New Mark I Owner

[scoobie]

Hi,

My first post as a Mesa owner and just bought a mark 1C head and separate cab. The serial number is H1045, and I got a current converter with it as it's original US and I'm in the UK.

I've done a search under 'mark I' on the site, but it brings everything up for all of the marks available.

Could anyone let me know if I could get hold of a manual anywhere, or provide any other info on the model? The guy I bought it from told me a bit but I would appreciate any hints/tips/settings etc.

Thanks in advance.

 

[zebpedersen]

1C?

What controls have you got? Some MK1 amps have pull boosts for gain and brightness, plus the various wattage settings, EQ and other options.

Do you have a graphic EQ? Reverb? Do you have a switch on the rear (next to the heatsink) saying 60/100W?

What speaker is there in the cab?

 

[scoobie]

Hi,

On the front from left to right I have: Inputs 1 & 2, vol 1, vol2, master, treble, bass, middle, flick switches for 100/60 RMS, on/standby, and power/tweed.

In the rear from left to right: fx level, next to that two inputs/outputs marked in and out, under that an input (Underneath all of that it's marked as '3A GRND SLAVE), and next to them two more knobs marked 'pres', 'res'. On the far right are 3 inputs/outputs marked 8, 4, 4.

Underneath all of these switches at the rear - you have tilt the head back to see it is a knob marked 'slave level'

Printed on the board it says 'Mesa Mark 1-C'

The guy said he thinks it had spring reverb, but it has been sat in his cuboard for years and there is no-indication of this on any controls or mentioned anywhere on the amp.

The speaker in the cab is a Celestion Black Shadow 8 ohm 90W stamped with Mesa Engineering on the back of it. This was not bought with the head, but is a later addition.

Thanks,

 

[zebpedersen]

Cool man, aside from the graphic EQ you have the full works - that's the same spec that Santana played/plays (his have EQ but it's never engaged).

The 90w 1x12 means the cab is probably more recent - the period cabinets used Altec, JBL or Electro Voice speakers.

FX loop is not original - loads of Mark Is have had this added at some stage though, it's quite a common mod (done to various degrees of success) - my '77 for example does not have a great loop, piggybacking off the reverb driver tube (AFAIK) and ruining the reverb! It's an un-doable mod though.

If you take the amp out of the cabinet and have a look underneath you'll have a date written in Sharpie and likely the technician's name (very likely to be RCS, Randall C Smith, our 'fearless leader').

My amp has the EQ option, so take this only as a starting point, but I use (for input 1) vol 1 + 2 on 7/8, T-7, M-4, B-4. Bear in mind that mine is a 15" combo as well, so the EQ might not suit your setup perfectly - but at least it's somewhere to start. Oh, and I like to run the presence quite high, but that's just my personal taste, I know a lot of people prefer it to be a bit darker.

Let me know how you get on!

 

[MrMarkIII]

Hi,

On the front from left to right I have: Inputs 1 & 2, vol 1, vol2, master, treble, bass, middle, flick switches for 100/60 RMS, on/standby, and power/tweed.

In the rear from left to right: fx level, next to that two inputs/outputs marked in and out, under that an input (Underneath all of that it's marked as '3A GRND SLAVE), and next to them two more knobs marked 'pres', 'res'. On the far right are 3 inputs/outputs marked 8, 4, 4.

Underneath all of these switches at the rear - you have tilt the head back to see it is a knob marked 'slave level'

Printed on the board it says 'Mesa Mark 1-C'

The guy said he thinks it had spring reverb, but it has been sat in his cuboard for years and there is no-indication of this on any controls or mentioned anywhere on the amp.

The speaker in the cab is a Celestion Black Shadow 8 ohm 90W stamped with Mesa Engineering on the back of it. This was not bought with the head, but is a later addition.

Thanks,

You have a Mark I reissue, unless I'm completely bonkers. The originals did not have TWEED power as an option. The knob in the rear you identify as "res" is most likely "R-E-V" for reverb. There should be a brass-looking tank in the bottom of the head cab with a gray and a white wire coming out of one end. That's the reverb tank. If there is just a rectangular cut-out, the tank has been removed.
The jacks marked "IN" and "OUT" are the effects loop.
The jacks marked "8, 4, and 4" are the speaker outputs. If you are using the one cab you describe, plug the cab into the jack marked "8". If you get another 8 ohm cab, plug each cab into each of the jacks marked "4".
Hope this helps

 

[SonicProvocateur]

Serial 1045 would make it an original wouldn't it? I thought the reissues had high serials like 10,000+

 

[zodiac272]

mesa boogie site:
mk I repair:

http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/Mark%20I%20Maint-Repair.pdf

mk I Reissue:

http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/Mark1%20Reissue.pdf

 

[JOEY B.]

Serial 1045 would make it an original wouldn't it? I thought the reissues had high serials like 10,000+

"H" is a reissue, "A" iis an original short head or combo, "B" is a widebody 15 inch speaker combo original version.

 

[scoobie]

Cheers guys much appreciated.

Do you know how to date a re-issue by any chance?

The guy said he has had it since the 90's.