Mesa Mk IIC+ price check/first crack

SpiderWars

SpiderWars

Well-known member
This post is both a price check and a first crack for R/T members.

I'm just a Marshallhead. This amp sounds killer but I play my Marshalls most of the time. This one is a conversion, there is a service label on the chassis from 2003 so I assume it was done then. They used a Mark III faceplate because they also added GEQ and were out of IIC+ w/GEQ faceplates. It is a IIC+ with RP-11 board. It was serviced with new filter caps and new TAD 6L6 power tubes last year. Head cabinet is an inexpensive raw cab. The EV is not the original but it is perfect. I have more pics but there isn't much to see, it's in pretty good condition with no unseen flaws.

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it’s a little all over the place with highs and lows. DRG in okay shape 4k up, good condition/long head 500+ more. HRG 3k+. I bought a factory IIC+ long head 100 watt relatively recently for 2500 but that’s the exception not the rule.

Traditionally less desirable versions (60 watt, no GEQ) still 2k+
 
I'm refraining from buying almost anything used right now. The lack of new stock as well as Guitar Center doing way less used volume is driving prices up.

I would list it at $1,000 more than you want, and someone will probably pay it. If you have something to sell now is the time to do it. I think prices will normalize by end of year/next year, assuming manufacturers are close to being back to producing at the volumes they were pre Covid.
 
Thanks all! I would not sell it for $2500 but $4k seems high. That's still a big spread tho. But my thinking was similar to Candiria above, that is, if I'm going to sell now might be a good time.
 
I have a factory original DRG from March ‘85 I suppose I could part with at some point...very clean amp loaded with Mesa STR 415s and early Mesa labeled Tungsram ECC83s. With the way prices are spiking, though, I’d probably have to have a solid $6k in hand to even consider letting one go at this point and make peace with my decision without feeling like I’d be losing out 4-5 years from now, haha.

Give it a few years for them finish drying up and I suspect prices will be even worse. Glad I already have what I want. Trying to find a clean amp you want in the current market is like fighting for a Cabbage Patch Kid circa 1983 :D
 
Not that eBay auctions are always indicative of true market prices but they can help. Here's a SR combo (not EV) that ended last night at $2219 + $120 shipping (plus tax to most buyers).

IIC+ combo
 
Fordman65 said:
$6k for a one-trick pony is stupid insane, even if that one trick is amazing. That said, if that's what the market bears, who am I to argue? Supply and demand is what it's all about.
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While I might agree about the $6k being stupid - one trick I simply couldn't agree with. Hardly! That does not line up with my experience at all, having owned a factory DRG for some time. The clean channel alone could rival and better any fender I've owned (including a BF Twin, Deluxe and Super over the years). The pushed clean, fender on on steroid tones with a single coil guitar the amp can produce are amazing. The midrange heavy fusion leads are a thing a beauty. All this in addition to the mid deficient, chug tones I'm assuming you're referring as it's one trick? (maybe I'm assuming wrong). The amp can chime if needed with a Gretsch or tele. Cleans sparkle with headroom enough to shatter windows, sing with the best of any d-style amp. I simply don't get the one trick comment at all. As always YMMV and all that.
 
PhilC said:
While I might agree about the $6k being stupid - one trick I simply couldn't agree with. Hardly! That does not line up with my experience at all, having owned a factory DRG for some time. The clean channel alone could rival and better any fender I've owned (including a BF Twin, Deluxe and Super over the years). The pushed clean, fender on on steroid tones with a single coil guitar the amp can produce are amazing. The midrange heavy fusion leads are a thing a beauty. All this in addition to the mid deficient, chug tones I'm assuming you're referring as it's one trick? (maybe I'm assuming wrong). The amp can chime if needed with a Gretsch or tele. Cleans sparkle with headroom enough to shatter windows, sing with the best of any d-style amp. I simply don't get the one trick comment at all. As always YMMV and all that.
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I was gonna respond very similarly. I can agree about price, but it’s one of the more versatile amps out there that sounds killer with pretty much any guitar, pickup, boost pedal or speaker I’ve tried it with. What other amp can you say that about? It’s one of the best liquid lead tones out there, tight, articulate, 3D, growly. I don’t see how in any way this is a one trick pony amp. Of my 23 amps the only ones more versatile are I think my Purpleface VH4 and Plexi. That’s it. Honestly I wouldn’t quite put it’s clean up against the very best Blackface amps like my ‘64 Vibroverb (defintiely not on that level), but the best I’ve heard in a metal amp I’d say. Excellent cleans for sure. Maybe it’s better than some black faces, but the Vibroverb is the king of those amps. Although the Vibroverb is debatablely a one trick pony worth more than my iic+ lol
 
PhilC said:
While I might agree about the $6k being stupid - one trick I simply couldn't agree with. Hardly! That does not line up with my experience at all, having owned a factory DRG for some time. The clean channel alone could rival and better any fender I've owned (including a BF Twin, Deluxe and Super over the years). The pushed clean, fender on on steroid tones with a single coil guitar the amp can produce are amazing. The midrange heavy fusion leads are a thing a beauty. All this in addition to the mid deficient, chug tones I'm assuming you're referring as it's one trick? (maybe I'm assuming wrong). The amp can chime if needed with a Gretsch or tele. Cleans sparkle with headroom enough to shatter windows, sing with the best of any d-style amp. I simply don't get the one trick comment at all. As always YMMV and all that.
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+1 These amps seem to get pigeon-holed, as one-trick-ponies. Depending on what you “feed“ them, they are extremely versatile. Throw some low-impedance single coils at them in clean, or, some mega-HB or active pups in lead mode, there’s a lot of ground to be covered.
 
Agree with everyone here...C+ is easily a 3 channel amp; you can dial in a great clean, boost it for lower gain/classic rock tones and then there’s the lead channel which is the ‘one trick’ everyone knows about. It’s no more a 1 trick pony than a 2 channel Wizard or SLO, known for the lead channels but have much more to offer.
 
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