Sell your mark IIC+: the black album was a mark 3.

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cardinal said:
I assume some Metallica fan knows this and now I'm somewhat curious: what transformer is in Hetfield's C++? The 100PT, 105PT, or the X101 (or whatever that export transformer is called). Each has a different plate voltage to the extent anyone thinks they could hear such a thing in these recordings.
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I think it's the 105PT? That's the simulclass or DRG one.
 
anomaly said:
I think it's the 105PT? That's the simulclass or DRG one.
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Any of the 100PT, 105PT, or X101 could be used with the DRG Simulclass (the X101 would have made the amp a DRGX technically).

But @NineShallDie is almost surely right that it's a 105PT. Not sure how much it actually matters; just discussing it. The 105PT has the highest plate voltage. 100PT the lowest. X101 in the middle. The X101 was an upcharge. The early C+ may have used the 100PT. Most later C+ used the 105PT, but they just grabbed whatever was available really. I have a Mark III with a 100PT that seems to be original and Mike B just seemed to shrug about it when it was in for service. So a C+ in theory could have either (but most likely the 105PT).
 
Does everyone get Mike B to service their amps? Cause there's other guys that work there you know? I got a guy named Rich Duvall working on my Mark IVb right now at Mesa Boogie. I've sent 3 Boogies in for servicing and I don't think Mike B serviced any of them, but they all turned out great.
 
anomaly said:
Does everyone get Mike B to service their amps? Cause there's other guys that work there you know? I got a guy named Rich Duvall working on my Mark IVb right now at Mesa Boogie. I've sent 3 Boogies in for servicing and I don't think Mike B serviced any of them, but they all turned out great.
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I have to hope they have other people there that can do it. Mike B at least emailed me to go over what needed to get done, but I kinda hoped he had someone else actually doing it but I don't know.
 
anomaly said:
Does everyone get Mike B to service their amps? Cause there's other guys that work there you know? I got a guy named Rich Duvall working on my Mark IVb right now at Mesa Boogie. I've sent 3 Boogies in for servicing and I don't think Mike B serviced any of them, but they all turned out great.
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My guess would be that Rich, and maybe others do servicing, and Mike B does servicing and modding.
 
cardinal said:
I have to hope they have other people there that can do it. Mike B at least emailed me to go over what needed to get done, but I kinda hoped he had someone else actually doing it but I don't know.
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I'm willing to bet that a lot of servicing that you think is being done by Mike B is actually being done by other guys there (besides the modding). Mike only has so much time, and there's a lot of amplifiers that go through that place. They all do an excellent job IMO.
 
cardinal said:
Any of the 100PT, 105PT, or X101 could be used with the DRG Simulclass (the X101 would have made the amp a DRGX technically).

But @NineShallDie is almost surely right that it's a 105PT. Not sure how much it actually matters; just discussing it. The 105PT has the highest plate voltage. 100PT the lowest. X101 in the middle. The X101 was an upcharge. The early C+ may have used the 100PT. Most later C+ used the 105PT, but they just grabbed whatever was available really. I have a Mark III with a 100PT that seems to be original and Mike B just seemed to shrug about it when it was in for service. So a C+ in theory could have either (but most likely the 105PT).
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Not necessarily true.

Both of my HRC 2C++ amps with the 100PT have a higher PV compared to both of my DRG 2C++ amps with 105PT. It's hard to make blanket statements with these amps... much like late '60s to early '70s Marshall SLPs... parts and variations abound... and PV can be all over the place.
 
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There is no doubt it was a export simulclass transformer, possibly left over from the 2B run. We know it wasn't a Coliseum from a very definitive post here ala the chassi screw placement but we know it was a 100w and that is fact.
 
Oh my goodness spank me yellow and call me black :loco:
spongebob-squarepants-patrick-star.gif
 
I had a factory HRG C+ with the 100PT...serial was around 12800 or so...some clown came on here and said it HAD to be an upgraded C...because EVERY factory C+ H or D came with the 105. Yeah ok. Then he said, well it 'could' have gone back if there was liquid damage and MAYBE they put a 100 in to replace the 105.
Yeah, ok.....clown.
That amp proved to me the "upgrade vs factory" debate was a joke. Every one of my upgraded C+ sounded far better than that 'factory' C+.
Lol
 
That amp doesn't sound like it was an upgrade. I bet that was a very nice amp, those 100pt have a solid rep!
 
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Late to the party but FWIW, Out of the 6 IIC+, 7 III, 2 IV, 2 V & JP that I've had (or so), the closest I ever felt to TBA tone with just a EMG 81 axe, an amp and a V30 cab was with a particularly aggressive Mark III blue stripe DG with "BLU" EL34 in the outers. It just had the "it" factor that I heard on the album. Second place I'd have to say goes to the MkIV.
 
Racerxrated said:
The C+ reputation for Metallica tone came from MOP from what I remember. I always thought the Black album was multiple amps.
But beyond that, playing a Mark III and then a C+, at the same time and comparing them you’d think the III had a blanket over the cab. Big difference in clarity. I’ve owned a purple and a red stripe; at the same time I had my SRG C+.
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I find that the trick to opening up the MkIII is to run the presence up around 7-8, and them bring the 6600 slider (way) down to get your top end right. FAR more clarity that way. Most guys run the presence low because the amp is more harsh in general and then yeah, the tone is more blanketed. To add, this trick doesn't have the same effect on the MkIIs IME.

Not to say this makes it equal to C+ clarity by any means but it gets it in the ballpark. The circuit & gain structure itself is just a little different.
 
midnightlaundry said:
This shit is getting into the EVH Marshall territory..
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My response to this is "good." :D

Metallica's mid career albums have arguably some of the most iconic and influential heavy tones ever recorded. Personally I'd love to see more people going down the rabbit hole to figure out exactly what it was that made those sounds and how that gear was used.
 
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TheGreatGreen said:
My response to this is "good." :D

Metallica's mid career albums have arguably some of the most iconic and influential heavy tones ever recorded. Personally I'd love to see more people going down the rabbit hole to figure out exactly what it was that made those sounds and how that gear was used.
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I agree. The Black album has a great rhythm guitar tone. Load and reload sound great too.
 
Hi guys,

I’d like to come back to the video with Bob Rock of the OP.

1/ At 22 min and 19 seconds, Bob talks about the placement of the U87. He says : « That’s about three or four hundred cycles ». What does this mean exactly ?

2/ At 23 min, Bob talks about the sizzle of the Boogies and says : « it went away … » and then I don’t understand the next words (I’m so sorry, English is not my native tongue).

Thank you very much for your help.
 
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