Thoughts on the Mesa Mark IIb?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ners
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ners

ners

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Saw a Mark II posted by me for $1k and nearly lost my shit, but after checking serial numbers (9364) looks like it's just a IIb.

Probably still a great amp, and checking Reverb that seems a fair price, but I don't really have any frame of reference on this circuit or artists who have used it. Seems mostly just like less gain (than a 2C+)?

I'm not GASing for a Mark series at the moment (though the VII looks fun), but if it's a hell of a deal I'd consider it warts & all...
 
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The IIB is an interesting one. I've heard there were a couple different revisions, the first supposedly had pretty low gain, and the later ones made closer to the IIC+ were higher gain.

My first real tube amp was a 100w/60w switchable IIB head with GEQ. I sold it a long time ago, and the regret I have now from selling it is probably why I don't really sell anything anymore, hah. I really liked the one I had though. I thought it sounded great. It had a good amount of gain, too, I don't remember it sounding anything like the Mark VII's "IIB" mode which can only get lightly crunchy at its most gained out. The amp I had was able to dial up way more gain than that, much closer to a IIC+.

The only thing I'd really watch out for with these amps is that they're 40+ years old now, so a tune up is probably mandatory.

If the one you're looking at has a GEQ, I'd say it's worth trying out. Reverb is showing them listed for about twice that at the lowest, though that's not the "sold for" prices.
 
You'll be searching for a Drive pedal to put in front of it.
Had one long time ago.
It blew goat
 
Stock it's not much of a fire breather, but the grist is there. Much easier to mod than later marks too. I've been experimenting on mine. It was loop modded when I got it which added gain, but you really need to change up the cathode bypass cap on the first stage and change the NFB circuit.
 
The IIB is a nice amp, it was everywhere in the late 70s and early 80s. Many of the LA session dudes used it, like Mike Landau, and some rockers like Brad Gillis too. Mark Knopfler used one, and that dude has some tone going on.
 
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