AS THE MOST comprehensive and flexible amplifier in Mesa/Boogie's line, the new Mark VII expands on the Mark V's impressive tonal capabilities to become what Mesa calls its simplest to navigate, most versatile and smallest Mark series 90-watt amp ever.
The 1x12 combo version we received for this review (also available in head and rack-mount formats) is powered by four 6L6s running in Simul-Class and features a three-channel, nine-mode preamp that is intuitive to navigate via three identical sets of controls - gain, master, presence, treble, mid and bass - and a trio of mode switches: Clean, Fat and Crunch for channel one; Fat, Crunch and Mark VII for channel two; and Mark IIB, Mark IIC and Mark IV for channel three. Each channel also has a two-position switch labeled EQ/O/FS - the upper position selects the five-band graphic EQ; the lower position is the EQ off/ foot switch - and a three-position switch that selects 90-, 45- or 25-watt operation.
Continuing across the front panel are three vertically stacked reverb-level controls (one per channel), the channel-assignable five-band graphic EQ, and another three switches: a three-position for channel-select, a two-position for the FX loop (on, off/foot switch) and another two-position for reverb (on, off/foot switch).
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Guitar Player.
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This story is from the August 2023 edition of Guitar Player.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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