Mark IIc+ questions...

[bangkok]

Hi, new guy here! I have been offered an original IIc+ combo for $1800 plus shipping. It's blonde, a snag in the grill cover, tolex is aged with a few small tears, s/n 128xx and it doesn't have reverb or eq, as far as I can tell it is completely stock with the exception of a resistor and cap or two.

So, is it worth it (he wont budge on the price) as I can buy a clean early 70's Super Lead for that kind of money. And could Mesa add a reverb to it and not hurt it's value? What if any pedal should it have had?

Thanks

 

[zodiac272]

Hey,

the price seems a bit high for a bare bones 60 watt. maybe $1400 to $1500 is reasonable. Also take into account that it may need work, no matter what the seller says, and that could cost $250 if shipping to mesa is involved, which is where you will want to send it. If the seller has no paperwork for a service order, that might be leverage to get him to budge on it. but if you just have to have it...

as far as pedals, just the 1 button mesa/boogie foot switch. but about any 1/4 inch switch will work.

modding it may hurt the value depending on who you talk to. not sure if mesa can add reverb.

scott

 

[bangkok]

It has four power tubes and he says it's a 60/100. Would the third toggle on the front (I think on a eq amp it would be the toggle that puts the eq into the circuit) be the power cut switch? I used the fact that it didn't have the eq, pedal or reverb as a haggle point, but he told me not to buy it then, so he will not even ship it for that price!

Someone I know just picked up a beater IIc+ for $500! It is unbelievible and I'm a Marshall guy. Would I just be better off getting a IIB, III or IV?

 

[dodger916]

It has four power tubes and he says it's a 60/100. Would the third toggle on the front (I think on a eq amp it would be the toggle that puts the eq into the circuit) be the power cut switch? I used the fact that it didn't have the eq, pedal or reverb as a haggle point, but he told me not to buy it then, so he will not even ship it for that price!

Someone I know just picked up a beater IIc+ for $500! It is unbelievible and I'm a Marshall guy. Would I just be better off getting a IIB, III or IV?

Can't add reverb unless it has the right circuit boards which are no longer in production.

Yes, the third toggle is the 60/100 switch.

$1,800 is not a great price, but it's not totally insane either. The only pedal this model would have is the channel switcher. You can get stompboxes for both reverb and eq. You could pick up a Mark IV for ~ $1,200 + shipping.

 

[bangkok]

So, how far apart is the circuit in the c+ from the IV? And if I understand Mesa lore, after the c+ the IV is the next grail, if so which years or markings or whatever should one look for? What would be a fair price for the c+ I described?

The thing I found to be so amazing about the c+ was how versital it was, both clean and dirty! Are the other Mark's going to give me this kind of "boner"?

 

[zodiac272]

The other marks all should have great clean tones. I had an early mark IV and the clean was great, as well as the lead. I could easily tell that the C+ and the IV were in the same family. I think any mark from the IIB on up to the IV will give you a boner assuming you are a mark series crack head. The IIB will have great cleans and lead, but not as much gain as the others. If I had to chose a mark III i might go for a green stripe then red/blue it's a tossup. mark IV i'd find an "a" model. And i would look for heads, just cause they are easier to lug around, easier to sell and ship, and look cooler on a 4x12. Though the combo looks great on top of a thiele. Start with one, you may find you will want a few!

That combo you are looking at probably has the 105 PT which is pretty desirable, and a great fit for that amp. lots of balls for sure. What do you like to play?

scott

 

[bangkok]

The other marks all should have great clean tones. I had an early mark IV and the clean was great, as well as the lead. I could easily tell that the C+ and the IV were in the same family. I think any mark from the IIB on up to the IV will give you a boner assuming you are a mark series crack head. The IIB will have great cleans and lead, but not as much gain as the others. If I had to chose a mark III i might go for a green stripe then red/blue it's a tossup. mark IV i'd find an "a" model. And i would look for heads, just cause they are easier to lug around, easier to sell and ship, and look cooler on a 4x12. Though the combo looks great on top of a thiele. Start with one, you may find you will want a few!

That combo you are looking at probably has the 105 PT which is pretty desirable, and a great fit for that amp. lots of balls for sure. What do you like to play?

scott

Hey Scott, thanks for all of the help.

I'm a older dude, so I'm playing Zep, Priest, 80's Hair Metal, mostly Marshall kind of stuff. I have some great amps, 72 Super Lead, 2 JCM800's, a 900, BF Fender Princeton Reverb, SF Champ. So I have a lot of ground covered, but I like what I heard from the c+, it went from beautiful to bone crushing! And it was something a little bit different from my Marshall's.

 

[zodiac272]

yeah, awesome collection... you need some california high gain in there now... haha. one thing about mesa, you won't lose your shirt if you decide to sell. Did you get to spend some quality time with the C+?

scott

 

[bangkok]

yeah, awesome collection... you need some california high gain in there now... haha. one thing about mesa, you won't lose your shirt if you decide to sell. Did you get to spend some quality time with the C+?

scott

I was with George Lynch's tech, Gerry and he told me to check it out. So, I spent about 25 minutes with it and I quickly realized that it was great and that I could spend days messing around with it and not come close to milking all of the tone out of it. What other Mark would get me the closest?

My Marshalls have a very distinctive tone and it just does that one thing really, really well. But the c+ had so much going on and I haven't played with that much gain before, it was fun!

BTW, the amp was not George's, his main amp is a 68 Plexi.

 

[zodiac272]

Cool story. That C+ you played probably has some mojo on just about any other mark series. Plug an EQ in the loop and even more tones, from a semi-scooped V shape in the EQ. You probably can get similar tones of other mark series, but with that 105 power tranny you probably have in there, none will have the sensitivity and same attack. but they are all killer amps, many consider the C+ the grail. one thing with mark series, the more you crank the Lead master, the better it sounds. Which speaker is inside? Some say it sounds best with the EV-12L.

scott

 

[bangkok]

The one I am looking to buy has the original Black Shadow (I think that's what they are called) and the one I played had the same.

I have looked all over online and ebay's ended auctions and it seems that the c+'s get thousands of dollars (at least that is asking price)! Is $1800 really that overpriced? I see you have two, sell or maybe trade one?!

 

[zodiac272]

$1800 isn't that overpriced. I was thinking it was a 60 watt. not the 100/60 watt with 105PT. It's just instinct to always get it for less than asking. It probably has the EV-12L black shadow. 200 watts.

haha, I'm gonna hold onto mine for a while.

scott

 

[bangkok]

It's still alot of money and as I said, I could get an early 70's SL and it will only continue to increase in price and the following is probably 50 to 1 with Marshall (no put down). If you don't mind, what did you pay for yours? And what are they exactly?

 

[Philhouse]

Do it !!. Sounds like you've already started to bond with one. There are many flavours hidden in these amps for you to uncover yet.

You already have the Marshall side covered easily, and the IIC+'s are holding value well. The black shadows are good, but plug it into a 4x12 cab and let rip. Conversion to a head shell is a simple job. A good EQ in the loop and you're set. The non-reverb isn't a deal breaker I reckon.

Buy it, play it, love it, sell it for the same price if you want later. Can't really lose.

$1,800 isn't dear, well for the rest of the world anyway ! You lucky U.S. buggers !


Rock on !

 

[bangkok]

So, I am scarred to lay down that kind of dough. The guy called today and I told him that without the reverb, eq and the pedal that $1800 + $72 shipping was too much and he just said, "Good day" and hung up! I guess if I still want it he'll sell it to me, maybe I should see what happens in a couple of days. It's just hard to gauge how much it is really worth since there aren't many c+'s out there to being sold!

Please chime in everybody!

 

[zodiac272]

Check your private messages

 

[zodiac272]

"Good day!" *click*

haha, I guess he was serious about his price

The last original simul no GEQ C+ i saw sold for $1550 I think. that was at least a few months ago. Simul is more desirable to most, over the 100/60 watt

A HRG upgrade sold for about $3000 last month?
a DRG long head original just sold for $6K, but it had about $800 worth of extra tubes, shipping was included in the price, and it sold in europe, where they are more expensive

A DRG short head just sold on ebay for $2600 or so. think it was a factory original, but looked a bit beat.

in chicago a SR upgraded C+ without the reverb tank is listed at $1800 on craigslist. not a great deal at all on that one

Prices do jump up and down a bit depending on who needs to have one that day.


scott

 

[bangkok]

Thanks for all of the info!

 

[mikebu]

What do you think the market price is for a mint condition 60 watt C+ white combo, Eq and Reverb, and has been recapped by Mesa in the last year?

 

[zodiac272]

hey,
sweet combo! hmmm... maybe for an original $2100 to $2300 or so?
for an upgraded SRG C+ $1700 to $1900?

I'm no expert... I just keep an eye on prices, which seem to jump around. anybody else have an idea?

scott