Help Dating a Mark III Blue Stripe

[Juggernaut]

I got my Mark III in today, AWESOME!!!!

Was wanting to date it, and if you have ANY other usful info on it based from pics, I'd appreciate it.


Heres the pics.

Serial Number: 233XX
OT: 562003


Help me get some info please.....

 

[Bullen]

Really nice!
I love those hardwood heads.

Doesn´t your amp have the date written underneath the amp, next to the preamp tubes? My red stripe has 10/87 written in black marker there.

My guess would be late 88 or 89. But you can always call Mesa and ask.

 

[user 2126]

The date is between your 12xa7 and your power tubes mine is a blue stripe serial 22XXX dating 1/88
wrote in green check this:

[

 

[Juggernaut]

Cool I found it, It says:

MB
8/88


Cool, any other info out there for it?

Arent those OTs the same as the C+?

 

[MaxBoogie]

Nice amp! Looks just like one of mine!

Is that a pair of EL-34's on the outside that I spy? I tried that once as well, and didn't really like the effect....

 

[Juggernaut]

Yea, thats something else I was curious about, the manual say that the Simul-class Mark III HAVE TO have the EL34s and the non S-C HAS TO have all 6L6s.


Is it bad to run all 6L6s ina S-C head?

 

[MaxBoogie]

Naaa, that's just crazy talk!
All 6L6's for me in all my Mark III's! (and I own 3)

 

[phyrexia]

Niice head. I may try to pick up a loaded III eventually. Might just go for the IV though.

I dig the hardwood.

 

[Bullen]

I use 4 6L6 powertubes in my simul-class Mark III. No problem, but the manual does claim that it´s safer to run EL34 in the outer sockets. The 6L6 tubes will run pretty hot, so Mesa recommends that you use their red colour coded 6L6 tubes in that position, and by chance that is what I use.

 

[phyrexia]

I haven't pulled the chassis on my amp today but I swear to god it says '94 on the chassis. That can't be right, can it? the Serial is 279xx, I think.

 

[JOEY B.]

Serial # in the 27xxx would be a Green stripe, and '94 is not out of the question. These were still listed in the '95 catalog if I remember correctly. :?: This is when I headed down that dark path to the "Solo Head". What an oxy-moron, emphasis on moron, which I was at that time. :lol: Selling my MkI was stupid, getting it back for $500.00 was, as they say, priceless.

 

[Bullen]

The 6L6 tubes will run pretty hot, so Mesa recommends that you use their red colour coded 6L6 tubes in that position, and by chance that is what I use.

Mesa says the color coding is for matching purposes only, not biasing like GT numbers.

Who @ Mesa told you this or where did you read this in the official Mesa documentation?

http://www.mesaboogie.com/US/What_s_New_/Amplitudes/Tone_Tips/tone_tips.html#TONE

Well, I don´t claim to know how this colour coding works. I just try to get matched colour tubes when I order new ones.

I don´t quite remember where I saw it, but it may have been someone on this forum said that the reds would be safer in the outer sockets. I read it quite recently, so it might be in one of the later topics.

When I bought new powertubes for my Mark III I got the reds by chance, so when I read that they were better suited for the outer sockets it was something I just filed away in my brain for later use.

But the old tubes in my Mark III were green coded 6L6´s, and that worked good also.

 

[Shep]

mine is 2 months older than yours!..

nice head.. sure like that hardwood..looks like mk IV A power tranny? yeah? green stripe's are the same tranny..

 

[JOEY B.]

OK, here's the grain of salt that you are speaking of. About a year ago, during a conversation with Mike Bendinelli, this topic came up. We were discussing STR-440 6L6 power tubes for my simul-class MkIIC+. He said,"For the longest tube life, I recommend the red color code in the outer sockets". He then explained how the outer(class A) sockets were biased hotter than the inner pair, and that the red color code 6L6 was cooler running tube. This whole conversation was started by the note in the MkIII users manual (page 5), that strongly recommends EL-34's in the outer sockets for longest tube life. This is not to say other color codes of 6L6 Mesa tubes will not work or sound good in the outer sockets. They might not have quite the lifespan though. Not just my .02 cents.

 

[Bullen]

OK, here's the grain of salt that you are speaking of. About a year ago, during a conversation with Mike Bendinelli, this topic came up. We were discussing STR-440 6L6 power tubes for my simul-class MkIIC+. He said,"For the longest tube life, I recommend the red color code in the outer sockets". He then explained how the outer(class A) sockets were biased hotter than the inner pair, and that the red color code 6L6 was cooler running tube. This whole conversation was started by the note in the MkIII users manual (page 5), that strongly recommends EL-34's in the outer sockets for longest tube life. This is not to say other color codes of 6L6 Mesa tubes will not work or sound good in the outer sockets. They might not have quite the lifespan though. Not just my .02 cents.

Yes, that´s what I heard. Mike B should know what he´s talking about.
I´ve had my red 6L6 in the outer sockets for over a year now, not a problem so far. Still sounds good.

 

[igfraso]

Some time ago, I sent my III red Simulclass to Mike for service.
He loaded it with four 6L6; red code outside and gray code inside.
Regards

 

[Juggernaut]

I spoke with Mike B. the other day and he recommended either Green or purple 6L6's for my Mark III, I usually use Winged C, but I'm sending it in for the C+ mod soon and told him to load it up with the tubes he liked the best, and I'd try them out.


I'll let you know when I get it back.....

 

[JOEY B.]

We're getting conflicting info.

It's all a conspiracy to keep us confused. :lol:

 

[eltrain858]

"However, the interesting point is, that mesa boogie himself says, that their is no relationship to the idle current draw of their tubes and their color coding. Which means, that for example a red colored power tube don´t run hotter than green or blue colored one´s. According to Mesa Boogie, their color coding is for matching, selecting purposes only."

http://forums.birdsandmoons.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1454&goto=nextnewest

who is mesa boogie? :shock: this guy definitely sounds like he can be trusted