Mesa Boogie Mark 5 25 - Thoughts?

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KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
edited June 2019 in Amps
Any current or past owners of one of these? I've tried the head twice now and had my pedalboard with me on one occasion and thought it was fantastic.

I know Bucket had one and loved it, but I'm interested to see what others have to say? Also, it seems loud, even on the cleans, but I'd be interested to hear if the headroom is there?

In the meantime, here's a great demo of Andy Timmons with one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0p-ks5xlnY



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Comments

  • simonksimonk Frets: 1467
    I loved mine! It’s probably my favourite out of the dozen or so Mesas and Boogies I’ve owned over the years. I gigged it loads and never struggled for headroom with it. It’s a cracking little amp!
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    simonk said:
    I loved mine! It’s probably my favourite out of the dozen or so Mesas and Boogies I’ve owned over the years. I gigged it loads and never struggled for headroom with it. It’s a cracking little amp!
    Cheers. I see you've had a few and a Helix, too. How did the Helix compare to it in terms of sounds and can I ask why you let your Boogie go?

    I have a great amp set up (Divided by 13 & good pedals) but of late, I've been looking at the modeller route but I'm not fully convinced, but this little fella really did surprise me and I think is more me.
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  • simonksimonk Frets: 1467
    I just wasn’t using it. I let all my amps go apart from a couple of smallish ones in case I ever get the amp bug back again. I rarely play the Kemper either and only ever at home in the studio.
    Helix can’t quite cop all the MkV25 sounds (there’s no MkIIC++ in the Helix for example) but you can get close enough that it really doesn’t matter (to me anyway).
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  • spirit7spirit7 Frets: 333
    It's an absolutely fantastic amplifier.  I also have a Mark IV head and this is its equal in every way.  I'm simply astounded that they've got that level of clarity and snarl from EL84s.  It really does sound like a big iron head in most situations.  It's loud as hell but sounds great at lower volumes too.  And its crunch channel is a secret weapon!
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    Thanks guys and all good so far.


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  • BeexterBeexter Frets: 597
    Not quite the Mark 5/25 but I've got the 5/25 Express +.  A while back I went to try a load of boutique stuff including Dr Z, Louis Electric,  BadCat, Carr etc and found nothing I preferred. I haven't bothered looking since as the Mesa is so flexible and sounds great.
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited June 2019
    Thanks - I had the 5:50 Express 2x12 combo when it came out and it was good, but this is a different, more versatile beast and weighs considerably less, even with a separate 2x12 cab.

    My dilemma is the head has 2x4 Ohms and 1x8 Ohm speaker outs. My brilliant 2x12 Tone Tubby cab has a single 16 Ohm speaker out. I get confused with Ohmage but I'm not sure if this will work.
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  • webrthomsonwebrthomson Frets: 1029
    Amp (8 Ohm) -> cab (16 Ohm) is a safe mismatch - There is a bit on this in the full sized Mark V manual - page 59:


    So your good :)
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    Thanks @webrthomson :)
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  • webrthomsonwebrthomson Frets: 1029
    Kebabkid said:
    Thanks @webrthomson :)
    No bother mister - I knew where I'd read it, I dont claim any knowledge :)

    I've not tried the smaller Mark V's but the 90 watt one is amazing!
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  • WazmeisterWazmeister Frets: 9446
    Cos,

    Ive owned the 5:25 Express, which I found to be superior to the 5:50 equivalent.... a sleeper of an amp...

    Now, the newer smaller 5:25 is a great little amp too. Very very versatile with suprisingly good cleans. I was so close to buying one, and would def buy one in the future. Amazingly small in size, and superior to any amp setting on the Helix, imho.

    I had several tries in GG with a 5:25 with the Theile (?) widebody cab and it was very impressive.


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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    Hey Waz, I liked the 1x12 5:25 Express but not the 1x10. However, the model in question is just something else :)
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  • RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929
    I moved on from a Mesa Express 5:25+ to a Mark V 35 which I still have and had chance to compare both side by side for several days. The Express is a nice amp but I think Mark V 35 edges it in the drive tones and the build quality is notably higher quality, the 5 band EQ feels more solid and heavy duty sliders.


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  • Brilliant amp great tones just a few points
    the fan can be noisy loud enough to hear in a recording if mic-ing. 
    Channel one shares clean and the awesome crunch mode & its not foot switchable so you have to choose but you do have the higher gain modes on the other channel. 
    I found it excels at lower volume but doesnt have the low end thump of larger heads (d’uh)
    Great for home & practise sessions but if you play with a loud drummer it wasnt enough for me but i dont mic up.
     It has some great features the reverb decent enough only a small tank and the cab sim output actually sounds really good.
    Its a great amp very portable 
    i would have kept it but i ended up with a JP-2C 
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  • WazmeisterWazmeister Frets: 9446
    And, like most Mesa, they tend to be good value second hand...

    I found real results making the ‘clean’ channel driven, whilst using the ‘drive’ channel clean - if that makes sense.
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  • prlgmnrprlgmnr Frets: 3964
    Brilliant amp great tones just a few points
    the fan can be noisy loud enough to hear in a recording if mic-ing. 
    Channel one shares clean and the awesome crunch mode & its not foot switchable so you have to choose but you do have the higher gain modes on the other channel. 
    I found it excels at lower volume but doesnt have the low end thump of larger heads (d’uh)
    Great for home & practise sessions but if you play with a loud drummer it wasnt enough for me but i dont mic up.
     It has some great features the reverb decent enough only a small tank and the cab sim output actually sounds really good.
    Its a great amp very portable 
    i would have kept it but i ended up with a JP-2C 
    On the 90 watt you can switch the fan off, is that not an option on the 25?
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  • simonksimonk Frets: 1467
    prlgmnr said:
    Brilliant amp great tones just a few points
    the fan can be noisy loud enough to hear in a recording if mic-ing. 
    Channel one shares clean and the awesome crunch mode & its not foot switchable so you have to choose but you do have the higher gain modes on the other channel. 
    I found it excels at lower volume but doesnt have the low end thump of larger heads (d’uh)
    Great for home & practise sessions but if you play with a loud drummer it wasnt enough for me but i dont mic up.
     It has some great features the reverb decent enough only a small tank and the cab sim output actually sounds really good.
    Its a great amp very portable 
    i would have kept it but i ended up with a JP-2C 
    On the 90 watt you can switch the fan off, is that not an option on the 25?
    No
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  • RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929
    One thing the Mark V 35 has over the 25 is the adjustable foot switchable boost on each channel, these are handy for live use.


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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited June 2019
    Thanks everyone for your comments so far.

    I don't think the fan noise would be a deal-breaker for me as it's live use that this will be getting. However, what I have heard in the videos is amp noise/hiss. Is it excessive or as much as on any other amp/Mesa when you have the gain up?
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  • spirit7spirit7 Frets: 333
    Mine is whisper quiet. 
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