When did Mesa switch to their larger Logo on the Mark III?

[revgsmall]

I was looking at a video of me playing my Mark II's and my other guitarist had his Mark III next to them but with the bigger logo on the on the grill cloth. We didn't know which color stripe it was nor did we pay much attention to that back some 15 years ago.

However, I recently bought a purple stripe Mark III but it has the older and small "boogie" logo on the grill cloth. Now I am curious now about the date/year they switched. (Red, Blue, Green) Anybody?

 

[es335]

my mark IIC+ has the small logo; my mark III, red stripe, has the bigger;

 

[gts]

Not sure when they switched but it was during the MkIII production.
Fwiw my Purple stripe (bought direct from Mesa in '85 or '86) came with the small "Boogie" logo.

 

[megavoice]

Must had happened indeed between purple and red, my reds have both and originally the bigger ones.......

 

[revgsmall]

I was looking at my ebay watch list and I saved two purple stripe combos. One has the smaller the other the larger. Hmmmmmm...

 

[Agustín Collia]

I don't think they "switched" from one to the other, I think you could order either.

 

[revgsmall]

I don't think they "switched" from one to the other, I think you could order either.

That would be the first time I heard the logo was an option/add on. I never had that experience.

 

[gts]

I don't think they "switched" from one to the other, I think you could order either.

That would be the first time I heard the logo was an option/add on. I never had that experience.

You're right on target Gary, it was never an option.
"Perhaps" at the very beginning when they had both (if they ever had both at the same time) it might have come up in discussion while ordering an amp.
But I seriously doubt it.

 

[megavoice]

I don`t know absolutely for sure but I also never heared that in previous days it was an option. But a few years ago I read somewhere on MESA`s page you can chose between now........

 

[revgsmall]

I am starting to feel like a real Boogie detective here. I looked at my serial # on my MkIII purple stripe and I found two other purple stripes on ebay and this was the result:

Mine #167789 (Small logo) loaded
Ebay Purple stripe #17985 (Small logo) 60 watt no reverb, no EQ
2nd Ebay Purple strip #17998 (Large Logo) loaded

Both ebay MkIII's are really close serial # wise.

 

[Agustín Collia]

I don't think they "switched" from one to the other, I think you could order either.

That would be the first time I heard the logo was an option/add on. I never had that experience.

You're right on target Gary, it was never an option.
"Perhaps" at the very beginning when they had both (if they ever had both at the same time) it might have come up in discussion while ordering an amp.
But I seriously doubt it.

I know, I just thought it could've been that way. Still, this doesn't explain why some Blue Stripes have the "Boogie" logo while others have the larger logo, which also happens with Red Stripes.

 

[Buster Leggs]

I am starting to feel like a real Boogie detective here. I looked at my serial # on my MkIII purple stripe and I found two other purple stripes on ebay and this was the result:

Mine #167789 (Small logo) loaded
Ebay Purple stripe #17985 (Small logo) 60 watt no reverb, no EQ
2nd Ebay Purple strip #17998 (Large Logo) loaded

Both ebay MkIII's are really close serial # wise.

My purple stripe mark lll DRG imbuya combo (original cab) was serial # 17710. I've since sold it but it had the small " BOOGIE " logo

 

[Markedman]

Some of the face plates say "Mesa/Boogie Mark lll" and some say "Mesa/Boogie LTD." in the bottom right corner.

 

[gts]

I know, I just thought it could've been that way. Still, this doesn't explain why some Blue Stripes have the "Boogie" logo while others have the larger logo, which also happens with Red Stripes.

I'd bet the later MkIII Widebody/ Long Heads all have the large "Mesa Boogie" logo (Red, Blue, Green stripe).
As for why some blues or reds had a "Boogie" versus "Mesa Boogie" logo.
As we all know Mesa wasted nothing. If they found a stash of "Boogie" logos during Red or Blue stripe production then they would use them.
Same for any stripe.

But also with people swapping chassis in and out of head cabs/ combos seeing any logo is possible.
That said it'd be just as possible to see a Green stripe with with "Boogie" logo as it'd be to see even a C+ with a "Mesa Boogie" logo.

 

[megavoice]

Be also aware maybe some people swapped the plates by their own after buying new because they liked more.............

 

[MrMarkIII]

I know, I just thought it could've been that way. Still, this doesn't explain why some Blue Stripes have the "Boogie" logo while others have the larger logo, which also happens with Red Stripes.

I'd bet the later MkIII Widebody/ Long Heads all have the large "Mesa Boogie" logo (Red, Blue, Green stripe).
As for why some blues or reds had a "Boogie" versus "Mesa Boogie" logo.
As we all know Mesa wasted nothing. If they found a stash of "Boogie" logos during Red or Blue stripe production then they would use them.
Same for any stripe.

But also with people swapping chassis in and out of head cabs/ combos seeing any logo is possible.
That said it'd be just as possible to see a Green stripe with with "Boogie" logo as it'd be to see even a C+ with a "Mesa Boogie" logo.

Yup. It would not be prudent at this juncture to assume any logo or badge-plate is original to the amp you're looking at.
At least in my experience, when you get some cabs to go along with a combo or head, it would be very common to replace the various logos/badges with those that match. Done it myself many times.
We should obtain data from folks who have purchased Marks when they were brand new. To further this investigation, and hopefully add to the confusion, I will state that my purchase, new, of a blue stripe combo in 1990 came with the "Mesa/Boogie" badge.

 

[revgsmall]

Be also aware maybe some people swapped the plates by their own after buying new because they liked more.............

However there would be screw holes that tell the tale. I have two 1x12s that I purchased used. Oddly enough, both had the logo plate taken off, even though I bought them from two different places, one with a large spacing of screw holes, the other shorter. The long plate would obviously put a second hole further out from the original holes of an original small logo plate boogie.

Unless of course they replaced the whole dang speaker grill frame/head grill frame.......I need a beer.....

 

[tony777]

My 85 IIC+ came with the long Mesa Boogie badge. No eveidence of screwholes for the shorter boogie badge, which I put on myself.
I just think the boogie badge looks more classy.

 

[Markedman]

I just bought a Mesa 1X12 with the Mesa/Boogie Mark lll style badge. I took it off and put a Boogie badge on it that I got from Mesa for $7. From now on it's a Mark ll cabinet.