We are pleased to announce that Thunder Road Guitars is now a Mesa/Boogie dealer. When it comes to amps, nobody boogies like Mesa.
You'll love this JP-2C Head inspired by John Petrucci. Wine Taurus wrap with Wicker grill cloth. Read below for more details and specifications.
FROM MESA/BOOGIE:
Inspired by our longstanding relationship with John Petrucci and more than 30 years of collaboration we are proud to introduce a MESA® first; The JP-2C™. Our first unlimited-build Signature Amplifier.
And YES, it’s a MARK IIC+! A next generation Re-Issue of the legendary amp so many Recording Artists, MESA enthusiasts and Tone Freaks the world over covet, often searching high and low to find. Only THIS IIC+ pulls in an enhanced feature set born from our collaboration with John over a period of three decades of research and development.
Much like a race car or fighter jet, the JP-2C strips down to bare essentials to get the job done effectively, in the simplest way. It’s a purpose-built, no compromise rendering that aims at one single goal; deliver the most aggressive, purest sounding IIC+ EVER in a versatile package that delivers the goods to meet John’s recording and stage needs. All Things Heavy! But more specifically; the highest headroom Clean sound possible, a Crunch rhythm that has Lead Channel gain available, but is tight, grinding and articulate, and the ultimate Boogie® Lead Channel with access to even more saturation and the ability to track any technique and speed while also reaching to the stratosphere for single note solos.
In that spirit, unlike other MESA amplifiers, the JP-2C foregoes the concept of multiple voicing Modes derived from other MESA circuits and instead dedicates each of the three Channels exclusively to circuit voicing’s of the MARK IIC+, including the new SHRED Mode, which further enhances the top end harmonic layering of the original IIC+ Lead Circuit.
Channel 1 is dedicated to Clean sounds and is optimized for the maximum headroom possible in the preamp section. Power section clip may be employed to attain some degree of overdrive in Channel 1, albeit at very high volumes due to the 100/60-watt rating of the JP-2C power section. Additional “drive” may be sought in the upper region of the MID control (above 12:00 noon) as the MID pot employed here is the same value and taper as our MID/BOOST control found on some of our newer MARK SERIES amplifiers. However, increased headroom in the preamp reduces the amount of overall “gain-boost” available as compared to our other amplifiers with this feature. This fact renders this more powerful MID control as just that, a MID that has increased range to add more midrange frequencies and a “cleaner” gain-boost into the mix.
Channel 2 is the JP-2C’s Crunch generator. This Channel is all about aggressive, tight overdriven rhythm sounds delivered with amounts of Gain usually associated with Lead Modes or Channels. It IS in fact a Lead Channel, the LEAD Channel from the MARK IIC+ in its original state, circuit-wise. The setting of the Gain has been optimized for its performance in this category of sounds and though it can definitely be used for Lead sounds of all kinds, it is perhaps the best choice when dedicating a Channel in the JP-2C to Crunch rhythm work.
Channel 3 is created with soaring lead sounds in mind. Our first priority was to meet and even exceed the incredible explosive attack, blistering sustain and harmonic complexity of the very best of the MARK IIC+. We, along with the amplifier’s namesake, feel we have achieved exactly that. Channel 3 boasts all the nuanced performance of the originals and delivers it with unbelievable authority due to the 100-watt Class A/B (versus 90-watt Simul-Class™) power section. This difference in power section serves John’s musical style extremely well - In fact, his absolute favorite amplifier of the many IIC+s he owns is a 100-watt model. Channel 3’s character is therefore a little warmer, fatter and compressed and this plays well into its intended application for lead work of all styles and gain requirements.
The JP-2C incorporates a new voicing feature in the high gain Channels not present in the original MARK IIC+ LEAD Mode that further enhances the harmonic layering of the top end. This 3-position switch located to the lower right of the EQ 2 window affects only Channel’s 2 and 3 and adds an additional layer of upper harmonic content in the high gain Modes. It is especially beneficial for high gain Crunch Rhythm sounds as it lends aggression and three-dimensionality to the sound, adding a harmonic haze that rides atop the fat, grinding wall of gain.
This new voicing Mode adds even more versatility to the already powerful array of sounds in the Encyclopedia of Heavy that is the JP-2C. And with the ability to run SHRED active on one or both high gain Channels, combined with your no-compromise EQ choices, you can now craft the ultimate Crunch rhythm and Lead sounds in the same amp and switch instantly between them.