New proud Mark III owner here!

[Joh3ll]

Hey guys,

I only wanted you guys to know that I am the new proud owner of a fully loaded blue stripe Mesa Boogie Mark III combo! I just can't say enough about that amp, even though I've only been able to play it at decent volume for an hour or so so far, but it's definately a MAJOR upgrade from my tonelab/classic 50 rig. I've been able to get awesome tones from it pretty fast, but I still feel like it has way more to offer so I thought I'd ask you Mesa afficionados some questions about the amp.

First, any hints about getting a really smooth lead tone out of the amp? I really dig Thiago's Mark IV's tone from his WTWB solo clip : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-494NjvaYo Any chance getting close to that tone using my RG3120F and the Mark III? If so, what settings would you recommand?

Also, what are the settings or your favorite heavy rythm tone? Is there any way to set the EQ so that the tone can be good for all 3 channels? If so, how?

Thank you all for answering me, I'm really digging that lil' monster and I'd really like to get the best from it.

Cheers,
Joël

 

[6L6C]

I have a Mark IV but want an III in the future also so I can’t give you any insight how to set it. But just wanted to say congratulations!!! Welcome aboard!
I see this is your first posting you will find that most people in this forum are very helpful are also pretty dam sharp too! Allot of tech people compared to other forums.

 

[Russ]

Welcome to the Board. You might try the amp setting database.

 

[psychodave]

I just listened to the clip you posted. I dont think you will get that tone out of the Mark III (you can get close). The mark III is more aggressive sounding while the IV is smooth like the clip. This is why I why I have both a III and a IV. They do different things. 8)

 

[Snottyboy]

I'll piggyback your initial post as I am also the proud new owner of a Mark III blue-stripe combo! Digging mine, too.

Here is a link to the manual for the Mark III. It is a must-read to begin to fully understand the amp and how different settings interact in tone-shaping. Also, there are sample settings in the back. Get reading, and congratulations!

http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/Mark%20III.pdf

BTW, my Thiele should arrive today!

Tim

 

[6L6C]

BTW, my Thiele should arrive today!

Tim

You lucky SOB!

 

[eldi]

Congratulatons! The MK III is a great amp, and is capable of getting many different sounds, & is very friendly to different speaker/cabinet. Is your amp a simul-class or a 60/100? If it is a simul-class model, running EL-34's in the outer sockets (along with 6L6's in the inner sockets) really helps smooths out the sound. The 5 band eq is essential for shaping the tone of the amp, & I'd never buy another Mk series amp w/o it or the simulclass (Which my MK IIb lacks both). The reguar eq section works differently than what would be found on other amps: The "Treble" boosts mids as well as highs, and the "Middle" only subtlely changes your sound (which I prefer to keep dimed, then cut the mid's out in the 5 band eq for my "metal" tone on the lead channel) The low end gets loose & flubbery when you turn the "Bass" up too high, the "Presence" boosts low end as you turn it down, boosts highs as you turn it up. It's a fun amp to twidle around with, enjoy!

 

[Mrmot]

The reguar eq section works differently than what would be found on other amps: The "Treble" boosts mids as well as highs, and the "Middle" only subtlely changes your sound (which I prefer to keep dimed, then cut the mid's out in the 5 band eq for my "metal" tone on the lead channel) The low end gets loose & flubbery when you turn the "Bass" up too high, the "Presence" boosts low end as you turn it down, boosts highs as you turn it up.

sorry to hijack this thread, but i just found it funny that my studio.22+ reacts in the same way! I also noticed that treble adds gain to a small extent, and that when you turn the treble up (to let's say, 8 ), whether the mids are on 0 or 10, there's no difference!

 

[Joh3ll]

Getting closer!

I took a couple of hours yesterday to really tweak that little monster, and I have to say I'm definately getting close to finding my tone! The amp itself is A LOT brighter than I thought it would be though... I find myself using the presence control on +-3 and it still has some high-end bite, but that's only for the lead channel, since having the presence on +-7 while playing clean gives the best clean tone I've never had in my life.

I'll keep you tuned, but I need to buy a good delay pedal before I can really be happy with my lead tone.

Cya,
Joël