Mark III - still turning heads.

[kdorsey]

I may still have a copy of that brochure! Ah, the days when I would look at the photo of the Coli 300 and fantasize about having that quad-head uber-stack! That thing would stop your heart...literally! :lol: I must have read that thing cover to cover 1000 times. Then I bought my MkIII.

 

[Sp3ktral]

FYI I think this catalog is from 87 or perhaps 88 because on page 4 of the PDF it says

Here's What reviewer Stuart Braybrooke wrote about the Studio .22 power in the British magazine Guitarist, April, 1986

so unless they had a time machine back then... :lol:

 

[Neptical]

I may still have a copy of that brochure! Ah, the days when I would look at the photo of the Coli 300 and fantasize about having that quad-head uber-stack! That thing would stop your heart...literally! :lol: I must have read that thing cover to cover 1000 times. Then I bought my MkIII.

:lol:

Reminds me in the days of my youth as well looking at all these brochures fantasizing about all the amps and guitars I wanted. In the late 80's I had the opportunity to play a buddies IIC+ and III and always wanted either one since. So many of the players I liked back then all used Boogies as well which didn't help the GAS much. Haha!

FYI I think this catalog is from 87 or perhaps 88 because on page 4 of the PDF it says

Here's What reviewer Stuart Braybrooke wrote about the Studio .22 power in the British magazine Guitarist, April, 1986

so unless they had a time machine back then... :lol:

Good eye! 8)

 

[brion]

Could be from 87. The copyright was 1984. They probably just added a few things to an existing catalog and didn't change the copyright. Either way it's a good read.

 

[Neptical]

Back on track here.... 8)

Anyone use the presence knob in their settings at all? I haven't used it at all in the past because it was too bright and really harsh. Recently I came across and old post from Boogiebabies who gave me in idea to take out alot of my highs in my GEQ and then add in some presence. I remember him describing it as 'chewy'..with some nice bite and killer sustain. I tried this setting a few days ago and it's exactly as he described. I haven't played it at really high volume yet, but in a cranked home setting ( :twisted: ), it sounds pretty killer. I'm looking forward to seeing how this sounds pushing the power section hard with the band, and possibly experimenting with it live this week. It really gives the amp a whole totally different feel. I'm diggin'.

 

[SonicProvocateur]

On your red stripe, try:

Volume: 7-8
Gain: to taste - of course by driving the power section, as you approach 7, then 8 you hear the very fine compression.
Master: as loud as you/your cabs can take it
Lead master: 5.5 (higher settings tend to get more midrange, but makes it hard to bring the Master up)
Presence: 4-5 (best to get the volume where you like it, then play a sweet power chord/simple lead and adjust up to find your sweet spot)

The real trick is pushing the bass shift and lead bright in. I normally had it pulled for umph in the R2 and give a wicked lead tone, but driving the power section hard adds alot of meat in the midrange and you end up having to move your shift voicings around. When you get to "the volume" the pull bright wont matter, the amp fills in all the dynamic range.

 

[Neptical]

Thanks, Sonic. I'll have to give that a try.

I'm curious to know at exactly what volume these amps start to really utilize the power section. I could of sworn I read a statement from Mike B. that said it really doesn't start to kick in until the Master is around 5. :shock: :shock:

 

[SonicProvocateur]

Yeah, experimenting between the two knobs takes some effort.

My amp/tube/speaker combo hits the sweet spot around 5 and some change, and starts blowing my ear drums near Master volume 2-3. It was a new experience to learn how to crank the Boogie up. I haven't gone back since.

 

[Neptical]

I agree on the 2-3 for Master Volume. I seriously can't go anywheres past that without drowning out the whole band. That's already insanely loud. But 'tis true, these amps get better and better the louder they're cranked. I'm getting curious on the Coliseums! Probably not fit for most band situations. :lol:

 

[zodiac272]

My coliseum isn't that much louder, though it's a simul, so it's only 120 watts. but it has more low end, that's tight, more gain, and more juicy sizzle. more headroom, and clarity. But saying that takes nothing away from my HRG...

scott

 

[kdorsey]

I pushed mine at Master=7 for several years with a Marshall PowerBrake. The difference is noticeable without bleeding from our ears. But, after scrubbing all my settings and starting from scratch 3 years ago, I've come to love Master at 2-3. Metal is not my thing, so I'm certainly at lower gain levels than most MkIII guys, but I' still getting good power stage drive. If I played outdoors exclusively, I'd change the setting. Otherwise, for all other venues, I'm plenty loud. Just ask the neighbors during our block parties! :mrgreen:

 

[Neptical]

I pushed mine at Master=7 for several years with a Marshall PowerBrake. The difference is noticeable without bleeding from our ears. But, after scrubbing all my settings and starting from scratch 3 years ago, I've come to love Master at 2-3. Metal is not my thing, so I'm certainly at lower gain levels than most MkIII guys, but I' still getting good power stage drive. If I played outdoors exclusively, I'd change the setting. Otherwise, for all other venues, I'm plenty loud. Just ask the neighbors during our block parties! :mrgreen:

What were you playing other then metal at Master Volume 7!!??? :lol: :lol:

 

[kdorsey]

I pushed mine at Master=7 for several years with a Marshall PowerBrake. The difference is noticeable without bleeding from our ears. But, after scrubbing all my settings and starting from scratch 3 years ago, I've come to love Master at 2-3. Metal is not my thing, so I'm certainly at lower gain levels than most MkIII guys, but I' still getting good power stage drive. If I played outdoors exclusively, I'd change the setting. Otherwise, for all other venues, I'm plenty loud. Just ask the neighbors during our block parties! :mrgreen:

What were you playing other then metal at Master Volume 7!!??? :lol: :lol:

WHAT?? I CAN'T HEAR YOU...

Oh...That's a legit question. :lol: I call it 'melt your face blues/rock'. :twisted:

 

[Neptical]

That's some kind of blues right there! I want to hear ( or not..hear).

 

[rotebass]

I love my Mark III, keep getting the idea in my head that I need some fancy new DR, 6505 or Blackstar, but as soon as I plug into the Mark all those thoughts go away.

My Settings:
Volume 7 Pulled
Treble 7
Bass 2
Middle 10
Master 2-3
Lead Drive 10
Lead Master 4
Reverb 0

EQ can be described as a very gently V, mid slider is just below half.

 

[Neptical]

I love my Mark III, keep getting the idea in my head that I need some fancy new DR, 6505 or Blackstar, but as soon as I plug into the Mark all those thoughts go away.

Funny you mention this -one of my projects, the other guitarist uses a 6505. He wants to get rid of it and get a Mark III ever since working on material with me. I like the 6505 for rhythms, but definitely not for leads. Same thing goes for the DR. I've only heard the Blackstar with EL34s ( Series One) which isn't that bad. I'd like to hear the 4X 6L6 version. Can't beat Boogies Simulclass,though..it's truly the best of both worlds.

 

[Facelift]

I've been lurking here for a couple of years and after reading this thread a person has got to wonder....
Mark III - still turning heads.??
Why because they suck and people want to know where that horrendous buzzing lead tone comes from?
They have nice cleans though.
Keep it on the clean channel and use a nice dynamic OD pedal like a KOT and they are ok.
Otherwise MKIII's are a one hit wonder for the "I like a screaming buzzsaw lead tone" crowd.
Then again you studs already know this since you own one (or more)..... Or then again maybe you don't know.
Kind of a 'can't see the forest for the trees' thing because you're too wraped up with your MkIII love affair to see/ know what's really going.
Some of you guys (not all) who love your Mark III's so much are like someone who masturbates but has never gotten laid talking about how great sex is....
Go out and really 'get laid' (musically speaking) and get a IIC+.

I knew it was a matter of time before a corksniffer showed up to spew out all the overrated glory of a IIC+. A III can be dialed in so close to a IIC+, the justification of a spoiled rotten brat spending over 5 grand rather than 900 is beyond anyone with a working brain to say that the cost vs sound factor is not there. Get over yourself and find a girl to stick your cock in instead of the input jack of your amp.

 

[zodiac272]

I've been lurking here for a couple of years and after reading this thread a person has got to wonder....
Mark III - still turning heads.??
Why because they suck and people want to know where that horrendous buzzing lead tone comes from?
They have nice cleans though.
Keep it on the clean channel and use a nice dynamic OD pedal like a KOT and they are ok.
Otherwise MKIII's are a one hit wonder for the "I like a screaming buzzsaw lead tone" crowd.
Then again you studs already know this since you own one (or more)..... Or then again maybe you don't know.
Kind of a 'can't see the forest for the trees' thing because you're too wraped up with your MkIII love affair to see/ know what's really going.
Some of you guys (not all) who love your Mark III's so much are like someone who masturbates but has never gotten laid talking about how great sex is....
Go out and really 'get laid' (musically speaking) and get a IIC+.

I knew it was a matter of time before a corksniffer showed up to spew out all the overrated glory of a IIC+. A III can be dialed in so close to a IIC+, the justification of a spoiled rotten brat spending over 5 grand rather than 900 is beyond anyone with a working brain to say that the cost vs sound factor is not there. Get over yourself and find a girl to stick your cock in instead of the input jack of your amp.

He's not the first member to show dissent in this thread. The mod deleted the other posts for some reason, and I'm guessing these will as well.

This isn't the first time Facelift that you talk about someone else selling gear for high $$$ and appear to get upset about it for no good reason and using bad logic to say the amp was over priced. U mention in previous post that the C+ DRG long head would be your dream amp except for Cremona's amp way over priced. ($5K in Europe, including shipping, including about $800 of awesome NOS STR 415/416, tungsram and other great preamp tubes). In fact his price was very good, except for you don't think so. It's a free country, you are entitled to your opinion. How do you know anything about the buyer to say they are spoiled rotten or not. Maybe they worked really hard and saved and saved until one actually came up for sale. Maybe they are spoiled. Who cares? other than you I mean... There was a DRG C+ long head in philly craigslist last week for $3500. not a bad price... did you jump on that one? People spend the money, because they aren't going to lose money on a resale, and as far as I know, we only live once. You can buy all the Porsche Boxters you want. I'm gonna hold out for a Carrera GT.

scott

 

[Facelift]

I've been lurking here for a couple of years and after reading this thread a person has got to wonder....
Mark III - still turning heads.??
Why because they suck and people want to know where that horrendous buzzing lead tone comes from?
They have nice cleans though.
Keep it on the clean channel and use a nice dynamic OD pedal like a KOT and they are ok.
Otherwise MKIII's are a one hit wonder for the "I like a screaming buzzsaw lead tone" crowd.
Then again you studs already know this since you own one (or more)..... Or then again maybe you don't know.
Kind of a 'can't see the forest for the trees' thing because you're too wraped up with your MkIII love affair to see/ know what's really going.
Some of you guys (not all) who love your Mark III's so much are like someone who masturbates but has never gotten laid talking about how great sex is....
Go out and really 'get laid' (musically speaking) and get a IIC+.

I knew it was a matter of time before a corksniffer showed up to spew out all the overrated glory of a IIC+. A III can be dialed in so close to a IIC+, the justification of a spoiled rotten brat spending over 5 grand rather than 900 is beyond anyone with a working brain to say that the cost vs sound factor is not there. Get over yourself and find a girl to stick your cock in instead of the input jack of your amp.

He's not the first member to show dissent in this thread. The mod deleted the other posts for some reason, and I'm guessing these will as well.

This isn't the first time Facelift that you talk about someone else selling gear for high $$$ and appear to get upset about it for no good reason and using bad logic to say the amp was over priced. U mention in previous post that the C+ DRG long head would be your dream amp except for Cremona's amp way over priced. ($5K in Europe, including shipping, including about $800 of awesome NOS STR 415/416, tungsram and other great preamp tubes). In fact his price was very good, except for you don't think so. It's a free country, you are entitled to your opinion. How do you know anything about the buyer to say they are spoiled rotten or not. Maybe they worked really hard and saved and saved until one actually came up for sale. Maybe they are spoiled. Who cares? other than you I mean... There was a DRG C+ long head in philly craigslist last week for $3500. not a bad price... did you jump on that one? People spend the money, because they aren't going to lose money on a resale, and as far as I know, we only live once. You can buy all the Porsche Boxters you want. I'm gonna hold out for a Carrera GT.

scott

ya know, the whole "dream amp" thing is gone after thinking about it more. Im more than happy with what I have and like I said, the cost vs sound factor will never be justified to anyone other than the corksniffers. Trust me, Im not mad about prices that IIC+ go for. What I do get pissed about is people hyping something up so high that even if the average musician wanted one to try out, it would be out of thier price range. Its the hype, nothing more. Hell, even Mesa thinks this. Havent you read the Mark V manual? I think they nailed it right on the head! $3500? not a bad price? haha! fora 2 channel amp that when one is dialed in it renders the other completely useless? Sorry, not worth it IMO. "Its a feel thing" pfft, whatever. Ive heard all the hype and its rediculous. III can be just as pleasing to the ears as what the IIC+ can when dialed in and eqd right, and then some. Im willing to bet that if you recorded both those amps side by side pro quality and NOT on a youtube clip dialed in as close as possible to each other, you couldnt tell the difference and if you could, it wouldnt make you want to spend 4k+ more for it. guaranteed. Thats not bad logic, thats reality. All this is my opinion, good or bad. I mean, thats what these boards are for right, not just the good comments or maybe it is if they get deleted?

 

[zodiac272]

I can get great clean and super distorted with one amp. both channels are great together. Even with V1 on 8 i can still get a very usable clean tone. One dialed does not render the other useless. If Mesa is pissed about it it's because they are selling for more now than they did when they were new, and people aren't always buying the new amps. I wonder how many mark III Doug west has. probably one or two. not the 8 C+ that he did have. Is doug west going to buy 8 Mark V's? nope. Petrucci has at least 3. Jeff watson at least 3. Hetfield at least 2, kirk must have a couple.
That $3500 amp probably sold in a couple days. Maybe it will resell in a month for $4500. I wouldn't be surprised. Hype alone won't make something continue to sell. The amp has to back it up at some point. Scarcity will also keep the price up a bit as well. Plus it comes down to the player to get the most out of it, as with any amp. The III is an awesome amp in it's own right too. SonicProvacateur has proved that with his clips and playing. there are some great clips of the mark III out there.

scott