Mesa Boogie Mark VII Demo | First Look
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- čas přidán 6. 03. 2023
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Mesa Boogie’s latest Mark-series dares to do it all-from switchable 6L6 and EL34 power sections to 3-channels that span sparking clean and flat-out filthy.
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From humble beginnings to worldwide recognition, MESA/Boogie has remained the original boutique Home of Tone, hand-crafting amplifiers of uncompromising quality from the world’s finest materials in California, USA. Founder Randall Smith instilled basic principles into MESA such as passion, drive, integrity, and excellence, and his insistence on making the best amplifiers has guided half a century of breakthrough innovations, elevating the amplifier into an instrument in its own right--one with the power to shape and create musical genres. MESA/Boogie is proud to announce the new MARK VII series, available now at authorized MESA/Boogie dealers and on www.mesaboogie.com.
The MARK VII is the Magnum Opus, the flagship of Randall Smith’s 50+ year career in one visionary amp design. The new MARK VII takes the knowledge, history, innovation, and performance and distills it into the simplest, most versatile, and smallest 90-watt Mark Series amplifier, ever. The 3 Channel, 9 Mode Preamp, coupled with our legendary Simul-Class Power section that offers three distinct characters across its three wattage ranges, creates a new MARK icon in terms of adaptability, soulful tube tone, and magic feel that will serve any discerning player.
The long-awaited “Simul-Seven,” aka the new MARK VII, leapfrogs its predecessor, the Mark Five, and the secret Mark Six prototype to arrive at the most power-packed Boogie Mark model ever created in terms of tone, flexibility, compact design and interfacing. The MARK VII is a do it all tone machine that delivers legendary Mark performance and adds two new sounds, the throwback yet infamous Mark IIB and a new modern high-gain mode full of character and attitude, aptly named MARK VII.
The MARK VII offers discerning players analog, all-tube sound, soul and feel in a smaller more compact, yet more comprehensive package. With a focus on perfecting icons, bringing back beloved classics, and introducing new realms of modern high gain, all while improving the interface and the performance across all mediums, the MARK VII offers inspiration and freedom across all musical styles. The MESA/Boogie MARK VII is now available in Head, 1x12 Combo, and Rackmount Head formats.
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#guitar #amp #mesaboogie - Hudba
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Bollinger is a better guitarist than 95% of the people he interviews, and he still is so into learning and impressed by all these guys. Very humble, and always learning. Wonderful.
He's a cool dude. And I dig his rig rundowns and his gear demos. He's one of the only dudes who's not tuning down to Drop D with a bunch of awful, sludgy distortion. He can play and he knows tone.
The 6L6/EL34 switch doesn't change between tubes, it changes the bias so you can physically switch out the tubes if you want. So when John says it's easy to change to EL34s, really he's just changing the bias of the 6L6s that come stock in the amp, which doesn't sound awful but probably lowers tube/component life (Mesa specifically says not to use the wrong setting in their user's guides).
Also, the pre-gain bass in channel 3 is way too high, that's why it sounds so woofy. Common advice is start that off around 0-2 and add a touch to where it starts to beef up, then use the GEQ to boost bass after the gain stages.
John is a seriously great player!
That's no small mistake.Thanks
@@StratsRUs Yeah this demo is seriously under-researched and under-produced (I didn't even mention the horrible clipping in the mic). Hope no one kills their amp switching to EL34 mode not knowing what it does.
Yes thank you for point this out. NOT a good idea to run the wrong bias, you'll end up potentially blowing something more serious than a tube and have a BAD day.
We just wanted to show that biasing an amp (with the proper tubes installed) was as easy a flip of a switch. We made a cut afterwards where John flicked it back to 6L6 setting (off air).
THIS ⬆
Or maybe John magically swapped the tubes with the power of is wrist, who knows...🤔
13:47 "If you can't find the sound you want with this setup, it's you" 🤣Great demo and super cool amp - sounds great! I have the Recto-Verb 25 and it's really good and versatile as well. Also a great pedal platform on the clean channel as I'm sure this one would be as well.
$3499 head/$3799 for the combo. Best have deep pockets!!
Long live Mesa Boogie. YES ! A man who plants a Les Paul headstock on a Boogie like that rocks.
Mesa is junk. They have too many PCB’s and use cheap parts. A tech in Memphis said that, not me. I trust a guy with 30 years repairing these boat anchors, not an advert disguised as a magazine. Shame on P.G. Buy a Soldano instead. After all, Mesa ripped off his circuit. Don’t believe me? Ask Mike Soldano.
@@75YBA I don’t think that’s entirely accurate. The California Tweed is handwired in the USA. A lot of Mesas are. This may have a combination of some PCB and handwiring, though just because of all the crazy switching.
@Fishbulb That was my read as well.
that sounds incredible ! what a perfect combo , so many tones and textures and power
ouch just looked at the price here. $6800nzd... I think ill be saving for the markV...haha
your slide sound after 15 min is one of the best ever - respect!!!!
what r you playing?
John : You Rock!! Thank you & Premier for reviewing a Boogie!!! I've played Boogies since 1985.
I played a Boogie 50 Cal combo for a decade. I played the hell out of it, it tumbled down a dozen staircases without a scratch and the tubes intact, and I only changed the tubes three times in the decade I had that amp. It wasn't as versatile as the Mark series, but it did the job for me. Boogies are expensive, but the cost of ownership is low because of how well designed they are, and the world class build quality. They are built like a Mercedes.
They 'WERE' built like a Mercedes.....
I, too, own a 50. Caliber plus combo, and it's a beast! I also owned a Mark 4 and pre 500 rec in the past which I sold like a dummy. Lol
I also currently own a Road King 2 V.2, and the new amps are nothing like the old quality. This was happening before Gibson took over, so it's not a new thing, sadly.
@@dennismcdonald2607 That's awful. I'm disappointed to hear that. I haven't heard anything bad about the current quality of Bogner or Soldanos. I might get one for my next high end amp. It's been years since I had that 50. Over the years I've gone back to Marshalls or Fenders, multi fx systems. I just want to get a really solid tube amp again and I want nothing less than the milspec reliability I had with that 50. Any current amps you recommend? I like combos. I was also considering a Rivera. Exquisite amps. I'm playing instrumental classic pro/jam band fusion.
John, always LOVE your playing on these videos. Have wanted a Boogie since they came out. This one looks great!
Sounds absolutely incredible!!! Thank you for giving the cables a go!!! ⚡️🖤⚡️
These demos w JB make me wanna run to my nearest dealer and buy… lessons.
Always do a sweet review on these new items. Thanks John
Sounds amazing! The cost is terrifying, but sounds amazing!
It’s like two house payments
This is a great review, except for one important thing: the bias switch is not intended to be flipped for a different sound, but rather to match the tubes in the amp. What you are suggesting, could damage the amp.
This is what the manual says:
BIAS SWITCH
This switch determines what type of Bias Setting is operational, the standard 6L6 harness or one specifically adapted to operate EL34s safely. ALWAYS MAKE SURE the Bias Switch is set to match the tubes in use.
We feel the stock 6L6 complement does the best overall job of showcasing the MARK VII’s many different sounds and the musical landscapes the amplifier can cover. That said, there are enhancements in certain areas possible when the Brit classic EL34 power tubes are substituted. Again, when swapping, ALWAYS MAKE SURE the Bias Switch is set to match the tubes in use.
The 6L6s will produce a more shimmering top end, robust midra
Good catch (and point), but we just wanted to show that biasing an amp (with the proper tubes installed) was as easy a flip of a switch. We made a cut afterwards where John flicked it back to 6L6 setting (off air).
John, Great playing and fantastic review as always.
Thank you brother
What a lovely sounding Les Paul, holy shit. Super dynamic.
John, you are awesome! Please keep doing what you do😁🤘
Far out!!.. great playing!.. love that amp!
💥🤟🎶
omg John that slide tone ... you're so good
You know, the amp would be better if it actually worked the way John showed it. Instead of coming with 4 x 6L6 it could have come with 2 x 6L6 and 2 x EL34 that could be switched to run as just 6L6 at 45 watts, just EL34 at 50 watts or all four power tubes combined at 95 watts. Maybe that will be available when they release the MK VIII in a couple years.
JB always does great gear demos
Sounds great!
All I can hear is Arnold Schwarzenegger screaming “It’s fantastic!”
Well played…..❤
Why Arnold 😂?
@@endtimeguitarist because of Arnolds voice…”TO THE CHOPPA” LOL
😂🤣🤣
@@TmcIIIvideo"GET DAWN"
I love it. Getting the Head Version, for sure. It'll be my first Boogie. So excited. Also, that '54 Les Paul is dreamy. *swoon*
More bells and whistles = more stuff to go wrong. The last 2 new Boogies I bought broke within the first month. Not great when your expensive new amp sits in a repair shop. After my last one broke, I sold it and never bought another one.
That sounds ridiculously good.
Thanks for FINALLY a decent review of this amp NOT INFLUENCED BY PEDALS! Thank you!!!
I bought a mark V 25 last week but I’m literally about to return it and exchange it for the VII. Great video!
I bought. Mesa Boogie rectoverb 50 combo amp in 2011, and it sounds amazing. The only problem with it is that the pedal controlling it packed up, and the reverb doesn't work any more, but the sound is fantastic.
What a nice amp and a nice surprise from Boogie! It sounds beautiful. I switched to Marshall a long time ago and I'm thrilled with my sound, but if I had a few extra thousand dollars I'd give it a try. Normally I like stacks...but that combo is sweet. I like the old Boogie logo. Is the reverb spring or digital? That's way more amp than I need but I'm excited for all those who get to enjoy this new beauty.
This amp sounds really nice, no doubt. John does a nice job of demonstrating it. I'm going to keep playing my Mark V:35; which is a great amp as well! I think I'm on my 6th Boogie since 1985... Yeah, I've been around... 🙂
Well done JOHN! Always enjoy your videos. Fantastic playing through this Beast! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
EQ is powerful 💥
I think someone better edit the part where he says you can flip between 6L6 tubes and EL34 tubes. You should only have that switch set to match the power tubes that are installed. I would hate to see someone fry their amp because of this.
Depending on how the inside is, they may get to the repair shop fairly quickly. They're known for jamming components inside and not separating them enough. Look at Psionic Audio's videos about them.
Right? Did he switch the tubes or did he just flip the switch with 6L6s in there!?
@@EatYourOwnBaconIt looked like he just flipped the switch.
If you are dumb enough to not realize you need to install EL34s first, you shouldn’t be buying this amp anyway. Lol.
@@chiricm Yeah but for Premier guitar to just do that in their review is pretty bad. The reviews of the mark VII have been weird. Nobody buys a mark series amp these days to play dad rock. Theyre a metal amp, and i havent seen one person put an OD in front of it and smack the FUCK out of it like you would with a mark series amp.
That 6L6/EL34 switch just changes the bias setting. You need to get a Mesa Road King or an H&K TriAmp if you want to be able to actually switch tubes.
We just wanted to show that biasing an amp (with the proper tubes installed) was as easy a flip of a switch. We made a cut afterwards where John flicked it back to 6L6 setting (off air). But you're right, those amps you mentioned have more tubes than Russia!
Sounds great with a Strat.
You had me until the end and $3,800, probably worth it for all the options. Love my Mesa Mark V35. Want another for a stereo rig.
Guitar Center, no interest for 48 months right now. I just ordered mine
@@revelationsoundstudioI got approved but how much do you have to put down upfront?
Love John and his reviews. Amp techs hate Mesa. You will be sorry.
Great player
THANK YOU VRERY MUCH.
In spite of the tube bias mistake, this is the most enjoyable review of this amp I've heard. The difference? I think these mesa amps benefit much from a slight volume boost pedal, as he used here. It brings out a little more of the amp's natural character, in a very transparent way that isn't gimmicky or artificial. That seems to be the difference here.
The touring variety band guitarist’s 1st choice for decades.
WOW, this thing does a crazy good Marshall type sound.@ 6:00
Thanks once again for your excellent playing of varied styles on a stellar new amp!
Plus 1 on the e906. Such a versitile microphone.
Great!
Whatever amp it is , John sounds great every time. Cheers
Wow. I’m not normally this impressed by “new” builds and I was especially uninterested in another MK from Mesa Boogie. Was I wrong. This is the most impressive demo I’ve seen since I bought my Mad Professor MP101. I would buy this amp today if I could!!!
Bollinger is of course a wonderful player and even better demo dude. That 54 Goldie is incredible. Im completely smitten with this entire video and the times from this amp
"All those fancy switches and sliders are no match for a good Mark 1 at your side kid" - Han Solo
The switch from 6l6 to el34 is only when you swap out the tubes to el34's.
All it did was change the bias to el34 bias without having el34 tubes in it
We just wanted to show that biasing an amp (with the proper tubes installed) was as easy a flip of a switch. We made a cut afterwards where John flicked it back to 6L6 setting (off air).
Ampturco cable... Nice stuff!!
That gold top though 😮
Bollinger your turning into David Byrne. The look becomes more and more defined every time I see you. It's like invasion of the body snatchers
Sweet I really wanted to hear the combo amp.
your gold top les paul ,those finish checking ,in some angle almost looks like very tight flame top .
Cool amp. Great sound. It would be great if you could take it out to a club and record it within an actual gigging situation. Chicago Music Exchange has one of the better ways to present instruments in a live situation by recording a band in their studio. Not exactly a club zone but it lets people hear what things could actually sound like. By the way, playing along with the backing track was cool. Keep up the great work.
Sounds GREAT, but I wish there was a MkVII-, a MK. VII without the MIDI and Cabclone features.
I love the versatile 3 channel Mesa Boogie amps. I have a Mesa Nomad100. I want the combo amp. It is a bit expensive for me.
When you say "buffered loop", is that a digital component or how does that work?
Awesome presentation btw, quite possibly the best I've ever seen on any music product, let alone a complex amp like that.
Narration, editing, playing, showcasing. All on point!
Only point of critique being that I also understood it as if both 6L6 and EL34 tubes would be built into the amp at the same time.
My guitar teacher has Triple Crown 112 combo three channel. The Triple Crown sounded absolutely amazing. I ordered one from Sweetwater almost 18 months ago and still have not got it. They say Mesa is backed up and it will probably be this June.
Nice walk thru of the amp !!!! other than the Bias switch mistake ( need to change tubes ) ( which anyone who has a multi bias Mesa understands )
Looks like the Triple Crown with a graphic EQ.
Don't stare at me when you hit that power "A"!
Main issue....Amp techs are going to show you door when this goes wrong haha
Then they are not techs at all, are they?
Perhaps the amp tech needs to be Mesa certified. My tech is Mesa Certified and has worked on everything from MKIVs to Subway Blues with no sweat.
@@matthewdortona237It’s no different than owning a luxury car. I have a BMW and the guy I go to is a specialist
I LOVE MY ORIGINAL 84 MK IIc+ COMPLETELY LOADED wicker EXOTIC RD CASE.IM TAKING MY BABY TO. MY GRAVE
Great review John and always great chops. No option for midi switching thru the modes of each channel. I never understood why Mesa designed most of their amps this way. It’s not gig friendly to need to reach around the back or front to throw a toggle. It’s not a deal breaker for me but the price is. Obviously this amp is in the “boutique” category and may deserves to be. I love Mesa products and still own and use my 20+ year old simul class 2:90. But with all the more affordable new and used options available today and the current economy I wonder how well it will sell. If this was priced at $2400 it probably fly off the shelf. Maybe it will be priced like that someday. Greedy investors may demand a higher return and forced to switch their manufacturing and service facilities to Asia. Of course they’ll keep a custom shop open here in the states and charge us double for the same amp.
I’ve been using an old Mk IIB for years…. Maybe it’s time to get with the program and upgrade!
Not to mention, if you don’t use Mesa tubes warranty is voided. Where are the tubes for this. Still can’t get them.
I truly believe if Jimi would have been still around today, he woulda switched from Marshall to Boogie a very long time ago!
Fab
I wonder how long it's going to be until we see a Mark VII 25 & 35, I can't imagine it's going to be too long. I repair amps and the difference between what I see coming in had shifted dramatically, I see fewer Class A 35+ Watt amps coming though. Admittedly I implemented a strict "No Boogie," policy long ago, there aren't enough days in the week to have to spend the time hunting through them to diagnose problems.
I'm won't be getting one of these anytime soon, but I'm certainly open to a used Mark V, which should start dropping in price in the next 8-12 months when owners are looking to upgrade. Oddly enough I've never considered myself a real fan of high gain amps, but I picked up a Soldano SLO preamp module for my Synergy preamp and have been loving it for the last half year or so. I've also always had a soft spot for the Mark IIc.
@Unsharted Territory I doubt it. If there were only slight changes from the V to the VII I would agree, but there are too many upgrades. I've been repairing amps for a decade and a half, I have a reasonably good feel for how players tend to buy new stuff.
If the VIIs perform well and don't have any issues, the fact that Gibson now owns Boogie will only matter to a limited segment.
I agree, Randall Smith sold the company and at his age, he is done creating a new amp which takes years to do. I'm sure he will still keep busy but I think he is done on creating new amps. I also agree the Mark V 25 and V35 don't need an update
$ 3.700.. what are we doing? the next PG article will be ( why are young people or anybody not playing guitar anymore?)
Seriously, Soldano was ripped of by Mesa after they stole the Dual Rec circuit from him
For that kind of money I want something much more reliable every person I know with a Mesa has something broken on it
@@75YBA Who in turn started by modding a Mark II and Marshalls. This is how amps have evolved. Everything mostly comes from Fenders which in turn were based on the tube circuits of Western Electric.
@@modelcitizen1977 I have three Mark amps and they work just fine. Two of them are over 25 years old.
At this price point you open the door to hundreds of boutique choices, and for someone who doesn’t need 15 switches and 900 sounds in one amp I’d much rather go with a JP2C or a boutique builder.
That amplifier manual must be like 420 pages long.
Nice work if you can get it 😁
Love every thing about it until the very end thinking it’s a must have then the bomb drops- starting at $3800 - freakin ouch!!!
Erm, you're not just supposed to flick the EL34 /6L6 switch on the back without physically changing the tubes over, it's not a tone flavour thing, it's a setting to stop you killing bits.
We just wanted to show that biasing an amp (with the proper tubes installed) was as easy a flip of a switch. We made a cut afterwards where John flicked it back to 6L6 setting (off air).
Bolinger can play a mean gueetah
I wish they would've kept modes like Tweed and Edge instead of having Fat and Crunch on two channels. If they had kept the Tweed mode at least, I would've wanted this amp for my studio.
So it have a full range speaker and all the sounds came from some cabinet emulation? Or I missed something?
Mesa makes some great amps. Best amp I have ever owned was a dual rectifier. That being said their combos are insultingly over priced. They make Gibsons pricing look reasonable.
They're boutique amps. Though you get what you pay for.
Hopefully it never has to be worked on, that looks like a nightmare. Multiple pcb boards. Sounds great tho. But I'm a fender fan myself.
I enjoyed this amp the time I plays ditbur I was hoping the Crunch channel would have been much improved over the Mark V. The Crunch and channel 2 has always been the weak point for me. I need a good crunch for classic rock and 90s rock.
Is that a B bender in a Les Paul?!
I had a Mark V that blew up just in time to force me to get a Mark VII. They really hit the sweet spot with this one. Not as complicated as the Mark V, with a stronger tone, and modern features. And it’s even lighter. Close to a perfect amp. Fat mode is the best Fender ever, and IIC+ is ultimate high gain lead. From Carlos Santana to metal. IIB mode is very cool for bluesy grit. Mark VII mode is…meh. Crunch is serviceable for classic rock.
How do you feel about not having a master volume? Same question about the solo boost?
@@glp046 Don’t miss them.
Wow.
Sounds cool.
But does this mean that I can’t do all this in my mark v 90 combo?
Not really, other than addition of MIDI and the CabClone it seems less versatile to me when compared to the V90. No Solo or Mute on the footswitch, no tube rectifier (or pentode/triode ) no Variac switch (I hope they figured out the El34 bias switch properly this time), GEQ is on or footswitch no off setting, 2 modes shared by channel 1 and 2 (so 7 modes total, not the 9 claimed). I think I'll stick with my V90
@@joshuafrahm8778
It’s seems that it’s got a bigger transformer hence the tone is more raw and better than mark v.
Is it midi yet the old Mesas kept me from them w no midi. Wonderful review.
Yes it is.
Too many knobs and options for me. I only need three good sounds. I'd go crazy trying to find the best sound, spending most of my time adjusting knobs and wondering if a better sound might be available. But John makes it sound good alright.
Not mentioned, can you use the direct out and not have the cab/speaker engaged? (silent stage)
Pretty sure that is the way all Mesa's work, even the budget models.
NICE to see/hear Gibson HASN'T screwed it UP! \m/
Jesus H Christ. I think I found my new amp! WOW!
For a $3700 combo, shop around some boutique amps. It is a great amp but when will you use 13 switches when you find your sound?
When you hit the $3500 price range, you open the door to literally hundreds of boutique choices that are willing to work with you to find your sound.
I've loved all the Boogies I've had, but they scare the crap out of me from a maintenance perspective. You know if something goes wrong, you're in for a big bill from the tech. But man... the tones might be worth it.
Is it affordable? Otherwise I Will stick to my Joyo American preamp.
Gotta love that Gibson tax thrown on top -__-
I think you are wrong about the power tube switching. The switch changes the bias resistor not the actual tubes.
Ooops, just saw other comments preceding mine-but I concur. :)
No master volume or solo boost sucks but glad there us midi.
Is it authentic?
screw the guitar john whered ya get the shirt!?
How do you feel about no master volume?