markchatwin said:
The amp I'm interested in is the Mark II C head that has been modified to + by MB at MB. It has the verb, 60/100 Watt switchable, EQ. In these troubled times I'm wondering if I should plunge at 2K?
With the Mark V coming out I'm wondering if putting my money in the right place... Will the Mark II C + go up in value or down?
As a former Mark IIC+ owner of that exact model, I think I can give you a very good opinion on this.
The Mark IIC+ has fabulous tone, espcially if you like a clean with a little bit of dirt in it. I absolutely loved the amp, and if I had been a hard rock or heavy metal player, I would have never let it go. That being said, the amp is in no way worth spending 2K on. Don't get me wrong: that may well be the blue book on it (although in this economy, that number will go down for a period of time), but for 2K there ARE better amps. What do you play? If it's rock, blues, or jazz, I would be giving Top Hat a serious listen. There is also a boutique amp for $1800 that my buddy bought a year ago, and it is the best clean tone I have every heard. Plus it's brand new with point to point wiring. Bottom line: unless you're in a Metallica tribute band looking to exactly replicate the sound of the Black album, your 2K can be better spent. If you are a hard rocker or metal guy, the Dual Recto is probably a better suit to a person who will always have the distortion on.
In terms of value going up or down, ultimately it will go up and up and up. The Mark IIC+ is Mesa's most famous and conveted amp. It is the best sounding Mark series they have ever made, and Mesa themselves will tell you. I asked one of the tech's at Mesa why they don't just revert back to it, and he said Randall likes to move forward. They are making some cool amps over there lately, although I tend to stay with the older designs. He made me promise never to sell it.
So why did I sell it? I'm a die-hard Mesa guy, don't get me wrong. But for rock, blues, and jazz, the Dual Caliber line just sounds better to me. And you need to run the MKIIC+ LOUD. It's a little flat at lower volumes, which is a common trait to all of the Mark series amps. If I had it to do over again, I would never have sold it because it is probably one of the most reliably valuable amps in existence, but I only paid $800 for it. If the guy who has it now wanted $2K for it, and I had 2K, I would be calling Top Hat. Or I would buy a DC-3 for $700 and get a Les Paul Studio.
Another note: I think this amp does benefit from humbucker pickups. A strat sounds good, and I should know because strats are my main guitar, but my impression was that the humbuckers added something that this amp liked.
FYI:
>> to + by MB at MB.
MB is Mike Bertenelli or something like that. He's their head tech and has been there forever. He's modified all of the IIC+'s (if it says different than MB, than it isn't a +, and it certainly doesn' thave the same value). If you find a IIC that isn't a plus, GRAB IT at the cost savings, then put it in a box. Ship it to Mesa and they will hand it to him to do the mod, making it an official IIC+.
Also, I don't ever use a verb in a combo (it's nigh useless, I think, but that's a matter of taste), but the verb on the IIC+ sucks and is noisy. I unplugged mine. Also, if you do buy it, ADD A FAN TO THE CABINET TO BLOW ON THE POWER TUBES IF THERE ISN'T ONE THERE ALREADY.
If you have any questions about life with a IIC+, email me at
[email protected]. I played a lot of gigs with mine, and can tell you most everything.
Good luck and happy shopping.
Very cool! 8) 
