Mesa/Boogie Mark Five: 25

January 2015 Guitarist 17
FIRST PLAYMesa/Boogie Mark Five: 25
On the rear panel, there are two level
controls for the spring reverb, that is valve
powered and transformer coupled, with the
spring tank itself recessed into a cut-out in
the bottom of the cabinet. There are effects
loop send and returns, too; best of all, Mesa
has included a built-in CabClone speaker-
emulated direct out, with speaker on/off,
cabinet size and ground lift switches. It all
adds up to a seriously powerful tone platform
with versatility and quality to satisfy almost
any player.
Sounds
The Mark Five: 25 has remarkably low hum
and hiss levels, even at more extreme gain
settings. Both channels offer a staggering
quality of overdrive and tone, from
shimmering cleans to the pushed bluesy ‘Fat’
voice and a fabulous touch-sensitive crunch
sound that’s good enough to record an entire
album with. The lead channel’s three voices
cover any soloing need, from classic 80s
Mark IIC rock to the Xtreme mode’s
devastating metal vibe when teamed with
the graphic EQ. The CabClone circuit is the
icing on the cake, providing some of the best
‘mic’d up’ sounds we’ve heard, while the
reverb is lush, sweet and noise-free – a real
triumph, considering how close the spring is
to the mains transformer.
Verdict
It may look like a toy, but make no mistake,
Mesa’s Mark Five: 25 is a serious professional
tool that is as hard as nails beneath its
beautiful exterior. It’s ridiculously loud,
combined with the specially designed 1x12
extension cab, and sounds like a million
dollars, making the retail price seem like
good value for money.
And, yes, it’s expensive, but like all Boogie
equipment, you get what you pay for and
then some. It’s hardly surprising, then, that
the Mark Five: 25’s only serious competitor is
the similarly awesome Mesa Recto-Verb 25
we reviewed recently. Other small amp
builders take note – the bar just got raised.
Mesa/Boogie
Mark Five: 25
PRICE: £1,379
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: All-valve preamp and power
amp, with solid-state rectifier
OUTPUT: 25 watts or 10 watts RMS,
switchable for either channel
VALVES: 6x 12AX7, 2x EL84
DIMENSIONS: 210 (h) x 360 (w)
x 230mm (d)
WEIGHT (KG/LB): 7/16
CABINET: Birch ply, jointed corners
CHANNELS: 2, each with 3
voice settings
CONTROLS: Gain, bass, mid
and treble, presence and 2x
master volume
FOOTSWITCH: 2-button footswitch
selects channels and toggles the
graphic EQ
ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Spring
reverb, CabClone speaker-emulated
line out with ground lift, cab size and
speaker on/off switches, half-power
switching selectable for each channel,
5-band graphic EQ selectable on/off
or switched per channel. Series
effects loop, headphone socket
OPTIONS: Choice of coloured vinyl
and solid wood finishes, contact
distributor for details
RANGE OPTIONS: The
complementary straight and angled
1x12 cabs cost £429
Westside Distribution
0844 326 2000
www.mesaboogie.com
GUITARIST RATING
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
Guitarist says: Mesa’s latest
amps are among its best ever –
this one is a compact killer
3
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VIDEO DEMO
GIT389.rev_mesa.indd 17 25/11/2014 13:21