SOB combo

[MK IIB]

Hi guys.
How much would you expect to pay for a SOB combo?It's the black one,has the export transformer and an MS-12 speaker in really good almost mint condition.
I know they aren't really held in high regard but I'm thinking of buying it if just for the MS-12 and then maybe resell it with a different speaker in it?

 

[Don]

A few years ago a guy I knew had one on the local CL where it languished for months. He finally let it go for under $400!!! I had negotiated with him at a higher price (about $500, maybe) and couldn't believe it when I found out what he finally sold it for.
I can't remember that amp's options.

I have no idea if this price was normal.

 

[MK IIB]

Thanks Don.
I'm trying to get an idea of a current price.I can also trade a fender blues Deluxe in against it.
I am mainly interested in it for the MS-12 speaker though for my mark IIB.
If it sounds good I might keep it or else put a different speaker in it and sell it on again.It's in mint condition,although I've still to go and try it and get a price.He's got it priced at £550($837)which is obviously too much but he doesn't know much about it.He told me it was a mark I
Once I know how much it should be selling for I can go and make a deal.

 

[MK IIB]

Just a little a bump for this guys as I really need to know how much is a fair price to pay for a SOB combo.
I've obviously had a look through google etc and have read of them going from anything between $400-800 which being in the UK is around £264-528
Is £500($757)too highly priced for one of these amps giving that I've seen mark 2B's in great condition sell over here in the UK for £500-550?
Any help is much appreciated.

 

[mtsofthemoon]

Personally I think it depends on whether you are interested in resale value, or are gonna play the amp.. I paid $600 for a SOB combo a couple of weeks ago and I think it was some of the best money I've ever spent! Make no mistake, these amps are way better than their reputation. I have owned various fender amps, a jcm 800, a vox ac15, and built a few 6v6 and se6l6 amps and the SOB blows them away! Total sleeper amp.. They are hand wired, and depending on options can sound as good or better than amps that run $ thousands new. Mine has on board reverb, an evm 12l speaker, and the class A / simulclass switch running 4x6l6.. I would have been happy paying hundreds more. If you're gonna play it, ask yourself what would sound better and how much that would cost. If you're gonna resell it, then anything on the low range of online used price is the most you should pay.

BTW, I play jazz, funk, fusion, jam, surf, classic rock and country.. If you're looking for metal there are better options.

 

[MK IIB]

Hi folks.
So I got this SOB combo.It has some really good sounds in it.
What I noticed is the treble has to be set around 3 or else it can sound really trebly and a bit thin.I've been used to having my treble set around 6-7 on a fender amp.It also doesn't seem to have a huge amount of bass/bottom end although I have only been able to run it at bedroon volumes with master volume under one so I presume once opened up the sound will get bigger?
It looks quite stock to me although I suspect the screen grid resistors and bias caps not to be original?
Pots are a bit scratchy and input one cuts out but the solder joints on the jack look fine?Hopefully some contact cleaner will fix this?
Any input is much appreciated.P.s what's the deal with these tubes?They are a matched pair of 6l6's but are different sizes?
Here are some pics.Signed by Randall C Smith no less!

 

[MK IIB]

Hi folks.
Is my experience typical of these amps?There isn't a lot of bottom end and it can sound quite boxy at times.Also when there is no guitar plugged in and the volumes are up say around halfway it's very noisy and makes a phasing sound.What could cause this apart from tubes?
Are these SOB amps really different sounding from the original mark 1 and the mark IIs?

 

[gts]

Are these SOB amps really different sounding from the original mark 1 and the mark IIs?

Yes. I had one years ago and didn't like it at all. Sold it almost immediately.

 

[MK IIB]

Are these SOB amps really different sounding from the original mark 1 and the mark IIs?

Yes. I had one years ago and didn't like it at all. Sold it almost immediately.

What did you not like about it?
It sounds good with my Les Paul but the strat can sound a bit thin through it.Still not cranked it up yet though.
P.s What can the amp to make a phasing sound sometimes when there's nothing plugged in?Only with the volumes up fairly loud!

 

[MK IIB]

I've been playing this thing all day.Channel 2 sounds really sweet with a Les Paul.Has a really nice warm sound and with volume up to 10 you get a great slightly overdriven clean sound ala Pete Townshend.There's definitely some good sounds to be got from this amp.

 

[Brad737]

May we ask how much you paid? Money well spent?

 

[MK IIB]

May we ask how much you paid? Money well spent?

I got it for about $450.Money well spent?I think so?

 

[Don]

May we ask how much you paid? Money well spent?

I got it for about $450.Money well spent?I think so?

Definitely money well spent! That's a heck of an amp for that price. If you ever feel that it under performs compared to a MK1 you can do a few tweaks to get it real close.

 

[MK IIB]

Thanks Don.
What are the mods that you would have done to bring it more into mark 1 territory?
I've never actually played through a mark 1 but with a Les Paul this thing can do the Santana thing in channel 1 no problem at all.
With no guitar plugged in and the volumes up fairly loud the amp sometimes makes a phasing like sound.Could this be the tubes?
I've got spare 6l6's but they aren't Mesa branded ones and I didn't want to risk putting them in to try because of the Mesa fixed bias thing.
I think once the couple of scratchy pots are fixed and with new tubes this will be a great amp.

 

[Don]

Before modding the amp I'd consider replacing any old electrolytic caps along with any resistors that might be out of spec and any tubes that are tired.

Then, if you're not completely happy with the amp, I'd compare it's schematic to a MKI schematic and consider changes that might change the tone of the amp in ways that you'd like.

 

[RR]

... I suppose I could do my research but off hand, does anyone know the difference between an SOB and say a .50 Caliber? I suppose the SOB came either with a 60 watter or 100 watter and even a Coliseum but what is the difference besides wattage.

Gosh I would like a 50 watt SOB with an added switch between tube and solid state rectifier and a less headroom output transformer and I would be in Fender-like heaven. Yeah, I know, Fender-owners would say "not exactly Fender" but close enough for me. :wink:

 

[MrWhoever]

Hey Mark IIb, hey boogie boarders!
First post, but i had a s.o.b. combo for 8 years, i loved that amp! Probably not very useful to talk about mine, since the opinions wildly vary on that amp, and I suspect they are inconsistent from model to model, so I guess you just have to see what you get.. they have certain needs for sure, number one is good tubes, some go for a at7 in v2 and even v1, i had one in v2 and it smoothed things out considerably, still a lot of gain to be had. I would definitely look for more appropriate tubes, the 440 are chinese remakes of the sylvania 6l6gc, haven't heard them but the original 415strs made a huge difference in mine. I would not part with the sob too quick and give it a shot, marketwise hugely undervalued but at least here in germany really scarce i would bet they will rise in price.

 

[MK IIB]

I just gigged with the SOB for the first time today and it sounded great.Really punchy with a strat and with a Les Paul in channel 1 it just sang.The notes sustained into nice sweet harmonic feedback.