Just bought my fourth Mark IIC+.

[Exo-metal]

Why not, after all that money I would leave no stone unturned tone-wise. It's exactly the reason I'm trying to find a VHT Classic power amp now. Brings up the old school debate against the axefx...it has its place but will never be as cool, never!

 

[danielraible]

Congrats, and HNAD, again!

Stupid question: have you tried slaving any of your Mark IIC+ amps to something else, and if so did you like/prefer the result?

I've owned several Mesa amps over the years, and for me they all sounded better when used with a 2:Ninety power amp. Especially the Rectifiers.

Years ago I was fortunate to borrow a Mark IIC+ for an extended period of time, and although I could not recall which specific variation it was, I remember preferring it with the external power amp as well.

Just wondering what you experience has been.

Thanks!

Do you recall if you were using Modern mode on the 2:90? Running stereo / multiple cabs? That would explain a lot.

I've slaved my various amps around but not to a dedicated power amp. Generally speaking I prefer the big power sections. I don't get worked up about this, though.

Yes, I almost always preferred the 2:90 in modern mode. Used to have it switchable from a Triaxis, but later just soldered a plug to default it into 'modern'. From there onto a couple 4x12 cabs running dual-mono.

I don't think it was a huge improvement, as the IIC+ sounds great on its own. But every percent makes the smile larger!

 

[GJgo]

Alright guys, I got the amp back from Mike! This amp KILLS. It's VERY fast, and VERY tight. More so than all the others. Possibly faster than my B+ Coli which is IMPRESSIVE. It's also nowhere near as mid honky as the others. It sounds the best in the band mix of all of them because that mid honk is less.

Mike did talk me out of the ++ mod. Said with the no-GEQ models it removes too much low end. I trust him. That being said, this amp has PLENTY of gain. I'm happy.

I played it at band practice last night- here it is in the mix. Forgive the crappy recording & bad playing, you get the idea. I'll record something with a real mic this weekend. The first 3 songs are all amp, the next 3 are with a Mesa 5 band GEQ in the loop.
https://youtu.be/SAz9yEIQIv0

Here's how I'd rate the ones I've had.
SR C+ Best for tight rhythms.
DR C+ Best for leads.
DRG C++ Best tone, but I did have 415s in this one which helped.
HRG C Best cleans
HRG C++ Meh

 

[Racerxrated]

Alright guys, I got the amp back from Mike! This amp KILLS. It's VERY fast, and VERY tight. More so than all the others. Possibly faster than my B+ Coli which is IMPRESSIVE. It's also nowhere near as mid honky as the others. It sounds the best in the band mix of all of them because that mid honk is less.

Mike did talk me out of the ++ mod. Said with the no-GEQ models it removes too much low end. I trust him. That being said, this amp has PLENTY of gain. I'm happy.

I played it at band practice last night- here it is in the mix. Forgive the crappy recording & bad playing, you get the idea. I'll record something with a real mic this weekend. The first 3 songs are all amp, the next 3 are with a Mesa 5 band GEQ in the loop.
https://youtu.be/SAz9yEIQIv0

Here's how I'd rate the ones I've had.
SR C+ Best for tight rhythms.
DR C+ Best for leads.
DRG C++ Best tone, but I did have 415s in this one which helped.
HRG C Best cleans
HRG C++ Meh

Sounds nice! It does seem like Mike removed some of the non EQ mid honk that I’ve heard. As far as value, maybe 2K? No matter the tone, you still have to deal with the fact that it doesn’t have the GEQ and that takes the value down. I’d keep it; you have the option of slaving it to your Coliseum which keeps the fast response while still being able to use the EQ of the Coli.

 

[SpiderWars]

Did you consider having Mike add the GEQ and use MkIII faceplate? That's what my SRG is, orig was a IIC SR and was converted to IIC+ SRG (with MkIII faceplate). Heck, maybe Mike has a couple IIC w/GEQ faceplates stashed just for regulars like you.

I run it into a 2x12 open back with a Suhr line out going to rack FX stereo then into Rivera Hammer 120 split to 2x 4x12s. Dry to all cabs. Sounds pretty huge in MSB.

 

[SpiderWars]

Oh yeah, fwiw IIRC I paid $2k less than 2 yrs ago. It was a combo with EV (now in one of those cheap raw head cabs). I thought that was a good price. Thanks to racerxrated for the lead.

 

[Exo-metal]

Personally I don't see the need to go through all those amps, they are all legit af and I can pull something out of anyone of the ones mentioned. I would think any of those amps would have done the job especially If Mike went through them and you ran the recommend tubes. No way can this amp destroy those other amps unless there is a problem.

 

[Racerxrated]

Oh yeah, fwiw IIRC I paid $2k less than 2 yrs ago. It was a combo with EV (now in one of those cheap raw head cabs). I thought that was a good price. Thanks to racerxrated for the lead.

You are welcome!

 

[Racerxrated]

Personally I don't see the need to go through all those amps, they are all legit af and I can pull something out of anyone of the ones mentioned. I would think any of those amps would have done the job especially If Mike went through them and you ran the recommend tubes. No way can this amp destroy those other amps unless there is a problem.

Yep, they are just different flavors of awesome. Everyone's taste is different. If I could have the tone of the first one I had, in the Coliseum format, that would be IT for me. No sense in playing/trying anything else. That was a KILLER C+.

 

[braintheory]

Personally I don't see the need to go through all those amps, they are all legit af and I can pull something out of anyone of the ones mentioned. I would think any of those amps would have done the job especially If Mike went through them and you ran the recommend tubes. No way can this amp destroy those other amps unless there is a problem.

From my experience, I’d agree. I’ve owned and tried a few different c+’s and although I liked some more than others, they were all in the same ballpark. I wouldn’t say any destroyed each other. I guess you could argue that my factory iic+ hrg was a lot better than my iic+ dr I had, but without the eq engaged on the hrg, they were quite close. The hrg was more open, raw and gritty/growly, which I prefer, while the dr was smoother, a bit tighter/faster, more gainy and more more compressed, but again pretty similar overall to the other. I think those tend to be the general tonal difference I hear between simul and non-simul class. I like both, but tend to prefer the non-simul marks I’ve had for the extra rawness, openness and grit

That being said I’m open minded to the possibility that some c+’s that I haven’t tried could potentially be a lot better, but from the clip the op posted, I didn’t hear anything different than what I remember my iic+ dr sounding like, but maybe with a higher quality clip I can hear more nuance in what the amp is really like

 

[cardinal]

I have a hard enough time telling the difference between a IIC+ and a III hahaha

 

[GJgo]

Sounds nice! It does seem like Mike removed some of the non EQ mid honk that I’ve heard. As far as value, maybe 2K? No matter the tone, you still have to deal with the fact that it doesn’t have the GEQ and that takes the value down. I’d keep it; you have the option of slaving it to your Coliseum which keeps the fast response while still being able to use the EQ of the Coli.

Thanks man. I'd peg it at $2K stock. I think $2400 serviced & curated. I'm also considering converting it to a head if I could get the money back for it, but that might be a stretch. My head shell guy has 4 shells ready to be covered with the buyer's choice. I don't mind doing the work so it's good to go for a buyer.

 

[GJgo]

Did you consider having Mike add the GEQ and use MkIII faceplate? That's what my SRG is, orig was a IIC SR and was converted to IIC+ SRG (with MkIII faceplate). Heck, maybe Mike has a couple IIC w/GEQ faceplates stashed just for regulars like you.

I run it into a 2x12 open back with a Suhr line out going to rack FX stereo then into Rivera Hammer 120 split to 2x 4x12s. Dry to all cabs. Sounds pretty huge in MSB.

Not really. IMO the no-GEQ models have a better tone & feel. They just don't have "that metal tone" without the GEQ.

 

[GJgo]

Personally I don't see the need to go through all those amps, they are all legit af and I can pull something out of anyone of the ones mentioned. I would think any of those amps would have done the job especially If Mike went through them and you ran the recommend tubes. No way can this amp destroy those other amps unless there is a problem.

I think the problem is I'm really a Recto guy, but all the IIC+ internet romanticizing keeps me buying more.

With these vintage amps there are absolutely amp to amp variances. Not to mention all the different power sections. I enjoy figuring it out for myself.

 

[GJgo]

That being said I’m open minded to the possibility that some c+’s that I haven’t tried could potentially be a lot better, but from the clip the op posted, I didn’t hear anything different than what I remember my iic+ dr sounding like, but maybe with a higher quality clip I can hear more nuance in what the amp is really like

To be clear I don't think any C+ that's in good working order is a "lot" better than another, we're just discussing the nuances that we notice when playing a bunch of them- and being excited about it!

Also, these nuances I've learned are almost impossible to capture in a simple recording. It's kind of like with C+ in general, You don't really get it until you've played one.

 

[GJgo]

Spent a half hour tonight losing myself in the lead tone of the SR. It's top level. Now that I've had more time with it, it's every bit as good as the DR leads- difference being if you prefer the triode ish feel of Simul or if you prefer the pentode feel of the SR circuit. The lead tones on these no-EQ C+ is so tits, I can't think of a better lead tone I've ever experienced. Thick, rich, liquid, harmonic sustain. I can totally see why they tried to copy that circuit in the Mark V C+ mode.

 

[Racerxrated]

Spent a half hour tonight losing myself in the lead tone of the SR. It's top level. Now that I've had more time with it, it's every bit as good as the DR leads- difference being if you prefer the triode ish feel of Simul or if you prefer the pentode feel of the SR circuit. The lead tones on these no-EQ C+ is so tits, I can't think of a better lead tone I've ever experienced. Thick, rich, liquid, harmonic sustain. I can totally see why they tried to copy that circuit in the Mark V C+ mode.

I have no doubt you really dig what you are hearing. But my only experience with a no EQ C+ was nowhere close to yours. The only thing I liked better, and I do mean only, was the super fast response. It almost played itself. Very effortless. But the tone, meh....no matter what I did I could not get rid of the mid honk. Like a Kazoo mid honk. Either Mike modded the EQ for you, or someone else did because as much as I love mids it was WAAY too much for me.
I think the way to go with a non eq Mark is to send it to Mike for a checkup, and ask him to drop that mid response way down. I'd take the tone of the GEQ C+ and the fast response of the non EQ C+ together; now you've got something. Not even a quality EQ in the loop could reduce the Kazoo like mid response. Great for Steely Dan stuff, but not much else.

 

[cardinal]

I like the tone without the GEQ. Especially at higher volumes, it sounds great to me. It's extremely touch sensitive and dynamic. Very inspiring to play. For some reason it doesn't feel the same once the GEQ is switched in. At lower volumes the GEQ helps to fill out the low end, but that fills out as you turn up the volume as well.

 

[GJgo]

Indeed Cardinal.

To Racer's point, I've had ones that the mid honk was just way too much as well. This one, and my DRG C++, both did not have that problem. The DRG C++ with the EQ disabled and the ESP Kamikaze was one of the best tones I've ever heard.

ANYWAY, I did this play-through of the SR today. Better sound than band practice with the iPhone. I threw a 5 band in the loop at the end for good measure.

https://youtu.be/l5BYEXAKc7Q

 

[GJgo]

Hey guys, so I was tracking guitar for a new song that I'm writing for my band using this IIC+ SR today. I'm SUPER happy with how it's sounding so I wanted to share just the guitar track as it sits. It's an actual recording with mics & a DAW so you can hear the full potential. At least, the potential of my meager skills! haha Anyway check it out. I'll probably regret selling this amp but this year I've managed to get it, a Ractifier & a Mark V so something has to give...



https://youtu.be/SK0XyhzLQBs