Help Me Spec a Mesa Mark V

[GAD]

So I think I'm finally going to take the plunge, sell off some stuff and get a Mesa Mark V. I've sworn to myself over and over that I'll never get another combo amp, and here I am looking at them once more. 80 pounds is just too damn heavy for me though, so...

I've been looking at the low profile 1x12 or 2x12 cabs. I don't need the 2x12, but I'm intrigued by the Road King cab where one side is closed and the other open. They're pricey though.

My musical tastes are very eclectic, and I play everything from Van Halen to Motley Crue to Brian Setzer to Jethro Tull to friggin' Jewel. OK I don't see me playing much Jewel through a Mesa, but it gives an idea of the range of music I play. Hence I want a single versatile amp. I'm not very cabinet saavy though. All my amps have been combos, and they've all been open backs. I tend to push them against the wall to get the thumpier sound when playing scooped mids stuff, but that makes Setzer tunes with a hollow body sound boomy.

What would you recommend? Oh, and pics always help the GAS, so post 'em if you've got 'em! :)

[Hendog]

Mesa has a couple of great 1x12's. Check out either the 3/4 Back or the Compact Wide.

[djw]

That 3/4-back Mesa sounds friggin' amazing and huge. This is partly because it's physically on the large side. If you just want tonal-awesomeness, this is the 1x12 to go with.

More lightweight and manageable: I went with a Freda 1x12 shortbody (~30lbs), and it's excellent. Similar to the Mesa Thiele, but deeper/wider/better IMHO. Lotsa low end and great dispersal, plenty of punch with very little beaminess.I loaded it with my LSC's C90 and it sounds really, really nice. I'm intrigued by Freda's widebody 1x12 too, it's supposed to sound more like a 4x12 and based on my experience with the shortbody I'd bet it's formidable. A well-designed ported cab can be great, as Port City users will attest.

Mesa's shortbody 1x12 is nice & handy, but any small 1x12 is going to be a bit beamy at higher volumes. So you might think about what sort of volumes you'll be playing with it... if you need to produce a lot of volume, I'd recommend a wider format, it's a little easier on the skull. I'm waiting on a Lone Star 27" 1x12 open back to complement my Freda, which I love for hauling to rehearsals and moderate-level gigs; for louder stuff I'll be taking the larger cab.

[djw]

...oh yeah, here's my Freda underneath my converted-to-head LSC:

http://www.damonwood.com/images/Photos/gear/lscstack2.jpg

[musicpower]

Hi. I would get your Mark V first before deciding on the cabinet. You may not even need one. The thing about boogie is it's very "direct" in tone, meaning it's always nice to have another 1x12 hooked up to your combo plus it's easy to carry. You might also experiment with different speakers.

Let us know if you need any help with your purchase.

www.MusicPower.com
Customer Service Rep

[GAD]

Actually I may have misspoke. I don't want a combo - I want a head and a small cab. I've been lugging 2x12 combos my whole life. My 45-year old back can't take it anymore. :)

[musicpower]

Hi Gad,

Actually I was confused, sorry about that. I would recommend getting the Mark V head and then 2 1x12 cabs. I've owned the 1x12 cabs and they are easy to carry. Another thing that's cool about having 2 1x12s is depending on how you hook things up you can either be true stereo or just have 2 1x12's spread out a bit more than in a 2x12 combo. A lot more control with 2 1x12s.

You can't go wrong with the Mark V as well. Once you dial it in you will have the most versatile amp on the market and be able to play anything you want.

Let us know if you need any help with your purchase

www.MusicPower.com
Customer Service Rep

[Rod]

Get a head, not a combo...save your back!!

[Jimi D]

I have a number of cabs I use with my Mark V head, but the one that sees the most use is my Saxon custom 1x12 with an Eminence Delta Pro 12A in it... This cab is basically a Boogie widebody-type cab with a slant front and side handles. The Eminence Delta Pro is an EVM-12L type speaker... I was actually trying to order a Boogie widebody cabinet with an EV in it, but was told they don't make them any more, so I went this route... Sounds spectacular...

http://web.ncf.ca/fl475/guitars/MkV_Saxon3.jpg

Oh, and if you really want to play Jewel tunes through a Mark V, you can, no problem... I happen to play both Stray Cats and Van Halen tunes through mine weekly... this amp can do anything.... :aok

[SteveO]

I have four cabs- a Recto horizontal 2x12, a 3/4 back 2x12, an Express 23 1x12, and a closed-back 1x12. My personal favorite with the Mark V is the 3/4 back 2x12, it is a good combination of open-back airiness and closed-back thump. This cab really enhances the various tones the Mark V does.

[never-enough]

I don't have a mark V, but I do have a 3/4back 1x12 and 3/4back 2x12 cab... They are awesome cabs.
The 1x12 is a bit larger than the 2x12 actually.
I recommend either one... Although if you go with a 1x12, you will want a pretty high powered speaker to handle what the mark V can dish out.. The 90w celestion will do a good job paired up in that cab... A 2x12 cab would open a few more options in the speaker department.