Joyo Zombie vs Mesa Mark V:25 - no mid-roll ads

25 watt mode using the JHS little black amp box for attenuation. Tuned to C+ / drop B. What an incredible little amp! Can you punch it in the face with a boost pedal? Of course not. Do you have the tonal variety that you have with the Mesa? Of course not. Does it rock beyond belief? Absolutely and what an amazing clean channel to boot!
Find me on FB @ Brian Oldguyjammin

[@prototype9904]

I REALLY like the little Zombie. For modern metal I think it's perfect if you need something extremely portable or a practice amp without having to fire up your main rig.

[@oldguyjammin9732]

Yep, surprisingly good. I would have preferred a bright/tight switch over a separate channel or even just one more EQ knob, but for less than $200 it’s ‘surprisingly good’... again :)

[@mvalencia8951]

This should be compared vs a Dual Recto, not vs a Mark V

[@metalforever777]

Just bought one (waiting for them to deliver it to me). i had the mesa mark v 25, but i was not fully satisfied with it. Thanks for removing all doubts!

[@waynelewis4466]

Can't hardly tell the difference that joyo zombie kicks ass

[@oldguyjammin9732]

Yes, I’d probably have kept it but it’s really a one trick pony - but what a trick! If only it had a two band EQ instead of that single tone knob.

[@danthegreaser71]

I have one myself and I absolutely love it! I run a 10 band eq through the loop and a tube screamer at the front of the amp. I get some pretty good tones out of it.

[@danielcollins8306]

I'm a Mesa guy through and through and through... I have a Mark V 90 combo. Absolutely untouchable amp. I also have the joyo zombie II. I shit you not when I say it holds its own in a full band jam situation. Also throw an MXR 6 band eq in the effects loop and you've got er made. Not as much headroom as a full tube amp but the little beast packs a punch.

[@oldguyjammin9732]

Absolutely freaking weird that you're commenting on this now, because just this week... I ordered up another zombie and have been playing it with my MXR EQ pedal and DANG it All to Hell if I dont agree with you 100%. It's embarrassing when I look between my Engl rig ($1500) and this Zombie rig ($220 total). Now, to be fair. as the volume gets louder the differences became more apparent but holy schizer!! On Mesas, I've tried, really tried and have owned 3. Mark V, Rectoverb and Mini Rec and for whatever reason, after playing for 20 minutes my ears hurt and I want just want to turn it down. After 20 minutes with the Marshall or Engl I just want to turn it up louder...? Super nice amps though.

[@James.99]

I've slaved the power section of larger amps (predominantly my Randall RX120d) with my Joyo Zombie and it sounded at least 90% like a loud Mesa amp was in the room. I sure wish the Zombie existed when I was playing talent shows with crappy amps in high school

[@alanswanson7515]

I run the Meteor with an 8 ohm 1x12 Harley Benton with Vintage 30. Have to dime the treble as well but with a tubescreamer in front and a mxr 10 band in the loop I've managed to tame this mini beast. Regular tuning as well ...

[@oldguyjammin9732]

Nice - do you have enough experience with Orange products to say what the Meteor is most like? I just ordered the Jackman cause the idea of such a small, yet killer sounding “amp” that has blue tooth and an FX loop is really appealing. Hopefully the JCM sounds better with the tone knob in the middle.

[@eastman42]

I run an eq on my Joyo amp, I use it as a high pass filter into the front and the tightens things up nicely.

[@oldguyjammin9732]

I didn’t get an EQ pedal until recently, if I had Had the EQ when I had the joyo I probably would have kept the joyo. Killer little guy with great features :)

[@scottdunn2178]

I run a Boss GE-7 with the 100, 200, 400hz pulled a few db, the 800hz and level bumped 8-10db 👍

[@thebigv57]

Nothing an EQ pedal or an over drive pedals tone knob can't handle.

[@NordicMeatShield]

The bass and tone is perfect for deathcore, i use this over my 6505 now. an EQ pedal might help you get the tone your looking for

[@oldguyjammin9732]

You’re right, an EQ with the little guy is better than the $1600 counter part, amazing!!

[@thebigv57]

Sounds like the clean channels Gain knob is what you were looking for.

[@DemonKingOFFICIAL]

Def needs an exterior EQ, but I dig the Zombie.

[@oldguyjammin9732]

I really need to get an EQ pedal I think, lots of people rave about them. Yep, very cool little amp, pretty impressive and blunt tooth makes it even cooler.

[@wawacawawnyaw]

Thank you for this my good sir

[@dust17111]

What's even more ironic I'm using a joyo zombie to listen to this with the Bluetooth function through a prs 50 watt cab

[@oldguyjammin9732]

lol, yes! Still have the Joyo, but haven’t kept any of the 3 Mesas I’ve bought.

[@dust17111]

@@oldguyjammin9732 yeah I bought a prs mt-15 a little after I got my zombie thinking it would be this huge upgrade and for the price it wasn't much , I'm not gonna say that zombie is better than the prs mt-15 but as a at home apt player it's really all I need , and when I hook up a overdrive to it again joyo , it's definitely all I need , made me realize again how materialistic and shallow the music industry is , personally I keep my mt-15 in case I ever do gig or something also the blue and red lights are a cool feature but I have been thinking about selling it since I never use it.

[@alanswanson7515]

Kinda like a Dark Terror. - the Joyo Meteor has that extra oomph with less hi gain fizz....like an Orange should!

[@djanepupi]

i think the joyo is more close to the sound of a rectifier am i correct? not an expert

[@oldguyjammin9732]

I’d say ‘no’ cause the Rectos have a hard time getting dry and crunchy - think ‘does it chug’ with Ola :) The Joyo sounds like a high gain EL84 amp (Mesa or Peavey). I thought it was pretty cool but it needed a much better EQ section to work for me. Rectos are thick and bassy, crunch heaven but softer and spongier than a Mesa. I didn’t like my Rectoverb until I quit trying to get high gain type tones out of it, lol. As a clean, crunch, and rock amp it’s really great.

[@davu9027]

I really like the sound of the joyo. Would it help if i boosted it with a tube screamer to eliminate the excessive bass?

[@oldguyjammin9732]

I did try an OCD but the bass is SO big that it was still there. Other folks have recommended an EQ pedal which would for sure do the trick. Cool like amp for sure. Now, I will tell you that I just grabbed a Randall RD1 head off Reverb for $203 to my door... and it is freakin’ killer haha. Oh my gosh... Great tone but no clean channel, much better imo than this Joyo and it takes pedals like an amp should as well as react to rolling off the guitar volume like you want it too - very fun.

[@waynelewis8710]

Yes bro tube Screamer

[@oldguyjammin9732]

@@waynelewis8710 - I have an EQ now, wish I’d had one with this micro head.

[@iTxip]

30$ eq pedal in the effects loop turn the bass down a lil bit, problem solved

[@oldguyjammin9732]

That would have been fun to try, no eq pedal though... neat little amp but you can't punch it in the face with an overdrive though either. I'm really interested in the Randall rd1 head. Sounds pretty mean. For under $200 the joyo is great.

[@TimO-wt9sz]

Nice demo cant wait for you to get the Hughes lol aka Jackman. Lol old boy have you ever unplugged the v type in you dsl and used a different head ? If so do I just use a patch chord or use a 1/4 inch speaker cable thanks my friend ps man I really digging that guitar you got awesome man .your friend in canada 🇨🇦

[@oldguyjammin9732]

Tim O - love me the Canadians, might even move towards Toronto. Yes, I do What your asking, i unplug the spkr plug and then use a 1/4 inch coupler between the little plug and regular instrument chord to connect with the head of choice. Thanks for coming by. I received the Jackman but think I'll send it back and try the Orange Stamp instead, we'll see.

[@MuffDiver71]

The JaCkMan is a JCM clone, not Hughes.

[@73prd]

They need to make the joyo in a 50w

[@baadrqaaba9529]

Can you throw an eq pedal in the loop to get rid of the extra bass ?

[@oldguyjammin9732]

You certainly could, I just don’t happen to have an EQ pedal, nor do I have space on my board for one :) cheers!

[@aaronsg71]

Cool comparison, put an eq pedal in the zombies loop

[@oldguyjammin9732]

I keep hearing that, lol. Maybe I’ll get another one now that I have an EQ pedal :)

[@MrNumber1gator]

I love it for fast and easy, instead of hauling a full size head around, thanks...

[@oldguyjammin9732]

hard to believe, but what they say is true... add an EQ in the loop and freakin' Mesa all day long, lol.

[@zombiemontage]

I find it really needs an EQ pedal, especially if you don't have a vintage 30 on hand. Considering the gain is insane at any level and I find it lacking in harmonics

[@oldguyjammin9732]

I’d agree with you, some other tone option would make a huge difference, low gain switch, bass knob, something... fun little amp but a one-tone pony

[@smoreshaunted]

Can I be honest here? Just sold my Engl thunder 50 (wasn't for me) and was looking for a smaller amp. It's hard to fake "in the room sound" so your demo helped me decide NOT to get a zombie 2! That mark just has this bark, you can even tell through a phone speaker. I'm going to keep looking! Maybe a mesa mini rec next? Thank you!

[@oldguyjammin9732]

We love honesty :) I dumped the Mesa for an Engl Fireball 25 and love it, the Ironball is also very nice and actually a bit more brittle and dry than the Fireball, more like the Mesa which was a bit too dry/aggressive for me, plus I struggled trying to dial in tones. With the Fireball it’s just really easy. If you get a mini rec you’ll want an EQ pedal as well, without it you probably won’t be able to get the mids scooped out enough, very thick and bassy those recs. Not sure how “small” you’re wanting to go but the Randall RD1 is awesome \m/

[@Tema8610301986]

I liked Zombie better, but whoever needs to remove the bass, connect an equalizer, and you will be happy

[@oldguyjammin9732]

You’ll have to translate that :-)

[@Tema8610301986]

@@oldguyjammin9732 Ok?

[@SixShine]

Hetfield, Hammet, Mustaine, Friedman, Vai, Satriani, Gilbert, Johnson, man the list just goes on and on. For what it is, the joyo stuff can’t be beat. Just have to remember what it is...a sub $200 Chinese amp clone.

[@oldguyjammin9732]

Ya, if I didn’t have others I’d probably put some time into building a 2x10 open back cab to help reduce the bass aspect. If they’d only included a bass AND treble knob instead of just tone.

[@Albarranator]

@@oldguyjammin9732 You could try to put an EQ in the FX loop, that really makes a difference.

[@oldguyjammin9732]

@@Albarranator - I wish I’d had one around to try :( I still haven’t got an EQ pedal but should probably try one. I’ve been looking at the MXR 10 band, but I have a hard time buying something to change my tone when for the most part I love all the tones I get without it!?!? Know what I mean, lol

[@joshsmith7033]

If you don't like the bass then just run an EQ pedal through the effects loop.

[@oldguyjammin9732]

You’re absolutely right. If I’d had an EQ at the time it would have made all the difference... but I didn’t :( should I get another? Lol

[@joshsmith7033]

@@oldguyjammin9732 absolutely. It's worth it.

[@zaxtlee2929]

just put EQ on the send

[@guitarwilly81]

what cab you playing through on the mark v?

[@oldguyjammin9732]

Both are through the Peavey birch cab with V30 and Greenback - and the back panel if off.

[@Islandsoundzz]

Did you ever try the Jackman or the Vivo?

[@oldguyjammin9732]

I did try the Jackman but not the Vivo. They’re fine amps for what they do, but don’t offer up a lot of variability but great as a jam along practice amp. The Zombie was close to $200 and for $275 you can grab a Egnater Tweaker off Reverb - - no comparison.

[@endrizo]

must add a reverb pedal

[@michaelmitchell5909]

James hetfield

[@oldguyjammin9732]

What?!?!? Lol \m/

[@michaelmitchell5909]

@@oldguyjammin9732....you mentioned is there anymore guitar heros left?......my opinion james is right up there man!......loved the video, that joyo is a bad little amp

[@oldguyjammin9732]

@@michaelmitchell5909 - gotcha, but he’s kind of from a different era don’t you think? I mean Metallica ruled the world at one time but that time was a while ago imo. But he’s definitely among the greats. Saw Metallica first at Day On the Green in Oakland back in 86! What a weekend, lol

[@michaelmitchell5909]

@@oldguyjammin9732 o wow, that would be an awesome show to see. I agree with you, and I love Van Halen, but for me its been metallica and James Hetfield thats been the most inspiring for me, but I do love Eddy and his guitar playing for sure. Thanks for getting back man...

[@howardpoulin23]

I don’t like that sound at all

[@oldguyjammin9732]

To each his own, and I get you… but it’s nice to have should I ever want “that tone”

[@SpectralUltra]

I don't even like the Mesa. Let alone that Joyo.

[@oldguyjammin9732]

ya, people seem to love or hate the Mesa tone. It's always hurt my ears after a while, other amps I just want to keep turning up \m/ Mesa amp I just want to turn off, lol

[@mainsblanches8793]

The little guy seems noisy when in overdrive compared to the MESA!!...

[@homevalueglass3809]

Yeah, way too much distortion

[@pahabarbos4800]

If you have Boogie why something else is needed

[@oldguyjammin9732]

Good point, but if you can something really close to the Mesa for $200, it frees up about $800 for other stuff : !! Cha-Chang!!

[@grumpyguitarguy9572]

OLD GUY!!!!!!! SURRENDER!!!! or GIVE UP!!!!! ... THE MESA ... IS IT!!!!!!!! Hahahahaha ... I JUST got a 2020 60's Gibson Les Paul Unburst (AWESOME BTW) ... and the combination is ... HEAVEN!!!!!!! Yes ... I have wondered about the Little Joyo Amps ... and they do seem very cool!!!! BUT ... NO ... NO MORE!!!!! Hahaha I'm even thinking about getting rid of the PTS MT-15 ( similar to Joyo, the GAIN is ..all in or nothing ... which is fine ... BUT). Great video ... DUDE ... what's with the C# tuning ... OMG ... Grunge or WHAT?!?!?!?! Hahahaha Long Live Eddie ( and E flat tuning) !!!!!! Rock on Old Guy!

[@juliansedor7101]

Maybe cool it with the caps and ellipsis. That kind of stuff makes it painful to read. Glad you're enjoying your setup though.

[@oldguyjammin9732]

Hey Grumpy - I hear ya, I hear ya but that little box was pretty damn impressive, if they just had a bass knob to compliment a treble knob. Like you I’m thinking about selling my DSL40CR cuz since getting the Mesa I seldom dip in to the Marshall anymore.