Mesa MKV 25 - Keep It Or Sell It?

I play my Mesa MKV 25 and demo all of the modes & channels. I also shoot it out with my Mesa JP MKII c+. I also explain why I'm selling the MKV 25.
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EVH STEALTH 100 - sweetwater.sjv...
MESA JP-2C - sweetwater.sjv...
REVV GENERATOR MKIII - sweetwater.sjv...
DIEZEL HERBERT MKIIII - sweetwater.sjv...
EVH ICONIC - sweetwater.sjv...
PRS MT15 - sweetwater.sjv...
ENGL SAVAGE MKII - sweetwater.sjv...
EVH el34 100 - sweetwater.sjv...
DIGITAL PLATFORMES
TONEX - sweetwater.sjv...
KEMPER STAGE - sweetwater.sjv...
QUAD CORTEX - sweetwater.sjv...
HELIX - sweetwater.sjv...
HX EFFECTS - sweetwater.sjv...
HX STOMP - sweetwater.sjv...
OX BOX - sweetwater.sjv...
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MESA 212 - sweetwater.sjv...
DIEZEL 212 - sweetwater.sjv...
MICS
SHURE SM57 - sweetwater.sjv...
ROYER 121 - sweetwater.sjv...
ROYER R10 - sweetwater.sjv...
RODE WIRELESS GOII - sweetwater.sjv...
PEDALS -
GRID SLAMMER - sweetwater.sjv...
FLASHBACK 2 DELAY - sweetwater.sjv...
REVV G8 NOISE GATE - sweetwater.sjv...
TC ELETRONIC DREAMSCAPE - sweetwater.sjv...
PHASE 90 - sweetwater.sjv...
MORLEY WAH - sweetwater.sjv...
STUDIO MONITORS
KALI AUDIO LP6 - sweetwater.sjv...
KALI AUDIO IN8 - sweetwater.sjv...
GUITARS
SCHECTER BANSHEE MACH 7 - sweetwater.sjv...
ERNIE BALL GUITARS
MAJESTY 6 STRING - sweetwater.sjv...
JP15 6 STRING - sweetwater.sjv...
JP15 7 STRING - sweetwater.sjv...
MAJESTY 7 STRING - sweetwater.sjv...

[@kaidemen156]

The Mark series amps are amazing, but it does take some getting used to learning how to dial them in. They do not behave like other amps.

[@otherfish]

Great review! Thanks for going thru it and the differences vs usual amps with the pre amp section. Very helpful.

[@franckrichard8077]

I will keep it for sure, I have been waiting for 4 years to have this amp and Mesa being not available in Europe during all those years, it has been a long wait... but it was worth it. But even in the 10 W mode, I have to use a Dr Z Airbreak to use it at home, this little box is amazingly LOUD ! The great thing is : plug a PRS in it, dial a little bit with the panel and you have THAT Santana or THAT Petrucci sound in a matter of minutes, no pedals needed !!!!!

[@masterofreality230]

Yea, if I had a JP2C I would probably sell it also. I have had my 25 for about 4 years now, snagged it for $900 and I love it. Only amp I need as just a bedroom rocker.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Congratulations on purchasing the 25. It's a very worthy amplifier to have

[@canadiancombatwombatthe3rd782]

You could use a 15 watt amp at a massive live show and it will still sound huge. You're gonna get a mic setup to front of house so even if you had a massive 50 to 100 watt amp, you'll never get close to its full potential, the front of house engineers will always be telling you to turn the amp down, they won't even let you max out a 15 watt head so something like the Mark 5:25 is more than enough headroom to do everything from recording to live shows.

[@masterofreality230]

@@canadiancombatwombatthe3rd782 Yep, I agree, not much use for 100 watt amps. Even my Mark V 25 is collecting dust. Right now I am running Guitar > Comp > drive pedals > HX Stomp XL input. Then I have some pedals I love in the FX loop of the HX like Volante, Deco and Ventris. Then That all does into my Audient ID 14 mk 2 and on my PC is where it really gets crazy with plugins. Going to get a good midi controller to help wrangle this setup. Cant wait to be playing surf rock then go right into prog metal at the push of a button.

[@timothymartin2137]

Heard they sound amazing in a package that plays well in your bedroom!! And has flavors the JP2C doesnt

[@timothymartin2137]

I have been having a love hate thing with my Mark V 90 watt...more hate...then I put an MXR 6 band EQ in the loop and did some minor targeted tweaking in the 100hz (add) 200hz (add) and 400hz (subtract) range and gotta say..HEAVEN!!!!!! The deficiencies in mine are gone with this particular tweak (and frankly I usually hate the MXR...think it is targeted wrong for most applications but this is EXACTLY what this amp needs!!!!) Give it a shot!!

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

I'm glad you got it worked out. I had issues with the MKV90 when I owned it as well. There was just something missing with that amplifier in my opinion. I just remember it being a bit cold and sterile. Did you have the same findings?

[@timothymartin2137]

@@TONEWARSgearshow THAT was power tubes totally....I DID fix that by mixing sets (total accident...blew one tube so had to mix sets to make a whole...so wound up with a fix....STR 441 yellow coded outer sockets and STR 440 Green coded inner fixed that problem (and yes...HOLLOW and STERILE were the words....TERRIBLE...this power tube fix helped that and putting an MXR 6 band EQ in the GEQ and using it ONLY to TWEAK what is missing when you get it set the way you want (I am adding a touch to the 100 hz 200 hz and subtracting a touch of 400 hz ) and THAT has made this a MArk to recon with for now (I also have phillips 12at7 in V-4 and V-6, and DONT use 12AT7'C's...they arent any better than any other tubes and rated C...they are common as all get out and NOT what is really meant (you can find a good one or two by rolling through a ton of them..or spend a little extra and get a good one!!!). Good luck!!

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

@@timothymartin2137 Good to know, I'm glad you got it sorted out. I sold my MKV 90. I gave up on it.

[@voxpathfinder15r]

MXR 10 band eq in the effects loop is one of the best kept secrets in the guitar world. Can be used as a very effective preamp like pedal in front of the amplifier. Heck could probably be used with an acoustic guitar into a P/A

[@timothymartin2137]

@@voxpathfinder15r No...HATED it by itself, it is ALL wrong in the frequencies it hits for guitar (at least the way I and most play it), however it is SOO busy in a range that the Mark V needs that it works for this specific application!! (you will note that the cardinal frequencies as per Mesa of 80, 240, 750, 2.2 and 6.6 are NOT ANYWHERE on the MXR...and that tiny bit of frequency variation from 200 to 240 MATTERS..at least to a guitar signal...MY personal observation is the MXR seems built for keyboards and other eq tasks..MAYBE they shot for guitar but it just dont work for me (but the Boss doesnt either..thats why I use a 31 band when I use one like it) or parametric

[@satchrules101]

sick riffs bro! I learn a lot from your experience.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you!!

[@synonyx]

Why do I feel like the MKV 25 sounds better than the MK V 90? - Either way, these tones are great!

[@lesstalkmoretone3274]

I was wondering the same thing last week upon getting one in trade. I was sure something was wrong with it or it had a bad tube. I think I’m gonna keep it after getting used to the EQ and the way it works. Very different than any dial in on any previous amps that’s for sure.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

The mark series amps are a bit of a puzzle, but once you understand how they work, they are amazing

[@davej8045]

I went from having one amplifier on my wish list to three, my girlfriend will be thrilled since she wants a new kitchen…Thanks for the insight on the EBMM (7), got mine ordered last week from the vault after getting a mint one through Reverb that unfortunately arrived looking like it had a rough trip.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

My pleasure! Congratulations on the new guitar. I'm sure you'll love it. So quick question, what are the 3 amps on your wishlist?

[@davej8045]

@@TONEWARSgearshow #1 Bogner Uber Ultra (6l6) though I haven’t played/heard it yet; Omega Obsidian was #2; and now a Mesa Boogie Mark series has just moved up, only starting my research on the Marks. I have a Triple Crown 100 and can see/hear the similarities & differences. Realistically, I am setup for one more amplifier, and the new guitar will definitely delay any new additions. It should be here in less than 4 months and maybe I’ll decide to re-home another guitar or two.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

@@davej8045 Those are all really good choices. I'd say that the Triple Crown is a mild version of a mark series amplifier. The JP will definitely be more feature oriented and a lot more aggressive and bigger sounding

[@davej8045]

@@TONEWARSgearshow Thanks for the info, it’s appreciated! I’m thinking that after the Uber Ultra, I won’t need any more aggression but I’ve been wrong before. The Marshall JVM410H has boat loads of gain but The Trinity has the best feel for me.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

@@davej8045 the Mezzabarba Trinity is soooooo good!

[@fluxxliveband]

You make the Mark V 25 sound amazing! But it is a bit redundant, when you already have the JP-2C. Sell the Mark V, and further your Gear Journey!! Great video!!

[@voxpathfinder15r]

I would get the 25 watts version, only because I have no use for 100 watts of tube madness. Heck, 25 watts is still way too loud for my practice room!

[@aynakotalaga]

Ironically, the volume control on the 25 is insanely sensitive and goes from quiet to insanely loud just by breathing on it. I used to run mine through a Power Station to get more control. Folk say that the 90 is more manageable than the 25. I let my 25 go and replaced it with a TriAxis + Fifty/Fifty. Couldn’t be happier!

[@aaron9142]

Give me your JP-2C. I'll even let you keep the MV25. Ha. Great tones and chops, sir!

[@martinhensley2377]

Sell it, I got 2 more amps you might check out Barton High Voltage transmission amp and Republic X amp. Congrads on the Sweet Water deal, way to go bro.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you very much! I appreciate the heads up on those other amplifiers as well.

[@anabolicrecipes5857]

Sell immediately or turn the mid down to 10 o'clock

[@williamscolaro1159]

I’ve had this amp for a while. I like it but definitely am alwaysss tweaking. Rather than the question you posed at the beginning, I have a different question: if I own the 5:25, is it worth the money to upgrade to a Vii or JP2C? Given the current market.. it seems like not.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

That's a very good question. Honestly, if you have the funds, it's definitely worth it. It's unfortunate that these amplifiers have gotten so expensive over the last year or so

[@Marcus.81]

I have to agree with Jared. If you can swing it the Jp2c is the way to go. It is worth every penny and then some. Jared also had a nice video on Jp2c vs mkvii and the dual eq and shred mode on jp make it stand out. It is truly voiced more aggressively than the other marks and If you can buy a jp I don’t think you will ever regret it - All good amps tho! I have owned 5 marks over the years - jp wins hands down.

[@clydewilliams7061]

Very good video. I used to own a couple of them and I get rid of them and completely regret it. I have a 5150 iii 50w 6L6 head now. If it were you would trade the 5150 iii 50w head to get a Mark V:25 head?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. If I were you, I would get the new Engl 77 25 watt instead of the Mesa MarkV 25 watt. It sounds much better. That version of the Mesa amp is very congested and nasally sounding in my opinion. The Engl KT77 25 watt is about as good of an amp as you're going to get.

[@KaddysJamKave]

Hey man, curious... When youre testing amps out are you going through IRs and listening through studio speakers as opposed to a guitar cab? Cheers.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thanks for the question. 99% of the time, I'm using a real cab when I'm testing amps. Best way to do it IMHO

[@KaddysJamKave]

@@TONEWARSgearshow agreed.

[@SociopatheAssume]

Since I've never played small version boogies, I have always wondered when they design, let's say the clean channel : do they go for the route "let's make our best efforts to try to make it sound like like the 6L6s version but with EL84s", or do they go "let's make it go full EL84's version of the big brother" ? Any users feedback from mini rec/mark compared to the big boys welcome !

[@PMJmetal]

I had both amps as well, sold the 25. The JP-2C does everything I needed with the 25 and more.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Good choice!!

[@johnnyromero3336]

Sell it, Free up the cash and get some new Gear! The JP has you covered! 🤘

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Agreed!

[@realtruenorth]

Would it make a good preamp going into a 100 watt head?

[@JBizzle822]

What is the difference between the regular mkV and the mkV 25/35?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

The gain structure is much better on the 25 and 35 W in my opinion

[@SociopatheAssume]

Different power tubes, big sized 6L6 and/or EL34 for the MarkV, small low wattage EL84 for the 25/35 version.

[@michaeledwards7270]

I sold my MV25, kept my JP2C.

[@TheCyberMantis]

SELL IT. Use the money to buy a BadCat LYNX! 😁

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Tempting... they are sending me one for review soon

[@TheCyberMantis]

@@TONEWARSgearshow Nice. I look forward to your video with it. Try different overdrives in front of it. I think you will like it.

[@Viper_75th_RR]

Is there a big difference between the Mark V and the Mark VII?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Huge difference. MKVII has way more modes and it sounds better

[@allmostbrothers]

I've watched quite a few of your videos and let me ask you how can you tell.the true amp voice when you have so much chorus and delay effect on the clean channel every clean channel on all.the amps I've heard you play sound the same with all those effects on ????

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

For this series, I leave the effects on because that's just how I play them. When I'm doing a demo of an amplifier, I will show you what the clean channel sounds like with and without effects.

[@allmostbrothers]

@TONEWARSgearshow right on thanks for the explanation 👍

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

​@@allmostbrothersmy pleasure. Thanks for your question.