Evolution of settings

[Wayno]

I'm interested in how all our settings have evolved over the years with the Mark V.

I used to run channel 1 in fat mode set as clean as possible at 90w no EQ.
Channel 2 in crunch with all controls around noon, gain about 2 - 3 o'clock, or mark 1 similar but the bass backed way off, usually both at 90w.
Channel 3 was usually in iic+ with settings fairly close to pettruci's, again at 90w triode. Channel 2 and 3 with fairly big EQ V but middle slider somewhere around 2/3rds down.

I now run channel 1 in tweed set fairly clean, 45w tube rectifier, no EQ. Using a little clean boost for some breakup if needed.
Channel 2 in crunch, bass totally off, gain high, mids and treble 1 o'clock ish, again clean boost to push into Tom morello territory if needed. EQ in similar V 45w tube.
Channel 3 in extreme, bass low, mids high, treble and gain not much over noon, again eq in V, 45w pentode. Also clean boost to push into super heavy when needed.
Variac.

Presence dialled to room.

EL34ii power.

How have your settings changed if you don't mind me asking? I'm interested to hear. I'll post pictures, sound clips if anyone's interested.

Thanks,

Wayne.

 

[seanseanhd]

Post the sound clips.

 

[screamingdaisy]

When I first got the Mark V I resisted scooping the mids.

When I looked at pictures/video I kept noticing that pretty much every big name artist seemed to use less mids than I did.

Finally gave in and things sounded better.

Beyond that, not much changed.

 

[Dreamtheaterrules]

I haven't had mine long enough to answer the question as asked, because I still change things all the time to discover new things. But some generalizations:

Almost always use Fat on C1 w/ no EQ
C2 lately has been very close to the "Brown Sound" settings posted in another thread
C3 Mark IV way more than Mark IIC+... but Extreme is the wild card and...
I had some settings prior to the Brown Sound C2 Crunch settings that I was really loving, where C3 was in Extreme for a super punchy high gain rhythm tone, and C2 was in Mark I mode for super fat solos.

Also, for several months I did 90% of my playing in 45 watt mode. Lately I forced myself to go all 90. After two weeks of that, I went back to 45 tonight and was really liking things. Less punch, but warmer OD tones and you can add some bottom with the EQ to somewhat compensate.

Of all the things I've tried so far, I was liking the C3 Extreme Rhythm/C2 Mark I solo combo the best for heavy rock.

Haven't spent much time at all with... Tweed, Edge or 10 watt settings, and very little with Triode mode.

 

[Wayno]

Post the sound clips.

I will as soon as I get a chance, the weekend if the wife/littlun allow.

Tweed is great, never had much time for it before but setting it clean and using a boost really gives it some life and crunch. And I can have a nice chimey clean tone as well when I want it.
My Ch 2 settings are lifted from donnyboiler's brown sound thread. I just tweaked it a bit to suit my guitars.
I used to live in iic+ and Mk iv mode, i suppose because they where the amps i thought i wanted the sound of, and always battled with the mids, everyone telling me "you've gotta have mids to be heard". I never really got a sound I was happy with with my band, always lost or too in your face. Great at home mind. Extreme changed that, the mids seem much more under control now yet still present, even with the EQ scooped somewhat. As has been said before, this amp has a **** load of mids so scooping a bit doesn't really hurt it too much.

Gonna try a "W" with the EQ this weekend as well to see how it responds.

 

[SamuelJ86]

Seems like I've had my V forever now. I bought it new in 2010... I think :lol: Probably like most people I lived on c+ mode when I first got the amp. Then after a while I realized the IV mode has some much needed warmth and I lived on that mode for a few years. I tried going back to c+ mode occasionally and always ended up frustrated. I don't know how I ever loved that c+ mode so much. Ears can be fickle. Then, about a year ago I fell deeply in love with extreme. I think it was because of the music I was listening to at the time. It seems like the newer/modern guitar tones are bigger, bolder, tighter, and extreme fits the bill.

Channel two is all Mark I mode baby! No GEQ, treble at 2 o'clock and presence at 3, no bass. That mode has a ton of personality and it's the perfect lead voice for me. I never got into crunch or edge, it's always been my mark I channel.

It took me a while to find out how good tweed mode is on channel 1. I spent a few years running the gain at 2 o'clock in fat mode. I like a gritty tone that I can clean up with the volume control on my guitar. I have always preferred to run the whole amp in 90 watts, until I found out that tweed comes to life with a little power tube overdrive 8). It's just a bit to thin using just the preamp distortion, so I flip the variac and drop it to 10 watts and crank the master. It sounds glorious! Best classic rock tone I could ask for. And it does a wonderful bluesy tone if you roll the guitar volume down a hair.

It really does take years to fully appreciate the mark V. There's so many tones hiding out in there and it takes a lot of playing and tweaking to find them.

 

[MrSmitty]

Like some of you guys, I started out with IIc+ mode (triode) & GEQ for several years. I remember some of my best gigs/tone was with that. Recently, (actually since I decided not to keep the JP2C) I started playing around with IV mode & pentode, and have discovered a whole new love for channel 3.

Like Samuel, my C2 lives on Mark I with similar settings. I love the range of dynamics I can get out of this mode simply by using the guitar pickup selector and volume knob. I have messed around with Edge and Crunch but never found a tone I liked.

Channel 1: has always been on Fat (No EQ), with only minor adjustments to treble and bass over the years. I love this clean channel.

I always use 90 watt for all channels, but will drop to 45 or 10 for playing at home.

 

[Wayno]

Managed to sneak off for 5 mins today so have some sound clips. Excuse the playing as was straight off the bat with no warm up etc, little disclaimer there :roll:

All my recording equipment is still boxed up after house move so please excuse the poor quality of the clips.
Used a Boss Micro BR ( using the internal microphone ) sat on a chair about 4' away and slightly off centre.
The room is my garage with concrete floor and chipboard panel walls, not ideal by a long way and very bright sounding unfortunately which you can definitely hear in the clips. Also don't have my vert 2 x 12 to hand so all clips where with the combo speaker. The 2 x 12 is a bit darker sounding which i prefer a lot. All clips using Gibson Les Paul Studio with EMG 81/85.

[imghttps://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4S2tIS0otZVZadUU][/img]

Ch 1 Neck Pick Up
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4MjlBa3pTcVpxY1k

Ch 3 Boosted Bridge Pick Up
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4QUFRd0NlTzJORnc

Ch 1 Boosted Bridge Pick Up
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4V21UVHhTTy1EV2c

Ch 1 Neck Pick Up
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4UlZmQmFWMWl4U28

Ch 3 Bridge Pick Up
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4SWF1WmlVZnJWUmc

Ch 2 Neck Pick Up
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4bFZ2b1BKVnRNT1E

Ch 3 Boosted Bridge Pick Up
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4cXdpb2NnVUR2Ujg

Ch 2 Bridge Pick UP
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4OWdjMExpcTMxZ0k

Ch 2 Boosted Bridge Pick Up
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4NDBZOTRZUmhoVVk

Ch 3 Boosted Neck Pick Up
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4Vm1xTFJucHFneDA

Hope these work, if not give me a shout and i'll try re-post.

 

[Wayno]

Oops, missed one

Ch2 boosted Bridge Pick Up
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4RTd2cjd6SmxKbEk

Settings below. Usng a Danelectro Fab Overdrive when boosting set as Drive - Off, Tone - Noon, Level - Slightly less than Noon.

Ignore the power settings from the pics, all clips done at 45w Variac.

 

[Wayno]

Any opinions, criticisms? I got thick skin so i can handle it either way.

For comparison, here's a recording trial my band did a few years ago when i'd not long had the Mark V. All distorted guitars are the Mark V in iiC+ mode. A little bit of post processing across all the tracks and never got round to recording the vocals. All tracks done in one take as well.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_NBQ4NZ9lM4NEhMWjZYMDg3UWs