What is it?
For many guitarists, the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ ranks at the top of their Holy Grail, bucket-list, unobtanium amps. The main reason the Mark IIC+ is so desirable is because it was James Hetfield’s main amp (he actually had a IIC++ with additional gain) on Metallica’s immortal Master of Puppets.
The Mark IIC+’s use by Prince (the Purple Rain tour and beyond), John Petrucci with Dream Theater and studio legends Michael Landau, Steve Lukather and Dean Parks on hundreds of ’80s hits also helped elevate its legendary status.
Mesa built only about 3,000 Mark IIC+ amps during its original 14-month run in the mid-’80s, but after four decades it’s finally made its long-awaited return. The new Mark IIC+ is available in head-only or 1×12 combo versions and is essentially a fully loaded version with all of the most desirable options: 5-band graphic EQ, Simul-Class and reverb.
Taking the Mark IIC+ head out of the box is like opening a time capsule. With only seven knobs (six of which featuring pull functions) and a 5-band graphic EQ, the front panel looks downright austere compared to today’s Mesa Mark series amps and even the recent JP-2C Mark IIC+ John Petrucci signature model.
Rest assured that the reissued Mark IIC+ is a very faithful reproduction of the original with only minimal changes made due to modern safety regulations and parts availability.
This is the short-chassis version of the head, so the Presence and Reverb knobs are on the rear panel, where you’ll also find a buffered effects loop, a Slave output with level control and the Simul-Class/Class A switch for selecting 75-watt or 25-watt output.
Although the Mark IIC+ is a true dual-channel head (the Mark II was the first amp to offer channel switching), note that the “clean” and “lead” channels share the same Treble, Bass and Middle EQ controls. Dialing in EQ settings that sound good on both channels can be difficult and usually is somewhat of a compromise.
The graphic EQ features a three-way switch with an “EQ auto” setting that engages the graphic EQ only when the Lead channel is selected, which can be helpful.
However, the Treble, Bass and Middle controls are pre-gain and the graphic EQ is post-gain, so the settings of the standard EQ knobs still influence the overall tone in ways that don’t always complement more sensitive high-gain settings. Pull Bright, pull Shift and pull Deep functions also provide additional tonal shaping capabilities.
Like the original Mark IIC+ head, the reissue features several footswitchable functions.
Two footswitches with accompanying cables are provided, consisting of a single-footswitch controller for channel switching that plugs into the front panel below the input jack and a dual-footswitch controller for graphic EQ on/off and reverb on/off that plugs into a jack hidden underneath the chassis behind one of the 6L6 power tubes.
The EQ/reverb footswitch jack is not in the most convenient place, and you’ll definitely want to plug in the cable before the tubes heat up.
Specs
- Launch price: $3,599/£3,699
- Type: Tube amp head
- Controls: RHYTHM/LEAD Shared Controls: Volume 1 (sets initial gain strength for both channels), Treble, Bass, Middle, Assignable/Foot-Switchable 5-Band Graphic EQ, Reverb and Presence
- Connectivity: 1x 8 Ohm and 2x 4 Ohm speaker outputs, footswitch input, tube-driven series effects loop
- Tubes: 4x 6L6, 5x 12AX7 preamp tubes, silicon diode rectifier
- Power: 75 or 25 Watts (Global)
- Dimensions: 39 lbs / 17.69 kg
- Options: 1×12 Combo
- Contact: Mesa/Boogie
Usability and sounds
The original design’s quirks are all forgivable once a guitar is plugged in. The reissue Mark IIC+’s tones are simply divine. The clean tones are some of the finest ever heard from a Mesa/Boogie amp, ranging from crisp sparkle with percussive spank to warm, rich jazz tones with full body and smooth sustain.
The Mark IIC+’s high-gain lead channel tones are the main reason so many guitarists are willing to spend big bucks for an original model, and the reissue fully lives up to the legend with its deeply saturated distortion with complex, layered harmonics, pummeling attack, extremely articulate note definition and finely tuned midrange that dominates a mix. Even after four decades of high-gain amp design evolution, the Mark IIC+’s distortion tones still remain the gold standard.
One important attribute to keep in mind is that the pre-gain EQ controls can affect the Lead channel quite dramatically. The Bass control in particular can get very boomy and woofy past 3, so it’s best used in moderation with a high-gain Lead channel setting. Similarly, the Presence control can get a bit shrill at higher settings, so a little goes a long way.
However, the extra range of these controls is helpful for dialing in gorgeous clean/overdrive tones and even Lead channel tones with moderate overdrive, particularly in studio recording applications where players aren’t dependent on channel switching.
Verdict
Verdict: ★★★★½
Just like the original, the Mark IIC+ offers limited capabilities as a dual-channel amp in live applications, but as a single-channel amp in the studio it has few peers.
Guitar World verdict: Mesa/Boogie’s reissue of the venerated Mark IIC+ offers guitarists a dead-on perfect reproduction of the original amp from its wide range of stellar, professional tones and unbeaten high-gain textures to its somewhat quirky old-school dual-channel functions and capabilities.
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