Who is Still Gigging Their Vintage Mark Series Amps?

[strattex14]

My MarkIIB has been my #1 stage amp for more than 40 years. It's been Simul Classed.

 

[engelheimer]

Mine exists to persist...

 

[GJgo]

My Mark II Coliseums (B+ / C+) are still the main amps for my band. Nothing can touch them live!

 

[little-b]

Not for when I gig country bands,but when I gig 80s metal stuff or shred bands,I love running my iic+, red & blue stripe colis in stereo live.

 

[b00g13mk2B]

Got the Mark IIA out last night. Used a thd Hot Plate to tame it and still let let output section work. Also added a JHS reverb pedal to my board (mine is a plain vanilla Super Sixty).

I am using dirt pedals more these days no matter which amp I’m using. The pot on the lead channel on the MKIIA is touchy and hard to balance and I have chosen not to rewire from stock. Mike B added a cap last for more lead gain last year when he cleaned it up, may take it out.

Has anyone used a neo speaker in an older Mark? The MS12 sounds good, could do with less weight.

 

[b00g13mk2B]

I have been using the MKIIA live more and more. I have gone to using dirt pedals instead of the lead channel. No issues setting levels between dirt, clean and more dirt. I am using a TC Spark at the end of the pedal board chain for lead boosts. Helps to not bring the gain too high for both dirt and boost to avoid preamp compression, unless that is what you want.

Last night, I used a LovePedal Red Moon Tchula and got awesome sounds. I had to turn down presence and treble since this pedal boosts highs. The Tele had some good harmonics and was “juicy” with the left side on, when the right side was engaged, great grind and sustain.

These amps are so flexible, just not like the multi channel modern Boogies.

 

[b00g13mk2B]

There is an RCA jack on the bottom of my MKIIA chassis for a Gain Boost footswitch. Haven’t used it in years, my try it again.

This amp has become my regular gigging amp the past few months, using a THD Hot Plate to tame it. Pulled down treble and brightness with the Tele, also using a Black Mamba Tchula always on. I run the Gain around 6 and now pedals not only sound good, everything stops sounding similar. With high gain and then healthy lead drive, guitars don’t sound very different.

Of course, high gain and high lead drive gives a great sound.

 

[rarebitusa]

After many years of having my IIC+ sitting in the studio, finally have rejoined the gigging club with it. Had always been using the other Mesas live mostly because they could be easily replaced if they disappeared. The others also seemed a bit more versatile (or so I thought) with individual dual chans and tone stacks, not the cascading gain stages. But finally got the itch to try it live again and man oh man this is such a different experience this time around. It certainly helps that I've got a bit more of a handle on the signal chain and 4CM tweaking, etc. tweaked in patches, etc. There are a few needed workarounds but jeez this amp is such a beast, it needs to be played.

 

[b00g13mk2B]

I’m still gigging my MKIIA. Have switched to a Tone Tubby DD speaker as the tinsel wire on the MS12 has broken and there is no OEM recone kit. A Eurotubes JJ tube set is waiting to be installed and compared to the current set - Mesa 440 6L6s, GE 12ax7 in V1 and Mesa 12ax7 everywhere else. Current tube set is a bit old.

Also recently revived my JMP 1987 and gigged it, pretty nice. The Boogie combo is easier to transport.

 

[scoobyzjr]

Not gigging a Mark Series amp, but I am regularly gigging my DC-2. I really should get a cap job done and get it modded!

 

[rarebitusa]

as the tinsel wire on the MS12 has broken and there is no OEM recone kit.

Crap so is it a paperweight now? Is there anything close that could be used?

 

[b00g13mk2B]

Maybe I could try to patch a new piece of tinsel wire in. I found a place in Florida that has a non-OEM recone kit but would like to keep the original cone, it is fine. Seems difficult to remove the dust cap and replace the entire wire. Maybe cut closely where the wire goes through the cone and dab new adhesive?

 

[b00g13mk2B]

Here it is, if anyone has suggestions on repair while saving the cone. Looks like remove the dust cap, cut the cone closely around the wire. Hope there is enough room under the dust cap to connect a new wire. I haven’t repaired a speaker before so don’t know how to safely remove a dust cap, if it is possible.

The current lead may be too brittle from resoldering to the tab several times as I have moved the speaker lead/plug several times over the years. But maybe that is the best bet. Just worried about reliability during a gig as that’s when it broke.

 

[rarebitusa]

But maybe that is the best bet. Just worried about reliability during a gig as that’s when it broke.

Yea when that wire gets brittle it may not solder well. But heck I'd give it a shot and see if it comes alive. I'd try to find some stranded wire of the same composition and see if it could be extended a bit, give it some slack. I'd be curious if it still was functional

 

[kmanick]

Once I get my Mark IV back from Mesa I will be using quite regularly to gig with.