Mark II ? need info

[lennyx]

just picked u a mark II in cream 1x12
60/100 watt
EQ
REberb
gain lead pull ...ect

this is the IIA I assume?

wanted to know some basics:
possible to get a nice clean and a good high gain lead? I seam to only get good gain when the volume is allmost all the way, maybe new tubes?

came with a 1 buttom footswitch, which changes the ch's, but what about reverb/ turning the dial on back does not engage reverb/ ,
do I need a double footswitch?

thanks

 

[GD_NC]

It's been years since I owned a MK IIB so I'm a little foggy on settings but Mesa still has the manuals online.

If I recall correctly the IIB had a seperate stereo footswitch for Reverb & EQ. Either way the reverb should be working with the footswich unpluged.

Try checking your preamp tubes the Reverb driver tube may be bad. Also check for loose reverb cables and inspect your reverb to make sure the spring mechanism is still intact.

Honestly, with an amp that old, I'd take it staight to the Mesa-Boogie service center for a checkup before I'd spend too much time trouble shooting. You'll save yourself a headache and probably get back a far more dependable and better sounding amp.

 

[BMcNibbnles]

I have a Mark IIB and I can get an amazing high gain tone and an amazing clean tone, but unfortunately NOT at the same time, or switchable, I should say. Unfortunately (and, stupidly), the way this amp was designed forces you to crank the volume 1 knob, which is pretty much essential to getting a high gain tone. So, what happens is, when you switch channels, the clean tone is ridiculously loud. I have mine set up like this:

VOLUME I - 10 (pulled out)
TREBLE - TO MY LIKING (pulled out)
BASS - TO MY LIKING
MIDDLE - TO MY LIKING
MASTER - 10 (also a gain boost, pulled out)
LEAD DRIVE - 10 (also a pull for lead, pulled out)
LEAD MASTER - whatever I want the overall volume to be

This is the only way I've been able to set it so that it has the amount of gain I would like. But, in my opinion, it's at the expense of having a useable clean channel.

 

[gonzo]

i use my IIb mostly to record...

but when i play live, i set it up with the clean channel just to breakup.....

then, the lead channel to a really aggressive crunch.....

then i use a pedal (Barber DDSS) to add gain and crunch and bass-tightening for leads, and use a volume pedal to mix myself overall (last in the chain.)


so, typically my Vol 1 will be around 6-7, pulled if i need bright attack, or in if the room seems bright....
treble adds the most gain of the tones, it seems, so i have it around 8, and pulled for the mid-shift.....
bass is flubby to me, i use this no more than 1, and make up the low end on the post EQ by boosting 80hz as much as needed, and 240hz a notch above center....
mids are typically between 4 and 6......
if you want clean headroom, don't run the Master Vol 1 above about 3, or you start hitting the output side pretty hard, and you'll be into saturation......
Lead drive to taste, but since i'm basically using the Lead channel as a rock rhythm channel, i bring the drive back to about 6 or 7....
this leaves definition, but brings the crunch factor in, and some sustain......
and works perfectly, for blues leads (add in a touch of compressor, and you've got your blues-style lead sound dialed in right there)
Lead master is pulled for bright, which adds crunch drive, and set it to be just slightly louder than your clean channel (unless you do a lot of clean solos and need to balance the solo level)

this way, i've got 3 basic sounds out of the 2 channels.
they're all COMPROMISE tones, but i've never had anything but compliments on the live tones running it this way.





now, when i record, i just turn em anyway i want, and typically never use the same settings twice.

 

[gonzo]

to actually HEAR this setup i just described, for cleans, rhythms and solos, check out this one tune, "Allan's Resolve"

http://iacmusic.com/songs.aspx?SongID=73279&ArtistID=30211

 

[bartchamdoh]

Hi there are a couple of ways to tell if you have a 2a or 2b, firstly the official line at mesa is the serial numbers for the 2a ran from 3000-5574 so anything after this and between 5575-11000 is a 2b(after that it was the 2c and 2c+) secondly the 2b had an fx loop next to the slave out marked send and return(if it has the pre amp in/power amp out above the slave out it,s a 2a).You wont get a good high gain lead/ clean at the same time but as others have said here you can set up the amp as a great dedicated clean or high gain amp( the shared eq and volume don,t sound good for foot swithing) good clean settings make the lead channel sound to bassy, whilst good high gain settings make the clean channel sound to trebly( when set up to sound there best of course! hope this helps......great amps by the way!