Mesa MKVII vs Mesa JP-2C

I shoot out the new Mesa MKVII and the Mesa JP-MKIIc+.
Modes - MKIIc, MKIV & MKVII - with * without the boost pedal
I also Shoot out the clean channels.
Bonus round - Mesa MKV 25 vs Mesa MKVII
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[@williamscolaro1159]

Absolutely awesome to have a shootout like this so early on! Nice job!

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you!

[@acbenitez3614]

I did not even know Motor City Guitar existed until you told us about it, so glad they are around, and so close to where I am at. thx.

[@SuperHotrod4]

Keep in mind, with the eqs on these amps you could probably make them sound the same in a blind test. Not to mention you’re only hearing this demo with the EQ setting that he sets his JP at. Twist some knobs and your in the ballpark. No two JP sound the same, no two fenders sound the same. Sometimes you gotta bring more base up on one than the other, etc.

[@SuperHotrod4]

I watched this video about five times and damn that mark seven sounds good! That tightness would track extremely well in the studio. I love both these amps

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thanks for commenting and for watching. I agree, that amplifier freaking slayes.. It's awesome.

[@Mr_Woodchuck]

Great video, another fun thing to add to the equation is the JP2C allows you to pull out the presence which gives it the original 2C+ presence control versus it pushed in which is the way Petrucci uses it. I am not sure which presence variant the Mark VII has.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Correct! I forgot to mention that. Thanks

[@vincelupone]

VII presence is similar to the older Marks, or pulled on the JP2C. I run the presence at about 2 or 3, very similar to how I'd run it on a Mark 3 or 4, or the pulled presence on a JP2C.

[@ruhrpottflo2249]

I love my mark V . It’s the holy grail for me. Thank you for this video . Cheers from Germany 🇩🇪 🎉

[@howardgillingham4763]

Mark 5, is my favorite also. Badlander is also great

[@charlesrocks]

The Mark VII sounds fantastic. I love my JP2C. Can't wait to rack and gig em both.

[@tonykrawzik8176]

Happy Sunday everyone!😃🎸Hammer of the God's today with these 2 amps back to back will be fierce..! Can't wait 😊

[@derekwoods8199]

Awesome shootout! You’ve gotta be one of the first to put some time into a direct comparison on KZbin. Kickass work

[@soundthesirens4886]

Just found your channel and I gotta commend you on how great you demonstrate these amps and how down to earth you come across! You’ve been a big help with me choosing what to buy next keep up the great work brother

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you so much! I'm glad that you enjoyed the video. I appreciate the kind words very much. Which one are you going to get?

[@Treachery93]

Let's see a shoot out between the Engl Savage 120 Mk II and the Mesa MKVII.. That would be a great match up!

[@jasonapmarshallful]

That was f#@$&ing awesome dude! Thank you for all your hard work on this channel bringing us all these awesome amps. I have the JP2C and when using the shred mode you really do have to re eq the graphic and pre eq to get the most out of that mode, however when you do it absolutely crushes. Both amps sounded amazing.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thanks for commenting. I really appreciate the kind words. I'm going to experiment more with my JP soon. So many awesome things to discover in that amplifier.

[@duck2587]

Yes engage the shred mode, back off the gain a hair, drop a presence a lot and it really shines. This is the trick and makes the jp2c even better

[@jasonapmarshallful]

@@duck2587 I find that I can run the bass knob a lot higher and lower the treble and presence a touch as well and bring in a little more low mids on the graphic eq. It’s definitely more modern sound in that mode and works great for down tuned guitars.

[@Antonyallen429]

Hey Jarod. Finally a metal review on the MKVII. Thanks man

[@jminogue413]

Thank you so much for this! I’m sure I’m not alone in having a hard time deciding between the two, and I couldn’t find anything until I stumbled upon this video. Everything is captured and explained impeccably.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

My pleasure. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video.

[@ronniewebster4365]

When I engage the Shred switch I back off the treble and add more bass to the pre amp :)

[@gitarman666]

Thanks for this one bro, it’s just what I need to choose I had a brand new jp2c for 3 days and it’s hot but been waiting for the tone showdown with the new kid on the block

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

My pleasure!!

[@ribbontier4life]

Waaaaayy too much gain bro, if you dialed it down just a bit it won't be so loose and sloppy sounding.. Less is more! Cheers 🍻

[@realtruenorth]

Mark vii vs Mark v would be a great battle to

[@Eliphas_Elric]

Mark VII's IIC+ mode is probably the same as the V's, in that it was based off a IIC+ without the GEQ, which used a smaller capacitor that cut more lows from being passed to the power amp, where the JP2C is modeled off Petrucci's IIC+ which had the GEQ. The best comparison probably would be the Mark IV mode against the JP2C as the preamp sections are almost identical between the two.

[@admgloval]

Great shootout, hard to choose between the 2 amps. Both sound pretty great! I do like the extra midi control that the JP2C has plus the extra EQ.

[@johnbach2380]

Amazing comp so far. These amps definetly sound like they got a bit PEPPER IN EM.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Haha they sure do!

[@tylerreid8852]

OK, this is the demo Iv been waiting for, thanks Jarrod. You da Man!

[@martinhensley2377]

MKVII and JP are both great sounding amps.

[@nathancloud6344]

Thank you Jarded and Tone Wars for all you do!!!

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

My pleasure!!!

[@Marcus.81]

Thanks man - pretty much the exact comparison and talking points I was hoping to see.

[@Hagstrom4ever]

Hey man, awesome vid, if you want a tighter sound on the JP maybe try lowering a tad the gain control until you hear the pick attack becoming faster. Old trick learnt from the Mark IV 🙂

[@cuteasxtreme]

Please tell me he dropped the bass knob for this one

[@axepharaoh]

Great job man! Basically what I thought, sounds even closer than expected, for the pure metal player who doesn't care about crunch sounds, the JP2C is a no brainer with the 2 EQs and Shred. And it's not like the VII is cheaper lol You delivered!

[@jjellen5804]

The vii is cheaper?

[@masterofreality230]

I do have a Mark V 25, got it for $950 about 4 years ago, no regerts.

[@mattb383]

Great video comparison. Would love to see you compare with the vintage true Mark IV.

[@MotoRiff77]

It's crazy that Mesa can cram so much in such a small headshell

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

It really is!!

[@ivsiguitarist]

Your evaluation was spot on.

[@slipvayneknot]

Awesome review as ever brother! Might have to revisit my V 25 🧐 keep on rocking and keep it metal! 🤘🏻

[@machine-madedog5059]

Jarrod over here making the most important analysis so we don't have to!

[@Depurity]

The JP2c clean channel is beautiful!

[@Taylor___]

Awesome. I know these fractals do a pretty good job but nothing beats the actual amp.

[@gunnerman5435]

Awesome video jarred ,as always. I’ll probably pick one up in the future, that mark iv mode is interesting .

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you. Yeah that mode is freaking awesome. After watching the video a few times, I feel like the MKVII is a little bit less congested than the JP.

[@tonykrawzik8176]

I take it that the new Mark 7 doesn't have the push-pull gain and presence pots like the JP2C has...no one has mentioned otherwise..?

[@sheldonswan45]

Correct, there are no push/pull pots on the VII.

[@seanmackay6739]

The JP likely has the larger coupling cap that let's a bit more bass into the GEQ. The IIC mode on the Mark V/VII has the smaller coupling cap that reduces bass that they used for their non GEQ models. So it has the tightness of a non-GEQ IIC+ with the GEQ. JPs IIC+s are all GEQ models so they would have the larger coupling cap with more bass.

[@gitarman666]

Just sent my new 5 day old JP back to Sweetwater today waiting a week or so for the VII The IIc+ and MkIV modes were close enough to the JP for all my chug needs The second eq can be an mxr 6 band in the VIIs loop and you get a second channel that’s not redundant (2-3 too similar for versatility imho) Less midi control maybe but to have a choice of 3 wattage attenuation per channel at the same time is a great feature The JPs 60w-100w is global Almost everyone has an oxbox or captor x but if something blows your sending both the attenuator and amp out for repair so it dosnt happen again so the fact that boogie engineered them into each channel is huge for big tone at low volumes If I only played the ola style then the jp2c all day, the second channel in that case is a big plus for metal versatility But in my home studio I couldn’t use the shred switch at higher volumes without the uncontrollable shriek, just over the top distorted feedback I think most of us are also going to throw a pre, pre stomp like my collection maxon, TS, JhS Andy, mud killer, Rat or whatever so I’m not worried about finding shriek if I need it at my feet instead of on the head The JP foot control gives you channels 1-3, reverb, eq1-2 for 6 switches so to engage that shred you gotta hit that little switch with your finger not ideal going into a solo But still it was hard packing the jp2c up and driving to FedEx 😢 I had to keep pulling over to explain to it that I just couldn’t afford $8,000 in heads that sound so close in channel 3 in this and ola’ showdown vids

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

I'm glad you were able to make the right decision for you. I hope you love the MKVII!

[@marcgoodson2797]

The shred mode is the key difference !! I think the JP2C still wins the comparison

[@SuperHotrod4]

Yeah dude, thank you so much for this demo! In this demo I think the VII sounds cleaner than the JP. I like the tightness better. Shred is like a pedal n front of the JP, put a pedal in front of the 7 and you n the ballpark. The JP sounds a little buzzy, but obvious both rip!!!

[@lesstalkmoretone3274]

Now that’s a Marky Mark chunky bunch right thar big buddy.

[@Mordecai06]

Great effort, best video for the Mark VII so far,

[@johnnyromero3336]

New Kid on the Block MK VII Vs the Seasoned Veteran JP2C... This is going to good..

[@JDUBBY08]

Appreciate the review 🙏 can tell you did your homework on both and put a lot of effort into this video. Both sound good, can't go wrong with either

[@ChanseLFD]

I'm embarrassed to say, I just got a Mk VII yesterday, and I can't' get it to chug or sound like I've heard it sound on a hundred different reviews. The cab I got was a Friedman 2 x 12 with V 30's in it. I don't know what I'm missing, if this is part of the issue. It was the only cab available, but I can take it back and order a mesa cab

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

What mode is it in? MKIV? Mkiic? Are you boosting it?

[@Bognerman14]

Hey brother, thank you again for another good, honest review and comparison. I had a chance to check out the Mark VII in a friend's studio along with the Revv Generator which you recommended. I still prefer the Revv for my style. I've listened to guys say it lacks character and punch compared to other big tube heads, but no way. I love it. I like having the four channels and the feel makes me play better. I swear it does. Like you said, feels like you can do no wrong at times. Feels great and covers all I need from Rush and Van Halen to Alice in Chains to Deftones and beyond. Thanks man, once again. Make VII is sick too!

[@draper858]

I prefer the jp2c but it’s splitting hairs as they say. Both cool (too much gain in my world but I appreciate that you go there for us). ;)

[@Acd81]

Nice job! Always enjoy watching your videos man. 🍻

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you!!

[@jaychen2000metal]

Good vid man but i just don't agree with their eq structuring. I just believe that all the way up on anything is too much and all the way down is not enough and holy ridiculous amount of mids! That 750 is what minus 12 and the bass and treble ones are +12. I do love the idea of dual eq though, especially if they hit different spots than the bass, mid, tre knobs...

[@a-nus]

Totally agree with every point you're making here, tried that trick with cranking the treble on the JP and man it's amazing. both are great amps, but dont see the justification of buying the VII as a JP owner

[@arnulfoparra9498]

Thanks for the shootout ! 👍

[@matthewmcmann7109]

Holy @#!$. That is the sound all us chugging metal heads dream of. You are selling some amps with this one. You should be getting a cut . Great tone, great playing, as always

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you very much! I really appreciate it. Hopefully people click my affiliate link for motor city guitar if they want to purchase one of these amplifiers. That will help out the channel and help the store out as well. It's a great store.

[@astrozombie2000]

Very cool comparison, thank you for this!

[@gregbrooks2841]

Good video i have the mark five for around 10 years now love the amo got the 25 for practice so didnt have to carry the big one. And ya it didn't match up so i got rid of it. It don't compare to it's 90 wat head.

[@BradRocker]

Liking the MK7 just a hair more, so it really doesn't matter they both are awesome !

[@Earth-Worm-Tim]

Dear god that JP-2C is ridiculous 😮

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

That amp will never leave my shelf. It's awesome

[@pip5528]

Another comparison I'd be curious about is the V vs. the VII. I think from a feature standpoint the VII is a side-grade since there are things the V does that the VII doesn't such as the Mark I mode. These two are both awesome and the JP-2C has been a dream amp of mine since its release in 2016 but now I'm slightly torn since the VII is only barely more expensive and both are cool.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

I really wish I could do that comparison for you. I'd like to do it as well just for my own curiosity. Rumor has it, the JP will be going up in price very soon so if you want one, now is the time.

[@pip5528]

​@@TONEWARSgearshow Well, it certainly is already more expensive than it used to be. It used to be $2749 a few years ago and now it's $3349. I've seen quite a few pieces of gear jump up in price in the past few years. My Yngwie Strat was $1900 when I got it in 2021, up from $1700 even a year prior and now it's $2300. The Marshall Studio series has gone up a few hundred as has the DLSR range. Everything is getting expensive due to inflation causing money to lose value so prices go up to compensate. I also heard MESA/Boogie are having parts shortages but I have no idea.

[@mattvdh]

This is like choosing your favourite child

[@michaelallen981]

Very well done

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you!!

[@scotttalarczyk5870]

I’m sure this a dumb question but what exactly is a boost pedal, like just a distortion or overdrive pedal or is there a pedal that is actually called boost?

[@tonykrawzik8176]

I take it the MK 7 doesn't have the push-pull gain and presence pots like the JP2C...??

[@jamesryder9158]

no, it doesn't

[@donciseau]

Excellent playing

[@zool84]

Nice. Shame they exist only on the internet, because they are completely unavailable to a date to be determined here in EU.

[@AdamGotheridge]

Something to consider, but pots have tolerances and can all be different, so the same knob settings might not actually be the affecting the circuit the same way. You'd kind of need to setup the second one match the sound of the other with your ears and see if you can make them the same. I bet you could get super close, and maybe then only main difference would be the tube variance. Maybe it's a fools errand in the end, but fun anyway.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

I totally understand where you're coming from. You are right, sometimes the tolerance different between the pots. I just wanted to set them up exactly the same just to show everyone what they sounded like when they are set up equally I had to bring the amplifier back to the store otherwise I would have done more experiments with it.

[@Always_in_C_standard]

Great comparison, awesome! 😀👍

[@Hpinheiro13]

Would love to hear the 7 with EL34s in it and run the shoot out again.

[@Notryce]

I've had tons of Boogies. I've become an ENGL guy. Boogies are 1 trick ponies. Granted they do that trick very well, but you're not going to get much else out of it other than that "heavy scratchy" presence with bottom end tone. I've found that ENGL (Powerball and Savage) gets that sound and a lot more with many more modern improvements that Boogie doesn't seem interested in.

[@reljamares]

Great review man,which cab did you run the amps through

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you. I ran them through my Mesa 212 with vintage 30s in it

[@bensherman1977]

Would you expect to get a similar tome from the Mark VII Combo? Or do you think the 2 x 12 cab a significant part of the heft and vastness of sound you're getting?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

The 2 by 12 cab is definitely going to sound bigger

[@gravelrocks5588]

Awesome see you soon

[@Derpadeedooda]

Nearly identical but I kinda prefer the 7

[@timmussmann5143]

I love them both….but, I love my JP the best!!!! You never need a boost with a JP but my Mark IV it could use it.

[@howardgillingham4763]

I like the mark 5 better than the mark 7

[@woodward_alan]

Just ordered the VII. Thanks for the compare :)

[@aprilhamlincom18]

And? How is it going with the Amp?

[@woodward_alan]

​@aprilhamlincom18 no regrets. Sounds great

[@Soloist1983]

Tone for tone, I like the VII better over here, but I'm still glad I have the JP2C, it's the perfect performance Mark series amp, it's just a touch less sharp in its palm mute tracking. You can get there with the shred mode but it's just so noisy, the Mark VII gets there with less noise, also, the Mark VII mode can REALLY sound like a recto, or more so a Rectifier Badlander, but with more bass on tap, making Channel 2 on the VII totally valid for high-gain rhythms. Either way, you can't go wrong with either of them

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thanks for commenting. have you tried cranking the treble on the JP and see how tight it gets without a boost? It will surprise you

[@Soloist1983]

@@TONEWARSgearshow oh yeah, I run every Mark amp at 0/0/10, 10 being treble, then gain and presence to taste 👌

[@jordansage9655]

7:40 Sounds goliath.

[@Liberty_76]

JP2C for the win!

[@duck2587]

Did you try to the pull presence on the jp2c during this demo to match the clarity ? If not, that’s leaving a A HUGE aspect out when comparing it to the mark VII. It also will tighten up the amp as well. Just adjust to taste how much you need after pulling it out. (That’s what she said)

[@Earth-Worm-Tim]

@Tonewars I’m on the fence about getting a Diezel Herbert MK3 or the EVH 5150 III Stealth (EL34). If you’ve don’t a comparison before PLEASE respond with the link to the video. If you haven’t done one, PLEASE DO AN A/B comparison of the Stealth & Herbert MK3 🙏

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

That sounds like a fun comparison to do. I will screenshot this and try to get that done for you as soon as possible

[@jroz8111]

Bro amazing video both sound killer, Can i ask what model JP you have? Is it a new one with the new tranny? Shumoacher? Im gonna run both of mine together for some mesa spank!

[@Montreal_Audio_Systems]

Wow the jp was loseing at first i was gonna cry till you put the shred button on wow it destroyed the mark 😂

[@alexsandroaraujofreitas5145]

Great video! Could you please try both vs the Triaxis and simul class 2:90? :-)

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you, i'd love to do those comparisons if I could get my hands on those amplifiers

[@olfarmboy405]

Jp2c for the win!

[@justsomerandomguyman]

JP sounds brighter and more saturated. I prefer it.

[@jameslwashington1]

GREAT VIDEO

[@jackmoulder1801]

Were you playing a legally safe version of Enter Sandman on purpose…?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Yes

[@ericandrews1661]

Good times for Mesa guys

[@Epochstudios]

It's super hard to decide on these two amps. Both sound super killer, both have similar features (I.E. main selling point imo is the cab clone tech) but that dual graphic EQ is super sik but also..."do I really need two graphic eq's? Really?" Man so hard. I'd say the MKVII by a nose hair pulls ahead just because it's slightly more versatile. More modes and I do believe the Cab Clone is probably better and similar to what I had on the badlander but better. Ugh!!! Decisions Decisions lol. So confused man. I just gotta try both myself if possible. And usually that means I have to buy both cause my local shops in Salt lake (although Boogie dealers...Do not have either amp in stock and I can not only rely on my Wes Hauch Kemper profile of the JP2C) Think I'll try the new kid on the block first. MKVII it is! Hahaha

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thanks for commenting. IMHO the MKVII was a bit less congested than the JP. It could've been the settings, but IDK. I think either amp would be good. I love the MKIV mode a lot in the new amp, and the MKVII mode grew on me

[@Epochstudios]

@TONE WARS what do you mean by congested? I think the JP2C is slightly boxy sounding in the upper mids but it could be the same shiz we're both picking up on? Anyway bro, I'm glad you were able to bring this to us ToneWars fans. Killer review and comparison Jarrod.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

@@Epochstudios We might be talking about the same thing but calling it something different. I really think I could have dialed some of that out if I would have brought some of the High mids down in the post eq section. There's definitely things that I really like about both amplifiers.

[@Epochstudios]

@@TONEWARSgearshow oh for sure bro. Both Amps are so damn versatile if one spends a lot of time on a particular sound I know it could be achieved with both amps.

[@heythere6983]

I haven’t played these type of mesas with a band . I’m assuming they don’t cut as well as a marshall? Also are they as punishing on the ears as a el34 or marshall amp? My thing is an el 34 can be more fatiguing in the mids but amps they scoop mids then have to cut on treble and I’m assuming that’s not better. Which would you say is harder on the ears and which cuts better?

[@davidrg1550]

Need to ask and cant see it in the comments. (Perhaps I missed it) Which channel did you use on the JP for the drive sounds.? The reason I ask is that channel 2 is a little tighter than channel 3, that bass in the JP2C you mention could be stripped away for a leaner response if you were using channel 2.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

I was on channel 2.

[@guitarghost1]

So, for a first time Mesa buyer. Sounds like the JP-2c is where to go ?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Yes, it's one of the best mesa amps

[@samizdat113]

MKVII does the thing

[@danc3746]

Great job!!! Question, do you prefer the newer MKVII over the MKV?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

I do!. The MKV90 had a strange gain structure and it was very cold in my opinion.

[@danc3746]

@@TONEWARSgearshow I also agree. I just couldn't bond with the MKV, I want to try the MKVII now.

[@thrash8315]

Basically, if you can own one of these amps, you will be very happy. You cannot go wrong.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Exactly!

[@jumpbackgeno]

My JP 2 kills my M7 hands down

[@marvinrichmondtv]

Nice

[@georgedross4571]

Nice Demo man! Look, I know you got all these amps so it must be irrelevant, but could you do something similar for the Neural 2C+ plugin? I'm curious to see how it fares to the real thing. (Or at least something supposedly similar like 2JP or the 2C+ channel of mesa 7)

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thanks for commenting. I'll have to look into that. I've never played a plugin before. can you believe that?😅 Kind of crazy right? It's definitely something that's been on my mind. When I get time, I'll take a look into those plugins.

[@georgedross4571]

@@TONEWARSgearshow Thanks for considering, enjoying your channel so far, cheers man!

[@ronboos6895]

When you first turn on your Mesa JP2C do you ever get a popping sound with the first channel change? I have a fairly new one and I'm getting the Pop. I let it warm up around 1 minute and have tried cycling through the channels with standby on but still no difference. After that initial first or second pop then it will not do it anymore. Is this normal for the JP2C? This head is a beast and I really don't want to get rid of it so any advice ?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Good question. to my recollection, I don't remember hearing any noise when I change channels after I turn it on

[@xounlistedxox]

Great vid! Curious how you record the amps?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you. I use a royer 121/Shure sm 57 combination.

[@xounlistedxox]

@@TONEWARSgearshow good stuff! Thank you for the quick response. What do you use for amp switching to the same cab?