Mark I vs. Mark IIA

[Snottyboy]

Ever since I got my IIA, I've been curious as to how these amps differ tonally. I've got to say that I really love the tones I'm getting from the IIA now that I understand the control interactions. According to what I've read, the Mark IIA has a more focused tone than the Mark I, but I'd like to hear from some of you folks who have the hands-on experience.

 

[zebpedersen]

Ever since I got my IIA, I've been curious as to how these amps differ tonally. I've got to say that I really love the tones I'm getting from the IIA now that I understand the control interactions. According to what I've read, the Mark IIA has a more focused tone than the Mark I, but I'd like to hear from some of you folks who have the hands-on experience.

I've got a IIB and a Mark I, so I guess I have sort-of hands-on experience. The Mark II has much more 'obvious' gain - I guess that could be described as 'focused'. It sustains more and at lower volumes, and the gain is focused a little lower down in the register, more mid-range than the upper mids on the Mark I. They both have a superb personality to the sound, and are great fun amps to play. The cool thing about the Mark I was that, in it's day, it was totally lightyears ahead of the competition, but by today's standards it's pretty primitive - which gives it a really cool mix of being 'ragged' (like a Marshall or a Vox) but with a big dollop of California cool, it takes it's job well in it's stride.

The Mark I is a super cool amp - I don't think you could ever have one as your only amp, but it's such an awesome thing to have. Plus, you can sound exactly like Carlos, Skunk Baxter, Carlton et al, which is awesome.

 

[Snottyboy]

Great insight, Zeb. No experience with a Mark I personally, but I just hear those tones as being "cool", as you describe. I like to "believe" there is a good dose of Mark I influence in my IIA, the reason in part for this thread. I'm surprise how often the Mark I tone is seen as a dinosaur, especially in light of all the Dumble-tone chasing that seems to go on.

 

[zebpedersen]

Great insight, Zeb. No experience with a Mark I personally, but I just hear those tones as being "cool", as you describe. I like to "believe" there is a good dose of Mark I influence in my IIA, the reason in part for this thread. I'm surprise how often the Mark I tone is seen as a dinosaur, especially in light of all the Dumble-tone chasing that seems to go on.

The 'Dumble tone' I would probably put as somewhere between I and II, however with a decent old Les Paul (or 335 or Telecaster, actually) I've heard both Mark IIs and Is that sound every bit as good for that sound as an ODS/Fuchs/Two-Rock/Trainwreck etc...

I think when people refer to the 'Dumble tone' they're really referring to Larry Carlton, Robben Ford...the Jazz/Blues guys, and their 'so dirty it's clean'/'edge of breakup' sound (Larry Carlton's Last Nite, for example). For me, the Mark I has just enough of that precision, but mixed in with an extremely healthy dose of old-school Rock n Roll and the combination is very, very effective.