Anyone use Channel 3 for low to medium gain?

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Monsta-Tone

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I just can't get a high gain sound that I like from Channel 3 on my Mark V.

I've tried numerous settings and the 12AT7 trick in V3.

I love channels 1 & 2 though!

Is anyone else using channel 3 for low to mid gain sounds?

Here are the settings that I came up with this morning. I like this sound so far.......

Gain - 9:00
Master - all the way up
Presence - 9:00
Treble - 8:00
Mids - 8:00
Bass - 11:00
Pentode
Bright
90 watts
No EQ

I get this really cool growl that is almost breaking up, but cleans up nicely with the guitar's volume.
Lots of sustain and controlled feedback as well. Reminds me of a cranked Mark I in the way it reacts to technique.
 
I heard someone at a local store mention they use Extreme mode for low/mid gain and that it sounds great. I use channel 3 for a lead tone and it really sings in this regard.

What style of music are you going for?
 
I'll try Extreme mode! So far, I've only tried this on the Mk IV setting.

Channel 3 does have enough gain and sustain for me with high gain settings, but it's way too brittle and bright sounding for me.
Channel 2 sounds way better to my ears for high gain. Much fuller and richer.
I tried the 12AT7 trick for channel 3, but it did something to the feel that I didn't like. Plus, all I have are used vintage 12AT's that test really well, but are very noisy...... I'll have to order an NOS.

Not sure I even have a style......I guess it would be sort of like........Rush, Joe Bonnamasa, Zappa, Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers all got mixed in with some Maiden, Tool, Pennywise and Suicidal with a sprinkling of Trower and Hendrix....

I'd ideally like to have a super heavy high gain sound, but not have it sound anywhere remotely like Metallica. I just can't get that sound out of channel 3 for some reason.
I can get that sound out of channel 2 though!!!

I did really like the low gain settings that I found this morning. I'll have to try them again now that I'm home from work! Hopefully I wasn't just hearing things! :lol:
 
Monsta-Tone said:
I just can't get a high gain sound that I like from Channel 3 on my Mark V.

I've tried numerous settings and the 12AT7 trick in V3.

I love channels 1 & 2 though!

Is anyone else using channel 3 for low to mid gain sounds?

Here are the settings that I came up with this morning. I like this sound so far.......

Gain - 9:00
Master - all the way up
Presence - 9:00
Treble - 8:00
Mids - 8:00
Bass - 11:00
Pentode
Bright
90 watts
No EQ

I get this really cool growl that is almost breaking up, but cleans up nicely with the guitar's volume.
Lots of sustain and controlled feedback as well. Reminds me of a cranked Mark I in the way it reacts to technique.
Click to expand...

Hi, the 12AT7 replacement should be done in either V4 or V6, not V3, as per general consensus. The JAN Philips 12AT7 seems to work the best for this mod. I have tried this tube in V4/V6 and liked them both. I preferred it in V6. No brittle tone. It sounds thick and juicy at all the right places :)
 
I stand corrected. It was V4 that I tried the 12AT7 in.
I didn't try vV6 because I didn't want to mess with channels 1 & 2.

I need to order some less noisy AT7's and give it another shot.
 
elpingua said:
I heard someone at a local store mention they use Extreme mode for low/mid gain and that it sounds great.
Click to expand...

I tried using Ch 3 Extreme mode as my crunch setting, but I found it a bit too aggressive in low end even after dialing the bass down considerably. I'm with the OP in regards to preferring Ch 2 for my high gain. I'm using the Crunch channel and it's perfect for my needs.
 
I generally use Extreme mode with no GEQ for that purpose. Bright switch on or off, depending on the room. I use the Mark I mode for heavier gain and for most of my leads, and I'll bring up the gain on Extreme mode to get a really nice Clapton live Cream sort of tone. For gigging, I'll use all of the channels in 90 watts where I can. Seems to smooth everything out really nicely. I've always used my old Mark I 60/100 in the 100 watt mode for the same reason. Extreme mode really has a tremendous amount of versatility, and when you add in playing with the guitar volume control and changing up picking attack, I can run the gamut from a dark clean on the edge of breakup to just roaring. I haven't yet tried the 12AT7 mod, but...
 
Extreme mode. T-1:00 M-9:30 B-12:30 P-11:30. I'll run the Gain at around 10:30 or 11:00, with the Master at around 9:30, all in 90-watt, or if that's too much, 45-watt pentode. If I bring in the GEQ, it's a modified V, with 80Hz about 3/4 of the way up, 240Hz around 3/8 up, 750Hz flat, 2200Hz about 3/4 of the way up, and 6600Hz either 3/4 or just a bit less than that. In which case, the bright switch is off. Without the GEQ, it may be on or off, depending on where I'm standing and whether I'm using humbuckers or single coils. The great thing about this is I can crank the gain to 3:00 without changing anything else and really roar, but at the lower setting, I can get this really nice dark tone that's clean but getting to the edge of breakup with the pickup volume down just a bit (especially with a rear humbucker), and works well with moody arpeggios and also plays well with the first chorus setting or a slow rotating speaker setting on my Eventide ModFactor running in the loop. Without the chorus, I can keep the gain where it is or push it to around 12:30, and get a great jazz/blues lead tone with my Heritage H-535 running front or both pickups.
 
I know what you mean about too much going on. ****... I should mention that the EQ settings are those fractions up from the center point, rather than the bottom. Nothing in my curve dips below 0. There are times when I might change over from sliders to preset at around 1:00 for a still slightly different set of tones.
 
Thanks jmusolino,
I tried your settings this morning. I like them a lot!
At lower volumes (it was 4:30AM, only spare time I have right now), I had to turn the Gain up to about 1:30 to get nice sustain.

I'll try it at higher volumes this evening after work and see where I should put the gain!
 
Thanks!! Glad they work. I find the same thing at really early hours of the morning - or what we call peak evening hours!! I'm usually using the 10-watt setting at home, but it works in louder circumstances at 45 and 90 watts, and I also adjust the gain in the same way. It's an incredibly versatile mode.
 
Yes. Ch3 in MkIV mode for a nice 'crunchy I like. Gain about 9:30-10:00.
But I seldom use anything in the highest gain ranges so it's not like I'll miss what most folks go to Ch3 for.
 

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