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gitapik

gitapik

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I took a 15 year time off from electric to bring up my one and only daughter. In that time, I went back to solo acoustic. It was a guitar or two, a 20lb acoustic amp or no amp if there was a PA in the club.

Now I'm playing in a band again. I have a Mark IIB that's in excellent condition. New caps, resistors, tubes, cleaned out, etc. It's a monster amp. As you know, it's also heavy. Especially compared to the acoustic rig I've been on for the last one and a half decades. I'm still strong and healthy, but I'd like something lighter.

Trouble is that I have yet to find anything that comes close to the Boogie until you get in the 2 to 3 thousand dollar range. Which means I wouldn't have the luxury of keeping the IIB. I'd have to sell.

That's a bummer...but I'm considering it. It's a big deal for me, actually, as I've been the only owner since picking it up at LaGuardia airport in 1980. But I'm not getting any younger and I'm playing out on electric again.

So I looked at the classifieds here and didn't see a single IIB. I'm wondering if that's because nobody wants to sell their's?

Long story short: can someone tell me what I would price for this setup? The amp has a new Jensen C12K in it (10lbs lighter and sounds great), though the original EVM12L is in excellent condition, sitting in a box in my closet. The Thiele is 1990 with the original EVM12L. It's a great rig. Couple of scratches on the tolex and the face of the EQ. That's it:

IMG_1617.jpg


IMG_1619.jpg
 
i'd say ~$1500

gitapik said:
I took a 15 year time off from electric to bring up my one and only daughter. In that time, I went back to solo acoustic. It was a guitar or two, a 20lb acoustic amp or no amp if there was a PA in the club.

Now I'm playing in a band again. I have a Mark IIB that's in excellent condition. New caps, resistors, tubes, cleaned out, etc. It's a monster amp. As you know, it's also heavy. Especially compared to the acoustic rig I've been on for the last one and a half decades. I'm still strong and healthy, but I'd like something lighter.

Trouble is that I have yet to find anything that comes close to the Boogie until you get in the 2 to 3 thousand dollar range. Which means I wouldn't have the luxury of keeping the IIB. I'd have to sell.

That's a bummer...but I'm considering it. It's a big deal for me, actually, as I've been the only owner since picking it up at LaGuardia airport in 1980. But I'm not getting any younger and I'm playing out on electric again.

So I looked at the classifieds here and didn't see a single IIB. I'm wondering if that's because nobody wants to sell their's?

Long story short: can someone tell me what I would price for this setup? The amp has a new Jensen C12K in it (10lbs lighter and sounds great), though the original EVM12L is in excellent condition, sitting in a box in my closet. The Thiele is 1990 with the original EVM12L. It's a great rig. Couple of scratches on the tolex and the face of the EQ. That's it:

IMG_1617.jpg


IMG_1619.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Going through lots about this. I decided not to sell. I can't find anything that I like more, even at $2000-$3000.

Thought I was set on converting it to a head...but was playing the combo today and it sounded so good. I might just hold off on everything for the time being. Think things over.
 
Nice original rig.

I have a Mark IIB that I bought new as well, but 60W and no reverb. My buddy ordered cream tolex, I have a black one. Where did those years go?

Yours is loaded including the upgraded speakers. I would price the set around $2,000, maybe $2,250, but glad to hear you're hanging on to it. Both my Boogie and heavy Les Pauls are incentives to keep working out and keep my back strong!

Enjoy :!:
 
Deanriffs said:
Nice original rig.

I have a Mark IIB that I bought new as well, but 60W and no reverb. My buddy ordered cream tolex, I have a black one. Where did those years go?

Yours is loaded including the upgraded speakers. I would price the set around $2,000, maybe $2,250, but glad to hear you're hanging on to it. Both my Boogie and heavy Les Pauls are incentives to keep working out and keep my back strong!

Enjoy :!:
Click to expand...
"Where did the years go?" is right...

I started reconsidering selling when nobody bit at $1500. Got a serious bite at $1000 for the combo and Thiele. By then I'd listened to and played through enough rigs to realize that nothing out there is that much if ANY better than what I've got. And if you want that much wattage/headroom, it's going to weigh a lot. Boogie, Suhr, Victoria, whatever. Comes with the territory unless you're going solid state.

I'm looking at a BillM modded Blues Jr or a Louis Electric Buster (http://www.destroyallguitars.com/louis/5401-louis-electric-buster) as a possible lightweight alternative grab and go, now. Might still do the head conversion, but I'm with you: the Les Paul and the combo are great incentives to stay in shape.

We'll see.
 
1 of the 'magic' mojo things that occurs, with combos, over seperate heads, is that there is a sympathetic reaction between the tubes, shell of the amp enclosure, and the speaker....

as you play louder, there is interaction between all the parts.

i've always thought that had a LOT to do with the mojo of heads...

but i ended up ordering a headshell only after all.... because of having to roadie so much, i wanted it simple to carry. cabinet, head. boom.


so WHEN i record, i typically lay the head on the floor in front of the cab, with the cab blowing right into the back of the head where the tubes are.
there are still vibrations from the speaker cabinet, that somehow affect what's going on inside the tubes, and there is a little voodoo there.
 
I'm glad you decided to keep it. You can always try a subway blues or subway rocket. Those are pretty good for smaller venues and are light.
 
JAMz said:
I'm glad you decided to keep it. You can always try a subway blues or subway rocket. Those are pretty good for smaller venues and are light.
Click to expand...
Thanks for those suggestions. I'll check them out. I'm liking the Tungsten and Louis Electric stuff lately. Pricey, though.

I was at a shop on Sunday that had my amp for sale. $900. Exactly the same amp except for one thing: it was completely beat up and needed an overhaul. I was surprised they'd ask that much for it.
 
gonzo said:
1 of the 'magic' mojo things that occurs, with combos, over seperate heads, is that there is a sympathetic reaction between the tubes, shell of the amp enclosure, and the speaker....

as you play louder, there is interaction between all the parts.

i've always thought that had a LOT to do with the mojo of heads...

but i ended up ordering a headshell only after all.... because of having to roadie so much, i wanted it simple to carry. cabinet, head. boom.


so WHEN i record, i typically lay the head on the floor in front of the cab, with the cab blowing right into the back of the head where the tubes are.
there are still vibrations from the speaker cabinet, that somehow affect what's going on inside the tubes, and there is a little voodoo there.
Click to expand...
Hey Gonzo. I was just looking through this thread and realized it was you who posted this. We've talked before about our stock IIBs. I've been on this long search for another amp and I just keep appreciating, more and more, how great the IIB really is.

That's a real interesting recording technique. I'll remember that if I go the head route. I'm on the fence about this, but being patient. I'm sure, as the years go by, that my decision will get easier.

I made an interesting discovery and am curious about something with your rig: does it have reverb? I ask because, after all these years, I tried out the effects loop without the reverb dialed in and it worked beautifully. Using delay and a reverb pedal on the board, it was just fine.
 
Let me know if you ever want to sell that extension speaker, I would love one.
Currently using a blackstar cab (pretty close fit in size)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8eoOwfEO9M more or less a sound test with the Nova system from TC Electronic in the loop


cal
 
Calos said:
Let me know if you ever want to sell that extension speaker, I would love one.
Currently using a blackstar cab (pretty close fit in size)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8eoOwfEO9M more or less a sound test with the Nova system from TC Electronic in the loop


cal
Click to expand...
I'd consider it.
Where do you live?
 
gitapik

mine is a 1981 60 watt with graphic EQ, no reverb.

i've never been a fan of reverb (for live work) and when i bought it, that's what i was doing.

these days, if i want reverb when mixing, i'll add it after the fact.

but i DO use the loop all the time, and i have a Yamaha DG Stomp pedal, that i use in the FX loop.

it has a -4/+10 input switch on it, as well as master levels in and out....

so i've never had issues with the FX loop, as far as signal goes...

and of course, the harder you drive the power amp (master vol) the more distorted the power amp section is going to be, and that will cause your fx to be distorted.

but i never felt the need for the MOD.
these days, i run the attenuator just slightly, just so i can get good level to my power transformer....because i'm having to record at lower volumes than full stage volume.






gitapik said:
gonzo said:
1 of the 'magic' mojo things that occurs, with combos, over seperate heads, is that there is a sympathetic reaction between the tubes, shell of the amp enclosure, and the speaker....

as you play louder, there is interaction between all the parts.

i've always thought that had a LOT to do with the mojo of heads...

but i ended up ordering a headshell only after all.... because of having to roadie so much, i wanted it simple to carry. cabinet, head. boom.


so WHEN i record, i typically lay the head on the floor in front of the cab, with the cab blowing right into the back of the head where the tubes are.
there are still vibrations from the speaker cabinet, that somehow affect what's going on inside the tubes, and there is a little voodoo there.
Click to expand...
Hey Gonzo. I was just looking through this thread and realized it was you who posted this. We've talked before about our stock IIBs. I've been on this long search for another amp and I just keep appreciating, more and more, how great the IIB really is.

That's a real interesting recording technique. I'll remember that if I go the head route. I'm on the fence about this, but being patient. I'm sure, as the years go by, that my decision will get easier.

I made an interesting discovery and am curious about something with your rig: does it have reverb? I ask because, after all these years, I tried out the effects loop without the reverb dialed in and it worked beautifully. Using delay and a reverb pedal on the board, it was just fine.
Click to expand...
 
gitapik said:
Calos said:
Let me know if you ever want to sell that extension speaker, I would love one.
Currently using a blackstar cab (pretty close fit in size)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8eoOwfEO9M more or less a sound test with the Nova system from TC Electronic in the loop


cal
Click to expand...
I'd consider it.
Where do you live?
Click to expand...
In the UK North Wales, so shipping would be an issue I guess, but those extension cabs are rare as rocking horse droppings in the UK hehe
 
Calos said:
gitapik said:
Calos said:
Let me know if you ever want to sell that extension speaker, I would love one.
Currently using a blackstar cab (pretty close fit in size)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8eoOwfEO9M more or less a sound test with the Nova system from TC Electronic in the loop


cal
Click to expand...
I'd consider it.
Where do you live?
Click to expand...
In the UK North Wales, so shipping would be an issue I guess, but those extension cabs are rare as rocking horse droppings in the UK hehe
Click to expand...
I recently sold a MusicMan Silhouette to a guy in Australia. Shipping is tough but it's doable. You have to get everything just right with the paperwork. Otherwise it's shipped back to you at your expense.
 
Gitapick,
I'm concerned at your comment re paperwork..
Could U advise exactly who U shipped with and the nature of the problem/concern..
Even better, the exact root cause/nature of the problem so we can all learn how to mitigate this.

A lone reader may read your comment and throw hands in the air sayting it's all too hard and refuse to try -although I have had many guitars and amps freighted and posted here without a bother.

The only duty I ever had to pay was on a Tokina camera lens.. go figure... Even my brand new Ovation Collectors escape untouched by the tax man and customs folks..

We often have a pretty hard time getting folks to agree to freight some very tasty amps and geetars Down Under, and I don't want to make it any harder..

Any clarification would be really helpful, if only to indicate things to avoid..
regs, Dave
 
I don't mean to spread alarm. I can only go by my own experience. I know plenty of other people have had success.

I decided to go with USPS because it's half the price of UPS and FedEx. I went to four different postal locations. All of them told me the same thing: if I got anything wrong in terms of content description, address, telephone, codes, etc, the item would be shipped back to me at my expense. They said they'd seen it many times.

They were also confused by the size of the package (guitar). I seemed to know more about the process than they did. If they'd been more knowledgeable and positive, I'd have sent it . As it was, though, I didn't feel at all comfortable with the situation.

In the end, the guy's father knew someone about 200 miles from me who owns a music store and does this a lot. I think that's the bottom line: someone with experience of the process. I packed it well, mailed it to him (which was a piece of cake), and he forwarded it from there to Down Under. The package got there without a problem and the guy loves the guitar.
 
Cool, thx for the note.
Yeah, and I'm ashamed to say for the USPS, the problem actually is at this end - Australia Post reduced the size restrictions and there was a lot of mis-communication between Aust Post and (seemingly) the rest of the world..

Also I agree that there IS clarity out there, but we seem to be able to make just about anything complex..
And it's pretty ordinary that one needs to find an employee who is familiar with a process, to be able to utilize it without getting ripped off..

While on my soapbox.. (well I'm not really..) another plug for the FEDEX great rates program to Oceania.

If you have an account with them, then there's a great rates number you call from in the US, and shipping Friday or Monday is half price.
Naturally, there's conditions, but my Mark3 head came from the US of A and was almost half price. Superb!!
Thx again Gitapik,
Cheers, Dave
 
McBarry said:
Cool, thx for the note.
Yeah, and I'm ashamed to say for the USPS, the problem actually is at this end - Australia Post reduced the size restrictions and there was a lot of mis-communication between Aust Post and (seemingly) the rest of the world..

Also I agree that there IS clarity out there, but we seem to be able to make just about anything complex..
And it's pretty ordinary that one needs to find an employee who is familiar with a process, to be able to utilize it without getting ripped off..

While on my soapbox.. (well I'm not really..) another plug for the FEDEX great rates program to Oceania.

If you have an account with them, then there's a great rates number you call from in the US, and shipping Friday or Monday is half price.
Naturally, there's conditions, but my Mark3 head came from the US of A and was almost half price. Superb!!
Thx again Gitapik,
Cheers, Dave
Click to expand...
That's very good to know about the half price rates ("Great Rates" program?) from FedEx. I'll check that out. Thanks.

Yeah...I'm still willing to ship overseas. This was my first try and it was rough...but I don't quit when there's something I want.

Cool post. Thanks. I notice you've got a couple of IIBs. Do you notice a big difference btwn the two, sonically?
 
Definitely.
But before I mention them, it's essential to remember there's a zillion different variables - speaker, tubes etc etc add nauseum.
Having said that, my main gigging amp actually IS a IIB - 60w/rev/Celestion.
Like mainy, it doesn't open up until m/vol is >2 with input about 5.5 from pedalboard (with board output set to equal a Les Paul signal).
I use the other IIB as backup. It's 100w, EVM12L,GEQ.
Much deeper tone, and slightly less "fizz" when lead channel driven hard.
It's also really responsive to different V1 tubes, whereas the other IIB is not as much. This makes me think some of the caps around that V1 are tiring and stifling the dynamic response but it's not a big loss, and nothing I'm going to go chasing as yet.

BUT, both of these are trumped by my IIA.
It's just a tone monster. Period. I could talk for ages and bore you to tears..
(MkIIB wrote some really accurate descriptions in his thread - a better wordsmith than I, and his native language is French.. doesn't say much for me..hehe...)

AAANNNDDDD... all of these are further trumped by my Mk1.
It's hard to describe that sucker.. but imagine all the articulate,subjective,colourful adjectives that users write about their favourite amp..

If U want specific differences I'm happy to oblige, just remember the huge range of variables..

Cheers, DB
 

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