REISSUE Rumor: Mark IIC+ and 2ch Recto

[zacinnc78]

I've never found this to be a problem on my old red stripe or current purple stripe personally, but I have heard others express this I can't really think of what I could possibly want more from either clean or high gain really


Now trying to get a decent sounding R2 along with that... thats an entirely different story haha

what i meant was ,i can get the best tones ever but not at the same time i have to fiddle with knobs when channel switching

 

[rarebitusa]

will this have the same issue as im having with my mark iii bluestripe(impossible to have a good clean and killer distortion at the same time)

IMHO the "Single Chan Dual Mode" design deal with the II & III is always going to be a bit of a compromise between Ch 1 and the lead chan. If the reissue mimics a real IIC+ in function (as it should) then yea I'd expect it's going to present the same challenge. If I set my IIC+ Ch 1 to a more spanky and sparkly clean then there definitely is less gain to work with on the Lead Chan. Personally I feel the Lead chan has a ton of gain and that makes up for it but I could see why it may be impossible.

 

[spawnofthesith2]

It’s been to long since I had my red stripe to recall my settings there, but at the moment on the purple I’m finding volume on 7, treble on like 7-8 and lead drive between 7 or all the way up seems to be a sweet spot lol. Have presence around 2.5

Big beautiful punchy cleans and brutal punishing high gain

 

[woodbutcher65]

Straight from Mesa:

"The Mark IIC+ is not a limited run and will be part of the production line. As for the Reverb/EQ switch, yes they do come with the amp, but it will be a little while before we have extra ready for sales. "

Hardwood/custom headshells are not CURRENTLY orderable with the amps, the first batch will be delivered in standard black tolex dress, but in the future at some point they will likely be open to customized orders.

 

[woodbutcher65]

I DID say that there's nothing about a Mark II that can't be built today using current production, original, repro, or new substitute parts.

Guess I'm right again.

 

[Joey1970]

3 Mark 2C+ DRG heads, and all EVM-12L speakers. No GAS at all. The Black heads were bought for $2500 or less, the hardwood was bought as a cream combo for $2300. Those hardwood cabs cost me more than some good running used cars.

 

[Eevil]

I DID say that there's nothing about a Mark II that can't be built today using current production, original, repro, or new substitute parts.

Guess I'm right again.

Just needed a paradigm shift from innovative company to stale company

 

[woodbutcher65]

Mesa has innovated quite a lot over its more than 50 years. But eventually all the good and easy ideas for new products are all explored. This has happened to EVERY major company in the music business. Fender, Gibson, Marshall, Mesa, you name it, if they've been around for a long time, they've become less innovative as their product line fills in its own gaps.

However, Mesa's product line is probably the broadest, catering to the widest range of musical styles, of any amp company in existence.
I don't think that they're particularly stale.

 

[kmanick]

all of the pictures I've seen are using 4 6L6's , will the class A slots on this one take EL-34's?

 

[Darkstar2]

^^^ that's the $64k question ... seeing that Google's AI answer claims yes, but according to this thread https://thegearforum.com/threads/can-you-do-both-el34-6l6-together.5048/ you cannot run a mix of EL34s/6L6 in Mark V's or Mark VII's. One or the other, not both. One would think that with that version of Simulclass, the amp would put out closer to 85 watts or 90 watts...

 

[spawnofthesith2]

I bet Mesa support might have the answer... I'm constantly pestering them with questions though they might be getting sick of me. Don't want to bug them with questions about an amp I'm not buying

 

[danielpasco]

So, one common way to clean up a vintage Mark dialed in for aggressive high gain is to roll back the guitar volume. Maybe doing that with a pedal/floor unit prior to the amp input could do something similar when switching channels.

 

[danielpasco]

Re: mixing el34s and 6l6s - I'm guessing that there are at least a few people that could inspect the new IIC+s so see if there are any material changes that would prevent mixing tubes, or if they are just pointedly refusing to suggest that it is possible.

Mesa's narrative around EL34 support in the Mark series has shifted over time quite a bit. The V manual eventually started requiring the use of variac power when using them.

When using the BIAS SELECT switch on the Rear Panel to accommodate the use of EL34 Power Tubes, ALWAYS switch to
VARIAC POWER (switch down) on the main Front Panel POWER switch and operate the amplifier in this power mode until
swapping back to 6L6 Power Tubes. This will ensure uninterrupted performance and avoid running the EL34s over their rated
safe operating voltage.

 

[rarebitusa]

Re: mixing el34s and 6l6s - I'm guessing that there are at least a few people that could inspect the new IIC+s so see if there are any material changes that would prevent mixing tubes, or if they are just pointedly refusing to suggest that it is possible.

Mesa's narrative around EL34 support in the Mark series has shifted over time quite a bit. The V manual eventually started requiring the use of variac power when using them.

Yea for sure. So it looks like the VII (which sadly I do not have... yet) has the bias switch for el34s, but noticed there's no variac mode option. So no requirement as with the V. Badlander is like the VII, just a bias switch even though it has a variac mode. Both for the V & VII in Simulclass there is no option for running the el34/6L6 mix.

However, FWIW... running a different mix of 6L6s for SimulClass in the V makes a major difference to my ears and to the feel. I replaced the quad set of STR-440 YELs with STR-441s GRYs in the outer sockets, STR-448 GRNs in the inner sockets. Now I just run 90W Simulclass on all chans...

 

[danielpasco]

Yea for sure. So it looks like the VII (which sadly I do not have... yet) has the bias switch for el34s, but noticed there's no variac mode option. So no requirement as with the V. Badlander is like the VII, just a bias switch even though it has a variac mode. Both for the V & VII in Simulclass there is no option for running the el34/6L6 mix.

Yes - I should have called out the VII as a notable exception.

However, FWIW... running a different mix of 6L6s for SimulClass in the V makes a major difference to my ears and to the feel. I replaced the quad set of STR-440 YELs with STR-441s GRYs in the outer sockets, STR-448 GRNs in the inner sockets. Now I just run 90W Simulclass on all chans...

oooo. That's intriguing. For my V, I stick with EL34s because they make Mark I into a beast and make Edge mode something I don't completely hate.

 

[spawnofthesith2]

Re: mixing el34s and 6l6s - I'm guessing that there are at least a few people that could inspect the new IIC+s so see if there are any material changes that would prevent mixing tubes, or if they are just pointedly refusing to suggest that it is possible.

Mesa's narrative around EL34 support in the Mark series has shifted over time quite a bit. The V manual eventually started requiring the use of variac power when using them.

Yeah, I had my first Mark V before they made this change to the manual, I used to run =C= EL34s in that one, but never used variac mode. Never had a problem. I'm guessing its probably a "better safe than sorry" type of shift or to cover their rears lol

 

[rarebitusa]

For my V, I stick with EL34s because they make Mark I into a beast and make Edge mode something I don't completely hate.

FWIW totally get the Edge take... however I was pleasantly surprised that this actually had a major impact to my ears with Edge. Didn't need to run variac... just played with TMB-P and also no GEQ.

Full disclosure I am a poor tube sniffer, often I can't hear the nuances others seem to enjoy. But in this case really felt that I could hear and feel the 3D characteristics of SimulClass. It seemed to come alive.

 

[danielpasco]

Yeah, I had my first Mark V before they made this change to the manual, I used to run =C= EL34s in that one, but never used variac mode. Never had a problem. I'm guessing its probably a "better safe than sorry" type of shift or to cover their rears lol

Totally. I got mine in 2012 and there was no mention of variac being required that I can recall. Now it's called out repeatedly throughout the manual.

 

[frontline205]

What I'm hearing is that the amp can take older NOS EL34's but the newer design runs at too high a voltage. Meaning they wont put them in their but if you have an older style EL34 it'll work.

 

[tbonesullivan]

What I'm hearing is that the amp can take older NOS EL34's but the newer design runs at too high a voltage. Meaning they wont put them in their but if you have an older style EL34 it'll work.

I think a lot of this may be more about those Vintage Siemens / RFT EL34s that Mesa sells. Over 450 Volts on the plate can kill them. Most modern production tubes, or at least all the ones I am familiar with, have no issues with a plate voltage over 500V, and they are rated at 800V. That's the same rating that Philips and Mullard have on their datasheets.

I have never really quite understood why they put those EL34 warnings in. What type of EL34s were they using back during the mid 80s when it was a big thing?