Mesa Mark IIB opinions?

[jgcable]

Anybody here own one? The one I am interested in is a 60w/100w which is what I believe is called Simul-Class. It has a graphic EQ.

I had a Mark I and a few Mark III but never owned nor heard a Mark IIB.

[Grandturk]

I had a Mk IIA for a bunch of years. The tone is essentially the same as the IIB but they added a effects loop and the Simulclass option. The IIA only had a slave out and a 100/60 watt option.

The graphic EQ on these things is a must. They are very thick mid rangy singing lead amps - especially used the way I did in full cranked mode. The clean channel is very nice Mesa clean tones, lots of sonic diversity available here.



Then you had the Lead channel which you could get lots of gain and sustain and dark heavy rhythm tones out if. The gain boost is useless (IMO) and just sends you into Santana-land.

The clean channel doesn't take pedals very well - IMO - and it gets snarky and crackly.

[Dog Boy]

I had one. As stated pretty midrangey and needs the EQ. I'm pretty sure the 60/100 option is not the Simul Class option. The Simul would have a switch labled Class A/ Simul. 15 watts and about 85 watts. The effects loop is not buffered. At one time the 2B was state of the art and mine ran strong for at least a decade or more. Never required any service or tube changes! Those Sylvania STRs they came with were amazing! By today's standards its a cool amp but not Mesa's best offering. The 2C+ is a better amp by far. More expensive too!

If I may ask how much are you considering spending on this?

[jgcable]

Yea, this one is not simul Class I was wrong. Its the 60/100 version but it does have the EQ and reverb, the original footswitch and its white tolex. Its in cosmetically rough condition and hopefully I will get it.

[Grandturk]

I think I bought my IIA for $150-$250. Something ridiculous like that from guitar center.

[jgcable]

I had one. As stated pretty midrangey and needs the EQ. I'm pretty sure the 60/100 option is not the Simul Class option. The Simul would have a switch labled Class A/ Simul. 15 watts and about 85 watts. The effects loop is not buffered. At one time the 2B was state of the art and mine ran strong for at least a decade or more. Never required any service or tube changes! Those Sylvania STRs they came with were amazing! By today's standards its a cool amp but not Mesa's best offering. The 2C+ is a better amp by far. More expensive too!

If I may ask how much are you considering spending on this?

He is asking $1595 for it. He knows his asking price is high. Its cosmetically challenged too. The grill is ok but there is a section of white tolex missing. It has a muffin fan installed (pretty common in older Mark series combo's). I looked online and on Ebay and I see that Mark IIb combo's sell for around $1100-$1400. For $1100 you could get a very nice condition one that doesn't have reverb or the graphic EQ This one has both. I offered him $1100 for it. I am waiting to hear back.
If it had simul-class it would even be better but it doesn't.

[jgcable]

I think I bought my IIA for $150-$250. Something ridiculous like that from guitar center.

That must have been in the days before the internet! One time I bought a USA BC Rich Assassin from Daddy's Junky Music for $85.00. They were asking $100.00. They had no idea what they had because there was no way to look it up.

[Grandturk]

Nah it was 2009 or so. Heavy fuggin thing looked like hell and when Joe Average turns it on it sounds like fat farty fuggin ass. There's only a few EQ settings that really work on these amps - treble almost all the way up, middle and bass somewhere around 2 and a big V in the GEQ. Gotta remember the tone controls are before the preamp and the treble is also another gain stage. These are not normal amps. Too much bass and middle and it turns the sound to mud. Pull the gain boost and it turns the sound to mud. Pull the channel switch and it pops like a MOFO.

[Grandturk]

He is asking $1595 for it. He knows his asking price is high. Its cosmetically challenged too. The grill is ok but there is a section of white tolex missing. It has a muffin fan installed (pretty common in older Mark series combo's). I looked online and on Ebay and I see that Mark IIb combo's sell for around $1100-$1400. For $1100 you could get a very nice condition one that doesn't have reverb or the graphic EQ This one has both. I offered him $1100 for it. I am waiting to hear back.
If it had simul-class it would even be better but it doesn't.

Wow. I traded mine plus cash for a Soldano Astroverb and couldn't be happier. I wouldn't touch one for that much. Might as well get a used MKV. Seriously - make sure you like the amp if you're dropping that much $$$. I used to see MKIII's all day long in NYC for $800-$1000 and that's a better amp.

[jgcable]

I thought it was a collectors item. They seem to sell for alot on Ebay. I guess I was wrong about this one. Thanks for the info.

[roodyrocker]

Wow. I traded mine plus cash for a Soldano Astroverb and couldn't be happier. I wouldn't touch one for that much. Might as well get a used MKV. Seriously - make sure you like the amp if you're dropping that much $$$. I used to see MKIII's all day long in NYC for $800-$1000 and that's a better amp.

For the money I was going to say the same thing, Mark V all day long. The Mark V to me is probably the best amp Mesa has come out with. Very versatile and has a lot of the best tones from some of their older amps.

[veemagic]

I had a IIC+ for quite awhile, never the IIB. That was a killer amp. I agree that seems way too much for a IIB.

[jgcable]

So what do you think a fair price for it would be? It has a rip in the white tolex, it has an Altec Lansing speaker in it. It is the 60/100 version.. non simul-class but it does have reverb and the graphic EQ.

[Grandturk]

So what do you think a fair price for it would be? It has a rip in the white tolex, it has an Altec Lansing speaker in it. It is the 60/100 version.. non simul-class but it does have reverb and the graphic EQ.

White is going to be more desirable than black, so you can expect to pay a premium for those. Please make certain by serial number that it is a IIB and not a IIA. There were apparently very few 60/100 IIB's, but they did exist, and make sure its got the effects loop and not just the Slave Out (which looks just like the effects loop).

I haven't followed the market since I got rid of mine. Quick check of ebay and GC used market shows most II's in the sub-$1000 range. I'm pretty sure the collectable Mesa's are original MkI's, MkIIC+'s and then the wood/wicker versions of the Mk amps.

Edit - check on the Mesa boards re: no Black Shadow. This is severely undervalue the amp as well.

[jgcable]

White is going to be more desirable than black, so you can expect to pay a premium for those. Please make certain by serial number that it is a IIB and not a IIA. There were apparently very few 60/100 IIB's, but they did exist, and make sure its got the effects loop and not just the Slave Out (which looks just like the effects loop).

I haven't followed the market since I got rid of mine. Quick check of ebay and GC used market shows most II's in the sub-$1000 range. I'm pretty sure the collectable Mesa's are original MkI's, MkIIC+'s and then the wood/wicker versions of the Mk amps.

Edit - check on the Mesa boards re: no Black Shadow. This is severely undervalue the amp as well.

The Altec Lansing speaker that is in it is the one that Carlos Santana uses. That's probably why its in there. I checked around and this particular speaker can actually increase the value. Its a very rare speaker.
It does have an actual effects loop. the rear panel also has presence and reverb controls.
The seller is telling me that the fan that is in it is factory stock. The fan is a Cyclone by Howard Industries. The 60/100 switch has 2 black dymo labels. One says 60 on the top and below the switch there is another that says 100.
The seller is telling me the reason he wants to much for it is because its a rare color (blond tolex) and its extremely low production because its a 60/100 IIB. This seller has several other vintage amps for sale so he obviously knows what he has and what its worth.