New signature Hetfield Mesa Mark amp ?

[bgh]

I'm really not looking forward to dropping another $2500 on a new Hetfield amp

dmcguitar had a comment in another thread that made me think; maybe it's not a Hetfield amp but the next Mark amp, the Mark VI. Or anything really, I'm sure that's not Hetfield's first prototype he's got the chance to try out. Does Hetfield even need two GEQs anyway? His reissue would be more like the original, without the clean channel, just a single lead channel and a GEQ with simul class. His wouldn't need anything groundbreaking like JP has on his. James isnt on stage flipping through settings on his midi, he just needs a really good crunch tone and he's good for the night. Petrucci's amp came from real solutions to the c+ to make it better at performing on stage for him. What would Hetfield have to offer in that department? Any new features his amp might have could seem pretentious. He doesn't need all those features because he doesn't use all those features. But if it sounds good I'll still buy it :mrgreen:

IMO, if mesa was to put out a JH head, it would probably be better as a JP2c styled, multi channel and options, just so they can keep the price up, and not canabalize other amp sales. They always offer too many options on their amps, so it would make sense to keep with that and say here is a clean (maybe with modes) here is the crunch / lead 1 that everyone wants from puppets / AJFA (maybe with modes like Mark4 for the black album sound) and then lead 2 to give that St. Anger sound every loves (j/K) but a 3 channel that could be used for solos (or the Mark 4 sound) would be great. I just think the 2 graphic Eq is a great idea (for 2016+) and also think all amps should have the defeatable Output control.

I am still trying to figure out what the 2 knobs are for... seems like 2 volume 1 knobs would be a possiblity

Solo control maybe?

 

[barryswanson]

I reckon that big knob in the middle let's you blend or mix in two channels at the same time. Kinda how hetfield blends his amps sounds now. Like channel 2 sounds like a vh4 and channel 3 is a iic+ and both preamps run simultaneously to give you a stereo sound.?

 

[Nicklotsaguitars]

I remember the Session amps having that feature, both clean and driven sounds at the same time. It's a nice feature with limited applications.
However it doesn't sound stereo or anything like running two amps. You'd need two output sections and two cabs to achieve that.
Could it be nothing more than a forerunner for the new TC amp?

 

[domct203]

Could it be nothing more than a forerunner for the new TC amp?

Now that seems plausible

Dom

 

[Nicklotsaguitars]

Timeframe would be tight. That video was released 17th November. However if I were a company like Mesa and designed a new high gain amp. After the recto's. I'd want it fully checked out and ready before release.

 

[domct203]

If that is indeed a prototype, James would have had it for some time now, and I'm sure he gets to keep it 8)

As I recall, the first Rectifier prototypes were built in Mark style chassis as that is what they had on hand.



Dom

 

[screamingdaisy]

I'm really not looking forward to dropping another $2500 on a new Hetfield amp

dmcguitar had a comment in another thread that made me think; maybe it's not a Hetfield amp but the next Mark amp, the Mark VI. Or anything really, I'm sure that's not Hetfield's first prototype he's got the chance to try out. Does Hetfield even need two GEQs anyway? His reissue would be more like the original, without the clean channel, just a single lead channel and a GEQ with simul class. His wouldn't need anything groundbreaking like JP has on his. James isnt on stage flipping through settings on his midi, he just needs a really good crunch tone and he's good for the night. Petrucci's amp came from real solutions to the c+ to make it better at performing on stage for him. What would Hetfield have to offer in that department? Any new features his amp might have could seem pretentious. He doesn't need all those features because he doesn't use all those features. But if it sounds good I'll still buy it :mrgreen:

If I were designing a JH amp I'd want to nail JC120, MOP and Black Album.

I am still trying to figure out what the 2 knobs are for... seems like 2 volume 1 knobs would be a possiblity

My guess is that each channel has separate lead gain/lead drive... possibly just for prototyping, and that once James dials in his preference they'll hardwire it like they did on the Mark V and JP2C. This guess doesn't really explain the third knob, but that knob could be controlling some other aspect of the amp that allows him to fine tune something to his preference.

Another guess is that it's a parametric EQ.

Be kind of cool if it had a built in chorus for the clean channel.

If this is is in fact a prototype JH amp I'd be curious to know if it made any of the tracks on their newest album.

 

[Marc_Nitschke221B]

Could it be nothing more than a forerunner for the new TC amp?

Now that seems plausible

Dom

That's what I though for a second. But the supposed het sig has an 5 band eq abnd the TC hasn't one. The Amps with (Mark series) and without (Recto etc.) are so different that I don't see a proto with and a final product without an EQ.

If it ain't a het sig, that i think a Mark VI proto would be more realistic...

 

[Nicklotsaguitars]

Is the Express Mark Series? The Nomad 100 had an EQ too.
Sorry if it's a silly question, I genuinely don't know

 

[bgh]

Is the Express Mark Series? The Nomad 100 had an EQ too.
Sorry if it's a silly question, I genuinely don't know

Both of them have some Mark blood in them, but they are not direct descendants. The Express clean is in the Lone Star family. The Nomad is from the "F" series bloodline.

If I had to make a guess, I would say the Express is more from the Studio/DC/F/Nomad series that it is from the Mark lineage.

I have a Mark series and a Nomad. While they do have some sounds in common, their base is different.

My opinion.

 

[Nicklotsaguitars]

Thank you BGH.
It all gets so confusing. At least with Marshall you're basically buying the same thing again and again.

 

[IronSean]

Well.... JP has used Mesas for the hole time, but not the IIC+, which is his sig now. Right before that he used the Triaxis before that the Mark V, both NOT in IIC+ mode... (Mark IV on the V and Mark III in the Triaxis).

Mark IV and Mark IIC+ mode on the Mark V are actually both IIC+ modes. The Mark IV mode just engages the Pull Deep and uses the larger filter cap that the GEQ models used (rather than the smaller none non-graphic models used that the IIC+ mode uses). So it sets it up closer to the metal IIC+ config which is also closer to the IV's version of the IIC+ circuit was.

They really should have just named these settings TIGHT, THICK, and BOLD...

 

[MkIII Renegade]

It would seem a bit redundant for Het to release another IIC+ based amp, as I think the JC 2C takes that to the ultimate level with the clever twin GEQs and other features. Maybe if it had some other innovation that was useful for live performances.

I can't think of any other company with so many choices and mods!! Mesa are a restless bunch. I've got Mark series in my blood, so they will always be my core, although I am starting to become interested in some of the other lines for some side action, just for the helluvit......but it takes many hours of research to even understand the "it" that you are searching for with the other lines. :shock:

 

[barryswanson]

Whatever it is Mesa is cooking up with that amp I'm really keen to see what it is!

 

[barryswanson]

Authorised Boogie why can't you shed some light on this please ?

 

[barryswanson]

I make no apologies for resurrecting this thread from the dead because I’m absolutely fascinated with what that amp in the pics is. I know we have speculated in the past and that is all we can do but the discussion should at least spur some activity on here. If it was simply a Triple Crown prototype why can’t Authorised Boogie tell us since that amp is now well and truely out of the bag?

 

[Markedman]

The JP2C in a simul-class version with ++ gain would be what I'd want in a JH2C++.

 

[barryswanson]

Hell yeah that would be awesome.

 

[Joshwah333]

Mesa - please make a Hetfield signature amp!

 

[SonVolt]

A Recto and IV preamp in the same head with a blend knob... there's your black album tones.