Mesa Boogie MK V - Will It Get These Kingsnake 'Clipped Cleans' ?

Wazmeister

Ok, so the latest GAS is snow balling a wee bit...

As the title says, will the MK V (in full or v:25 forms) get these wonderful clipped sounds below ?

Thanks in advance !

ThorpyFX

all i see is white space......

btw I'm potentially selling my mint MKV

ICBM

I have no idea, but that's a fantastic sound. I always did like the MkI best out of the Mark Series, and the King Snake is really a slightly tweaked MkI from the description.

Despite being the first 'Boogie' they don't really have that much gain or the compressed midrange sound of the later Marks, they're much more like a hot-rodded Fender with a boost channel. You *can* get distortion at low volume, but that's not really what they're for.

Look at how that sound is set - low-gain input, channel volume on about 6 and master volume on 10. That's LOUD - basically full volume. What you're hearing is power amp break-up.

ThorpyFX

yes id say so on channel one with the tweed setting selected 

simonbeckwith

That sounds awesome!

Wazmeister

Interesting thoughts guys - thanks.

I think a trip to Geetar Geetar maybe on the cards...

prh777

Yup. Channel 1 tweed will do it as thorpy says.

prh777

And you can drop it to 10w so you aren't deafening everyone at that breakup point. Check out the haggertys demos on YouTube. Very comprehensive review of the mk v with great playing.

thomasross20

Ugh please no!! That clippy sound is killing my ears!

JezWynd

Agreed. When he's hitting those full chord stabs, that's not a pleasant sound. I wonder what the volume on his guitar is set to.

Wazmeister

ICBM said:

I have no idea, but that's a fantastic sound. I always did like the MkI best out of the Mark Series, and the King Snake is really a slightly tweaked MkI from the description.

Despite being the first 'Boogie' they don't really have that much gain or the compressed midrange sound of the later Marks, they're much more like a hot-rodded Fender with a boost channel. You *can* get distortion at low volume, but that's not really what they're for.

Look at how that sound is set - low-gain input, channel volume on about 6 and master volume on 10. That's LOUD - basically full volume. What you're hearing is power amp break-up.

@ICBM - it is an interesting spot there mate...

I've waited countless reviews, like Lance's of the Magnatone Twilighter for example, where the volumes must be Wembley stadium loud !!

ICBM

prh777 said:

And you can drop it to 10w so you aren't deafening everyone at that breakup point.

It will still be pretty loud even set to 10W .

JezWynd said:

Agreed. When he's hitting those full chord stabs, that's not a pleasant sound. I wonder what the volume on his guitar is set to.

Probably full up. I think it's an absolutely great sound when he does that - this is exactly why I like big, cleanish amps that can be pushed just into breakup without that horrible muddy saturation you get on the fashionable low-powered amps .

Yes, I know this is set to only 10W, but it still has the transformers and filtering of a 100W amp, so it still has that big sound.

One of the best-sounding amp demos I've ever heard, in fact. It almost makes me want to look for a Mk1 reissue and mod it...

Bucket

Sounds lovely, but I dread to think how fucking deafeningly loud that would be in the room.

In fact, if I was in there I'd be convinced it was my own eardrums clipping.

Wazmeister

Man, this video has those Rambler-esq sounds ! Glorious...

ICBM

Not so keen on that. Too polite and no top-end sparkle.

Deijavoo

I'm loving that OP tone. 

Wazmeister

Anyone played a King Snake ???

ThorpyFX

Wazmeister;857684" said:

Anyone played a King Snake ???

I think Carlos Santana has

Wazmeister

Man, of course... I'll give him a ring in a bit

Nerine

Thought about buying a Kingsnake to keep and not really use. Seems they're still available in shops though. I thought they'd sell out quicker to be fair.
Pleased I didn't anyway.

Nerine

Also, having watched the video now, and having owned a MkV, I don't believe the sound in the video can be approximated that closely with one.

There's too much going on inside a MkV to get really open, chimey, expansive tones. The circuit in the King Snake is much simpler and more direct. I think that makes a massive difference.