Boogie 2b IIB

[Dave Dalton]

Hi Boogie fans,
I've got an old boogie that i briefly used onstage before moving to smaller amps that suited the small venues and (unfortunately) smaller crowds we played to. Its been sitting around for too long (20+ years) so looking to find a new loving home for it. Not sure what it's worth, but the friend that put me on to this site thought this would be the place to find out what it is and who might want it. Google wasnt very helpful in working out the details, and I'm not a real boogie nerd, I just loved the sound, but mainly loved the reverb and eq so bought it. Serial number is K114 which one site said is a 2B, but I've seen ads for 2B that dont have eq so I'm a bit confused. Any advice/help/comments/interest appreciated.
Thanks,
Dave D.

 

[user 41014]

Early mark IIB- coliseum option for power section.
More pics? Any issue? Bulging caps?
Reverb and EQ were optional.
It should be a RP 8C preamp board.

 

[user 41014]

Actually K110 is RP 8C but K119 is RP 9A. So it could be either

 

[Dave Dalton]

Any tips on how I can work out whether it has an 8C or 9A pre-amp appreciated. Extra love for anyone who can explain the difference/importance .

 

[79fwlthree]

Just for your information, I have K216; I believe it is a IIB, and it does not have eq or reverb. It came from Claire Bro's in Lititz PA from a tour in around '85. I don't know which one. I am presuming a lot of these were used as slaves to bump up the power on the big arena tours of the time. This one possibly was used in a Stones / Prince tour that was going on about then. It is reported that the Prince amps were signed by him; mine has no such thing.

 

[user 41014]

Any tips on how I can work out whether it has an 8C or 9A pre-amp appreciated. Extra love for anyone who can explain the difference/importance .

You have to pull the chassis. It's the board up against the volume and tone pots. It will say right on it. Careful not to poke around the big capacitors with your fingers and of course this is with the amp unplugged.

As for differences having the RP 9C would be more significant I believe than if it is either RP 8C or RP 9A. Mesa moved on from RP 9A to RP 9B quickly in 1981 for unknown reasons but kept using the SP 9A for non-reverb models into 1982.

Your amp may have a date on the bottom of the chassis and is prob May-August 1981. If it is pre-August it is likely RP 8C but only one way to know for sure.

The stamp of which board looks like this:

 

[GJgo]

@Dave Dalton I actually have a Boogie Mark Coliseum owner's group on Facebook, we have a LOT of knowledge about these amps in there. They are rare & well regarded.

Here's a link if you'd like to stop by. If you're looking to sell we can also help with pricing & potential buyers. If you're not on FB but would still like to share / learn more send me a PM with your email & I'd be happy to chat that way.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/541836403508428
Also @79fwlthree heads up if you would like to check it out as well.

Thanks,
Jeremy

 

[Dave Dalton]

 

[Dave Dalton]

I slid my mobile phone in. Will try and take it apart this week. April 19th 1981

 

[Dave Dalton]

Insides and RP 8C. KRG is also inked on the ends, but I assume you all already know that?

 

[user 41014]

K110 was 4/14/81 so you'll likely find RP-8C in there

More importantly, when you open it up I would look for any bulging from the large electrolytic caps- 12 in total tho Mike at Mesa changed the spec for the power supply caps (originally 3 x 30uF, now 2 x 30uF and 2 x 47uF) so that should be changed to 13 total.

Even if they are not bulging Mike stated that if they are the whitish poly end cap ones they should be replaced. If you are lucky enough to have electrolytic capacitors with red or black end caps and they are not bulging they do not require replacing unless they test bad.

Most people will tell you to have them changed because of age alone but personally I would leave the vintage original ones unless they need to be replaced. Some day this will matter.

 

[Dave Dalton]

Not sure if these are the ones. They look non-bulgy?

 

[user 41014]

Nice on posting the pics! So yeah- RP 8C.

The black capacitor next to the blue ones has already been replaced. That is the one you typically see popped and why Mike changed the spec. That little board needs modification and I have the specs if you have it serviced before selling.

Looks like another one has been changed. That black 47uF next to 'rp 8c' used to be a light blue 30uF.

Sadly the 8 bank of silver caps should be replaced per Mike. When I looked closely at the ones I replaced recently those end caps get little pimples that get larger and leak.

So it will need service but personally I would rather do the work myself if Mike isn't doing it. Being down under that doesn't seem an option.

And since you've now posted the close up of the light blue ones those need to go too. But that board should be changed to prevent the now black cap from blowing again.

 

[user 41014]

All said - I love it!

Caps (the good ones) aren't cheap but with all the tubes there is nothing cheap about coli's.

When you decide on price and if you are willing to ship it let me know!

 

[Dave Dalton]

Happy to ship it. I used to ship insanely high-end audio gear in a previous life, and still (kind of) work in the performing arts so I know custom case makers, custom foam cutters and how to load a van right up to the point where the suspension damage will be a problem for the van hire company a week after I return it ("I think you'll find that smell is my custom car freshener, not weed").
Regarding price - I have no idea! That's partly why I'm here. Seems like since ebay went to **** in the early 00's it's hard to "let the market decide". Everyone on this forum seems great and passionate about these beauties, and obviously knows a shed-load more than me about it. Is reverb.com where this ends up? I only just joined and it has ebay vibes. Happy to take offers I cant reject and lug 20kg(?) to a courier.

 

[user 41014]

Happy to ship it. I used to ship insanely high-end audio gear in a previous life, and still (kind of) work in the performing arts so I know custom case makers, custom foam cutters and how to load a van right up to the point where the suspension damage will be a problem for the van hire company a week after I return it ("I think you'll find that smell is my custom car freshener, not weed").
Regarding price - I have no idea! That's partly why I'm here. Seems like since ebay went to **** in the early 00's it's hard to "let the market decide". Everyone on this forum seems great and passionate about these beauties, and obviously knows a shed-load more than me about it. Is reverb.com where this ends up? I only just joined and it has ebay vibes. Happy to take offers I cant reject and lug 20kg(?) to a courier.

Personally I'll never sell on reverb again. There is a whole thread on here devoted to how lame, stupid and wilfully negligent reverb is. They say there is but there is no seller protection and unscrupulous buyers do screw over sellers.

I am not a fan of ebay but they are the lessor of 2 evils and at least stateside they heavily discount shipping to offset their over charge on fees. There is also straight paypal to cut out ebay fees.

 

[Dave Dalton]

Does Paypal give you the security you (and I) need to send amps and cash across the pacific ocean. I just logged back into ebay for the first time in years and it seems worse than it was.

 

[user 41014]

Yes.

 

[79fwlthree]

Security at a price....they take at least a 10% cut, so price accordingly. I sold a really nice Ludwig 70's blue/olive badge set of drums a year ago and till it was done, I lost money. Make sure you figure the shipping cost fairly to yourself also.

 

[user 41014]

Security at a price....they take at least a 10% cut, so price accordingly. I sold a really nice Ludwig 70's blue/olive badge set of drums a year ago and till it was done, I lost money. Make sure you figure the shipping cost fairly to yourself also.

That is for ebay not paypal right?

Paypal is 3% and may or may not discount the shipping. They used to discount for stateside but I haven't sold things in a while.

I love those blue/olive badges. I've got a bunch of the vistalite concert toms, double headed toms and snares. They really project.

Some flooding forced my drumset out of the basement this year but the standard set up uses a concert tom (12?, 10?) front and center tuned low as most of mine are right above either a 13 or 14 closed tom. Above that, tight fiberglass bongos just below my favorite K 18 crash and a A splash.

Interspersed are a few pads from a TD7, 16inch roto, quad of wood bongos, wood blocks and cowbells. All on a pearl ICON and around a 80s poplar Pearl base kit which are cheap and sound great. At least to my ears that savor darkness. I wood like to get a maple tho.