Owner`s manual

The MASTER here in the FIVE: 25 is really nothing more than a variable resistor that offers an infinite range of settings possibilities
and makes the amplifier many times more versatile with no sonic penalty. If you prescribe to this old school approach, then by all
means, use the MASTER that way… it won’t hurt the amplifier. However, you will be severely limiting the potential sounds you can
achieve by removing the nearly limitless great sounding combinations of GAIN and MASTER settings.
Do remember that in the MARK FIVE: 25, you are dealing with a lower wattage power section and this is even more applicable in the
10 watt Power Setting. To achieve the maximum headroom, authoritative punch and lively dynamic response you will need to apply
the Master conservatively and with a certain level of restraint to keep from clipping the power section too early, especially for clean
sounds. We’ve found that with medium output pickups, and mid-region GAIN settings, it is possible to reach maximum power and
experience the on-set of power clip at approximately 10:45–11:00 on the MASTER Control. With hotter pickups and/or higher GAIN
settings, even sooner.
5-BAND GRAPHIC EQ
(Partially Repeated Here From The Earlier OVERVIEW Section)
MARK Series amps going all the way back to the original MARK I, have offered the option of including a
powerful shaping tool, the Boogie™ 5-Band Graphic EQ. It was a groundbreaking feature back then that
set Boogies apart from other amps of the day and continues to be one of the trademark components of
the MARK Series sound. Many of the MARK sounds that have become classic over the decades have
been achieved by applying the Graphic EQ and radically altering the mid-pronounced voice of the MARK
preamp in favor of a more “scooped” midrange. The most popular of these altered sounds is the dropped-mid “V” curve, which makes
high gain chording sound gigantic as lows and highs are boosted alongside these radically scooped mids. This “V” curve is at the heart
of so many modern Metal and Heavy sounds that most people take it for granted as the inherent sound of MARK amps. This is not the
case, but rather an example of how powerful the 5-Band EQ really is, along with a global consensus of what “Heavy” should sound like.
The 750Hz EQ SLIDER is the cornerstone of this radical sound. Dipping it below the Centerline and setting it near the lower “Cut-
Line” creates a “wideness” to the sound, hollowing it out and allowing the lows and highs to become dominant. Boosting the other
SLIDERS to near or above the upper “Boost-Line” increases this effect and creates a huge sound with a “hollow log” resonance in the
low end and a “harmonically layered spread” in the top end. This EQ curve (V-Curve as it has become known) has been the engine
behind many a Classic Rock, Metal, Nu-Metal and Prog crunch rhythm sound and continues to be the most popular application of the
on-board Boogie 5-Band Graphic EQ.
If your musical style doesn’t rely on these types of mid-scooped sounds, there is still incredible value in the Graphic EQ’s shaping
power. Virtually any frequency or characteristic you want to emphasize can be brought out and enhanced by employing this powerful
broad-band shaping tool.
While the MARK FIVE: 25’s Tone controls are accurate and effective over a wide range, they come earlier in the preamp’s signal path
and can only achieve so much shaping before they produce possible imbalances in certain Modes. One example might be the BASS
Control in Channel 2 where, in the MARK II-C+ and MARK IV Modes, too much bottom end dialed up early in the preamp will cause
the sound to be tubby and unfocused.
The Graphic EQ comes at the very end of the signal chain so you can shape the final sound with the only consideration being how
much of a certain frequency your speakers, cabinet—and ultimately your ears—can handle. The only other consideration is that here
in this 25 Watt power section, extreme settings of the two lowest Bands—80Hz and 240Hz— will use up power (the wattage) quickly
and overall headroom will be affected. This is even more of a consideration in the 10 Watt Power setting. Dial with care and taste to
ensure the best performance.
NOTE: Subtle movements on the EQ SLIDERS cause substantial results, so use this powerful tool wisely and it can take your sound
almost anywhere you want to go. Just be sure to go back and reference less-altered sounds with the EQ toggle switches or the
Footswitch from time to time to keep a perspective, as it’s easy to get an “EQ Hangover” and wind up with all EQ and no Tone.
PAGE 22
CLEAN
CRUNCH
FS
MK IIC+
MK
IV
XTREME
GAIN TREBLE
MID BOOST
MID PRESENCE MASTERBASS
EQ ON
EQ
O
O
EQ FS
SPKR
ON
CLOSED
BACK
OPEN
BACK
CabClone™
D.I.
SPKR
OFF
LIFT
GROUND
EQ ON
EQ FS
CAUTION: Unplug
power before
servicing
120 V~
60 Hz
1 A
1.25 A
SLO
BLO
AMPLIFIER
44YV
HEADPHONERETURNSEND
4 OHM 8 OHM
4 OHM
REVERB
CH 2 CH 1
MARK FIVE: 25™
VACUUM TUBE
AMPLIFIER
HANDCRAFTED
IN PETALUMA,
CALIFORNIA
80Hz 240 750 2200 6600
25 W
10 W
25 W
10 W
TUBE GUIDE
6 x 12AX7
2 x EL 84
PATENTED
7,602,927
(USE WITH TWO 8 OHM SPKRS)
FX
SPEAKERS
INPUT
FT SW
POWER
STANDBY
MARK
5
TWENTY-FIVE
™