Mesa says the new Mark Series models are such a leap that the company skipped the Mark VI
(Image credit: Mesa/Boogie)
Mesa/Boogie has lifted the lid on the Mark VII – the first new generation guitar amps to be added to its flagship Mark Series since 2009.
Available in head, 1x12 combo and rack unit formats, the latest generation of the versatile, small-footprint amp packages a three-channel, nine-mode preamp, a variable power section with three wattage ranges (your choice of 25/45/90 watts) and tonal tech from Mesa’s CabClone IR pedal.
The Mark VII’s predecessor, the Mark V, gave players a choice of seven ‘modes’ intended to run the gamut of Mesa’s “greatest hits” preamp circuits, including the Mark IIC, Mark III and Mark IV. The latest iteration offers two additional modes, including the old-school, hair-metal tones of the Mark IIB and a new modern high-gain circuit, making for a unit that the firm dubs “nine amps in one”.
As previously mentioned, if nine analog amp options aren’t enough for you, Mesa has also seen fit to incorporate its CabClone IR direct interface pedal directly into the Mark VII build, meaning that players now also have the option of eight Rectifier and Boogie cab IRs on each of the three channels.
It’s all based around a central build of five Mesa 12AX7 preamp tubes and four Mesa 6L6 or EL34 power tubes and includes the other features we’ve come to expect from the Mark Series, including the five-band graphic EQ, built-in reverb and “seamless” tube-buffered effects loop. The channels, EQ, reverb and effects loop are all footswitchable.
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Mesa/Boogie Mark VII head(Image credit: Mesa/Boogie)
Mesa/Boogie Mark VII head (rear)(Image credit: Mesa/Boogie)
Mesa/Boogie Mark VII combo(Image credit: Mesa/Boogie)
Mesa/Boogie Mark VII combo (rear)(Image credit: Mesa/Boogie)
Mesa/Boogie Mark VII rack(Image credit: Mesa/Boogie)
Mesa/Boogie Mark VII rack (rear)(Image credit: Mesa/Boogie)
In addition, there’s the usual tonne of I/O, including dry line out, headphones, XLR DI out, USB, the aforementioned effects loop, MIDI and dual speaker outputs for both 4- and 8-ohm loads.
If you’re wondering what happened to the Mark VI, well, in a commendably brazen marketing move, Mesa says it worked on a secret Mark VI prototype but since then the resulting build has become so advanced that the firm has skipped directly from Mark V to Mark VII. We recommend you apply the same trick with your boss in your next job appraisal.
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The Mark VII will be available at launch in three formats: a standard head, a rackmount head and a 1x12” combo. Prices start at $3,499 for the Mark VII head and rackmount head, with the Mark VII 1x12 Combo costing $3,799.
Head to Mesa/Boogie for more information on the Mark VII models.
Matt is Features Editor for GuitarWorld.com. Before that he spent 10 years as a freelance music journalist, interviewing artists for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.
