Red Baron
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2004
- Messages
- 6,781
The Skylark has less bass, in fact some may feel it doesn't have enough low end. I think it's perfectly balanced for it's size and power rating, and works well with all types of guitars. Sounds amazing with my Les Pauls, very full and balanced. The low end is round and firm, but not super stiff. The Skylarks mid range tone can sound very similar to a Rambler cranked in low watt mode.
The Mercury V has more low end that's tight. I keep the bass around 9 o'clock with my Les Pauls and higher if needed with single coils.
From my standpoint the Skylark and Mercury have similarities, but are still very different amps in general. I like the differences each amp offers. The Skylark has the bounce and tone of various old Fenders with a little British flavor with Carr own take tossed in. The Skylark also has this super fast response with a very sweet overall tone range. It also has a very singing lead tone with my Les Pauls that I love.
The Mercury V is much more Marshall flavored, but does have some Fender like tones tossed in. It's also a little louder in the bedroom compared to the Skylark, even at its lowest attenuated level. The tone is bold and somewhat firm or tight compared to the Skylark. The Mercury has that bright Marshall like crunch or grunt, while the Skylark has some crunch is more on the smooth brown side. Both amps are amazing, just different.
The Mercury really shines when cranked and has a lot more clean headroom with endless overdrive options. Cranked it seems much louder that 16 watts. The reverb is also very different on both models, the Skylark being a little more traditional while the Mercury is more ambient but does offer some surf like splash.
I love them both for different reasons.
Thanks for your insights, sounds like you can't go wrong owning both, absolutely great amps. :salude