Got my JP-2C yesterday, some questions

Hi guys,

So, I finally received my JP-2C yesterday. I've been messing with it for about 3 hours. I've got everything setup through MIDI right away, but I'm not digging the tones I've been getting as much as my Mark IV. Since I haven't seen a settings thread, could you guys share yours so that everyone else can try them?

Also, I wanted to try some new Electro Harmonix 12AX7, and tried to remove the front grill like my Mark IV, but after removing the screws I couldn't get the grill to move. Do I have to change the preamp tubes from the rear or is the front grill removable and I only need to push it a bit harder?

The grill is attached by the screws only. Take a piece of wood and place it on the grill through the back and tap it with a hammer, make sure you're hitting the right piece as there is another piece holding the cabinet together, but it is very tight. The manual has setting for starters but as you know, it has a lot to do with turning the amp up and fiddling with the GEQ.

Markedman said:

The grill is attached by the screws only. Take a piece of wood and place it on the grill through the back and tap it with a hammer, make sure you're hitting the right piece as there is another piece holding the cabinet together, but it is very tight. The manual has setting for starters but as you know, it has a lot to do with turning the amp up and fiddling with the GEQ.

Click to expand...

Thanks Markedman,

As all the mark amps and Mesa preamps I've had, I don't like the settings that are in the manual. Would you like to share some of your settings?

Wow! With the EH tubes sounds much much better to me.

Getting the tubes in the sockets was a main PITA though since the sockets are inside the chassis. Any tips on how to align the tubes properly when inserting them?

Most Mark amps I've had the pre-amp tubes always went in in the same direction when aligned with the chassis. I take note where the gap is in the pins, you can take a flashlight and a mirror to check which way they go. As far as my setting, they're different over time, any day I turn it on it sounds different and a lot depends on how loud I play. Lately for classic rock I have left all the knobs pushed in, no shred, volume 1 around noonish, treble @ 1:00, presence has been creeping up every day and now it is at 2:00, mid is all over the place depending on the song as it adds a lot of warmth on 2 & 3, channel 1 mids are at 3:00. Bass is @ 11:00 for 2&3, 5:00 for 1. Keep in mind your GEQ settings will negate a lot of the rotary knob twisting you do, and I've seen more V settings than what I do, I'm more an M man myself with the middle, 750 slider, near the middle line. One thing for sure is the amp needs to be turned up before anything good happens!

I'm using a les paul with a 498t in the bridge for channels one and two. Also a PRS with the 408 pickups, which are very similar to the 57/08's. Very little adjustments are made to the tone controls when switching guitars. Gain and presence are all pushed. Channel two sounds so close to Metallica's black album tone it's funny.... Very funny, because I can't help but laugh when I start riffing on that channel. Channel 3 is set up for my Alexi Laiho sig guitar tuned currently to drop B. I'll engage shred mode for that setup. It has a blackout pickup with a gain boost, hence the gain at 9 o'clock. Without the gain boost I'll bump the gain to noonish. Going through a mesa 2x12 horizontal with v 30's.

A tip for lower gain stuff. Try setting all your tone controls at or below 9 o'clock. Use the presence for brightness. All the tone controls add gain, so keeping them low will help tame this beast. Then fine tune with the GEQ. Enjoy

Oh yea, GEQ 1 is for channel 2, although it sounds good without it and GEQ 2 is channel 3. :mrgreen:

When I first played the JP-2C I dialed in my Mark V settings (using channel 2 and GEQ 2 of the JP-2C) and thought it was cool - but not awesome... Then I saw, that the EQ wasn't activated

I was blown away right from the start, but had to adjust the highs and the lows - especially the 80 and the 6600 Hz sliders - for fine tuning... I think that's mainly because of the pull deep being activated in this amp.

Now I'm kinda in the old struggle, of how many mids I'm using.

Anyway. That's what it looks like at the moment:

Thanks a lot guys!

I'm going to see if I can crank the volume a bit this weekend.

When putting back the stock tubes, I swap them in different positions, and I find that it sounds better now that when I first got the amp, so I don't know if one of the tubes is going bad.

I use one of the little round mirrors that is on an extendable arm, whenever I'm changing tubes. Then I can see exactly how the the socket is oriented and it's easy(er) to get the tubes in.