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Hatsubai « The pinnacle of Mark tone »
Published on 03/30/11 at 18:28The Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ is the most coveted amplifier in Mesa's line up. It's an evolution of the IIC, which was an evolution of the IIB, and so on. It has various features such as Simul-class operation which allows you to run EL34s and 6L6 tubes at the same time, a 5 band EQ, reverb and head size. The amp also has an effects loop which I feel is a must. Thanks to John Petrucci and Metallica, this amp gets ridiculous money on the used market.
UTILIZATION
Mesa did an outstanding job with this amplifier. The EQ on this is not a normal EQ. You'll want to dial in the bass probably close to 0, crank the treble around 8, put the mids around 5 and the gain to taste. The manual describes all of this in detail, so don't worry. If you have the one with the 5 band EQ, and I highly recommend you get that one, put it in the classic V shape. The amp has tons of mids, and this helps keep everything sounding big. Don't worry, it still has enough mids to cut through.
SOUNDS
This amp sounds phenomenal! Seriously, there's a reason why there's so much hype regarding this amp. It really does sound that good. The gain is huge and 3D sounding, the amp gets a buttery smooth or aggressive, bitey rhythm, all depending on how you dial it in. A lot of people recommend Metallica's Master of Puppets album, but I recommend listening to Dream Theater's Metropolis Pt.2 or Six Degrees (except for A Glass Prison. That was a rectifier). Those really display the true tone of the IIC+, in my opinion.
OVERALL OPINION
Seriously, if you can afford this amp, get it. Be sure to get a fully loaded one. Some go gaga over the export transformers, but I wouldn't worry about it. Although the amp does cost quite a penny, it seems to retain its value for the most part. You won't have to worry about losing money if you ever decide to sell it. If you can't find a Simul-class one, at least get it with the 5 band EQ.
UTILIZATION
Mesa did an outstanding job with this amplifier. The EQ on this is not a normal EQ. You'll want to dial in the bass probably close to 0, crank the treble around 8, put the mids around 5 and the gain to taste. The manual describes all of this in detail, so don't worry. If you have the one with the 5 band EQ, and I highly recommend you get that one, put it in the classic V shape. The amp has tons of mids, and this helps keep everything sounding big. Don't worry, it still has enough mids to cut through.
SOUNDS
This amp sounds phenomenal! Seriously, there's a reason why there's so much hype regarding this amp. It really does sound that good. The gain is huge and 3D sounding, the amp gets a buttery smooth or aggressive, bitey rhythm, all depending on how you dial it in. A lot of people recommend Metallica's Master of Puppets album, but I recommend listening to Dream Theater's Metropolis Pt.2 or Six Degrees (except for A Glass Prison. That was a rectifier). Those really display the true tone of the IIC+, in my opinion.
OVERALL OPINION
Seriously, if you can afford this amp, get it. Be sure to get a fully loaded one. Some go gaga over the export transformers, but I wouldn't worry about it. Although the amp does cost quite a penny, it seems to retain its value for the most part. You won't have to worry about losing money if you ever decide to sell it. If you can't find a Simul-class one, at least get it with the 5 band EQ.