Does anyone use Extreme?

[barryswanson]

Does anyone actually use Extreme mode? I find it to be too much, we'll sort of. I guess I'm content with Mark IV mode. Anyway I made a poll probably been done before but we're due for a new one. You have three choices.

 

[firmani99]

At first I found it to be too much. It is if you are playing around with your IIC+ settings and IV settings at loud volumes and switch right to extreme. But once I got used to it I love Extreme mode, just have to back down n the volume and tweak a little bit.

 

[gnjlee]

I don't like the Extreme setting with my strats (single coils) even with a boost pedal.

 

[jb's 52]

To be honest, I haven't spent all that much time with it myself.

 

[elvis]

To me, Mark IV mode is extreme.

 

[Granddrink]

I've used Extreme at gigs in the past but prefer Mark IV.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Depending on what I'm doing...

Fat (for cleans) or Tweed (who needs cleans anyway?)
Crunch (probably my favourite mode in the whole amp)
IIC+ (Lead) or IV (rhythm)

In my opinion...

Clean (meh)
Edge (I really like it set for edge of breakup sounds, but I don't like it enough to give up Crunch for it))
Mark I (I love the sound but it doesn't suit my style)
Extreme (meh)

 

[mesa metal]

when im in my doom metal mood :twisted: extreme is the way to go

 

[Grundletaint]

I haven't even tried extreme yet.

 

[LesPaul70]

It wasn't my first love but today, I get by far the best ch3 sound with Extreme + 90W Pentode (EL-34s). The IIc+ mode is just too thin and bright for me (totally unlike my actual IIc+ in that regard), the IV mode too soft/mushy. Once I successfully dialed in my dream sound, channel 3 on my V has never left Extreme mode. Big, ballsy, aggressive, in-your-face sound that can grind boulders to dust.

As for the other two channels, I don't have clear favorites - I just pick the most appropriate modes for the songs we play, typically Clean/Fat for clean sounds, Edge (or, very rarely, Tweed) for oldschool rock, Crunch/Mark I for a bigger hard rock sound.

 

[Dreamtheaterrules]

Do V25 owners get to play? If so, Xtreme was my least used mode on the V25 for months. Just too many other things to love in there.

But I also love the crunch channel, and Xtreme is more open and similar to it, than IIC+ or IV. So, two days ago I set out to dial in a nice hard rock rhythm tone on Crunch, and a heavier tone on Xtreme for rhythm and leads. The results were honestly better than I'd even hoped for. I would quickly flip to IIC+ and IV for comparison, but the removal of NFB on the Xtreme channel opens it up so much more that it's very different from those two, and after all this time, I find out that I absolutely LOVE it.

I intended to spend the next week just exploring that channel. I'm also going to try Crunch and Xtreme with a greenback type speaker to explore what adding more Brit flavor does for it.

 

[barryswanson]

Yes of course Mini Mark owners can vote and comment!

 

[Justin_Blackened]

I have a Mini.

I spend most of my time in Mark iv mode. But i do like to switch between iic+ and Extreme.

I generally prefer the more modern tone you get from the IV, especially using my 84' Explorer. The older lower powered pickups need a little help getting a modern heavy tone. But With my EMG loaded snake byte I like to switch to iic+.

One thing I do that is weird is that my Gibson doesnt have nearly the same thumb as my Snakebyte (due to pickups tbh) So i usually start my play sessions with the gibson. WHY? Because I really miss the low end when I play the other way round. I can fix this though by switching to Extreme which gives the gibson some more ooommff.

The mode I spend some of the least time in is actually one of the best. The crunch mode. I am very lazy and cannot be bothered to dial in the crunch channel, then back to the clean. I prefer to find a tone and let the settings stick. I choose to instead use the volume on the guitar to scale back Channel 2 when I want more of a crunch sound.

Most used in order.

1. Mark IV.
2. IIC+
3. Fat.
4. Extreme.
5.Crunch.
6.Clean.

 

[OldTelecasterMan]

I use extreme with my Telecasters. Drive set at about 70% it gives lots of room to run the volume way down to get crunchy. As I raise the volume things start to sing and the amp gets very touchy, harmonics really start coming out. I try to open up the amp "Output" as much as I can (1/3 to 1/2) and keep the Channel Master level low.

When I first got the amp I used the "Fat" for cleans. I started messing around with the "Tweed" one night and now I'm stuck on "Tweed". It's kinda round and punchy, I like that.

 

[ryjan]

I bounce around between IIC+ and Xtreme a lot on my V:25.
Xtreme mode reminds me of Modern on my old Roadster a bit.

 

[LesPaul70]

Xtreme mode reminds me of Modern on my old Roadster a bit.

My experiences have been somewhat similar. To my ears, the Extreme mode (on the full V) sounds a bit like a Rev F Recto, but tighter and more focused, with more midrange content.

 

[HCarlH]

I never use Extreme and could live on the Crunch mode if I had to.
I have noticed I can use Edge and MKI mode now that I have EL34s in the amp. Before, Edge was too brittle and MKI was too muddy.

 

[LesPaul70]

I have noticed I can use Edge and MKI mode now that I have EL34s in the amp. Before, Edge was too brittle and MKI was too muddy.

+1
This is IMHO the best reason for choosing EL34s over 6L6s. The whole channel 2 seems a bit limited or pointless with 6L6s; with EL34s it becomes much more diverse (3 usable and genuinely different modes) and a true highlight of the amp. Channel 2 was basically built for EL34s.

Did I forget to mention how cool it would be to have Progressive Linkage in a Mark V?
Just think of it, Channel 1 on 6L6s, Channel 2 on EL34s, and Channel 3 on 6L6s+EL34s together.

 

[domct203]

I have been running Ch 3 in MKIV for quite some time but after reading this thread I decided to give Extreme a fair shake. I've played three practices with Extreme as my "Dirty" channel mode and I'm loving it. As mentioned, it's somewhat "recto-ish", but much fuller in the mids.

Can't wait to see how this sits in a mix at a gig.

Dom

 

[guijs]

I never cared too much for Extreme mode, but I'll spend more time on it. The Mark V have so many settings that I am always learning something new.

But about channel 2, regardless of mode Edge, Crunch or MKI, I have learned that this channel only starts to really give its potential if you play it LOUD. It is almost impossible to get a decent tone at room playing volume levels on ch2.