well today was fun. i had the day free to sit down and fiddle and tweak with all of these guys to decide what i need to keep around, and to let go of what i know i can live without. some of the results were surprising to me. i knew i had my favorites going in, but now its nice to come out of all this knowing my equipment (and my own personal tastes) a little bit more intimately.
i decided to leave the rectos out for now, as i figured they would be in their own class of sound and would make for easier comparing after the fact. check out what i did, and how i felt. maybe this could help someone out who's considering getting into any of these amps but doesnt have the luxury of hearing them next to each other..
MKIV vs MKV
i ran these up against each other side by side each with a 2x12 cab with v30s. one was vertical slant, and the other horizontal, but at these 'medium' volumes i tested at i dont think the differences will be huge. the MK4 sounds very '90s' to me, and rightfully so. i love the sounds i can get out of it, but there is certainly something left to be wanted, especially in the middle RHY2 channel. the bottom end just isn't there, and the gain structure in that particular channel is almost useless to me. i never was one to use it much to begin with, but tweaking around with the MK5 made me realize what a 3 channel amp should be. the clean channel on the 5 is definitely miles ahead of the 4, too. the super gain channels can be debated over and over, but for me i managed to get them pretty close to each other, so along with all the power options and multiple modes, the 5 wins. the MKIV is officially FOR SALE.
MK5 vs Studio Preamp (and fifty/fifty)
i had heard when i bought the studio pre that it was based loosely on the MKIIC, but not the +. for the entry level price i got it at i figured why not? same cabinets were used here as above. the biggest downfall to the studio pre is the single row of knobs to be split among both channels - it's automatically out for live use. furthermore, the fact that it needs another 2U in rackspace for a poweramp makes its a studio only piece. however, i have to say, this silly little contraption does the master of puppets thing very very well. the MK5 delivers a lot of gain, but never does it have that '80s' feel to it. this preamp even smells like the 80s. the cleans are OK (definitely nothign to scoff at) but i will likely keep this preamp on the lead channel indefinitely for the rest of its time here. UNDECIDED.
Studio Preamp (fifty/fifty) vs .50 Cal
same cabs again. i figured these two were the most alike do to the one row of knobs, 2 channel, and their supposed mark heritage. i can really here the EL84s making a difference here. the cleans in the 50 cal are EXCELLENT, albeit a bit marshall for my tastes. i found tweaking the MK5 a bit on its clean mode, bold disengaged, and the proper EQ will get me close enough to match the clean on this one. the dirty channel on this 50 cal is useless to me. way too middy, and no GEQ on this head to compensate. i also HATE the multiple volume knobs on this and the studio pre that i have never fully figured out. a great amp nonetheless, but i've got no use for it. FOR SALE.
Express 5:50 vs F-50 Head
this time i used the combos speaker MC90 on the 5:50, and an open back 1x12 cab that i had that has the same speaker. i expected a bit more bottom out of the express combo, due to the cabinet size and build. i was right to an extent. the express's cleans are lovely, but a bit one sided. the contour feature on this amp does very little to wow me for any kind of usable sound. why accent the lows and highs if the mids wont cut through a mix? the cleans on the F50 were surprisingly VERY close to the express. i found the lows to be a bit less focused here, but that could be due to the cabinet. either way, the addition of the bright pull on the F50 introduced a different animal to this channel, which i found very useful. i dont really use the PUSHED option on any of my amps, so the fact that the 5:50 has one means little to me. the dirty channel on the 5:50 is nice, but it can be done with most other amps. the gain structure on the F50, however, is entirely different from almost everything else to me. it is just straight up wicked! i was sold on keeping the F50 as soon as i heard this channel alone - until i figured out how to clone it on my MK5. yup, thats right. channel 2, Mark I mode, lots of gain, scoop some mids, engage the THICK switch, and there it is... plus i've still got the MK5's GEQ to tweak futher! great sounds, but i've already got them in the MK5. BOTH ARE FOR SALE.
MKV vs Nomad 45
this is far form a perfect comparison, because the vertical 2x12 i used on the 5 has the c30s in it, and the nomads cabinet is loaded with 2 MC90s. however, i found it hard to compare the nomad to anything i've got, because of its tubes, combo size, etc. i figured i'd put the 3 channel im not sure about against the 3 channel i know im keeping. what a fun test this was! i can definitely understand the sonic differences between the 6L6s and the EL84s now. i think that this nomad needs new tubes, as i found it breaking up a bit in between solo notes (sort of like listening to a bad synth) but only here and there. other than that, this guy SCREAMS. seriously surprised a 45 watter can sound so tough next to the mighty MKV with double the power. the clean on the nomad is fine, nothing close to the 5, but the second and third channels have a lunacy all their own. i guess the fairest comparison is to take a MKV and put el84's in it
. the end result is great. due to the condition of this amp, i might keep it around as my beater/take to the bar/backup amp. i have heard the nomad 100's are 6L6 powered and have a GEQ... i definitely want to sit down with one of those! KEEPING.
well, i'm not actually sure if anybody will be reading this at all, but i needed to get my opinions off my chest and out of my fingers. in a little while i'll sit with the recto's and have a true plan set for what's staying, and what's not. thanks again for all your help!
