Mark IIC Conversion to + by 3rd Party Authorized Repair place.

[Nick Athanasatos]

I have been reluctant to unscrew the thing out of there pack & mail this to the other end of the country
so now that Boogie isn't doing Mods on Amps any more I have some questions.
*Years ago Doug West said to me that the Mark IIC Amp was built around the old Sylvania Tubes.
Anyone using or had used a serviced Mark IIC with the Sylvania Tubes and loved the sound of it ?
Maybe its just worth Servicing the Amp with new NOS Sylvania Tubes ?
*To upgrade to a C+ does Mesa Boogie supply a parts kit to the Service Center..or
maybe a procedure sheet so its done exactly the Mike B way ?
Thanks

 

[James]

I didn’t try NOS Sylvanias in my IIC when it was stock, but I installed them after it was serviced with the C+ mod. There was a difference compared to the new production STR-440s, but not massive.

I would have it serviced due to age alone. That will likely make more of a difference than tubes.

As for the mod, I’d be hesitant to let anyone but Mike B do it. I’d be careful about the authorized service centers - many of them are just electronic repair shops. I had a bad experience with one a few years ago.

 

[Jay Omega]

I have been reluctant to unscrew the thing out of there pack & mail this to the other end of the country
so now that Boogie isn't doing Mods on Amps any more I have some questions.
*Years ago Doug West said to me that the Mark IIC Amp was built around the old Sylvania Tubes.
Anyone using or had used a serviced Mark IIC with the Sylvania Tubes and loved the sound of it ?
Maybe its just worth Servicing the Amp with new NOS Sylvania Tubes ?
*To upgrade to a C+ does Mesa Boogie supply a parts kit to the Service Center..or
maybe a procedure sheet so its done exactly the Mike B way ?
Thanks

I wouldn’t worry too much about parts, I don’t think there’s any magic there and Boogie seems to use whatever they can get their hands on if they’re the right value / rating. Big benefit of having Boogie do it is resale value, and in case you don’t like the way it sounds. If you know Boogie did it, you won’t question whether it was done correctly if someone besides Mike B did it. If you don’t plan to sell it and aren’t worried about resale, you could have a service center or a tech that’s familiar with the C+ do it. There are lots of pictures and schematics out there with the info to do it, nothing is “needed” from Boogie. I’ve heard Boogie is no longer doing mods, so it would be good to check with them to see if it’s an option still.

I modified my Triaxis for the fat mod, and sent it in to Boogie a few years later for a general checkup, and asked them to check whether the fat mod was done correctly, they sent it back saying the fat mod was verified and nothing needed to be changed.

 

[Nick Athanasatos]

Thanks..Yes I would want it for resale value as at most I have two decades left I am thinking. But if it is modded correctly and I would like the original Boogie Sylvania Tubes dispite the stupid price on them.I just really don't want to unscrew the thing out of there..and ship it across the country and back and then put it back in.Just in shipping it's gonna be $200.It might need Reverb serviced too.Who knows the original owner took care of it like a baby its a creme Simuclass Combo Mini stack.
It is a late one just before plus versions.
Maybe I'm just lazy.

 

[Jay Omega]

To be honest, I just picked up a mint Mark III which had the original Sylvania STR 415s. I swapped them with JJ 6L6GC and can’t tell the difference. Kind of the beauty of the power amp feedback loop, differences in the output transformer / tubes aren’t very noticeable. You just want to make sure whatever tube you put in can handle the high voltage and fixed bias. I’ve read the STR 415 was actually a 35 W tube as opposed to 30, no idea if it’s true

 

[xdg999]

If Mike B. is doing mods I would send it in before he retires. Just make sure to pack it so it survives the journey. I've sent in a over 15 amps with no problems. I've had Mike upgrade 7 IIc's. Every one came back a better amp. I use 415's/416's in all of my c+'s. The 415 has a balanced tone in my experience and it can handle the higher plate voltage.

 

[Nick Athanasatos]

To be honest, I just picked up a mint Mark III which had the original Sylvania STR 415s. I swapped them with JJ 6L6GC and can’t tell the difference. Kind of the beauty of the power amp feedback loop, differences in the output transformer / tubes aren’t very noticeable. You just want to make sure whatever tube you put in can handle the high voltage and fixed bias. I’ve read the STR 415 was actually a 35 W tube as opposed to 30, no idea if it’s true

I ordered my Mesa Boogie while they were making the Mark IIC+ in the 80's direct from them. When I got the Amp it looked different and didn't have the almost any Reverb which I expected and described in Catalog as "drenching Reverb"
I called and they said they sent me the new model with the additional Channel instead as they stopped making the llC.
That amp one of the first Mark lll's did not come with the 415 Tubes.
The ones in your amp were possibly not original to it when new,.

 

[Nick Athanasatos]

If Mike B. is doing mods I would send it in before he retires. Just make sure to pack it so it survives the journey. I've sent in a over 15 amps with no problems. I've had Mike upgrade 7 IIc's. Every one came back a better amp. I use 415's/416's in all of my c+'s. The 415 has a balanced tone in my experience and it can handle the higher plate voltage.

Is the C+ Mod's main feature is that Metallica type of sound ?
In my day the main appeal to getting a Mesa Boogie was the Santana Europa sound.

 

[meesa_jarjar]

Is the C+ Mod's main feature is that Metallica type of sound ?
In my day the main appeal to getting a Mesa Boogie was the Santana Europa sound.

For a lot of us, yes, but many many many big names have used it outside of metal.

 

[woodbutcher65]

If you got STR415s in your amp, run them. There's no better more reliable power tube, ever. Not saying they have "magic tone", the effect of power tubes on tone is minimal and most pronounced when they are in saturation, and that's insanely loud and very few players ever get there.

 

[rarebitusa]

the effect of power tubes on tone is minimal and most pronounced when they are in saturation, and that's insanely loud and very few players ever get there.

This is a very true statement