So when did it become official?

[ndsquared]

When do you think it all started...the Mark IIC+ becoming the Holy Grail of guitar amplifiers?...
The Marshall 50 watt plexi, Deluxe reverb all have their place on the pedestal, but what caused the word to get out ?

I ask because I'm reading "theTipping Point" which is a book which examines how cultural phenomenons and movements begin.

Was it a pivotal player expuonding the virtues of the little giant, or perhaps someone researched how their favorite guitarist got that sound on a certain record...

Not a particularly contraversial topic, just curious how you think this little amp became the '59 sunburst of amps...

 

[zebpedersen]

I don't think it has, really. There's a lot of hype, mojo and mystique surrounding the IIC+ amongst the Boogie faithful, but honestly outside of 'the club' it doesn't have the same iconic status as a JCM800, Dumble, AC30, Plexi and the many classic Fender amps through the ages.

 

[ndsquared]

I don't think it has, really. There's a lot of hype, mojo and mystique surrounding the IIC+ amongst the Boogie faithful, but honestly outside of 'the club' it doesn't have the same iconic status as a JCM800, Dumble, AC30, Plexi and the many classic Fender amps through the ages.

But anytime someone puts one on E-bay they sure know what it is!

 

[Elpelotero]

Dumbles sell for $15,000 and up...Most expensive C+ I've ever seen is only 4k, the price of a Diezel brand new.

 

[Sixstringpsycho]

I don't think it has, really. There's a lot of hype, mojo and mystique surrounding the IIC+ amongst the Boogie faithful, but honestly outside of 'the club' it doesn't have the same iconic status as a JCM800, Dumble, AC30, Plexi and the many classic Fender amps through the ages.

I agree with this to an extent. If you talk to a non musician that person likely has heard of a fender or maybe even a model. Marshall JCM 800 and plexi same. I have told people I play Mesa boogie before that never heard of the company until you tell them it's the diamond plate amp in a nickleback video. Then they know it exists. The IIC+ is an amazing amp but not as mainstream popular as some of the other mystical amps

 

[ndsquared]

So...we'll just keep this between us...right?

 

[ndsquared]

So...we'll just keep this between us...right?

Not possible. Trade secrets leak out of that Sanford airport all the time.
Maybe once the Everglades recover and take over the whole state or the Atlantic washes over all of Florida perhaps then and only then will the secret of the C+ will be safe.

So ...you're up in New England? I just painted one of Dean Campbell's Campbell American guitars for Bill Nelson (BeBopDeluxe)...ever play one of his guitars? He's up your way...

 

[stephen sawall]

The Mark IIc became popular when Metallica started using them. Like others have said .... it is not a icon. Most people have never heard of them. Most likely Mesa would have gone out of business or would still be a very small company if not associated with Metallica.

 

[av8or3]

Most likely Mesa would have gone out of business or would still be a very small company if not associated with Metallica.

What????? :shock: Nah...... not a chance. :roll: What would the Stones, Larry Carlton, Carlos Santana, Pete Townsend,Steve Lukether,and God knows how many other accomplished musicians done without their Boogies! And they had quite a following in the "not so famous" genre of pickers as well.

Come on man, you should know better :wink:
Jim

 

[dmcguitar]

i wasnt playing inthe 80's but id imagine they had enough to keep them going.. and be a small company then... until they made the rectifier... if not for that they would be much smaller then now (is my guess)

 

[stephen sawall]

Most likely Mesa would have gone out of business or would still be a very small company if not associated with Metallica.

What????? :shock: Nah...... not a chance. :roll: What would the Stones, Larry Carlton, Carlos Santana, Pete Townsend,Steve Lukether,and God knows how many other accomplished musicians done without their Boogies! And they had quite a following in the "not so famous" genre of pickers as well.

Come on man, you should know better :wink:
Jim

I do not think any of those people used a Mark II other than the Stones. I believe they were all Mark I users. Most for a short amount of time and none of them use Mesa amps at all anymore. If I remember correct ?

Up to the time the Rectifier came out they peaked at a average of 14 amps a day. At that same time Marshall was making about 200 amps and Fender was making about 700 amps a day.

A huge part of why there was Rectifiers was to make Metallica happy and I agree with out those amps they would be much smaller.

 

[zebpedersen]

Fourteen amps a day when you're doing the whole lot in-house is plenty to keep the company going - you're not losing any margin by outsourcing (aside from the chassis). We all know about Randy re-using faceplates, transformers etc... when transitioning between models, aside from being a top notch designer he's also a very shrewd businessman, I don't think Boogie would have 'disappeared'.

From what you say about the ramp in popularity after the Rectos coming out, though, that's telling enough that if people are going to recognise a Boog, it's going to be a modern era one.

I actually asked my poker buddies last night and, and there's a few amateur home guitarists in the mix, they said they had 'never heard of a IIC+ until you started banging on about them all the bloody time'.

Done my research!

 

[cremona]

People may not know or care what exact amp Metallica used to get there sound, but the scooped boogie crunch on there Iconic albums spawned a a whole world of Guitarist that have been trying to aim at that type of sound ever since , and so have many amp and effect manufactors.

That type of sound have become the reference metal sound through decades, I would call it "the hole grail of heavy Crunch"

I own on , its not hype IMO, it dos have a special vibe to it, to me most amps have a bit to much of this or to littel of that, The c+ with simual class just strings it all together in a harmnonic way that makes it very musical and special among Metal sounds.

If it diddent excist il stil chose a Mark boogie over eny Marshall, the c+ in paticual have that haul effect when i hit the E chords , other amps just dont do it.

Like many true artisans and artists that put there hart and soul into there art work, the dont like to repeat them self, and dont give a F...what people thing about it or what would drain more money out of there Customers.

 

[JOEY B.]

I don't think I would call the C+ the Holy Grail of guitar amps. Better said would be the Holy Grail of MESA amps. Part of me wishes they were still a small company building 14 amps per day. There is a certain customer/seller relationship that happens when companies are that size. I remember back in the early '80s when Boogie was a boutique amp known about by a small number of guitarists. It was like the "best kept secret in town". 8)

They still have excellent customer service cosidering their size today, BTW.

 

[IBA]

I guess the status of any particular piece of gear is triggered off in the first place by some sort of iconic recording of an artist in which that specific gear has been used. John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers' Beano featured Clapton playing a 60' Les Paul thorough a Marshall JTM45 combo (the bluesbreaker) and boosted by a Dallas Rangemaster. ('the Woman Tone)

I suppose there is a similar hype about some Strats, Gretsch, or Fender and Vox amps. (not exactly the same but similar).

Another example would be the whole 'modded Marshall' trends. This could be related to EVH's first recordings and his 'Brown Sound'.

Zakk Wylde and Kerry King have also contributed to make the JCM800 2203 'fashionable' again, although most people don't realise the JMP version of the 2203 sounds a lot richer and fuller...

I guess Metallica's Black Album has been the turning point for the C+. If that Album didn't sell as it did probably the status of the C+ wouldnt be the same now (I'm only talking about the recognision of the C+ by the masses not about its sound quality). However, it is funny to think that back in the day I heard Gary Moore mention in an interview that he heard somewhere that Metallica were blown away by his guitar sound in Still got the Blues. Apparently they went to Bob Rock with that album in hand and told him 'we want this guitar sound in our next album (the Black Album)'. Gary Moore jokingly said that he felt tempted to give them a ring to tell them what gear was required to achieve that 'a 59 Les Paul, an old JTM45 and a MKI Guv'nor pedal'. So probably inspired by GM's sound they ended up 'replicating' it from a completely different angle and doing their own thing. Although Metallica's Black Album is not my thing, I must admit the sound is really good.

From that point onwards, Mesa Marks and metal guitars have always been closely associated (although I know for fact that these amps can do a lot more than that).

Cheers

 

[Heritage Softail]

I think when Mesa came out with the Rectifier series, that made them iconic. Rectifiers have created more guitar players than Mel Bay... It is that metal plate front that is a visual key to know there is a Mesa sitting there to all the concert going public. The whole Boogie magic, aside of we that own and know the difference in the models, is like music voodoo. My wife knows most of her favorite bands use Mesa equipment from watching or listening to the Music Choice channel of cable TV. It says only Band X used Mesa amplification... no models. I like MK1 better than the C+ anyway!! ha :twisted: Your mileage may vary :mrgreen:

 

[IBA]

I think when Mesa came out with the Rectifier series, that made them iconic. Rectifiers have created more guitar players than Mel Bay... It is that metal plate front that is a visual key to know there is a Mesa sitting there to all the concert going public. The whole Boogie magic, aside of we that own and know the difference in the models, is like music voodoo. My wife knows most of her favorite bands use Mesa equipment from watching or listening to the Music Choice channel of cable TV. It says only Band X used Mesa amplification... no models. I like MK1 better than the C+ anyway!! ha :twisted: Your mileage may vary :mrgreen:

I must agree with that but only to a certain extent. I believe that by the time the Rectifiers came along, the brand Mesa Boogie was already popular. The metallic front and the Rectifier (one trick pony) sound was a step in the right (marketing) direction.

Rectifiers must have been the most disappointing amps in the history of mesa. I remember when the Mark IV came out MB was big and the IV was considered the best you could buy from them. I know many studios, producers and players went the Rectifier route thinking it was the next step in sound, but most of them ended up regretting their purchase and reselling it.

I believe however that no many amps compare to some Rectifiers when it comes to creating big walls of guitar sound. Unfortunately I never managed to do more than that with them. Having said that, it suited the musical trends that came at the time.

 

[ndsquared]

I think when Mesa came out with the Rectifier series, that made them iconic. Rectifiers have created more guitar players than Mel Bay... It is that metal plate front that is a visual key to know there is a Mesa sitting there to all the concert going public. The whole Boogie magic, aside of we that own and know the difference in the models, is like music voodoo. My wife knows most of her favorite bands use Mesa equipment from watching or listening to the Music Choice channel of cable TV. It says only Band X used Mesa amplification... no models. I like MK1 better than the C+ anyway!! ha :twisted: Your mileage may vary :mrgreen:

I must agree with that but only to a certain extent. I believe that by the time the Rectifiers came along, the brand Mesa Boogie was already popular. The metallic front and the Rectifier (one trick pony) sound was a step in the right (marketing) direction.

Rectifiers must have been the most disappointing amps in the history of mesa. I remember when the Mark IV came out MB was big and the IV was considered the best you could buy from them. I know many studios, producers and players went the Rectifier route thinking it was the next step in sound, but most of them ended up regretting their purchase and reselling it.

I believe however that no many amps compare to some Rectifiers when it comes to creating big walls of guitar sound. Unfortunately I never managed to do more than that with them. Having said that, it suited the musical trends that came at the time.

I had one of the original Dual Rectifiers when they first came out...Monster drug tone, but you know what? It sounded the same no matter what freaking guitar I used! Couldn't tell the strat from the Les PAul..still ...but what a tone!

 

[ryjan]

In the winter of 1984, a young James Hetfield walked through the Mesa factory door and plugged in. At that exact moment IIC+ status was cemented for all eternity. Well, for me at least.

 

[ndsquared]

So ...you're up in New England? I just painted one of Dean Campbell's Campbell American guitars for Bill Nelson (BeBopDeluxe)...ever play one of his guitars? He's up your way...

No. Not familiar with them either... Hmmmmm maybe I've been hibernating all these years? Is winter over yet?
(I do know BeBop Deluxe)

80's 90's Sci Fi kinda rock...research Axe Victim, no trains to heaven Blazing Apostles...killer player,writer and singer...oh Yeah Modern Music (on my radio) actually got some airplay.
here's apic of the axe