Mesa Mark 2c+

[dgstandard]

I don't know much about these but one popped up locally. Any opinions?

 

The specifics:

 

-Mark 2c+ simuclass

-koa cabinet with the cane grill

-the fellow bought it in 1986 (the amp was made in 1985) and used it to play country music:)

-the amp is cosmetically in good conditions and has no issues

 

What are these amps worth?

[pamackie]

I will suppress my immediate urge to say BUY BUY BUY until I know how much he's asking.

[jlb32]

 

I will suppress my immediate urge to say BUY BUY BUY until I know how much he's asking.

 

 

Same here on the price. I love the amps but not for what alot of sellers want for them. Does it have the onboard EQ?

[pamackie]

Suffice to say those are legendary amps, in any incarnation, and fairly rare at that. A goodly number of the best guitar tones of the mid-to-late 80s/early 90s were produced with the Mark IIC+. Models with the onboard GEQ are worth more.

[madryan]

The GEQ version is really the only one that's worth what people want for them. There are originals and ones that were converted by Mike B at Mesa. You need to do the loop test to make sure it's a real IIC+ and it needs to have the original output tranny. Also, if it's original plan on having boogie service it as they're all old enough now that a cap job would be wise.

 

A nice one in a hardwood shell can fetch anywhere from $2000 to $3500 depending on the options and whatnot.

 

You must read up on them on the boogie board or risk getting hosed.

 

All that aside they're an amazing amp. Probably top 5 ever built when it comes to high gain tones.

[dgstandard]

Well, I bought it!

 

$1,600 CDN

 

 

The guy was in his late 50's, early 60's and still playing in a band. He was choked up when he left. Seemed like a really cool guy. Man, could he play.

[THEE HAMMER]

Well, I bought it! $1,600 CDN The guy was in his late 50's, early 60's and still playing in a band. He was choked up when he left. Seemed like a really cool guy. Man, could he play.

 

 

Smoking good deal, and a beautiful piece.

[Cougar Hunter]

no EQ

[madryan]

The ones without the EQ still sound great, they just don't bring the brootalz as well.

[dgstandard]

Thanks gents, much appreciated.

[Slaymoar]

Graphic or parametric EQ in the loop = same {censored}ing thing.

[jlb32]

Graphic or parametric EQ in the loop = same {censored}ing thing.

 

To me a graphic EQ in the loop is never the same as one built into the amp. I don't know what the difference is since I'm not a amp guru but I've never been able to get the same results from a amp with a external EQ over one that has a onboard EQ.

 

Either way it's a great looking amp and should sound killer.

[Valtiel]

To me a graphic EQ in the loop is never the same as one built into the amp. I don't know what the difference is since I'm not a amp guru but I've never been able to get the same results from a amp with a external EQ over one that has a onboard EQ. Either way it's a great looking amp and should sound killer.

 

Without detailed info about the EQ's its a crap shoot in terms of matching them up, even slight differences in Q, especially in the sensitive midrange area will make a huge difference.

[KCTigerChief]

{censored}, good deal. With or without GEQ

[eudaimonia02912]

Congrats, man, and great deal.

 

There's a shop nearby with a IIC+ GEQ at a low price. I don't dare try it.

[KCTigerChief]

Congrats, man, and great deal. There's a shop nearby with a IIC+ GEQ at a low price. I don't dare try it.

 

Price?

[eudaimonia02912]

Price?

 

It was around $1600 for a combo. Empire Guitars in Providence, RI. That was about a month and a half ago, so maybe it's gone. But they're not like GC--they keep inventory like that for a while.

 

I don't remember whether it had reverb and what wattage it was. I also didn't play it--I was worried I would buy it on the spot and then have a pissed off wife--so I didn't do the loop test. The serial number was right in range, though.

[KCTigerChief]

Fuuuuck want

[eudaimonia02912]

On a related note, here's a Mark IIA on eBay, currently at only $237.50 with 2 days to go.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mesa-Boogie-Celestion-MC90-90-Watt-Tube-Amp-Blck-Shadow-/230640122946?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b338fc42#ht_3932wt_1120

 

The shop owner doesn't know what he has. But it's a Mark IIA.

[DeadNight Warrior]

Without detailed info about the EQ's its a crap shoot in terms of matching them up, even slight differences in Q, especially in the sensitive midrange area will make a huge difference.

 

True, but at the same time that's not to say you won't be able to get great sounds with a separate GEQ or PEQ, just that you won't necessarily nail what the built in Mesa GEQ would do. But if you've never owned one before anyway...

[ke2]

To me a graphic EQ in the loop is never the same as one built into the amp. I don't know what the difference is since I'm not a amp guru but I've never been able to get the same results from a amp with a external EQ over one that has a onboard EQ. Either way it's a great looking amp and should sound killer.

 

 

I had a 60 watt Mkiic+ without the EQ.

I ran a Boss GE-7 or a Behringer parametric in the loop. It might not've sounded 100% like the ones with the built-in variety, but it sounded DAMN good.

 

Get a G-major, use it for channel switching, and use the EQ of the Major to boost 80 hz, and suck out 750. It will sound good.

[vic]

the non eq one are punchier according to mike b

[Slaymoar]

Without detailed info about the EQ's its a crap shoot in terms of matching them up, even slight differences in Q, especially in the sensitive midrange area will make a huge difference.

 

I did this experiment for argument sake last year with the GEQ on/off VS a crappy 7 band GEQ (on a mark 4b). There is not a sound I couldn't reproduce with the 7-band. If there was a difference, it was very subtle and I couldn't tell. Maybe a side-by-side would expose certain detail a bit differently. The mesa GEQ is just a simple GEQ, I don't know why people rave about it..

[tech21man]

I also thought at first that the eq is a must. It isn't but makes things better for having two (at least) sounds from the amp in a gig. First of all, the hz on the mesa sliders are not the real ones, I don't know why mesa puts 6,6 khz for the high treble but from the components, it almost 2khz below...same goes for the other ones. Take that into account when you will try to emulate the result with an outboard eq.

 

You can always cranck the pressence up and get a good punchy heavy tone without the eq in my oppinion in a gig. And the cleans tend to sound better without the eq (when set to the classic V) anyway which is why there was an auto function which brought automatic the eq in when switching to lead and out for the clean channel.

 

Also remember that the eq sliders make their best result almost dimed, they change logarithmically or something so you always tend to find photos with the mids almost completely scoop and treble almost to the high line of the eq.

 

I can't remember if I read it correctly but the geq comes with something like a parallel mix in the signal??? So technically adding another to the loop is not going to be the same. The info was on boogie board by the way. Also even if it is in serial mode with the circuit, it still comes and goes (and pushes) another part of the circuit, (for example if it is before the tube that buffers the loop it can overdrive it whereas an outboard eq won't).

[Flogger59]

I had one that looked like the OP's, but was fully loaded (EQ, Simulclass, EV, export transformer) in a flight case for $1100. Sold it two weeks later, because I lived in a third floor walkup at the time. The guy I sold it to had two hernia operations the following year. Sounded tits, though.