Followup-To: rec.music.makers.guitar
Sender: new--(at)--idway.uchicago.edu (News Administrator)
Organization: University of Chicago News Office
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 1995 18:50:46 GMT
Lines: 118
For all those who asked and for those who didn't. . .
This is my "summary" of the differences in the development of the Boogie
>from Mk I to Mk IV. I've had a lot of input on this--thanks to William G.
Sacks ("the Rev. Willie G."), Bret Dennis, Michael Gobbi, and a whole lot
of people whose names I forgot at home today and who I'll thank later in an
updated post. I would appreciate more from anyone who wants to comment. The
books "Amps!" and the Groove Tubes book have been helpful, but I haven't
seen anyone write about the location of the "+" mark on the Mk II series.
So, here it is. Please send me your updates/facts/experiences. I really
love Boogies and compiling this stuff keeps me from reading more stuff
about the Kennedy Assassination. (Don't get me started!) And if anyone from
Mesa is reading, let me know what you think.
Peace,
Jeff (j-mako--(at)--chicago.edu)
THE UNOFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE MESA BOOGIE "Mk" SERIES--UPDATED 10/18/95
MARK I
The Mk I refers to the first Boogies made (they were not called ÒMk IÓ Is
until the Mk II came along). They were 100 watt (some were 60 watt) combo
amps with a 12-inch speaker--Altec or EV primarily. It had two channels,
one clean (like an old Fender) and one "high gain," which produced the
overdriven "Boogie lead" sound used most notably by Carlos Santana on
"Abraxas" and after. This amp in its original form is very collectable, but
does not have footswitching--you plug in one or the other input for the two
tones. It didnÕt have reverb sometimes, either. Later, you could get a Mk I
with reverb and/or EQ. Boogie has reissued the Mk I with some subtle
differences--check their catalog (call Mesa at 707-778-6565 to order one
for $2).
NOTE: Originals are hard to find and expensive and often modified if you
do find one, but very collectable.
MARK II(a)
The Mk IIa introduced footswitching, so you could go from rhythm to lead.
You could also get a separate head for this model, which could be hooked up
to a number of different speaker combinations, although a 1-12 cabinet was
typical. It also had a reverb circuit, but it is considered noisy. (It was
later improved on the Mk IIc--see below.)
MARK IIb
The Mk IIb introduced an effects loop and an expanded control panel,
featuring both a lead drive and a lead master dial. More importantly, it
marked the introduction of MesaÕs Òsimul-class.Ó system. If you got a
simul-class amp, you could switch from four 6L6 tubes running at about 75
watts to two 6L6s running at about 25 watts. You could also get a
non-simul-class Mk IIb, in a 100 watt model (where you could shift down to
60 watts, but all four 6L6s would still be running).
William G. Sacks has written, ÒA cool and (little-known) option with the
Mk IIb (or original Mk II): While the effects loop isnÕt worth much as
such, you can run the output of a volume pedal (without your guitar being
plugged into its input) into the ÔreturnÕ jack, and get on-the-fly preamp
gain control! This is a feature that very few tube amps have ever had, even
inadvrtantlyÑit uses the pot in the volume pedal as a pasive limiting
device, such that when the pedal is Ôwide open,Õ it allows the preamp
tubesÕ full voltage to pass into the power section. As the pedal is backed
off, it decreases the amount of preamp signal allowed throughg the Ôloop,Õ
cleaning up your sound. One of my best friends sets his clean channelÕs
preamp to 9 and uses an Ernie Ball pedal to vary the overall tone. Oh, that
we could convince Mesa to make this a regular option on a new model. . . .Ó
NOTE: Lots of players are buying up old Mk IIÕs and Mk IIbÕs for their
clean channelsbecause (Sacks again here) Òthe subtle break-up you can get
>from that channel with its preamp volume dimed is very, very nice.Ó But it
is the next model, the Mk IIc (see below), that is considered to have the
best clean and lead tones of all the Boogies to date.
MARK IIc & MARK IIc+
The Mk IIc featured a smoother, more efficient footswitching system, better
wiring (supposedly), andÑmore specificallyÑa mod to the reverb circuit. The
former was noise-ridden on the Mk II, a problem which persisted with some
IIB models as well. The solution Mesa came up with involved resistor swaps
and a change in ground lead placement. That mod is still on the books of
"official" mods which they send to their authorized techs; it runs about
$50.
The Mk IIc also featured improved circuitry in the effects loop. This is
usually found on those amps referred to as ÒMk IIc+Ó in vintage magazines.
Some owners/dealers/sellers often say the Ò+Ó refers to an amp having an EQ
but they are mistaken. All the Mk II models could be made with EQ as an
option, but not all of them did. A Mk IIc+ could refer to a 100 watt amp
without EQ. You can tell if something is a "+" by looking for a
hand-written black Ò+Ó mark directly above where the power cord is
attached on the back of the amp. Supposedly Mesa has said that they can
upgrade a Mk IIc to a Mk IIc+ for about $200. But they have also stated
that a mod to a Ò+Ó can change an ampsÕ tone. I donÕt know how different
the sound is between a Mk IIc and a Mk IIc+. But if you like the sound of a
IIc, be careful about upgrading to IIc+. Also, be aware that many vintage
dealers jack up the price on a Mk IIc+ but often donÕt know anything about
what the Ò+Ó meansÑthey often donÕt even know where to find the Ò+Ó mark.
NOTE: The Mk IIc (with simul-class & EQ) is now considered very
collectable, since the Mk IIc is considered to have the best rhythm tone of
all Boogies. The price on these seem to be steadily going up. The lead
tones are supposed to be the same from I to IV, but I have heard that the
Mk I and II models sound less ÒMarshallÓ-y than the Mk III and Mk IV.
MARK III
The Mk III introduced a third channel--a "crunch" rhythm sound right in
between the rhythm and lead channels. This amp has a two-footswitch system,
since channel 1 and channel 2 shared controls--the lead channel was
independent. There seems to be some dispute over the sound quality of this
amp.
MARK IV
The Mk IV is the state-of-the-art Mesa/Boogie combo amp, and has so much
stuff on & in it that I can't begin to mention it all. Again, check out the
Mesa catalog. Also, ask Mesa for the name of the authorized Mesa dealer in
town, since not everyone carries them, mostly because Mesa doesn't
discount. You can also order directly from them. Some folks have told me
that the Mk IV lead tone is more like a Marshall than an older Boogie, but
I have also been told that the Mk IV can reproduce the older Boogie
Òhigh-gainÓ lead sound gain sound and can also get close to an old
Marshall. I havenÕt done a check myself. But is is true that you have to
search a bit for the right tone on a Boogie, so always keep a pen and some
paper nearby to take notes on your settings.
--
"Jeff's gone OUT THERE on that stuff... we GOTTA get him back
before ZAPPA finds out and steals it and makes him do it in the
movie. . . ." -- 200 Motels
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