Out of Nowhere.. I’m a Mark Series Fan

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Is there anyone at all not being a fan of 2c+ metal tones lol
 
Ratou said:
I must say the IICP module rips! Even compared to real IIC+ in the same room.
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I compared the IICP module loaded in a modded Randall RM100 to my Mark III. Used my amp switcher to swap back and forth. The differences were pretty minimal and could generally be compensated for with the EQ. The biggest difference I noticed was the the Mark III was a bit more aggressive than the IICP module. But then that's kind of how a Mark III compared to a real 2C+.
 
Mark amps are awesome. Years ago I had a IIB I really liked a lot, and now I've got a Mark IV I'm a huge fan of too. And recently I've picked up a Mark V:25 that I am almost convinced is one of the most versatile amps I've ever played. And it's also worth noting that as long as you go easy on the master, crank the 80 Hz slider, and scoop out just a bit from the middle three EQ sliders, it sounds every bit as big and full bandwidth'd as my 100 watt amps. Yes, really. I've talked a lot of shit about low wattage amps and I still mean it but this little thing is the exception. It's the only small amp I've ever heard that can really do big amp tones. Of course it has next to no clean headroom set to sound huge like that, but for recording, who cares?

Also, in addition to being able to get totally authentic Mark tones, if you set it to Extreme mode, which removes NFB, and set the three tonestack knobs about evenly, you can get a convincing Recto tone. And finally if you set it to Fat mode with the Master on 10 and use the Gain as the volume knob, thanks to the EL34's, you've basically got a dead ringer for an AC30. Pretty great party trick.

Not sure I buy into the IIC+ hype but personally I've loved all the Marks I've owned.

I know I'm writing lots of words about my own shit but the point is that there are plenty of people including me who remain jazzed up about these amps and can't shut the fuck up about them haha.

Anyway, Congrats OP! Welcome to the club lol.
 
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my love for them is well documented. Recently i added a ge-7 in the loop of my IVa, and bring the 400hz and 800hz down a bit, to soften the mid curve to more of a bell shaped, rather than a saw tooth shape. there is a lot of space in between the 240hz and 750hz faders especially that can stand to be tweaked to ones liking. its why these amps are so damn hard to dial in just right if you have something very specific in mind, and why metallica loved parametric eq's in the loop in the studio.
 
I’ve just recently myself became a big mark series fan. Always loved the III but was never too familiar with the others in the lineup. Once I got the IV I was really hooked. Perfect blend of vintage and modern tones IMO. The JP2C is awesome as well but I find myself playing my III and IV more often. I sold my MKV since I felt it was redundant. In the end it wasn’t worth keeping around just for the crunch channel.
 
MadAsAHatter said:
I compared the IICP module loaded in a modded Randall RM100 to my Mark III. Used my amp switcher to swap back and forth. The differences were pretty minimal and could generally be compensated for with the EQ. The biggest difference I noticed was the the Mark III was a bit more aggressive than the IICP module. But then that's kind of how a Mark III compared to a real 2C+.
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Yeah it's definitely got a similar feel. The controls feel a bit different though, it look likes on the IICP they've made some changes to the EQ or circuit to make it easier to dial in. For example, the IICP sounds great without the GEQ engaged while a real Mark series will be pretty nasal sounding without scooping the mids on the GEQ. The IICP module is more plug and play while a real IIc+ (or Mark III, very similar controls) takes a bit of dialling in to get good tones. Only annoying part on the IICP module is how tiny the sliders are on the GEQ, it's really hard to see where the slider is and move it accurately without touching the other ones.
 
They definitely made the IICP more user friendly for dialing it in. I agree about the sliders. With 12 DB of boost/cut, a small bit of play to them, and such a short travel distance it can be a bit difficult to get them set just right. Micro adjustments have a huge impact. That said, given the space that had to work with I don't think they could have gotten it any better. Using a hard surface like a pick or my fingernail to move the sliders is what works best for me.
 
I've had my IVb for the longest of any of my amps. Great amp. My LP thrives on the lead channel, and my SG loves it on the middle channel. Lots of good tones in there. Once you learn how the TMB work together, it opens up a lot of possibilities. The manual was a big help in getting a jump start on that process. The other thing I did was record a lick on a looper, then play it back into the IV. Gave me a chance to play a lot of games with the controls, w/o having to play/adjust/listen/lather/rinse/repeat.
 
Okay, I just gonna ask a stupid question because I've always wondered and never found the answer. What is the intended purpose of the outlet on the rear panel?
 
its to plug stuff in "to the wall" so to speak, but through the chassis. i've plugged everything from my pedal board, to the wet dry vac into that jack.
 
It's just a courtesy outlet. Plug anything into it, like JimAnsell said.
 
bgh said:
I've had my IVb for the longest of any of my amps. Great amp. My LP thrives on the lead channel, and my SG loves it on the middle channel. Lots of good tones in there. Once you learn how the TMB work together, it opens up a lot of possibilities. The manual was a big help in getting a jump start on that process. The other thing I did was record a lick on a looper, then play it back into the IV. Gave me a chance to play a lot of games with the controls, w/o having to play/adjust/listen/lather/rinse/repeat.
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I've had my IVb 9 years now. That's the longest I've ever owned an amplifier too. I knew it was a keeper the first few days I owned it.
 
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