Damn, I really have a love/hate thing with my III

[xT00BZRG00Dx]

One day, i'll ******* love it, the next, i'll wanna sell it. ****!

My current problem is that I have to scoop the mids out to the bottom line to get good tones. Any help? Also, some weird things, how come when I pull Treble Shift, my tone gets WAAAYYYY muddy, and I can't get a good tone with it, also, how come I use so little gain compared to everyone else? I'm playing Death metal with the treble, lead bright pushed in with the Treble on 7, the V1 on 5, and the Lead Drive on 5. Is it my EMG's? Mosts settings I see, they run Treble pulled on 8 with V1 on 7 and Lead Drive on 7!!! When I do that, it's just a muddy, blurred mess.

But although I do have complaints, I still do ******* love and appreciate it! I'll sure i'll love it more when I get my new guitar with Suhr Aldrich's from working!

So how come my tone sucks with treble shift, and I have to run the gain down so much?

 

[xT00BZRG00Dx]

http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=60&p1=1&d2=70&d3=10&d4=30&d5=20&d6=40&p6=1&d7=20&p=30&g1=80&g2=60&g3=30&g4=60&g5=75&t=settings%2C+v30%27s%2C+emg%27s

My settings. It sounds great

 

[JOEY B.]

http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=60&p1=1&d2=70&d3=10&d4=30&d5=20&d6=40&p6=1&d7=20&p=30&g1=80&g2=60&g3=30&g4=60&g5=75&t=settings%2C+v30%27s%2C+emg%27s

My settings. It sounds great

You have a three-fold issue. Guitar, pickups, and speakers. Does your amp have reverb?

 

[straitouttahell]

My current problem is that I have to scoop the mids out to the bottom line to get good tones

OMG, why is everybody using Mesas to play metal? :lol:

 

[boogieslayer]

these are my settings at the moment

http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=85&d2=70&p2=1&d3=15&d4=35&d5=60&p5=1&d6=45&p6=1&d7=30&p=30&g1=50&g2=50&g3=15&g4=50&g5=50&t=+v30%27s%2C+emg%27s

using ESP Eclipse II Standard
(sometimes depending on mood) nady 5 band parametric EQ
++ mod on my III
bbe boosta grande (when i cant crank it)

 

[xT00BZRG00Dx]

http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=60&p1=1&d2=70&d3=10&d4=30&d5=20&d6=40&p6=1&d7=20&p=30&g1=80&g2=60&g3=30&g4=60&g5=75&t=settings%2C+v30%27s%2C+emg%27s

My settings. It sounds great

You have a three-fold issue. Guitar, pickups, and speakers. Does your amp have reverb?

Really? I thought V30's were good with Mark III's. And yeah it has reverb, but I unplugged it as I don't use it.

 

[boogieslayer]

i have v30's in my marshall 4x12 with my III and it sounds great!

 

[tony777]

One day, i'll f%&# love it, the next, i'll wanna sell it. f%&#!

My current problem is that I have to scoop the mids out to the bottom line to get good tones. Any help? Also, some weird things, how come when I pull Treble Shift, my tone gets WAAAYYYY muddy, and I can't get a good tone with it, also, how come I use so little gain compared to everyone else? I'm playing Death metal with the treble, lead bright pushed in with the Treble on 7, the V1 on 5, and the Lead Drive on 5. Is it my EMG's? Mosts settings I see, they run Treble pulled on 8 with V1 on 7 and Lead Drive on 7!!! When I do that, it's just a muddy, blurred mess.

But although I do have complaints, I still do f%&# love and appreciate it! I'll sure i'll love it more when I get my new guitar with Suhr Aldrich's from working!

So how come my tone sucks with treble shift, and I have to run the gain down so much?

What preamp tubes are you using?

 

[xT00BZRG00Dx]

One day, i'll f%&# love it, the next, i'll wanna sell it. f%&#!

My current problem is that I have to scoop the mids out to the bottom line to get good tones. Any help? Also, some weird things, how come when I pull Treble Shift, my tone gets WAAAYYYY muddy, and I can't get a good tone with it, also, how come I use so little gain compared to everyone else? I'm playing Death metal with the treble, lead bright pushed in with the Treble on 7, the V1 on 5, and the Lead Drive on 5. Is it my EMG's? Mosts settings I see, they run Treble pulled on 8 with V1 on 7 and Lead Drive on 7!!! When I do that, it's just a muddy, blurred mess.

But although I do have complaints, I still do f%&# love and appreciate it! I'll sure i'll love it more when I get my new guitar with Suhr Aldrich's from working!

So how come my tone sucks with treble shift, and I have to run the gain down so much?

What preamp tubes are you using?

I'm using the mark III amp kit on dougs tubes. As I recall, it's a Tung Sol in V1, High Gain JJ in V2, a Penta 12AX7 in V3, a Shuguang in V4, and a Sovtek in V5.

 

[tony777]

I'm using the mark III amp kit on dougs tubes. As I recall, it's a Tung Sol in V1, High Gain JJ in V2, a Penta 12AX7 in V3, a Shuguang in V4, and a Sovtek in V5.

I am not sure if I can solve your problem, but I can share some of my experience.

Preamp tubes are very important for the tone, as well as your playing style, and pickups.
Especially when all gear are top notch, but I think you got that so far.

When I first got my simul C+, I got myself a set of five TAD preamp tubes and it never sounded right, though my 60w C+ also had those tubes and sounded awesome. After a long time I found the culprit. The tubes I bought for the simul C+ wasn't the same as the ones in my 60W, but they looked the same, but were designed for hifi purpose, which never fit the amp. I got myself a set of the mesa branded "russian 2" preamp tubes, and now the simul C+ sounds awesome(or right)
When I got the mark III, I got the exactly same tubes as my simul C+, and it sounds awesome as well.

I use Ibanez guitars as you do, but I never liked the EMG's, they are way too clinical (for a lack of a better term, and english isn't my first language) But I would borrow a guitar with weaker pickups and see if it helps.
Bottom end are sensitive on these amps.
My choice has been DiMarzio's high output, like D-sonic, Steve's special, Crunch lab, Evolution (not on MKIV) I get the tightest bottom end when I use Steve's special, but it sounds a bit thinner than the other pickups I use.
The Petrucci custom bridge, which was in his first run of the music man, sounds awesome as well, this pickup is close to the D-sonic, but rounds off the highs, so you can have great metal riffing, and still not have the squeeling solo tone.
Right hand technique is important as well, I have been playing guitar for twenty years, and from time to time I find that my technique can improve, so don't overlook that.

I never use pull deep on my MKIII, but I always use it on the C+.
No pull bright on volume 1, but I can run both treble and lead drive at 10, (pull bright on both treble and lead master) with no problem with flubbiness. Bass is pretty much at zero, non pulled, I add whatever necessary bottom end on the GEQ. Mid is 8 Lead master is between 2->5, prescence on C+ 4, on MKIII 2.

Cab is mesa recto oversize 4x12, with vintage 30.

Another thing you can do is to record your gear and compare it with your favorite band/guitar tone, and see if you are able to tweak your sound to theirs. It's not always your band setting is right for recording, which again is the sound you should use on stage, since its probably mic'ed anyway.
Your ear should be in the same spot as you would put your microphone when you tweak your amp.

Hope it helps, if not you wasted your quality time with something you are interested in :lol:
Good luck.

 

[JOEY B.]

http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=60&p1=1&d2=70&d3=10&d4=30&d5=20&d6=40&p6=1&d7=20&p=30&g1=80&g2=60&g3=30&g4=60&g5=75&t=settings%2C+v30%27s%2C+emg%27s

My settings. It sounds great

You have a three-fold issue. Guitar, pickups, and speakers. Does your amp have reverb?

Really? I thought V30's were good with Mark III's. And yeah it has reverb, but I unplugged it as I don't use it.

I need to clarify. Celestion Vintage 30's are known to have a mid spike. Superstrat guitars like my Jackson Soloist outfitted with a tremelo bridge need more of a mid cut on the graphic EQ, than my Gibson LP or Anderson Cobra, to sound "good" to my ears. Finally, the hotter wound pickups will tend to compress your guitar tone before it reaches your amp, resulting in less highs and lows. This will make the tone sound more prominent in the midrange. Hence your need to cut the mids so much. It is a combination of all of your gear that causes this, not just one of the pieces. I agree with Tony777, in that you should try some passive pickups. Alnico V magnets have a natural mid-cut to them. As far as speakers go, if you are dead set on playing Celestions, try some of the 75 or 100 watt versions. They will be better for a "metal" style. I use the EVM-12L and the Eminence MS-12 for their "purity" of tone, but they are brutally honest speakers. They will display the good, the bad, and the ugly of your guitar, amp, playing, etc..... The question about reverb has to do with a poor ground connection at the RCA cables producing extra distortion.

 

[boogieslayer]

ive had a 4x12 with celes 75's and they are nice i will agree , ive never tried the 100w though