Sometimes the Mark V Sounds Great and Sometimes...
- Thread starter Hendog
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i guess it depends on the mood, if you're playing with a band or not, slightest volume change can really make it sound so much better / worse, etc.
Get a tape recorder.
Record it when it sounds bad and when it sounds good.
Compare it.
If all the conditions are exactly the same i bet you won't find a diference.
Get a tape recorder.
Record it when it sounds bad and when it sounds good.
Compare it.
If all the conditions are exactly the same i bet you won't find a diference.
NOWAYBACK
Well-known member
+1
Additionally, if you switch from a heavily equalized tone to a more neutral one, you might initially perceive it as "flat" and lacking of top end. This is normal, you need a couple of minutes for your ears to adjust. It is always a good idea to have a "reference" sound track in order to zero-in those subjective factors - a tune you know well guitar-tone wise would be fine. Listening for a couple of minutes to your reference song and focusing on the guitar tone before making a tone evaluation will keep your comparison more on the objective side.
Very best,
Marcelo
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Old BF Shred
Well-known member
All the above posts ring true, but I would add that all my Mesa amps share a trait: they will bring out the best or worst in your playing on any given day.
I mainly play my Ace these days and sometimes it sounds like I could humble Joe Satriani and other days, like I can't pick my way out of a wet paper bag! :lol: :lol: :lol:
A Mark series amp is certainly this sensitive. And I agree that our ears adjust from day to day! :wink:
I mainly play my Ace these days and sometimes it sounds like I could humble Joe Satriani and other days, like I can't pick my way out of a wet paper bag! :lol: :lol: :lol:
A Mark series amp is certainly this sensitive. And I agree that our ears adjust from day to day! :wink:
I have experienced this phenomenon with every amp I've ever used regularly. I've come to the conclusion that what I am experiencing when this happens is in my head and is affected by mood, ear fatigue from some other activity, or a change in expectations perhaps generated by having heard a great guitar tone (live or recorded) since I last played. Our senses are pretty dynamic, interactive, and affected by many seemingly insignificant variables.
sevycat
Well-known member
It's funny that so many of us are sensitive to such suttle changes. I have experienced that as well. Same guitar and amp, with same settings. One day later, I am wondering whats the deal. Why does it sound different?
Heritage Softail
Well-known member
It is essential to warm up, ears, tubes, guitar. JP Rock Discipline. He is pretty good. Seems to be working. Even if he is warming up back stage on an Axe Fx..... 
I had this happen to me, but it was user error. I way playing channel two and it sounded very thin. I couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally dawned on my I engaged the global eq on that channel. Something I never did before!
I sounded good that way when recording direct, but not through my cab.
I sounded good that way when recording direct, but not through my cab.
ryjan
Well-known member
I get the same thing with my Mark IV. When I record it and listened to clips from different days I can hear differences in my playing but the tone is the same. So I guess that my mood and if I'm tired effect my tone more than the amp.
A
Anonymous
Guest
This is a excellent observation!!!!!!!! all the post above are right on!!!!! there so many things that can influence our hearing on a daily basis
Heritage Softail
Well-known member
Hendog said:
I just got done jamming for about an hour and turned off the amp in the sweet spot. I am going to the gym for a while. When I get back home, I am positive the amp will 'seem' to sound different. Some days it seems more noticable than others. I think it is just me. Same thing at practice, some times I feel like nothing sounds right and nobody else thinks anything is wrong.... Right now I can just hit some Dragula or Living Dead Girl to get my mind right... musicians are just weird :lol:
It would seem odd for your power to vary so drastically to make your amp sound totally different. I work for a company that sells power conditioning and UPS back up on an industrial scale. Usually resi does not see wild spikes consistently off the grid/local xfmrs. I am assuming you are not living near major industral operations or a data center. It would normally be bad consistetly if you had a local power issue. If you have a little $10 multimeter you could read your outlet voltage and remove the guess work. My .02$ on that.
fama
Member
This happens to me too.
Sometimes the amp sounds brighter with more presents on the high end.
Other times it sounds Dark, Grainy and Thick the way I like it. :twisted:
With everything else above consider…. What I’ve been doing lately is letting the Amp warm up for about 5 minutes 1 minutes for the power tubes and 4 on the preamp tubes with the volume levels set at there playing levels. Its been working so far keeping the amp sounding consistant so I hope it says that way.
Stiletto Ace Head
Stiletto 4-12 V-30
Les Paul Custom 68RI
Klotz La Grange Cables
Sometimes the amp sounds brighter with more presents on the high end.
Other times it sounds Dark, Grainy and Thick the way I like it. :twisted:
With everything else above consider…. What I’ve been doing lately is letting the Amp warm up for about 5 minutes 1 minutes for the power tubes and 4 on the preamp tubes with the volume levels set at there playing levels. Its been working so far keeping the amp sounding consistant so I hope it says that way.
Stiletto Ace Head
Stiletto 4-12 V-30
Les Paul Custom 68RI
Klotz La Grange Cables
iceman
Well-known member
I notice differences day to day with other instruments too (piano etc). Always wondered if it had to do with weather, air pressure, humidity etc..
A
Anonymous
Guest
i have to add one more thing; the amount of alcohol in our body :lol: :lol: :lol:
Heritage Softail
Well-known member
salvatruco said:
and if the bar has strippers, and how far they are from you... :shock:
just where i stand affects me. i practiced (with my 5150) on friday night... and sounded awesome... then saturday afternoon practiced with the band again.. and didnt like the tone (i didnt touch the dials) the cab was in a slightly different spot though, and i might have been standing 2 inches in a different spot as well...
mejoshee
Well-known member
Heritage Softail said:
tell me, would you use just a really good voltage regulator like the furman p-1800 ar, ar-1215, etc. or get a cheaper regulator and a good conditioner? and also, will the transient response of a regulator be sufficient for guitar amp/effects stuff? i know if you have pa type things the whole "power factor" feature that furman is touting is actually reasonably beneficial...could you weigh on that?
and +a lot for day to day changes in hearing, playing, perception of tone, mood, etc. and i never play drunk. it's hard enough to play well technically while sober.
