Mesa markIII NO EQ

  • Thread starter Thread starter mchn13
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IF your going for 80's metal, Metallica ;) , than yea you have to have the EQ. Otherwise it is great sounding just has a different flavor and totally usable without the built in graphic...
 
The built in EQ is in a different spot in the circuit than the effects loop, so placing an EQ in the loop is placing it further down the signal path and the results are different.
The said, you can definitely get decent results with an EQ in the loop - that goes for any amp, really- but it is indeed not the same as the built-in EQ.
I know this, I'm asking Dave to elaborate on his statement.
 
The clips from Jeremy are definitely less ‘honky’ than my experience with them, so there are exceptions. But I’d only buy one if I can play it first, or from GC with the 45 day returns. The 60w S 2C I had was horrible honky. Every other Mark (4 C+, 2 IIIs, 3 2Bs) have had the GEQ; I’ve tried them with the EQ off and no fn way. Terrible.
The only advantage to them is the super fast response..very easy/effortless to play.
 
Maybe the non EQ models sound better with the flatter response speakers many Marks originally came with like Altec, and later EVM12L? Those are not as mid heavy as Celestions.
 
Maybe the non EQ models sound better with the flatter response speakers many Marks originally came with like Altec, and later EVM12L? Those are not as mid heavy as Celestions.
The flatter speakers can only do so much. Whether you use a non-EQ or EQ model with it disengaged there’ll be this huge mid hump, which isn’t at all a bad thing in and of itself, but it’s the kind of midrange that’s not aggressive or growly like the British midrange like a good Marshall. Old American amps (and pretty all vintage American gear in general, even a Dumble) have a hollow/laid-back/smooth/airy quality to the midrange and with those c+’s your getting that type of midrange but it’s super present, which is kinda weird, and it’s just not an agreeable sound to many guys, but turn the Graph EQ on with a V shape and you get a killer heavy tone that imo just sound right. The non-eq sound can be cool though for fusion, shred or some instrumental type stuff
 
I gotta ask why...
Without the GEQ, I find all of the Mark 2’s and beyond sound honkey with too much mid range. For me it’s not even fun to play clean without the GEQ. Speakers didn’t matter either. I have EV’s Eminence MS-12’s, and all Celestion speakers.

Having owned the custom stereo GEQ made by Mike B (as well as having the studio PFE modded to isolate the GEQ) I tried bypassing the onboard GEQ and adding one back into the loop. It made the amp a bit mushy and never had that throaty sound.

Here is a pic of my old rack with the GEQ
1633110985279.jpeg
 
My favorite Boogie amps are those without the EQ. Best non-Marshall amp I've ever owned was a Boogie 60 watt Mark IIC+ combo w/o GEQ.
 
Interesting.

Mark 3s in my experience are unusable without the graphic. I dig those amps, but they are a fiddly beast.
 
Without the GEQ, I find all of the Mark 2’s and beyond sound honkey with too much mid range. For me it’s not even fun to play clean without the GEQ. Speakers didn’t matter either. I have EV’s Eminence MS-12’s, and all Celestion speakers.

Having owned the custom stereo GEQ made by Mike B (as well as having the studio PFE modded to isolate the GEQ) I tried bypassing the onboard GEQ and adding one back into the loop. It made the amp a bit mushy and never had that throaty sound.

Here is a pic of my old rack with the GEQ
View attachment 90566
very cool custom 2-banger eq.
that had to have sounded better in the loop of the tri vs. the dynamic voice option.
 
very cool custom 2-banger eq.
that had to have sounded better in the loop of the tri vs. the dynamic voice option.
Yeah, by a mile. Made the rig sound insane. Then I added depth controls to each side of the power amp. It was crushing. Both triaxis units were modded for gain as well.
 
Lmao I love Fender midrange, its what makes you heard.
 
Yeah, by a mile. Made the rig sound insane. Then I added depth controls to each side of the power amp. It was crushing. Both triaxis units were modded for gain as well.
Hetfield rig??
 
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