The Mark III is awesome

[Val666]

I got a 2nd hand Mark III Simulclass green stripe last year and after dabbling with several amps in-between I honestly can't imagine playing through anything else. I have no idea why this amp is so underrated

I play metal and with the right set of tubes in there it's a ferocious monster (I tried several different tube kits until I found the one for me) It's now packing so much gain I don't need to use a tube-screamer to boost de-tuned riffs. It's a snarling demon of an amp and it's always up for a fight.

I also own a Mark IV and in my opinion, the Mark III eats it for breakfast, even with a similar tube set up! The Mark IV just sounds restrained in comparison to this beast but that's my ears. Everyone's different. I'm not knocking the Mark IV, I enjoy that amp too but I use it for lower-gain things.

I've seen lot's of people complaining about "fizz" and they're turning their presence knobs down to zero. When I first got this amp I experienced some fizzy distortion too but when I replaced the tubes the problem vanished. Now I can use the presence knob again and craft better tones. If you're suffering fizz just experiment with tube kits until you find one that tickles your fancy

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I got to use a Mark IIC+ for a while and the Mark III (green stripe) sounds pretty much identical to it, it just has slightly more gain to my ears. It also sounds livelier and crunchier (but only ever so slightly) I think it's just a higher gain version of the IIC+, the so called holy grail of Mesa's.

I think the Mark III is unpopular because it's too aggressive for some guitarists to handle

 

[kdorsey]

I've seen lot's of people complaining about "fizz" and they're turning their presence knobs down to zero...I replaced the tubes the problem vanished.

That really is the solution, IMO. It worked for me and I'm glad it worked for you. Congrats on the new love affair. 8)

 

[Val666]

I've seen lot's of people complaining about "fizz" and they're turning their presence knobs down to zero...I replaced the tubes the problem vanished.

That really is the solution, IMO. It worked for me and I'm glad it worked for you. Congrats on the new love affair. 8)

Thanks bro \m/\m/ yeah it's definitely the solution. Buying a used tube amp is always a gamble, especially if you're a heavy metal guitarist! It's easy to see the brand name "Mesa Boogie" and expect Metallica right out of the box but it doesn't always work out that way. Most of the time, the previous owner is a blues or jazz guy with a bunch of lower gain tubes in there.

When I first got the Mark III I dialed in Hetfield's "Crunch Berries" settings, y'know with the EQ in an M position? I was just familiarizing myself with the amp and getting a feel for it.

Anyway, someone here was complaining about how low-gain it sounded. Hetfield's exact settings were volume 9.5, treble 4.25 (pulled out) and lead drive 5.25 (pulled out)

When I played those settings with the tubes that came with this amp it sounded a bit wimpy. When I replaced the tubes with specialized high-gain ones the settings sounded spot on "Black Album" era Metallica. It's all about the right tube kit.

 

[snorkel54]

I've seen lot's of people complaining about "fizz" and they're turning their presence knobs down to zero...I replaced the tubes the problem vanished.

That really is the solution, IMO. It worked for me and I'm glad it worked for you. Congrats on the new love affair. 8)

Thanks bro \m/\m/ yeah it's definitely the solution. Buying a used tube amp is always a gamble, especially if you're a heavy metal guitarist! It's easy to see the brand name "Mesa Boogie" and expect Metallica right out of the box but it doesn't always work out that way. Most of the time, the previous owner is a blues or jazz guy with a bunch of lower gain tubes in there.

When I first got the Mark III I dialed in Hetfield's "Crunch Berries" settings, y'know with the EQ in an M position? I was just familiarizing myself with the amp and getting a feel for it.

Anyway, someone here was complaining about how low-gain it sounded. Hetfield's exact settings were volume 9.5, treble 4.25 (pulled out) and lead drive 5.25 (pulled out)

When I played those settings with the tubes that came with this amp it sounded a bit wimpy. When I replaced the tubes with specialized high-gain ones the settings sounded spot on "Black Album" era Metallica. It's all about the right tube kit.

Hi man!
I'm the owner of a simulclass MarkIII blue stripe, it's a great amp! I'm using dougs tone kit. What tone kit are you using?

 

[Val666]

I went through a few kits replacing both the main tubes and the preamp tubes each time. There was no mixing and matching of different brands or anything like that.

I can't remember the name of the tubes that came with the amp but they weren't official Mesa's. They were some no-name brand I've never heard of before. They weren't toooooooooooo bad, they just made the distortion fizzy as hell. It drove me nuts!!!

So I removed them and tried some Groove Tubes. They made the amp sound brittle with lot's of tonal spittle. The amp just didn't "crunch" with those things installed, it kind of "spat" the sound out instead. It sounded a bit muffled too, like it was buried beneath a pillow. Also, the gain was flaccid and for some reason the EQ system was sluggish with those things installed too. Those tubes also produced too much mid-range, very honky and unacceptable for what I do. Flubby bass too

Then I tried premium grade Mesa Boogie made tubes, 4 6L6's and 5 12AX7's. When I installed them the amp turned into a monster hahahaha it's like it finally came to life! Very bright and rowdy sounding, the EQ was touch sensitive and much easier to tweak and the distortion was roaring. I was really happy with them but decided to dabble some more because it just made it sound too much like my Mark IV.

Emulating everyone elses settings is fun for a while but you know how it is, at some stage you wanna craft your own tones and that can be hard on a Mesa. It can take days, weeks even! Especially with metal music. Metal right now has a very uniform sound, pretty much everyone sounds identical to each other and I don't want anything to do with that.

So I got some "cryo balanced" Harma's from Watford Valves and now I'm completely satisfied. But that's my ears! What I like might not suit another guitarist. They're seriously aggressive tubes, it's like playing through a boost pedal

 

[Padd Metals]

Hi Val666!

I recently purchased a rack mount version of Mark III Blue Stripe. That thing really is a head chrusher!
Thanks for sharing the tube (valve) info with us, these things are really important to know when searching for the Mark III ferocious grind.
A tip: I use a Tech 21 ParaDriver in front of the amp. I cut down the lows and boost the mids at 750 Hz. The level is set to max. This absolutely gives first of all life to the amp with the lead ch. It also frees the other two modes for real world use. You don't have to cut the lows at the shared eq, so the R1 and the R2 work as they were intended.
I do my ch and loop gear switching with a Mesa Midi Matrix. The ParaDriver is in one of it's loops. Of course you can use more modern alternatives, I kind of like the "Galactica" look of the vintage Midi Matrix. Plus it suits the overall industrial look of the Mark III rack mount and it also does it's work rather well.
Congrats on your excellent Mark III!

 

[Val666]

That's awesome bro! Hey that sounds really cool I think I'll give that a try too. One thing I've found... Seymour Duncan Blackouts are better with Mesa Boogie mark series amps than EMG's. This is my ears of course! Obviously, some amazing tones have been crafted with EMG's in the past and I'm not dissing them! They're fantastic pickups.

But I have James Hetfield EMG's (the Het-set), regular EMG's (81/60) and a set of Seymour Duncan Blackouts too. The Blackouts add more definition and "weight" to the Mesa tone and balance everything out perfectly. I'm just throwing that out there in case another guitarist want's to give it a try

 

[themisfit138]

That's awesome bro! Hey that sounds really cool I think I'll give that a try too. One thing I've found... Seymour Duncan Blackouts are better with Mesa Boogie mark series amps than EMG's. This is my ears of course! Obviously, some amazing tones have been crafted with EMG's in the past and I'm not dissing them! They're fantastic pickups.

But I have James Hetfield EMG's (the Het-set), regular EMG's (81/60) and a set of Seymour Duncan Blackouts too. The Blackouts add more definition and "weight" to the Mesa tone and balance everything out perfectly. I'm just throwing that out there in case another guitarist want's to give it a try

I didn't like the James Hetfield set through the Mark III or the IIC+ they had a weird percusive note and way too much bass for me. I went back with the 81's. I might try the Duncan Blackouts.

 

[Val666]

I wasn't impressed with the Het Set at all. I wanted to like them (because that's what ya do when you buy something new hahahaha) but I kept returning to the 81/60 too.

To my ears they sounded like an active "blues" pickup or something. I tested them through several other amps and I still wasn't happy with them. I wouldn't say they're crap pickups, they're just not my cup of tea. So the Het Set was an anti-climax for me.

But Blackouts always intrigued me so I got a set and gave them a whirl. I was immediately impressed and they work very well with my Mark III (I use the Mark III pretty much all the time because I think it's tonally better for metal than my other amps)

Blackouts are like a fatter, creamier EMG 81 with more "character". I think I'm gonna be sticking with them from now on

 

[Val666]

I don't think Metallica's tone really evolved past the Black Album, it's kind of "diminished" over the years in my opinion. They have more of a lighter, punkier guitar sound now and they're lacking in the crushing weight they once had as a metal band. The Het Set fits in with that, it fits in with the "no swearing during concerts" family friendly version of Metallica we have today. It's like they took the EMG 81/60 set and gave it to Phil Towle.

I'm not dissing Metallica, I'm a huge fan and I'm not ashamed to be. I'm just expressing an opinion.

The EMG 81/60 is much, much better than the Het Set.

 

[ryjan]

I put the het set in my ESP a couple months ago and I love them. I have another 81/60 loaded ESP that I tried back to back and the het set loaded guitar has wayyy more mojo and definition. The 81's are sterile and lifeless in comparison.

 

[Val666]

It just goes to show, everyone's tastes are different! So there's no point debating it really. To my ears the Het Set was more sterile and lifeless than the 81/60 set hahahaha

 

[ryjan]

It just goes to show, everyone's tastes are different! So there's no point debating it really. To my ears the Het Set was more sterile and lifeless than the 81/60 set hahahaha

Very true.
It's funny how two people can listen to the same thing and hear it so differently. Or who knows. Maybe EMG has crappy QC and every PU is different. :lol:
Either way it would be hard to make a Mark III sound bad due to PU choice.

 

[themisfit138]

It just goes to show, everyone's tastes are different! So there's no point debating it really. To my ears the Het Set was more sterile and lifeless than the 81/60 set hahahaha

I feel the exact same. Everytime I would play the Het Set I just wished I was playing 81's.

 

[MkIII Renegade]

I don't think Metallica's tone really evolved past the Black Album, it's kind of "diminished" over the years in my opinion. They have more of a lighter, punkier guitar sound now and they're lacking in the crushing weight they once had as a metal band. The Het Set fits in with that, it fits in with the "no swearing during concerts" family friendly version of Metallica we have today. It's like they took the EMG 81/60 set and gave it to Phil Towle.

I'm not dissing Metallica, I'm a huge fan and I'm not ashamed to be. I'm just expressing an opinion.

The EMG 81/60 is much, much better than the Het Set.

For at least 10+ years, there were more like Alternica, just wasting away into a black hole as far as I'm concerned. They obviously went for a lower gain (and much trendier) sound in an attempt to "mature" with an eye on MTV rotation when other '80s metal bands were disappearing overnight, although they matured to the point of needing an Old Folk's home. In the mid to late '80s, they had an absolutely crushing sound. I bet Metallica has sold more EMG pickups than any other band based on their skyrocket to fame.

I resisted owning EMGs all these years until just last year, when I bought my Charvel 650 with an 81 at the bridge. I was initially not very impressed until I tweaked my amp, then cranked it slightly and----BAM!! I got it. But after playing an Ibanez with the 85 bridge and 81 neck, I think this is a much better all around combo. The 85 is fuller and lends itself to all around lead playing. The 81 rules for jackhammer rhythm with maximum speed and clarity, though.

Back to the Mesa MkIII-----I am still absolutely floored by the amp 15 years after buying it! It's like a permanent honeymoon. I can see how people could easily get frustrated with some of the factory flaws such as lacking the separate R2 volume and the rather weak stock reverb, although mine has had both of those issues taken care of. ULTIMATE TONE makes you forgive certain things. I don't mind having less switches and modes than Amp "A" or "B", because I know when the master volume on my MkIII starts approaching 3 and beyond----- there is nothing else I'd rather hear, anywhere.

 

[swbo101]

I also own a Mark IV and in my opinion, the Mark III eats it for breakfast, even with a similar tube set up! The Mark IV just sounds restrained in comparison to this beast but that's my ears. Everyone's different. I'm not knocking the Mark IV, I enjoy that amp too but I use it for lower-gain things.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that. The IV is definitely more compressed and refined than the III in the lead channel. You may be confusing that with being “restrained”. The IV is still a very high gain amp.
Both are excellent but are voiced differently and you just need to find your taste, which is seems that you have.
Enjoy.

 

[Markedman]

After using my Mark lll for a month I was at work when I got the call to see if I wanted to play guitar at a party. I carry my Mark lV with me along with a MIM strat and Taylor 314 acoustic, so on my way home I swung into the party and away we went. My Mark lV was a different animal than I remembered. There is a slight delay that took a while to get used to. It might only be a millisecond but it is noticeable along with the compression. I still got the "wow that amp sounds incredible" but I was longing for my "flame thrower of metal" Mark lll and the blank stares that come with the "holy m.f.s. dude!!!" Yeah, Mark lll is metal.

 

[TSM]

I've seen lot's of people complaining about "fizz" and they're turning their presence knobs down to zero...I replaced the tubes the problem vanished.

That really is the solution, IMO. It worked for me and I'm glad it worked for you. Congrats on the new love affair. 8)

I had the same experience with 50 Cal+. Tubes can make wonders

 

[emdok33]

It's amazing the effects different tubes have on both the mark III and .50 cal plus. I've learned that picking the right set of JJs always beats Mesa power tubes. I do like using Mesa preamp tubes though. I play 80s Metal and I'm very picky about how well the amp is sounding.

Whenever you buy a used old school Boogie, just figure that you're going to want to change the tubes and take it to a REPUTABLE Mesa tech or send it back to Mesa for a thorough servicing (unless you can do it yourself). All of my Mesa amps are running top notch thanks to Mesa themselves or a my local tech. I read and hear many complaints about these types of amps guys not able to get them to sound right. They need tubes and service, really! You generally want new tubes so that you know how old they are and where you bought them from. Yes it's expensive but you've purchased a high end amp! I am lucky however to be in a location close to a very reputable Mesa tech.

The other part of it is the patience to dial it in if it's your first experience with the amp.

 

[Markedman]

I agree totally with emdok33, it's in the tubes! I spent a couple of hours last week trying different power and preamp tubes in my Mark III. It has no reverb so I took the fan out so I could get at the tubes easily and switch them out quickly. After trying a spax7, mesa ax7, mullard reissue ax7, groove tubes ax7a. E-H ax7 and jj ax7 in V1, the spax7 was the clear winner. From that point I tried all different combinations of those tubes. Some had gobs of gain, some fuzzy, never the same, but clearly there was a huge difference no matter how they were arranged. I ended up going V1-5; spax, mesa, spax, mullard, G-T because it had "my" tone. I still have a ton of gain but I prefer an uncompressed, clear, biting tone as opposed to the smooth sound of a dual rectifier or my Mark IV. I could make the Mark lll sound similar to the Dual rectifier series amps just by changing the tubes or tube combination. I think of my Mark lll sound as a rottweiler's growl http://forum.grailtone.com/posting.php?mode=reply&f=3&t=63842# bark. Dimebag's my type of guitar player with that amp, f-ing rip the skin off your f-ing face, where as Hendrix is the man with my Mark ll/studio pre-amp set up, sweet sustain, not a hint of distortion, singing feedback, grailtone as it should be. My Mark lV is a decent back-up for both, although not ideal. Maybe I should get reacquainted with the Mark IV one of these days and roll those tubes.