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From Our Research Team:

Premium Tones from a Beauty of a Boogie

Far more than a single amplifier, this Mark V 40th Anniversary Combo Custom is a journey through Mesa/Boogie's illustrious history. The Mark V houses multiple circuits and sounds spanning the lifespan of the Mark series - from the high-gain cascading preamp of the Mark I all the way to the amazing power and control of the Mark IV. The preamp offers numerous sounds, ranging from tweedlike tones to British crunch to blistering trademark Boogie overdrive. If you're looking for an amp with an amazing history - and tone to match (not to mention gorgeous custom looks) - then you need the Mark V 40th Anniversary Combo Custom.





The Mark V 40th Anniversary Combo Custom is loaded with a slew of sonic possibilities. Channel 1 contains the lowest gain sounds of the three channels and can be thought of as the rhythm, or clean, channel. The other two channels contain modes that work better for soft clip, medium crunch and high-gain rhythm work. There is a tight, skinny Clean (toggle up), a warm, rich Fat clean sound with added lower fundamental (toggle center) and a higher gain pushed version of this architecture found in Tweed (toggle down). A channel-global Bold voicing switch adds punch and cut starting in the high mids to help you stand out in a dense mix and give you an increase in headroom.

Channel 2 is the transitional channel between the low-gain sounds of Channel 1 and the high-gain fury of Channel 3. This channel contains the biggest difference between modes, and there is definitely dialing required as you toggle through the voicing modes. A stripped British-inspired Edge (switch up) unleashes low- to mid-gain aggression.

Low mids are added for a thicker, throatier "Crunch" sound that travels up the gain scale while retaining a tight attack. And finally, Mark I mode flips the architecture to arrive at the iconic high-gain voice that put Mesa on the map back in 1970 with the little Boogie amp. This creamy voice is infused with thick bottom end and works great for fattening up single-note solo sounds. You may want to run the BASS control very low (off to 10:00) when the gain is high in this mode, to retain the best attack characteristic and to avoid flabbiness. There is also a Normal/Thick switch that affects the Mark I mode only to add extra gain in the mids for added single-note focus.

Channel 3 goes on from there to encompass the best of the Mark series overdrive sounds. Beginning with the MK II C+ (switch up), the sound is pure, with blistering focus. This is the classic Boogie voice of the 80's that became the foundation for such players as John Petrucci, James Hetfield, and Kirk Hammett, as well as for L.A.'s first-call session players of the day, including Steve Lukather, Mike Landau, Dean Parks, and many more.

The onboard 5-band graphic EQ has been an iconic trademark of Mark series Boogies since they first appeared on the Mark I back in 1970. The shaping power of this feature can't be denied, especially when combined with the Mark II's tight, focused gain sound. In the '80s, the classic "V" setting of the EQ on Mark II and III models became a new sound in heavy rock, and it etched the onboard graphic a place in rock history.

While the Mark V 40th Anniversary Combo Custom's tone controls are accurate and effective over a wide range, they come earlier in the signal chain and can only achieve so much shaping before they produce possible imbalances in certain modes. The graphic EQ comes at the very end of the signal chain, so you can shape the final sound, with the only consideration being how much of a certain frequency your speakers and cabinets - and ultimately your ears - can handle. Each channel is fitted with a mini toggle to select the 5-band graphic EQ, but the fun doesn't stop there. The Mark V 40th Anniversary Combo Custom gives you the choice of two ways to use the power of the graphic EQ for each channel!

The onboard Multi-Watt Power feature determines the amount (wattage) and type (configuration) of power each preamp channel will be coupled with to create a classic sound. Any amplifier's sound is 50 percent preamp and 50 percent power, so this switch is responsible for a large part of a given channel's personality and feel. The choices repeat for all three channels (90/45/10 watts). Using the switch is simple; just select the power you want for each channel, keeping in mind that the greatest headroom, focus, and authority will always be found in the 90-watt position.

There's no denying the sonic difference between Class A and Class A/B - but what if you could have both? Since 1981, Simul-Class Power has been the heart and soul of the Mark series amplifiers, imparting its sweet, musical character onto any sound in the vast library of the now-classic Mark legacy. Cleans shimmer with transparent layers of sweet, delicate highs, whereas the bottom end breathes a warm fundamental tone under a bed of rich low-mid ambience. Never harsh, always fat, the Simul lead tone is the quintessential single-note solo sound.

A built-in cooling fan is fitted with an on/off switch to allow for silent running in the studio or for late-night practicing in the lower-wattage settings. The onboard Bias Select switch allows you to run EL34 power tubes in place of the stock complement of 6L6s. You can run EL34s in just the outside pair or in all four power-tube spots. The EL34-style tubes will produce a brighter, skinnier sound that will clip with a whole different harmonic content - that can be nice for recording, especially if you don't need the channel-switching performance of all three channels and can dedicate the amplifier to one specific sound. The 6L6'S will most likely perform better for a wide range of sounds. They'll certainly sound fatter and richer on most of the sounds, and they'll produce the greatest clean headroom.

Mesa/Boogie Mark V 40th Anniversary Combo Custom Features:

• Wine Taurus custom vinyl with Tan grille
  
• Simul-Class power amp with Multi-Watt and Duo-Class technologies for 3 power and 3 operating-class options
  
• Wattages are channel assignable via 10-/45-/90-watt power switches
  
• 2 power tubes operate in pure vintage Class A (single ended), producing 10 watts
  
• 2 tubes run in time-honored Class A/B, producing 45 watts
  
• 4 tubes running in Mesa's patented Simul-Class Power that simultaneously blends the best of Class A and Class A/B to produce 90 watts

1 x 12" Combo with C90 speaker

4 x 6L6 (swappable with EL34s - not included), 7 x 12AX7, 1 x 5U4

Bias-select switch (6L6/EL34)

Fixed bias for consistent, maintenance-free performance

Full-power/Variac-power switch

3 fully independent channels with 9 modes

Footswitchable, channel-assignable, or True-bypassable all-tube FX loop with send-level control (over all channels when activated)

Output-level control (over all channels when activated)

Footswitchable Solo level control

True "Hard" Bypass switch removes FX loops, output level, and Solo level controls from signal path

Tuner output w/ footswitchable mute

Slave out w/ level control

Fan-cooled with on/off switch

External switching jacks for channels 2, 3 (channel 1 is default), EQ, and Solo

Aluminum chassis

4 x 4, 8-button footswitch

Casters

Slip cover

22.5" W x 19" H x 10.5" D

Mesa/Boogie products are ONLY available for US shipping. Must be a U.S. resident.

Shipping charges apply.
The Mesa/Boogie Mark V 40th Anniversary Combo Custom gives you a very special all-tube combo with serious tone and a stellar legacy!

• Mark V - John Petrucci Demo Video (pt.2)
• Mark V - Lamb of God Video
• Mark V - Paul Allen Demo Video (pt.1)
• Mark V - Paul Allen Demo Video (pt.2)

Mark V 40th Anniversary Combo Custom Image Gallery

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Specification Detail Type Tube Number of Channels 3 Power 10W Class A, 45W Class AB, 90W Class A/AB Switchable Speakers 1 x 12" C90 Effects No Effects Reverb Yes EQ Treble, Mid, Bass, 5-band Graphic Amp Modeling No Amp Modeling Number of Models 0 Preamp Tubes 5 x 12AX7 Power Tubes 4 x 6L6, 1 x 5U4 (Rectifier) Inputs 1 x Instrument Outputs 4 x Speaker, 1 x Slave, 1 x Tuner Footswitch I/O Yes Effects Loop Yes Height 19" Width 22.5" Depth 10.5" Weight 80 lbs. Manufacturer Part Number 1.MV1.WT.CO

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