MK III - can't get it to sound right.

[Ed Pitman]

Friends,

my Mk III just doesn't sound "right". I've had all the filter caps renewed as the bottom end was sounding flubby and gritty (similar problems to my Quad pre-amp as outlined in other threads).

What I wanted to ask you all is - what are the common problems with MkIIIs ? - I've had it checked over by my local high end tech and he claims that its doing what it should.

I never have a problem with Studdio 22's.....what was distinct about the MKiii's/Quads that make them vulnerable to these kinds of problems ?

Thanks all...

Ed

 

[welshboogie]

Ed,

What valves are you using? - my III was very sensitive to valve brands and I finally found a good sound with Harma from Watford Valves

 

[Restless Rocks]

The MkIII like any tube amp is no better than the tubes you choose. A microphonic power tube will have a growling or kind of a buzzy afternote and very loose bottom end. Of course most all mark amps have a flubby lead tone with the bass turned up too high. Also the pull shift (on the bass control) will add to this. Anywho I've had several new sets of power tubes turned to crap after riding in the back of a truck over a long bumpy trip. A thickly padded road case helps. And I've also had dumb *** roadies grab a hot amp right up and slam it down on the floor. Always let your tubes cool before giving it that "git er in the truck" toss. You know Mesa also developed the Sus mount system to try and aleviate the speaker tube interaction in a combo. Some say the amps sound better without. Try a new set of power tubes and let us know how it turns out.

 

[Ed Pitman]

Thanks Welshboogie and Restless Rocks....

I have two Svetlana (I think as the valve bases are a light brown colour) EL's and 6L6's. All pre amp tubes are boogie's own, but i can't be sure of age.

I'm thinking about ordering a complete new set of valves from Eurotubes - if so what do you recommend ?

I have an old Cream coloured Studio 22 (not the plus) that has JJ's in it and this amp sounds absolutely fabulous ! I've also had the caps renewed in the MKIII.

I also find that the MKIII sounds uninspiring with the Masters set low (which is true of all tube amps ie if the power amp isn't cooking a little).

I've never had any problems with my DC5 - its just the MK series that seem to play up for me (I had one of the first MKIV's in the UK back in 1989 and I had terrible problems getting the Rhythm 2 mode to sound good).

Thanks again guys and any new comments welcome.

Ed

 

[welshboogie]

Ed,

I would say from my experience that the III is due a re-tube especially if you are unsure of their age.

Never tried the JJ tubes but they have some rave reviews on here and I am thinking of retubing my IV with them soon, I am just a bit worried about the shipping to UK - will I just receive a box of broken glass??!!!

As I stated earlier, Derek at Watford Valves is also very good and uses a Boogie as a test bed for some of his stuff (a IV I think) - the Harma Cryo Valves are very nice sounding and suit the III I have - used to use it in a classic rock covers band - its a wonderful sounding amp - very very smooth - the IV is now on duty for this as I need the extra control over R2.

The worst valves that I have had is the TAD brand - steer clear is my advice - microphonic and very harsh sounding.

The III is a sensitive beast and can be a swine to dial in at times (something I don't get with the IV with more knobs - bloody typical!!!) however, stick with it as it'll run rings around the DC.

Cheers

W

 

[Restless Rocks]

Hey again guys, There seems to be a mind boggeling numger of tube brands to choose from these days and it's probably true that you could have 3 people try the same tube and have 9 different opinions about their sound. Unless you want to embark on a neverending tube buying experiment (as me and some others have done) and as Boogiebabies has said "end up with a big box full of unused tubes" I would recommend first trying a full set of Mesa's own tubes. First because you won't have to worry over biasing problems (Boogies have a fixed bias voltage). Secondly because they choose to carry tubes that seem best suited for their products. Thirdly they have a six month warranty, something you won't get with off the shelf brands. Check their website you can download their new tube list which gives an overview of the sound variations of their STR types. Also I've read many many posts about people being disappointed with the R2 sound in a MkIII. I've found that at bedroom volumes the dynamic range of the sound simply isn't there. For R2 to sound awsome (at least to my ears) you need to have your master up to at least 2 and your gain at about 6 - 7. There you will find the true touch sensitivity of the channel as you are no longer thrashing the strings and can hear how it will clean up or dirty up with just your picking attack. If you're looking to "marshall it up" try a Sovtec 12AX7WXT in the V2 socket. Hope I haven't bored you too much as I seem to have rambled a bit.

 

[Ed Pitman]

Thanks Restless Rocks,

You raise some good points and i appreciate your comments. The only problem that I have is that Boogie valves are hideously expensive in the UK and the local tube suppliers say "oh, they're just a rebranded Svetlana" or whatever.

I played the MkIII again yesterday and noticed that i was getting ghost notes on the 2nd/3rd strings of my guitar when plating around the 12th fret. Can't hear it comming from the guitar itself. This points to filter cap problems but I've had them replaced !

Does anyone have any sound clips, or could recommend somewhere that does, of amps with filter cap problems ? I wonder if one of my new caps is faulty ? - they are boogie branded obtained from the UK distributor.

Thanks !

Ed

 

[Restless Rocks]

Hey Ed, yeah I feel for you guys on those rediculously inflated prices over there. Sorry no sound clips but you might try unpluging your guitar cord from the amp and seeing if you hear any audible humming or bussing sounds. This is a sure symtom of filter cap leakage. The ghost notes you refer to still reminds me of microphonic power tubes. Sure hope you figure this out; it's a shame to see a boog going unenjoyed.