Could someone (not MB) update a IIc to +

[Dasein]

If you can't afford Mesa to do it, you should not have it done. Save your pennies or forget about it!

 

[Schmoog]

I tend to agree. I'd imagine it being a little complicated, and MB knows the II's and III's so well (he built the friggin things) that I really wouldn't trust anyone but him to do it.

 

[Restless Rocks]

It's really only a matter of changing the value of just a few certain caps and resistors and adding in a cap and resistor but the exact values are somewhat of a mystery unless you're MB or you have an actuall C+ to go by. I've seen three different schematics for the C+ and each showed slightly different values on a couple critical tone shaping caps in the lead circuit. One of these schematics matches the lead circuit in the MkIVa so I lean toward that one as being the most acurate. I did the C+ Mod to the lead circuit in my Mark III and ended up Modding the lead circuit to match the Mark IVb which has it's own highly refined character as I'm a bit more interested in the solo single note type response than I am in a bone crushing metal rhythm sound. But back to your question: If I were you I would try to scratch up the funds to send it to MB the true master.

 

[eltrain858]

i may be wrong, but i think you guys are missing the point of his question.

i think he's asking if it's in anyway possible that someone other than Mike B already did the mod and that's why it wouldn't be on their records at HQ

 

[disassembled]

Eltrain it looks like he's trying to recruit someone to do it. It's fairly easy to test if the amp has been modded to C+ specs IIRC. I bet you can get anyone to do the mod but you just need to find a schematic. Mesa is pretty nasty about hording info from customers like schematics and mods so you will probably have to go through a certified Mesa tech. Are all mesa techs created equal? Of course not, and most probably are not much more knowledgable than I am (and that means they're really dumb!) although it is just a matter of changing out some parts. You just don't want it to turn into what we had a while ago with someone that bought a C+ that had been modded and apparently sounded like crap. This person took the amp to a tech and had the amp returned only to be in the same condition (of course after shelling out hundreds of bones). The end result was the amp had to be sent to Mesa and that's when MB stepped to bring the amp back to spec and the guy was now very pleased with the results.

You can get burnt easily if you take it to a tech so just be careful. Mesa will take care of you but they are a little steep on pricing. If the amp is going to be a keeper/investment your best bet is to go to Mesa for the piece of mind and the resale value. If you can't afford it now it's best to wait for the right time.

Greg

 

[Elpelotero]

boogiebabies would probably know how to do the + upgrade. he knows the circuit board very well.

 

[Dasein]

I may be a purist, but part of what makes a + a plus, is that Mesa makes it a plus.... sure you can advertise it as being moded to a plus spec, but that itself doesn't mean the same as moded to a plus...

You can mod a mustang to a Shelby spec, but that doesn't make it a Shelby. They will have different market values.

R.

 

[eltrain858]

i think i would pass if i were you... just seems a bit sketchy

 

[Boogiebabies]

There are two IIC upgrades. One from the early RP-10 and one from the later RP-11A. The RP-11A was carried over into C+ production and is the easier to upgrade. I doubt that there were too many people who could do the upgrade from the schematic, because it's deceptive. It's the schematic, but it sure the hell is not the layout. For me, if it had the RP-11A I would copy one of my C's, but I would only let Mike B. do the other boards or the upgrade period if I had no technical knowledge about amplifier circuits. I usually do not pay much attention, so you could have an SP board for a 60/100 without verb. These are totally Mike B. jobs as well. In the past I have helped assist with mods and a simul upgrade via e-mails and photo's, but a full circuit upgrade would need a total blueprint of the IIC+ circuit. Beleive it or not, I have been enlited from some English guy to help him do the upgrade so i will probably have to finally work out the blueprint. It's something I never wanted to do, but always wanted to do... Time is not my friend these days.