Just got a Mark V.....Channel 2 suggestions needed

[Anonymous]

Just traded my 20th Anniv. Ecstasy for a Mark V (plus cash), and so far I'm loving it! The XTC was incredible, but not my thing. The Mark V is definitely not as big sounding as the Ecstasy, but I love what it does.

The one thing I can't figure out is how to get a good slightly broken up neck pickup sound. On channel 2, everything sounds way too dark and compressed. Is this just the Mark voicing and I should get used to it? Or is there a way to get it more "jangly" like a Plexi type of gain?

Anyway, how do you set up your channel 2?

 

[SBG200]

Just traded my 20th Anniv. Ecstasy for a Mark V (plus cash), and so far I'm loving it! The XTC was incredible, but not my thing. The Mark V is definitely not as big sounding as the Ecstasy, but I love what it does.

The one thing I can't figure out is how to get a good slightly broken up neck pickup sound. On channel 2, everything sounds way too dark and compressed. Is this just the Mark voicing and I should get used to it? Or is there a way to get it more "jangly" like a Plexi type of gain?

Anyway, how do you set up your channel 2?

Not sure if this'll give you what you're looking for, but check out my post here (last post on the page). Sound clips will give you an idea. Check out the Highway To Hell in the sound samples link--sounds pretty Marshally with that setting. I think the main "trick" is, you gotta be at gig volume.

 

[Jedro]

I use channel one tweed mode/bold for my neck sounds. Gain full, treble full, mids off, bass 10 o'clock. No graphic or preset eq.

Channel 2 for me is Crunch mode. I like the Mark I mode, but I really have to graphic EQ it differently and that means sort of messing up Channel 3, which I also use the graphic on.
So I am:
Crunch
Gain at 10 o'clock-ish
Master at 11-12 o'clock
Treble full on
Mids full off
Bass at Noon

My graphic EQ is set to an offset V, the right two sliders are boosted quite high and the left two are moderate. The middle slider sits just above the bottom line.
This is all more gainy than jangly but I play with my guitar's volume a lot. I play a Les Paul. To me, Crunch mode is where this amp kicks ***. I've got EL34s.

Good luck!

 

[screamingdaisy]

Lower the headroom via the 45w mode, then add in the tube rectifier if you need it lower yet.

Lowering the gain also works, but experimenting with different amounts of headroom is also useful. 45w vs 90w on Crunch mode produces fairly significant tonal changes IMO.

Lastly, if the amp came with stock preamp tubes they're most likely relabeled JJs. I find JJs to be rather dark and congested sounding no matter what amp they're used in. Replacing some or all of them with another, brighter sounding tube will help open the amp up a bit.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys.

Stock tubes, so I'm sure changing them out would be beneficial for the tones I'm after. The thing is, I REALLY like the sound I get from Ch 3. Kind of want to leave well enough alone since I'm digging that so much.

It's an interesting amp. To start with, I think it takes some time getting used to the Mark series. You really need to stand back a bit from the amp to hear it properly, but doing so gives you a tighter sound further away - as opposed to the Rectifiers that sometimes sound great close up and like a muddy mess further away.

Then there's setting it up. I'm not sure what to think, as it truly has a million sounds within. On one hand, it's such a versatile tool for getting all your sounds together. On the other, it's difficult to keep from having "awkward" tonal changes as you go from clean to ch 2 to ch 3 and back. My ears get used to crunch mode, then I hit Mk 4 on ch 3 and it sounds boxy and middy. I love both sounds on their own, but it's proving difficult to bring it all together.

I'm not sure if I'll end up keeping the Mk V or not, but I REALLY want to have a Mark now. I love that high gain sound, and with my R9, Bogner 4x12 and 25w M75s, this thing kicks!!

 

[eudaimonia02912]

Try this:

Edge mode
master up high
gain to taste
treble, mids, bass all the way off
presence to taste

 

[adewsuisse]

On the other, it's difficult to keep from having "awkward" tonal changes as you go from clean to ch 2 to ch 3 and back. My ears get used to crunch mode, then I hit Mk 4 on ch 3 and it sounds boxy and middy. I love both sounds on their own, but it's proving difficult to bring it all together.

+1 to this.

I, too, struggle to get the two channels to sit together nicely when swapping from a high gain modern sounding Mark IV mode on Channel 3 to Crunch on Channel 2. I think I'm chasing a lower gained version of Mark IV on Channel 2 - but I'm struggling to find it.

Anyway, I'll keep experimenting and if I find settings that sound good, I'll post them!

 

[Anonymous]

On the other, it's difficult to keep from having "awkward" tonal changes as you go from clean to ch 2 to ch 3 and back. My ears get used to crunch mode, then I hit Mk 4 on ch 3 and it sounds boxy and middy. I love both sounds on their own, but it's proving difficult to bring it all together.

+1 to this.

I, too, struggle to get the two channels to sit together nicely when swapping from a high gain modern sounding Mark IV mode on Channel 3 to Crunch on Channel 2. I think I'm chasing a lower gained version of Mark IV on Channel 2 - but I'm struggling to find it.

Anyway, I'll keep experimenting and if I find settings that sound good, I'll post them!

I think I might build a Mark amp. Really like what I'm hearing, but I definitely don't need the bells and whistles. I think if I built one, it would be Ch 1 clean, Ch 2 Mark IIC+, and Ch 3 Mark IV. I'd go between IIC+ and IV for lower gain sounds, since they do them quite well.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Then there's setting it up. I'm not sure what to think, as it truly has a million sounds within. On one hand, it's such a versatile tool for getting all your sounds together. On the other, it's difficult to keep from having "awkward" tonal changes as you go from clean to ch 2 to ch 3 and back. My ears get used to crunch mode, then I hit Mk 4 on ch 3 and it sounds boxy and middy. I love both sounds on their own, but it's proving difficult to bring it all together.

The "awkward tonal change" is more of an issue when listening in isolation. Once you're playing with a band the tone shift is swallowed up by the sound of the whole band. For instance, a shift in the amount of bottom end sounds pretty extreme when switching between channels 2 and 3 at home, yet in a band with a bassist the bottom end never changes since the bass is always present.

I think I might build a Mark amp. Really like what I'm hearing, but I definitely don't need the bells and whistles. I think if I built one, it would be Ch 1 clean, Ch 2 Mark IIC+, and Ch 3 Mark IV. I'd go between IIC+ and IV for lower gain sounds, since they do them quite well.

I've done a lot of experimenting with different settings and I find channel 2's Crunch mode is most similar to the Mark IIC+ mode on channel 3, only with a little less gain, a little more bottom end and a notched midrange... basically a IIC+ that's been re-voiced more for rhythm than lead.... which if you think of the Mark V's channels in terms of Clean/Rhythm/Lead makes a lot of sense.

 

[adewsuisse]

The "awkward tonal change" is more of an issue when listening in isolation. Once you're playing with a band the tone shift is swallowed up by the sound of the whole band. For instance, a shift in the amount of bottom end sounds pretty extreme when switching between channels 2 and 3 at home, yet in a band with a bassist the bottom end never changes since the bass is always present.

True, that's a good point. On the other hand, this kind of thing isn't usually issue with most amps, where the tonal charactistics are largely set for the entire amp, and different gain changes vary this only slightly. Perhaps this is the down side of an amp like the Mark V (several different amps in one box)? Having said that, I'm not knocking the wide variety of sounds that the Mark V provides - it just makes it a bit tougher for me to get the various sounds to blend well together...

I've done a lot of experimenting with different settings and I find channel 2's Crunch mode is most similar to the Mark IIC+ mode on channel 3, only with a little less gain, a little more bottom end and a notched midrange... basically a IIC+ that's been re-voiced more for rhythm than lead.... which if you think of the Mark V's channels in terms of Clean/Rhythm/Lead makes a lot of sense.

That's a good tip, thanks. I haven't spent much time with the Mark IIC+ channel yet - I think I should investigate this further.

 

[satch4u3]

I'd love to try an Ecstasy. There is something about that amp. Unfortunatly there are no Bonger sellers in my area. But I love my Mark V!


Here's how I set up my Mark V's Channel 2. These settings work great in a band situation.

Crunch, 45 Watts

Gain - Around 3:30 (or to taste. I usually just cut the gain back if the song requires a lighter sound)
Volume - 9
Presence - 10:30
Treble - 11:00
Mid - 1:00
Bass - 10:00
GEQ - Classic V with a little more mid range and a little less on the 6600 slider

Your guitars pickups obviously makes a difference. I am using a Gibson 60's Classic with a JB in the bridge and stock in the neck.

Good luck!

 

[RedKlouD72]

I'm not even looking at my amp right now... but this is a good setting... like the one above

Crunch 90 Watt.

Gain 3:00
Master 1:00
Presence 10:30
Treble 2:00
Mid 10:00
Bass 10:30

EQ Preset 1:30

This is not what Original Poster is looking for though.
I agree with the notion that the breaked up neck pickup gnarly sound can be achieved with Driving the fat or tweed options quite hard.


Also, I just bought my first tubeScreamer... and I like that.

 

[borisson]

i get a great tone in edge mode (90 watts). I play 62 relic strat and R9/R7 in this mode with same settings.

gain: 2:00
master: 11:00
treble 9:00
mid: 9:00
bass: 9:00
presence: 3:00

volume 11:00
FX loop 12:00

V30 speakers

sometimes i add EQ preset 9:00 to tighten the bass
for more gain i kick in the maxon 808 or bb preamp

its very close to my marshall ceriatone 1959 superlead with a touch of a voxy chime

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

As ScreamingDaisy has said, the differences in tones between the modes in channel 2 and channel 3 are less annoying once you have it running in a band mix...

 

[Barry]

Sounds like the edge mode would be for you . The description you were giving when you started the thread makes me think edge . You will need a fair amount of bass and be careful with treble & presence .