Blonde Mark2 C+ Short Head anyone?

[Boogiebabies]

Any way you look at it, it is an uncommon amp. That being said, these guy wanting $ 2500.00 for an un-optioned woodie are on the skunk bud.
Considering the original cost of these amps in the mid 80's they were extremely high not everyone shelled out the cash for all of the options so hence, a Simul-EQ-Reverb and verifiable hardwood would be the least commom. Only 750 or so Simuls are said to exist, and not all of them were fully optioned obviously. The only IIC+'s with even fewer numbers would be the Coliseums, long chassis with all options and a fully optioned harwood with the export transformer. The fully loaded hardwood with the export, if I ever find one will complete my collection. 5 years of looking and no luck !!! There seem to be a good supply of base models and 60/100's but even these are geting harder to find. These amps are starting to seem like anyone who buys one likens it to finding a 59' Burst at a yard sale with the tags and original receipt.

Best of Luck.

 

[Boogiebabies]

I do agree that they are unlike any other Boogie produced. There is something about the sweetnes and attack that is hard to explain. You should all know that flattery is usually the best compliment and I can assure you that Mesa reverse engineered a Dumble back in the day. For the Dual Rectifier he jacked Mike Soldano and revoiced the output section and the damping. With the IIC+ you have the last of the wide trace circuit silver boards and the use of the 105 PT and the SC152019B Simul OT. After 21 years all three of mine still put out 480 plate volts. Not even Mesa can explain why they are the HG of amps. They obviously thought they could do better and quickly moved to the MK III. This is like a case for Mulder and Scully. All I can say is there may have been a deal with the devil or a visit to New Orleans for the mojo hand. Go figure !!!

My prayers are still with you all in Louisiana. Hang in there.

 

[Dasein]

You guys have seen my amp -- fully loaded MK 2C+ hardwood combo. I'll never sell it --- EVER. So this is not a sales pitch. But nothing, and I really mean nothing can touch it. The sound is as stated above: organic. And by that I mean it's alive. It's aural-sex in the purest form. Like the voice of God in your ear whispering the secrets of the universe.

I've heard 'em all, and played 'em all -- and it makes even the closest contender sound "radio-shack". No foolin'.

 

[RussB]

...It's aural-sex in the purest form...

Now THAT'S a heck of a quote!

 

[Dasein]

...It's aural-sex in the purest form...

Now THAT'S a heck of a quote!

Ya -- it's clever, but I'm aware that it doesn't even come close to saying what I want. It really is ALIVE, but pure. Pure of heart and pure of tone. The divine sonic!

 

[River]

My apologies but it appears as if a gentleman from the Northeast is purchasing the sweet and seriously amazing Boogie I have.

He contacted me before I posted.

He is a lucky man-

Regardless, I have some cool pictures and would be willing to share them, or he can, if he does not mind-

Will update later-

Riverhorse

 

[Kgry]

Yeah I guess I'm not much of a collector of these rare amps so that's why I personally wouldn't pay that much for one. But to each his own.

It's obvious you really shouldn't have posted a response, seeing as your reply is only intended to stir up some sh!t.

:roll: :roll:

 

[River]

KGRY,

good to hear back from ya after everyone got a little fired up. I respect where you are coming from, indeed. I tell ya what though, these amps are worth the money if you have it. Just the way it is.

On a sad note, I did sell the amp to one of our forum wildmen. He has advised me to ship her straight to the mother ship and Mike B for the simulclass mod. It's all she's missing, the final link. It will involve changing a bit, but well worth it for the things he wants to do with her---

Oh yes indeed. he is going to kill it with this amp, without question.

I had her for 12 years and played some major festivals with her, will always remember sitting through 6 hours of all the little weinie bands who couldn't play a lick, that feeling of coming across the stage with the Boogie behind me, my '69 goldtop strapped in, just unloading a few minutes of Voodoo Chile licks while the techs lined up the meters, and then the go .....VAROOOM MAMASITA!

I do have one cool story about the amp if anyone wants to hear it.......post a reply and I'll give it up......nothing to do with fame, just a funny one-

Good stuff.

So you guys will have to speak with him for pics.

I found a mint '65 Blackface Super Reverb that is on the way, but no one here wants to hear about that darn dirty slide blues stuff.

Thanks for the postings, enjoyed 'em all gentleman. You guys are ok, I don't care what it says about you in the women's bathroom of that gas station in Georgia.

Don't ask me what I was doing in there......

Regards,

Riverhorse

 

[zosojjc]

Hey River...let's hear the story!

By the way, feel free to post those pics.

 

[RussB]

Damn shame that the big 'ol MKIIC+ power tranny will be be removed, and replaced with a MKIV transformer. Spend hundreds of dollars, to reduce the value of the amp...and lose some of that killer tone as well. Hmmm :?:

A total abomination, if you ask me! (OK, no one asked me, but I felt I had to say it!)

What is the mystery buyer from the Northeast thinking :!:

OK, now for the story 8)

 

[River]

Russ,

I know what you are saying about the tranny, but agree with the new owner for a few reasons, mainly that this amp is so damn powerful, I always wished I had simul to run her at home without getting my ears torn off. Simul will give him some fantastic options, and the darn amp will then have every single thing on it. Will just drip with tone options IMHO. But with respect my man. I understand you, just that each of us has our own vision and realistic scenario for playing/seeking tones.

This amp will be worth a fortune in the years to come, regardless.

The tranny will stays with the new owner, lucky man he is, so he can always have her if he gets the urge. Mike B does the work so it will be amazing, in addition to a fresh set of caps, which means the low end will be even more incredible and tight on this bad boy. And to tell ya the truth, I always wanted to send it there for the upgrade myself as well. Would have done it in a hearbeat if I were near them.

So now for the STORY about this sweet Mark 2 C+:

I get booked into a gig, and am supposed to sit in with this makeshift band as a "Hard Rock Lead Guitarist", just what the booking said. How funny to start with. Turns out I am joining this cool little trio where the bass player will sing some old tunes, such as Born To Be Wild,( I know, beyond cheese and cliche but a gig nonetheless, take it easy on me) and some song I don't know the title, but like a Motown deal goes like "Never had a girl that makes me feel the way that you do, You're Alright. get ready 'cause here I come now...blah blah blah" Thank god I brought the strat anyway.

The gig is in Saint Augustine Florida, oldest town in the U.S. they say, and when I get there I realize it is at The World Of Golf Village, and set for 7:30 am!--for all these old guys, over three thousand of them! They've trucked in these two 20 foot live video screens for behind the stage even.

At that point I'm doing my best not to fall off the stage laughing while setting up the Boogie and throwing out some warm up licks, trying to slam down some coffee. The President of the place comes up, says, "Say, that is a really hot sound you got there, would you mind playing some big electrifying guitar solo for about three minutes while the band( the two other guys both who are over 60 but session cats and cool as hell) dances their way to the stage?

"No sir, I don't think that will be a problem( reach back and kick the channel switch on the Boogie, move master volume to 4 and both lead pre-gains to 10, click from 60 to 100 watts ah yes. The I look over at the mixer, nobody there, some rent a mixer deal I suppose, slide all faders up on the main from three to 9 and.....

VAROOM MAMASITA unleash the mother of all patent pending Hendrix lick extravaganzas.......the first seven rows has guys knocking over folding chairs trying to get the #$$# out of harms way, some even running for the back..........

I keep laying it to 'em with the Boogie and the biggest grin I had ever had at 7:32 a.m. in my life..........and the guys hit the stage, and we let 'er rip for a few more songs before they shut us down and get a speech about the remarkable energy we shared with the organization. The only crappy thing was that every time I turned around to check out the video screen I was looking at my back. Ah well, the price of glory. I did grab the microphone and yell "IT"S IN THE HOLE" at full volume at the end of the last song, a Caddyshack reference you young guys may miss-

On the way out with the fine check, none of them said a word to me, not one, just stared at this Austin Texas boy with three feet of hair and the obligatory Duane Allman beard. Suits me just fine.

Ah man I'll miss that amp, but I've got to pass the torch and settle down a bit. More stories from the road where that one came from, but at this point I've probably ticked off the guys who are looking for amp info. My apologies, and I won't keep going an tell ya the story about the lesbians attacking a singer of mine onstage-.....

Regards,
Riverhorse

 

[908ssp]

Damn shame that the big 'ol MKIIC+ power tranny will be be removed, and replaced with a MKIV transformer. Spend hundreds of dollars, to reduce the value of the amp...and lose some of that killer tone as well. Hmmm :?:

A total abomination, if you ask me! (OK, no one asked me, but I felt I had to say it!)

What is the mystery buyer from the Northeast thinking :!:

OK, now for the story 8)

Hey Russ would you explain the tranny change? Was the tranny different when these were new? Is it a tranny they can't get any more? I know there is a big difference between the sound of my two MKIIC+ amps but not one where I would say one is better just different.

 

[RussB]

The old power trannies were some big iron, and no longer available.

There will be differences in tone, but it's all subjective!

What there WON'T be is a significant reduction in volume. My MKIII Simul-Class set at the 15 watt setting is damn loud, and when you click it over to full power you do get more headroom.

What I do not understand is have the tranny replaced BEFORE even hearing the amp...Damn, you'll (well, the buyer) will never get to really hear what that IIC+ sounds like...I could go on and on.

Let's say River was having a new Mercury Magnetics transformer put in that BF Super, before he even gets to hear it! Makes no sense to me...but what do I know?

 

[River]

RB,

good points there, well taken indeed. I understand, just disagree for a few solid reasons.

This is a tried and true mod that Mesa Boogie built their name on, the amp will love some new caps, will save it being shipped from Florida to NY then to California then to NY, which one way was $107! by the way, so there you have it. The fewer hands that touch a sacred amp the better.

Plus, the amp is an 84 (Serial # 142XX) I think, and a good run through to tighten down everything and check her through by tone smith Mike B is a priceless opportunity. Who knows how long he will be available, and he is the end all for these amps. Will give the buyer, who posts here frequently and is one cool cat FYI, another couple decades of heaven.

I tell you what, It would be worth the plane ticket for me just to get up to NY to catch the scene, and play that amp w/simulclass. I JUST KNOW it will be world class. I've had the amp for 12 years, and it is the missing link. All the posts over the years, all of them, from the guys who got the simulclass upgrade, are just nuts with delirious Shi--eating grins. They say the magic is indescribable for a Holy Grail 2C+ to have this.

I had to hang out in the hallway just to play the amp before. The Mark 2C+ likes to be run at 3 to 4 master volume to get that massive brown sound fullness. Anything less is pathetic, and you know what a waste it is, while stroking the frets.

I've got a 66 Super that has Mojotone MP10's and is re-tolexed wheat blonde that toured with some major country guy for a while, doesn't bother me a bit. The one I just bought is all stock down to the T other than caps and tubes, a '65, clean clean clean.......I'm just looking for usable tone, what matters to me. I think we can all agree we have different needs. Just ask my girl, she can't stop thinking about me all day.......how humble I am, handsome, and what a great player I am......oops, getting a little thick in here-

My best to all of ya-

Riverhorse

 

[Boogiebabies]

What the heck are you guys talking about? To do a Simul upgrade you just need to change the output transformer and mode the outer sockets to run class A. Mesa still has MK III output transformers which are identical to the SC152019B in every way but the part number. Anyhow, putting a MK IV power transformer would not lower the volume very much at all. It is a 460V unit to the plates as compared to a IIC+ unit at 480 volts. What did I miss.

 

[River]

Boogiebabies,

good to hear from you. I think Russ B felt they were changing the power transformer. I didn't think this was correct, but didn't want to comment there. I'm glad you've clarified it.

I had called and talked to Mike B a couple times about the simul upgrade and felt there would be no loss of integrity for this amp, just make it sweeter. I know you had made the 69 camaro reference, which was a fine analogy indeed, and understandable, just that each player needs an amp to perform for his specific needs, and I know what mine are, as does the new owner. Simul will be magic with this amp.

They say each Mark 2C+, as well as every single amp out there, is different from others in unique ways, just like two Les Pauls right off the factory rack can have some serious differences in tone due to the way everything comes together woodgrain wise, neck, etcetera. ........

My point here is that I've had this Boogie for 12 years, played all over with it, headlined a few big festivals, and no amp has ever touched it. I think this is a special one, just know it in my gut. Strange to say that and have passed it on, shipped yesterday to be specific, but I know where my playing is now, and what amps I need for Fender tone, so it was wrong for the Boogie to sit there just gaining collector value. Needs to be with someone who fires it up, enjoys her. And now it is again, complete with some serious upgrades.

By the way, over the years a I asked a couple questions from a very wise and cool rock doc named Ian, is that you? If so, let's hear it for Open G with some grit brother man!

Regards,

Riverhorse

 

[Boogiebabies]

If it is a one of a kind, tone wise I would leave it alone. Even running 6L6's in Simul it will sound totally different. It is your amp, so as you will.
I am not Ian, or as we know his as Boogiewan Kenobi. We keep in touch once in a while. He moved to Maine. His site is a wealth of information, but I much prefer staying to the design and implementation of the circuits and the electronic evolution of things. I have seen so many IIC+'s I could tell you weather it is a mod, early, late or if Bendinelli's been in there.
There are many nuances to these amps that 99% of the amp geeks dont know or see. Have you ever noticed that the early IIC+ EQ switch says EQ in on the down position? the later ones around 13,200-13,300 say EQ out. The host of componentry is amazing as well. Mesa used what they had. Some had metal film resistors for the lead mode and some had NOS carbon film and some had modern carbon film. The cathode caps were either NOS military spec or modern plastic tanalums. I notice the difference between the hermetically sealed .22 on the lead pull bright over the black .22 tantalum. The tants seem to give it more edge and the gain effect. The same goes for the power board and etc... Some orange drops were Sprague 715P, 225P and some were Mallory. I have had many coversations with Mike B. regarding using a 225P to feed the signal from the PI to the power tubes. The 715P is tighter and the 225P is smoother. Some were put together with the utmost skill and care, while other have what Mike refers to as the IIC slop where crap is all over and not tight.


The three I have span early, mid and late. I love it !!!!
I am only going to die happy when I find a Simul-EQ-Reverb with the Export Power Transformer.

 

[RussB]

Once again, I am humbled by the knowledge of Boogiebabies!

I THOUGHT that the power transformer was replaced in order to do the "Simul-Class Mod". Today I have learned that the out put tranny is what's swapped out, and with a MKIII-type OT.

Well, this is even MORE reason NOT to do the swap! Output transformers are big part of an amp's tone...

Cap Job and general service, I fully understand and support the buyer's desicion to do that. Having it done by Mike B will actually ADD value to the amp.

To each their own, I rekon.

 

[River]

Nice info there.

Russ B, good an ya for being cool about learning something, good for all of us.

This site is just flat out right on for learning and giving advice, and the Mesa clan needs to take care of each other, stick together. The whole dang world for that matter, it's getting hard to watch anymore-

You guys are a funny lot. Mesa would not do anything that would compromise the tone, nor would Mike B in particular. That amp is going to set the tone bar for the rest of the country, trust me.

2C Slop? Bizarre.........I can tell ya that in this one it is beyond clean and mean.

I still don't understand why they won't re-issue it? What the $&#%*^ are they thinking? There must be some valid reasons other than minute parts. And if they did/do, these originals would pull ten grand, although for that price KGRY could budget consciously buy four hundred Marshall heads and slave them all together to blow us all off the map.

You choose your midnight snack, I'll choose mine.

Can't wait to hear that amp at 15 watts of EL 34 sparkle and spank. I hear it is one asswhipping 15 watts too, sounds more like twice that they say--------It will be something to behold indeed, and rumor has it that some sweet Pauls, as in Reed and Les, are just chomping at the bit for the green light. Hard to go wrong with that stable--impossible would be more apropos to say the least.

Stay tuned for the in depth report from the owner, as well as one thing--It's about time he post some pics!! Not my place to do it anymore-

Regards gentleman, always a pleasure-

Riverhorse

 

[Kgry]

And if they did/do, these originals would pull ten grand, although for that price KGRY could budget consciously buy four hundred Marshall heads and slave them all together to blow us all off the map.

LOL, nah. I'm actually not a Marshall fan and I don't think I could justify buying one just to use as a slave. If they reissued the C+, I'd definately buy one but I doubt they would sound the same as an original. I keep hoping I'll find a C+ at some local music shop and they won't know what they have and sell it cheap. Unlikely.