Mark IIC+ fully loaded goes for $4150 on ebay WOW!

[LP Freak]

How can you check if its a red stripe III? I'm about to maybe buy a used III combo..

The Mark III's have a Sharpie color on the chassis above the power cord designating what era it is by the color of the stripe.

 

[Digital Jams]

These prices are crazy! So happy that I traded a Herbert for this loaded IIC+ a few years ago.

Herberts are $4000.

I have listened to guys that have shit ton of years dialing in boogies and the IIC+ myth is crap that people buy into. Yeah if you have one that is cool unless you were grabbing ankles to get it then yeah you are scared from rape. IMO the MK III coli is the amp to get.

If you want a boogie lead buy a Jose modded amp, close enough.

 

[Digital Jams]

These prices are crazy! So happy that I traded a Herbert for this loaded IIC+ a few years ago.

Definitely something to hang onto for obvious reasons of collector value and great IIC+ tone. Of all the amps I sold, the IIC+ seller remorse is unbearable....

How did the 60 watt compare?

I compared it to maybe 3 other IIC+. When setup the same they sounded almost identical. From what I remember the simulclass models had more top end but when the 60 watter had it's presence on 4 the simul would have it on 1 and they would sound the same. This is with all other controls the same.

For me, when I decide to get another IIC+ I'll go for a 60 watter since to me, it's not worth spending the dough on a loaded one.

And as far as the mark III, IV, and V. The IV will get you the closest. The new Mark V doesn't come close and the III to me have more of their own aggressive sound. The III's have the most gain and the most raw sound. The IV tweaked right can get close to a IIC+ but it will still have a bit of that high-fi nature to it. The V is the most vanilla or nuetral sounding one of them all and to me, the least amount of gain.

How I see it as well, a good IV will be close enough 99% of this forum would not know including me not that I am near the expert as some others here.

That is why I like the Coli, more aggressive and it was part of one of the most legandary tones ever recorded

That cut and paste post gave me a fucking headache regarding all all witchcraft and parts and trannies

 

[VC4Ever]

just curious what recordings were done with a mark iii coli.

 

[steve_k]

Now that Scott, the ultimate authority on the IIC+ has spoken and now has a headache, the other 1% can carry on with the Mark IIC+, III, IV, V discussion.

 

[Rockjunky]

I had a iiC+ Simul/EQ as my main gigging amp for many years and still miss the lead channel on that amp. When I had that amp a good friend of mine sent his III into Mike B for the C+ upgrade and they didn't sound the same. I remember talking to Mike about it and he said that he could spec out the amps and make them chart exactly the same on a scope but they just don't sound the same. The III sounded great, but there was just some special magic about the IIC+.

Also another great mod that Mike did to mine to make it more gig friendly was he added another Volume 1 knob in place of the footswitch jack for the clean channel. He then took one of the speaker jacks and turned that into the footswitch jack. It was something I saw on John Petrucci's amps and asked Mike about and he was happy to do it for me.

John

 

[fishyfishfish]

just curious what recordings were done with a mark iii coli.

"Still of the Night was supposed to be Mark III Coli. I have a Mark III Red stripe, fully loaded and it is a beast. The Mark II a's and some B's don't have the ass ripping gain that the 2c's have unless they get modded with the "+" or the IIc+ mod, and lower serial mark II's (A's and B's) can't be converted to a IIc+, the circuit just isn't right. I had some grand idea of buying 2 mark IIs local and having them converted.

 

[thiswaythatway]

These prices are crazy! So happy that I traded a Herbert for this loaded IIC+ a few years ago.

Definitely something to hang onto for obvious reasons of collector value and great IIC+ tone. Of all the amps I sold, the IIC+ seller remorse is unbearable....

How did the 60 watt compare?

I compared it to maybe 3 other IIC+. When setup the same they sounded almost identical. From what I remember the simulclass models had more top end but when the 60 watter had it's presence on 4 the simul would have it on 1 and they would sound the same. This is with all other controls the same.

For me, when I decide to get another IIC+ I'll go for a 60 watter since to me, it's not worth spending the dough on a loaded one.

And as far as the mark III, IV, and V. The IV will get you the closest. The new Mark V doesn't come close and the III to me have more of their own aggressive sound. The III's have the most gain and the most raw sound. The IV tweaked right can get close to a IIC+ but it will still have a bit of that high-fi nature to it. The V is the most vanilla or nuetral sounding one of them all and to me, the least amount of gain.

How I see it as well, a good IV will be close enough 99% of this forum would not know including me not that I am near the expert as some others here.

That is why I like the Coli, more aggressive and it was part of one of the most legandary tones ever recorded

That cut and paste post gave me a fucking headache regarding all all witchcraft and parts and trannies

I remember Ivan was over my place and we had a IIC+ and a Mark IV going back and fourth. It was close but I will still say that there is something unique about the IIC+ and it's not some hyped up myth. It's not that the IIC+ has more gain it's just that it always had this clear sound like the sound jumped out of the speakers with more urgency. Again, it was close but there were differences.

One thing though, the difference between the IIC+ and IV when I tried them was about the same difference as a Mark IV A from a IV -B. When you're alone with the amp you won't think much of it but when switching back and fourth between the amps you hear the difference. Loud at a bar playing for some drunks...........yeah, who gives a shit.

 

[thegame]

The C+ has a warmer, thicker, chunkier, richer, more harmonically complex and pleasing tone than all the later Marks IMO. There's just more depth to it or as some would say more 3-D. Unless its one w/105 PT, I don't care what candy ass stripe color your MKIII may have

The C+ Coliseum would be the ultimate beastly Mark amp.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

Having owned a fully loaded IIC+ and played 2 others, I prefer the lead channel of the IV to the IIC+. The IIC+ mystique is all hype IMO

 

[abrackas]

As a treat to myself for paying off my undergrad loans and being debt free I decided to get a 100 watt simul-class IIC+ with eq and reverb in head form. It literally took me over a year of checking eBay and RT every day to find one. Fortunately one popped up within driving distance so I could check it out in person. I paid more than this but after playing through it I had to own it.

While still in college I tried a MK IV from GC and took it back in a week after messing with it endlessly. IMO the IIC+ is much better/smoother/pleasant than the IV. I havn't bought an amp since getting the C+. Worse case scenario, I can always sell it for at least what I paid. It's in perfect condition.

 

[thiswaythatway]

As a treat to myself for paying off my undergrad loans and being debt free I decided to get a 100 watt simul-class IIC+ with eq and reverb in head form. It literally took me over a year of checking eBay and RT every day to find one. Fortunately one popped up within driving distance so I could check it out in person. I paid more than this but after playing through it I had to own it.

While still in college I tried a MK IV from GC and took it back in a week after messing with it endlessly. IMO the IIC+ is much better/smoother/pleasant than the IV. I havn't bought an amp since getting the C+. Worse case scenario, I can always sell it for at least what I paid. It's in perfect condition.

Yup.

 

[Tone Zone]

Having owned a fully loaded IIC+ and played 2 others, I prefer the lead channel of the IV to the IIC+. The IIC+ mystique is all hype IMO

Nailed it!

 

[thiswaythatway]

Having owned a fully loaded IIC+ and played 2 others, I prefer the lead channel of the IV to the IIC+. The IIC+ mystique is all hype IMO

Nailed it!

Disagree 10000%. I owned a bunch of iv's and i liked them, just not as much as the IIc+.

 

[sjk]

Having owned a fully loaded IIC+ and played 2 others, I prefer the lead channel of the IV to the IIC+. The IIC+ mystique is all hype IMO

Nailed it!

Never played a IIC+ so can't say if it is hype or not but if I play one and it sounds, feels, and responds better than my Mark III blue stripe head than I'm interested regardless of wether or not some feel it's greatness is hype. I've owned many amps including the Mark IV V and my Mark III is an extremely special amp ymmv.

 

[Heritage Softail]

Hundreds of millions of people like the tones available from the IIC, so it isn't hype.

I have let friends play mine. I usually help them dial it in a little, it is a Mesa. Every single person has a blast. Dirty Tele to Metallica, it's in there. It's all about jamming and having a good time. If you don't like em or struggle dialing them in, find something else. Easy. I don't understand hating on amps, especially ones that are proven to be the stuff of legend. Whatever....

For the money, seems like the MKIII on the cheap is a great bang for the buck. You can always send it back to Mesa for the + mod to get meaner.

 

[steve_k]

People just got to accept the fact that all roads to the top in the 80's and 90's passed through Petaluma, California at one point or another. It's the brand that people love to hate for some reason.

 

[thiswaythatway]

People just got to accept the fact that all roads to the top in the 80's and 90's passed through Petaluma, California at one point or another. It's the brand that people love to hate for some reason.

Mesa gets hate on TGP. Probably because Mesa is associated with METAL. A lot of musicians have this thing in them to hate something when it achieves a measure of success or popularity. Just look at the obscure overrpriced shit that nobody's heard of in the real world that gets elevated to God status over there.

 

[steve_k]

People just got to accept the fact that all roads to the top in the 80's and 90's passed through Petaluma, California at one point or another. It's the brand that people love to hate for some reason.

Mesa gets hate on TGP. Probably because Mesa is associated with METAL. A lot of musicians have this thing in them to hate something when it achieves a measure of success or popularity. Just look at the obscure overrpriced shit that nobody's heard of in the real world that gets elevated to God status over there.

Like Milkman Amplifiers?

 

[rupe]

People just got to accept the fact that all roads to the top in the 80's and 90's passed through Petaluma, California at one point or another. It's the brand that people love to hate for some reason.

Mesa gets hate on TGP. Probably because Mesa is associated with METAL. A lot of musicians have this thing in them to hate something when it achieves a measure of success or popularity. Just look at the obscure overrpriced shit that nobody's heard of in the real world that gets elevated to God status over there.

And then is quickly forgotten about when the next big thing comes along. If more players would find their sound with their ears instead of their eyes, the world would be a more toneful place.