1978 Boogie MkII questions

[Lefty Phillips]

Hey all, thanks for the add. Clearly, lots of very knowledgeable folks here, so thanks in advance for your help. I'm a player, not a builder, and I've got a 1978 Boogie that I'm refreshing and prepping for use in the studio.

EDIT: Thanks to Joey1970 and Wyzard, I now know for sure that it's a MkIIA

EDIT: Figured HRG out, Hundred watt, Reverb, Graphic EQ

EDIT: Figured out the toggle switch, too. I know I have the part somewhere in a box.

EDIT: Thanks to Wyzard, I now know what V1 through V5 does what.

Finally, thanks to everyone who took the time to look at this thread, even if you didn't have the answer to my (probably stupid and annoying) questions.

https://www.facebook.com/mudfingerindustries/photos/a.5361015150638008/5361013837304806/
https://www.facebook.com/mudfingerindustries/photos/a.5361015150638008/5361013793971477/
https://www.facebook.com/mudfingerindustries/photos/a.5361015150638008/5361013847304805/
https://www.facebook.com/mudfingerindustries/photos/a.5361015150638008/5361013787304811/

 

[Joey1970]

That's a IIA. No effects loop.

 

[Lefty Phillips]

Outstanding. Much obliged, Joey1970!

 

[Wyzard]

That's a IIA. No effects loop.

Not entirely true- there is a rudimentary one, and it's not tube buffered like in the later amps. The send is located under the chassis, and you use the top jack on the back, labelled "send/return". It's capable of producing some ....ah, interesting results, located as it is in the "wrong" part of the preamp circuit.

See page 2:

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/564188/Mesa-Boogie-Mark-Iia.html

 

[Lefty Phillips]

Wyzard:

Thank you SO MUCH for posting the MkIIA Operating Manual!!!

It's not on the Mesa/Boogie website, which I checked before posting. I mean, they have everything BUT, so. I couldn't find it elsewhere, either, but I'm not exactly a genius...

Right there, as plain as day, are the functions of V1-V5. That was the last piece of the puzzle for my OP. I was pretty clear on V1 and V5 just from my own observations, but V2 through V4 just weren't apparent. Now I can roll tubes through the amp with confidence. So again, THANK YOU!

I noticed some other things in the manual that are probably relevant to my interests. I will probably have questions about some of those details later. You and Joey1970 have both hit upon the confusing bit about the difference between the MkIIA and MkIIB; the MkIIA effects loop is "primitive", whereas the MkIIB effects loop is "proper". I get it now.

I bought this amp more than 15 years ago from a session player in LA, for my son. He was into playing alt-rock and punk rock. He gave the amp to me a couple years back, but I haven't needed to use it until now. My #1 amp is a 1967 Deluxe Reverb, which is trapped in Canada due to the border closure. Fortunately, this amp has a really lovely clean sound going on, especially now that I've installed an AlNiCo speaker. I'm going to roll tubes, order a couple of parts (knobs and reverb tank bag and EQ knobs and...) and come back with questions about whatever I can't figure out on my own.

Again, thank you very much for your help; much obliged.

 

[Joey1970]

Serial # ?

 

[Lefty Phillips]

Serial # ?

321X

Sharpie on bottom of chassis: 12/78

 

[Tacosauce]

Hi Lefty,

New member here and new proud owner of a '79 MKiia HunRee head (hundred/60 watt + reverb, no GEQ). I've been combing back through this forum for posts on MKiia's and am wondering how you have been getting on with your amp, since it looks like this post was from a couple years ago. Any thoughts/advice/feedback? This is my first Boogie, I've been using Fenders and Sarno Music Solutions pre amps for the past couple years.

Cheers.

 

[Loral]

Hi Lefty,

New member here and new proud owner of a '79 MKiia HunRee head (hundred/60 watt + reverb, no GEQ). I've been combing back through this forum for posts on MKiia's and am wondering how you have been getting on with your amp, since it looks like this post was from a couple years ago. Any thoughts/advice/feedback? This is my first Boogie, I've been using Fenders and Sarno Music Solutions pre amps for the past couple years.

Cheers.

Hey Tacosauce!

I bought my first Boogie, the MKIIa, direct from the factory back in the 70's. You had to put 1/3 down, and when they were half way to where they thought they would start building your amp, you had to put another 1/3 down, and then when it was time to build, you put the last 1/3 down plus shipping costs. At that time, they would ONLY fly to the nearest airport to you, and you had to go pick it up.

I still have that amp, which is one of my all time favorite amps. It just growls.

I also have a MKIIb which I bought second hand. It's a great amp with many of the same features, but a slightly warmer sound. No where near the same as the IIa.

Here is an audio clip of my playing La Villa Strangiato by Rush live through it. This is the MKIIa through an old Marshall 4X12 slant with original green back speakers in it. If I recall the only effects used were an Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress (for chorus) and a Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man for delay. All distortion is the stock amp. And I only used the amp in Lead mode. If you turn the volume down, it cleans up. All the volume swells were on the guiitar which was a Fernandez Strat with an EMG '58 and 2 single coil EMG's (forget the model).
http://loraljohnson.com/sounds/LaVilla-Live.mp3

Here is a song from a 4 song demo tape we did. $200 got us 4 songs (begin, first verse, chorus, end) just to show club owners how we played the songs in around 1 minute time (lucky if you get someone to listen to a demo that long...) This runs a little fast, I think because it was on a cassette tape, but this is just the MKIIa and the same 4X12 cabinet. No effects.
http://loraljohnson.com/sounds/RollWithTheChanges2.mp3

 

[Tacosauce]

Hey Tacosauce!

I bought my first Boogie, the MKIIa, direct from the factory back in the 70's. You had to put 1/3 down, and when they were half way to where they thought they would start building your amp, you had to put another 1/3 down, and then when it was time to build, you put the last 1/3 down plus shipping costs. At that time, they would ONLY fly to the nearest airport to you, and you had to go pick it up.

I still have that amp, which is one of my all time favorite amps. It just growls.

I also have a MKIIb which I bought second hand. It's a great amp with many of the same features, but a slightly warmer sound. No where near the same as the IIa.

Here is an audio clip of my playing La Villa Strangiato by Rush live through it. This is the MKIIa through an old Marshall 4X12 slant with original green back speakers in it. If I recall the only effects used were an Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress (for chorus) and a Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man for delay. All distortion is the stock amp. And I only used the amp in Lead mode. If you turn the volume down, it cleans up. All the volume swells were on the guiitar which was a Fernandez Strat with an EMG '58 and 2 single coil EMG's (forget the model).
http://loraljohnson.com/sounds/LaVilla-Live.mp3

Here is a song from a 4 song demo tape we did. $200 got us 4 songs (begin, first verse, chorus, end) just to show club owners how we played the songs in around 1 minute time (lucky if you get someone to listen to a demo that long...) This runs a little fast, I think because it was on a cassette tape, but this is just the MKIIa and the same 4X12 cabinet. No effects.
http://loraljohnson.com/sounds/RollWithTheChanges2.mp3

 

[Tacosauce]

Hey Loral, thanks for the reply. And you’re right, that clip is like alvin and the chipmunks fast (but the tone still sounds great!).

Any advice on the best way to run the IIa as a pre amp only? Should I pull the power tubes? If I run a cable from the pre amp out jack to my power amp, do I still need to have a speaker connected? I also know that there’s that jack on the bottom of the chassis that is supposed to be a pre amp out jack- should I be using that one instead of the jack on the back panel?