I've been using Mark 3 heads and combos for awhile now and am taking the plunge into a Studio Pre and 2:90 rack rig for the first time. So far I've got a bunch of questions, and I'd love any feedback (har) from anyone who knows their way around these things!
I'm gonna swap some tubes around to see if that tames the gain and crunch, hopefully I have some AT/AU/AY7s somewhere.
- Once I've got everything connected, which volume control(s) should I actually be adjusting, and which should I just set and forget...the master volume, the output levels, the power amp's volume knobs?
- Plugging the SP into the effects return of my green stripe Mark 3 combo and comparing the two, is it normal for the SP to have a lot more lead channel gain? I was setting it around 1-2 (with the input dialed back to 4-5) in order to sound something like the Mark 3 on 5-6 (with the input on 7-8), which seems...odd.
- Still comparing the two and trying to set aside that huge gain difference, it seems like the closest I can get them is flipping all the SP switches on and leaving all the Mark 3 switches off. At that point the rhythm channels are similar, but the SP's lead is still a bit thicker, more saturated, more crunchy, and more prone to farting out if I'm not careful with the bass knob. I don't dislike it, but I was surprised...if anything I'd expected the SP to be lower gain and less crunchy. I'm getting almost a JCM 800 vs 900 vibe here.
- Speaking of which, I was expecting the "fat" switch to act like the bass shift on a Mark 3, but no...it definitely doesn't add low end, and if anything it seems to add or move around some midrange. Might be something like the Mark 3 treble shift, but more subtle? Weird!
- I don't know the history of this thing's tubes, but they're all Mesas (including the V1 with its little rubber jacket). I wonder if they're old or even original, and that's why it sounds wacky compared to a recently maintained combo.
I'm gonna swap some tubes around to see if that tames the gain and crunch, hopefully I have some AT/AU/AY7s somewhere.