Fender style cleans - HELP!

[bloozeman2002]

Hello all! I am brand new here.

I just purchased a Mark V. I have always been a vintage amp guy but I am dipping my feet in the Mesa pond for a little versatility. While I completely understand that these amps require a lot of tweaking to get them where you want them, my understanding is that you can get almost anything you want. I am getting frustrated and I am a patient person. I can get decent tones across the board, but nothing I call amazing. The clean sound feels "squishy" to me for a lack of better term. I have been using a 1962 Fender Tremolux through a Dr Z open 2x12 with Greenbacks. The Fender is upfront, organic, big and warm. I really want to be able to have the versatility of the Mesa, but I can't sacrifice the tone of the Fender. I really hope to be able to close the gap. Has anyone been able to pull that type of tone from their MV?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Tuna141]

If I understand what you are describing correctly, I found the same thing when I first purchased my V combo. The tone on the clean, as well as the other two channels, was bland/sterile sounding and lacked chime. It sounded as if some of the frequencies were missing - sort of as if I were playing through a 4x12 closed back cab and not an open-back combo.

I swapped some of the stock JJ/Mesa preamp tubes with a combination of NOS and tubes from other manufacturers and the tone was much improved. Some of the "squishiness" is still there (must be inherent in the circuit design), but it became much less noticeable when I changed the tubes. The clean is now more chimey, Fender-like, and more pronounced.

Another thing that may help you get closer to the Fender tone is the Preset EQ control. I've found that using this scoops the tone some and makes the clean more chimey and Fender-like too.

These two tips may help, but still may not get you close enough to the tone you are looking for. I love my Mark V, and it's a totally versatile and a good sounding amp. It has good tone on each channel, but I haven't found it to have outstanding tone on each channel. You may find that you simply like the clean tone of your vintage Tremolux better.

 

[bloozeman2002]

Thank you for the reply. I hope my post didn't come off insulting. I know for many that this amp is the holy grail, and for different styles of music, I can see how it would be. I might be trying to shove a square pin into a round hole. No disrespect intended. I would really like to make this amp work for me.

That said, I have tried to use the preset eq. I found that it created a more hi-fi type of sound. It was cool, but I actually think that the sound I dig from the Fender is more mid heavy.

As far as the tubes go, that would be a last ditch effort for me to throw more money at it. I can see how different tubes might tweak the tone favorably, but to my ears, the basic tone itself is pretty far off from what I like. I would want to get it close before spending more and working on it. I have a feeling that the sound I am after is in there somewhere.. I just don't know how to get it. But yes, that squishy high end has got to go for me. Maybe you are right. The Fender might just be my amp.

Another thing that I have found.. I have found a channel #2 setting that I dig. Very old school plexi style sound. When I find a clean that I get close to liking, I can get them to match volume wise, which kinda defeats the purpose of the channel switching amp. Maybe I am using this thing wrong. I dunno.

 

[jb's 52]

Hello all! I am brand new here.

I just purchased a Mark V. I have always been a vintage amp guy but I am dipping my feet in the Mesa pond for a little versatility. While I completely understand that these amps require a lot of tweaking to get them where you want them, my understanding is that you can get almost anything you want. I am getting frustrated and I am a patient person. I can get decent tones across the board, but nothing I call amazing. The clean sound feels "squishy" to me for a lack of better term. I have been using a 1962 Fender Tremolux through a Dr Z open 2x12 with Greenbacks. The Fender is upfront, organic, big and warm. I really want to be able to have the versatility of the Mesa, but I can't sacrifice the tone of the Fender. I really hope to be able to close the gap. Has anyone been able to pull that type of tone from their MV?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Try setting the presence and treble high...like 3 o'clock while at the same
time setting the bass down to 8 o' clock.

Eq low to high to start..like a _ _ --- stairway going up.


Channel 1 can get down right "ice picky" if you let it. Also, the bass on each
channel, to me, is like twice the bass you'll get on a "normal amp" so I gotta
dial that out more than I initially thought.

Good luck!

 

[4406cuda]

Try these two settings at 90 Watts

Fat On, Gain 12:00, Master 11:30, Presence 12:00, Treble 12:00, Mid 12:00, Bass 12:00, Bold On with Graphic EQ Mild V

Fat On, Gain 11:00, Master 11:00, Presence 12:00, Treble 1:00, Mid 8:30, Bass 11:00, Bold On with Graphic EQ Mild V

I run my amp at 90 Watts Full Power with the Global Master around 11:00, I also use an Xotic Effects EP Booster (Best $100 I ever spent) running throuh a pair of Bogner 1 x 12 cabs with celestion vintage 30's

 

[screamingdaisy]

Another thing that I have found.. I have found a channel #2 setting that I dig. Very old school plexi style sound. When I find a clean that I get close to liking, I can get them to match volume wise, which kinda defeats the purpose of the channel switching amp. Maybe I am using this thing wrong. I dunno.

Drop the channel volume on the louder channel until they match, then use the master output to bring both channels up to the volume you're looking for.

I generally run channel 3 with the master around 9:00, then adjust the other two channels to match it.

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

I've found that the stock Mesa 6L6s sound a tad more squishier than say Winged C 6L6s, especially when the amp is turned up. Perhaps the squishiness would be reduced if you tried a matched quad of Winged 6L6s. Also, the clean tones on the Mark V is more reminiscent of a Princeton than say a Fender Twin Reverb IMO...

 

[screamingdaisy]

Mesas cleans have generally been more blackface than silver. It's the way Randall seems to prefer it.