New Mesa Boogie Mark amp?

[Jon Pearson]

I wish I could tell you that it gets better, but silent practice/recording at home will likely have to be your best friend for several years to come lol.

It's all good, just more excuse for me to clear out the garage and set up a space there!

 

[LiveOVErdrive]

Interesting to see all the praise of IIBs here. I had one and hated it. I just couldn’t get a good high gain tone out of it. Plus, the popping on channel switching and the fact that it went from 0 to jet engine decibel levels going from 0 to 1 on the MV made it unusable for me. I got it because I really wanted a Mark IV but couldn’t afford it. I suspect I’ll still be judging this one on the Mark IV comparison, as that’s my favorite Mesa tone.

And agreed on the hardwood and wicker. Those are beautiful! I wish they still did those with the frequency they used to.

You can send them into Mesa (or you could before they got bought anyway. I emailed to ask about it a few years ago) and get an "effects loop mod" done that apparently makes it basically the same for high gain as the 2c+.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

You can send them into Mesa (or you could before they got bought anyway. I emailed to ask about it a few years ago) and get an "effects loop mod" done that apparently makes it basically the same for high gain as the 2c+.

Mesa themselves doesn't do it. Mike B does it independently. And I've heard mixed messages regarding if he's still doing it.
EDIT: apparently yeah, he's still doing it.

 

[technomancer]

You can send them into Mesa (or you could before they got bought anyway. I emailed to ask about it a few years ago) and get an "effects loop mod" done that apparently makes it basically the same for high gain as the 2c+.

IIRC there were also multiple IIB revisions and the later ones were much better

 

[Shorts_Mike]

It's all good, just more excuse for me to clear out the garage and set up a space there!

Honestly, anything more than a 10 watt amp at 25% volume would be too much in most young family situations.

 

[technomancer]

Honestly, anything more than a 10 watt amp at 25% volume would be too much in most young family situations.

Meh this is why amps have good master volumes... it sounds better loud but you can easily get good tone without shaking your house

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

IIRC there were also multiple IIB revisions and the later ones were much better

Yep, the later IIBs have the FX loop mod standard.

It's fun when the revisions have revisions lol.

 

[Meeotch]

Yep, the later IIBs have the FX loop mod standard.

It's fun when the revisions have revisions lol.

This is not entirely accurate. I purchased a IIB recently with the latest board (RP-9C) and it did not have the loop mod stock. Perhaps at some point Mike and/or Mesa started building it into stock models but I have never heard that before.

Now as far as the loop mod goes - it transforms the amp into a real fire breather. It's still loose but the lead channel becomes way more aggressive, and with some careful tweaking and the right boost it absolutely slays. It's unfortunate that the MkVII's IIB mode will likely convince most of the world that the IIB was a neutered Mark. The IIB+ will IMO remain the hidden gem of the entire legacy.

 

[narad]

Yep, the later IIBs have the FX loop mod standard.

It's fun when the revisions have revisions lol.

Are you sure? I've never heard this. And it seems weird that any IIBs would be built with the loop mod, when the loop mod was developed for the IIC (if we're talking about the same mod -- the mod that basically ++s a IIC+).

 

[MatrixClaw]

I wish I could tell you that it gets better, but silent practice/recording at home will likely have to be your best friend for several years to come lol.

I never had a problem playing guitar with my kids, that's what the volume knob is for. Drums, though... That's a different story. Even with an electric kit, it's still pretty loud and the tone of hitting the pads carries through walls (and ceilings) really well.

 

[Shorts_Mike]

I never had a problem playing guitar with my kids, that's what the volume knob is for. Drums, though... That's a different story. Even with an electric kit, it's still pretty loud and the tone of hitting the pads carries through walls (and ceilings) really well.

With only a few exceptions, I pretty much only get the opportunity to play when my daughter goes down for bed/a nap at this point, unless I'm going out. Even with everything set up all the way in the basement, I'm really not able to play with much volume at all without the risk of waking the little one or annoying the wife. Playing silently through my OX just ends up being a more enjoyable experience for everyone in the overwhelming majority of situations to be honest.

 

[Hollowway]

I've done a bunch of youtube IV and V reviews, and I definitely noticed that the V 90 is tighter and drier than the IV (or III). I LOVE the IV, but I also really love the tightness and dryness of the V 90. The V25 is not nearly as dry, though.

Oddly, I was able to find a couple of "make it sound like a IV" or "2C+" vids, and the V was really close. The JP vid of his 2C+ vs the mode on the V was really cool. I guess people don't like that dryness, but coming from Fryettes, I love it.

Interestingly, I saw the V90 vs UL video, and I liked the UL tone WAY better. But I still want another amp, because that money ain't gonna spend itself!


Question for you modeler guys: When I play modeled stuff, I do so through headphones. I've yet to run it through monitors, and play that way. Is that as fun as playing through an actual amp, or is an amp more fun? I toyed with the idea of just doing the neural thing through my monitors, but I figured the amp would be more fun to play.

 

[Hollowway]

You can send them into Mesa (or you could before they got bought anyway. I emailed to ask about it a few years ago) and get an "effects loop mod" done that apparently makes it basically the same for high gain as the 2c+.

Where were you 15 years ago when I sold my IIB? (I couldn't get the tone I wanted out of it, so I just sold it. Like most things, I should have held on to wait for the crazy appreciation we see today.)

 

[LiveOVErdrive]

Where were you 15 years ago when I sold my IIB? (I couldn't get the tone I wanted out of it, so I just sold it. Like most things, I should have held on to wait for the crazy appreciation we see today.)

Just a couple years ago you could get them used for under 1k. Wish I'd grabbed one when I had the chance. Even unmodded I think they're kinda cool.

 

[Hollowway]

Just a couple years ago you could get them used for under 1k. Wish I'd grabbed one when I had the chance. Even unmodded I think they're kinda cool.

Yeah, it's crazy how much they (and everything else for that matter) have gone up in price. Everyone's dragging out their old crap and listing it for double what it would have been in like 2019/2020.

 

[MatrixClaw]

With only a few exceptions, I pretty much only get the opportunity to play when my daughter goes down for bed/a nap at this point, unless I'm going out. Even with everything set up all the way in the basement, I'm really not able to play with much volume at all without the risk of waking the little one or annoying the wife. Playing silently through my OX just ends up being a more enjoyable experience for everyone in the overwhelming majority of situations to be honest.

That's too bad 😭 Both of my kids slept really well in noisy environments. We'd try to keep it quiet, of course, but I've never woken up either of them playing at pretty decent volume just a few rooms over.

 

[BadSeed]

I have a Mark VII Rackmount on loan from Zzounds that is currently out for delivery....I may post a clip on my socials today

 

[Deadpool_25]

But I still want another amp, because that money ain't gonna spend itself!

Hello, me.

Hmmm. Deja vu.

Question for you modeler guys: When I play modeled stuff, I do so through headphones. I've yet to run it through monitors, and play that way. Is that as fun as playing through an actual amp, or is an amp more fun? I toyed with the idea of just doing the neural thing through my monitors, but I figured the amp would be more fun to play.

Imo playing through a real cab is more fun than using monitors.

Side note: Playing the modeler through a real cab can be just as fun for me as an amp and cab once I have a tone dialed in.

 

[SalsaWood]

I jam with tracks through my monitors just because it's so much easier to get the levels balanced. If I'm just noodling I always just plug into the front of my amp and cab, because it feels and sounds better.

I'm not a very good producer, maybe other folks with more digital experience could feel differently.

 

[KnightBrolaire]