Why reissue an amp that always sounded like ass?
it’s amazing how context and timing elevated this one Mark II version into the stratosphere.
back in 82 my high school buddy Zach and i were exposed to boogies because his uncles were working musicians and concert techs here on Oahu and knew all the hip stuff. braddah Z scored a IIB combo with matching 1x12, altec speakers, and the fetron solid state preamp “tube”.
"The IIA and IIB, and some late-model Mark I amps, used a JFET-based device called
fetron in place of the input stage 12AX7 (V1), and included a switch for configuring the amp for either Fetron or 12AX7 operation. The reason for using a fetron was to address some of the problems associated with microphonic 12AX7 tubes in a high-gain situation; its use was later discontinued as newer production tubes were able to withstand the extreme conditions within the amplifier."
it had incredible clean tones, which combined with that imbuya/wicker exotic appearance is primarily why all the local Hawaiian musicians approved. but the footswitching into santana/carlton leads up to all the modern fire and juice you can imagine *at any volume*, especially with the graphic eq there to smooth or enhance the lows, mids and the Altec’s aluminum highs, made it the top choice for local professional entertainers or visiting acts looking to rent a high quality grab and go.
at a time where you had to crank marshalls to find tone, attenuators were unknown and pedals were pretty limited, this was revolutionary.
and had my early IIB Coli sounded like my friend’s IIB fetron combo, and had i known then what i know now, i would have never sold the Coli.
the combo had a truly fat liquid vocal lead tone with endless sustain
-feels slightly compressed and spongy but tone is wide open sharp and clear, and not closed off or blurry-
that is likely what owners of magic C+ specimens opine over.
when brad gillis came to town with Ozzy shortly after RR died, he used IIBs. his gtr tech walked onstage during soundcheck, hit a few chords and the crowd went wild. his tone got a standing ovation! and it is still one of the top 2 live rock tones i’ve ever heard. the speak of the devil recotding does not do justice at all to what it sounded like in the room.
the perfect storm was mark II boogies really starting to reach their stride when young upstarts Metallica hit big and connected their new generation sound and approachable riffs to the brand new and limited run of C+. but if you were firmly rooted in boogie tone at that point, the Mark III was the answer to Petaluma prayers when it hit the market.
to take some heat off brother Dinesh. notice how i start in the velvet oatmeal tonezone and just some simple Eq adjustments lift the blanket quickly:
