Help identifying vintage amp

[thenorthwind]

Hey board - I just picked up this amp from someone locally yesterday who didn’t seem to know anything about it.

I opened it up yesterday, and the boards all have mesa on it, but there are no serials or model numbers on it anywhere. The only identifying mark other than the pcb boards was ROY written on the side of the chassis.

This is the first boogie I have owned, so I’m not super familiar with them. Back is different from pics I can find of any mark I, mark ii, etc. Any ideas? Did they make custom one of amps? Did the handwritten sticker fall off?

Anyway, it sounds great, looks amazing and weighs more than my car.

 

[domct203]

Welcome to the forum!

I’m not a vintage Mark expert, but some things seem off with that amp.

The cabinet is not dovetail jointed, I believe ALL the hardwood cabs were dovetailed.

The angle of the front control panel doesn’t seem correct, maybe it’s a perspective thing?

Also the power supply caps seem odd for Mesa, they should be on a PCB, not an eyelet board.

Overall that amp chassis seems in remarkably new condition, and the color of the chassis is odd for Mesa.

I’m sure some Mark series experts will be along to help.

Dom

 

[user 41014]

Beautiful amp.
OG boogie. Sadly yes the serial number was on the same label tape as everything else on the back. The closest you'll get identifying it is dating the caps and tranny's. YYWW after the manufacture code for tranny- e.g. 606 7422

I have the SP-6A preamp board from '76 but your RP-4D board needs to be book ended by other reverb boards date wise.

It may have "newer" bypass caps and singular changed filters. The brown mallory film caps are original- they can be checked but I wouldn't change anything like that which isn't bad.

Great timepiece.

V1 came with a fetron, idk when that started or ended, but do you have a 12AX7 in V1? Diodes were used in place of the plate load resistors for fetron use while I see your amp has load resistors for both V1 triodes.

 

[GJgo]

I believe that's an effects loop on the back which would make this a Mark I Reissue. The 60W chassis did have a gold tinge to them. I suspect someone has given it a cap job with non- stock caps.

 

[thenorthwind]

Welcome to the forum!

I’m not a vintage Mark expert, but some things seem off with that amp.

The cabinet is not dovetail jointed, I believe ALL the hardwood cabs were dovetailed.

The angle of the front control panel doesn’t seem correct, maybe it’s a perspective thing?

Also the power supply caps seem odd for Mesa, they should be on a PCB, not an eyelet board.

Overall that amp chassis seems in remarkably new condition, and the color of the chassis is odd for Mesa.

I’m sure some Mark series experts will be along to help.

Dom

Thanks for the info! I’ll cehck

Beautiful amp.
OG boogie. Sadly yes the serial number was on the same label tape as everything else on the back. The closest you'll get identifying it is dating the caps and tranny's. YYWW after the manufacture code for tranny- e.g. 606 7422

I have the SP-6A preamp board from '76 but your RP-4D board needs to be book ended by other reverb boards date wise.

It may have "newer" bypass caps and singular changed filters. The brown mallory film caps are original- they can be checked but I wouldn't change anything like that which isn't bad.

Great timepiece.

V1 came with a fetron, idk when that started or ended, but do you have a 12AX7 in V1? Diodes were used in place of the plate load resistors for fetron use while I see your amp has load resistors for both V1 triodes.

thanks for the info! I’ll check the tranny codes and tube in v1.

 

[MK IIB]

It's a very cool original Boogie Super Sixty ("Mark 1") from about 1974-75..Lovely amp btw.

 

[James]

As above, it's an early Mark 1 combo. 60 watt model with reverb and graphic EQ. I'd guess 1974. The pots might have date codes as well. It's had some work done previously - I'd try to get it to Mike B at Mesa for a proper service.

The early 70s models seemed to vary with the control layout. I know I've seen others with the mid control on the back.

Here's one that sold on reverb. Serial was A159, but I don't think it had a build date written on it.

 

[mark1406]

I thought the Altec speaker was a give away that it’s a 70’s amp.

The layout is quite different. The preamp board is different in that there isn’t a dropping resistor and filter cap for a Fetron. The phase inverter has Bassman values in it as opposed to being more Blackface like.

I can’t see anyone going to that much trouble to forge a Mark 1 Boogie, this isn’t a Dumble amp.

Any chance of getting a close up shot of the phase inverter circuit?

Your one has a 470 ohm cathode resistor, 1M grid leak resistors, a 15K resistor, but I can’t make out the feedback resistor or the tail resistor.
Mark 1 Boogie’s vary in the P.I. stage.

Thanks.

Regards

Mark

 

[mark1406]

I believe that's an effects loop on the back which would make this a Mark I Reissue. The 60W chassis did have a gold tinge to them. I suspect someone has given it a cap job with non- stock caps.

I suspect that it’s a through connection like an Ampeg. One jack is for preamp out which then goes through to power amp in. The reissues didn’t come with graphic EQ.

Regards

Mark

 

[mark1406]

I believe that's an effects loop on the back which would make this a Mark I Reissue. The 60W chassis did have a gold tinge to them. I suspect someone has given it a cap job with non- stock caps.

Good luck trying to find those Mallory electrolytic caps. They have been out of production for some time. The 30uF caps look like F&T caps which are fine. I have them in my SOB.

Regards

Mark