There are amplifier stories, and there are storied amplifiers, and in this case, it’s both! In 1985, at the request of Vivian Campbell and later Kirk Hammett, along with other noteworthy artists of the day who eventually heard them, MESA/ Boogie® made some modifications to a few production Mark IIC+ amps to achieve more gain in the overdrive mode and attain a thicker, heavier gain sound. These “++” designated IICs were done for the select few artists who requested them in the twilight of the C+ lifecycle and were never officially offered as a production model. The veil of time has made the exact number unclear; however, it is believed perhaps 20 or so of these mythical IIC++s were created during the original mid-eighties IIC+ lifecycle.

In the years that followed, some owners, hearing tales of the blistering tone and who were into heavy sounds, sent their C+’s to Tech Guru and Keeper of the Archives here, Mike Bendinelli, to have the “++ Mod” performed outside of production time at considerable cost. Now, we are excited to announce a Limited Edition build of 200 of these rarefied amplifiers in tribute to the music played on them and the era that spawned such great guitarists whose work therein has withstood the test of time and become truly iconic.

This new “++” IIC build has increased gain in the preamp, which affects the LEAD Mode only, leaving the CLEAN Mode to produce the same sparkling clean performance as the standard IIC+ production model. The LEAD Mode is thicker sounding in these “++” versions with enhanced low end and more top end gain, cut, and harmonic layering. Visually, the “++” is identical to the current production IIC+ model offered once again, aside from the “++” notation on the etched panel on the back panel and the IIC++ plaque on the front grille.

Experience one of the rarest and most coveted vintage amplifiers ever, the Mark IIC++, in solid new form built by the same artisans who built the originals 40 years ago. These awe-inspiring gain machines have fueled some of the most iconic rock sounds ever captured on record. Now, you can have a chance at owning one of these mythical beasts and utilizing its “incendiary” gain and expressive power for your musical dreams and aspirations. Don’t miss out on this limited-time build of the infamous Mark IIC++!

KEY FEATURES:

• An authentic recreation of the legendary MESA/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head
• Footswitchable Dual Mode Preamp
• Selectable Simul-Class (75 Watts) or Class A (25 Watts) Power
• Built-in Footswitchable Tube-Driven Spring Reverb
• Footswitchable 5-Band Graphic EQ
• Slave Output for use with Wet/Dry/Wet rigs or external IR readers
• Series, Buffered Effects Loop

NUMBER OF STYLE MODES PER CHANNEL: Single Channel, Two Modes

TYPES OF STYLE MODES PER CHANNEL: 

• RHYTHM Mode - Traditional Clean to Vintage Gain, Independent Volume 1 (Gain) with Pull Bright & Master 1 with Pull Deep Controls to set initial gain independent of playing volume.
• LEAD Mode: Cascading High-Gain (Lead), Utilizes Volume 1 to set initial gain strength then features Independent Lead Drive (Gain) with Pull Lead (to manually mode switch) & Lead Master with Pull Bright Controls to adjust the level of cascading gain independent of the playing volume.

CHANNEL 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 & Presence
GRAPHIC EQ AND/OR CONTOUR: 5-Band Graphic EQ
REVERB / EFFECTS & BYPASS OPTIONS: Graphic EQ Bypass
EFFECTS LOOP & BYPASS OPTIONS: Tube-Driven, Series FX Loop
EXTERNAL SWITCHING JACK OPTIONS AND/OR MIDI: Reverb & Graphic EQ External Switching Jack
SPEAKER OUTPUTS: 1x8 Ohm & 2x4 Ohm
SLAVE OUTPUT: Yes, with Level Control