Have found one thing I dislike about the Mark V

[th0rr]

It seems to be really sensitive to changing guitars. I don't mean the obvious like switching from a humbucker equip'd guitar to one with single coils but even between 2 different humbucking equip'd guitars with similar woods.

For example my main guitar is an Ibanez RGA121 with a Duncan Jazz in the neck and a Duncan custom in the bridge. It is mahogany with a maple top and a fixed bridge. Sounds great and since it is my main I dialed in the Mark V using this guitar. Pure bliss. But when I break out my stock Gibson Les Paul Standard and plug it in everything goes to crap.

Well channel one sounds fine unlike channels 2 and 3. Channels 2 and 3 sounds brittle and harsh as hell. For the life of me I cannot seem to tame it with the Gibby. I never had this issue before. I mean I had to do some minor tweaking but nothing like this. Frustrating.

Maybe the stock Gibson Burstbuckers are crap. Never noticed it before. Didn't own the Gibson back with my other amps, I got it when I owned the F-50. Sounded great through my F-50. Thicker than my Ibanez.

Any suggestions?

 

[theroan]

I used to own a 121H, those are the best guitars ever. If I played more heavy stuff I would have kept it.

I have a Gibson Studio with a SH-5 in the Bridge and a Jazz in the Neck. I also own a tele and a strat that are both maple necks with Seymour Antiquities in them. I find that if I make my initial settings with the Gibson, all the other guitars will sound great too.

So you may want to try to set up the amp based on the Gibson first and then see how it translates to the Ibanez. If it just never works, swapping the pickups may be a good option.

 

[th0rr]

I used to own a 121H, those are the best guitars ever. If I played more heavy stuff I would have kept it.

I have a Gibson Studio with a SH-5 in the Bridge and a Jazz in the Neck. I also own a tele and a strat that are both maple necks with Seymour Antiquities in them. I find that if I make my initial settings with the Gibson, all the other guitars will sound great too.

So you may want to try to set up the amp based on the Gibson first and then see how it translates to the Ibanez. If it just never works, swapping the pickups may be a good option.

Hey thanks. I will attempt to do that this weekend. I just thought that it was funny that I never noticed this through the F-50. Oh and by the way, you and the others were 100% correct. The high gain channel on the Mark destroys the F-50. No flubbiness, tight and awesome. Love it!

 

[Daxman73]

It seems to be really sensitive to changing guitars. I don't mean the obvious like switching from a humbucker equip'd guitar to one with single coils but even between 2 different humbucking equip'd guitars with similar woods.

For example my main guitar is an Ibanez RGA121 with a Duncan Jazz in the neck and a Duncan custom in the bridge. It is mahogany with a maple top and a fixed bridge. Sounds great and since it is my main I dialed in the Mark V using this guitar. Pure bliss. But when I break out my stock Gibson Les Paul Standard and plug it in everything goes to crap.

Well channel one sounds fine unlike channels 2 and 3. Channels 2 and 3 sounds brittle and harsh as hell. For the life of me I cannot seem to tame it with the Gibby. I never had this issue before. I mean I had to do some minor tweaking but nothing like this. Frustrating.

Maybe the stock Gibson Burstbuckers are crap. Never noticed it before. Didn't own the Gibson back with my other amps, I got it when I owned the F-50. Sounded great through my F-50. Thicker than my Ibanez.

Any suggestions?

Dude, you nailed it...My amp is also extremely sensitive to guitars as well and I go from a PRS Custom 22 to a Gibson LP Standard!...Though, I like this because it's different flavors and of course, this is more apparent on some channels than others...You're not crazy, lol...

 

[DudewithFr0]

Isnt this more of a good thing?...i mean i would want my amp to sound different with different guitars. Im personally not a big fan of gibsons pickups. My gibby is muddy on the neck pickup

 

[phyrexia]

I call this a good thing. I like my strat to sound like a strat, and my paul to sound like a paul. Lesser amps can sometimes just sound like the amp.

 

[theroan]

That's one thing that I feel the V excels at, it really brings out the best (or worst in this case) in your instrument. My Mark IV never did that.

 

[th0rr]

Overall I agree. I most definitely want my amp to sound different with different guitars. I just never heard that much difference before.

I mean we are talking about 2 kinda of similar guitars, both mahogany bodies with maple tops, fixed bridge and humbuckers. I was expecting a bit of difference. Just not this much. I was taken aback a bit. :shock:

 

[gplex]

I call this a good thing. I like my strat to sound like a strat, and my paul to sound like a paul. Lesser amps can sometimes just sound like the amp.

Yea, I have to agree to that. The MkV is a pretty tight amp, what you put in comes out in spades. I mostly play Les Pauls but do also plug in bolt on maple neck guitars. I don't really mess with the settings at all. They all do sound very different . If I was plugged into a Line 6 POD, you could not tell any difference at all between them. I spent a lot of money on my guitars, I want to hear the differences.

My advice is as posted above. Try some different pickups in the paul, if your not diggin' the ones in it. I have not had much luck with the BurstBuckers. They are unpotted and can squeal. They are good pups, just not for me. The hotter 498T (bridge) and 500t (neck) , as in my LP Custom are much hotter, but still retain the classic les paul sound. A good choice for your standard. Versitile. And still all gibson.

The obvious choice is EMG's they sound good in pauls too.

 

[lesterpaul]

difference in pups is the deal...what yr Paul?could tell me what buckers you got..some are brittle/ice picky

 

[DudewithFr0]

The guitars may have the same wood and hardware but body shape plays one heck of a role in what kind of tone you have.
Ive noticed that tele style bodies with humbuckers are punchier than the typical strat body with the same wood and hardware.

 

[kmanick]

I think this is agood thing. I know it can be a pain if you're playing out live and you switch guitars though.
I get this with my IVa as well, it really hilights the different tones of each of my guitars.

 

[th0rr]

difference in pups is the deal...what yr Paul?could tell me what buckers you got..some are brittle/ice picky

I got it in late 2006. I think it has the burst bucker pros in it.

I think it might very well be the pickups. I dug my Strat out last night and plugged in. Other than having to adjust the mid's a bit it sounded fine. I really liked it in channel one tweed. The Strat has Kinman pickups in the neck and middle and a Dimarzio Air Norton in the bridge.

Back in the late eighties I had a LP Studio that had EMG's in it. I might go back to that.

 

[lesterpaul]

difference in pups is the deal...what yr Paul?could tell me what buckers you got..some are brittle/ice picky

I got it in late 2006. I think it has the burst bucker pros in it.

I think it might very well be the pickups. I dug my Strat out last night and plugged in. Other than having to adjust the mid's a bit it sounded fine. I really liked it in channel one tweed. The Strat has Kinman pickups in the neck and middle and a Dimarzio Air Norton in the bridge.

Back in the late eighties I had a LP Studio that had EMG's in it. I might go back to that.

yep...looked at SD Custom to make sure..its a ceramic pup/14 k ,which is going to be hotter and "darker" than the BB..if its a pro,I think they read around 8-9k...sounds brighter , more vintagethan your SD Custom-if you like emg's, then it makes sense that you may not be a fan of the BB's..Kinman's kick ***,btw

 

[themisfit138]

You should try a EVH Frankenstein pickup. I don't know about through a V but through a IIC+ it sounds thick and crunchy.

 

[DudewithFr0]

Mesa Mark V is IMO a harsh sounding amp. EL34 tubes do help - but the "tone-stack" running before the preamp just doesn't get it!

Really? Ive never heard a harsh note out of a Mark V. Everything is a smooth as butta.

 

[phyrexia]

Don't worry, gaindeli's amps, ears, and mind are all broken.

 

[Nermel]

Don't worry, gaindeli's amps, ears, and mind are all broken.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Scary]

Don't worry, gaindeli's amps, ears, and mind are all broken.

:lol:

Funny, but true.

 

[Nermel]

ZING!