Finally after months of trying I figured out the Lead channel on my Mark IIA. I had the Fender channel figured out early but the lead eluded me until last night. Wow. What a great amp this is. Mike B if you ever browse this board, you did a great job restoring this amp.
It's hard to put into words the difference between my Mark III lead channel and the Mark IIA, but I would say the IIA seems to react quicker to subtle string nuances and has that classic rock sound without being over the top or harsh. It seems as if there are interesting harmonics available within one iteration of settings just based on the interaction of the guitar and the amp. Make slight changes in the settings and you've created another whole new series of tones.
I've opened up a whole new world with this amp and it might have jumped ahead of my Mark III as my favorite. Might I said, I'm not sure yet. There is just one more Mesa amp I need to acquire before my testing is complete. Now if I could just figure out the damned gain boost.
It's hard to put into words the difference between my Mark III lead channel and the Mark IIA, but I would say the IIA seems to react quicker to subtle string nuances and has that classic rock sound without being over the top or harsh. It seems as if there are interesting harmonics available within one iteration of settings just based on the interaction of the guitar and the amp. Make slight changes in the settings and you've created another whole new series of tones.
I've opened up a whole new world with this amp and it might have jumped ahead of my Mark III as my favorite. Might I said, I'm not sure yet. There is just one more Mesa amp I need to acquire before my testing is complete. Now if I could just figure out the damned gain boost.
