$ 4000 C+ on E-Bay

[Boogiebabies]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mesa-Boogie-MK-II-C-Combo_W0QQitemZ300166276669QQihZ020QQcategoryZ43374QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


There are a few opinions in his listing that bothered me.

It's still a good amp, but may need to be restored a bit to qualify as being all original.

 

[tony777]

I AM IMPRESSED! :lol:

 

[JimAnsell]

ha!!! awesome!

the fact that the sellers name is trainwrecker, makes me not so suprised that he wants so much for it.

i could tell that black sprauge cap wasn't original, but the other stuff i had no idea.

 

[Johnson]

As am I! makes me want to take some pictures of the guts of my C+ to see what is original and not. Very interesting!

 

[sundaypunch]

Is there an issue with the tranny? I would think that being dated 3-months prior to the final tech date wouldn't be a problem.

 

[Boogiebabies]

Is there an issue with the tranny? I would think that being dated 3-months prior to the final tech date wouldn't be a problem.

No, my eyes were wrong. I thought it was a 526 for some reason. I was doing 8 things at the same time.

 

[Boogiebabies]

ha!!! awesome!

the fact that the sellers name is trainwrecker, makes me not so suprised that he wants so much for it.

i could tell that black sprauge cap wasn't original, but the other stuff i had no idea.

All IIC+ cathode caps were tantalum or hermetically sealed tantalum. They never used electrolytic or ceramic disks.

The two .01 Orange Drops on the power board are current Vishay/SBE caps and are much larger and do not have the same shape as the vintage 715P's. Mesa sometimes used 225P's there as well, which were smaller.
I might even assume this amp had the 225P's and they were replaced. This was not necessary IMO as the 225P's have a smoother tone. My biggest question is if they are connected with the right polarity. All IIC+ caps in those positions have the Sprague name facing the back of the amp. I don't mind a few replaced parts or upgrades like the EQ pop mod, but it's worth knowing if you were to pay 4K. I would especially like to know the values of of the parts replaced to be sure it was as the amp was designed and not modified. :shock:

 

[dodger916]

Boogiebabies: How do you know so much about these amps?!

 

[dodger916]

Sold for $3,500.

The buyer has made some other interesting purchases, including a 1975 MXR flanger ($325) and a Maestro ep3 Echoplex ($332). Looks like this C+ will be having some fun with old friends!!

 

[jvk]

Boogiebabies: How do you know so much about these amps?!

Glad you asked. Ed is the over-father of The Order of The Boogie. Together with Mike Bendinelli, they share a cyberelectronic spinal cord link-up. This is how Ed can perpetually channel out Boogie wisdom

 

[LockStock]

I bought the amp and plan on taking it to Boogie to make sure all is well. Does anyone here think I made a huge mistake based on the pictures above?

 

[Platypus]

I bought the amp and plan on taking it to Boogie to make sure all is well. Does anyone here think I made a huge mistake based on the pictures above?

I don't think it's a huge mistake but I wouldn't be happy about paying that high of a premium for an altered amplifier...

 

[dodger916]

I can't comment whether it's a mistake. The issue is whether he deliberately mislead you in order to extract a premium price. He did provide explicit pictures, so he is clearly trying to be upfront. He describes it as "In Very Good Condition++", which is subjective, and a deliberate effort not to overstate the condition. His statements of fact concerning the amp include the tubes and the working condition, but I suspect they are both true. The only suspect comment I see is "I have examined the chassis and in my opinion it is all original." Based on Boogiebabies info (an apparent expert), it appears this is not true. Unless you determine the sellers level of expertise, the statement doesn't carry much weight.

The amp looks to be in great condition, and is probably a great example of a C+. The seller has a strong positive rating and plenty of transactions, so he seems straight-up. If you feel strongly uncomfortable about the purchase, you could tell him it's not all original quoting Boogiebaies post, and explain originality was why you paid a premium for the amp. He probably has other offers and could contact the next bidder to complete the sale.

I hope this helps.

 

[LockStock]

Thanks guys. Well, I know it's buyer beware on eBay. I've already thrown out one Echoplex EP-3 that wasn't an EP-3 and stunk like someone peed on it. I still think (hope) this particular IIC+ is a rare amp that hardly ever comes up for sale, justifying my premium, and if I take it to Mesa along with my Tremoverb for a looksie, I'll get back a couple of amps that leave me no excuses as a player.

I spoke with the seller this am (before I was kindly notified of this thread), and I don't think he is the type to really mislead. I have his name, phone number, etc. He seems helpful. He probably just doesn't know.

BTW, he says this is Gil Ayan's old amp, and that since then it's primarily been owned by collectors, evidently the seller included. Perhaps Gil was the one that altered it?

 

[Boogiebabies]

Thanks guys. Well, I know it's buyer beware on eBay. I've already thrown out one Echoplex EP-3 that wasn't an EP-3 and stunk like someone peed on it. I still think (hope) this particular IIC+ is a rare amp that hardly ever comes up for sale, justifying my premium, and if I take it to Mesa along with my Tremoverb for a looksie, I'll get back a couple of amps that leave me no excuses as a player.

I spoke with the seller this am (before I was kindly notified of this thread), and I don't think he is the type to really mislead. I have his name, phone number, etc. He seems helpful. He probably just doesn't know.

BTW, he says this is Gil Ayan's old amp, and that since then it's primarily been owned by collectors, evidently the seller included. Perhaps Gil was the one that altered it?

It's still an awesome and rare amp that should be fixed up with a few parts in 5 minutes. the export tranny is the real kicker. I really don't think collectors would tinker with such rare amps. I think if you get some hi rez pics of those two caps, we can get it rolling fast and cheap. The 68K can stay as well as the .01's on the power board. I am just wondering if the .01's were put in backwards.

 

[phyrexia]

I sent him an $85 offer because I thought his price was asinine... heh.

 

[Johnson]

I sent him an $85 offer because I thought his price was asinine... heh.

Brilliant! :lol:

 

[Boogiebabies]

In the C+ supply and demand chain, a Simul-EQ-Reverb-EV with the export is right up there with a Simul K series. I would put $ 3500 as a fair market value. Like I said, I could have it bone stock in few minutes with era correct parts.

 

[LockStock]

Thanks BB - I spoke with Mesa/Boogie's customer service rep today and I'll be bringing it in for a check up and ask them to essentially do whatever they need/want to do to get it in tip top shape. I expect they'll be able to bring it back to original spec, or do the best that can be done.

Also, Gil Ayan confirmed to me that he did the mods that you pointed out, and did them about 8 years ago.

 

[psychodave]

Sold for $3,500.

The buyer has made some other interesting purchases, including a 1975 MXR flanger ($325) and a Maestro ep3 Echoplex ($332). Looks like this C+ will be having some fun with old friends!!

Looks like he is looking for the VH sound as well.

BTW, the echoplex he bought is a really good sounding one. I have several and the best sounding one has the black top. (there is more to it, but I dont feel like typing) 8)