Ebay: My Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+

[sundaypunch]

To put it all in perspective, a great player with a $500 amp is going to sound better than a mediocre player on a IIC+. It's nice to have good guitars & amps but I can understand why some players don't really care if they have the "best" gear.

 

[Tuna141]

Another way to get some power tube saturation without the loudness increase is to lower the graphic EQ. Just drop all of the bands lower, which will allow you to raise the Master Volume without blowing your ears out.

This is the way I usually play my Mark III. It really gives the amp a nice full tone. I've tried it on my C, and it has some benefit, but not as much as with my III. I have a regular C, not a + version, so I don't know how well the EQ trick will work on a C+. It's worth a try...

 

[Johnson]

Hey Plat thanks for the settings! I tried them out, and I still wasn't getting such a great tone. The tone sounded like a slightly pushed clean tone, but it wasn't really breaking up well into smoother distortion sounds (if that makes any sense). I'm starting to worry that maybe something is wrong w/ my amp. I'm thinking of taking a gut shot of the inside and seeing if boogiebabies can give it a look over. It might also be old tubes, as I am not sure when they were last changed by the previous owner (however, they are not the str415 mesa tubes). The only way that I can get a really saturated (metallica range) distortion sound is with the volume 1 on 9-10. I am using a gibson Les paul standard, through the C+ combo, with the EVM-12L. Unfortunately it doesn't have a GEQ, so i can't try the method that Tuna suggested. FWIW I get the best clean tone that I've ever heard from an amp, and I have been using it mostly in that capacity at this point (ABed with my DR). However, I can't help but feel like i am short changing the C+ and its full potential. What do you guys think?

PS. The serial number is very very close to 13,000 so I feel confident that it is in fact a C+ and not a C+ mod, or a C that was made to look like a C+. However, i've never verified if everything inside is completely stock.

 

[Platypus]

Something is definitely wrong with your amp if you're not getting a cranked tone with those settings Johnson, I would change your preamp tubes.

Hope that's all it is!

 

[sundaypunch]

Something is definitely wrong with your amp if you're not getting a cranked tone with those settings Johnson, I would change your preamp tubes.

Hope that's all it is!

Agreed. If you have a Les Paul and need to have Vol. 1 on 9-10 to get a saturated sound something isn't right. That should be peeling paint off the walls.

 

[Johnson]

Im gonna start with the preamp tubes. Any suggestions?

 

[Platypus]

This is how my C+ sounds with a Les Paul, I made this tonight to show rhythm and lead. The rhythm is the middle position half power for both just to show you how much grind there is and the lead is full tone/vol on the bridge pickup. It's a 58 LP w/ burstbuckers 1/2

http://platypus.memoryfire.com/snowjam.mp3

 

[Johnson]

Thanks for the clip plat! It sounds great, I am going to change the preamp tubes first. I haven't taken the amp out of the combo yet, but I could tell upon further inspection that the preamp tubes were mix matched..so hopefully that is the only once I get them switched out my tone will improve. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[Shep]

im sorry if i came off as dissing hte price, i didnt mean it to sound that way.
i was surprised that they have gone up that high, but i didnt mean to sound like i was doubting its worth

OK then I will.

Raise your hand if you can honestly tell a IIC+ from a Mark IV A in a band mix. No one? Ok then.

I have both and i can..

 

[BOOGIE-MAN63]

I second shep on that one.

 

[visualrocker69]

I have both and i can..

Are you serious? I'm talking like... drums, bass, keyboard, and other guitarist all blasting away... and both the Mark IV and IIC+ dialed in for the most similar tone they can get. From the audience's perspective you could still tell?

I'd assume that in such a situation, the main difference would be feel and response, rather than percieved tone... :?

 

[dodger916]

I have both and i can..

Are you serious? I'm talking like... drums, bass, keyboard, and other guitarist all blasting away... and both the Mark IV and IIC+ dialed in for the most similar tone they can get. From the audience's perspective you could still tell?

Under those circumstances, the audience probably couldn't tell the difference between tube and SS. For recording, there very well could be a discernible difference a between IIC+ and a IV.

 

[Shep]

I have both and i can..

Are you serious? I'm talking like... drums, bass, keyboard, and other guitarist all blasting away... and both the Mark IV and IIC+ dialed in for the most similar tone they can get. From the audience's perspective you could still tell?

I'd assume that in such a situation, the main difference would be feel and response, rather than percieved tone... :?

Dude the mk IIc+ Has So much more Chunk to it.., it cuts better Too.. at low volumes they are Very close in sound but at the higher settings is were the mk IIc+ keeps getting better..

 

[JOEY B.]

Dude the mk IIc+ Has So much more Chunk to it.., it cuts better Too.. at low volumes they are Very close in sound but at the higher settings is were the mk IIc+ keeps getting better..

Right up until you start lighting the tubes on fire. The "105" PT will only make this situation more tube sensative. With higher volumes, be careful in Class-A, this is where the STR-415's come into play.

How 'bout that rhyme :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[JOEY B.]

With higher volumes, be careful in Class-A, this is where the STR-415's come into play.

Joey what do you mean by this?

Higher volumes in Class-A mode will really put these outer tubes to the test. Imported 6L6 and EL-34's are not quite as durable as the Sylvania tubes of yesteryear. Especially at 480+ plate voltage. Ask me how I know.

 

[Shep]

With higher volumes, be careful in Class-A, this is where the STR-415's come into play.

Joey what do you mean by this?

Higher volumes in Class-A mode will really put these outer tubes to the test. Imported 6L6 and EL-34's are not quite as durable as the Sylvania tubes of yesteryear. Especially at 480+ plate voltage. Ask me how I know.

How?,, Let me guess you learn the hard way?


I am now running my str 415 on the outer pair and some 5881's on the inner pair sounds Amazing..

 

[JOEY B.]

Thanks, I was fooled by "where the STR-415"s come into play" comment.
I now understand..... and also remember your thread describing the experience which gave you this insight and wisdom grasshopper :shock: :wink:
Do SED Winged C EL34''s handle the 480 volts well (or reasonable well?)

Of the currently produced EL-34 tubes, I would say that the Winged "C" is your best choice in the C+. I still think something was wrong with my amp. It shorted 3 tubes and smoked 2 screen grid resistors in a very short time. The last of which was a STR-442 MESA EL-34. This happened on the clean channel (Class-A) with a master volume of about 3. The bias supply caps were replaced while it was in for a checkup, and I opted for the Sylvania tubes during this time. No problems since. I think that I was pushing the amp too hard in Class-A with a master volume of 5 and a lead master of about 4, lead drive at about 4. Even my combo, which had pins 1 and 8 connected would show a faint redplate at these settings. I just tend to go over the top sometimes in my quest for tone.

 

[Shep]

Thanks, I was fooled by "where the STR-415"s come into play" comment.
I now understand..... and also remember your thread describing the experience which gave you this insight and wisdom grasshopper :shock: :wink:
Do SED Winged C EL34''s handle the 480 volts well (or reasonable well?)

Of the currently produced EL-34 tubes, I would say that the Winged "C" is your best choice in the C+. I still think something was wrong with my amp. It shorted 3 tubes and smoked 2 screen grid resistors in a very short time. The last of which was a STR-442 MESA EL-34. This happened on the clean channel (Class-A) with a master volume of about 3. The bias supply caps were replaced while it was in for a checkup, and I opted for the Sylvania tubes during this time. No problems since. I think that I was pushing the amp too hard in Class-A with a master volume of 5 and a lead master of about 4, lead drive at about 4. Even my combo, which had pins 1 and 8 connected would show a faint redplate at these settings. I just tend to go over the top sometimes in my quest for tone.

the JJ 6L6 from eruo tubes, Bob reckons they can easily handle 600V plate to ground without red plating, I like the tone of them to.. And they last a good amount of time unlike JJ 12ax7's.