Quad + Switchtrack Simul Class 395 !!

[Mantis]

Oh my God. This is it.

OK, It's big. But I can not imagine a setup with better flexibility in dialing in 3 or 4 awsome tone settings.

Let me tell you a bit:
- I sold my Mark IV combo, because I couldn't find a good setting for all 3 channels. It's always a compromise. Clean and Crunch share tone settings, and the graphic EQ is common to all channels.
On the other hand, I loved the Simul Class poweramp! Nothing compares in fullness and warlth...
- Another thing about the Mark IV: didn't like the speaker too much. Too clean and bright. So I found myself playing the Mark IV through a Marshall 4x12 with Greenbacks all the time. Great tone, but a Mark IV (Hardwood) combo is heavy enough as it is, if you only use it as a head, it becomes ridiculous...
So I thought, I can change over to a head in stead, or hey why not a rack setup?
- Enter the Quad. This baby, while not small, gave me all the flexibility I wanted and the tone is not so much different from the Mark IV anyway (at least not the tone I was looking for). I have 2 graphic EQ's and a bunch of tone shaping features (like mixing the channels) + a state of the art reverb. But what Poweramp to use? I liked the 2:90 for it's Simul Class and size but not for it's price. The 295 is big and lacks some flexibility...
- Enter the 395. I happened to find one and got it for a good price... This baby is more flexible than the 2:90 and was priced like a 295. OK, it's one rack space bigger than the 2:90, but it's not gona be a lot heavier?!
- Result: I have now about the same thing I had (Mark preamp + Simul Class poweramp), but stereo. And at half the price.
With the money I got for my Mark IV hardwood combo, I bought the Quad and the 395 + the best part of a second hand Les Paul!!

One question: I can only find a very small pdf operating manual of the 395 on the Mesa website. Almost no pictures or documentation on the net. Can anybody help me with some documentation on the 395? Why is there almost nothing to be found? Was it that short in production?

 

[MetalMatt]

This it good to hear. I'm looking for a 395 as a faithful companion for my quad pre. As for any information on the 395... http://www.tubefreak.com/395.htm

 

[GodBlessTexas]

Congrats. The Quad is a great preamp. I love mine. My Quad and power amp were about the same price as my Mark IV. All were bought used. And combined, they are about as heavy as my Mark IV head, if not more.

I'm surprised you couldn't get a good sounds from the Mark IV. There are plenty of presets available from various people, even John Petrucci. Most of the people who I talk to who own Mark IV's indicate they don't even use R2, and I myself find it less than useful most times. But this is not because of the shared settings with R1, but the fact that it would be more useful if it had more of a Marshall crunch voicing (albeit part of the Marshall sound is EL34's). As for the 5-band EQ being common to all channels, it is switchable if you have the FU-3 foot switch. I use the R1/R2 EQ strictly for R1 as a clean channel, and sometimes bring in the EQ for certain clean passages as the mid-scoop with the EQ in the ubiquitous V pattern sounds good for clarity. I use the L1 channel as a lead channel with the 5-band EQ. If I need dirt/crunch, I use R1 and an OD pedal. And I've never liked the sound of any Mesa Mark IV combo. I prefer the head through a closed back cabinet. But I'm not really a fan of any combo.

 

[Mantis]

It's not that I couldn't get a good sound from the Mark IV. Far from it! But not a good clean and lead at the same time.
I use a particular setting for the graphic EQ:
80Hz: just below the top line
240Hz: just above the middle line
750Hz: just below the middle line
2200Hz: just above bottom line
6600Hz: in the middle between middle and top line

In fact like a "V" but the 750 centered and the 2200 scooped.

This allows to dial the treble pot all the way open (9), which gives more gain. Set gain at 9 and lead drive at how much you can stand... Sharpness is filtered out by the graph EQ.
Try it out!
Works super for lead. But doesn't for clean.

With the Quad, I have my channel 2 set up this way and a dedicated clean on channel 1. I haven't found a good setting for Lead 1 yet. Any tips??

Oh yeah, and the Quad + 395 must be heavier than the Mark IV head. But not the hardwood combo!