IIC+ Verdict

  • Thread starter Thread starter Exo-metal
  • Start date Start date
Racerxrated said:
Right, I get it, and the JP IS a great amp in its own right. But it ain't no C+. Not in any way, shape or form. It seems Randall may have NOT let Mike B or others truly clone a real deal C+ for the JP.
Whereas, the new reissue WAS cloned more correctly than the JP was. It seems to have some of that feel, which is HUGE and the biggest disappointment for me when I played a JP. Stiff and unforgiving feel, the worst kind possible IMO...that's the JP feel. In fact, the one I played had NO feel whatsoever. The Mk IV I played in the same store slayed the JP in every way.
Click to expand...
Makes me wonder if Petrucci play tested the amp in the same scenario in which he’d use it most of the time; absolutely drenched in delay and reverb. That’ll make it much more forgiving to play, albeit artificially. And it’ll also mask approximately 10-20% of the differences in sound and feel between the OG and JP2C.
 
Last edited:
angelspade said:
If the oscillation only presents itself with the gain cranked...Then there's probably no need to have the issue addressed as we all know that metal guitar players almost NEVER use too much gain.
Click to expand...
I get it. Any of the 4 C+ I had, not only was the sound mushy AF with the gain that high; it was also feedback central. I was able to boost them without feedback, though.
Maybe I'll see one at a GC in the twin cities, and get to play it for a few minutes.
 
thegame said:
Makes me wonder if Petrucci play tested the amp in the same scenario in which he’d use it most of the time; absolutely drenched in delay and reverb. That’ll make it much more forgiving to play, albeit artificially.
Click to expand...
It's crazy...He even does this for rhythm playing...Strange
 
thegame said:
Makes me wonder if Petrucci play tested the amp in the same scenario in which he’d use it most of the time; absolutely drenched in delay and reverb. That’ll make it much more forgiving to play, albeit artificially.
Click to expand...
It IS a really nice sounding amp...but the feel was non existent, kinda similar to a Suhr PT100 I played in a shop long ago. Good sound but no feel whatsoever.
 
Racerxrated said:
It IS a really nice sounding amp...but the feel was non existent, kinda similar to a Suhr PT100 I played in a shop long ago. Good sound but no feel whatsoever.
Click to expand...
It's frustrating when an amp sounds killer, but doesn't "feel" right. I've learned the amp pretty well, but I still experience this with my VH4 on occasion, like the amp is fighting me a bit and has a mind of it's own. In regards to the JP2C...I have yet to try one, so I can't comment on feel...But that shred mode sure sounds wicked as hell in clips.
 
Racerxrated said:
Hellzingtons comparos both have the RI sounding amazingly close. And, he says the feel is 5-10% off from the OG. The fact that is has ANY of the original bounce compared to the OG, is a win. After my experience with a new Naylor having no feel at all when new, then at 6 months of break in it was all there, I'll bet the feel gets better with time with this RI. And, the OG has 415s, and probably Tungsram pre tubes which anyone who's played a OG C+ knows make a big difference compared to whatever shit new production tubes the RI came with. If you match the tubes the RI gets even better.

Yes, if you dime the gain it's a no go with that oscillation. However, I never ran my gain past 6 in any of the 4 OGs I had. Mushy, no definition and just didn't sound very good with the gain dimed.
Hate to say it, but it sounds like Gibson did a better job with this C+ than Mesa did with the prior JP.
Click to expand...
Agree with this completely. FWIW, I really love the JP-2C. I think it's a really cool amp. Granted, I don't run it the way most people do (I put it in 60w mode and don't change the impedance). Anyhow, I think you should just think of the JP-2C as a modern IIC+. It's voiced more modern, has more channels, 2 GEQ's etc, making it much more flexible and gig/recording-friendly. If you view it that way instead of a IIC+ reissue, I think it's a great amp.
 
nightlight said:
I don't know about it, really. I heard @hellzington's clips, and they sound much better than most of the stuff out there.

But I still don't hear the amp sounding like what I think (and I must stress this, having never owned or played a IIC+) sounds like.

Just seems like the reissue is a much lower gain amplifier, for one. The gain structure on the Reissue also sounds grainy to me.

Then on @hellzington's clips, I hear the clean tone tests he did and I know that the amps are definitely different.
Click to expand...
If there's something specific you'd like to hear, I'm happy to put together a short, simple clip.

The Reissue has slightly less gain than my OG. On the clips I usually lowered the Lead Drive by .5-1 to make them equal.

The Reissue has slightly different treble content and is more present and cutting than the OG, which is a little spongier and smoother. This could be due to the recap, however. Someone somewhere said the string clarity on the OG was much better and I thought, "There's someone who's really listening." That string clarity was the first thing I noticed when I got my OG back from Mike B after the recap. Huge improvement.
 
Racerxrated said:
It IS a really nice sounding amp...but the feel was non existent, kinda similar to a Suhr PT100 I played in a shop long ago. Good sound but no feel whatsoever.
Click to expand...
The Suhr (actually mine is a CAA) PT100 can be horribly stiff. Need to try some different power tubes but the thing sounds amazing. Going to roll some power tubes in the JP2c also.

This made a huge difference for a Triple Rec I have been fighting with.
 
Last edited:
angelspade said:
I tried the reissue IIC+ fairly extensively. I've decided to return it next week. Much to my disappointment, it seems that i still cannot play Master of Puppets using all down strokes. I'm considering contacting my attorney regarding false advertising.
Click to expand...
You didn’t find the vial of OEM Bolivian Battery taped inside the Reverb tank? It’s the +++ mod.
 
hellzington said:
If there's something specific you'd like to hear, I'm happy to put together a short, simple clip.

The Reissue has slightly less gain than my OG. On the clips I usually lowered the Lead Drive by .5-1 to make them equal.

The Reissue has slightly different treble content and is more present and cutting than the OG, which is a little spongier and smoother. This could be due to the recap, however. Someone somewhere said the string clarity on the OG was much better and I thought, "There's someone who's really listening." That string clarity was the first thing I noticed when I got my OG back from Mike B after the recap. Huge improvement.
Click to expand...
I heard this in the first dirty example in your comparison video. The way the high strings rang out vs. the Reissue, which had them sounded garbled.
 
skoora said:
I heard this in the first dirty example in your comparison video. The way the high strings rang out vs. the Reissue, which had them sounded garbled.
Click to expand...

That’s what inaudible instability does to the notes.

If someone figures out the true cause of the instability and resolves it, the amp will sound completely different.
 
The real tragedy is… it can’t be modded? Or can it? Because this would be a decent buy if you could get it modded down the road
 
glpg80 said:
I don’t recall copper tape half ass wrapped around a giant capacitor in a JP2C that has double the features and complexity. Gibson fubared this one and is calling a mistake a feature to save face.
Click to expand...
Well from what I understand is while Gibson may own Mesa now Mesa is still made in Petaluma CA at the original Mesa Factory shop by the same employees of Mesa.

If it sounds good then I doubt the tape will bother me though :D
 
glpg80 said:
I don’t recall copper tape half ass wrapped around a giant capacitor in a JP2C that has double the features and complexity. Gibson fubared this one and is calling a mistake a feature to save face.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I mean if a guy wants to go off compressed youtube video look at ola's compare of the amps and the JP2C does a fine job of capturing a more modern take on the IIc+ and comparing the amps and they basically all sound the same.
 
Tone Monster said:
According to my sweetwater rep. He called Mesa on my behalf.
Click to expand...

damn thats interesting...would have generated more fees for 'em i'd think...but i'm sure the workload would be unsustainable for Mike B alone
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top