A week with a C+

[Jemwiz00]

So I own the MKV25 - love it. Me being me, I started getting curious what a real C+ was like. I was asking my friend Markedman about his C+ and we decided to trade for a week to get familiar with each amp. So naturally after diggin into the tones on the C+ I HAD to have one. Long story short, Markedman made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Looks like the C+ will be settling in here to its new home!!

My impressions of the C+ so far...

First off - I was blown away by the effects loop. I know strange thing to get excited about. Seriously the loop is the most transparent and musical of any amp I've tried. So far I've only tried my Vox Time Machine delay and Boss phaser in the loop and the two guys I was jamming with started having acid flashbacks!

The cleans - I was unexpectedly surprised at how good the cleans are on this amp. I'm partial to the Fendery clean sound anyway but this amp has a "little something extra". Usually I have to use a compression pedal or an overdrive to get the clean sound I like. With the C+ nope just the amp. It really negates the need for most pedals. (I have to have a wah and delay tho)

Holy Grail Lead sound - wow just wow. I first tried to get that Master of Puppets rhythm tone...and yeah it's there. But since I don't play Metal all the time (just most of the time haha) I started fiddling. I used this forum and the Petrucci forum for a starting point. When I started digging in and playing leads this amp really shined. It's true there is something undefinable that this amp has. The touch dynamics and the sustain are to die for. There is an incredible amount of gain on tap! More than I will use to be honest. Just kidding I will use it and cherish it. I found the amp to be easier to dial in than I've heard. Maybe it's because I'm familiar with Mesa products or maybe because this amp is so **** good!

Thanks again Markedman!! You are awesome man!

 

[Markedman]

I thought for sure I'd be going to my grave with that amp it is so nice !!! It reminds me of the days when I used to buy the pre-CBS strats and turn around and sell them to double my money and buy another one and just keep going, I wish I could have everyone of them back. You are the only person in the world I would have sold that amp to.

 

[gts]

Another finds/ realizes the truth(s) of a C+ that can only come from playing through one.
Don't care how much Mesa tries to create a C+ channel or mode in their modern amps it'll never be the same as a 'real' C+.
Congrats on being it's new owner!

 

[megavoice]

I'm SO CURIOUS about the myth how close comes a Red or a III+ to the upper famous and to check out personally (A/B).......
But I think I`d never have the chance to do.........

 

[sotosprince]

I'm SO CURIOUS about the myth how close comes a Red or a III+ to the upper famous and to check out personally (A/B).......
But I think I`d never have the chance to do.........

This might give u an idea of what the old mark III blue stripe is capable of....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oV-n0f-yMY
"The Mark III blue will do the Early Metallica tone. It is very similar to the IIC++ tone with a few differences. The Mark IIC++ is a little more low mids focused where the III is more high mids,The III is also more crisp and cleaner then the II even on the crunch channel, which makes it sound more aggressive. The Blue Stripe is a very bright amp, and it is much brighter then the black or red stripes" as explained by themisfit138. The clip belongs to him and I just used it to create a video on utube.

 

[kippiejr]

Red and III+ are different amps and sound that way. I have or had them both.. Only way to hear a C+ is to play one..sorry Maybe the JP2C. It arrived but I'm not home.....yet! :lol:

 

[megavoice]

I'm SO CURIOUS about the myth how close comes a Red or a III+ to the upper famous and to check out personally (A/B).......
But I think I`d never have the chance to do.........

This might give u an idea of what the old mark III blue stripe is capable of....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oV-n0f-yMY
"The Mark III blue will do the Early Metallica tone. It is very similar to the IIC++ tone with a few differences. The Mark IIC++ is a little more low mids focused where the III is more high mids,The III is also more crisp and cleaner then the II even on the crunch channel, which makes it sound more aggressive. The Blue Stripe is a very bright amp, and it is much brighter then the black or red stripes" as explained by themisfit138. The clip belongs to him and I just used it to create a video on utube.

Well, thank for your engaged description. Interesting to see other people`s views.
Although Metal sounds are not my fit I`m always astonished about the treble forced settings the III is capable of......
I absolutely go for conservative typical calssic singing Les Paul sounds, more mids and less treble.

But as for your comparings I hope you won`t baffle when I say that both of my two Reds sound different regardless if I push in four 6L6s or EL34s in the outer sockets.
The older one sounds darker and the younger much brighter. I cannot tell if the previous owners did any mod on the second, only that its reverb is much richer and with more amount, and I don`t kow why up to now.
But other people who listened to both all said the first sounds much better.........
As I`ve been told by a Mesa guy there aren`t only jumps form one stripe to the other.
Mods had been done steadily on all those IIIs at that time............