So it's here.....

Yep, got my JP-2C today. Sorry no photos (yet) as too busy dialling in.

1st observations (and bearing in mind I was an original boogie boy for over 10 years, but the last 10 have been modded Marshall style (Friedman)

Good solid build and size
Stella, bold cleans

Mucho gain

I made the fatal mistake of hooking it up to my Bogner cube with a scumback (GB style speaker) and it was too much fizz. Went and got the Friedman 4x12 and realised that a GB style speaker is so wrong, so will deffo now hunt down a V30/90 or even an EV speaker cab.

So many options and it's classic boogie, in that you must either use the manual or your ears, and not your eyes.

It's going to be a keeper, but I just need to do a but more matching up and a bit more dialling in.

This is a great forum by the way, and thanks to all you guys for contributing to my posts so far.

I was waiting in the other thread for the "it is here" post..... great that you have it now. I added more boring stuff below... Hope you get a great cab to match up with your New JP-2C. 8)

I had experimented with some of the cabs I have. Amp sounded the best though any of the V30 loaded cabs.

I am repeating myself here.... I even shared a recording of the V30 vs EV. Note that the mics did not capture the full tone and overtones you get, actually the V30 sounded much closer to reality but the EV did not as the bass seemed to be subdued. Could have been placement of the mic too. Do not fear the V30 as it will be your friend with the JP-2C. Several things come to mind, Mesa uses only the England made speaker, not the China import. Many other brands will use the China import (including Orange ). Also cabinet cavity will have an overall tune to it or natural resonant frequency if it is made properly it should sound great. Not all cabinets are made equal.

I had to try the EVM12L Black Label speakers as those are closest I could find to the Mesa EVM12L black shadow. not a good fit as it tunes out all of the mids of the amp. I may load my old Recto 412 with the EV's again but still in debate on that.... I tried it though a 1x12 cab with the EV, also removed the speaker I had in my Mark V combo and installed another EV into it. Did not make much of a difference as the speaker definitely enhanced the frequencies I was trying to avoid and retarded the range of mids that make the JP-2C shine above the rest. You would get the same response with an RA100 though an EV cab, not the same effect as a Mark III combo.

My old Recto 412 had the Celestion Creambacks G12H75 loaded into it. Similar tone loss with those too but sounded way better than the EV speaker. Works great with the Roadster (EV also kicks *** with that amp too but has too much drone to enjoy the palm muting characteristic).

Recent OS Recto 412 was the top of the list in terms of grit, grind, clarity and punch. Bass response was respectable and would have stuck with that and either sell my RA100 head as I do not want to buy another 412 cab. Best option was to sink some money into the Vertical 212. Not, if you need to use the amp in a live gig setting or larger venue, the OS Recto is the way to go as you will get the most authoritative tone (aggressive if that is a better term), volume per watt and enough power to cut down the drummer if needed.

Mesa Recto Vertical 212: This one is the bomb, the golden apple, the cherry pie of the Mesa cabinets in my opinion. Nice tight deep bass response just blows my mind considering how small the cabinet is. Easy to control midrange and this is where the JP-2C really sings. Grit, grind, clarity and punch is much more than I ever expected from such a small footprint. Much easier to manage in transport and moving around than the big brother OS Recto 412. I am also amazed how close this cabinet sounds compared to the OS Recto 412. May be about 2dB or 3dB softer in volume but definitely awesome cabinet.

Had to get something different for the Roadster, Horizontal 212. Actually it sounds quite the same as the Vertical 212 but does not project the mids above knee level like the Vertical 212. The JP-2C rocks though this cab too. Either Vertical or Horizontal 212 cab is ideal for the JP. My preference is for the Vertical 212. Roadster sounds better though the Horizontal 212 than it does though the 412 cab. I believe the 212 and larger volume per speaker adds to the depth in tone of the amp. It does not drown out or have any lingering drone after the attack or muted chords. Great for chugging.

I do have enough cabs to run a full stack, have not done so yet.

One last note: Ever since I got the Mark IV I took an immediate dislike to Celestion speakers. I have an EV bias or preference since my Mark III days. I did eventually get used to the MC90 in the MKIV combo. I just could not bond with the OS Recto 412 but held on to it anyways. Mark V was poke in my ribs to pull the V30 speakers. I had commented that " I do not like V30 speakers, not in a box, not in a combo, not ever... Sam I am". That all changed when I got the first RA100. Then a new OS Recto 412 cab came along and was blown away instantly. All of my amps sounded incredible. There is a definite change in design between the new OS 412 compared to the old one. Perhaps you can order the cab with or without flub. So far I have no flub on any of the new Mesa cabs I bought in the past 2 years. I cannot say the same about the 16 year old cab.... Now I am a lover of the V30 and have moved away from EV's (still have all 6 of them, one is still in a 1x12 cab and the others are packed in the boxes they came in ). I could easily sell those dirt cheap as I see no need to keep them. I may install a quad in my old recto cab but prefer the CB75s. V30's are the way to go but that can be a subjective topic.

I am a boogie snob! Other amps are anemic compared to this new master quality JP2C. All other amps are one trick ponies compared to this masterpiece. I never got the profiler idea, the sound was just sterile whereas tube amps breathe life into my playing and this amp in particular lets me shine.

Quick update

I used a CAE 1x12 cab that I fitted with a well worn V30 (UK) and wow what a difference. I've spent the last 10 years with GB style speakers, as it's suited my marshallesque style amps. I've always liked well worn V30s though.

I'm hoping to pick up a Mesa vertical 2x12 next week so the final piece in the jigsaw

Mightily impressed though

It should boil down to personal preference. You may be surprised how the JP-2C sounds with other types of cabinets. I did like it with the cream backs but still preferred the V30 412 cab. I have some more experimenting to do. I will be transplanting the Cream backs to the Egnator traditional sized 412 cab as it has more resonance than the old recto cab I attempted to restore. I will load the EV speakers into the old Recto cab as it may sound better than it did before I killed the resonance of the cabinet. Problems with the old cab vibrations of the top baffle board was driving me nuts. I could front mount the EV speakers if I sand open the speaker hole as I did that with my Mark V combo. Really not willing to cut into the grill though as I had to do that with the combo as well. I will keep it rear mounted. Will need some rubber tape to seal the speakers as the paper felt gasket is not as thick as it was (most of the layers stuck to the baffle when I removed the speakers to install something else, they are still good though.)

Having options is a good thing. At least I have to 212 cabs that are killer. I was considering replacing the old recto cab with a new one but I can always use the cab I bought to match the RA100 head with my other amps. My problem is I am a tweaker, never satisfied with anything (issue started with the Mark V). So far, the JP-2C does not need any changes to make it sound killer. At least there is a cure for tweaking.

Such an amazing amp! I recently sold my much prized Bogner XTC after having both amps side by side for a week. This amp just nails what I have always wanted to hear. Super happy to have it! The vertical Recto 212 is amazing with it...like they were made for each other.

PBGas said:

Such an amazing amp! I recently sold my much prized Bogner XTC after having both amps side by side for a week. This amp just nails what I have always wanted to hear. Super happy to have it! The vertical Recto 212 is amazing with it...like they were made for each other.

Click to expand...

Really like the vertical 2X12 - I have one. Also a 1X12 Widebody closed back. The 2X12 fits it better -but I gotta say, got a chance to plug into a Recto OS 4X12 - it really does outshine the 2X12. Not by leaps and bounds mind you, but it definitely lends itself the the JP-2C. I will keep my vertical 2X12. I used to have the ROS 4X12, and got rid of it for a reason - simply, it's a pain to load in and out of the venues I play. The 2X12 doesn't lose a ton on the 4X12 and the footprint is just so easy to manage.

If back issues and loading into narrow clubs were withstanding, I'd go back to the 4X12.

+1 on the Vertical 212.... I am very happy I got one as it works extremely well with the JP-2C. If I were a gigging musician, I would prefer to take the Vert212. I could fit the amp, cab and my other gear (most important would be the guitar) in an SUV that is not as big on the inside as it is on the outside. The Mark V combo would stay at home as that is too heavy to carry in one hand but I have done so with my Mark III combo in the past as well as the Mark IV combo (reason why I bought a small practice amp).

Not to boast what I have; three 412 cabs (one of which is a traditional sized Egnator 412 that I will be installing Celesiton G12H75 CB.), One Vertical 212 and one Horizontal 212. One is a recent purchase that is all stock Mesa that I bought to match the RA100 Head. When it comes to the RA100 head, V30 seems to be the best option, for the RA100 Combo I prefer the Celestion G12H75 cream backs. However, the other ROS 412 I have has been with me for 17 years. I never really liked it and something about that cab is off. V30 flub was the main issue. It did not pair well with the Mark V at all. The newer ROS is awesome with all of my amps. Now the 17 yr old will work with most as I stuffed the EVM12L Black Labels back into it. Tone may be different but the JP-2C fits very well with a EV loaded ROS412 cab, I like it better than the V30 loaded one. Reason why I loved the Mark V is once I changed to EV, I was happier with the V. Roadster also shakes the house down with the EV speakers..... My first initial experience with the JP-2C and EV speakers was a pair I had used with the Mark V combo (converted the head to a combo) and was not impressed with the open back format. At that time the old ROS412 was loaded with Cel. G12H75 cream backs. Sounded great with the JP and the Roadster. On the flip side, my favorite cabinet to use with the JP-2C has got to be the Vertical 212. I can run the amp at the sweet spot and not destroy my hearing. I tried the same amp settings thought the V30 loaded 412 and set me back a bit as my hearing seemed to suffer a bit. (note to self, do not sit in front of 412 cab when using JP-2C).

A different perspective: I also play drums and bass. I have been focusing my attention with the drums more so than the guitar at the moment as this is a new instrument for me to learn. I have been using a track I had recorded into a TC-ditto looper so I could practices my drumming and hone in on a pattern that fits the project I am currently working on. I had no issues running the Roadster though the ROS 412 (V30) with the amp at 50W. I could not hear the drums doing the same with the JP-2C and it did not matter if set to 100W or 60W. What worked out for the better was the Vertical 212. Part of my issue is the wall of amps is facing the drum set. I would probably have better luck if the amp was positioned differently but do not have that kind of room to emulate a stage setting. Perhaps for an outside gig, the 412 would be the way to go. Small gig, the 212 would be a better fit.

The 212 cabinets (vertical or horizontal) provide ample amounts of bottom end. They sound huge and seem more focused than the 412 cabinets. Also makes for a better option for general playing and mulling around. Sure they are loud but at a reduced sound level compared to the 412 versions. It seems once you add two more speakers in the sound box the overall tone seems to shift in upper mids and top end. For recording, I would probably use the 212 cabs now that I have them. I you have more than one amp, like the wider heads that are more common than the smaller medium sized heads, the Horizontal cab would be a good choice. However, if you are taking it on the road, I would opt for the vertical cab as it is much easier to manage (compared to the horizontal 212 due to single strap handle) and put the larger heads on a stand as they do not fit on top of the Vertical 212.