Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ Amplifier Head, Black Bronco Black Grille

Were there ever true "Vintage Boogie", wouldn't you know it, you're looking at it right now – the Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ Head is a faithful revival of an icon among icons, the Mesa Boogie Mark II. The original Mark II, now called the Mark II-A, was the world's first "Dual Mode" amplifier containing independent performance modes dedicated to clean and overdrive sounds.

Representing the third generation of the original's game-changing design, the Mark IIC+ comes together with that same single channel/dual mode layout that proved so influential. The Mark IIC+'s single row of controls presents its two preamp modes – one for Rhythm and one for Lead. Independent yet still highly interactive, these channels feature sets of volume and gain controls to best represent each gain structure while shared Tone controls drive voicings in broader strokes.

Across these controls, the Mark IIC+ scales from larger tone shaping to smallest with Pull Shift voicing features. Some Mode-specific controls are fitted to the front panel's streamlined controls alongside further tone-shaping with an onboard five-band Graphic EQ section. These foundational tone shaping tools make the Mark IIC+ a powerhouse of interactivity and lush, amplified sound.

This Mesa's rear panel features important features that kept this model relevant even forty years after its initial run. Global Reverb and Presence controls are positioned in the center for quick navigation while a series, buffered effects loop provides an effortless interface for time-based effects like delay or modulation. From here, a Power Select switch swaps between seventy-five watts of "Simul-Class" power with color, character, and maximized headroom and "Class A", twenty-five watt reduced power and low end. One eight-Ohm and two four-Ohm speaker outputs provide for a wide array of cabinet impedance matching while a Slave tap off the speaker outputs captures the amp's entire sound – preamp and power – to produce a non-compensated feed for IR reader or external processors.

It's quite a remarkable thing to see a legend of amplification like this rise again after four decades out of production. As an icon of amps, the Mesa Boogie Mark II lives on through this twenty-first century version that captures all its grace and power.