Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

[Animal]

Let me first off say that I'm not seriously considering hunting down one of these amps since they are so rare in Australia and so freaking expensive.

I'm just curious as to how good these amps are as they are seen as the "holy grail" of mark series. From what I gather, IIC+'s APPARENTLY excell in sparkling cleans, ultra tight/aggressive rhythm tones and sweet, dynamic, saturated, sustain-for-days lead tones. The sound of Master Of Puppets and less recent Dream Theater. A relatively simple amp that goes from a great modern clean to a great modern scream without sacrificing tone in the name of flexibilty. That's my impression anyways without actually ever pluggin into one.

So tell me! Have you ever used/owned a mega booger marky 2-see-plus? Are they ALL THAT for the modern rocker or have they been matched/surpassed (tonewise, not flexibility-wise) by similar boutique amps in recent times?

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

I have limited experience with the 2c+s and tons of experience with the 2b's

The clean is the clean of the GODs, esp if you like sparking cleans, and the option for full fat sounds. Thge distortion on the 2c+s is nice, full, aggressive and focused. Very sweet, classic and saturated. You cannot miss this amazing tone. Mess with the speaker combinations as well, you will be shocked.

Because of the design of the amp MAKE SURE to get the EQ, it makes a HUGE difference. I am not a huge fan of the EV12L speaker, so try other things as well. These amps have a focused tone so they cut thru any band. My 2b (and yes I know its NOT a 2c+) is powerful that it actually cuts over my marshall like butter.

These mesas have a vintage character (open, full, smooth - I don't mean vintage as in weak) that you can't get these days.

If you get a 2C they can mod it to a 2C+. There are some sites and forums - just google MESA BOOGIE FORUM. Look for a guy named BOOGIEWAN KENOBI or something like that - he is THE expert!

 

[Monty-Jay]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

IIC+ is the bomb diggity fresh Juicy thick uber thick cleans, heavy grinding rhythms, and liquidy leads with sustain for days

MJ

 

[ParameterMan]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

I have an 80's Quad preamp. The channel one clean/lead portion of the schematic is identical to the last MKIIC+ schematic. I have to say, with NOS non-chinese tubes and paired up to a real 6L6 poweramp, there's nothing like it at all for that growly sparkly Boogie sound. The channel 2 lead is in some cases, even nicer for heavy sounds. It's tighter, with more gain and a more focused crunch.

You really owe it to yourself to look into one of these. Without the footswitch, they sell for around US $500 on ebay. You need a footswitch to access the channels, as these have no chassis mounted switches at all, but there is a standard one-button footswitch jack for each function on the back panel, so you can get away with regular amp switches.

Go here and check it out under "amps and speakers". That's not me, by the way.

 

[HamerPlyr]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

Yes, they are "all that", IMO. It's a subjective thing, though.

I, too, have a Mark IIB that I absolutely love. Mine doesn't have the EQ. I would love to have it, but this amp was the one that opened my eyes (ears) to the fact that I needed to treat amps as individually as I did guitars- every one of them is a little bit different. This one rocks to the point that I can live without the EQ.

 

[Grandor]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

All reports say... 'hell yeah, their are the bees knees'.

If its good enough for petrucci, its good enough for me.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

I some experience with the Mesas; though my 2-B, and 2-C experience was many years ago. I currently gig with any one of my five Mesa amps: I have a DC-3 112 combo, a Maverick 212 combo, a Mark III 112 EVM combo, a Mark IV EVM combo, and a Mark III Coliseum (200 watt) head and 412 Halfback cab. (I bought this monster 10 years ago!) I also have a couple of the 112 EVM Theile cabs, a 212 Halfback cab, and another open-back 112. You can see I really like the Mesa gear.

Frankly, I was never a big fan of the 2-B. But like many others, I became enamored of the 2-C+, and I still believe it is one of the best amps ever made. These are not bedroom amps, they are designed for gigging musicians who made their living playing. Mesa's cabinet work is second to none--these amps are rugged. Yes, they are PCB designs, but they are built to be reliable. The fully-optioned 2-C+ with reverb, EQ, EVM, and Simul-Class is about as good as it gets: a great sparkling clean tone, and a beautiful sweet singing lead tone--that lead tone not only defines Boogie--Mesa INVENTED it!

Remember that these amps are pretty rare--it really wasn't until the Mark III that Mesa became a "big" manufacturer--and compared to Fender and Marshall, they are still a "boutique". That's part of the reason for the demand, the rarity; but the amps do deliver the goods.

To some, the Mark III falls short of the 2-C+, but I love these amps! My big Coliseum is just one of most glorious amps to play through--every guitar I have plugged into it has sounded phenomenal! Most of time, I can only use it on the 1/2 power setting--it is just too dynamic, the notes just EXPLODE out of the amp using the Full Power setting. It has a sponginess at 1/2 power that allows you to really didg into the strings. Strat, Les Paul, 335--all sumptuous through this amp.

My Mark III Combo is a loaded one, and it has the Simul-Class feature. It really does give the amp a different feel, and allows you to know down the power to around 15 watts for small rooms and such. The extra R2 channel, I use it for blues--or with my Les Paul Classic with its hot humbuckers--times when I may not need all the gain available in the Lead Channel

The Mark IV, takes a much higher level of committment. There are a lot of controls, some subtle and some not; and it really takes some time to learn how best to use it. This can be frustrating in a live setting, though it's perfect for the studio. I use mine live though; like Ronco, I just "...set it and forget it!" I stay pretty close to the sweet spots anyway, so once I got it dialled it, it has stayed on those settings. And again, last weekend the Simul-Class was a real boon, allowing me to get a great tone at low volume. And by the third set, when we were rocking harder--the Simul-Class setting gave me a great FAT tone.

Things go in cycles, and Mark IIC+s are very popular right now. If you like Mesa's philosophy and their tone, then don't pass up a Mark III or even a Mark IV--they are a pretty good value. These are not amps for everyone--they cost way more than a Peavey, they don't sound "just like a Marshall", and they don't have the deep bass that tube Fenders typically have.

There is a myth that Mesas are hard on tubes. What IS true though, is that your amp demands that you use the very best tubes you can.

And a Boogie does give you something extra that few amps do these days, and that is credibility. When you walk in with a Boogie, people KNOW you are a player. If you decide to, you can expect to sell that Boogie in 10 or 15 years, and know that you'll get ALL your money out of it--because it will still be in high demand. That's what I call a GOOD INVESTMENT in tone!

So, maybe you should start thinking about tracking down one of these freakin' expensive Boogies. Play it, live it, LOVE IT!

Bill

 

[suislidE03]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

you sure you dont work for mesa bill? :laugh2:

 

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

Boogie Bill- you just made an even prouder owner of a Mark III loaded 112 combo, haha.

IMO, my Mark III stomps so many amps. I can literally go from SRV cleans with my coil tapped JS1000BP, to heavy rockin distortion with my RG7620. In retrospect, I dont think this would be posssible without the EQ.

But even the Mark III is killer. The whole Mark series is great, but the IIC+ is definitely the shinning stone among the crew. I got my Mark III for only $500. Now try and show me a tube amp that costs that much new and is as versatile and killer? I don't think you can. My next purchase is gonna be a Mark III loaded head with some sort of Mesa 4x12 speaker cab.

I find the second channel a little disapoiting though and only use the clean and lead channel. This amp really reacts to guitars to an extreme. With the gain almost cranked my Satriani sounds nice and full and heavy, but not metal heavy. Throw on the RG7620 and I gotta bring the gain to a little over half way, and even at that point its extremely saturated.

Just killer amps man.

 

[JLagoon]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

Well, I have a triaxis and like the yellow channels, especially rhythm and lead2, which are based on the Mark IIC+ preamp section. I can tell you that the clean is jangling, and lets my guitar sound come out naturally. The lead2 channel has gritty distortion with enough non-flabby low end. It's nice for soloing, it does seem to sustain a bit longer.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

OK OK

MARK 3 or MARK 4?

If Mark 3 - which stripe? I want it ALL! Metal to Jazz - yes really I do. Throw country in! A killer FX LOOP?

 

[HamerPlyr]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

For me, it's the Mark IV. I sold mine, and it's one of the bigger gear mistakes that I've made. I'll buy another when I get the cheese together to do it.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

you sure you dont work for mesa bill? :laugh2:

Oh, SURE I do! Yeah, dude me an' Randy are tight, man! Like, he sends me new amps ALL THE TIME!


NOT!


LOL!

Bill

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

OK OK

MARK 3 or MARK 4?

If Mark 3 - which stripe? I want it ALL! Metal to Jazz - yes really I do. Throw country in! A killer FX LOOP?

Well, .....um......BOTH????

I like the Mark III for live. Simpler controls are handier for switching guitars--like if you want to go from Strat to LP--it's easier to do the "Pull Boost" on the Mark III. As far as the stripe--I'd say either red, blue or green. Green stripes use the Simul-class tubes in Pentode mode. All the others, including the Mark IIC+ use those tubes in Triode mode. Pentode is louder, cleaner--triode is softer, creamier. There are some variations in how the Rhythm 2 mode is set up, as well.

Rhythm 2 is supposed to be a "brown Marshall" sound. There's very little control over this tone--so you're best off keeping the amp in the sweet spots. Still, it can be really handy when I want to "warm up" my rhythm tone--perhaps while doing some octave jazz runs ala Wes Montgomery, with my guitar volume down. Bring my guitar volume up, and now I'm ready for some hot Tejas blooze....and I still have my Lead channel, if I need....more.

But...

The Mark IV has the best loop by far. There really are a ton of switching options on this amp. If you want to use it live, be prepared for a big learning curve. Rhythm 2 has variable gain, more tonal control, and its own master volume. I find this handy LIVE--I can use the massive gain in the LEAD CHANNEL for my G&L Legacy's single coils; while R2 may get a workout when I use my guitars with hotter humbuckers.

Everybody knows about the TWEED POWER settings on the Mark IV--it lowers the plate voltage, reducing the power, saving the tubes a little bit, and makes the amp a little less dynamic--a good thing in many situations. The big switches in my mind are the SIMUL-CLASS/CLASS A switch, the MID-GAIN/HARMONICS switch, PENTODE/TRIODE (affects only the CLASS A sockets)--and the pull switches on the R2 and LEAD channel PRESENCE controls. These controls can do some dramatic changes in the way the amp responds.

With my Mark IV 112 EVM combo and its matching 112 EVM Theile cabinet, I can have a nice, sweet clean little amp for the dinner set; hit a couple of switches and get a great classic rock and blues machine for the second and third set, and finally, for the fourth set--after all the "old" folks have gone home--flipping a couple more switches turns this cute little mini-stack into a snarling, raging tone machine that can push most full stacks into meltdown! And, I will still have a crisp, sparkling, and ripping clean tone.

I'll leave the metal stuff in the hand of Metallica--and warn you that the Mark IV won't do the searing high gain that is the trademarked territory of the Rectos. I prefer the sweeter, singing sustain of the Mark III and Mark IV--I prefer more of a Santana/Larry Carleton type of tone. On my Mark III, my LEAD GAIN is at 6.5; the Mark IV is at 7--so there is still some gain in there that I'm not even approaching.

I like Mesa amps. When I bought my first one, I was playing in a band with another guitarist (the "lead" guitarist, ya know?). All of a sudden, I started getting a lot of compliments on my tone. The band sounded better. He got pissed; went through a LJ Ampeg, a 2203, and a 5150 in six months. Tried to convice me that I should go back to using a smaller amp. We laughed.... :no1:

I think a used Mark Series amp is still one of the best deals available in the market. When you add in the tonal flexibility, reliability, value and resale--you can't beat them.

Bill

 

[JeffB]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

MKIIC+ Greenbacks and a Lwes Paul Custom- Ballad

MKIIC+ Greenbacks and a Les Paul Custom Solo Jam

This is why I'll own a IIC+ or the *right* MKIII someday. I was actually able to dial in something pretty similar with the F30 the other day. Greenbacks would have helped quite a bit.

EDIT: These clips are from Danyeo , a member on HC. All of his clips are friggin great. LINKY

 

[AmpliFIRE]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

Yup....they definetly live up to their hype. I've owned 2 MKIII Blue Stripes and i know have a IIC+. The III's are definetly more aggresive edgy, while the IIC+'s are smooth and very dynamic. I love them both, but the C+ just has that extra something that I can't quite put my finger on. The rhythm tones are killer and the lead tone is to die for.

 

[MDS]

Re: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+'s - Do they live up to their hype?

Oh, you guys are making me think about a Mark. I've lover my DC-5 for 10 years now, but I'd love some more versatilty in foot switching. The Mark IV just seems like the perfect giggin amp to me...

Mike