MkV - Learned something new about the bright switch today

[screamingdaisy]

I imagine that most people are like myself... they dialled in channel 3 with the bright switch on "Normal", then briefly experimented with bright by flicking it down, then covered their ears and switched the amp back into normal.

Well... I was reading the manual last night when I noted that the "Bright On" was the "natural" voice of Mk IIC+/Mk IV circuit with all the upper harmonics intact, and that "Normal" was meant to roll those upper harmonics off.

So today I did some experimenting, and truthfully it actually sounds really good with bright on once you adjust for it. The amp sounds a lot more gainy with it's upper harmonics intact. I was able to back off the gain from about 3:00 to around 1:00, which cleaned up my tone considerably while giving the upper end sizzle that was my original reason for upping the gain that high.

Your mileage may vary, but it's something worth trying... just don't give up on it immediately and give your ears a chance to adjust.

 

[Barry]

Actually I didnt follow your path to the grail . I switched on the bright switch and had the gain at 1:00 from the day I bought it . Its an amazing amp, isnt it ?

 

[eudaimonia02912]

Hmmm. I tend to keep the bright switch on at low volumes, and off at high volumes.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Its an amazing amp, isnt it ?

Yes.

Every time I think I have it figured out it teaches me something new.

 

[eudaimonia02912]

Thanks to this post, I just tried playing with the bright off, and I like what I'm hearing.

I also found that with the bright off, I can get better sounds on extreme mode.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I too have been using the bright switch on from the start :lol: I think it has something to do with coming off from my VERY bright ENGL and just being kinda used to that sound.

I also found that with the bright off, I can get better sounds on extreme mode.

Really? Interesting, I will have to try this out. I would have thought bright on would work better on Extreme mode since that mode seems to have much more low end, and a bit less gain and saturation. But thinking back, I don't think that I have ever touched the bright switch from where its at while messing with that mode :lol:

 

[eudaimonia02912]

Try extreme with the bright switch off, but then put gain, treble, and presence up quite high. For me, this was getting a saturated rhythm tone without being too bright or thin.

I still prefer Mark IV mode for leads, but extreme can do some nice rhythm tones. (It can also do blues well on low gain settings, much to my surprise.)

 

[rika_gd]

Try extreme with the bright switch off, but then put gain, treble, and presence up quite high. For me, this was getting a saturated rhythm tone without being too bright or thin.

I still prefer Mark IV mode for leads, but extreme can do some nice rhythm tones. (It can also do blues well on low gain settings, much to my surprise.)

ohh I was going to say that this morning :mrgreen: I always use extreme with bright on, pretty awsome heavy rythm guitar!

 

[germangallardo]

Actually I didnt follow your path to the grail . I switched on the bright switch and had the gain at 1:00 from the day I bought it . Its an amazing amp, isnt it ?

What he said. I've been getting amazing tones from day 1.

 

[MBJunkie]

The bright switch on channel 3 is a very powerful tone shaping option (on or off). I typically prefer the bright switch engaged, but am playing a strat type HSS (Suhr Pro S3) and usually in the 4th position (between single coil middle and HB bridge pickup position) for hi gain rhythm and leads.

One thing to note is that the tone controls also interact nicely with this switch whether in bright or normal mode to the point there is some common ground "overlap" if you will. Also, the bright switch being "engaged" has a different high end impact depending on which of the 3 modes you are playing in at the time. By all means, experiment using your ears and your guitar.

Personally, I feel the bright switch feature is more powerful than some may realize. In other words.....if it sounds too bright to you while engaged.....try fiddling around with your treble, mid and presence knobs. If it sounds too dark when not engagined....try fiddling around with your treble, mid and presence knobs.

 

[DudewithFr0]

Bright switch on and extreme mode sounds good in a band mix.

 

[Jim Ed Love]

I run my MKV in stereo with my MKIIC+. I switched the bright switch on to match the amps from day one.

 

[magh8]

I'm liking ch3 with the bright switch on and in pentode in all modes.I also notice I am running more presense than most of you but this is due to my vader cabinet.the vader really helps to tame the highs on any amp