Mark V - Am I Nuts?(Pls Help!)

[pedfoot]

First, i must say... im not from the USA. but, about 3 weeks i visited in Mesa Hollywood . I tried the Mark V there, the seller gave me a Schecter and it has passive pickups i think, it was written on them "Schecter" so i assume it's one oh they're cheap version. Anyway, the mark was a combo. The clean was the best i've heard! the dist was a dream.
So i bought one in my country (costs here 2500$). after i bought i came to the store and checked it. with my guitar Jackson with EMGs.
Surprisingly, the cleans was "well" and not awesome and the dist was tough to hear. maybe the acoustics of the place was horrible but, i don't know, i tried it with Carvin legacy 212 cab.
Maybe the Emgs don't fit me? i'm afraid to go back to the passives though i won't be able to make enough gain. Understood?

How to say, it sounded not like an amp of 2500$$ !! i had before 2 days Zoom fire-35W amplifier, and the Mark wasn't far away.

So Pls!!!!! What should i do??
Thanks A-lot for reading the whole post

 

[4406cuda]

I only use passive pickups and the Mark V has more than enough gain. It takes time to learn how to dial in the right settings on a Mark V.

 

[Spewnz]

I had the same worry when i used actives, but i am SO glad i went to passives way better feel and response.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Personally, I don't find EMGs are all that hot.

Maybe they were hot back in 1981... but by modern standards they're kind of tame. I've always like EMGs, so I'm not saying that as some sort of hater. I now typically use low output PAF style humbuckers and I have no problem getting enough gain. I like them because I find them more defined than your typically high output passive... which is the same reason I like EMGs.

 

[Trev57]

You will always get more tone from lower output pickups than any kind of actives in my opinion. And there is more gain than needed in the Mark V. But if you are used to a high gain with active pickup sound (usually a bit colourless to my ears) then it might take you a while to adjust. If you can afford a Mark V, surely you have more than one guitar to try different pickup types?

 

[pedfoot]

You will always get more tone from lower output pickups than any kind of actives in my opinion. And there is more gain than needed in the Mark V. But if you are used to a high gain with active pickup sound (usually a bit colourless to my ears) then it might take you a while to adjust. If you can afford a Mark V, surely you have more than one guitar to try different pickup types?

Actually, i have only one guitar - Jackson Dk2M with Emgs. but i can call friend with passive to check.
Anyway, when i bought the Jackson it came with :
# Seymour Duncan JB TB4 humbucker (bridge)
# Seymour Duncan Jazz SH2N humbucker (neck)

So, should i rewire them? and leave the EMGs? Cause when i bought the Emg i thoght to my self getting the old thrash metal sound like Metallica/Megadeth. Do you think the Seymour can do that? And it's abviouse but, would the passives sound better than the EMGs in the clean channel?

And And(sorry).. There's a store here sells Carvin cabs. i was thinking to get the 212e cab of the vintage series. It has two GT12 celestions. anyone tried them with the Mark?

Thanks!!

 

[Rkorn]

If you have a carvin store near by you certanly have played a Legacy amp... that's one of the best cleans I played, and the distortion is great also, it can do from rock to Death Metal... (on my opinion).
I also have a schecter with EMGs... I don't dislike them, but Schaller are the ones i liked the most until now... I tried Passive and Active. The active are GREAT, the passive were really hard to control, the had more power than the active ones...
I ordered these active schaller for my new custom guitar, I think they will kick ***.

I think pickups should come with somekind of connectors... this way you could just connect them easily to try out different pickups...

 

[Big Hit]

The culprit could be the speakers/cab. I had an opposite experience the other day while trying out a new guitar on a Mark V with a recto 4x12. I could believe how good it sounded compared to my set up at home.

 

[pedfoot]

So.. what should i do?
switch to Seymour Duncan passives? Or getting other cab?(Like what?) i only have about 300$...

 

[screamingdaisy]

I can't answer your question directly, but I can suggest you try borrowing a couple guitars and seeing how they sound through your current amp/cab setup. If those guitars sound better, then you'll have an idea of what to look for in a guitar/pickup. If none of them sound better then it might be a good idea to take a look at the cab.

I know that for myself my Mark V sounds great through my Recto 2x12 but like junk through my Orange 4x12.

I'm currently saving for a Recto 4x12...

 

[pedfoot]

now i have only the mark v head without any cabs, i didn't want to buy then a cab cause i wanted to ask those questions..
Anyway, that means i need to take the head and my guitar to a store... gosh! that heavy!! (not including the cab).
The rectifier cabs out of my budget! therefore i want to know whether anyone tried the Carvin cab(?)
BTW in my country is not common to buy and sell equipment as you wish... So i only buy one at a time.

 

[Scary]

Go with passive pickups and let the amp do the work. Also get a good guitar because ANYTHING cheap you plug into that FIVE will sound like what it is. Cables, stompboxes, guitars.. it all matters more than lesser amps.

 

[pedfoot]

i have a money issue so i just can buy, at least decent cab and switch to passives.
i have decided to invest my "fortune" in the mark v...
So the Carvin vintage with the GT12 Celestion would be fine for now? , not the Legacy series (cause i heard they are horrible)...

 

[Jim Ed Love]

Get these pickups. They kick *** with my MKV.

http://www.wcrguitar.com/godwood.html

 

[pedfoot]

^
I can barely believe that the WRC are sold in my country..
any other suggestions?
Lets see, i can choose between EMGs to Seymour Duncan, I have Mark V and i have onlt 500$ for cab..
Sounds like a math problem, but haha nop...
Thanks!

 

[pedfoot]

No other recommendations?
Just remember that I'm not from the USA