Mark III advice

[sluggo]

Hi - first post here; I need some advice! I currently have a 60W MKIII Blue Stripe with the Celestion Black Shadow which I love. I use it to gig (mostly 80's rock), and am happy with all 3 channels.
I just found a guy locally who has the same amp for sale, but with the simulclass and ElectroVoice Black Shadow speaker.
My question is: is there a significant difference to the upside in one with 4 tubes/simulclass/EV over my current amp?
I'd like to own both, but always pick the wrong lottery numbers - so one is all I can afford.
Please let me know your experience with the higher wattage/EV speakers/EL34 outside tubes.

I guess I'm wondering if the speaker type or the power section has more influence on the overall sound of the amp.

Thanks!

 

[tony777]

If you love your amp, keep it. If the other amp is possible to A/B against yours I would do that.

A simul amp with a different speaker will sound different. For instance when I bought a Thiele cabinet with the C90 speaker, it sounded good, but not great. So I switched between my combo with a EV speaker and the C90 in the thiele, and then both came to life and sounded great. But all this is personal preferences. You might like it the other way.

 

[nor]

Simul is one of my favorite things about my MkIII. Dropping down to 2 EL-34s (or KT77s in my current config), and still have all the necessary LOUD is a big plus for me. That being said, the only option, imo, you really need on a MarkIII is the EQ.

If you like your amp - keep your amp.

 

[sluggo]

Ok - Here's where it gets confusing. I checked the back of my MKlll Blue Stripe, and it has the serial number on a sticker right below the power cable, and it reads: 28288. From everything I've read, that number is late into the Green Stripe production! The stripe is definitely deep blue, and below are the initials "MB" with a handwritten star below them. Could I have some custom build done in the mid-nineties? I looked under the chassis, near the V1 tube, and in the same color marker and writing as the initials was the date 4/97.
The fact that this is a straight 60w, with only 2 tube sockets makes this hard to figure out. All literature and price sheets that came with the amp were dated 1996. ????

 

[dodger916]

I'd call Mesa on Monday. Chances are good they (Mike B?) will have the low-down on your amp.

 

[tony777]

No need to call anyone, all green stripes are simul class, since the class A sockets are wired in pentode. So if yours is a 60 W it has to be a blue stripe.

 

[dodger916]

No need to call anyone, all green stripes are simul class, since the class A sockets are wired in pentode. So if yours is a 60 W it has to be a blue stripe.

Maybe, but given that a) there is a non-standard serial sticker, and b) the serial number indicates green, useful info might be gleaned from a conversation with Mesa. I'd call...

 

[sluggo]

I can't wait to call - I'm hoping I got the very last blue stripe (even if the serial numbers overlap!). Stay tuned; results here Monday...

 

[dodger916]

 

[cho]

My understanding is that blue stripes were occasionally built, far into the green stripe era, for amps that were not simulclass. So, when someone requested a non-simulclass mark, they got a blue stripe. I don't think there are any non-simulclass green stripes amps in existence, Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[sluggo]

OK- just got off the phone with Mesa, and I have a Blue Stripe MKlll made in early 1997! #28288 is one of last ones made.

 

[fretout]

My understanding is that blue stripes were occasionally built, far into the green stripe era, for amps that were not simulclass. So, when someone requested a non-simulclass mark, they got a blue stripe. I don't think there are any non-simulclass green stripes amps in existence, Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

I have a few Blue Stripes, and every one of them is Simul-Class. And as far as I know, all Green Stripes and all Simul-Class.

EDIT: and just to further clarify, the only difference between a Blue Stripe and a Green Stripe is that Blue Stripe's power section is in Triode (sweeter, just like previous revisions of the Mark series), and Green Stripe's power section is wired in Pentode.

 

[sluggo]

To follow up on my original post - I went all in and bought the second amp so I could compare them over some time, not just a day. Borrowed the money. Only live once.
What I wound up getting was a mint MKIII Blue Stripe Simulclass with the original Mesa STR415 tubes (Sylvania/US made).
The two amps are different in character, and I was surprised that I actually get great cleans and R2 crunch out of the 60W non-Simulclass at lower practice volumes. Once they both get cranked up to play at band volume, the Simulclass (in Class A) really stands out in the mix - the EV speaker stays distinct enough to be heard clearly very well. If I drop into 15W mode, same settings - there are some great overdriven tones for the 80's rock songs we do.
All in all, I don't know if I am going to ever be able to part with either - I knew I shouldn't have gotten both amps thinking that I'd be able to sell one.
Good problem to have - until my wife realizes that there are actually 2 MKIII's, not 1 (as she currently believes).
If she reads this, it may be my last post.

 

[drtag]

I feel your pain. Just got a blue stripe combo with reverb, EQ, and EV with the original intent of selling my purple stripe combo, no reverb/EQ with Celestion Black Shadow. Haven't told the wife yet but figure when I do, I'll just say "it's really just an upgrade and it won't cost anything since I'll recoup when I sell the other one".

Then I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope she says "You work really hard. Life is short. You deserve 2 Boogies."

 

[Markedman]

I've got 2 Mark lll's and I not selling either one, if anything I would buy another. There are more lll's on eBay than I've ever seen, maybe because of the new mini mark? The last one I bought, I bought off CL. It literally was languishing for months at $600 so I offered $500 and he took it. He had cut the combo down, but not enough to make it standard size so it is ugly, and the speaker, an EV12L, was in a box. I sold the 2 Mesa 416 el34's that came with it for $100 here on the BB, net $400 for a blue stripe simul-class. I search CL everyday, takes a minute, literally one minute to search the Boston-NYC area. Here's what I have purchased - Mark IV (started it all) $650, DC-5 $300, Studio pre $250, Simul-stereo 295, I just got it, $300 it came with a SKB 6 space and power conditioner, sold the case and P.C. for $150, Mark lll black dot 60/100 beast with EV thiele, $750, sold the thiele for $300, 22+ $350 sold for $450 to the guy who bought the thiele which matched perfectly. I've loved every Mesa amp I've purchased but the lll's are the best all around amp Mesa ever made. There is every amp ever made in there and I've proven that time after time, gig after gig, session after session. The local pawn shop in Winsted, CT is having a 50% off sale starting soon. He has a refinished 1964 strat on the wall - $12,500, maybe he'll take $6,000, a Marshall TSL 100 combo that will be $400, good price but it sounds like do-do, so I'll pass, but he does have some other cool stuff, we'll see. Cash is still king.

 

[GuitarPlayer]

I had a mark III black dot head loaded and I didn't like then I sold it, sold the mark V as well
.. I guess my ears liked my IIc++ much much better. I'm willing to try a mark III red stripe in the future..

 

[McBarry]

reading what U guys pay for gear, Boogies included, over there is just plain cruel..

I tell ya.. if someone were to get a business going to bring in amps especially.. there would be serious coin to be made...

Back to my green-with-envy sideline now...