Mark III - black stripe, a few questions...

[Seanboy]

Just got a Mark III Black stripe. I've read a ton of posts with everyone saying they have such amazing sound and killer distortion. I'm able to get a lot of distortion, but it doesn't sound as good as I expected. Its got a muddy staticy sound, im just not too impressed yet. Im wondering if replacing all the tubes would help?
Also, noticed that the tubes aren't getting very hot. They are still touchable after playing for a while. It does have a cooling fan, but could it really cool them down that much?

Also, the serial number dates it as a black stripe, there's no actual black stripe, just a black dot and a little black X. how can I tell for sure if it's a black stripe? And what does the X mean?

Is it possible im not getting the sound im expecting because it's a black stripe?

Thanks,
Seanboy

 

[igfraso]

Early "black stripe" Mark IIIs had a black dot or no stripe at all.

 

[Seanboy]

Does the black "x" stand for anything special?

 

[DaveP]

The X or dot doesn't have any significant meaning that I know of. Just that it's the first in the Mark III series.
Preamp tubes have a lot to do with the tone your getting from the lead channel. You could try swapping out the V1 and V3 positions.
The Black dot to me me was the most raw sounding of the 3 series. The distortion on the black stripe
can be smoothed out by adjusting the presence control . I usually start with the presence all the off and and slowly raise the amount until I reach the desired tone I am looking for.
It usually ends up somewhere between 2-3 for me.
Post your settings, that would give a better indication of what your working with.

 

[Neptical]

The first run of the Mark IIIs had either...no marking, a black stripe, a black dot, or sometimes even an 'X'. It doesn't mean anything other then just a mark. All of them are just as good as any Mark III.

Tubes may be your problem but also what are you using for speakers/cabs? Also, what are your settings?

 

[Seanboy]

I think most of the problem has been me. Ive spent a lot of time reading other posts, and I've read the owners manual a couple times. Im starting to get closer to the sound im looking for, although I still have a lot of dialing in to do. Part of the problem was I had the bass set too high, and with some adjustment of the presence im starting to get it sounding better. They weren't joking when they said these amps are a point and shoot like a Marshall.

The amp is a combo amp with the original EV12 speaker. Ive also notice the guitar pickups make a huge difference with this amp. Ive got a few different guitars, the ones with the cheap factory pickups sound muddy. But when I play with my guitar that has upgraded pickups, there's a world of difference. With my old solid state amp, I really couldn't hear a huge difference.

 

[chipaudette]

Good luck with the learning process. I'm a long-time Mark series fanboy, but I do often find them frustrating.

Some days, it's so good...you'll feel like you're playing God's own amp. And then other days, you're thinking that a $100 Line 6 amp could sound better. So frustrating. Why? I think that it's because it's a very revealing amp. It's revealing of a poor guitar or pickups, as you've already discovered. It's also *very* revealing of poor or lazy playing technique. Some days, your fingers are bringing their A-game and the amp knows it. Other days, you're thinking about something else, and your fingers aren't quite as precise, and your amp responds...crappy sound. I think that this sensitivity to technique is really the cause of the day-to-day variability in my love/hate for the amp.

I swear that I'm a Mark series fanboy simply because it is such a challenge. Kinda like if you get the hots for that aloof sexy chick who wants nothing to do with you. Why her? Because she's such a challenage, and that makes her even sexier.

And when she gives in...mmmm, it's so good.

Yes, I am speaking of the amp.

Chip

 

[tony777]

Tweak tip if you have humbuckers, start with bass at zero not pulled, and prescenceat about 1. Volume 1 at about 5 or 6. Add bottom end with the 80Hz slider. Then tweak treble at the point were it distorts to taste. that's the most important knobs, then go form there with a smile on your face and enjoy your amp. There is only one amp in the world that sounds better when you tweak it right, so you should be able to get a great sound.

 

[jpdennis]

And somedays what sounded great yesterday seems to have vanished. I was at my techs picking up my Heartbreaker and he was talking about how some days he just has to close up shop because his ears aren't working. He will have an amp on the bench that sounded great before the previous evening's close and the next morning it sounds pathetic - yet nothing changed. With is assistant there he says it isn't that bad since they "usually" don't both have the "bad ear" syndrome on the same day. Of course on the days they are both wacked - go fishing!

Can you say q-tips? :lol:

Dennis