Cornford RK100 vs MK50?

[braintheory]

For those who’ve played both what do you think? I’ve played MK50’s several times and thought they were good, but not amazing top tier amps, but like what I’m hearing in some of the RK100 clips. How do these amps compare to those that have played both in person?

 

[Eazy-ESP]

I’d like to hear this too.

 

[braintheory]

Anyone?

 

[ZEN Amps]

I have heard both in-person but they were years apart - pretty unreliable comparison. The MK was ages ago, the RK recently after a client got me interested. I don't recall them being radically different.

I think the RK is little more open and Marshally than the more modern Bogner-type vibe of the MK. Both have plenty of gain for rock, not sure they can be boosted into metal territory though.

If I had to guess I would say if you didn't dig the MK then the RK probably isn't for you.

 

[Racerxrated]

I believe the RK is an amp similar to an old Plexi where it has to get LOUD to do its thing...even though it has a Master V. Vs the MK which has a more agreeable MV taper.

 

[Beyond Black]

I have heard both in-person but they were years apart - pretty unreliable comparison. The MK was ages ago, the RK recently after a client got me interested. I don't recall them being radically different.

I think the RK is little more open and Marshally than the more modern Bogner-type vibe of the MK. Both have plenty of gain for rock, not sure they can be boosted into metal territory though.

If I had to guess I would say if you didn't dig the MK then the RK probably isn't for you.

I’ve got some experience with my buddy’s MK50 and it can definitely be boosted into metal territory and get pretty damn nasty. They’re fairly thick straight in so they take to a boost similarly to a Recto, but not as thick in the lows and with higher mids.

 

[espquade]

I had both years ago at the same time when I was big into Cornfords and from memory the MK 50 and the MK 50 II were both stiffer and more percussive sounding but also much thinner sounding than the RK 100. The RK 100 was much thicker in it's voicing and moved alot of air and with a slightly slower attack and a warmer voicing . They really are night and day different from each other.

 

[Devin]

RK100 is my dream amp

From clips it always sounded brighter and more Marshally to me while the MK sounded vaguely Bogner-ish, but I've never had the chance to play either

 

[espquade]

The MK 50 has more in common with an SLO than a Bogner but even so the lows on the MK are tighter than an SLO but also the Cornford MK amp is brighter and the excessive treble can be a bit fatiguing so you really have to dial it down and the 50 watt power section of the MK sounds smaller compared to the SLO's 100 watt power section as the SLO smokes it for headroom which is too be expected, and with all that said I much prefer an SLO over any Cornford MK 50 version .

 

[espquade]

I'd pick a RK 100 any day of the week over the MK 50 and for me personally they really need a boost to get them where I wanted them to be.

I am also a gain freak so take that for what it's worth as some may find them fine as is.

 

[Thetorch777]

For those who’ve played both what do you think? I’ve played MK50’s several times and thought they were good, but not amazing top tier amps, but like what I’m hearing in some of the RK100 clips. How do these amps compare to those that have played both in person?

I have an RK 100 soo good a guitarist friend used it
live and didnt want to give it back.I had to go to the gig and get it after the show and he worked in a vintage music store.LOL cant blame him tho LOL

 

[mooncobra]

The RK I played was like a mid gain Marshall, but tone was good. But, I didn’t crank it.

 

[Thetorch777]

Gotta crank it

 

[HeatherManning]

RK100 seems clearer, and MK50 has more punch but less clarity.

 

[leos]

I had an mk50 blackface, a mk50ii and a rk100 lined up side by side.
The rk100 was huge sounding but also very impractical. Very very heavy amp weighing more than your usual 12” combo amp. It would have too much low end and cutting back would sacrifice the tone and just leaving it very mid heavy. It had a simple gain that you could fight all day becauce the gain pedal which basically just added another gain stage could not be adjusted seperately.
For me - great tones available, but not really without messing with the dials. And best for classic rock, absolutely not modern og heavy as it just wasnt build for that kind of tone, at least not without toneshaping out front.

Between the mk50 and mk50ii i preferred the versatality and the tone of the mkii over the old one. The old one was harder to set on the dials for home usage, did have more low end and was way more strident in tone - it hd this barky midrange that some of the early cornfords had (i had a lot of these amps).

The mk50ii on the other hand is 3d, it is refined, it is an amp that like to have both gain stages activated (you can dial the second gain stage pretty low, but it adds dimension and bottom end to the tone). The actual overdrive amount is done with the volume control on the guitar. From clean to kill - touch sensitivity, an overused term, but rest assured that i have tried a lot of amps and this one has it!
The clean channel sounds a bit flat - i add a klon type pedal and it lives up.
The amp is a beast for performing, because everything is so manageable from the guitar and your pedal. Clean/crunch/overdrive and two preset volumelevels on pedal. It is very direct sounding, you can sort of feel how immidiate it responds when you hit the guitar - bam its there. It really is a masterpiece of an amp and It is my favorite.

 

[War_in_D]

The mk50ii on the other hand is 3d, it is refined, it is an amp that like to have both gain stages activated (you can dial the second gain stage pretty low, but it adds dimension and bottom end to the tone). The actual overdrive amount is done with the volume control on the guitar. From clean to kill - touch sensitivity, an overused term, but rest assured that i have tried a lot of amps and this one has it!
The clean channel sounds a bit flat - i add a klon type pedal and it lives up.
The amp is a beast for performing, because everything is so manageable from the guitar and your pedal. Clean/crunch/overdrive and two preset volumelevels on pedal. It is very direct sounding, you can sort of feel how immidiate it responds when you hit the guitar - bam its there. It really is a masterpiece of an amp and It is my favorite.

Dang! Necro bump but it's funny, I just responded to the "Splawn Quickrod" thread, saying that my 22w Quickrod was on my short list of keeper amps after the recent purge. My Cornford MK50II also made the list, and I concur with everything said above. It has a tone that is very defined, with great note separation and I can dial in just about any level of gain I would ever need using the gain and overdrive settings in conjunction with each other.