My hope was that they'd get some new blood in that will maybe make things different. Let's face it, the way Randall Smith designed his amps was often pretty fucked up for repairability, and some strange features that don't make a lot of sense. Yes Randall, do explain why Mark V "Tuner out" puts out the full preamp signal!Being bought by Gibson and retiring the founder will do that to ya
I found it odd that he cranked Master 1 but had the Lead Master very low. I’m pretty sure the manual mentions trying to run them about even. I wonder if that made it sound less… “bitey”…?I don't know ... came across as lacking bite. Overall tone was good but I'd push that Presence knob up a bit more.
Correct. Official release.I'm confused. They released the IIC++ already back at NAMM? And opened pre-orders back then as well. Is this a different amp? Or is this just the "official" release of it (even though they're already sold out)?
That lead master setting is especially weird because what you’ll typically find is you have to push it up to balance the lead channel volume with the clean channel volume as the volume 1 goes up. You’ve probably found this on yours as well if you’re channel switching.I found it odd that he cranked Master 1 but had the Lead Master very low. I’m pretty sure the manual mentions trying to run them about even. I wonder if that made it sound less… “bitey”…?
He also had the 80Hz slider pretty high, especially if the Pull Deep was engaged.
It's limited edition high-margin mancave furniture designed to just sell out its run as fast as possible so they can move on to the next piece of high-margin mancave furniture. They're not trying to sell these amps to people who are actually going to use them. Pete Thorn has major cachet with a lot of the guys who will take the hit on buying something first just to have bought the thing first, and even if they've missed the boat on the IIC+ reissue this helps establish that future Mesa reissues will be blessed by guys who Know Tone and juice future presales.That lead master setting is especially weird because what you’ll typically find is you have to push it up to balance the lead channel volume with the clean channel volume as the volume 1 goes up. You’ve probably found this on yours as well if you’re channel switching.
Gibson/Mesa continues to make weird choices with the influencers they are using for these videos.
Get metal guys to do the metal demos. Get Pete Thorn and whoever else to demo the nice cleans and lower/medium gain tones in a format they are more familiar with. They should be playing to strengths out of the gate.
My beloved Mesa/Boogie has officially run out of new ideas.
Facts though. Psychological marketing tactics that even in 2025 the consumer still takes the bait for keeping prices high and quantities low.I'll get a bit of blowback for this, but the Gibsonification of Mesa Boogie is all but signed, sealed and
delivered at this point.
That's why these IIC+ and IIC++ are both yawners for me, and merely a way for Gibson to
capitalize on their "legacy" methodology as corporation. It's what they do.
It's not a limb I am going out on either. They'll do this crap every 3 to 5 years... in "limited runs."
It is the Way!
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Won't be our problem. Let our kids deal with it!![]()
Maybe he did idk. He's definitely got quite the collection."Bought"![]()
I don't know ... came across as lacking bite. Overall tone was good but I'd push that Presence knob up a bit more.
Facts though. Psychological marketing tactics that even in 2025 the consumer still takes the bait for keeping prices high and quantities low.
I much prefer something readily available that stands on it's own 2 feet vs relying on hype and marketing tactics.
Metallica tone wasn't all that amazing imo. Not knocking mesa, I had a Jp2c and it was killer. Definitely not 5k killer and most rectos suck. Tone is subjective however.
Same. The name alone is a major pull after all these years. It isn't entirely rational, I know.I want this amp so bad it’s not funny. To the point that a VII or JPIIC+ is far more logical and practical, but if I had three in front of me and someone told me to pick right now I’d probably go with the IIC++. Maybe.
Same! I think I heard something about GC having been re-acquired recently, and I'm guessing there was an influx of money, and a subsequent influx of inventory. I avoided these stores for nearly a decade because it was all garbage, and a predictable waste of time. The last time I walked into one it was packed full of great guitars... and the time before that, I bought two of them!I couldn’t believe my GC when I walked in today; I went to the used section first like I normally do, didn’t even glance at the new guitars because it’s always the same intermediate/beginner shit. Spend a few minutes with a nice Balgiuer (sp?) with a pale moon ebony board, might have been 26.5”, really nice guitar and I loved the neck. Then I turn to the new guitars and shit my pants because I wanted to play the majority of them and they were all at arm’s reach!!!
I feel like my Mark V 90 ch3 can do several eras of Metallica on its 3 modes. IIC is the classic stuff like Master of Puppets, IV is more like the Black Album era, and Extreme can do the Load/Reload era thicker sound.Metallica tone wasn't all that amazing imo. Not knocking mesa, I had a Jp2c and it was killer. Definitely not 5k killer and most rectos suck. Tone is subjective however.
Smart kid!My Son already told me to sell all of my shit before I die.![]()
I like Kyle.Kyle is a pony in search of another trick.![]()
I feel like my Mark V 90 ch3 can do several eras of Metallica on its 3 modes. IIC is the classic stuff like Master of Puppets, IV is more like the Black Album era, and Extreme can do the Load/Reload era thicker sound.
Will it nail the old school stuff like the IIC++ might? Probably not, but it's definitely "sounds like Metallica to me" in a big way.
To me the Mark V still represents the pinnacle of Mesa's innovation, the VII is kinda disappointing by how similar it is after 15 years from the Mark V.