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The MK50 overlaps the Soldano SLO for sure which is why I sold my SLO 30 a few months back A/B them side by side and the MK50 sounds like a SLO but with more clarity and is more dimensional.
The MKii models are about but people try asking ridiculous money for them which is why they stay on reverb etc forever
Dealer money I’ve picked up both my MK 1 models for £850-899 from Richtone and Guitar Guitar
MKii normally dealers are sitting around £1100-1200 but you’ll see them online with bedroom dealers or muppets asking £2500. Clowns
In any case, I got a MK50 ii from a bloke in NI about three years ago for £1250 (without the FS). And I thought, based on what I'd seen, that was reasonable. I think you'd be doing well to get one with the FS for under £1500.
The ii is a superb amp, the clean channel really is worth the extra for me. But the drive channel is what Cornford is all about. To my ears, you're talking about a bright 70s or early 80s Marshall-derived sound, which of course is roughly where Soldano got going as well, so no surprises there. Without the additional 'Overdrive' switched in, it's spot-on for me for that high-mids-heavy rhythm stuff that's on countless rock records, the sort of thing that The Darkness get in their better moments.
With the OD in, it's a heck of a lot of gain, and plenty of treble bite, which is broadly controllable but can be a bit too much through some speakers. Having never played a (full-on) Soldano, I can't give you any feedback there, but I sold my GTO pedal (the big valve Soldano one) when I got the MK50ii because it was redundant, the 50 covers the same ground. The GTO maybe has a little bit more of that granularity that seems to characterise the Soldano sound, but the core sound was very similar (and that's running the GTO through an AC50, the Heartbreaker, and the Cornford itself). It has the cathode follower stage driving the EQ, which apparently is characteristic in the way it goes into overdrive. It's certainly different to anything else I own and play, but it deserves its place in my small collection.
What else might you want to know:
The switching system is a bit arcane and features a double relay that apparently has a reputation for being unreliable. I have only found this out recently because the one in mine is shagged, and whilst it's not a difficult fault to fix in itself, it's a pain to diagnose (see my recent thread on the issue) because it's a microphonic fault. It's also not the sort of part that is either ten-a-penny or used in a lot of other designs, so it's not a simple mission to get the right bit.
It also features the most deviant footswitch cable connection - a 5 or 6 pin DIN depending on the iteration - which is great for all-in-one-ness but not the sort of thing you find on a shelf in the local music shop (all 5 pins on mine are wired, as is the sleeve - so that's six wired connections in a tiny plug).
Were you to offer me £2000 for mine (once its finished having its switching fixed up), I'd say no. It's the right amp for me alongside my other main choice (the Heartbreaker) because it does what it does well, it's easy to open up and work on (I can follow the logic of the layout on the turret boards), and it sounds great. It's also the case that what £2000 buys you is diminishing as time goes on.
I'm in Sheffield, and if you're really keen, the 50 usually resides at our rehearsal studio and you could come and blast it - although all that sort of thing seems likely to be kiboshed by the end of the week now - if you were so inclined.
I only paid £1600 for a MK50 ii head and cab and that was when Cornford were desirable amps and still in business
Since they went down the pan the prices plummeted. Still getting silly private sellers now asking £550+ for a harlequin.
Yes it was me that bought that rich tone MK50. Zero noise at all for me and it’s never given me any trouble at all
In any case, the 50 and the 50 ii are both serious amps, and will compete sound-wise with all manner of boutique USA exotica.
I've tried a couple more since, but only lived with my current MK50 ii. That amp is bright - and, with the wrong speakers, too bright - but is controllable enough for me with the treble and presence controls, and the choice of speakers. I've got a 2x12 with F70s that suits the MK down to the ground, as it goes. As with a lot of things gear-related, a bit of time spent with the thing has found me the right sort approach with my kit and playing, and I can get it to sound good for me.
All that said, it’s a great example of that bright, crisp drive sound with the emphasis on the upper rather than lower mid range. I wouldn’t sell mine. There are other great amps, but this one is British, wired on turret boards, easy to understand (ish) and service, and has a feature set that all makes sense.