Mark IIC+ DRG and JP2C experience.

[DaveP]

Let me start off by saying the JP-2C is a great amp but it's JP version of what he likes, not me.
I had the JP for a few weeks and thought the clean channel was fantastic.
As for Ch2 and Ch3.
Being that it was based off a 100w C+ with the bright option ala Doug West I found it hard to tame the sizzle out of it.
The shred mode didn't do much for me. It made the amp sound more focused in a Mark IV kind of way but not a good as a Mark IV. Some people like the bright version of the C+ but I am not of of them.
I recently picked up another C+ DRG and instantly felt at home with it again.The lead tone is magic. Smooth defined singing lead tone you cannot get from a reproduction.
The clean on the C+ is every bit as musical.
I sold the JP and for the same money bought the real thing. Nothing beats it.

Note: I have owned quite a few 60/100 C+'s over the years. Some with that bright mod some without. Every amp I sent to Mike B that had that mod I had him remove it.
Makes the amp harsh which is the way I felt about the JP version.

Just my 2cts

 

[kippiejr]

I agree.....There is still only one.....

 

[SamuelJ86]

Could you elaborate on the bright mod. I've not heard of that before. Obviously, I'm assuming it's going to make the amp brighter but isn't that why there's treble and presence controls? Just curious, as that one is news to me.

 

[DaveP]

The 60/100 C+'s typically had the "Bright Reduction" mod to smooth out the amp. If you search on Bright Reduction there's a few topics on the subject.
If you remove (change the cap values) it adds more brightness and edge to the amp. Metal players tend to like it better for that style.
There is no right or wrong configuration just personal preference.

 

[Boogiebabies]

While restoring and chasing DC on too many pots on an all original and unused 84' 60W Graphic - Reverb, I checked
the lead circuit without the 1000pf bright cap. It was so harsh I still have tinnitus. Too metal for metal. Simul without it is not too bad.

I would suspect that a 2000pf cap will smooth that out to sound more like JP's amp.

 

[MrSmitty]

I'm having the same experience with my III+ DRG and the JP2c. I know it may not be an apples to apples comparison, but there's just something about the JP that's not working for me. Like Dave said, channel one is amazing....channel 2 isn't bad, but channel 3 is just too much. After playing a few gigs with the JP, I've decided it's not for me either.

 

[chipaudette]

While restoring and chasing DC on too many pots on an all original and unused 84' 60W Graphic - Reverb, I checked
the lead circuit without the 1000pf bright cap. It was so harsh I still have tinnitus. Too metal for metal. Simul without it is not too bad.

I would suspect that a 2000pf cap will smooth that out to sound more like JP's amp.

For those who are wondering, I believe that the cap that we're talking about is the 1000 pF (ie, the 0.001 uF) cap in the lead circuit between power rail "C" and the anode of V4A. When the cap is in the circuit, it rolls off some of the highest frequencies of the lead sound. I believe that there are a variety of cap values that are used here, especially in the Mark III. Being in the lead circuit, this cap only affects the sound of the lead channel.

In my IIC+ (actually, it was a IIC that was upgraded to a IIC+ by MikeB at Mesa), I put in a three-position switch so that I could try a few variations on this cap. My amp is a 60/100W, not a simulclass. In one of the switch's positions, I have the stock IIC+ 1000 pF cap. In the 2nd position I have no cap, which is like some versions of the Mark III. In the 3rd position, for a compromise, I have a ~333pF cap in there.

After living with this amp for many years now, I found that I almost always run it with the 1000pF cap. Sometimes, I'll switch it to one of the other positions, but usually it sounds too harsh. Yes, the no-cap or 333pF cap positions have a lot more edge, which does make low-frequency chugga-chugga metal pretty fun, but any lead sounds are just too harsh for my ears. Maybe with a simulclass it'd sound better....but not with my 60/100W with EVM speaker.

There is one case that I find myself going back to the no-cap or 333pF position and that's when I'm using the lead channel with a *very* light amount of gain (like around "2"). In this case, I sometimes feel that the stock 1000 pF cap kinda makes the lead channel sound too muffled compared to the brightness of the clean channel. I feel that I want a little more brightness, a little more liveliness, a little more transparency to the sound. So, by switching to either no-cap or 333pF cap configuration in this low-gain lead configuration, it can sometimes sound like I'm taking a blanket off the amp. It can be quite nice. But, if add just a tiny bit more gain, it gets harsh again and I switch the cap back to 1000 pF.

Sorry for the lap of JP2C content.

Chip