JP-2C - Totally blown away!

I went to the store today and plugged into a JP-2C. It took me about 15 seconds flat to dial in a great tone on Channel 3. Switched to Channel 1, about another 15 seconds and great tone. 30 minutes more of tweaking and playing on it and I knew I had to have it.

Knew my wife would kill me if I purchased it outright, I just spent a ton on a EBMM Majesty and upgrades for my motorcycle so I immediately went home, packed up my Mark V, a Krankenstein+ and a RJM Mini Amp Gizmo and traded those in - ended up spending $400.

Blown away. Really. This is the Mesa Amp I've been looking for. I hate to admit it, but I was always underwhelmed by my Mark V. It's a good amp - but I didn't really need 9 amps in one. While I found some decent tones it it, I felt something was missing from it. Tried tube swaps, tried fixing it different things in the loop, tried boosts, tried different guitars.

Never used a Mark IIc (only the mode on the Mark V) - so I really had nothing to compare to it except the Mark V. To me it sounds like what I wanted out of the Mark V but couldn't seem to achieve. I know these are different beasts - but I really wish the JP-2C came out 9 months earlier (when I bought the Mark V). It hit the sweet spot for me and it also eliminates a few pieces of gear (mini amp gizmo, torpedo reload).

I'm really not trying to pan the Mark V - I used it for some great gigs and recorded my bands first CD with it. If I could've kept it I probably would've, although it would've been relegated to a backup amp. I'll miss the guys in the Mark V part of the forum lol.

It really is mind blowing, isn't it. It just annihilates the mark V in the tone department. Just like you, I always thought something was missing with my V. It sounded great, but I was never completely satisfied. It always seemed stiff and dry to me. The JP2C has this breath and depth to it and the feel is just glorious. It blew me away too! Congrats man! Enjoy it! :mrgreen:

"annihilates the mark V" ?????

C'mon now..........

The Mark lll series in terms of pure brutal usable gain crushes all Mesa amps! This is a fact that has been proven every single time the two amps are side by side, try it! The mark amps that came after the III pale in comparison. Some users had trouble balancing the three channels on the mark lll which led to the development of the IV and V with their more advanced control. The mark V has its place, a great amp but doesn't rule a mark llC+ or a mark lll. A mark V is a 9 trick pony, a mark lll is a two trick Thorobred race horse, Mark llC+ is a formula one race car. I'm hoping the JP2C is all the above.

I wouldn't say annihilates it the V, but as a former V owner for many years and now a JP2C owner I must say I much prefer the JP. It's a lot more like the older Marks to me. I won't compare it to the C+ since I've only played a real one once, so I'll let others do that, but to me it's pretty much perfect. Granted, I just got the amp yesterday, but when an amp makes me grin ear to ear, it's pretty darn good.

The V always seemed a bit thin, a bit tamer and not as organic as the older Marks especially in the lead modes. The other channels are great. Maybe the clean modes could have needed a bit more warmth. I feel that ch 3 on the V needed the deep function. It was never fat enough for me. I don't want to make it seem that I didn't like the V. It's a great amp for sure, but to my ears the lead modes are not as good as the older Marks or the JP2C. The V is more versatile though and I think I might actually prefer the clean modes (FAT mode especially) on the V to the JP clean, but holy s**t, the lead channels on the JP sound good!!!

There are some really good tones in the Mark V. It took me a while to find ones that worked for me. If I didn't happen to plug in to the JP-2C at the store I would still be happy with my Mark V. For me though, the JP-2C is more the tone I've been looking for. The Mark V IIC+ mode I couldn't "feel" like the JP. I really like Mark IV mode on the Mark V - but it was very finicky with the gain structure and I couldn't get it where I wanted it without introducing microphonic squeals. Extreme mode sounded too dry, Mark I mode seemed too dark. I tried all new preamp tubes, power tubes (even EL34's). The clean channels would either distort with gain, or wouldn't get loud enough to compete with channel 3 when I got it as clean as I wanted. I had this habit of finding a decent sound with it, then trying to find that little extra it threw everything off and I had a hard time getting back to where I wanted. It was a rewarding amp in some aspects, but frustrating in others. It was my first Mesa product - so maybe I just didn't know enough.

Now I realize the JP-2C isn't every ones cup of tea. Mesa makes a lot of different amps and people seem to fall in love with different ones. But above just being blown away on how the JP-2C sounded - it does come with some very nice features that will make gigging with it a pleasure. Midi for one, seeing I don't like to tap dance when playing live - I have a good enough time of it just playing my **** guitar. I love that the 2 gain channels are almost sonically the same structure but can be shaped different for lead and rhythm. I liked the Solo feature on the Mark V, but in my opinion this is a better way of doing it for me. I haven't had a chance to try the Cab Clone DI for FoH applications, but I will at my next show. Hopefully it works well, otherwise I will be bringing my Two-Notes Torpedo with me.

I would've loved to kept my Mark V - but I'm not in that financial position. It did have a versatility to it that the JP-2C doesn't. But in all honesty, that versatility isn't as important to me to finding my sound. And the JP-2C is now my sound. It just happens to have John Petrucci's signature on it lol.

Markedman said:

The Mark lll series in terms of pure brutal usable gain crushes all Mesa amps!

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Not my Rev C Dual Rectifier (serial# R01xx). Out of the box, the Rev C gives you better thrash metal distortion than any other Mesa amp; it's heavy, tight, brutal. A Mark III sounds tame and polite in comparison. And the entire range of the Gain pot is usable, it remains tight and aggressive (unlike the later Rectifiers, which just get fuzzy and mushy when you crank the Gain pot too much).

Now, if you had said "all other Mark amps", I would have agreed. 8)

Glad you're enjoying the JP2C. I really wanted to like the amp, but something just wasn't working for me. After my JP came and went, it made me sit down and re-explore settings on my Mark V. I couldn't be happier with the V right now...and I've had it for 8yrs.
Like someone mentioned above, that's why they make different amps for different folks.

And regarding what Markedman said: my Mark III+ (lead tone) KILLS the Mark V and the JP2C all day long.

...Smitty, what settings do you use on your III+, if you don't mind me asking?

Daniel, here you go brother....

MrSmitty not to hijack but my Mk III blue (bought another one) is at Mesa now for a recap etc. How do you rate getting the + mod done?

GJgo said:

MrSmitty not to hijack but my Mk III blue (bought another one) is at Mesa now for a recap etc. How do you rate getting the + mod done?

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sheehanje: sorry for the side track on your thread...it's Daniel's fault! LOL

So to answer GJgo, I am completely happy with the "+" mod. The amp sounded great before the mod, but was very bright and kinda harsh for my taste. Some people like that though. Now the presence knob is more usable and the amp is smoother all around. Mike B. was fantastic to deal too!
I figured I would never be able to find/afford a real IIC+, so I got the III and had the + mod done...I figured it would get me "close" to the C+. Then low and behold several years later, Mesa makes the JP2C.

Edit...Forgot to mention: I had Mike B add the triode mod & switch too. That makes a big difference in the feel of the amp.

MrSmitty said:

Daniel, here you go brother....

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Again with the hijack

Any controls pulled? What's the presence set to, if you don't mind my asking?

dlpasco said:

Again with the hijack

Any controls pulled? What's the presence set to, if you don't mind my asking?

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Treble SHIFT pulled, Master DEEP pulled, Lead master BRIGHT pulled. PRESENCE is at 2.5-ish.

MrSmitty said:

GJgo said:

MrSmitty not to hijack but my Mk III blue (bought another one) is at Mesa now for a recap etc. How do you rate getting the + mod done?

Click to expand...

sheehanje: sorry for the side track on your thread...it's Daniel's fault! LOL

So to answer GJgo, I am completely happy with the "+" mod. The amp sounded great before the mod, but was very bright and kinda harsh for my taste. Some people like that though. Now the presence knob is more usable and the amp is smoother all around. Mike B. was fantastic to deal too!
I figured I would never be able to find/afford a real IIC+, so I got the III and had the + mod done...I figured it would get me "close" to the C+. Then low and behold several years later, Mesa makes the JP2C.

Edit...Forgot to mention: I had Mike B add the triode mod & switch too. That makes a big difference in the feel of the amp.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Mike B called me today about my III. I described what I wanted in the amp, how I loved that the III is so immediate & full of attack where the JP-2C is still immediate but saggy at the same time. He laughed at me a little for splitting so many verbiage hairs. We decided not to do the + mod, but he is going to recap it & clean up some things, do the reverb mod, and also add a C30 cap at V3 which he says will move it a little more towards a red stripe in terms of not being quite so bright / fizzy. Says if I don't like it that I can just snip it out. Can't wait to get it back!

Your settings are very similar to mine, I just use a tad more presence & volume.

GJgo said:

MrSmitty said:

GJgo said:

MrSmitty not to hijack but my Mk III blue (bought another one) is at Mesa now for a recap etc. How do you rate getting the + mod done?

Click to expand...

sheehanje: sorry for the side track on your thread...it's Daniel's fault! LOL

So to answer GJgo, I am completely happy with the "+" mod. The amp sounded great before the mod, but was very bright and kinda harsh for my taste. Some people like that though. Now the presence knob is more usable and the amp is smoother all around. Mike B. was fantastic to deal too!
I figured I would never be able to find/afford a real IIC+, so I got the III and had the + mod done...I figured it would get me "close" to the C+. Then low and behold several years later, Mesa makes the JP2C.

Edit...Forgot to mention: I had Mike B add the triode mod & switch too. That makes a big difference in the feel of the amp.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Mike B called me today about my III. I described what I wanted in the amp, how I loved that the III is so immediate & full of attack where the JP-2C is still immediate but saggy at the same time. He laughed at me a little for splitting so many verbiage hairs. We decided not to do the + mod, but he is going to recap it & clean up some things, do the reverb mod, and also add a C30 cap at V3 which he says will move it a little more towards a red stripe in terms of not being quite so bright / fizzy. Says if I don't like it that I can just snip it out. Can't wait to get it back!

Your settings are very similar to mine, I just use a tad more presence & volume.

Click to expand...

"Verbiage hairs"?! I like that. Wow, you're not doing the "+" mod? Why did you change your mind?
I couldn't be happier with mine, and how it tamed the spikey clean channel and smoothed out the lead.

We talked about how I want my III to be opposite of my JP2C, in that while they are both very aggressive, tight & forward, the JP has a sag (not to be confused with the looseness of a recto) where the MKIII has this mind blowing attack- a lot of this is how it feels when you play it. I want to keep them as yin & yang. He said the + mod would smooth it out a bit, and from the description I wasn't sure that was what I was looking for. I have the JP for that. This must have been his idea for where the extra cap came from. After describing what I was looking for I really just bowed to his wisdom, and said to do what he thinks is best.

GJgo said:

We talked about how I want my III to be opposite of my JP2C, in that while they are both very aggressive, tight & forward, the JP has a sag (not to be confused with the looseness of a recto) where the MKIII has this mind blowing attack- a lot of this is how it feels when you play it. I want to keep them as yin & yang. He said the + mod would smooth it out a bit, and from the description I wasn't sure that was what I was looking for. I have the JP for that. This must have been his idea for where the extra cap came from. After describing what I was looking for I really just bowed to his wisdom, and said to do what he thinks is best.

Click to expand...

Gotcha, that makes sense. Either way, the C30 and recap will be a nice improvement.

MrSmitty said:

Wow, you're not doing the "+" mod? Why did you change your mind?
I couldn't be happier with mine, and how it tamed the spikey clean channel...

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WHOA WHOA WHOA...the + mod will fix that?

Just remember, the easiest way to change tone is by rolling tubes. Even if it's just V1, different tubes totally change the character of an amp- and, you never know how till you try because they're all different.