MESA BOOGIE JP2C vs MARK IV: Shootout: Which should you buy?

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? WHICH IS JUST 'BETTER'?
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Mesa Boogie JP2C vs Mark IV Shootout and A/B Comparison
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DISCLAIMER: I love both of these amps, I don't have a favourite I am a neutral because I can't decide myself, this video was uploaded for discussion only, this is not to showcase guitar playing or a particular guitar.

To keep all variables constant, I engaged the Yellow Crunch Channel on the JP2C and the Red Lead Channel on the Mark IV only. My settings are as show in the video and are adjusted on the fly as depicted.

I'm using a KHE Switcher to switch between the two heads and running into a Two Notes Torpedo Captor X. Cabinet Impulses are the York Audio Mesa Traditional 4x12 captures with an SM57 and a Royer 121 blend.
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'The Tone Zone' is a holistic approach to all things tone - my channel is a place for guitar and amp reviews, shootouts, discussion and anything music related. Join me on my quest for tone and please involve yourself in the discussion!

[Knight-brolaire]

I prefer the JP2C. It seems chunkier on the low end and less thin sounding overall. I also prefer how much more saturated it feels.

[VileAndHostile]

In my experience JP2C is harder to dial in. It's this way for all mark heads but especially the JP, each little slide of the graphic EQ will make or break a tone. I generally gravitate to the 2C+ heads because they have that extra clarity and attack to the notes. Hard to explain but power chords and what not are really alive and I think it's the only amp that does it since the 80s.

[paulaskitis]

It’s really hard to chose! They both sound fucken amazing!

[OfficialSNMvids]

I own both the JP2c and a Mark IV rev A and I prefer the JP2C over it only because it has loads of gain, more low end and thicker mids. Each to their own though. I play Deathcore music so that might be why as well.

[jcradical]

It seems like you tuned in what sounds good on the mark iv and then set the jp-2c controls to match the numbers, but not the sound. They're different amps and they need to be set differently. The jp-2c benefits from dropping the treble knob to 12:00-:1:30 and boosting the 2200K slider to around the same area as the treble. When you do that, it sounds a lot more similar to the mark iv. Not the same, but closer.

[robvoyles]

I have 5 of mark series amps, Green stripe, Red stripe, Blue Stripe and a a IIC+.. if they were vastly different they wouldn't have just swiped each version with just a magic marker swipe or a black dot or a + sign. The big difference in the IIC+ and the Mark III was the third channel. Mesa got noticeably different with the Mesa badging vs the Boogie badges. The Rectifier series, The lone star, Road King, Nomad, etc came later and did sound different... The stiletto was probably the most different being EL34 based shooting toward the Marshall tone. Even my newer Mark 5 EL84 based amp sits in my studio with the older mark III'S and IIC+ it too sounds really close even all these years later with totally different power section/ tubes. The petrucci amp is a modern Mark amp and you can line up all the Mark series amps and NO one in the audience would ever know the difference and most guitar players blind folded couldn't pick them out one from the other especially with the transparent EVM 12L black shadow speaker or an MC-90 black shadow. The IIC+ landed production in the right time to become the flagship vintage boogie. Thats when 80's music was huge and that amp was produced at the right time for the players who made it famous. it didn't make them famous. I would argue a Mark III purple, red, blue or green stripe Mark III could have been used by the players who made the IIC+ famous and those albums and concerts wouldn't have sounded any different. They just weren't available at the time those bands recorded those albums. They stopped the IIC+ when the mark III came into production. They stopped the III when the Mark IV started and so on....they are all great amps and tonally are the same. Most of those bands stopped playing the IIC+ and went to the mark III when it came out because the sound was basically the same but the 3 had a third channel, everyone loved that.

[geraldrauch]

cool video brother!!! both sound good to my old ears...i currently run a stereo rig with a mark IVB and a badlander 50W...absolutely love the tone...its gonna get better too as i have a pepers dirty tree on the way...cheers!!!

[trephination]

I own a JP 2c and have owned a Mark IV rev B, I feel that channel 3 on the JP is very mark IV sounding and its like 2 amps in one with more modern features and of course more performance oriented. The JP is so versatile and the EQ does way more than the IV that everything change makes a big sonic difference and they both deserve a place in any amp collection. Honestly if i didn't have my older Boogies, the JP would be my go to modern boogie

[RicardoGarcia-zkzp]

In that sound onesly the mark 4 sounds better for me😊

[scription]

Great comparison! I would just pull the 750 slider down a bit on the IV because the JP is naturally more scooped.

[ceniam]

Thanks for the video mate!
There is something about the JP mids that I don't like for rhythm chug stuff, I also feel that it's too rounded on the attack, it lacks that agressivenes that the IV has. And maybe sounds like more compressed?
The IV is amazing for rhythms and also for leads, now, if you want that petrucci super liquid lead tone nothing will come close to the JP, that smoth lead tone in the JP is really awesome and like an insta-petrucci character, the IV can do that but not as good as the JP (the attack of the pick is much more present no matter what, sounds awesome but less liquid, more agressive, less mids).
I've been trying some NAM captures of both amps and those are my conclutions (I would love to try a real JP with a mic and confirm these ideas though). I do have a IV and I love it

[Uberboogie]

JP2C made based on the 2C+ HRG. Thick bouncier bigger low end pronounced low mod range and it pushes! The MK4 A or B are simul class sounds thiner good for leads.

[SociopatheAssume]

Mark IV any day any time, I like this amp so much, but that being said I don't dislike at all the JP2C, it's good amp, but I could live without. I could not live without my Mark IV, I like that amp that much.

[emilegc]

The feel is both amps is also very different. The JP2C doesn't feel as fun to play to me. Also, the JP2C loses something when using low presence values either pushed or pulled, but with every other mark, including the VII, it sounds good with the presence relatively low, which I prefer.

[jimfindrick]

I liked the MkIV best in your comparison.

[chinamanblues]

the mark4 lot more solid and open in my ear

[mattb]

Mark Iv wins this for me. The JP is great but sounds more compressed and not as tight.

[helf]

It seems that mark iv is darker and compressed.