Repilcate Channel 1 Tweed on Channel 2 ?

[ave]

Hello from England.
I was wondering if the Members of this august Forum could help me with a conundrum that I do not believe has been addressed before on the Board.
I play in a covers - band of the Classic-Rock genre, a solely gigging outfit and need three fundamental bases :-
A sparkling clean tone ( Andy Summers, Knopfler etc ) - Easily achievable on Channel 1.
A crunchy Bluesy tone ( ZZ Top etc ) - Easily achievable on Channel 1 Tweed mode.
A liquid singing sustain ( Ernie Isley, Santana etc ) - Easily achievable in Channel 3 Mk1V mode.
However - and here's the rub - I can't seem to do this with three clicks of the footswitch !
Does anyone have a formula for replicating Channel 1 Tweed onto Channel 2 ?
No scooped mids please - my classic V is a much shallower curve.
I upgraded to the MarkV from the Mark1V because of the V's wonderful cleans, the acknowledged general agreement that Channel 2 on the 1V was to say the least - 'difficult' and finally the sheer beauty of the V Channel 3.
I am loathe to using extraneous 'fairy-dust' between my guitars and amplifier - preferring the inherent musicality of the De Luxe and ES175 and the spank of the Strat (with a touch of the excellent onboard Reverb) to shine through with judicious use of the Solo feature.
However if pushed I will grudgingly use Chorus and Delay providing it comes in an analogue bucket. ( I have MXR Micro Chorus and Carbon Copy).
I would not dream of any form of Overdrive, Distortion or Boost because the in-house facilities provided for those applications are second to none on this wonderful amplifier.
Help ! ?

 

[MBJunkie]

Hi ave, and excellent questions!

My short answer to your question is NO, none of the 3 modes offered in Ch2 of the V will closely mimick the Tweed mode of Ch1. IMO, the tweed mode of Ch1 is very unique and also happens to be one of my favorites of the V. However, I do have a few thoughts for you to ponder.....

It sounds to me that your preferred sounds are the cleans offered in Ch1 (Clean or Fat Mode...not sure which....maybe both?), grittier cleans offered in Ch1 (Tweed Mode), and High Gain Rhythm/Lead sounds offered in Ch3 MIV Mode. You didn't mention Ch2 at all so I assume that you are not finding any modes to suit your fancy in Ch2 while gigging - correct?

Here are my thoughts after nearly 2 years ownership of my MkV:
1). IMO, the Crunch Mode of Ch2 is by far the most versatile of all modes offered in the entire amp.....so if you wish to try to mimick the "Tweed Mode of Ch1" in Ch2, the crunch mode is probably your best bet.
2). My go to mode in Ch1 is "Tweed", but I have the gain set moderately in this mode 12 - 1 o'clock which still offers very nice "cleans", but also offers some dirt when I max my guitar volume knob.
3). Between some songs, I will switch between "Tweed and Fat" modes of Ch1, but that is because I know the amp very well and know how to quickly adjust settings for the different tones that I amp after. However, I never attempt this in the middle of a song so that may not work for you if that is what you are after.
4). When I am after sounds to cover ZZ Top or similar, for example, Ch2 Crunch mode is my preference. Tweed would also be a good choice if pushed, but there again, I set my "Tweed Mode" moderately and typically use it for all of my very clean to mid clean sounds.

I fully appreciate your desire to not use OD/Distortion pedals, etc......99% of the time I am just playing my guitar through the Mark V and love my tones.

My recommendation to you is to give the Crunch Mode of Ch2 a chance because I think it will deliver what you are after for nice mild to fairly high gain crunch rhythm (even alternate lead sounds) while freeing up Ch1 for your ultra clean sounds in the Clean and/or Fat modes!

Best of luck!!

 

[iceman]

While ch2 won't duplicate tweed it can serve as a clean channel. Use edge for clean and ch1 for tweed.

 

[thunder100]

You have same problem like many of us-->would need other grouping of amps.

And honestly .nothing else can do tweed in the core tone essence of a tweed

New or even flexible grouping, that is maybe,if ever,a Mark 6 thing

Roland

 

[ave]

I am indebted to all three of you for your suggestions.

MB Junkie :- I agree wholeheartedly that the Tweed mode is heavenly and fully comprehend your ' go-to ' attitude in Channel 1, however the cleans in fat and bold are prerequisite in my sonic palate and yes the Crunch in Channel 2 is very versatile, but try as I might, the tones are more full-blooded and 'harsher' than the Tweed.
It is also comforting to know that the increasingly threatened art of using the guitar volume knob is appreciated. I also take on board your gigging suggestions - however I find it difficult to alter settings 'on the fly - on the gig' even after 18 months of ownership - further suggestions would be helpful.

Iceman :- Thank you, I am now experimenting with Channel 2 Edge as clean as per manual, but am noticing EQ tweaks to achieve the desired tone which is difficult on the gig, but using Channel 2 Edge as clean and Channel 1 Tweed as Crunch necessitates a wholly different mindset (which to be fair is addressed in the Manual).

thunder 100 :- I endorse your sentiment but dread a Mk6 as these things are eye-wateringly expensive in England and have been since my first Mk1 30 odd years ago !

Once again many thanks to all for your help - I will endeavour to persevere !

 

[babow2]

I don't know if this has any merit whatsoever, but I didn't see anyone even lob it up, so in the interest of "outside the box thinking", here goes.....
You mention a liquid sustain lead tone using Mk IV mode on Ch3. What about trying to get the original liquid sustain lead tone using Mk I mode in Ch2? If you can find your way to that, maybe just maybe you can use Mk IIC+ in very low gain settings on Ch.3 to find something you like for a classic rock tone. Yes, it probably won't be the beloved Tweed, but you do have to admit that you have placed a lot of limitations in your own way, by not even considering an OD pedal or some other external idea. If you expand your options and consider a pedal, maybe you can find a clean boost that will just drive the front end a little harder, without imparting color, and get Ch1 clean to clip a little.

I am not suggesting these are "Tweed subsitutes" but trying to find a couple new ideas for you to explore.

For my part, I use two options- (1) I also switch from Fat to Tweed in Ch. 1 on the fly for some situations,and (2) I also have found that the Fulltone Fulldrive 2 provides me with a very nice additional set of tone/drive options.

Absent four channels, and moving to the Road King or Roadster, you are faced with the "Randy's Choice" dilemma.

Good luck,
Brent

 

[andylaughs]

I find the best settings for Channel 2 cleans involve the edge mode with the gain on the lowest possible setting, mids anywhere between 10-1:00 to taste and the treble rolled off, maybe compensating with a little more presence than normal. With the Master up, I can get a little bit of Fender-ish power tube breakup/warmth without sounding brittle.