Boogie Mark series: Same sound?

[Faber]

Okay, sorry if this is a stupid question, but Ive been wondering about the basic sound of the boogie mark 2-4. Do they sound the same, having simply different controls and channels, or are there differences to the sound of these amps? Can for instance a M IV do all the sounds of a M II or III.

If not, what are the differences in sound between these amps?

[leadfootdriver]

From what I can tell from my TriAxis, and how it's explained in the Tri manual; the II has "evenly stacked harmonics". Real easy to chirp, but the chirpy midrange thing gets kinda' old after a while.

The III is supposed to emulate a more british sound, with a slightly looser feel, and an emphasis on upper harmonics, and treble, which is awesome for a crispy rhythm sound.

The IV is the boldest of the bunch with a beefy lower midrange that's full, and thick. Good for leads.

From a midrange standpoint, the III has the least, and the IV has the most.

Those amps had a lot of options through the years. Some had Simul-Class, and others were plain Class A/B. I'd opt for the Simul versions for the finnesse, and feel aspect. The Simuls have a great warm vibe to the sound. If you're into a harder sound, and style, then maybe the tighter Class A/B versions might suit you better. But the Simuls are most juicy!

Also, those amps (the Simul versions) came with EL34's in the outer slots, and 6L6's in the inner slots for around 85 watts or so of power. The IV's shipped nowadays come with all 6L6's. Howerver, you can interchange the outers as you please without bias, or incident with either style of tube if you desire. This is how they were designed to operate.

I have a Simul-Class 2: Ninety Power amp, and I've tried EL 34's in the outer slots, but prefer the extended range of all 6L6's, just to let you know.

Hope this helps.

[Faber]

That's a lot of info, thanks!

So it would seem that they are differntly voiced then. Good to know.
It's not like I'll be getting one any time soon, but several of my heroes (Scofield, Carlton, Ford) have made some very good sounds with the MkII, so I might be on the lookout for one of those.

[leadfootdriver]

No problemo.

Hit up the Boogie site, and download the TriAxis manual. Check out the Lead 2 section. They rave about the Mark II, and how it started the "L.A." sound of the 80's. It's a good read. This will probably give you the best info on each amp as they are all voiced a bit different.