New Mark III user

[elektrik7]

Hi guys,

I'm new to this board and maybe you can help me out.
Since my Studio Pre / 50-50 combo got screwed up by a tech who doesn't know **** about Boogies I needed a back-up.
My Studio 22+ didn't cut it volume and headroom-wise for my new band so I checked into a used Mark III combo (red stripe)with EV speaker.

When testing it it seemed great but in my band I noticed that the Class A mode is virtually unusable...too much mid and my Boss DS-1 totally sucks in this mode.
In SimulClass the results are better but even on big stages I can hardly turn up past "1" on both masters and my clean sound isn't as warm as I was used to in my Studio/50-50 combo (with Marshall 1922 2x12" cab).

Question 1: Does anyone have good settings for a good warm clean rhythm tone and a good lead tone? ( I'll forget about Rhythm 2 for the moment).

Question 2: Will I be better off with a Mark III or IV head (or even a DC5 or Cal.50) combined with a good 2x12"?

Question 3: What are the right brand of tubes to use in my old setups?

Some of my band members wants me to check out Bogner amps but I'm sort of true to Mesa.

Did I just buy the wrong amp?


TIA

 

[RussB]

I'll hit you with a few more questions...

Does your MKIII have an EQ?

How old, and what types of power tubes does your MKIII have in it? I am using SED EL34/6L6. Class A is great with the SED EL34's!

Other answers...

In My Studio 22+, I have been using JJ power tubes for around 6 years. I replace them yearly or-so. You should put your EVM12L in there and try it. I guarrantee you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Getting 2 GOOD sounds from a MKIII can be a challenge. A lot depends on what each person considers GOOD. For me, I dial the CLEAN where it sounds it's best (MKIII purple-stripe clean ain't that great, IMHO) Lately, that's been with R2. Then I use the EQ to get the lead where I like it.

Class A should work quite well...I'm guessing the tubes are crap.

For me, an SD-1 would turn the lead sound to mush. It's got way too much "buzz" in it...try setting it as a "clean boost" if that's even possible. Just hit the front end a little.

Try the MKIII through a seperate cab if you can.

Lastly, It might not be the amp for you. Decide this BEFORE investing more $$$

 

[MkIII Renegade]

I REALLY don't think you need to boost a MkIII. I have a no-stripe MkIII and it has enough gain to blow the windows out, I am not aware of it being modded, but it's hot and LOUD!

Sadly, due to a lack of separate EQs and inadequate footswitches, live I only use R1 for cleans and switch to the lead channel for all dirty playing and use the guitar volume knob to adjust as needed, so live it's basically a 2 channel amp. I have the following settings, sounds FANTASTIC for my guitars and music style (rock/metal):

Volume---7 Pull Bright
Treble---7 Pull Shift
Bass---4.5 Pull Shift
Mid---5 Doesn't seem to make much difference :?
Master---2 to 3 Any louder can induce dizziness/fainting! :shock:
Lead Drive---4 to 6
Lead Volume---6 Pull Deep
Reverb---3

Presence---4

Graphic EQ---classic V-shape with minor tweaks

I typically roll the guitar volume knobs back slightly for cleaner cleans. The lead channel is nothing short of GODLY imo, I am in love with it. I can dial it way down with the guitar volume knob for light dirty sounds up to full out assault with ease. These settings through my stacked Marshall cabs gives a great Jake E. Lee type metal sound, or a more aggressive John Petrucci, or Kill Em All with a few tweaks. I would never part with this amp until after I had been living in a cardboard box for at LEAST a year.

 

[elektrik7]

THanks so far guys.

My MkIII does have the eq. What I forgot to mention is that my Boss DS-1 on the clean channel takes the place of R2. At this point R2 is useless to me because of the volume difference and the incredile mid boost that it seems to get when activated.

Russ, I have the EL34 / 6L6 combo in the power section, haven't checked into the brand or exact type yet since I don't have access to the amp til thursday.

Is there a tone difference in the combo or the head version, given al else is equal?

MkIII Renegade, I see in your sig you use a Marshall 1936 2x12". I can get one used with 2 GT75's in it. Do you use the same speakers in it and how does it sound with the MarkIII?
I ask this because on Harmony-Central both the 1936 and the Gt75 get very mixed reviews, if they mean anything at all.
By the way, thx for your settings, I'll try themn out. Man! You put your Lead volume on 6 and your still alive?

Any other thoughts about a good 2x12" cab? I have used a 1922 2x12" with my Studio Pre / 50-50 combo with very good results.

 

[chedgeco]

I thought I would chime in here being that I've had the same Mark III for about 20 years now (It's a very early one) and it served the main amp position for most of that time.

When I gigged with it I had it in a rack and it would drive two Mesa closed back Thiele cabs with EVM12L's. I took that rig all over the country and once to Japan. It never let me down. In all those years I only cooked a power tube once and only recently had to change out the reverb tube.

About two years ago I put the amp into a hardwood combo cab and took it up to Mike B. at boogie and had him go through it. He added a R2 volume control on the back and offered a gain control as well, but I didn't see the need for it. He also did the "C+" mod on it. Swweeeet... 8)

Since then I have mainly used the amp for rehearsals and on Sunday's in the worship team at church. Although I can only use the Class A Power section at church, at the other two band rehearsals I do get the chance to crank it up in Simul-Class mode. When I had Mike work on it I wanted him to put all 6L6's in it so he put in 5881's in the outside sockets. He said those were the only 6L6's that could take the heat. I've since put in 5881's (STR-425) in the inside pair and EL34's (STR-442) in the outside pair and have never been happier.
These are all Boogie tubes. I figure if I'm not buying new gear from them I can at least support them by buying their tubes.
5881's (STR-425): http://store.yahoo.com/mesa/5881russian.html
EL34's (STR-442): http://store.yahoo.com/mesa/elstsvet.html

I don't use the Mark III for gigs anymore because I use a Triaxis/Simul2:90 rig that I got from Tim M. at boogie (I traded a 335 for it) , but I always take it as a backup though.

My Mark III settings:
Volume: 7
Treble: 7
Bass: 3 - 4
Mid: 3 - 4
Master: 1 1/2 - 3 (at 3 you may want to reduce the precence and give your bandmates earplugs)
Lead Drive: 6 - 7
Lead Master: 5

EQ: Classic V, tweak the center slider to taste.

Reverb: 5 (One thing to note is that the reverb footswitch has kind of a cool feature. It doesn't turn the reverb on and off but goes from on to fully drenched)

Presence: 7

I know this was long winded, but I have been in love with this amp for over 20 years so there is lots to say. I hope you can enjoy yours as I've enjoyed mine.

chedgeco... 8)

 

[MkIII Renegade]

elektrik, the 1936 is very bright by itself, if it was my only cab, I probably would want something with a slightly mellower/bassier sound. But combined with the 4x12, it is simply devastating with the 4x12 laying down the foundaton and the 2x12 providing all the highs and definition you could want. As chedgeco said, turn the master above 3 with this brute and risk becoming deaf! It's amazing.

Together the 2 cabs sound very full and freakin' perfect for me, alone the 2x12 sounds bright and not quite as full as I like. The only thing I would consider doing in the future would be adding another 4x12 for a full stack, but that's totally unecessary for me. Either way, I am sticking with Marshall cabs!

 

[TigerStrat]

Hi. My first post on TBB.

I have a "no"-stripe III, #260 to be precise... 60watt w/'verb and EQ. EVM 200w speaker. Bought it used in '93, and I play everything from country to fusion to hard rock to noisy space-sludge.

For that entire time, I have used the Clean channel exclusively, and footpedals for my overdrive sounds, stemming from my early difficulties in striking a compromise between a perfect Clean channel sound and anything usable on the Lead. Over the years I've used RealTube, Ibanez TS-9 and recently MXR Distortion+. And I don't use EQ.

Recently, I discovered a feature of my amp that had been hidden to me for the entire 12 years I've owned the amp: EQ-Auto. Most of you probably know all about EQ-Auto, and that it engages the EQ when the Lead channel is on. Pretty silly that I didn't know I had it for 12 years of hard use, eh? Well, yes the manual mentions it (didn't read one until a few years ago), but every Mesa, including II's and III's that I have seen that have it, it is labeled on the front panel, with:

up........................EQ Auto
middle, unlabeledEQ Out)
down....................EQ In

...My no-stripe III panel:

up........................EQ In
middle, unlabeled: (EQ Auto)
down....................EQ-Out

I assumed that this very early production III just didn't have it. Never got too curious about the unmarked middle position until the other night when I had a go at the lead channel for the first time in years.

after the initial shock of that revelation subsided, I realized that now after all this time I can take advantage of the Lead channel, by dedicating the use of the 5-band to the Lead tone exclusively. It's not "just" a great clean Fendery-sounding amp!

So my current "compromise" is (and I play an 80's Japanese-made alder/rosewood Stratocaster with Dimarzio Super II pups and blocked trem).:

Vol 1: 5.5
Treb: dimed, pulled
Bass: 2
Mid: 4.5
Master 1: 1.5 to 3.5
Ld Drive: dimed
Ld Mstr: 7.5
Presence:7
Reverb:8
--EQ-Auto:
80: 10%
240:33%
750:55%
2200:80%
6600:90%

I use MESA 6L6's, but have replaced all of the preamp tubes with various NOS types: notably G.E. JAN-5751 at V1 and Philips ECG at V3