Original Mark I vs Mark I Reissue

[fzman]

Hi, I wanted to know how well the reissue stands to the original. Does the reissue sound the same as the original? Thanks for any help.

 

[YOUNGIE41]

I have had a re-issue for a couple of years now but never had an original. I originally had a Studio 22. I got mine used through a shop which my mate manages and had to fight off a number of people who tesed the amp. It was thought to have an awesome sound. It has a few added features like effects loop, reverb, tweed/varaic mode. It is a simple amp but after a couple of years I am still finding sounds that surprise me. It is capable of brutal volume but with the 60/100 switch and tweed mode is really pretty versatile.

If you have had an original it is really a case of trying one out and comparing for yourself. I like simple amps without bells and whistles so it works great for me.

 

[JOEY B.]

My 1978 Mark I has the built in 5-band graphic EQ and the pull Gain Boost on Vol. 1 as well as a pull Bright on Vol. 2 . The original Mark I did not have a true effects loop, but Boogie can retrofit one where the line in and slave out jacks are on the back of the chassis. The tweed switch is the most appealing feature on the re-isssue. If my original Mark I had it, I would certainly use it. For more info, go to this website and choose the '77 Mark I in the dropdown menu. Either amp will get you all the tone that you will ever need, and if you wanted the EQ with the re-issue you could use a pedal or rack mount EQ through the effects loop.

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

 

[pete532611]

Hi - New to the group and have owned both reissue and older MKI.
Like Youngie41 below my 77 MKI had boost and bright pull switches but no graphic eq. It was also 100/60 watts with an Altec 417.
Differences were minimal from what I remember with the reissue having more options like the tweed switch and ability to use 6V6's...very cool.
Both had the same tonal qualities with the older amp more peaky in the highs. Probably had something to do with the Altec. The reissue uses a Boogie/Celestion I think. Good speaker, held up well and stayed clean when the amp was pushed.
I went from these to a MKIII blue stripe to a MKIIB simulclass which I now use all the time. The MKI's are great amps (there was a review of the MKI reissue in a recent Tonequest Report) just wanted a little more flexibility that the MKII has especially for it's clean sound.

 

[Boogiewan Kenobi]

I have tried both and compared a stock '77 (EQ, REV, 60/100, Altec) versus a '00 (REV, 60/100, EVM). The '77 was more muddy so I compared EVM to EVM. They were very close, but the '77 was a little more brittle, espcially when using the EQ. That being said, the PULL BOOST of the '77 adds an extra mode that is quite cool. The RI was a little more tight in the bottom end as well. It had a more "compressed" sound than the '77 which was more vintage sounding.

I agree than either way, one won't go wrong with either.

BWK