.50 Caliber + Versus Mark Series (III&IV)

[#2121313]

I have a .50 Caliber + Combo coming in, with EQ & 6L6's...I have had a Mark III Blue Stripe (Head) and a Mark IV Combo before...

How would you compare SPECIFICALLY the Lead channel of the .50 Caliber+ to the Mark III and IV?

Smoothness, amount of gain....

I have read that the .50 Caliber + is good for ONE tone versus channel switching from Crunch to Clean - totally fine!

I need a straight METAL tone, I guess the closest tone to the one in my head would be Metallica...Puppets/Justice/Black somewhere in there...

 

[scottywompas]

.50 cal is a good amp. A friend of mine had one. I liked it more than he did. If I remember correctly the clean channel was less than impressive but the lead had a good amount of gain and the EQ will always get you in the Metallica ballpark.

It may be a little disappointing if you've already owned a MKIII and a MKIV but who knows.

Scott

 

[mule#1]

I have both the amps you mentioned and I can say the 50+ has a more vintage and looser feel. I say this in a good way. To me it sounds thicker and fatter than my MKIV.

 

[scottcrud]

I own a .50Cal+ and have owned 3 MKIII's and a MKIV. The lead channel on the .50 cal has as much gain as either the mk3 or mk4, maybe a tad more, maybe. The biggest difference is the llead ch on the .50cal is darker than the MKIII and MKIV. Listen to my Myspace Force Fed link. All those songs except Deceit( the first song) were recorded with a .50Cal+.

 

[citizen.one]

well, i think that depends on each caliber, i also own it and it sounds pretty different, mine is like hot-rodded JCM800 (if you put there 6550), actually friend of my own exactly same mods like zakk wylde on his heads, hes always in contact with their techs
and in compare i think the caliber is more rough, darker,more readable, has more gain and is much more universal, but still it has not so much corections like on Mk etc.
if i compare it to MkIII, cal is again more rough, more agressive, more pissed off, more rocknroll, it has that crunchy distorted sound that i just love. If i change tube in 5th position to EHX, it sounds like better recto and JJ Ecc83 for more coloured tone...
for me its the best of best and i must say,im very happy about it

 

[user 7737]

JJ Ecc83 for more coloured tone...

+1

but i only compare with stock mesa tube and EH...

i don't know how to describe the cal50+ regarding other mesa 'caus it's the only i tried with a blue angel... the cal got this "mid" thing that i really really like... but you can cut it easily w/ the GFX EQ and get this kind of '80 metal stuff

one more things, i'm almost sure that metallica used the cal50 on MOP...

 

[mule#1]

JJ Ecc83 for more coloured tone...

+1

but i only compare with stock mesa tube and EH...

i don't know how to describe the cal50+ regarding other mesa 'caus it's the only i tried with a blue angel... the cal got this "mid" thing that i really really like... but you can cut it easily w/ the GFX EQ and get this kind of '80 metal stuff

one more things, i'm almost sure that metallica used the cal50 on MOP...

I'd be interested to know if there is any truth to that! It is certainly capable of that tone. I only ever read about them using the IIC+. Anybody out there that can back this up?

 

[citizen.one]

perhaps theyve used just MKiii od iic+, but i think that caliber is more thrash sounding than any other amp.
for a little different tone i use NOS Sovtek 5881, its really great, but in preamp i use
1.tungsol 12AX7
2.jj ecc83s
3ehx12ax7
4.jj ecc81
5. ehx12ax7/jjecc83s depends on what tone i want...

and it has pretty different tone, but the amp sound depends on lot of factors.

btw. now i have a problem, my amp getting more silent, now i have cca4 on poweramp and 2 on preamp on lead and its not so loud, ive tried my 30w combo with the same EVM HB box and it was much more louder, before was the loudest 50w amp ive ever heard, but then there were some problem with diode switching etc. it sounds really incredible, but i miss there the loudnes
power tubes are always blue, so im pretty afraid about amp condition...
sry for my english, its not very good

 

[user 7737]

JJ Ecc83 for more coloured tone...

+1

but i only compare with stock mesa tube and EH...

i don't know how to describe the cal50+ regarding other mesa 'caus it's the only i tried with a blue angel... the cal got this "mid" thing that i really really like... but you can cut it easily w/ the GFX EQ and get this kind of '80 metal stuff

one more things, i'm almost sure that metallica used the cal50 on MOP...

I'd be interested to know if there is any truth to that! It is certainly capable of that tone. I only ever read about them using the IIC+. Anybody out there that can back this up?

i was sure i read it somewhere... but i can't find the link... every page mention IIC+...

i was wrong (amazed... but wrong)... sorry for the bullshit... :?