Mark III r2

[daveg62]

I find it interesting how many posts I read on here saying r2 sounds bad or even useless. I have to admit, my r2 channel sounds wonderful on my Mark III. To me, it's what makes the amp. It has a great creamy overdrive tone that sounds even better with my bb preamp in front of it. I like it better than the lead channel on my amp...go figure.

 

[GIG4FUN]

I find it interesting how many posts I read on here saying r2 sounds bad or even useless. I have to admit, my r2 channel sounds wonderful on my Mark III. To me, it's what makes the amp. It has a great creamy overdrive tone that sounds even better with my bb preamp in front of it. I like it better than the lead channel on my amp...go figure.

Those that don't have their volume 1 up to at least 5+ likely don't experience the goodness.

 

[edward]

I have to admit that I was not a fan of R2 at first. There was a grainy and middy quality about it that I could not embrace. But after a few tube swaps (most notably two at7s via NOS Mullard CV4024s), not only did the overall character of the amp improve (to my ears, of course), but the R2 became more than just "usable" I actually liked its edgy voice. Now I end up going to it more than I would have ever anticipated. The R2 is now my "alternative hairy-clean" tone that I truly dig, especially in EL34-only voicing. What an amp, this MKIII!!!

Edward

 

[daveg62]

Yea, I guess I should have added that I always use Class A with El34's.

 

[robredo_mattila]

What stripes do you guys own? R2 changed a little from stripe to stripe.

On my Purple I use my T-rex Mudhoney for a marshall-esque crunch in front of the clean channel. Or I use R2 (clean volume about 6.5) with the Mudhoney for a thicker tone. Lead channel for leads only.

 

[edward]

Mine is a Green Simul, and my EL34s are the NOS Siemens from Mesa.

Edward

 

[CoG]

edward and I have discovered the same tube mojo! 4024s in the reverb and PI and siemens in the El34 sockets.

I have a purple and a green and r2 is the biggest difference. The purple is very vintage-toned, nice and warm but also quite flubby in the bottom end and it can't be dialed out. Nice and warm and responsive for single-note stuff but rhythm can get really muddy, esp. with humbuckers.

R2 on the green is an 80s (or modern "indie") channel, pretty Marshall-y, it's a lot tighter with more gain but is also "thinner" sounding. It's great for rhythm but not a lot else unless you're pretty good with your tone knob-- sending it a signal with a lot of top cut off will give you a smooth (but also very compressed) mid-gain tone.

 

[MrMarkIII]

Mine is a Green Simul, and my EL34s are the NOS Siemens from Mesa.

Edward

++1
A Green with STR-450s (And 454s in the middle) is aural sex!
R2 is the "Marshall" mode, so it should sound thinner than R1, the "Fender" mode.
The R2 "volume drop problem" goes away when the Master goes above 2, at least on my Blue stripe. I just bought a Green and haven't noticed any R2 issues. Maybe it's the 10 extra watts and pentode, but it's a tad bit "bolder" sounding.
Mark IIIs rule, and they're embarrassingly cheap!

 

[daveg62]

Mine is a blue stripe. I have Ruby EL34str's in there right now. It may have a lot to do with my guitar too. I use a 88 ibanez with a duncan in the bridge that was bought back then . I wish I knew what model it was because I really like that pickup much better than anything else in my other guitars. I'll have to pull it out and see what it actually is.

 

[GIG4FUN]

What stripes do you guys own? R2 changed a little from stripe to stripe.

On my Purple I use my T-rex Mudhoney for a marshall-esque crunch in front of the clean channel. Or I use R2 (clean volume about 6.5) with the Mudhoney for a thicker tone. Lead channel for leads only.

green stripe
NOS 6L6 STR-415
NOS EL84 STR-416
volume mod for channel two I might add as well. That did a lot

 

[kmanick]

I've got a red stripe with the R2 mod and I find the R2 channel still pretty useless.
I don't play at high volume so that may be the problem.
I never set my volume 1 above 7 1/2 and at the level there is just too little gain on R2 to make it
useful to me as a "rhythm " channel to the lead.
anyone have any Ideas how to get more gain out of R2 without blowing my head off with volume?
It kind of bums me out because I like the tonal difference of R2 with no GEQ on and the Lead channel with the GEQ on.

 

[Lesgoldy]

I've got a red stripe Simul-class and I love R2. I have to admit that it takes a little extra dexterity to cope with a bit of a volume difference when going between R1 and R2 (I have to be quick and accurate with the guitar's volume knob as I step on the R1/R2 switch).

I am going to try the R2 volume mod and see if that makes it even better.

 

[GIG4FUN]

I've got a red stripe with the R2 mod and I find the R2 channel still pretty useless.
I don't play at high volume so that may be the problem.
I never set my volume 1 above 7 1/2 and at the level there is just too little gain on R2 to make it
useful to me as a "rhythm " channel to the lead.
anyone have any Ideas how to get more gain out of R2 without blowing my head off with volume?
It kind of bums me out because I like the tonal difference of R2 with no GEQ on and the Lead channel with the GEQ on.

Gosh, considering my amp to yours I really wonder if there is something wrong with a few odf your preamp tubes or ??? Can you take it somewhere to have it looled at? I have an amazing amount of R2 gain with volume1 just at "5". My R2 is very useful.
What kind of pups you running? Maybe your guitar gian is weak or something as well. You "should" be very happy with what you've got going on there.

 

[EleventhHour2139]

I've got a red stripe with the R2 mod and I find the R2 channel still pretty useless.
I don't play at high volume so that may be the problem.
I never set my volume 1 above 7 1/2 and at the level there is just too little gain on R2 to make it
useful to me as a "rhythm " channel to the lead.
anyone have any Ideas how to get more gain out of R2 without blowing my head off with volume?
It kind of bums me out because I like the tonal difference of R2 with no GEQ on and the Lead channel with the GEQ on.

What pups are you using? Which preamp tubes? I'm gonna second GIG4FUN, but it also comes down to what you're expecting out of it. To me, R2 is really more of an "old school" metal channel, ala Priest, Maiden, Rhodes era Ozzy, etc. It doesn't really seem to have the gain necessary to be used as a rhythm channel for higher-gain metal. But it's quite good at what it does, and I've found it to be a very far reaching channel. Anything that Lead is overkill for but R1 just doesn't cover is in there, and then it'll sneak into a little of both lol. Maybe you could give us an example of what you're shooting for with it?

 

[kmanick]

I think the amp is fine.
I've got good pickups , good tubes, good guitars..
My Lead channel just smokes, I couldn't ask for a better high gain channel.
R1, sounds nice and chimy, R2 sounds like a blues channel.
If I throw boost in front of it it sounds pretty good. but compared to my lead channel
it sounds very anemic.
the crunch channel on my 6505+ has way more gain.

I should probably also state that I ususally run this amp with that volume one at 7 1/2
the lead master at about 2, the lead drive on about 6-7 and the overall master at about 3.
In class A with these settings the lead channel just sings
I have the R2 volume mod on mine, if I crank that level will it give me more gain?
(I'd have to figure out how to balance everything) :?
I honestly haven't played araound with it too much, as I just love what the lead channel
gives me so I've kind of ignored R2.

 

[GIG4FUN]

I have the R2 volume mod on mine, if I crank that level will it give me more gain?
(I'd have to figure out how to balance everything) :?
I honestly haven't played araound with it too much, as I just love what the lead channel
gives me so I've kind of ignored R2.

gosh, post back when you have :shock:

 

[edward]

kmanick,

Your settings sound right in the range of "normal," if there is such a thing.

Regarding the R2 vol mod, raising that level does not affect R2's gain ...just volume. The only way to affect R2's gain/tone/dynamics is the first volume knob and the V1 and V2 preamp tubes. But as is, it sounds like you are digging the amp so the pedal+R2 just may be your best bet.

We all use R2 (if at all) differently. FWIW, I use 12at7s (V1, V2, PI) to soften the gain/attack globally, and then set my Vol1 at 7. The R1 is clean, chimey, and beautiful, R2 is more edgy/hairy semi clean, and Lead Ch. can still roast buns. I like!! Enjoy!

Edward

 

[kmanick]

Well I got the chance to play around with this before work this morning.
I found that if I crank the level of R2 I can get a much better sound out of it.
I was in Class A this morning
R2 -dimed
all my other settings pretty similar, maybe the master was up a little higher (4).
It sounded pretty good.
It doesn't have the saturation of the lead channel, but it's definitely Usable.
I set the on board GEQ to only engage with my lead channel and I must say.............not bad.
it's pretty crunchy, definitely good for lower gain rock and blues and maybe some fusion.
but I also noticed something else(bad)
if I turn the vlolume on my Lead channel up past 4 it start to flub out.
I don't know if I have abad V3 tube or I have amore serisou problem.
if I keep it under 4 , no problem, as soon as I hit 4 it kicks in. :?:

 

[MrMarkIII]

I would try another speaker to test for "flub" at a specific volume.
However, "flub" usually happens because the Bass knob adds bottom end in the pre-amp before distortion, and this is what causes "flub". Keep the Bass knob at 3-4 at the most. The Graphic EQ is post distortion, so you can add Big Bottom here. Or you could keep the knob on zero and pull the Bass Shift, as it adds bottom end in mostly the Rhythm Modes.

 

[kmanick]

:lol: it's definitely not an EQ issue (bass)
I keep my bass at aroune 2-3 tops.
maybe flub is the wrong term, but there is noise that definitely should not be there. like a distortion that is not "gain distortion";
It's not a real issue for me right now because I hardly ever trun it up that loud anyway,
but I'd like to figure it out.
(I know it's not an EQ issue because I turned off the GEQ and went back and forth between R2 and lead and it only happends on the Lead channel (even if I turn the gain way down it happens.)
most likely it's my V3 tube (I kind of bent the crap out of the pins when I put it in,it got squashed by the fan).
I can turn the master all the way up and no "flub" but as soon as the lead goes over 4 it starts to happen.
I'll try a an replace that tube at some point, but my amp sounds so f'n good
the way it is , that I don't feel like messing with it for now.