IIC++ Reissue vs JP2C?

I played a JP when they first came out, and I had my C+ Coli at home. The JP is a cool amp, lots of cool features but it isn't even remotely a C+. No feel, the clarity isn't the same and no punch in comparison(to the SRG, HRG C+s I owned previously). It falls WAY short to a vintage C+.

Guys that I know and trust their opinions have played the reissue and admit it's VERY close to a vintage C+. If you want to try a C+, the reissue will get you mostly there without paying 5K for a vintage version.
The JP won't. You might like the JP, but it's not a C+.
I'd go with a reissue. Return it if it isn't your thing.
 
A player who owns both the C++ and the MarkV recently said he can get the C++ tones from the MarkIV setting on the MarkV.
 
D-Rock said:
A player who owns both the C++ and the MarkV recently said he can get the C++ tones from the MarkIV setting on the MarkV.
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Funny you say this; the store that I tried the JP in also had a Mk IV. It definitely sounded closer to my C+ than the JP did. But, still not the same.
 
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So I have a guy on a Mesa FB group that says his JP is for sure in the ballpark of his reissue.

I think there’s some confirmation bias for sure that’s inherently gonna happen regardless. There are definitely going to be differences. More “things” for the tone to pass through on the JP, etc. as well as no input gain control and all.

I DO know, I get all the Mark sounds I want out of the JP but I’d love to try the IIC+ reissue to compare.
 
I own a JP2C and a IIC++ reissue, both are nice amps, to my ears the JP sounds darker, tighter, more gain, the mids are different, and its sounds more modern than the reissue ++, i will say i like the feel of the ++ better, i like the where the mids sit better, and has more of the classic vibe, brighter, more crunch, less compressed. I was jamming on both earlier and i like both amps alot, ive owned the JP since day 1, its been one of my favorite amps. But if i can only own one of them then my choice is the reissue ++, i like the tone and feel better. So i guess the ++ is my favorite now because it gets closer to the tone in my head. I tried to dial in the JP to sound more like my reissue but so far i havent been able to get it to sound close enough.

JP has advantages if you wanna use it live, dedicated clean ch and the cleans sound really good although they dont have too much breakup, they are clean cleans, i love having dual EQ on the JP. So if i was playing live then the JP would be my choice if i needed something with more options and channels.
 
Les Zombie said:
I own a JP2C and a IIC++ reissue, both are nice amps, to my ears the JP sounds darker, tighter, more gain, the mids are different, and its sounds more modern than the reissue ++, i will say i like the feel of the ++ better, i like the where the mids sit better, and has more of the classic vibe, brighter, more crunch, less compressed. I was jamming on both earlier and i like both amps alot, ive owned the JP since day 1, its been one of my favorite amps. But if i can only own one of them then my choice is the reissue ++, i like the tone and feel better. So i guess the ++ is my favorite now because it gets closer to the tone in my head. I tried to dial in the JP to sound more like my reissue but so far i havent been able to get it to sound close enough.

JP has advantages if you wanna use it live, dedicated clean ch and the cleans sound really good although they dont have too much breakup, they are clean cleans, i love having dual EQ on the JP. So if i was playing live then the JP would be my choice if i needed something with more options and channels.
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Any way to make a comparison clip?
 
JerEvil said:
Any way to make a comparison clip?
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Im not really a recording guy, i dont even have a computer that works, but i have a few iphone clips, i can message you some clips if you have instagram.
 
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In terms of Mesa Mark Series amps, I've only owned a Mark III res stripe (that was amazingly aggressive). I've been looking into the JP2C recently and was on a text chat yesterday with a couple guys who've owned just about every Mark Series amp. One said that the JP2C was similar to the C+ in some ways including overall tone but the "feel" was different, the other stated they were nearly identical in all regards, but he would not want to give up the versatility of the JP2C, and was addicted to the "shred mode" feature on the amp. He said the shred option sounds like a tighter C+ with more upper harmonics and aggression...Almost like a clean boosted C+. This description intrigued me for sure.
 
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angelspade said:
In terms of Mesa Mark Series amps, I've only owned a Mark III res stripe (that was amazingly aggressive). I've been looking into the JP2C recently and was on a text chat yesterday with a couple guys who've owned just about every Mark Series amp. One said that the JP2C was similar to the C+ in some ways including ovrrall tone but the "feel" was different, the other stated they were nearly identicle in all regards, but he would not want to give up the versatility of the JP2C, abd was addicted to the "shred mode" feature on the amp. He said the shred option sounds like a tighter C+ with more upper harmonics and aggression. Almost like a clean boosted C+. This description intrigued me for sure.
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Can you ask him for his settings, because i cant seem to dial mine in to sound the way these guys describe the amp, i would like to try his settings because i love the jp, but to me it sounds more modern, compressed and darker and the mids sound different than a iic+, i have the reissue ++ side by side with my JP2C and i cant get them to sound the same. But im willing to try some different settings if theres people that can get it as good as their IIC+. The JP to me sounds like a modern version of the IIC+.
 
Don’t have them side by side. But the jp2c was a pretty boxy amp to me. The reissue doesn’t have that issue. The versatility and all the options are cool vs the older stuff. But I just can’t do it with amps that have that frequency area poking out.
 
The JP-2C is 100w Class AB pentode, the IIC++ (and +) reissue is 85w SimulClass pentode, and the original Dxx models would have been 75w SimulClass triode in the power amp. From the Mark IV and V the triode/pentode switch on the lead channel was a noticable difference with the pentode mode sounding tighter, brighter, and more modern. I'm not exactly sure how much difference you should expect from pentode SimulClass vs pentode class AB.
 
IronSean said:
The JP-2C is 100w Class AB pentode, the IIC++ (and +) reissue is 85w SimulClass pentode, and the original Dxx models would have been 75w SimulClass triode in the power amp. From the Mark IV and V the triode/pentode switch on the lead channel was a noticable difference with the pentode mode sounding tighter, brighter, and more modern. I'm not exactly sure how much difference you should expect from pentode SimulClass vs pentode class AB.
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It’s a noticeable difference, when I sent my III in for the ++ mod I had Mike change it to 100w because I prefer it over simulclass
 
Holy-diver said:
It’s a noticeable difference, when I sent my III in for the ++ mod I had Mike change it to 100w because I prefer it over simulclass
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That would also have been from triode to pentode, which I know makes a big difference.
 
Holy-diver said:
It’s a noticeable difference, when I sent my III in for the ++ mod I had Mike change it to 100w because I prefer it over simulclass
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Yessir. Tighter with more punch. Perfect for rhythm tracking (fast stuff).
 
Brandonrz said:
Don’t have them side by side. But the jp2c was a pretty boxy amp to me. The reissue doesn’t have that issue. The versatility and all the options are cool vs the older stuff. But I just can’t do it with amps that have that frequency area poking out.
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This was my finding as well. I had the amp for a year, and I A/B’d it with other amps I had and that boxy midrange was very prevalent.
 
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