Mesa Boogie has become one of the most sought-after amp manufacturers of our time and is trusted by a massive list of professional guitar players, particularly in the hard rock and metal genres. The amount of artists that use their amps are endless, including the likes of Mark Tremonti, Dave Grohl, Adam Jones, Korn, and Maroon 5, to name a few.
While those artists have their pick when it comes to Mesa amps, in this article we’ll compare two Mesa amps, the Boogie JP-2C Head and their Mark Five.
| Features: | Mesa Boogie JP-2C Head | Mesa Boogie Mark Five |
|---|---|---|
| Price: | £2,599 | £1,899 |
| Power: | Class A / B circuit, 100 / 60W | 35 / 25 / 10W switchable |
| Power Tubes: | 4x 6L6 | 4x EL84 |
| Preamp Tubes: | 5x 12AX7 | 6x 12AX7 |
| Weight: | 18.5 kg | 20 kg |
Mesa JP-2C Head
Mesa’s Mark Five incarnation is a modern Boogie and is a three-channel multi-mode monster, bristling with knobs, switches and LEDs that control an almost endless list of functions.
There’s still a hardcore following for the earlier, simpler version, which remains highly usable today due to its exceptional build quality.
The final revision of the Mark II – the Mark IIC+ – is the most coveted, with them selling way above their original retail price. Most of the Mesa Mark’s IIC+ reputation comes down to one person, Dream Theater’s John Petrucci, who has been one of Mesa’s biggest ambassadors for over 30 years and a long-time Mark IIC+ user.
Design
The internals are typical of a modern Boogie with a neatly laid-out main PCB that incorporates some of the quirks that date back to the Mesa’s original Mark IIC+, supported inside a beautifully finished aluminium chassis.
All the usual Mesa components can be found here: custom resistors, Orange Drop decoupling caps along with a lot of relays, topped with a mains transformer that’s about the same size and weighs as much as a small car.
This massive transformer has been the key part of the early Boogie’s mystique, helping to generate huge reserves of power.
Although the most obvious and striking external feature of the JP-2C is its control panel, as it comprises three independent channels and two separate five-band graphic EQs.
The amps EQs can be assigned to any combination of channels, as well as working off the supplied six-button foot controller, or through the MIDI, which controls most of the JP-2C’s switched functions. Each channel has identical (differently voiced) controls for its gain, master, bass, mid, treble and presence, together with an EQ assign toggle.
The 2nd channel and the slightly higher-gain Channel 3 have push/pull switches on the gain and presence controls, that has gain boost along with increased presence range.
The window surrounding the two graphic EQs has four more toggle switches: the channel changer, one to toggle the reverb off and on, another for the JP-2C’s effects loop, and the other one is a new voicing that has been developed specifically for this amp called Shred, which can be pre-set to work on Channel 2 or Channels 2 and 3.
On the rear panel are separate reverb level controls for each channel; speaker, headphone and slave outputs; along with a pair of send/return jacks for the JP-2C’s effects loop; and Mesa’s brilliant CabClone speaker-emulated DI output, that’s complete with a balanced XLR jack.
Just after this are its connectors that make the JP-2C amp head even more versatile – MIDI In and MIDI Out/ Thru, along with a toggle switch to store patches and a rotary indexer that assigns the JP-2C’s MIDI channel. You’ll also see a large toggle that’s used to select either 60 watts output or the full 100 watts.
Sound Quality
Mesa’s JP-2C powers on smoothly and quietly, with practically no hum and just a little hiss. While the channels lose some of the Mark V’s multi-mode functionality, it doesn’t lose tone.
The amp’s clean channel has sweet treble and huge headroom which gives the perfect foil for aggressive and fast-attacking crunch from Channel 2, as well as the legendary Mark IIC+ sounding lead from the supercharged Channel 3. It has a multi-layered distortion that’s fat, warm and smooth, though with a vicious edge once you dig in hard.
This can be accented when using the pull gain and presence controls, and its Shred switch adds yet another layer of smouldering harmonic intensity. Its reverb is typical of Mesa, with a quality that rivals some studio outboards. The JP-2C’s massive power supply renders out into effortless volume that soars above many lesser amps.
Mesa Mark V
Built from the lineage and foundation of several models, Mesa’s Mark V is very much like the Mark IV, but yet is very different.
Design
Once removing the Mark V from the shipping box, one of the first things that you’ll notice are the knobs, which are recessed further than on the Mark IV. This isn’t a bad thing as they stick out too far on the Mark IV. You’ll find a sturdy, eight-button aluminum footswitch that’s separate from the head.
The Mark V has 23 knobs, 17 switches, and a five-band EQ. If you’re familiar with the Mark IV, then it probably won’t be as daunting a view as others may find it to be.
The amp has three distinct channel sections, followed by EQ and Master outputs. Each Mark V channel features independent Gain, Master, Presence, Treble, Mid, and Bass controls. Each channel also has a number of toggle switches used to select various modes and power/operating-class options.
The five-band graphic EQ, which can be found on most Mesa Mark series amps, features the same frequency choices (80, 240, 750, 2200 and 6600Hz). Although, unlike the Mark IV, it can be assigned to each channel independently. A small, three-position toggle switch on each channel allows the user to bypass the graphic EQ completely. You can leave it on all the time or turn it on and off with the footswitch. It features a small LED above the Power/Standby which switches lights up when it’s on, so you can see if it’s bypassed or engaged. Mesa has taken it a step further, as on either side of the EQ is a set of three rotary Preset controls along with a set of associated Slider/Preset switches. With the switches, each channel can be assigned to Sliders (up) or Preset (down), where the amount of EQ in its signal can be dialled in using its three Preset knobs.
Sound Quality
Despite all the Mark V’s similarities and differences, it really comes down to the tone. To start, the amp has a great clean sound. When being played through both a Marshall 4×12 and a Boogie 1×12 WideBody closed-back cab, it delivers on all three wattage settings. The Mark V has got a sense of clarity, crispness, and punch that the Mark IV doesn’t have.
Conclusion
While both amps are great, Mesa’s Mark Five is definitely more versatile, although the JP-2C has more gain and is a lot looser when turned up, giving more of a liquid feeling.
Mesa’s Mark Five does have a certain quality to its mids, it’s a certain ‘sweetness’ to it, and of course, has a ton of range and versatility. The JP-2C can be a little more neutral, although it comes across as a little more clarity and can sound absolutely huge.