"If you boost a Mark you're a 'tard."

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GJgo

GJgo

Well-known member
I keep seeing forum posts where some guys say OMG THERE"S NO REASON TO EVER BOOST A MARK AND IF YOU DO YOU'RE STUPID!!! Well first I think blanket statement like this where people are trying to push their ideals on others are stupid. Beyond that, I do sometimes like to boost my Marks because it tightens the bottom end (even further) and lets you access levels of gain & this super awesome CLANK that's difficult (but not impossible) to achieve all-amp. Long story short I almost always turn down the amp's gain to 3-4 & boost my Marks in the live band mix. For recording however I can go either way based on what works for the particular sound. Anyway.. What do you think about boosting a Mark?

In this clip I'm running a JB loaded LTD '87 reissue into @Tone Monster 's IVb, on to a 2001 V30 Recto trad straight cab mic'd with a SM57 & an E609 blended 50/50. I've also got my Amp Shield on this one to help showcase the CLANK though it does also bring some mids forward.. Could be cool in the right mix.

*UPDATE* Decided to add an "in the room" set and re-upload.

Close Mic
All amp 0:00
Fortin TS9 0:24
Boss OD1X 0:47

iPhone in the room
All amp 1:16
Fortin TS9 1:33
Boss OD1X 1:49

 
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I totally agree with your take on boosting and not boosting marks and the scenarios for when to do so. I like them both ways. In your clip the IV sounded great to me on its own, but honestly I didn’t like it boosted with either of the 2 (maybe would translate differently in person or just needs a different boost perhaps). It actually sounded to me tighter with more attack or clank unboosted for whatever reason. The Fortin seemed to make it sound washed out and a little bloated in the mids (sorta like the RTL sound that I never liked) and the od1x had that real brittle and hollow quality (part of why I didn’t like that pedal much when I had one). Just my opinion though. Cool comparison clip as always

I also have still (and love) my Fortin 808
 
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I will say that usually, when recording, I do think straight in has better tone. Where I struggle is that the amp unboosted just can't go to the levels of PM chunk & clank that I really like to feel- so for playing live, it's boosted all the way. However..

Interestingly after watching playbacks of various gigs where I've toggled the boost on & off, I also notice that the Mark guitar tone is always better unboosted. ..Unfortunately it's not as satisfying for me as a player or as easy to hear in the live mix when it's unboosted.. The struggle is real!
 
Amps always sound more open plugged straight in.
 
DanTravis62 said:
Honestly, lots of amps sound better with a boost, but not all

I don't think anyone is really a tard for boosting anything, though. It's always worth a shot just to see what it does
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If you boost a Larry you may be a tard,
 
Beyond Black said:
If you boost a Larry you may be a tard,
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Lol that's actually kind of true, I've done recordings for people so they could actually hear it

They truly dont need a boost, and actually, it invariably loses something and sounds more tinny and squashed, less dynamic

I've messed around with a bunch of mark series, and I personally don't see the need for a boost, but it doesn't seem as outlandish as a Larry depending on which one
 
People boost boosts nowadays, so I see nothing wrong, even though most clips I saw and liked were unboosted.
 
I personally never seen the need to boost a Mark amp. With all the push/pull knobs there are many ways to make the amp super tight. I think it’s a matter of playing style as well. If you’re heavy handed and pick the strings hard you can really play with the dynamics of the amp and dial back the gain to tighten it up. I think often people use too much gain which can make the amp less tight. For me, that’s where the treble knob is the key. Especially on a C++ you can dial back the treble a lot to tighten it up.

In this clip I think the unboosted sounded best. TS9 was less tight and too gainy IMO. The OD1X sounded thin.
 
I liked the ts9 boost the best. I like some frothy saturation and don't mind a bit of mush and fizz.
For recording I would bet that blending that with the sharper/clearer/tighter non-boosted tone would be magic.
 
All sound good, but I'm really liking the unboosted.

:cheers:
 
I’m not opposed to boosting, but the unboosted tone in the OP is not one I would consider boosting
 
All the clips sound good; no boost records a little clearer BUT I still like both boosted clips since they add better mids. I did the same with my C+, gain down to 2-4 and hit the OD1X. Not for more gain, nor for tightness but for the mids it adds. That's why I boost 99% of the time.
 
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Marks get toi congested with boosts for my tastes, but as always, context of the band is what actually determines what's "good tone" or whatever. If boosting tickles your pickle and sounds good in the band, then do it. I opt to not boost amps as often impossible for most of what I do, and really only lean to boosts for amps that really need the gain push or low-end cut, or if I'm playing metal which isn't really what my bands do.
 
I’ll do whatever I want to get the sound I want. I’ll use 10 boosts if I want 🤣.

That said, I try as much as possible to not use a boost, since I want to be as minimalistic as possible.
 
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