Mark IIC-

[beaurawls]

No, but I am a retired engineer and just spent a week going through a c- serial no. 11101 and have most of it in my head, I can tell you that most of the boogie schematics on the internet have many errors in them and if you were to try to build one it would never work.

The c- is a very different topology from the other boogies. I would appreciate anyone with a true c- schematic to contact me. Even some of the transistor numbers in the EQ are bogus. The strangest thing is the signal always goes through the transistor amp even when you supposidly bypass the EQ. Go figure, who would have a tube amp that has transistors ALWAYS in the signal path.

The IIB schematics and the C+ schematics are also full of errors. I highly suspect thet Mike has a drug or alcohol problem and is not very honest to tell customers there is no schematic. To manufacture printed circuit boards you must have a schematic, component assemply drawings, as well as a drawing to drill the component mounting holes in the poard.

I don't know how someone can get away with treating customers in this manner for so long. Boogie would be much more sucessful if they had taken a different philosophy of customer service as other much more successful companies have as Fender, Peavey etc. A gigging musician with a down amplifier needs support, not a casual "well send it back to me and I'll mod it for four or five hundred dollars. Shipping a heavy amplifier is a crap shoot at best with the way UPS and some other carriers treat them. Many are damaged in shipment and this is not necessary.

Regards,
beaurawls

 

[lesterpaul]

thats boo-rawls..(always glad to help with the typo...)
...Boo

 

[JOEY B.]

No, but I am a retired engineer and just spent a week going through a c- serial no. 11101 and have most of it in my head, I can tell you that most of the boogie schematics on the internet have many errors in them and if you were to try to build one it would never work.

The c- is a very different topology from the other boogies. I would appreciate anyone with a true c- schematic to contact me. Even some of the transistor numbers in the EQ are bogus. The strangest thing is the signal always goes through the transistor amp even when you supposidly bypass the EQ. Go figure, who would have a tube amp that has transistors ALWAYS in the signal path.

The IIB schematics and the C+ schematics are also full of errors. I highly suspect thet Mike has a drug or alcohol problem and is not very honest to tell customers there is no schematic. To manufacture printed circuit boards you must have a schematic, component assemply drawings, as well as a drawing to drill the component mounting holes in the poard.

I don't know how someone can get away with treating customers in this manner for so long. Boogie would be much more sucessful if they had taken a different philosophy of customer service as other much more successful companies have as Fender, Peavey etc. A gigging musician with a down amplifier needs support, not a casual "well send it back to me and I'll mod it for four or five hundred dollars. Shipping a heavy amplifier is a crap shoot at best with the way UPS and some other carriers treat them. Many are damaged in shipment and this is not necessary.

Regards,
beaurawls

I don't want to question your knowledge, BUT.
These amps were in a constant state of evolution during this time(or so I've heard). This might explain the lack of a schematic. OR, Mike may be under a confidentiality clause regarding any trade secrets. Give Randall Smith a call and ask him for some help on this 20+ year old amp, and see what you get. Either way, if Mike has a drug or alchohol problem, I'll take a double dose of WHATEVER he is having. :lol:

 

[jvk]

I've heard that Randall Smith's left handed and he drew the schematics

The preamp is wrong in many places and it has some caps and resistors missing. Without them the circuit sounds buzzy and distorted - trust me, I built it from the original schematics! The eq is fine although it's missing a cap and resistor. I don't want to think what would happen if you built the power amp... maybe a tube or two would go supernova, who knows...

Perhaps that was an obvious attempt to discourage other companies from easily cloning their amp. Making a circuit diagram from the PCB is actually not easy and takes a long time.

 

[Racerboy44]

I have spoken with Mike B. several times in person and when he modded my Mark III he actually let me come in to the back while he worked on it at his workbench. He didn't seem like a guy that was trying to hide anything. He was just giving the best possible service he could. When you consider how small Mesa is and how popular their amps are it is very impressive that he could take the time he did to help me out. Try getting that kind of 1 on 1 service from any other big name amp company. The guy is all class and until you've met him in person you should probably refrain from calling him a drunk or drug user!

 

[beaurawls]

Well, the only inelligent response came from the UK. If you live in California close to the shop that works, If you live in Alabama, that says it all.
Yes it was frustration in me to trash Mike. My bad, but the fact remains that you do not make PCB's without first having a schematic. I doubt anyone would use it to try to build an amp. It is much more expensive to build one than to purchase it. The amp is now repaired and modified to actually bypass the EQ board when EQ is switched off. Now if I could just find some of that good old foam and glue to put the EQ board back in. Just a joke. It is now mounted with 4-40 machine screws and stand offs as it should be. I agree withe post about the fader board being a pain, but that has also now been corrected. To the rest, I was addressing my remarks to musicians who make a living playing their music and need thier equipment to keep that money rolling.

Regards,
beau=oops boo rawls 8)

 

[JOEY B.]

Yes it was frustration in me to trash Mike. My bad, but the fact remains that you do not make PCB's without first having a schematic. I doubt anyone would use it to try to build an amp.
Regards,
beau=oops boo rawls 8)

I'm quite sure that there have been many people who have thought about making a "clone" amp from these not so correct schematics. Good luck to them. My whole point was that Mike could possibly be fired and/or sued for sending you that schematic (if it really exists). I'm glad that you were able to fix and improve that amp. I really appreciate the slam on Alabama, though. :?

 

[theaero]

It costs more to built an amp than buy one?

I dont see how mesa... or any company... would be making money then?

 

[Restless Rocks]

Does anyone remember the fabulous "Sundown" Japanese Boogie Clone amp made for a very short time around 1984-85? If Boogie schematics were dead on accurate there would be bootleg Boogies everywhere. Those with real world experience repairing tube amps and familiar with typical tube circuit design realize that the published Boogie schematics are useful as a basic signal path map and were not intended for anyone wishing to build a Boogie. Any qualified tech or engineer for that matter also knows that many transistors are manufactured under different part numbers by different manufacturers with very similar parameters which can be substituted as a simple audio amplifier. Also those of us who actually use Mesa Boogie amplifiers for their intended purpose of amplifying electric guitars and constantly move and haul them around know that hard mounting points transfer the shock of bumps, bangs and vibration to the circuit boards leading to damage and failure of solder joints and even cracked boards. Would you want to ride around in a car without springs or shock absorbers? Then there is the bottom line of manufacturing an amplifier of such sound quality as a Mesa and keeping the cost to the end user (us) affordable. Hey go find a schematic for a Dumble :lol: or try to decifer the parts on the board dipped in epoxy resin. Oh! By the way the Dumble is a guitar amplifier 8)

 

[lesterpaul]

"aaahhboo...thank you very much..."
(say this using your best Elvis voice and you have a great Halloween joke..'what did the ghost of Elvis say...'..get it!!??Alabama humor at its best..)
..time to leave the building now :?

 

[beaurawls]

1. Have spoken with Mike, and I stand by what I said about business practices.

2. Alcohol and drugs are a compliment-get real.

3. If you believe you can clone a amplifier for less than purchasing, and do a professional job, complete with silkscreened panels finished wood case, and high quality iron-you need your mom to explain money to you the next time she gives you your allowance. Taking an existing product and modding it is not building a one of clone.

4. Is this board to help gigging musicians or just jerk yourself off talking about what totems you have purchased with daddy's money?

5. As far as patents go, I believe Fender has most of them in the Mark II era, this is only aparrent if you can understand schematics.

6. First time or not on the board, I asked for technical info lacking at Mesa and get a recrudesence of inchoate bickering and spell checkers, I guess you only do what you can do.

7. My fingers are tired....

Regards,
beaurawls 8)

 

[lesterpaul]

sorry..I just thought the drug/alcohol ref. was not cool-Mike B. has bent over backwards for so many that visit this board-I just gave a simple "boo"..nothing heavy or below the belt
...the Alabama thing is ok...hear it all the time

 

[beaurawls]

Thanks Lesterpaul, by the way did you see the special about Les Paul's life last night on ETV? It was great. Yeah I know about having your state joked about, believe me-I am from Mississippi and as you can imagine, it is never ending. By the way have you heard the cousin one?
"Mike told me he was depressed and I asked why. Well, I just made love to my third cousin. I asked him if it bothered him so much, why do you keep count?"

Good to see the first person to be real is from the South.

Regards,
beau(boo)rawls 8)

 

[Tuna141]

beaurawls, obvously, your people skills need some improvement. Insulting people and making unsubstantiated personal accusations are not usually good ways to solicit favors. :wink:

I also think there are other forums which would be a better fit for your "trolling"... :roll:


FWIW, I've always found Mike B. to be very helpful, and Mesa's customer support to be one of the best. Maybe your "tact" had something to do with the level of support you received from them.

 

[lesterpaul]

Thanks Lesterpaul, by the way did you see the special about Les Paul's life last night on ETV? It was great. Yeah I know about having your state joked about, believe me-I am from Mississippi and as you can imagine, it is never ending. By the way have you heard the cousin one?
"Mike told me he was depressed and I asked why. Well, I just made love to my third cousin. I asked him if it bothered him so much, why do you keep count?"

Good to see the first person to be real is from the South.

Regards,
beau(boo)rawls 8)

no prob,beau

Mississippi??that explains everything!!!
missed that show..maybe I can catch it sometime..gonna let the rest of you duke it out now...!

 

[beaurawls]

Thanks tuna, I feel the love and appreciate the sincerity and depth of your analysis. May I use your advice or is it copyrighted as intellectual property.

Before engaging in a battle of wits, it is always Southern tradition to make sure your oponent is armed. I must now sincerly apologise for not doing so.

Regards,
beaurawls 8)

 

[scottcrud]

Does anyone remember the fabulous "Sundown" Japanese Boogie Clone amp made for a very short time around 1984-85? )

Sundown amps are not Japanese built Boogie clones, they were built by Dennis Kager of Ampeg fame, and they were built in New Jersey.

 

[beaurawls]

Thanks Scottcrud , another real person. I love the tone of Boogie vintage amps, It is the frustration of getting timely tech support when needed to help a working man get back on stage that is frustrating. I have driven over 500 miles in one day with my equipment to help working musicians make post time and earn money for thier family. It is hard to earn a living today playing, not as easy as it was in the late 60's. I hold my hat off to the ones that hang in there and do it every day.

Regards,
beaurawls 8)

 

[visualrocker69]

May I use your advice or is it copyrighted as intellectual property.

Your inability to use correct punctuation speaks for itself, troll.

 

[beaurawls]

Visualrocker69,
Which troll did you refer to?
Please be more specific and raise your GPA if you want to get into a US school.

Companies
Troll (automotive), a small Norwegian car manufacturer
Trolltech, a computer software company from Oslo, Norway
Trollywood, a film production facility from Trollhättan, Sweden
Games
Troll (Dungeons & Dragons), in the Dungeons & Dragons fictional universe
Troll (Warcraft), in the Warcraft series of games
Troll (Warhammer) in the Warhammer Fantasy setting
Literature
Troll (Middle-earth), in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth
Troll (Discworld), on Terry Pratchett's fictional flat world the Discworld
Troll (Harry Potter), in J. K. Rowling's fictional universe
Trolls (Artemis Fowl), in the Artemis Fowl series
Movies
Troll (film), a 1986 film
Troll 2, a 1990 sequel to Troll
Troll 3, a 1990 sequel to Troll and Troll 2
Music
Troll (band), a Norwegian black metal band
Troll (Swedish band), a Swedish pop band
Troll metal, a subgenre of black metal, itself a subgenre of heavy metal music
Finntroll, a Finnish folk metal band
Trollfest, a Norwegian folk metal band
Slang
Troll (Internet), a person who is deliberately inflammatory on the Internet in order to provoke a vehement response from other users.
Troll (gay) Amongst gay men a man who cruises in parks etc is known as a troll and the practice as trolling.
Patent troll, a derogatory phrase describing an individual or company with a patent portfolio containing patents, which it never intended to commercialize
Television
Trollz, an animated show.
Other uses
Fremont Troll, a piece of public art in Seattle, Washington
Troll (angling), the practice of fishing by drawing a baited line or lure behind a boat. Should not be confused with trawling, done with net
Troll (research station), a Norwegian Antarctic research station on Queen Maud Land
Troll airfield, an airfield near the research station
Troll doll, a doll created by Thomas Dam in the 1960s
Troll Platform A large gas production platform in the North Sea.

Regards,
beaurawls 8)