NAD: Mesa Mark VII, Warming Up to this One Beautifully

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dead-pan

dead-pan

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After swapping the stock red 6l6s with gry 430s I am loving this amp! Very versatile harmonically rich.

Why so cold of tubes stock though! I get that you would expect to play these loud but at moderate volume these tubes are just too cold.

With 4 STR430s installed the power scaling sounds mostly like louder versions of the other settings. With two yellow STR445 in the outer pair there is a bit of girth added to the 90 watt setting.

The modes are all very different and great IMO. It really feels like 4 different amps and this sets it apart from other amps IMO.

When I first plugged in, I was underwhelmed. I can see why many don't get along with Mesa amps and I'm sure it has to do with power tubes.

I have to pull the chassis to check the bias. Will probably do that soon.

Anyone experiment with EL34s in these?

20240807_151047.jpg
 
Interesting. I tried one and a JP2C a few months ago and I liked both. I like the flexibility between the channels. If my finances and life in general settled down I would love to get one of these and another Atla.

The other amp I would like to check out is the Laechtlaerm (sp?) amp. The only thing that gives me pause there is everyone always gush over new brands when they first come out then they kinda die off Dover, Omega, Driftwood etc
 
ClintN667 said:
Interesting. I tried one and a JP2C a few months ago and I liked both. I like the flexibility between the channels. If my finances and life in general settled down I would love to get one of these and another Atla.

The other amp I would like to check out is the Laechtlaerm (sp?) amp. The only thing that gives me pause there is everyone always gush over new brands when they first come out then they kinda die off Dover, Omega, Driftwood etc
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I have an older JP2C and like it. It's not as versatile as the VII but does it's thing very well.
 
Need to try one of these. About the tubes, definitely not familiar with them but are the 430 still in production? I bought a jp2c new with bad tubes out of the box.
 
Well, get rid of it before the new 2c+ reissue drops and everyone is wanting one of those instead :D
 
Cold tubes are probably reasonable, as you don’t want power amp gain, relying solely on preamp gain in Marks. I might be wrong though.
 
CrystalSky said:
Cold tubes are probably reasonable, as you don’t want power amp gain, relying solely on preamp gain in Marks. I might be wrong though.
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At high volume levels I can see this but at moderate levels it's too jagged and peaky for my tastes. Rectos also.
 
VESmedic said:
Well, get rid of it before the new 2c+ reissue drops and everyone is wanting one of those instead :D
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I like this amp enough it's not going anywhere.

But I never sell any amps so...probably should move a few.

I honestly can't see any Mark topping the IV mode on the VII. It's that good IMO.
 
The IIC+ reissue is real. The prototype has been seen but who knows what will happen now. Just heard Randall Smith was fired by Gibson. People are ticked. Could be a mass exodus from Boogie.
 
I'm not a Mesa expert, although I have owned many.
It seems to me if there is to be yet another 2C+ Reissue, I always believed a big part of those amps (2C, MK III, MK IV, Quad/ Studio Preamp) was the Push/ Pull functions, Simuclass, Harmonics switch on the back, etc. Do it right or don't do it at all.
 
It is for sure a thing ( the 2c+ reissue). Saw it with my own eyes, looks just like the original. I was told not to screenshot it so I didn’t. There’s another reissue amp in there too coming ;)
 
VESmedic said:
It is for sure a thing ( the 2c+ reissue). Saw it with my own eyes, looks just like the original. I was told not to screenshot it so I didn’t. There’s another reissue amp in there too coming ;)
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Is it the .22+?
 
I believe it’s the dual rec version G. Going to be the standard rectifier model.
 
VESmedic said:
It is for sure a thing ( the 2c+ reissue). Saw it with my own eyes, looks just like the original. I was told not to screenshot it so I didn’t. There’s another reissue amp in there too coming ;)
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Daaaamn! Any dates? Any info?
 
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