Quad Preamp, Rectifier Cab and 2-Ninety; Petrucci

[rockguy66]

Hey guys,

Maybe someone that is an expert in the Mesa stuff can help. I just purchased a Quad Preamp, a 2-Ninety Simul-class Power amp and I am using a Mesa 4 X 12 Rectifier slant cab with v30's in it. I found this video on the Mesa site, where John walks you through his settings. The important ones for me are the clean on channel 1 and the heavy on channel 3. If anyone is familiar with the Quad and differences between the different Marks, can you tell me how possible it will be to nail the tone, and what would be best, given the gear I have? I know he uses 2-Ninety Power Amps and the Rectifier Cabs, which I already have. The only difference is the Quad verses the Mark V, but I know he used to get his tone from a Mark 2C+ and that he used to own a Quad. Any help would be greatly appreciated, please refer to the link directly to Mesa for the video on how John creates his sounds. Sorry for the noobish question, I figured there are people that have a hell of a lot more experience than me on here.... I am also using a Petrucci guitar with the Liquifire and Crunch lab pickups.

Thanks,

Barrett "Rockguy66" Hamilton

http://mesaboogie.com/news/2010/12/video-john-petrucci-mark-v-settings-and-tone-tips/

 

[JMMP]

Lead 1, EQ engaged
Gain 9, Treble 9 (pulled), Bass 2-3, Middle 3, master 5, lead 1 drive 7, lead 1 master 4. EQ set in a V, adjust it to your taste.

For nice cleans, try lowering the gain to 7 or 8, treble to 6-7, bass and mid the same, but push in the treble shift and pull Deep. EQ is only if you want it. All on Rhythm 1.

 

[wezzley]

i have both a quad and a mark v. the mark v seems more 'hifi', the quad more raw. that basic character is not something you can EQ. that said; both are very versatile. funny thing is i tend to try and make my mark v sound more like a quad than vice-versa

 

[richie76]

Hi there, guys.

I recently acquired a Quad and am weighing up between a 295 and a 290. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ando]

Do you also play like John Petrucci?

I've seen people chase tones of famous players for years but never find what they are looking for. The one thing that rarely gets factored in is the actual player. Even if you played through Petrucci's actual rig, you'd most likely still be wondering why it doesn't quite sound like Petrucci's rig. In the end, most of the tone is in the hands and mind of the player. I'd advise you to try and find your own sound that complements what you do. Life's too short to spending it trying to be like somebody else. You have all the gear you need, just play with it until it sounds good enough - then hone your skills because that's where the real tone is.

 

[JMMP]

Between those two, I think most people who have true both will say 295. I have a 2:90, and I think it sounds really good. If you plan on moving the setup around, keep in mind the 295 is 4 rack spaces, and noticeably heavier. The 2:90 is 2 rack spaces and 35 lbs. if you search around you should be able to find the weight of the 295. Also keep in mind that the 295 takes a quad of 6l6s and a quad of el34s. The similar and less common 395 is all 6l6s, and 3 rack spaces. Do a search for 290 vs295 comparisons and you should find one that discusses all 3.

Alternatively, if you're only playing at low volumes, a 20/20 makes cleans sound great and the lead sounds are more full, however the chugga chugga really suffers. Also a lot cheaper to retube.