Old vs. New Amp

[sevycat]

I have had a Mark III for a few years now, it's an 89 green stripe. Just last week I purchased a Mark V combo. I took it home, unboxed it and spent the evening reading the manual, till the Zzzz monster got me and that's as far as I got reading.

I just moved to a new state last month, so guitar playing has been out while I am still working on setting up the house. I have been wanting a Mark V since spring of 09 and decided that this would be my belated Christmas present to myself.

How many of you would keep the mark III? I am not hurting for cash and don't feel forced to dump the amp, but I don't want to become a collector of amps. Funny thing, getting attached to an amp.

So, Is it time to part with the mark III or do you all say keep her along with the mark V?

 

[Scary]

Keep if you don't need the cash. It opens things up so you can run the two in stereo if you wish. That's a sweet option even if you only do it a couple times a year.

 

[dmcguitar]

does it have a tone you just can't live without?
The 5 isn't supposed to cover the ground the III does... so play the 5 for a while, get settings you like, and then go play the 3 again. if the 3 sounds like your tone from the 5 then you have found what you wanted in the new amp and shouldn't need the old any more... if the 3 gives you a more aggressive rhythm or smooth lead, or nice clean / whatever, and you feel the need to play that amp with that sound, then hang on to it, until you can reproduce the the sound out of the new amp.

 

[GD_NC]

Tough call. I have a Mark IV that I love but I can's seem to rid myself of a spare DC. I had a DC-3 that I thought was the bomb but I sold it not long after I got the IV because It was collecting dust. About a month later I picked up another DC-2. I play the Mark 95% of the time but I really can't bring myself sell the DC. It's such a sweet amp and I love the way it sounds.

It's always nice to have another amp for back up, leave in a practice room, or to grab for a quick jam session when friends come over. I'd say keep it. I can't see a clean Mark III's ever going down in value.

 

[4406cuda]

Keep it, they are great amps.

 

[litesnsirens]

It's such a subjective question. Personally I don't keep multiple amps and seldom more than a couple of guitars. Are there some amps and guitars that I wish I still had, of course, but I'm not sure I could say why. I know that having the Mark V, even if I still had those amps, they probably wouldn't get much use.

I think you are going to have to play the Mark V for awhile and even if you don't feel you can or need to reproduce the sounds of the mark III, figure out if you think you will play it much.

Like I said it's subjective, I'm kind of minimalist, don't want to spend alot of time in set up or bothering with stereo, but others live for it... so you gotta figure out where you fit in the mix to decide whether you need to hang on to it.

 

[Old BF Shred]

From my own experience I learned this lesson the hard way: Never sell an instrument (Guitar, amp, whatever) unless you have to.

But if you need the money so you can get something else you want even more, well then, that may be what you have to do..... 8)

Decisions, decisions.....
Good luck!

 

[Hendog]

I would keep it for a while until you decide weather or not you want to keep it.

 

[eudaimonia02912]

I would keep it for now. If you find you're going months without using it, sell it. I don't keep gear I don't use.

 

[smd24fan]

Keep it, one can't have enough Mesa amps! Especially the two you have!

 

[Heritage Softail]

The stereo option is a good one. In my ears, two amps of slightly different voicings sound good. More like what you hear on a CD, even though I don't set out to chase CD tone. My MKV and Rectifier go well together as Jeckyl / Hyde. The MKV Tweed and Blues Deluxe work together for Dire Straits sounds.

Besides, the economy is down right now, if you sell you may get less money. :idea:

It would be a prudent financial move to keep the amp and sell later when people have more spending $.

 

[madryan]

Couple of things...

Mark III's are going up in price so hang on to it.

If you start gigging you need a backup.

If you do decide to part with it do what I did and score something like my Marshall that's really different than your Mark V.

Let the Mark V prove itself as reliable and gig-worthy before you give up your old standby.

 

[sevycat]

Wow! I tend to sense some strong love for the older mesa amps here. I thank everyone who had voiced their thoughts. I guess for now, I will wait and see how well the Mark V covers what I got out of the mark III and make the call in a few weeks.