Mark IIB Appreciation thread

[mdog]

Who's got a mk IIB that want's to discuss tone, settings or just gush about this model.

i recently traded for one and love it. No "pop" when the footswitch is used or any of the other typical problems.

And does anyone know if the eq/reverb two button switch will engage the Gain boost or do you need a different footswitch. my model has reverb but no eq.

 

[Blueracer]

I recently picked up a iib and would also be interested in settings and anything else about this model amp.

 

[gonzo]

http://homepage.mac.com/mesaboogie/MarkIIB.html

 

[gonzo]

http://homepage.mac.com/mesaboogie/MarkIIB.html

 

[Murfman]

I bought my mark iib from 'Groove Tubes' headquarters about 6 years ago. I guess they were using it for research or something. It has the extra matching speaker cabinet with the heavy EV in it. I have a Blackshadow in the amp cabinet. I tried switching them and putting the EV into the Amp and it just weighs too freaking much!!!!

My amp is the 60/100 watt version with EQ. Mike B at Boogie redid the amp and the amp's effects loop and added reverb for me and it made a HUGE improvement. It took me a while to find my sound on this amp and I'd have to say it was a love-hate relationship with this thing until I figured it out. I can now dial my sound in pretty quickly after my son fiddles with all the knobs and switches.

I pretty much run this as a single channel amp and dont ever use the lead channel which is a bit harsh and not very warm or rich. Pushing the clean channel into breakup is the way to go. I might try playing with preamp tubes to better my lead channel...does anyone have any suggestions?

I prefer using the Black Shadow at lower to mid volume levels as the EV sounds punchy as hell at these levels...really boomy....BUT, when you crank it up the EV opens up and starts to breath and sounds incredible!

This amp can be twichy with pedals....nothing like my old Twin reverbs that you could stack anything in front and it sounds great. Boogies are more sensitive then Fenders that way...again, a bit of a learning curve and some compromises, but I've figured it out. The effect loop helps too. I have a Modded Tube screamer, Carl Martin Plexitone, Ross Compressor, MicoVibe, and TC Nova Delay.

Boogies really need to be pushed at Volume before the magic starts to happen. I've played with the 'Attenuator' that Mike B put in with the new Effects Loop, and it helps, but it sounds better when its driving hard. I think I would really like to get a Fender Super Reverb or another Twin and run them together...that combo would be sweet. I wish I had a bit more headroom with the Boogie as this thing growls very easily. Its funny, when I had my Twin Reverbs I was always pissed that they were so hard to get to break up and now I want it the other way....I guess the grass is always greener.

Does anyone have any suggestions for giving my amp more head room? How many and which preamp tubes need to get switched out? I have all Boogie power tubes and preamp tubes right now. Mike B put them in when he fixed up the amp.

-Murf

 

[gonzo]

my experience is quite a bit different..

very warm lead channel, i'm always looking for more crunch.

my guess is, my cabinet, with celestion greenbacks, is just much smoother sounding than the high watt speakers your using...

i can take the amp two ways..
i can dial in ultimate clean tones, and then use pedals to get my higher gain sounds with the lead channel, and use the pedals to tweak THAT sound...

or, i can set the lead channel up for it's most optimum setting, and take whatever i get with the clean channel, which at that point, is usually a nice gritty breakup similar to a fender BF deluxe (if i scoop the mids with the GEQ).

for more headroom, which of course will clean up the lead channel, just go for some preamp tube changeouts first, and look at some AT7's instead of the AX7's....

i like to set the lead channel at just crunchy breakup, like a cleaner ANGUS YOUNG sound, then use my barber direct drive to really goose the front end, bring up the input gain a bit, and that does it for me.

then i dial in the lead tone using the 5 band eq.

but, typically i'm only using this amp to record now, and i literally change my settings on the amp for every track i record, so there are no real 'stock' settings for me anymore.

 

[edward]

Hi Murf,

Definitely try a 12AT7 in place of the ax7s, but go one tube position at a time. And look up the tube map so you know which position does what task. If you have inexpensive ones to try out, that's perfect as it'll give you a general idea of how the tone will get reshaped. If you like what you end up with, I'd then suggest getting NOS Mullard CV4024 tubes (it's an at7) as these are really warm-sounding tubes with a very sweet top end, almost as if it took off the "sharp edge" off the very top.

FWIW, I've done this with both my boogs (MKIII an dDC5) and it makes a world of difference, especially with the Lead channels. Less "grainy" and more smooth OD is one way I'd describe the dfifference ...not for everyone, but I prefer it hands down. Just take your time, be objective and don't "expect improvement," and experiment with the diff positions. You'll likely find that one tube sounds better in one spot, worse in another, or make to sonic difference at all ...it's a labor of love. But what you get (or what I got, anyway) is tone that suits me to my style and liking. Just like "customizing" your amp so that it fits you best. All IMHO, of course

Edward

 

[Murfman]

Heyya Gonzo-

I'll have to admit, I haven't played too much with the Lead channel and should give it another try. For me, it was hard to even find a sweet spot in the clean channel until I figured out how everything works. I find some very nice lead tones by pushing the amp's clean channel over the top.

I really love the Carl Martin Pexitone through this amp. It sounds like classic 'Kinks' all the way. Lots of AC30 attitude. It'll do ZZ Top and AC/DC 'marshall' distortion very well.

Aren't you using those 'Substitubes' with you're amp? I would imagine this would have a huge affect on the Lead channel. Plus, you're using a classic
Marshall style speaker. Is that green back 8 ohms? Do you plug into the 8 or 4 ohm jack?

I was thinking about trying those out, but the Plexitone did it for me.

I have a 4x12 Bassman cabinet and was thinking about filling it with Greenbacks and playing a blackface Bassman through it.

BTW- I wanted my friend to check out your 'Highway Star' cover, but can't find it anymore. I thought that was a very sweet cover.

-Murf

 

[Murfman]

Edward-

Thanks for the reply. I need to find a preamp tube map for sure. Do I only replace one tube at a time or do all get replaced?

On the Mark IIB boogies, I'm pretty sure the Clean channel still gets hit by a few gain stages in the preamp (Master 1 push pull switch) Any experts out there?. I'll tell you what, it doesn't take much to push the clean channel into distortion at all. I usually play at around 6-7 on the Volume 1 and pull the Master Volume out (gain boost) and set it to 2-3.

I bought an old NOS JAN 5751 G.E. preamp tube (January 1967), and need to experiment a bit. I'm just not sure where to start. I believe this tube should give me a bit more head room.

I have a tube that came with the Boogie Amp called a POSITRON 12ax7. Not sure what its all about. I popped it in and it works. didn't hear much difference, but I only tried it in one socket -probably the reverb driver

Anyone want to trade for this Positron tube?

Any tube experts out there?

Which preamp tubes have the most impact on the clean channel? How about the Lead channel? How should I systematically experiment with these tubes? I guess I really just need to know if all preamp tubes should get replaced or if I only need to swap one at a time until I find something sweet.

-Murf

 

[Murfman]

I figured the preamp tubes were shaping most of my sound. Mike B at Boogie replace all my tubes (preamp and power) when he recapped it and re built the effects loop, etc.

I'm wondering now about these newer power tubes. They are Mesa tubes that say STR 430. Down on the base they say 16 AC YEL. Are these real cold tubes?

I'm wondering if I should yank these and go for a warmer Tube. Anyone with any Tube suggestions? I like really like raunchy, warm, black face fender tones...early Pete Townsend, Keith Richards, SRV stuff.

-Murf

 

[edward]

I figured the preamp tubes were shaping most of my sound. Mike B at Boogie replace all my tubes (preamp and power) when he recapped it and re built the effects loop, etc.

I'm wondering now about these newer power tubes. They are Mesa tubes that say STR 430. Down on the base they say 16 AC YEL. Are these real cold tubes?

I'm wondering if I should yank these and go for a warmer Tube. Anyone with any Tube suggestions? I like really like raunchy, warm, black face fender tones...early Pete Townsend, Keith Richards, SRV stuff.

-Murf

Hi Murf,

Preamp tubes will have a greater impact on tone shaping than power tubes ...start w/ preamp first.

Yes, start one tube position at a time. But FIRST have that tube map or you'll be flying half blind. The tube map will tell you that position such and such determines the clean channel, or just the lead, or 2nd gain stage of the lead ...whatever the specifics, you should know them before you start subbing in/out tubes. But as a starting point, your V1 preamp tube will be the first gain stage for both your channels.

Think of preamp tube "gain structure" as a scale:
12ax7 = 100%
5751 = 70%
12at7 = 60%

Now these are general parameters, and each tube mfg differs considerably in tone and gain, and of course there are further differences between current prod and NOS. FWIW, I like RCA 5751 NOS a lot (and do use them), as well as NOS Mullard CV4024 (12at7), and TungSol 12ax7 (these are current prod re-issues, and sound great) ...all IMHO of course.

So with your tube map in hand, think about your tone: do you want to affect the amp globally? Do you want to affect just one channel? Is shaping one channel really more of a priority than the other? There will be some compromises you must make as a given tube's task may be shared between both channels. Bottom line is trust your ears. Pop in your 5751 in V1, for example, and live with that for a while. Play the same riffs in just one channel (say, clean). Then swap back. Play same riffs more. Then switch back again. Take breaks knowing ear fatigue will set in and diminish your sensitivity to highs.

FWIW, this took me days to dial in each amp I've done this on ...may take you less time, but I am a big believer in being objective and not just change stuff because "it must be good." If you are patient and methodical, you will eventually find your personal recipe. I have for both my Boogs and a Fender ...and I love my tone for it!

Hope this helps you a bit

 

[Murfman]

I have all Mesa preamp 12ax7s in the amp. I pulled V1 and replaced with a NOS JAN GE 5751 and I'm really loving the the amp right now. I especially like how the Plexitone reacts with more headroom the 5751 is giving. Sounds lots like a Black face fender now.

I still really like the sound of the clean channel being pushed over for my leads. The lead channel is still not what I like. Better preamp tubes should do the trick for sure.

I think I'm going to grab up some Teslas and Bugle Boys....I can tell this is going to get expensive <yikes>

Thanks for the pointers-
-Murf

 

[Harry the Horder]

With ref to your question about the reverb/eq footswitch if you have no eq then the gain boost should be wired up toe the eq if it is not it is a simple mod to do as all that happens is that when the peal is engaed it shunts the mid section down to earth taking it out of cercuit and hence the Boost or something along those lines it would at worst be a case of moving a wire over to the female stereo jack on the chassis.

 

[Murfman]

Update on my tube quest...I have a NOS 1960s Mullard ECC83 in V2 and the GE JAN 5751 in V1 and I'm in tone heaven now. They were all Mesa Preamp tubes before which gave ok tone, but these tubes are freaking incredible!

Awesome blues tones. Just got a Direct Drive SS that I'm starting to play with...it has more knobs and switches then my IIb does. So far its a very nice pedal...

I'll post more when I'm done playing.

-Murf

 

[CORSAIR]

I got mkIIb a couple months ago. The only problem I having is getting the channels to switch. The light on the pedal works, but once it's engaged it won't switch back to clean. I have my amp controls set up like in the boogie files. Any clues to what my be wrong?

My IIb doesn't have reverb if that helps.

 

[mdog]

Is your lead drive knob pushed in? that would be my first guess. Then I would try another footswitch to see if your footswitch is the problem.