Mark III NAD/questions

[jhachey]

Salutations, muchachos. First time poster/new user. I've recently found myself in the right place at the right time and aquisitioned me a blue stripe Mark III combo.

I was wondering what you guys can tell me about it. Any maintenance issues to look out for, any tricks to make it sound it's best, etc. I've been thinking about replacing the speaker to reduce the weight somewhat. How many of you have done this, and what speakers can you recommend?

The amp didn't come with any footswitch. I have a 2 button A/B box that can run the Lead/Rhythm and R1/R2 functions, but I don't have anything with the necessary stereo cables for the EQ/Reverb. Who makes a good all in one footswitch for a decent price? Alternatively, is there a schematic out there to build either a EQ/Reverb foowstich, or an All-In-One footswitch?

And finally, the master volume knob has come out of it's slot. The knob can still be turned, but the deep function can't be activated. How would I go about fixing this? Can I do it from the outside or do I need to remove the amp from the combo?

Thanks in advance.

 

[nor]

Sweet looking ride!

I was wondering what you guys can tell me about it. Any maintenance issues to look out for, any tricks to make it sound it's best
If you are new to the Mark series of amps, you have a bit of a learning curve ahead of you. The controls do not quite work the same as on most amps - they are interdependent. Changing one affects the others to varying degrees. If you are looking for a heavy sound, drop the center (750) fader on the graphic eq all the way down. Somewhere between there and just above the first line is your heavy tone.

I've been thinking about replacing the speaker to reduce the weight somewhat. How many of you have done this, and what speakers can you recommend?
Get used to your heavy amp, lol. It's not the speaker. Marks weigh a ton, because they are built like tanks.

The amp didn't come with any footswitch. I have a 2 button A/B box that can run the Lead/Rhythm and R1/R2 functions, but I don't have anything with the necessary stereo cables for the EQ/Reverb. Who makes a good all in one footswitch for a decent price? Alternatively, is there a schematic out there to build either a EQ/Reverb foowstich, or an All-In-One footswitch?
There are aftermarket providers, some better than others. Do a search here, on Harmony central, anywhere else. They are all over ebay, too.

And finally, the master volume knob has come out of it's slot. The knob can still be turned, but the deep function can't be activated. How would I go about fixing this? Can I do it from the outside or do I need to remove the amp from the combo?
I assume you are describing the plastic shaft attached to the knob? The pot needs to be replaced. They can be difficult to source, however. I highly recommend taking it to a tech. I have replaced that exact pot - PITA! So worth the $100-$150 the tech might charge. Really.
That being said, I tried something crazy that has held up for years... super glue, lol. I applied a small amount to the shaft where it had broken off, inserted the shaft, seated it so I could adjust the volume with it, then gently turned the volume back and forth for 10 minutes to keep any excess glue from gluing it to the shaft wall. It freaking worked, lol! But in hindsight, I was HACKING on my beloved Mark. I love my Mark so much that I promised NOT to 'fix' it anymore.

Take it to a pro.

 

[megavoice]

If you'd like a better sound, try to get a bigger tank-mine like the EVM 12L new or old. The old are said to be much better ( I'm using exclusively the old-ones). I think it'll weight more than the C90. So you have to live with.
But - you can do what I've done: Get a head-shell and put the chassis into it and use the Combo-cab as a speaker-cab only. Both are about half-weighted then.

But next I'll put my chassis back in the combo. I've bought myself a trolly with room enough for my two Marks and two Thieles. I think, this is another pretty good solution. At the end there will be only one little problem: the stairways.

 

[megavoice]

If you need the proper replacement-pot, go to MESA. They'll have it. But note ! Some are half-shafted. Then you'll need a new knob - or - you can replace the new shaft with the old-one. For this you have to dismantle the pots completely.

 

[Authorized Boogie]

Give us a call here in Customer Service and we can get the correct pot you need. 707-778-6565

Thanks!

 

[MrMarkIII]

Good advice so far. The manual can be had at the Mesa website.
For settings, start with:
Vol = 7
Treb = 7
Mids = 4
Bass = 0, Pulled
Pres = 0-3
This will get you a nice balance between the 3 modes, and then the endless tweaking begins. Good times!
You may find that the typical smiley face Graphic EQ with a big dip in the 750 band sounds great in the bedroom, but will not cut through a band mix.

 

[kkanne20]

congrats! I just got a blue stripe simul/geq as well!
I love it now but let me tell you it sounded like a chainsaw at first. I could not find the "liquid lead" I heard in my head. I'm almost there now and will be switching preamp tubes for the (hopefully) final adjustments.

I'll summarize my best advice/opinions here:
*GEQ is MOST important feature
*keep presence low, around 1
*input volume above 7.5 will make all pinch harmonics sound like squealing ****

**IMO** the III+ mod is a big help towards achieving the coveted IIc+ sound

good luck and have fun, I know I am. played my fingers raw on this beast

*EDIT*
Go here for petrucci IIC+ settings and GEQ:
http://www.harmonycentral.com/t5/Amps/John-Petrucci-fans-with-Mark-IIC-s-Settings-inside/td-p/6445592