@@lostinpa-dadenduro7555 and like $5k more in value! My neighbors dad growing up owned a BMX shop that eventually went out of business. But he has like 100 mint old school BMX bikes and banana seat bikes etc. Those are worth some coin!
Same. It's also hilarious to see how the "shitty" gear i bought as a kid has turned into stuff gear snobs drool over. lol. Like the bad monkey, hm2, randall rg 100es, that one peavey guitar, and some other stuff i can't think of at the moment. ha.
You never want to pull the bass pot for high gain . It engages a big cathode cap on the first gain stage = mud . Deep is at the end of the signal path .
Hey! I have not found that to be the case 'exclusively'. The more you turn up Volume 1, the less the tone stack impacts that tone (as you probably know). And yes, the more you turn up Vol 1, the more you have to reduce the Bass, BUT one of my FAVORITE lead sounds is WITH the Pull function on the Bass control engaged. To my ear at least, it can work:)
@@DougDopplerMusic There are always exceptions but I'm going by my expérience as an amp builder/modder . You usually do not want a big cathode cap on the first gain stage when it starts to be really overdriven . Unless you can select your coupling caps after that stage ,which is something this preamp does not do ,unlike something like an ENGL or a Diezel ,who are two of the rare using big cathode caps there. Amps with dedicated first gain stage for clean and dirty do not suffer from this either . Into the Quad everything is in series from start to end . It can do a lot of tones .. Mostly everything . But two at the time is always some kind of compromise . It will be good but never the best clean and the best OD it can do at the same time with the same guitar . This is why as mentioned (and as I did live the quad 35 years ago ) some people used another preamp for cleans. With the bass pot pushed you kill some of what makes the clean really great . I realised that I prefered the top (MKII) channel for leads than the bottom one (MKIII) . so I used less gain for a crunchy tone with the bottom one and more gain on the top one with a second preamp for cleans ...too much stuff lol :-)
@@Rigjoker64 NEVER too much amp geekery!!!. And it sounds like we both remember when channel switching was new. While there were could be compromises between your 'rhythm and lead modes' the whole series this is where the initial magic came from. The new multi channel amps solve that, but there are some compromises in terms of some push pull and gain stage decisions are baked into the design. It's what make the JP~2C AND the Mark IIC+ BOTH so cool, all Simul-class and Class A/B power stuff aside. I don't yet have the Quad in my permanent 'look around the room' collection, but it is a very important piece of the Boogie lineage. And yeah, the idea of having a Quad AND a Studio Preamp (why no dash on preamp?!?) is kind of still crazy. The new amps do such a great job of solving this, but there is some magic in these beloved older circuits that keeps them special. The first time I heard a Quad was Larry Mitchell playing at the Ibanez booth at NAMM, and as on 'OG' Mark IIB owner, I was floored by his playing, tones and what the rig did. As I recall it was a 2290 so per the video, maybe Michael was there too! In any case, nice to eMeet you, and Happy Holidays!
@@DougDopplerMusic Yep . I even remember when switching a triaxis that I was not 100% happy and still had to use a second a preamp for live use . We are never happy lol... Happy holidays to you too from over the pond Buddy :-)
I bought a Quad Preamp early last year just in time for my 5050 to come back from repair at mesa boogie. Mine came w it's footswitch thankfully but now I control it w a gcp/gcx setup. Absolutely love how great it sounds. Run an eq in the loop & it does "IT" for my ears. I go a month or so between it and my mak v 90w & fall back in love w each amp.
Hey Michael, great stuff as always! Between my Quad, Triaxis and the Mark IV Rev A, I also have no desire to go for the 2C+ reissue - or any other that will follow it. I feel like I have all Mesa tones from the era multiple times over between these. Also just in case anyone is wondering, according to the Boogie forum lore, word from Mike Bendinelli was to use Quad's FX send out for even more open sound, and CH1 combined with a 50/50 would be so very close to a 2C+ from the era. Btw, Tonex captures you created sound awesome. Great resource for people in that world (and not ours with gear eeeerrrywhere :D)
The quad is definitely one of the best old school marks. Both a IIC+ and a III in a box. Imagine if they had made a head version of this monster, it would've weighed a ton!
Wife bought me one for Christmas. I explained I needed to try it first in case there’s an issue. This amp is pure Metallica, Syke’s Whitesnake/Blue Murder, etc!! Feels like a familiar friend! Use to own a Mark III back in the mid eighties. This is much easier to dial in what I remember. Definitely a keeper!
Another excellent video! I used to own a Quad back in the day. I LOVED channel 1 for both clean, rythm and lead… but it was either clean, rythm or lead. Channel 2 was darker, gainier and less defined. Hence, I ended up with an AMAZING rythm tone from channel 1, a slightly less than perfect lead tone from channel 2 and a terribly compromised clean tone from channel 1. I sold the Quad around 20 years ago to fund the Diezel VH4s that is still the core of my setup today. It was absolutely the right move… but boy do I still miss that Quad like crazy! Today the Quad would be perfect for me as it would live in my studio rack… but they’re simply too expensive these days.
@@eskemeldgaardkrogh4145 awesome! The VH4 is a great 4ch alternative. I’ve been using the VHX recently. It’s bonkers. Fixed all of the issues with compromising channels.
@ The VH4s has served me incredibly well and I love how Peter and his guys take care of their customers… and after 20 years, I think it’s fair to call it a “keeper” ;) I am yet to try the VHX in person, but from everyone I know that’s played one, the answer has been the same: it’s everything you could ever possibly need… and then some! Personally, I really wish Mesa would reissue a Studio Preamp (or used prices would crash) - that thing sounds KILLER through my Diezel’s 2x50w power amp and would fill all Mesa Mk-tones for me.
Great vid man. Longtime boogie endorsee, studio pre and OG mark2C+ owner here. If Boogie/ Gibson were smart, they’d reissue the quad and studio pres with modern features like Soldano did w the X88IR, I’d be all over that🤘
I'm 43 i used to lug around a rack with a triaxis and this lol with a strategy 400 and run two 4x12's. God i miss the old days. My back doesnt!!! But hell go big or go home. Killers tones bro
The Quad always sounded better than the Mark III head or combo. I also loved the Studio .22. I owned a 50 Cal + combo which was also incredible, gigged up and down the Sunset Strip with that thing for years.
I used to have a Quad way back in the rack days, traded in my Studio preamp against it, thinking it would be more of a good thing ... then found I couldn't get the amazing sound I had with the Studio out of the Quad, no matter what I did, the Studio had this incredible raw open sound whereas the Quad was more refined and compressed by comparison. I ended up keeping the Quad as I would have lost a lot of money on it at the time, but I'd take the Studio preamp over the Quad any day,
The Quad is awesome. Owned one for a while and it was nice. The price for them now is stupid. I got mine for 799 off GC used site just before Covid and sold it in 2023/2024 (don’t remember exactly) for almost 2K. I couldn’t say no to that as I needed some funds. If you have amps already the Quad may work for you as you just use the return of one of your amps for power. It’s really about CH1 though. CH 2 has more gain but also requires a lot more volume to match CH1. CH1 to me had a much more dynamic and rich gain, plus the clean setting if you maxed the pre got a nice AC/DC like classic rock tone.
@@Mikey__R There's a substantial difference to my ear. The Mesa EQ sounds a lot smoother and more pleasing, especially with you do the Metallica mid scoop V thing. The IICP's EQ sounds a little spikier like the EQ bands are a lot narrower.
I recall seeing a video of a gentlemen who had the graphic EQ onboard AND the external one. Sounded great! Different in its own way for sure. Much darker as I recall. Maybe jt was Mike B himself, I don’t know what he looks like lmao
I remember when I bought my Mark 2b combo. It was so frustrating getting the right tone at first. Then just when I was about to get rid of it...there it was. I quickly realized how interactive the controls are.
Bought my quad in the early 2000 for like 300 dollars. Still owns it today. Im pairing it with a marshall EL34 poweramp for a more aggressive bite. The best sound ive ever had! The sad part is that it is in dire need of a service now, i think some caps are bad. Changing pots did not help.
I have a Midi Quad preamp and 295 Simul-class setup, it’s my 3rd Quad I’ve owned, got it back around 2011 for $750 it has a few custom options on it green, orange and red channel leds plus the Abacus foot controller. I ran 2 quads for many years switched between them, sold one about 3 years ago. No matter what amps I’ve had some reason I always go back to the Quad freaking love it. Plan to never get rid of this one it’s rare and very special. Sounds great with a clean boost and/or a PQ-3 into like Stryper did.
I've got a Triaxis and a Studio Pre. I have a Fifty/Fifty and a Twenty/Twenty. I can get that IIC+ tone all day long. And if all fails there's my trusty Axe FXII.
Yep. After watching your first demo of all mesa preamps i sold the Studio Pre and bought the Quad. I can use it with a power amp, combo or plugin with no problem. I found out that the Mercuriall Reaxis (a triaxis plugin) have beside the speaker emulatin the power amp emulation witch is great too
How does the quad compare to the StudPre? I was lucky enough to be able to replace my StudPre several years ago with a IIc+. I liked it a lot, but it didn't compare to the IIc+.
@@JordonBeal the owner Michael Toren did it himself. He’s a smart engineer. I’ll ask him to make a video on it. ua-cam.com/video/EZkWxqguGt8/v-deo.htmlsi=8zBBsVvbsoqxKYQz
I have two quad preamps. I knew they were great back in the day so I held onto them.Still have a MarkIII blue stripe head as well.One of my quad preamps developed a ground loop,sent it to mesa for repair and it came back exactly the same. I'm sure it's a bad resistor somewhere
Sounds killer! I used to want one of these so bad, Phil Keaggy used one of these in a rack back in the 80's. That said, these days I'd rather just get a Synergy Syn2 and two IICP modules. Set one up for clean, the other for high gain. Total cost about $1600 and you have an incredibly flexible base system with the ability to swap preamps with 30 other Synergy modules if you want a different tone. Oh, and everything will have all new hardware & electronics so you don't need to recap, deal with electronic hum/noise or fiddle with loose solder joints. Just my $0.02. They're incredible preamps, don't get me wrong but I just think there are better solutions out there today.
Have the Synergy IICP module with the Syn1 going into my Revv G20 using the 4000 cable method. Its great have to all the torpedo stuff(ahem big hairy pack), still have a full unique amp and the ability to switch in an out other pre amps. 1 thing about the IICP if the full amp is finicky shrinking it multiples that problem. Nearly need a tooth pick for the eq
Had two of these in my formative years, it was the second "real" rig I had. Back then, 24 years ago or so, they went for no more than $500 used...the Studio preamp was even cheaper. The quad did cost a bit to retube, though. If remember correctly, they had some "secret" mode where if you pressed down both two channels at the same time, you could play through both simultaneously.
I never understood these Mesa amps because I was always a Marshall guy. Definitely not a throw the knobs on 5 and go situation but man…the Dann Huffish tones with the subtle EQ were the goods! 💯
My favorite Mesa Boogie was the Mark III Head. I always wanted a crunch (AC/DC type) rhythm channel and a high gain lead channel. That's exactly what the Mark III offers in perfection (I never used the clean channel). I also bought the studio preamp when it came out for recording. If it had offered the option of switching the rhythm channel from clean to crunch, it would have been ideal too.
Two famous amps I have never been able to get with: Mesa Mark series and the Vox AC30. I bought and sold them both - multiple times, in denial that I could not make them work. I know it's sacrilegious, but there it is - my catharsis.
Question you need to ask is, do you want the OG IIC+ tone AND feel? Yes? Get the IIC+ or Quad. Tone only? JP2c, Triaxis, Modules etc. The feel is part of it. Awesome video!
@@BigHairyGuitars So I saw the 2:90 in the beginning of the video, but you ended up not using it nor mentioning it. There's no way you don't know that is the DRG's power-amp, and hence why I presume you had the 2:90 there. Kinda curious to know why you ended up not using it:)
@@FRANANGELICOONA no it’s part of the design. The mid knob works at low gain sounds. The drive comes after the EQ, so it’s kind of like tweaking a boss EQ into a distorted amp. The knobs just don’t have as much effect.
I ran 2 Mark II C+ combos in stereo in the late 80s. Glorious tone! I was stupid and traded both combos straight across for the Quad preamp. I was desperate to start building my refrigerator rack. Still a great tone, but financially took it up the butt! 😂
I ended up trading the Quad for a Marshall JMP-1. I then got a Triaxis to go along with the JMP-1. Switched between those 2 preamps in my refrigerator. 😁
Yeah similar situation here. Taking it up the butt that is. 😂 but yeah I’ve made some bad decisions with my guitars, AND my first Mesa was a blue stripe Mark III blue stripe ++ coliseum. I sold it cheap. I didnt know what I had ugh. The guy totally ripped me off. He knew what I had.
It's P.A.F. vs. PAF. When there are dots it's an acronym and every letter is pronounced separately. Dimarzio is a PAF Pro or PAF 36th (model names). Gibson's is P.A.F. from the sticker Patent Applied For in the late '50s.
Funny thing is I had a brand new quad preamp and mesa power amp mesa cabinet and my main guitar was a white charvel and was in a Whitesnake tribute band
Hey Michael I just purchased the Tonex pack but the new 14 presets are acting just like tone models, not presets, they are not loading the settings, effects, IRs, etc. Hopefully you can fix them , I dont want to do it manually ahahaha
I had the Quad Preamp and am selling my MB Mark III. I can totally relate to your description about the amps being very finnicky. I got myself a Solodano Astro 20 - and stopped constantly turning knobs on my amp and just started playing the guitar again…
Nice!!! It’s funny, I think you can get similar ish tones to the Mesa stuff with other amps. There are so many knobs and switches and graphic EQ’s on the MK stuff, then you can just turn on a Friedman or Soldano and put everything on 6, bam, sounds amazing. Haha
@@BigHairyGuitars Hi Michael, recall your Sykes-tone celebration tones a few years back with Toren's loop-modded JCM 800, some drive pedals and a Mesa EQ pedal in said loop. Kind of strange but have the similar experience after owning a loaded Green-Strip Mkiii, it seems easier to dial in Mk-style tones on amps other than Mesa's! Boost out front, graphic in the loop.
Bought a Strategy 500 from a guy who was selling it in a package deal with a Quad. Didn't know much about the Mesa dial-in procedure until later down the track when I got a Mkiii. Thought with the Quad, if it took that long to dial in a tone, it wasn't for me and just took the 500.
Thought about the reissue but I have had the Mk3 purple for 30 yrs now. Yeah don’t touch my settings 😂. Picked up the SLO100R and X88IR and loving them. Always wanted the Quad… I’m curious about a mk2c+ reissue and JP2c comparison 🤔
@ get both and do a comparison vid for us. You do very tasteful vids compared to most others. Beside I bet most vids will be metal/Metallica style with no cleans.
Lmao everyone on YT going back to the well of IIC alternative options now that the reissue is upon us. I’ve got the synergy module coming and plan on putting it up against my MK VII in IIC mode. I owned a couple studio preamps and they were amazing but the whole thing you mentioned about tweaking till you got to the promised land…man that was a chore and my second pre was factory sealed when I bought it and had a guy offer me an obscene amount of money for it so I sold it. The biggest difference with the VII compared to the preamps, my MK V and the MK IV I had for a couple months is that the VII just sounds awesome everywhere. There’s no hunting for a good sound…it’s just there by default and your tweaking only makes it that much better. I’ve never played a Mark circuit that could do that.
@@DougDopplerMusic I agree. The difference vs the other Marks is that it feels fun. Not tweaking out of frustration. Not sure if you caught my VII review video but I mentioned that the V was my worst “just one more tweak” feedback loop experience.
@@FastRedPonyCar Hey! I've got your video cued up in another window, look forward to checking it out. Watched the first bit and have to jump back into some production but wanted to add that my fly rig is the Mark V 25, Cab Clone IR, FM9 (being replaced with a VP4), a PowerStage 700, and a back-lined cab, preferably an 'oversized' recto 4x12 so I can run in stereo. If 700 watts ain't gonna get 'er done, there are other problems! Look forward to checking out the rest of your video later:)
Does Toren own a boat? Seems like if he owns a lot of Boogie stuff you can borrow, it would be cool if he maintained a boat in his driveway you could also borrow. He’d probably have to use the boat to store rack gear that didn’t fit into his house, so maybe not as good as one would think.
I love the tones. It would be cool to see an active pickup guitar with the Metallica Rythm. Kirk was saying that the actives hit the Boogies in a certain way that others didn’t back in the day.
Hello and yes! there is a very unique synergy that happens much in the same way the whole drive/gate thing in that it adds a dimension of cool for high gain stuff Not an apples to apples analogy, but it is definitely a thing. Actually kind of shocking to switch from a guitar with traditional pickups passive pickups (my prerfence) to one with EMGs. It kind of turns your head in a, wow didn't think it would be THAT cool kind of way!
I unloaded so much gear in that last few years. I just dial in everything to sound the same. What little differences in amps coming from my fingers wasn't worth the hording.
This was always a really cool preamp. So is the Mesa Studio Pre. Has one of the best leads tones I've ever used. Sometimes you just find some cool shit. I like that real harmonically rich midrange that someamps have and most dont. Think like... Satriani OLD Live in Sanfrancisco Lead Tone. I remember even a shitty old zoom foot pedal having one of the coolest wah tones I've ever heard. Where it like swelled the sounds instead of sounding like "wawawaaw"... think Lines in the Sand Solo JP
Ok. Those a Mesa tones are making me reconsider my longtime Marshall guy status. Amazing. Also, looks like you modded that Henrik Danhage Charvel. Can you do a video with details? I have the same guitar and swapped out the stock JB for a SD ‘78 humbucker. The JB was a little honky which surprised me as I like JB’s in other guitars. I like the idea of two humbuckers as I’m not 100% sold on the noiseless Dimarzio in the neck position. Any chance of Quad Cortex captures for the Mesa tones? Putting down the coffee now. You’re welcome.
For how expensive the Mesa's are, it's incredible how hard they are to dial in. Which preamp pack would you recommend for tight modern metal tones? (I do expect to boost).
Synergy has a ton of pretty amazing options at very fair prices. If it has to be a stand alone older preamp, I’d look at older Engl preamps for tight metal. Or Marshall JMP-1. But they’re not better than Synergy.
I have wanted one of these since forever, and the want is ridiculous. It's always there, it just waxes and wanes. I had a MkIV, and I had a Triaxis, but never had a Quad. I absolutely don't need one, not at all, but I will own one
NICE.. synergy sounds like a good option.. Noticed you have what looks like a Herman Miller Embody... do you get a lot of static electricity off that thing? I have the "gaming" version and it generates a ton..
I like how you snuck in some Megadeth. One thing I like so much about my tonex is that if I bump it it doesn't change like my Mk V and that it's much much lighter. Sounding killer as always.
For me, the best Mesa will always be the Mark V 90 watts… not easy to handle at first, but once you know it, you can get pretty much any tone out of it…
For versatility I take my V 90 anyday. But for metal tone only I prefer my Quad. I did play metal with the V for years and it was awesome but when I bought the Quad I couldn't come back. It's a pain in the ass to transport the rackmount case with the poweramp, and the footswitch I have (abacus) is ridiculously big. Prefer the V on that side though 😂
The iv especially the rev a to me is the best mark ever.. I suppose in usa you can find used at 1/3 of the reissue.. Ehi Michael you cannot have already made a video of that amp!!
One of my lifetime regrets was not getting a quad when they could be had for dirt cheap, had the opportunity to get one for 370€ 10 years ago and missed it.
mesa studio and quad are great, but unfortunately as much of 80/90s preamps prices have went nuts and it is unaffordable for a lot of us. Even A Brand new synergycost less ...
It's an absolute shame that the prices on amps are going where they are. I've been collecting for a long time and I've got all I need, but I really feel bad for anyone just getting into it or trying to upgrade because not many can afford them at this point. Sadly it's turning into a muscle car situation. Also, as you pointed out the buzz and issues of an old piece of gear, that in itself makes you ask the question is it worth it? I've been a tube guy forever but I love my kemper and other modelers, if they have an issue its easily replaceable. I'm not sold on the whole reissue thing, especially at 3-4k and up, not exactly the best ROI generally speaking.
Gibson can only DREAM of getting tones as awesome as The Quad preamp. The preamp was a titan for its' time and it's just beautiful to look at. 3U rack and two rows of tweaking goodness. Peak Mesa Boogie.
Oh that’s a drag. My Marshall Plexi had a tube change and it is now -2 compared to what it was. I just don’t really want to go on a $1000+ tube exploration jouney
I use a Triaxis and Strategy 400 Stereo [super low serial number], into two, 200 watt 4x12s. Nothin' like it! What? What did you say? I'm sorry, I can't hear you....🤣😃
Unfortunately the Quad Cortex has a share system that doesn't make it easy for 3rd part sound designers. BUT, they do have a good Petrucci plugin AND a 2C+ plugin
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I like how the older I get, the stuff I bought in my teens and twenties is now vintage. 😂🤘🎸
@@lostinpa-dadenduro7555 it’s painful man!!! 🤣
@@lostinpa-dadenduro7555 and like $5k more in value! My neighbors dad growing up owned a BMX shop that eventually went out of business. But he has like 100 mint old school BMX bikes and banana seat bikes etc. Those are worth some coin!
@@lostinpa-dadenduro7555 I still have, and found online as well, my old Peavy T-15 guitar and Quantum amp lol. Worth about the same.
Same. It's also hilarious to see how the "shitty" gear i bought as a kid has turned into stuff gear snobs drool over. lol. Like the bad monkey, hm2, randall rg 100es, that one peavey guitar, and some other stuff i can't think of at the moment. ha.
Same!
You never want to pull the bass pot for high gain . It engages a big cathode cap on the first gain stage = mud . Deep is at the end of the signal path .
@@Rigjoker64 awesome. Thanks!
Hey! I have not found that to be the case 'exclusively'. The more you turn up Volume 1, the less the tone stack impacts that tone (as you probably know). And yes, the more you turn up Vol 1, the more you have to reduce the Bass, BUT one of my FAVORITE lead sounds is WITH the Pull function on the Bass control engaged. To my ear at least, it can work:)
@@DougDopplerMusic There are always exceptions but I'm going by my expérience as an amp builder/modder . You usually do not want a big cathode cap on the first gain stage when it starts to be really overdriven . Unless you can select your coupling caps after that stage ,which is something this preamp does not do ,unlike something like an ENGL or a Diezel ,who are two of the rare using big cathode caps there. Amps with dedicated first gain stage for clean and dirty do not suffer from this either . Into the Quad everything is in series from start to end . It can do a lot of tones .. Mostly everything . But two at the time is always some kind of compromise . It will be good but never the best clean and the best OD it can do at the same time with the same guitar . This is why as mentioned (and as I did live the quad 35 years ago ) some people used another preamp for cleans. With the bass pot pushed you kill some of what makes the clean really great . I realised that I prefered the top (MKII) channel for leads than the bottom one (MKIII) . so I used less gain for a crunchy tone with the bottom one and more gain on the top one with a second preamp for cleans ...too much stuff lol :-)
@@Rigjoker64 NEVER too much amp geekery!!!. And it sounds like we both remember when channel switching was new. While there were could be compromises between your 'rhythm and lead modes' the whole series this is where the initial magic came from. The new multi channel amps solve that, but there are some compromises in terms of some push pull and gain stage decisions are baked into the design. It's what make the JP~2C AND the Mark IIC+ BOTH so cool, all Simul-class and Class A/B power stuff aside. I don't yet have the Quad in my permanent 'look around the room' collection, but it is a very important piece of the Boogie lineage. And yeah, the idea of having a Quad AND a Studio Preamp (why no dash on preamp?!?) is kind of still crazy. The new amps do such a great job of solving this, but there is some magic in these beloved older circuits that keeps them special. The first time I heard a Quad was Larry Mitchell playing at the Ibanez booth at NAMM, and as on 'OG' Mark IIB owner, I was floored by his playing, tones and what the rig did. As I recall it was a 2290 so per the video, maybe Michael was there too! In any case, nice to eMeet you, and Happy Holidays!
@@DougDopplerMusic Yep . I even remember when switching a triaxis that I was not 100% happy and still had to use a second a preamp for live use . We are never happy lol... Happy holidays to you too from over the pond Buddy :-)
Super Distortion! Hell yeah! Best pickup of all time!
I bought a Quad Preamp early last year just in time for my 5050 to come back from repair at mesa boogie. Mine came w it's footswitch thankfully but now I control it w a gcp/gcx setup. Absolutely love how great it sounds. Run an eq in the loop & it does "IT" for my ears. I go a month or so between it and my mak v 90w & fall back in love w each amp.
Hey Michael, great stuff as always! Between my Quad, Triaxis and the Mark IV Rev A, I also have no desire to go for the 2C+ reissue - or any other that will follow it. I feel like I have all Mesa tones from the era multiple times over between these.
Also just in case anyone is wondering, according to the Boogie forum lore, word from Mike Bendinelli was to use Quad's FX send out for even more open sound, and CH1 combined with a 50/50 would be so very close to a 2C+ from the era.
Btw, Tonex captures you created sound awesome. Great resource for people in that world (and not ours with gear eeeerrrywhere :D)
@@darkscarf nice tip on the FX send out! Thanks!!!!
Badass! I have a quad and a Mesa 295 simul class. Sounds awesome.
The quad is definitely one of the best old school marks. Both a IIC+ and a III in a box. Imagine if they had made a head version of this monster, it would've weighed a ton!
Wife bought me one for Christmas. I explained I needed to try it first in case there’s an issue. This amp is pure Metallica, Syke’s Whitesnake/Blue Murder, etc!! Feels like a familiar friend! Use to own a Mark III back in the mid eighties. This is much easier to dial in what I remember. Definitely a keeper!
Ur wife sure is a keeper if she bought you one! 🎉🎉
@@ultimatemetalguitartones she knows me well!
@@armandodiaz3485 I had three quad units in the past and I can definitely say this it's my all time favorite preamp.
@@armandodiaz3485 congrats!!!! FANTASTICO!!!!
Another excellent video! I used to own a Quad back in the day. I LOVED channel 1 for both clean, rythm and lead… but it was either clean, rythm or lead. Channel 2 was darker, gainier and less defined. Hence, I ended up with an AMAZING rythm tone from channel 1, a slightly less than perfect lead tone from channel 2 and a terribly compromised clean tone from channel 1. I sold the Quad around 20 years ago to fund the Diezel VH4s that is still the core of my setup today. It was absolutely the right move… but boy do I still miss that Quad like crazy! Today the Quad would be perfect for me as it would live in my studio rack… but they’re simply too expensive these days.
@@eskemeldgaardkrogh4145 awesome! The VH4 is a great 4ch alternative. I’ve been using the VHX recently. It’s bonkers. Fixed all of the issues with compromising channels.
@ The VH4s has served me incredibly well and I love how Peter and his guys take care of their customers… and after 20 years, I think it’s fair to call it a “keeper” ;) I am yet to try the VHX in person, but from everyone I know that’s played one, the answer has been the same: it’s everything you could ever possibly need… and then some! Personally, I really wish Mesa would reissue a Studio Preamp (or used prices would crash) - that thing sounds KILLER through my Diezel’s 2x50w power amp and would fill all Mesa Mk-tones for me.
Hear ! Hear ! Quad is king
PS: Love the 2150 casually laying sideways in the back
Killer tone! Those Tonex captures sounds amazing man!😊
Great vid man. Longtime boogie endorsee, studio pre and OG mark2C+ owner here. If Boogie/ Gibson were smart, they’d reissue the quad and studio pres with modern features like Soldano did w the X88IR, I’d be all over that🤘
First sentence hits hard!
I'm 43 i used to lug around a rack with a triaxis and this lol with a strategy 400 and run two 4x12's. God i miss the old days. My back doesnt!!! But hell go big or go home. Killers tones bro
That charvel sounds great. Love the pickup swap and 5-way.
The Quad always sounded better than the Mark III head or combo. I also loved the Studio .22. I owned a 50 Cal + combo which was also incredible, gigged up and down the Sunset Strip with that thing for years.
I stillown one, the clean rhythm sounds on channel 1 are astounding🎉
Loved all the Justice Riff’s and the sec or two of Go To Hell in there.
Quads sound great, but damn they are big and have a lot of knobs.
You’ll be my first Tonex pack! I just got one!
Fantastic tones and playing as usual Mike😎🤘 this dials look crazy easy to knock off your favourite setting 😬 don’t breathe by it 😂😂
I assure you, they change on their own, overnight... lol...
@ 🤣🤣
I used to have a Quad way back in the rack days, traded in my Studio preamp against it, thinking it would be more of a good thing ... then found I couldn't get the amazing sound I had with the Studio out of the Quad, no matter what I did, the Studio had this incredible raw open sound whereas the Quad was more refined and compressed by comparison. I ended up keeping the Quad as I would have lost a lot of money on it at the time, but I'd take the Studio preamp over the Quad any day,
The Quad is awesome. Owned one for a while and it was nice. The price for them now is stupid. I got mine for 799 off GC used site just before Covid and sold it in 2023/2024 (don’t remember exactly) for almost 2K. I couldn’t say no to that as I needed some funds. If you have amps already the Quad may work for you as you just use the return of one of your amps for power.
It’s really about CH1 though. CH 2 has more gain but also requires a lot more volume to match CH1. CH1 to me had a much more dynamic and rich gain, plus the clean setting if you maxed the pre got a nice AC/DC like classic rock tone.
I love my Synergy IICP. I will say, I get better results with an actual Mesa EQ pedal in the FX loop, compared to the module's little graphic EQ.
Is there a difference in sound, or is the throw on the sliders just too short?
@@Mikey__R There's a substantial difference to my ear. The Mesa EQ sounds a lot smoother and more pleasing, especially with you do the Metallica mid scoop V thing. The IICP's EQ sounds a little spikier like the EQ bands are a lot narrower.
Yes! That pedal is MONEY!
I recall seeing a video of a gentlemen who had the graphic EQ onboard AND the external one. Sounded great! Different in its own way for sure. Much darker as I recall. Maybe jt was Mike B himself, I don’t know what he looks like lmao
I just got one and it's nice but I'm gonna get a quad presmp
I remember when I bought my Mark 2b combo. It was so frustrating getting the right tone at first. Then just when I was about to get rid of it...there it was. I quickly realized how interactive the controls are.
Bought my quad in the early 2000 for like 300 dollars. Still owns it today. Im pairing it with a marshall EL34 poweramp for a more aggressive bite. The best sound ive ever had! The sad part is that it is in dire need of a service now, i think some caps are bad. Changing pots did not help.
I have a Midi Quad preamp and 295 Simul-class setup, it’s my 3rd Quad I’ve owned, got it back around 2011 for $750 it has a few custom options on it green, orange and red channel leds plus the Abacus foot controller. I ran 2 quads for many years switched between them, sold one about 3 years ago. No matter what amps I’ve had some reason I always go back to the Quad freaking love it. Plan to never get rid of this one it’s rare and very special. Sounds great with a clean boost and/or a PQ-3 into like Stryper did.
I had a boogie subway rocket. Great cleans and awesome dirt, but murder to dial in!
That's the only mesa I liked lol it was tricky though
HOT DAMN I love those reliced Charvel's in white with the reversed neck. I NEED one, and mod to a HS style.
I've got a Triaxis and a Studio Pre. I have a Fifty/Fifty and a Twenty/Twenty. I can get that IIC+ tone all day long. And if all fails there's my trusty Axe FXII.
Yep. After watching your first demo of all mesa preamps i sold the Studio Pre and bought the Quad. I can use it with a power amp, combo or plugin with no problem. I found out that the Mercuriall Reaxis (a triaxis plugin) have beside the speaker emulatin the power amp emulation witch is great too
How does the quad compare to the StudPre? I was lucky enough to be able to replace my StudPre several years ago with a IIc+. I liked it a lot, but it didn't compare to the IIc+.
Sounds awesome man
Michael, is there any info on the mod to bring channel switching to the front panel of those preamps? I’ve been looking around to no avail.
@@JordonBeal the owner Michael Toren did it himself. He’s a smart engineer. I’ll ask him to make a video on it.
ua-cam.com/video/EZkWxqguGt8/v-deo.htmlsi=8zBBsVvbsoqxKYQz
I always liked the Carvin Quad preamp that Mesa sued them over better. It was pretty easy to dial in.
I have two quad preamps. I knew they were great back in the day so I held onto them.Still have a MarkIII blue stripe head as well.One of my quad preamps developed a ground loop,sent it to mesa for repair and it came back exactly the same. I'm sure it's a bad resistor somewhere
I have a Mark IV that also has a C+ mode. I am satisfied that it gets 95% of the way there. No need for a reissue for me.
@@_Stay_Curious I’ve heard the MKIV does a spot on 2C+. Great amp!
Same with me and my Mark V35. I like to think the IIc+ mode is somewhat similar to the original....
Sounds killer!
I used to want one of these so bad, Phil Keaggy used one of these in a rack back in the 80's. That said, these days I'd rather just get a Synergy Syn2 and two IICP modules. Set one up for clean, the other for high gain. Total cost about $1600 and you have an incredibly flexible base system with the ability to swap preamps with 30 other Synergy modules if you want a different tone. Oh, and everything will have all new hardware & electronics so you don't need to recap, deal with electronic hum/noise or fiddle with loose solder joints. Just my $0.02.
They're incredible preamps, don't get me wrong but I just think there are better solutions out there today.
Have the Synergy IICP module with the Syn1 going into my Revv G20 using the 4000 cable method. Its great have to all the torpedo stuff(ahem big hairy pack), still have a full unique amp and the ability to switch in an out other pre amps. 1 thing about the IICP if the full amp is finicky shrinking it multiples that problem. Nearly need a tooth pick for the eq
You missed an option, a JP2C! Very happy with mine, way easier to dial than the original IMHO and sounds amazing!
I prefer it to any of the Marks I have played.
True, but I do think a MKIV, 2CP are both good options for the 2C+ vibe.
@@BigHairyGuitars For sure! I think they’re all really cool amps, and wouldn’t kick any of them out of bed for eating crackers!
The JP~2C is one of the BEST amps ever. Savage!
@@BigHairyGuitarsthe Mark IV slays. So does the JC. Best of the best Mesas in my opinion. A sleeper is the F100 as well. And I love my Badlander.
Had two of these in my formative years, it was the second "real" rig I had. Back then, 24 years ago or so, they went for no more than $500 used...the Studio preamp was even cheaper. The quad did cost a bit to retube, though. If remember correctly, they had some "secret" mode where if you pressed down both two channels at the same time, you could play through both simultaneously.
The Neural DSP plugin is definitely giving me these type of tones too!
I never understood these Mesa amps because I was always a Marshall guy. Definitely not a throw the knobs on 5 and go situation but man…the Dann Huffish tones with the subtle EQ were the goods! 💯
Where on earth did you get that reverse headstock neck??? 😮
My favorite Mesa Boogie was the Mark III Head. I always wanted a crunch (AC/DC type) rhythm channel and a high gain lead channel. That's exactly what the Mark III offers in perfection (I never used the clean channel). I also bought the studio preamp when it came out for recording. If it had offered the option of switching the rhythm channel from clean to crunch, it would have been ideal too.
Two famous amps I have never been able to get with: Mesa Mark series and the Vox AC30. I bought and sold them both - multiple times, in denial that I could not make them work. I know it's sacrilegious, but there it is - my catharsis.
How do you just end the video on that glorious tone for shortest straw..?
Why not get a Quad and an IR Cab device?
Presuming you mean with built-in power amp modeling, that would be groovy. HX Stomp would give you effects as well!
Question you need to ask is, do you want the OG IIC+ tone AND feel? Yes? Get the IIC+ or Quad. Tone only? JP2c, Triaxis, Modules etc.
The feel is part of it.
Awesome video!
@@NTTDaily thanks. I totally agree. I ALSO put value in how cool the 2C+ looks. It’s pretty bad ass.
@@BigHairyGuitars So I saw the 2:90 in the beginning of the video, but you ended up not using it nor mentioning it. There's no way you don't know that is the DRG's power-amp, and hence why I presume you had the 2:90 there. Kinda curious to know why you ended up not using it:)
Is the uselessness of the mid knob a sign of mesa not knowing how to make preamps?
@@FRANANGELICOONA no it’s part of the design. The mid knob works at low gain sounds. The drive comes after the EQ, so it’s kind of like tweaking a boss EQ into a distorted amp. The knobs just don’t have as much effect.
i have a couple of the quad preamps with a 290 they are great , very tweakable
I ran 2 Mark II C+ combos in stereo in the late 80s. Glorious tone! I was stupid and traded both combos straight across for the Quad preamp. I was desperate to start building my refrigerator rack. Still a great tone, but financially took it up the butt! 😂
I ended up trading the Quad for a Marshall JMP-1. I then got a Triaxis to go along with the JMP-1. Switched between those 2 preamps in my refrigerator. 😁
THAT must have been NUTS. Your chiropractor loves you either way:)
Yeah similar situation here. Taking it up the butt that is. 😂 but yeah I’ve made some bad decisions with my guitars, AND my first Mesa was a blue stripe Mark III blue stripe ++ coliseum. I sold it cheap. I didnt know what I had ugh. The guy totally ripped me off. He knew what I had.
Do you have thoughts on the mini-marks? (v:25,35)?
Yep got one of those. The nucleair powerplant. Luckely my neighbors live more than a kilometer away.
glad im not the only one to pronounce PAF that way
Dimarzio Paf the word
Gibson PAF the letters
@@timschulte2315 I think I heard Richie Kotzen or Paul Gilbert call them that many decades ago… and it stuck!
It's P.A.F. vs. PAF. When there are dots it's an acronym and every letter is pronounced separately. Dimarzio is a PAF Pro or PAF 36th (model names). Gibson's is P.A.F. from the sticker Patent Applied For in the late '50s.
To answer your question, it’s sad but true that nothing else matters. Only the tone.
Funny thing is I had a brand new quad preamp and mesa power amp mesa cabinet and my main guitar was a white charvel and was in a Whitesnake tribute band
OH man! What a great time you must've had!!!
Mark iii red stripe is very close if not identical to 2c+ when it comes to tone similarity and vibe.
Yep plenty of evidence around schematic wise that the Mkiii didn't fall too far from the tree.
Hey Michael I just purchased the Tonex pack but the new 14 presets are acting just like tone models, not presets, they are not loading the settings, effects, IRs, etc. Hopefully you can fix them , I dont want to do it manually ahahaha
I had the Quad Preamp and am selling my MB Mark III. I can totally relate to your description about the amps being very finnicky. I got myself a Solodano Astro 20 - and stopped constantly turning knobs on my amp and just started playing the guitar again…
Nice!!! It’s funny, I think you can get similar ish tones to the Mesa stuff with other amps. There are so many knobs and switches and graphic EQ’s on the MK stuff, then you can just turn on a Friedman or Soldano and put everything on 6, bam, sounds amazing. Haha
@@BigHairyGuitars Hi Michael, recall your Sykes-tone celebration tones a few years back with Toren's loop-modded JCM 800, some drive pedals and a Mesa EQ pedal in said loop. Kind of strange but have the similar experience after owning a loaded Green-Strip Mkiii, it seems easier to dial in Mk-style tones on amps other than Mesa's! Boost out front, graphic in the loop.
Bought a Strategy 500 from a guy who was selling it in a package deal with a Quad. Didn't know much about the Mesa dial-in procedure until later down the track when I got a Mkiii. Thought with the Quad, if it took that long to dial in a tone, it wasn't for me and just took the 500.
Hell yes!
Thought about the reissue but I have had the Mk3 purple for 30 yrs now. Yeah don’t touch my settings 😂. Picked up the SLO100R and X88IR and loving them. Always wanted the Quad… I’m curious about a mk2c+ reissue and JP2c comparison 🤔
Maan you’re decked out! I’ve been thinking about jp2c as well!
@ get both and do a comparison vid for us. You do very tasteful vids compared to most others. Beside I bet most vids will be metal/Metallica style with no cleans.
Check out the guitar solo on "Ghost beside my bed" By Altered State Circa 1990. Quad/Strategy400 rig
Lmao everyone on YT going back to the well of IIC alternative options now that the reissue is upon us. I’ve got the synergy module coming and plan on putting it up against my MK VII in IIC mode.
I owned a couple studio preamps and they were amazing but the whole thing you mentioned about tweaking till you got to the promised land…man that was a chore and my second pre was factory sealed when I bought it and had a guy offer me an obscene amount of money for it so I sold it.
The biggest difference with the VII compared to the preamps, my MK V and the MK IV I had for a couple months is that the VII just sounds awesome everywhere.
There’s no hunting for a good sound…it’s just there by default and your tweaking only makes it that much better. I’ve never played a Mark circuit that could do that.
MK VII is a GREAT amp. And while it's a different kind of tweak-ability, there is LOTS of tweaking to be done there:)
@@DougDopplerMusic I agree. The difference vs the other Marks is that it feels fun. Not tweaking out of frustration.
Not sure if you caught my VII review video but I mentioned that the V was my worst “just one more tweak” feedback loop experience.
@@FastRedPonyCar Hey! I've got your video cued up in another window, look forward to checking it out. Watched the first bit and have to jump back into some production but wanted to add that my fly rig is the Mark V 25, Cab Clone IR, FM9 (being replaced with a VP4), a PowerStage 700, and a back-lined cab, preferably an 'oversized' recto 4x12 so I can run in stereo. If 700 watts ain't gonna get 'er done, there are other problems! Look forward to checking out the rest of your video later:)
Does Toren own a boat? Seems like if he owns a lot of Boogie stuff you can borrow, it would be cool if he maintained a boat in his driveway you could also borrow. He’d probably have to use the boat to store rack gear that didn’t fit into his house, so maybe not as good as one would think.
I love the tones. It would be cool to see an active pickup guitar with the Metallica Rythm. Kirk was saying that the actives hit the Boogies in a certain way that others didn’t back in the day.
@@gbirdo4718 I wish I had an explorer with EMGs. I have a Steinberger, but that’s sort of its own thing.
Hello and yes! there is a very unique synergy that happens much in the same way the whole drive/gate thing in that it adds a dimension of cool for high gain stuff Not an apples to apples analogy, but it is definitely a thing. Actually kind of shocking to switch from a guitar with traditional pickups passive pickups (my prerfence) to one with EMGs. It kind of turns your head in a, wow didn't think it would be THAT cool kind of way!
I unloaded so much gear in that last few years. I just dial in everything to sound the same. What little differences in amps coming from my fingers wasn't worth the hording.
This was always a really cool preamp. So is the Mesa Studio Pre. Has one of the best leads tones I've ever used. Sometimes you just find some cool shit. I like that real harmonically rich midrange that someamps have and most dont. Think like... Satriani OLD Live in Sanfrancisco Lead Tone. I remember even a shitty old zoom foot pedal having one of the coolest wah tones I've ever heard. Where it like swelled the sounds instead of sounding like "wawawaaw"... think Lines in the Sand Solo JP
Ok. Those a Mesa tones are making me reconsider my longtime Marshall guy status. Amazing.
Also, looks like you modded that Henrik Danhage Charvel. Can you do a video with details?
I have the same guitar and swapped out the stock JB for a SD ‘78 humbucker. The JB was a little honky which surprised me as I like JB’s in other guitars.
I like the idea of two humbuckers as I’m not 100% sold on the noiseless Dimarzio in the neck position.
Any chance of Quad Cortex captures for the Mesa tones?
Putting down the coffee now. You’re welcome.
I knew a guy years ago that had a quad and a pair of Marshall 4x10 cabs…..dude looked & sounded like Nuno
Michael-great as always. Digging that guitar. How did you wire the pickups? Any work on the Floyd? How do you like it?
For how expensive the Mesa's are, it's incredible how hard they are to dial in.
Which preamp pack would you recommend for tight modern metal tones? (I do expect to boost).
Synergy has a ton of pretty amazing options at very fair prices.
If it has to be a stand alone older preamp, I’d look at older Engl preamps for tight metal. Or Marshall JMP-1. But they’re not better than Synergy.
@@BigHairyGuitars Oh, thanks a lot! I actually meant between your ToneX captures as I want to play through a real power amp.
The Rackfather, Papa Toren
INDEED!!!
I have wanted one of these since forever, and the want is ridiculous. It's always there, it just waxes and wanes. I had a MkIV, and I had a Triaxis, but never had a Quad. I absolutely don't need one, not at all, but I will own one
I have a studio preamp and a 2:90 power amp ..... 🎉 so it's C++ x2
Dude the quads fuckin killer. I wish I'd kept mine
Im looking at buying a Quad preamp rn
Wait, the intro was au au au au au au 😆
This is your way to cope with GAS and saying I’m good, I’m good. Don’t need new amp 😆
NICE.. synergy sounds like a good option.. Noticed you have what looks like a Herman Miller Embody... do you get a lot of static electricity off that thing? I have the "gaming" version and it generates a ton..
Megadeth Go to Hell??? Michael always with the obscure gems!
I like how you snuck in some Megadeth. One thing I like so much about my tonex is that if I bump it it doesn't change like my Mk V and that it's much much lighter. Sounding killer as always.
@@Saxby8six I always listened to more Megadeth than Metallica, so I don’t have toooo many Metallica riffs under my fingers. 🤘
Go To Hell. Great track. Didn't expect to hear that when I clicked 🤣
For me, the best Mesa will always be the Mark V 90 watts… not easy to handle at first, but once you know it, you can get pretty much any tone out of it…
For versatility I take my V 90 anyday. But for metal tone only I prefer my Quad. I did play metal with the V for years and it was awesome but when I bought the Quad I couldn't come back. It's a pain in the ass to transport the rackmount case with the poweramp, and the footswitch I have (abacus) is ridiculously big. Prefer the V on that side though 😂
john sykes!
The iv especially the rev a to me is the best mark ever.. I suppose in usa you can find used at 1/3 of the reissue.. Ehi Michael you cannot have already made a video of that amp!!
Channel 1 Pull Deep affects Output A, Channel 2 Pull Deep Output B.
Triaxis for a great alternative
LOVE mine!
One of my lifetime regrets was not getting a quad when they could be had for dirt cheap, had the opportunity to get one for 370€ 10 years ago and missed it.
Well, that’ll make the price go up
mesa studio and quad are great, but unfortunately as much of 80/90s preamps prices have went nuts and it is unaffordable for a lot of us. Even A Brand new synergycost less ...
Nice Whitesnake and Metallica AJFA Riffs
damn man, these are already pricey enough, this is just going to jack up the used prices more. let's keep our secrets.
It's an absolute shame that the prices on amps are going where they are. I've been collecting for a long time and I've got all I need, but I really feel bad for anyone just getting into it or trying to upgrade because not many can afford them at this point. Sadly it's turning into a muscle car situation. Also, as you pointed out the buzz and issues of an old piece of gear, that in itself makes you ask the question is it worth it? I've been a tube guy forever but I love my kemper and other modelers, if they have an issue its easily replaceable. I'm not sold on the whole reissue thing, especially at 3-4k and up, not exactly the best ROI generally speaking.
It would be nice to see someone use these Mark amps/preamps for good, instead of evil. 😁
@@joebarkan 🤣🤣🤣😁🤣😇😈
Gibson can only DREAM of getting tones as awesome as The Quad preamp.
The preamp was a titan for its' time and it's just beautiful to look at. 3U rack and two rows of tweaking goodness. Peak Mesa Boogie.
i miss my MK lll....😪😪😪
Loved this preamp - just sold it because after preamp tube change the sound lost all its magic to me 😢
Oh that’s a drag. My Marshall Plexi had a tube change and it is now -2 compared to what it was. I just don’t really want to go on a $1000+ tube exploration jouney
I use a Triaxis and Strategy 400 Stereo [super low serial number], into two, 200 watt 4x12s. Nothin' like it!
What? What did you say? I'm sorry, I can't hear you....🤣😃
You don't have a quad cortex capture. You can make some
Unfortunately the Quad Cortex has a share system that doesn't make it easy for 3rd part sound designers. BUT, they do have a good Petrucci plugin AND a 2C+ plugin
My phone always makes my gear hum.
I very foolishly sold mine about 20 years ago
If you want to go cheap - Mesa studio preamp.
🤘😎🤘