Led Indication; Standby; Full Power / Variac Power - Mesa/Boogie Mark Five Owner's Manual

frOnt panel: f

LED INDICATION:

These three LED lights keep you informed of the status of the MUTE, EQ SECTION and EFX LOOP and are
illuminated when any of these features are active. This comes in especially handy in larger venues when you may be farther away from
your amplifier and need to be informed with a quick glance over the shoulder as to the status of these features.
NOTE: The MUTE and EFX LOOP only are active when the EFX LOOP is in LOOP ACTIVE (toggle up) Mode.

STANDBY:

Perfect for set breaks... this toggle switch also serves an even more important purpose. In the Standby position the
tubes are at idle so that during power up they may warm up before being put to use. Before Power is switched on make sure the
STANDBY switch is in the Standby position. Wait at least 30 seconds and then flip the STANDBY switch to the ON
position. This prevents tube problems and increases their toneful life substantially.

FULL POWER / VARIAC POWER:

ceptacle and can also be used to switch the entire amplifier down to a reduced voltage power mode for a looser, more elastic feel.
FULL POWER supplies the amplifier with the full 120 volts of voltage (depending on line conditions at any given
time) and produces the maximum volume, headroom and punchy bold tone throughout the Channels.
VARIAC POWER limits the incoming AC Voltage to roughly 95 volts (again depending on line conditions) for a "browner"
power vibe. This position scoops the midrange and provides a looser more elastic feel on the strings with some
shifting (up) of the higher harmonics as well. This can be cool for sounds that rely on output (power amp) clip for their character...
pushed clean, Roots, Blues or Classic Rock Rhythm sounds can all benefit from this softer power feel. When used in conjunction
with the 10 WATT power setting, the MARK V can deliver the ultimate in saggy, low power performance.
For all-around gigging applications we recommend the FULL POWER setting as this delivers the greatest headroom for clean sounds
as well as the most focused and tight-tracking overdrive sounds.
NOTE: Some locations have very low voltage present at the AC wall receptacle (old clubs, outdoors, homes in areas of heavy manu-
facturing business) and if you either suspect – or test and find this to be true – we recommend using the FULL POWER setting. If the
voltage gets too low, you may experience intermittent switching problems when in the VARIAC POWER Mode - use FULL POWER
in areas of less-than-optimum AC power to help avoid this annoyance.
Now the Front Panel is under your control and you are free to run loose in Tone-land. We hope you enjoy exploring the MARK V
as much as we do... it should provide you with years of inspiring discovery. Now let's go around back and check out the features
located on the Rear Panel
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Continued
eatureS
This global switch performs two functions; it determines the flow of AC Power from the wall re-
)
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