King of the Mark III's

[SonicProvocateur]

While my blue stripe is marked with a blue marker its also made in 1994, it might as well be a green stripe :lol:

If I bought another one (which I probably will as a backup) it would either be a green stripe or another late model blue stripe. All this gain is just straight up addictive, but my bass presence is "t3h br00talz" as one might say. But its also really easy for me to dial in so many great crunchy tones too just by rolling off the gain from 10 to say 6-8 too and playing with the volume knob!

Mark series for life!

 

[Vigo1999]

oh boy! all that conversation gave me a desire to play my blue stripe . . . :wink:

Hey CoG, hows the weather on the Great North? im guessing it's hot right now

and just wondering when those kids find out that even such a small thing like a pick can makes drastic changes on your tone . . . they sure will loose that "stripe thing" away.

 

[Racerboy44]

CoG is right. The differences are so slight that the stripe color is irrelevant. I've owned an early purple and a later blue and they were basically the same thing. No Mark III will ever be a IIC+ and no IIC+ will ever be a Mark III. End of story.

 

[SonicProvocateur]

No Mark III will ever be a IIC+ and no IIC+ will ever be a Mark III. End of story.

Very very true sir. If I dont get another Mark III as a backup, hopefully I can afford a Mark IV!

Off subject: While I prefer the more "wet" saturated sounds of IIC+/III/IV, does anyone else think that the Mark V sounds a little dry or choked? I know Mesa is always trying new approaches and giving us artists new palettes of tone to work with, and while I think the V is an amazing addiction to the Mark family, I just find the tones kinda iffy sometimes (of course I know a bunch of people are going to redefine their bands sound with the Mark V, its awesome).

On subject: my blue stripe is being serviced for a blown screen resistor :evil: God, I can't wait to get it back and shred my brains out!

 

[CoG]

From the clips I have heard so far the V has the really smooth, compressed kind of sound like the post-369 Mark IVs :wink: It's good for a lot of guys but it's just not my thing, it's the reason IV's don't really do it for me either.

I also think that about 90 per cent of the V clips out there are being recorded as solo or front-of-the-mix tracks on bedroom/hobby recording setups, so they're probably being dialed in with more front end gain, more low mids, and less volume than you'd use in a full band mix.

 

[fishyfishfish]

I got to check out a FIVE at the Mesa Store Hollywood and at a local store for about two hours collectively and at different volumes/guitars, and you hit the nail on the head when describing it. It is dry and compressed sounding. Not a bad thing, but it does make room for delays and reverbs and such. Might be a new speaker thing as well. It is a incredible machine though.

 

[fishyfishfish]

Oh, and Red Stripe.

 

[guitarmaster]

:!:

 

[deftone82]

hi guys

fairly new to Mesa Boogie, let alone Mark series amps...but I'm planning on buying a mark IV soon.
But first: I have to check if I like the TONE (really dude? Yeah really, now fcuk off).

Allready met the express 5:50, very nice amp and the first amp that quite gently grabbed me by the ballz!
So now I'm searching for a (secondhand) mark IV...after many conversations with friens, guitarists, shop-clerks etc...they recommend me to 'check-out' the mark IV. Havent had the chance to hear one yet.

Two weeks ago, I got the chance to test (shortly) a mark V. I mean waaaaaaaaaaaaaa...aaaa...aaaw. Sweet amp! Sweet tone, sweet look (yeah, woodfinish and all that), but in new condition: way over my budget.

In this topic I read alot of stuff like: they bought a mark III because they can't affort mark IV...are these two amps (unregarded the stripes) even closely comparable? is it possible to summarise the differences? Is it wise to also check out a mark III whilst I have the dinero to buy a (secondhand!) Mark IV?

if this helps: I want to be able to play a nice, not to muddy, distored/gainy rhythem stuff (think Metallica/Mastodon, some palm muting), so not the ultra-ultra-brutal shreeking-high lead gain tones (know what I mean?). Next also some nice, 'plucky', warm clean and if possible I would also like to shake out some Qotsa-like dirty crunchy stuff. So actualy, it has to be versatile! Another crucial thing: It had to sound good on low volumes.

 

[SonicProvocateur]

In this topic I read alot of stuff like: they bought a mark III because they can't affort mark IV...are these two amps (unregarded the stripes) even closely comparable? is it possible to summarise the differences? Is it wise to also check out a mark III whilst I have the dinero to buy a (secondhand!) Mark IV?

if this helps: I want to be able to play a nice, not to muddy, distored/gainy rhythem stuff (think Metallica/Mastodon, some palm muting), so not the ultra-ultra-brutal shreeking-high lead gain tones (know what I mean?). Next also some nice, 'plucky', warm clean and if possible I would also like to shake out some Qotsa-like dirty crunchy stuff. So actualy, it has to be versatile! Another crucial thing: It had to sound good on low volumes.

1) While surfing prices on Mark III's some guys will mark theirs rather high on ebay, but you can find some steals too. I got mine real cheap by buying just the chassis, but you can easily score a decent III for $650-800 id say if you're thrifty and lucky (might need a tune up if you score it really cheap, hey thats business). Make sure to surf craigslist and here on the boogieboard too. No reason to pay $1500 for a Mark III, unless you're just DYING for ultra-mint+exotic wood+all options. Mine has no verb, no EQ. etc. I use an EQ in the loop...BAM! Same tones.

2) Classic Metallica distortion? You got it! Mastodon? Use a Gibson (500T equipped), and high gain (OH TRUST ME, its so thick and rich, I love it). QOTSA? Pick your favorite fuzz and go to town! (the Mark is far too focused and articulate, plus QOTSA used bass amps and loose settings). Clean tones on the III are to die for; warm, woody and the best jazz tones one could dream of from a tube amp (imho). Versatility? Its all there bro. The Mark IV is pretty much the "same horse with a different color" as boggiebabies put it. Just the control layout is waaaay different (not push/pull), and is rediculously modular...and smoother. I like the rawness of the III though myself.

 

[CoG]

+1 on everything SonicProvocateur said with the qualification that you can't really get the gain-y rhythm stuff and the warm jazzy cleans *at the same time*, unless you have the R2 volume mod, use R2 for your cleans, don't use high-output pups and are a real guitar volume knob ninja.

I would say "low volumes" depends on, like, how low. I can get great tone without irritating my wife too much if she's in the house, but a Mark III is not a very good bedroom or "after the kids/parents/housemates are asleep" amp.

 

[SonicProvocateur]

Truth. I have mine setup up so that I run R1 + Lead only, and my R1 is UNGODLY loud (and im a volume knob ninja lol), but I have mine set up for SCORCHING ultra-gain and when I switch to R1, I have to roll off the volume to lowlowlow to get my cleans (which works fine for me). The R2 volume mod is a great plus though, makes the amp much more balanced and gives me more tones to chose from on the rhythm side of sounds. The true downside of the Mark III, as CoG pointed out, and how I have to compensate in my playing, is the shared controls for R1 and lead. To get high gain, you have to have high settings, and it unbalances R1, but you can use R2 to compensate, to do like I do, and roll off the volume. Its a balancing act using 7 knobs to control 3 channels I find it the most fun i've ever had with an amp!

Volume...its definitely a tube amp...remember that a Boogie that runs at 60 watts is very capable of peaking well over that. Boogies are champions of power. With my master volume on less than 1 through my 2x12 its still soaking enough power to roll over a 45 watt solid state combo set to like 5 or 6. I normally gig with my master on 2ish, lead master 7.5. Gain city son! And yeah...still sounds amazing at low volumes. The Mark (to me) was alot harder to dial in "my tones" than the Express. Not quite as much of a point and shoot weapon, but the wonderful tweakability of the amp will never leaves me wanting, and that classic "umph" in every palm mute is unmistakable Mesa.

 

[tony777]

I voted for the black dot, since that's the only MKIII I have :twisted:
Mine has the X101 and SC152019 Transformers, just as the C+ :lol:

 

[treedroppings]

Whatever they made in 1988-9! I sent Randall $$ until I had Mk3 with Simul-Class, wheels, a Celestion, and EQ.

 

[deftone82]

....and is rediculously modular...and smoother

Which one are you talking 'bout here? III or IV?

so, conclusion: Do check this amp out if you're considering buying a Mark IV, because it's cheaper, it'll do all the things I want it to do and it's easier to dail in. Am I close?

One last thing: I found a manual of the III: it mentiones pull knobs all the time...quite strange, plus it has EQ. (sorry if this sounds stupid, I only just met the mark IV...took some time to figure out differences between edition A and B....

 

[SonicProvocateur]

Which one are you talking 'bout here? III or IV?

so, conclusion: Do check this amp out if you're considering buying a Mark IV, because it's cheaper, it'll do all the things I want it to do and it's easier to dail in. Am I close?

One last thing: I found a manual of the III: it mentiones pull knobs all the time...

Yes Mark III's are much cheaper than a IV for the most part, and I believe its gonna do what you want it to do. Easier to dial in? Thats neither here or there really, it takes some getting used to. What the push/pull refers to is how the amps functions; it uses push/pull pots to utilize its multiple functions and tone voicing options.