George,
Visiting MB and speaking with Mike must have been very cool - next time, bring a little pocket recorder with you :wink:
Some of the things I considered before decidng not to do the upgrade:
- I really like the clean tone of the C - it is much better than my III & IV.
- Mike improves the effects loop when performing the + upgrade. I've never had any issues with the effects loop on the C so don't think that I'd benefit much from that upgrade.
- I like the idea of having a little more gain on tap for the Lead channel, which the + upgrade would pervide. However, I really like the way the C's Lead cuts through the mix. For I'm not a big fan of smooth lead tone and prefer a more cutting tone that stands out. The C's lead is real gritty and aggressive sounding. I mich prefer it to the IV;'s lead tone. I'm afraid that the upgrade would smooth the lead out too much for my taste (i.e. make it sound more similar to the lead tone in the IV)
- The cost of the upgrade, including shipping, will be $400+ . I'd probably make this money back if I ever sold the amp, but I'm not planning on selling.
- Seems to be conflicting opinions of the upgrade - most like the C+ version best, but others, like Dodger, like the C as well. If I'm happy with my C, why take a chance?
That said, I've never played a C+, so I really don't know for sure if I would like the C+ better than my C. Maybe I should pick-up a C+ at some point, like Dodger did, so I can compare them. Just have to find one for under $1k
:shock:
Side note: I auditioned for a classic rock band about a year ago, and the other guitarist was an accomplished studio/touring guy that had top notch equipment - he was playing a PRS through a DR Z that night. He really dug my tone and commented several times that night - wanted to know what the amp was etc. That also helped with my decision not to do the upgrade.