Non ADA Gear > Amps

Mesa MKIII

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Chamai:
Hi guys,

just wondering if anyone of you have any experiences with these? i hate asking "is this a good amp question". But there is no way i can bring all my FX and pedals and cabs to try it out. found one at a local store for $799 CAD. i have a dual rec version 2 collecting dust and i might trade it in for that. i can't make out in the picture which version it is.

its got simul class, eq, and reverb. i have always been gasing for one these because of the mesa style crunch channel. i think it would match well with my jcm 800 running them in stereo. smaller head size is a plus so it sits nicely on top of my ADA rack.

Systematic Chaos:
The MkIII is a gain machine! Simul+EQ+Rev?!? Awesome!!
Which color dot/stripe does it have just above where the power cord enters the chassis?

Mark III

The Mark III was launched by Mesa/Boogie in 1985. It introduced a third channel, a "crunch" rhythm sound right in between the rhythm and lead channels. This amp has a dual footswitch system: one footswitch alternates between the current rhythm mode and the lead mode, and the other selects either the clean rhythm mode or the crunch rhythm mode. The two rhythm modes share all of their controls, while the lead mode only shares the rhythm modes' tone stack, featuring independent gain and master volume controls. The physical switch for the crunch rhythm mode was implemented as a push/pull switch above the Middle frequency control.
The Mark III went through multiple revisions, similar to the Mark II. Each revision had a slightly different voicing, but identical functionality. The amplifier had an aggressive voicing, and extreme brightness that is well suited for heavier music.

Black Stripe
These are distinguished by either the absence of a marking, a black dot, or a black marker stripe above the power cord entry. Early Black Stripes retained the same power transformer as the IIC+, which is easily distinguished by its larger physical size than the later-introduced Mark III transformer.

Purple Stripe
The second revision was the "Purple Stripe" Mark III, which featured a purple marker stripe above the power cord. This amplifier was voiced with a more mellow lead and crunch modes, with slightly reduced gain.

Red Stripe
The third revision was the "Red Stripe" Mark III which featured a red marker stripe above the power cord. The amplifier had increased gain over the purple stripe, and lead mode circuitry almost identical to the IIC+.

Blue Stripe
The fourth revision was the "Blue Stripe" Mark III which featured a blue marker stripe above the power cord. The amplifier was voiced so bright, it is considered to be the most aggressive Mark Series Boogie ever introduced. The power amp was also altered to mirror that of the IIC+.

Green Stripe
The final revision was the "Green Stripe" Mark III, which was only available in a Simul-Class format. It was identical to the Blue Stripe, except for the wiring of the Class A power amp tubes, which were switched to Pentode operation, for a 10W RMS increase over previous Simul-Class amplifiers.
Mesa ultimately ended the Mark III's production in the company's largest marketing failure, since it overlapped with production of its successor, the Mark IV, which was introduced in 1990. Mark III's were still in steady production around 1994, and finally ceased as late as 1997, 11 years after its launch.

Chamai:
looks either black to me. unless it's a super dark purple.  the pics are not the best, i will call tomorrow.

not sure if it will be a good deal for me if i did a straight trade with my dual rec. paid $650 cad for it. well, paid 650 for my vintage modern and did a straight trade with some guy on craigslist.

rnolan:
Hey Chamai, well if your dual rect thingy is gathering dust (ie not being use or exciting you..) and you can swap it for a "gain machine" (go SC  :thumb-up: great reply BTW almost got me interested in boogie stuff), sounds like a really good idea.  If you end up not liking it you can move it on  :thumb-up: , hey you're not using the dual rect thingy at the moment (aren't hey supposed to be really good  though  :dunno: ), so why not try something new(ish).

Chamai:
just the called the store today, it was a green stripe. unfortunately, it is a consignment piece. so i cannot do a trade or anything. cash only.

i prob have to pass this time.


nothing wrong with the rec honestly, i was messing with it today. i just like a little more crunch than liquid type gain. i like my amps with more mids. it's a scooped sounding amp. love the chest hitting bass in palm mutes, but it doesn't stand out in a band mix.

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