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[mbenigni]

Right on the money!

Yes, except it doesn't answer the question. Not trying to determine how to make the amp sound good. (It sounds great!) Just trying to determine whether this sound given these setting indicates a defect or a need for maintenance.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Yeah, that works fine for me too. What happens if you do engage the Bright switch. Does it sound like it's about to die?

I will have to check that out tomorrow when I am playing loud. Remember the Mark can be very finnicky. I'll report back when I do.

 

[texhex]

Try these settings. Bright switch shouldn’t make that much of a difference, it just makes it a little brighter, nothing crazy.

 

[texhex]

Something does sound up with the tail end of that clip though. Like a bad preamp or power amp tube, but more like a power amp tube.

 

[mbenigni]

I will have to check that out tomorrow when I am playing loud. Remember the Mark can be very finnicky. I'll report back when I do.

Just to be clear: I can duplicate this problem at any volume. (In fact, I've yet to play the amp at any volume you'd reasonably describe as "loud".)

 

[mbenigni]

Try these settings. Bright switch shouldn’t make that much of a difference, it just makes it a little brighter, nothing crazy.

Those settings are fine, because the Bright switch is off. Turn it on, and my amp will go bonkers.

 

[texhex]

Something is up with your amp. Same settings as in your screenshot but Gain at 2:00, bright switch on. Even tried the Gain higher and never got those artifacts.

 

[texhex]

I take it back on the Bright Switch though, it does add quite a bit more top end, it's been awhile since I used it. Here it is with more aggressive settings and with Mid and Bass at 12:00. You can totally hear it when I flip the switch on and off. Again, none of those artifacts you are getting.

It sounds like you have a bad power tube(s).

 

[Mongillo19]

Whereupon everything sounds pretty batshit.

Tube amps can be awesome but when something seems off or busted, it can feel a little helpless

Where did you order it from?

 

[laxu]

@mbenigni I'd try swapping V4 or V5 tube and see if that helps. Those are used as gain stages on ch3.

Bright switch should only work like a bright switch. I keep it pretty much on all the time because I like the sizzle.

 

[newholland]

This is my IIC+ channel 3 setup. No bright engaged because it doesn't need it for my ears.
View attachment 57554

damn jt. you hate you midrange


id never run my mark ii that way, tbh, but i have neither an eq, nor a v's configuration! and im using mine to sound more like an angry exploding bassman than modern mesa chonk.

 

[laxu]

This is my IIC+ channel 3 setup. No bright engaged because it doesn't need it for my ears.
View attachment 57554

What cab do you use with this?

My setup has a lot more moderate settings like T7, M4, B3 and the 750 Hz slider is about halfway between those two lines.

 

[Orvillain]

No dodgy artifacts with my bright switch. My settings are similar to JT's.

 

[newholland]

Just to be clear: I can duplicate this problem at any volume. (In fact, I've yet to play the amp at any volume you'd reasonably describe as "loud".)

im gonna second all the 'somethings not right'. that sorta trailing splat isnt how itd sound normally. id start with preamp tubes though, and then do powers- but id think at low volume theres either a preamp tube or a pot/switch/jack acting up- and id definitely clean all that biz with contact cleaner to rule out the very basics.

 

[texhex]

@mbenigni I'd try swapping V4 or V5 tube and see if that helps. Those are used as gain stages on ch3.

Bright switch should only work like a bright switch. I keep it pretty much on all the time because I like the sizzle.

@mbenigni Laxu makes a good point. If you are only getting those artifacts on Ch.3 with the switch on it's most likely a preamp tube. Those are much easier to swap because they don't have to be matched. When I got this Mk.V back in 2018 I had to replace all the tubes power and preamp (not cheap). Amp was built in 2012.

 

[mbenigni]

Bummer. A bad preamp tube is about what I was expecting since it's channel-specific. Hopefully nothing more serious than that. I just wasn't planning on getting into the disassembly/ reassembly/ trial and error BS so soon after purchasing. (A MkV is a LOT of amp to try to test in-store with a limited amount of time, especially if you're not already intimately familiar with it.)

@Mongillo19, to answer your question, I picked this up used at Atomic Music a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks all, for the responses and the clips.

 

[newholland]

Bummer. A bad preamp tube is about what I was expecting since it's channel-specific. Hopefully nothing more serious than that. I just wasn't planning on getting into the disassembly/ reassembly/ trial and error BS so soon after purchasing. (A MkV is a LOT of amp to try to test in-store with a limited amount of time, especially if you're not already intimately familiar with it.)

@Mongillo19, to answer your question, I picked this up used at Atomic Music a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks all, for the responses and the clips.

youre not too far from me then! im just up in hagerstown and work in rockville!

 

[EOengineer]

youre not too far from me then! im just up in hagerstown and work in rockville!

Thats wild im in the Hagerstown GC a couple times a month.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I take it back on the Bright Switch though, it does add quite a bit more top end, it's been awhile since I used it. Here it is with more aggressive settings and with Mid and Bass at 12:00. You can totally hear it when I flip the switch on and off. Again, none of those artifacts you are getting.

It sounds like you have a bad power tube(s).

Troubleshooting a Mark is tough. The circuit is so complex and just not like anything else.

damn jt. you hate you midrange


id never run my mark ii that way, tbh, but i have neither an eq, nor a v's configuration! and im using mine to sound more like an angry exploding bassman than modern mesa chonk.

I LOVE mids! The Marks are just ALL MIDS! The chunky chunks and gain for me is best this way \m/

What cab do you use with this?

My setup has a lot more moderate settings like T7, M4, B3 and the 750 Hz slider is about halfway between those two lines.

I have the 212 semi open Mesa (LOOOOOOOOOVE it) as well as a Peavey 2x12 turd with V30s. Great through that as well but a fair amount more of the sizzles. I can pull up channel mids a bit more and still be good but I prefer it just above cratered

 

[mbenigni]

youre not too far from me then! im just up in hagerstown and work in rockville!

I don't actually live there; just visit inlaws from time to time and can't resist popping into Atomic. Sadly, I've dragged the amp all the way back to CT with me already. Otherwise, I'd bring it into the store and make them listen to Ch. 3 Bright until they started throwing tubes and/or cash at me to make me stop.