that they replace your defective amp with a new amp; they can refurbish the defective amp to sell as B stock.

 

[BillCartESP]

I was on a bad rant last night. More so because it is extremely painful to play so that affects my mind very much. I have the rule of 3. Everyone deserves 3 chances to make things right. This is now chance 3. 1 was the first amp. 2 was the repair attempt. 3 will be the replacement. I might try the replacement route because I simply don’t know what other brand sounds like a mark v And online demos dont really portray the real picture. Like I said the people as mesa have been extremely helpful and seems genuinely shocked that this is happening.

 

[BillCartESP]

**Update**
Mesa is making good on the promise of a solid amp. I am returning to mesa and they are going to make it right. Even going as far as having UPS pick it up at my house to accommodate my disability. Calling me on a Sunday is by far the greatest customer service that anyone could ask for. If the new amp goes well I‘d like to change the thread title to reflect that… if a moderator is willing.

 

[tedtan]

I haven’t contacted Mesa since they were bought by Gibson a couple of years back, but they always had great customer service prior to that, so it’s good to hear that that hasn’t changed.

 

[Edika]

Yeah, I bought a second hand Mesa Nomad 100 head and they were really helpful in answering questions about the amp that was not covered in the manual. They could have just ignored me as I wasn't a new customer giving them money but they still replied to my questions!

@BillCartESP it's good to hear Mesa is doing what's right and accommodating your situation. Here's hoping you get a good example of a Mesa Mark V that you enjoy! Keep us posted as to how it turns out!

 

[Wiltonauer]

I wonder though if Gibson’s acquisition has really had enough time to filter down and impact quality. Did no one ever have an issue with a new Mesa before the purchase?

 

[BillCartESP]

I’ve searched high and low to find a problem like mine with the Mark V. I couldn’t find one. Other than tube problems, which happen no mater the. I did find a guy on another thread claimed to have an intermittent phantom problem in his tc 50. There was a lot of back and forth with mesa support and sending it back for a period of time. I believe this guy wrote in his thread that it took three years to resolve. I am not sure how long it actually took nor do I know what the details. Trying to understand his complaint and what he was really after hurt my brain. I personally think that the guy either just didn’t like mesa and wanted to bash them or was unhappy spending that amount on an amp. Now that is my personal opinion and in no way fact because I dont know the guy and did not dedicate hours of my time reading through all the threads and videos he posted. Either way mesa worked with him and took care of him in the end; though mesa never found an issue with his amp the sent a brand new replacement like three years later. Great service if you ask me. In reality is way above great service and with as much time that had passed truly unheard of. I believe just before or maybe just after Gibson purchased of mesa. The point is they took care of the guy and that says so much. I have no complaints on the staff there. They are friendly, professional and absolute pleasure to work with and talk to. I may feel at times they don’t care and just when I do they are there they are doing all they can to help me and make me feel comfortable and confident. And not just with them and support but happy with my purchase and Enjoy playing my amp.
I may not like Gibson nor all of the things they have soured in many years of their acquisitions. So many may agree or disagree. I will say this. The support that mesa is famed for is still there and that’s fact. It seems they have two goals; make great amps and take care of the customer. Maybe mesa‘s level of craftsmanship and customer care they live by will pass along to gibson and clean up the gibson model of business. Only time will tell. But it would be nice if Gibson would take this approach to anything they do. That little rant of Gibson was not a bash, I still miss my LP studio I mistakenly sold 2006ish but I needed the money at that time. Maybe not the pickups but that thing was just smooth as glass. Maybe your dont like that analogy; well then… as smooth as butter. Yumm,, butter soup and bread. Dinner of champions!
Cheers!

 

[BillCartESP]

Mesa made good on their promise. They sent me a new amp and did it fast. At first it was great. After I played 5 hours or so and it’s making noises. Randomish , slight popping and loss of power, slight distortion in channel one with the gain below 10 o’clock. ‘Bass kinda comes and goes. Somewhat like the previous did minus the scratchy gain pot in channel one. There is a loud growl/howl noise in channel 3 when the gain is set to 12 or higher. When switching channels with the foot switch or on the back it makes an extremely loud popping. This is not fixed by the channel cycling during warm up on stadnby for a minute. The only thing I can see that might be at fault is the rectifier tube. It’s not quite red plating but is sure is awful bright; and. I mean bright. The only other time I’ve seen a tube this bright was a power tube and it was red plating while this bright; although that turned out to be a socket problem apparently. With amp on and the lights off the blue in the power tubes looks a bit abnormal to me and there isn’t even the slightest blue in the rectifier tube. Doesn’t look like the normal blue that I am used to seeing in power tubes, a lot more blue and very bright blue. Again this might be the rectifier. This problem didn’t happen until I put all channels on 45 watt and tube rectifier setting for channels 1/2. This does have me worried a lot because if it’s not a tube then this will be 2 mesa mark v’s with problems in a row. Date of manufacturing is 11/2022. I have searched forum after forum and have never seen anyone else with these problems with a new mark v. Well, a bit of popping with the foot switch here and there but not with the selector on the back. I will be calling my guy at mesa. He is a pleasure to work with and i know he will help me out in what ever decision I make in regards to the amp.
It is by far the best sounding, most versatile amp I’ve ever played on besides a mark iv. IMO: In some regards I think the mark v has a better sound over all in the clean channel and the extreme on channel 3. I hope a reasonable solution can be met. I really want to just play and this has been going on since early December 2022.

 

[Emperoff]

 

[BillCartESP]

After a few attempts today I got a hold of mesa support.
It was not as inspiring as before but the guy I’m working with was not condescending and did take time to try and help. He wants videos of the problems I am having and I will comply.

The rep said there was nothing wrong with the first amp when they received it back. Not to sure if popping and static related to channel switching is acceptable to some people but it isn’t to me. Theoretically I don’t think someone should accept an amp, that‘s brad new, to have a gain pot that is scratchy. Maybe an oversight on my part and I’m to picky, maybe that’s normal to mesa or maybe this is common on mark v’s. But for an mp that’s now over 3k one should expect more.

The only other mark I played for a long period of years was a mark iv. It was dead silent when channel switching on the amp and the footswitch didn’t make any noticeable noise. When the gain on channel 3 was set to noon it was not noticeable either. Past that (1-3 o’clock ) with the volume at noon or higher there was the normal noise. Below are some of the issues I am having with the replacement in question form. Any boogie owners input would be really helpful.

What is the mark v ” normal” channel popping noises? Not with the footswtich but using the selector on the back of the cab.

What is the acceptable level of hiss and hum when the gain on channel 3 is set to noon? (A noise suppressor does not alleviate this)

What volume drop/spike is acceptable for a mark v? As in random volume drop/spike when playing and no knobs on guitar or amp are turned.

When in tweed mode on channel 1, what gain drop is acceptable when the gain setting is not moved? this is also while playing.

What level of volume drop is acceptable while playing? (Play time is between 3-10 minute songs with about 1-2 minute break between songs to change drum patterns for next song)

When on any channel, when switching modes (like from clean to fat or tweed on channel one) what level of popping noises are acceptable?

After the amp has been warmed and played through for a couple of hours: When the amp is put in stand by for guitar swapping, maybe for a minute or less, what level of pop when taking off of standby is acceptable?

There are no scratchy pots with the replacement. Just symptoms similar to the first one but some more weird things going on.

I would greatly appreciate any current mark v owners or past owners/users input on this.

 

[bostjan]

I have an old Dual recto I've been using for decades. Switching is smooth, no popping, and most of the time the amp works great. I have noticed, though, that my particular amp is very susceptible to dirty power. I'm lucky I've brought a backup amp with me most places, because I've played at multiple gigs where my amp was loudly picking up radio signals or crackling sounds. It never happened at home, of course. Then, about 5 or 6 or maybe 7 years ago, I started having some other issues with it. I called Mesa about it, and they fixed it free of charge in spite of the amp's age. About a year ago, same symptoms, and I called Mesa again, but that time, I didn't hear back for some time, and instead took it to a local television repair guy who happens to be a good musician, in hopes that he'd know what to look for. Lucky for me, he was able to find the problem and repair it quickly. It's been good to me ever since.

Mesa did eventually get back to me, but it was months after I remedied the issue.

I've played through quite a few other Mesa's and I have noticed the loud popping on channel switching before. I do not think it's normal, though. But, maybe it's becoming more common as electronic components, especially tubes, are getting more difficult to source from reputable dealers.

Honestly, if you have physical limitations that prevent you from fully enjoying a heavy amplifier, what about something small and powerful like a modeler?

 

[tedtan]

I was thinking that the issues sound like dirty power when reading, and it sounds like bostjan picked up on that, too.

I do have a Mesa Dual Rectifier Road King II that will make a light pop the first time or two I switch channels, but stops after that (or cycling through channels with the power in stand by). This is normal with relay-based switching from my understanding. And any volume drop I experience is due to a momentary drop in power; I notice the lights flicker, too.

Like bostjan said, modelers can sound great in a small, light package - maybe look into something like an Axe FX III or a Kemper. You could pick up a rig at or below what your MK V cost and have a smaller, lighter package less susceptible to the noise issues you’re experiencing.

 

[BillCartESP]

Thank you for the replies.
I play in my makeshift home studio. I don’t move it around. It sits on one of my cabs right next to me. In my “studio” I keep everything assessable so I can go behind my amps, well my tube amps anyways so I can check tubes during warm up. There are multiple walking aids in there to use so I can comfortably move around. And I like it loud, well everything is set around 11:00-Noonish. Main output only goes down to about 10 after 9:30pm on weekdays.

I do have other amps and they don't have issues like this. Well I say that. My fender hr deville needs some warranty work for fx loop noise and both inputs are loose.

Power is good and no rf on any of the many things I am running; drum machine, drum machine amp, vox amp, deville, buggera, microphones, PA , lighting, etc.

When the volume dropped there was no change in my drum machine, other amps, or lights. The power was the first thing I had my son check. We have the equipment for that sort of thing. I’m a former IT systems engineer; (and a marine vet). We have the tools needed for that.

I did preform the channel switching both on the amp channel selector pot and footswitch during tube warm up. This changed it slightly. There is still an audible pop when switching and A slight delay when changing channels. This is worse when the loop is active. It drops considerably when loop is hard bypassed.

Here I will post an update:

First off:

I’m not sure if I said this or not. The amp was great out of the box. The rectifier tube was loose and everything else was good. Pulled out and reseated the rectifier and warmed it up. Played great. Was only able to play for about an hour or so.

I fell down after playing that day and was stuck in bed for several days after that. When I recovered I went to play. I double checked all tubes again and all was well. Turned the amp to full power and jamm sandwich was tasting good.

My son came in and asked if it that was tube or silicon reverb, since i was in 90 I told him no. Time to change so he can hear tube rec. I turned it off, set all channels to 45 and put channels 1&2 to tube and left channel 3 on triode. Power it on and boom… a loud pop. Not like a transformer or cap bursting but loud all the same. No smoke or smell.

I did Not cycle through the channels before taking off of standby since I was in the same power for all channels. This is when all the weird stuff I’ve been taking about started happening.

The first thing i noticed was the rectifier tube was bright orange/reddish at the bulb end. The plate that’s horizontal down there is reddish but not greatly. The rest of the plate is not redplating. It does look bright like when a power tube is about to fail.

Three of the power tubes are similar in glow. Tube V9 Is noticeably dimmer than the others.
I have seen this on many amps through the years and it doesn’t look to me that the power tubes are bad in any way. I am a bit worried about the rec tube though.

I have kept it on 90w since then.

****These are the symptoms now as of 2:00 pm today.****

I did reseat all preamp, power tubes and rectifier tube. The third time I have done this since receiving the amp.

!The amp is Not loosing volume at all now. All levels are normal on all channels, This was consistent for over an hour playing time, whew…wipes sweat of head… and brain…..!

With the loop active the popping is a bit lower but still there. From the channel selector switch on the back of the amp and footswitch removed it still makes the popping. It seems that the “clicking” sound that’s made when changing channels is being amplified through the amp into the cab. Not sure how but this is what I hear. When the amp is on mute there is only a click but that can be heard from the speaker cabinet. When unmuted a click and the popping with static can be heard.

Channel 3 still has an audible hiss when gain is at 10:00 or higher. In extreme mode this is even more noticeable. Volume on channel 3 is about 10:00 and output main is at 11:00, bass at 10:00, treb at noon, mid at 10:00, presence at noon.

?? from earlier post I needed to edit the below statement :

“What level of volume drop is acceptable while playing? (Play time is between 3-10 minute songs with about 1-2 minute break between songs to change drum patterns for next song)”

supposed to have been:
!!! What level of volume pop is acceptable coming off of standby after initial warm up and powering on? (Play time about an hour t this point then go standby for guitar change, take off of stand by after a minute then pops loudly. Between 3-10 minute songs with about 1-2 minute break between songs to change drum patterns for next song pops happen again coming off of standby)

^ The above did not have any notable popping come out of stand by after changing guitars today or when I just randomly did it to check. Another whew moment here.

The rectifier tube is still glowing a bit oddly and tube socket V9 seems a bit loose, as in not bolted in place securely like the rest of the tube sockets. Basically it has a bit of play. The tube does go all the way in the socket and the socket is tight on the inside.

***This is a new symptom.
Channel 1 reveb on and channels 2&3 reverb off. From Channels 2 or 3 when a note is stuck and has expired or if the stings are muted and a second or so has gone by, when channel changed to 1 there is a loud reverb echo followed by a hollow type sound like a weird ghost note when channel one becomes active. Well basically when it turns green. I was able to duplicate this over and over.

There is random ghost note/spring sound when playing on channel 2 and 3. It happens but I wouldn’t say consistently.

I am not sure what was causing the previous symptoms. Maybe there was a power glitch that only the mark noticed, a gremlin that was exercised after some extreme metal playing?!? Either way it seems to be smoothing out. Over all it seems to be playing better and that makes me happy. I’m hopeful for many things and this amp playing good is one of them. I am still working with my mesa rep and he is very helpful and understanding. If anything it’s still worth buying the amp. Their customer services are outstanding. And that is an understatement.

Cheers!

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Well, considering, tube technology is at this point, while still preferred by many, quite archaic technology. Aside from having your home power measured, I’d also look at placement of the amp in proximity to other things like computers, fan motors, any similar items that could be introducing noise into your particular experience. Loan it to a friend, have them take it to their place, see if they get similar results as you have reported.

 

[Grindspine]

I was thinking that the issues sound like dirty power when reading, and it sounds like bostjan picked up on that, too.

Have you checked your voltages? Voltage fluctuation can cause artifacts in the sound of tube amps. I run my tube amps with a Furman AR-1215 voltage regulator or 1800PF to protect from overvoltage and brown-outs.

 

[TedEH]

Main output only goes down to about 10 after 9:30pm on weekdays

Hooooold on a moment - are we talking about blaring the bajeeezus out of a tube amp and expecting it to be dead silent while doing so? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the V is just a master volume, no? So at 10 - whether that's 10 oclock or 10 on the dial, either way, that's blisteringly loud, isn't it? At that kind of volume, you're bound to find some noise sneaking in.

I've owned a Mark IV and a V:25 for a while now, and I've played through some other Rectos (Roadster, Solo, etc) and have observed some things to be normal:

- Pretty much any Mesa amp I've tried has a pop noise when you change channels, particularly the first time you do so after powering it on. Most of the time, cycling through all the channels / modes I intend to use while on standby, or at low volume, tends to help since it only happens the once. From what I understand, this is normal for the kind of relay switching Mesa uses in these.

- They're reasonably sensitive - to interference, to how clean the power is, to random PC stuff nearby, etc. I used to get freaked out when I'd turn an amp up and suddenly be picking up radio signals. It freaks you out the first couple of times you hear unexpected voices in the room and you're the only one home. But it happens. Putting anything near a PC or monitor, near certain kinds of lights, near poorly shielded gear, etc. all gets noisy really fast.

- Looking at the glow of the tubes tells you pretty much nothing. They're not very consistent, and I generally never expect them to be. Especially if you're comparing different tube types, different tube usages, different brands of tubes, etc. IMO this will only tell you if something is VERY wrong. I've heard of people tapping very lightly on tubes to tell if they've become microphonic, but I've never had a problem tube this way so I have no idea how well that works.

- I'm not sure what you mean by "ghost note / spring noise". I know some amps / channels / settings can exacerbate the kinds of ringing you get from the guitar itself more than others, so maybe that's part of it?

- I've had a number of tube amps suddenly drop in volume, which they obviously aren't supposed to do, but it's not super uncommon. Usually it meant my power tubes were on the way out, even if they seemed to otherwise be healthy. I'm no expert, but I suspect this one is just hard to diagnose other than noting that volume drops happen. Tubes are old tech. They're gonna be janky sometimes.

- You mention something about perceiving a drop in gain when messing with settings that are not the "gain" setting. That's normal. A lot of the controls on tube amps (especially Marks) interact with eachother in non-intuitive ways. The most obvious one is that the treble knob generally gives you more gain, almost like sticking a boost in front.

- My newer Mark (the V:25) has no scratchy pots, but the IV is really janky in this department - the master volume is particularly twitchy and crackly and causes volume jumps. Then again, that amp head is older than some of the forum members, and I don't know when it last saw an amp tech (if ever).