Owner`s manual

HELPFUL HINTS

NOTE: REDUNDANT INFORMATION: Throughout this Operating Guide you will encounter redundant information and sections that

are repeated for your continued awareness and as reminders. This is done so a person can read only the sections they are interested

in, and yet still get the important points they should know or NEED to know about the MARK FIVE: 25. We apologize if this gets an-

noying for the cover-to-cover reader (often our most loyal fans and MARK aﬁcionados), but even they may appreciate it some time in

the future when referencing this Guide quickly for a speciﬁc topic.

• If you have everything on POWER, STANDBY, GAIN and MASTER (as well as Input and Output Volume Controls on any Effects

in the LOOP) and get no sound; Check the SPKR ON/SPKR OFF switch in the CabClone™ Section at the far Right of the Rear

Panel (when looking at the back of the ampliﬁer) to make sure the toggle switch is set to SPKR ON. This may have been bumped

during shipping, transport or set up.

• The MARK FIVE: 25 will sound better and feel better to play if you have at least one speaker cabinet touching the ﬂoor you are

standing on while you play. The coupling effect and especially the transmission of bass frequencies will cause the amp to sound

fatter and the strings to feel more substantial and tangible when the amp (or cab) sits on the ﬂoor... wood ﬂoors like stages are re-

ally great! Let’s face it… the guitar can be one of those weird instruments that rarely feels the same way two days in a row, night to

night, and from room to room and we guitarists can use all the help we can get, right? This “coupling” effect usually helps… with the

only exception being a stage ﬁlled with too many live mics. Sometimes you are then forced to lift the amp to minimize the coupling

effect and/or associated resonant feedback.

• Remember the MARK FIVE: 25 is a high performance amp in every sense. Just like a highly tuned car, you don’t need to drive it

“wide open” to have fun. You can get amazing performance in the middle ranges of all the controls. Yeah sure, there are times when

you are going to run ﬂat out…but just like the car needs special tires to run ﬂat out, it takes a really stable set of preamp tubes (ones

that exhibit little or no microphonic tendencies) to do that.

• Use the STANDBY switch every time you power-up, during set breaks, cable hook-ups and anytime you are not playing for a few

minutes. Doing so will increase the Toneful life of your tubes.

• The Front Panel CHANNEL SELECT mini toggle (located between the two Mode switches at the left of the Front Panel) must be

set to the CENTER FS position for the Footswitch to select the Channels.

• The GAIN and TREBLE Controls are the most powerful tone shaping controls in each Channel and should be used with taste. They

determine much about the attack characteristic and the overall personality of the sound in all the Modes. Many of the great sounds

in all the Channels will ﬁnd these two Controls in their middle ranges. Avoid setting the TREBLE high (above 2:00) when the GAIN

is to be set high as this brings about the tendency for a slightly microphonic tube to ring or squeal.

• The “normal” range of a MID control in Channel 1 appears between 0 and 5.0 in a more condensed taper. Above 5.0 the BOOST

feature takes over and adds incremental gain in the midrange frequencies while diminishing the effectiveness of the Tone Controls.

• When using high GAIN settings, try the 5-Band Graphic EQ for adding extra top end as it comes later on in the signal chain and

will be less stressful on the preamp tubes in many cases.

• When applying the 5-Band Graphic EQ, remember to go back and reference the “ﬂat” (no EQ) sound to keep a clear perspective on

what you are doing to the sound. It’s VERY easy to get lost in the old “more, more, more” syndrome, tweak until there’s all EQ and

no Tone, and wind up with an “EQ Hangover”. Referencing a “ﬂat” unaltered sound with the EQ toggle switches or the Footswitch

will help you avoid this common pitfall.

• The PRESENCE is very powerful at shaping the voicing of higher gain sounds in both Channel 1 and 2. Set low it fattens and

compresses the sound, making for a more voice-like, focused note. Higher settings “open up” the sound and allow the full spectrum

of harmonics to ﬂow through. Use this control to ﬁne tune your overdriven rhythm and lead sounds after you have dialed the rest

of the preamp controls to your liking.

• You will likely experience a volume increase when selecting the Channel 2 XTREME Mode from the two prior Modes in that Chan-

nel. This is normal and a result of diminished negative feedback and the resulting increased sensitivity in the power section.

• Beware of very high settings on the BASS control in Channel 2, especially when the GAIN is set high. Too much BASS will produce

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