mark v doesn't like new les paul (classic 57+)

[fr0sty]

I purchased a used lp traditional that's loaded with a gibson classic 57+ in the bridge. That pickup sounds great on channel one, but I'm having trouble dialing it in on channels two and three. The pickup seems extremely bright and lacking in mids. My other dual humbucker guitars both have rio granded bbq buckers in the bridge and both rip through those two channels. The bbq bucker seems to be really heavy in the mids with less going on in the highs.

I've tried adjusting the pickup height, rolling back the guitars tone knob and thinking outside the box trying to adjust the V's tone controls. I'm making progress, but it's still not there yet.

Right now I'm connected to an oversized 2x12 loaded with greenbacks. I haven't tried my other cabs yet. Before I try swapping out the pickups, just curious if anyone else has used the 57+ with their V and if so, what type of setup worked for you?

The guitars sounds stellar through my other setups (mico cube, podfarm 2 and a hughes and kettner tube 50), so I'm not quite sure what the problem is.

 

[jb's 52]

I never liked the sound I was getting with the 57s until I changed the electronics to this:

http://rs-guitarworks.myshopify.com/collections/upgrade-kits/products/complete-modern-electronics-upgrade-kit-long-shaft

 

[LesPaul70]

Assuming that the pickups are wired correctly (and they probably are - 57+'s can sound like that), I don't think this is anything more than just an issue of your Mark V being a lot more sensitive and responsive to your guitar than your other setups, most notably the modelers - the PODs and the Micro Cube. Heck, I could play a basswood superstrat with active electronics (EMGs) or a Les Paul with the stock pickups through a POD and they sounded pretty much the same (just a very slight timbre change, you could get the same exact result with the POD tone knobs). Not so with a Mesa Mark V: the Les Paul sounds full, crunchy and gorgeous while the superstrat sounds...thin, bland and sterile. Your guitar really makes a difference with the Mark V.

First you should try redialing your Mark V for your new guitar. Heavily, as in "from the scratch". When it sounds good, you got it right. But then it probably won't sound as good with your other guitars anymore...

Secondly you could consider different pickups. It's a total buyer's market today, there are lots of excellent pickups to choose from, depending on your style and taste. (I have BKPs in my Gibsons and am very pleased with the sounds I get with them.)

 

[fr0sty]

This looks like the ticket. I stared from scratch last night and now I have channel 2 crunch 90% dialed in. Normally with my V, if there is too much of something I dial that control back. In this case there was too much treble, so by reflex I twiddled with that control (and the mids). I found the key was to leave the treble and mids alone, but instead work the bass control. I usually run my gain around 2:00, treble around 1:30 and the bass at 9-ish. When I bumped the bass to 11:30-12:00 the tone filled out but didn't get mushy of flubby. From there I did some minor tweaks to the t/m and now the crunch channel is working again :lol:

Sometimes you need to forget what you know and try new things!

First you should try redialing your Mark V for your new guitar. Heavily, as in "from the scratch". When it sounds good, you got it right. But then it probably won't sound as good with your other guitars anymore...

 

[sheehanje]

I had a similar issue with my SG that has Classic 57's. It took me a while to get it dialed in, but what a glorious sound once done.

Then switching back to my Music Man Majesty, it had to be dialed in again - luckily I have it down to slider adjustments and can make the changes pretty fast now that I know where it needs to be adjusted for each guitar.

And yes, the Mark V. is very sensitive to other equipment - but the sound I get once dialed in properly are fantastic. I almost returned the Mark V, but the extra time investment is well worth the effort.

 

[OldTelecasterMan]

I have a 2016 Les Paul and it sounded great then with the Mark V. Then I switched to EL34s and it sounds even better. Channel 2 really woke up.

 

[shredhead72]

I have LP Traditional. I pulled the 57's out of it and threw in a Duncan JB and Jazz. I could never find the tone I wanted with the 57s. That being said, still not crazy about the LP through the Mark V. Sounds great with my Ibanez 7 String though.

 

[fr0sty]

I was messing around with my lp last night and put in a rio grade bbq bucker. The mark really gets along with that pickup, though it's way more one dimensional that the 57's. The complex cleans of the 57/57+ took a real hit with the bbq.

I took it out right away

 

[primeholy]

This has given me an idea. I play my lp 99% of the time, and am not happy with how my strat sounds. I rarely use channel 3, so I should dial that one in for my strat, and just use my ep booster for channel 1 with it.

 

[Nicklotsaguitars]

Got a 72 custom with T-Tops and a 2007 Standard with Bareknuckle PG's in.
I struggle to get a decent level of attack with either. I prefer Strat singlecoils on channels 1 and 2. EMG's or P90's on channel 3

 

[thalweg]

I've found lp's really tricky to dial in the the mark. Burst buckers x, 57's the lot of em...don't know why. Real ice picky. I've got to wrestle with the ***** to tame the highs in almost every venue. But when you do its a gem.

 

[fr0sty]

Bit of an update, I have a cab loaded with a celestion gold that I hadn't tried with the lp. The reason being is the gold has a lot going on in the highs, so I thought it would be too much with the bright lp. That cab sounds f'ing awesome with the lp/57 classic+. Who would have figured, certainly not me!

 

[jmusolino]

I found my Mark V didn't like the Classic 57+ in the bridge of my 2007 SG3. It was OK with my old Nomad 55, but complete ice pick with the V. I replace the pickups with DiMarzios, a Tone Zone in the bridge, Norton in the middle and Air Norton in the bridge, all wired to switch from series HB to parallel HB. Jim Mouradian installed them and rewire the guitar to add volumes for each P/U, the standard Gibson three-way (rear-rear/front-front) and a mini-toggle for the middle P/U (off-on-on alone). Puch-pull pots for each P/U. Big improvement.