Mesa Boogie Mark V - Preamp Tube Replacement (Quick Summary)

After searching weeks online and not finding anything, I decided to figure this out and supply my findings here for others searching for the same answers. My video presents one method. I note others but only illustrate one - the easiest and safest. This is not meant to be a full comprehensive lesson but I'm hopeful that it will help you find the missing pieces holding you back from changing your preamp tubes.
I bounce around a little with side notes and tips - watch the whole video to grasp the entire concept.
TIP: The protective grill for the tubes is shown at the very end of the video. This is about changing PREAMP tubes yet does show many points regarding the power amp tubes as well. This is why I skipped over the grill in the beginning - I figured you knew that from changing your power tubes in the past.

[@mesaboogie]

Great video, +freaksarise! Thanks for making it. You nailed ALL the information. :)

[@donprater6944]

MESA/Boogie I'm getting some "snap crackle popping" type noises. Is that common when a tube goes bad?

[@tomh4244]

@@donprater6944 yes

[@TheBradJohnson]

Great video! Thanks for sharing. I had really bad background noise on Ch3, of my Mesa Mark V 90W combo. Turned out to be the V1 tube. Your video helped me to change it out:)

[@Lensman864]

Thank you SO much for doing this. I've had a Mark V for a few years and as you stated, until now, even from MESA FFS, there's not been any advice about doing a valve change. You've really helped me by producing this guide.

[@Babillonia]

Mark V & Mark 2C+ JP are two great amps. Hopefully Mesa will continue making them at least for the next 5 years.

[@cspiderm]

Thanks for having the grapes to take that apart !when i first got my mesa i was stressin cuz i wanted to upgrade to the high end v1 tube and so on.hats off!

[@freaksarise]

Good luck man!

[@gearwalker89]

Because of this video, I am now a pro at this! Thank you 🫡

[@freaksarise]

Fuckin-A! Awesome!

[@Nada-Mal]

Thanks you so much for this video, this has just been a huge guidance for me, so huge thanks for the time and effort in uploading this, you have helped me loads. (and your daughter's comment "you talking to yourself" made me laugh!)

[@freaksarise]

awww I appreciate that man. Glad it helped!

[@SaschaGutmann]

Couldn’t say it any better, I usually don’t comment videos but this was so much helpful information I just wanted to say thank you very much!!

[@vodotvan]

Thanks! It was very helpful!

[@orion98mc92]

Great tutorial, thanks for your efforts!

[@pz-bv9ts]

I'm about to change V1 later since I have noise on all channels and I am so nervous about that stupid shield! Thanks for your video though. I will be as careful as possible!

[@trentwaterman7049]

Thanks dude

[@alamakluke]

Great Video, thanks for doing it. I will have to do the same thing shortly I am sure. I already replaced the power tubes last week, so i am guessing the pre-amp tubes will be next

[@freaksarise]

Thanks man. Good luck!

[@alamakluke]

+freaksarise Lately I am noticing some noise on each channel. Please when I switch the standby switch off to on or vice versa I hear a loud pop. Also when I shutoff the amp I hear a tik sound that wasn't there before so I guess my time is up. I will be replacing all 7 pre-amps and the rectifier tube as well. If anybody has any experience with what I describe above that would be great. Right now I am assuming it's 1 or many pre-amp tubes that is the issue.

[@loomi_]

+alamakluke If you hear a tik sound when you turn off the amp, it's because you didn't put it into standby before shutting it off. So for future reference, just switch to standby and then turn off the amp. You won't hear that noise when you do. Also, check to make sure the wattage is correct for each channel. If you have a channel on 10 watts, and then your clean channel is at 45 watts for more headroom, you will hear a audible click in the speaker. Hopefully that solves some of your problems.

[@marianobrascich]

GREAT VIDEO!!!

[@freaksarise]

+mariano brascich Thanks man!

[@michaelmelton4346]

I have that EXACT SAME head. Wine Taurus with Wicker. Nice. Watch those plastic clips. I've had several Boogies and I've broken several of those clips. They get flimsy as they age.

[@Nasty_Riffs]

I think i need to change my pre amp tubes in my mark v, i am still getting sound but the drive is not there. Sounds dull and harsh, the top of the amp doesn’t get warm at all anymore.

[@freaksarise]

In case you're wondering: My shirt is from the Facebook group called Rigs Of Doom that celebrates bad ass mounds of guitar rigs - mostly doom and stoner stuff.

[@ViorelStolea]

Thanks for doing his! As for the positions/names of the tubes, what's on the plate you mention is also in the manual towards the end: www.mesaboogie.com/media/User%20Manuals/MkV_140612.pdf

[@pjuliano9000]

How do you get off the protective grill?

[@jonathanhawley5788]

How did you get the last screw out?

[@SuperJiggawhat]

Why did you take a colored sharpie and color two power tubes green and two red?

[@freaksarise]

hey man! The amp came with two matched pairs and I colored them to not mix em up. Or I had bought two sets of additional matched pairs and colored them to not mix them up also. I removed the 6L6s as soon as I got it and use EL34s.

[@TheGreatWesternTrendkill]

the problem I have is getting those power tubes waay down. even with a fair amount of pressure... obviously this installation step gets skipped. L