My Mark III is about to become a Mark III++.

[GJgo]

Shipped it off yesterday! Now I wait. Probably a little longer than normal due to the state of the world, but that's ok. Thanks to Mailman for the vote of encouragement!!

This red stripe DRG long head is my third Mark III and the first one I've bonded with. The other two were blues that were too harsh for me. It was in generally good condition but there were some small issues so I decided to go ahead & send it in for service & modding. I can only find threads from a couple guys talking about having a III++ so I'm really curious what it will be like!

To be clear I DON'T want to "turn the amp into a IIC+". I've had four IIC+/++ in the past. I actually like that the III had its own nasty aggressive "1987" thing going on. Gain levels are already on par with a IIC++, it just doesn't have the touch sensitivity & liquid lead of the C+. My hope is that the mod opens it up without changing the snarl.

Before I shipped it out I recorded some riffs on all 3 channels, photographed the settings, and will do the same when it comes back to make a pre/post comparo vid since this doesn't exist yet to my knowledge. Here's a separate vid I did a couple weeks ago that shows the tone of the amp. I think it's going to come back ripping!!

 

[Bloodrock]

I had Rottingcorpse’s for a couple weeks. I believe it’s the same one mailman had/has. Not sure who has it now. Lol. Definitely one badass amp. It had way more gain than I would ever need for my tastes, but if you dig the mkIII tone already, you should love it.

 

[Mailman1971]

YESSSS!!!!

 

[Deleted member 22177]

Nice!
I’m waiting on my iii+ to be shipped back to me. Mike B went through my red stripe and I had him do the iii+ mod too. It’s got new tubes, new caps and some other stuff that I don’t know about.

 

[Mailman1971]

Dammit now I want another one!!
Nah I barely play these days.
Got more then enough gear.

 

[Racerxrated]

Congrats brother!

Anything Mike B puts his hands on, turns to sonic gold. You'll love it.

 

[GJgo]

The work is done!! Now to wait for shipping!!

Mike found a LOT of things that needed attention. Cost was up there. From my perspective everything (but the reverb) worked great so it's a good feeling that he really went through the amp. Always worth the service cost.

I did find out that in order to get the full ++ effect on the III, both lead & R2 must be pulled. Without R2 pulled it's more like a III+. I dig that. When I had my IIC+s ++'d I opted not to make it switchable so this is good.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

The work is done!! Now to wait for shipping!!

Mike found a LOT of things that needed attention. Cost was up there. From my perspective everything (but the reverb) worked great so it's a good feeling that he really went through the amp. Always worth the service cost.

I did find out that in order to get the full ++ effect on the III, both lead & R2 must be pulled. Without R2 pulled it's more like a III+. I dig that. When I had my IIC+s ++'d I opted not to make it switchable so this is good.

You’ll dig it. I’ve got 4 of them. 2 Blues and 2 Greens. They are amazing. I like everything about them. I always leave both pots pulled. Lots of gain.

 

[Deleted member 22177]

I got my 3+ from Mesa yesterday and it is awesome. Mike did a great job.

 

[GJgo]

Alright guys, the amp is back! I've been playing it for a few days to break it in since it's always stiff with a fresh cap job.

At first TBH I was a little put off because the hair is gone- it's a LOT smoother & more open and clear like a C+. But, at the same time it's more compressed like a IVb. Its "III"-ness (the hair) is gone. Which I didn't want. BUT.. after spending a few days with the amp & playing it at band practice I've come to figure the amp out and I have to say it is a gift. It is a FANTASTIC amp. 3 truly usable channels, crystal clean to ++ gain levels, SMOOTH gain structure, chewy but compressed. The amp is not a IIC+, or a III, or a IV. It's kind of like they all had a baby- it's different, and awesome! I've talked a lot about it in the review vid- check it out & let me know what you think.

 

[SpiderWars]

Dang, my IIC+ SRG just recently showed signs of needing work (mid pot noise and hum as Master is increased) and I was hoping to just take it to the local (who is REALLY good btw) but this thread makes me want to ship it to Mike B.

 

[Exo-metal]

Just of all the money you could have saved had you bought a MKIII before all this.

 

[GJgo]

Dang, my IIC+ SRG just recently showed signs of needing work (mid pot noise and hum as Master is increased) and I was hoping to just take it to the local (who is REALLY good btw) but this thread makes me want to ship it to Mike B.

Definitely send it to Mike B. We only have so much more time before the man retires!

 

[Racerxrated]

Just of all the money you could have saved had you bought a MKIII before all this.

Ahh, but then the journey isn't as fun...it ain't about the money.

It's all about the tone quest, and it's all worth it.

 

[Racerxrated]

Dang, my IIC+ SRG just recently showed signs of needing work (mid pot noise and hum as Master is increased) and I was hoping to just take it to the local (who is REALLY good btw) but this thread makes me want to ship it to Mike B.

Definitely send it to Mike B. We only have so much more time before the man retires!

Yep; definitely. Having the paperwork from Mike is also an asset in case you want to sell. I wouldn't even consider sending any Mesa amp to anyone else. Plus he's super cool to talk to; you can expect a good 15-20 min conversation with the man himself. Next thing you know your talking about life stuff! He's such a great guy.

 

[Mailman1971]

Dang, my IIC+ SRG just recently showed signs of needing work (mid pot noise and hum as Master is increased) and I was hoping to just take it to the local (who is REALLY good btw) but this thread makes me want to ship it to Mike B.

Definitely send it to Mike B. We only have so much more time before the man retires!

Yep; definitely. Having the paperwork from Mike is also an asset in case you want to sell. I wouldn't even consider sending any Mesa amp to anyone else. Plus he's super cool to talk to; you can expect a good 15-20 min conversation with the man himself. Next thing you know your talking about life stuff! He's such a great guy.

Yes!!mike will call you back. The man!!
We talked several times for durations when he had my mark iii
Really top notch service!!

 

[GJgo]

For posterity when some guy digs up this thread in three years.. Here's something I put together to compare my old HRG C++ and this DRG III++. It's the only C++ clip I had with a cab I still own!

...and the real secret sauce, putting a 12AT7 in V2 to uncompress it.

No, the III++ is still not a C++. It's missing that chewy clarity that makes the C+ what it is. But, this setup is still pretty damn good on its own!

 

[grrr_me_scary]

Shipped it off yesterday! Now I wait. Probably a little longer than normal due to the state of the world, but that's ok. Thanks to Mailman for the vote of encouragement!!

This red stripe DRG long head is my third Mark III and the first one I've bonded with. The other two were blues that were too harsh for me. It was in generally good condition but there were some small issues so I decided to go ahead & send it in for service & modding. I can only find threads from a couple guys talking about having a III++ so I'm really curious what it will be like!

To be clear I DON'T want to "turn the amp into a IIC+". I've had four IIC+/++ in the past. I actually like that the III had its own nasty aggressive "1987" thing going on. Gain levels are already on par with a IIC++, it just doesn't have the touch sensitivity & liquid lead of the C+. My hope is that the mod opens it up without changing the snarl.

Before I shipped it out I recorded some riffs on all 3 channels, photographed the settings, and will do the same when it comes back to make a pre/post comparo vid since this doesn't exist yet to my knowledge. Here's a separate vid I did a couple weeks ago that shows the tone of the amp. I think it's going to come back ripping!!

The amp sounds pretty damn good "before" the mod so now I'll have to watch your newest video with the mod

I scored one of these from a guy that was known as one of the best players in our area (a YJM/Lynch type of player) but he decided to stop playing in bands and be that married-stay-at-home-guy so he sold it for pretty damn low to me.

I think around $400 including a matching Mesa 4x12.

However, I could not get it to sound good for me no matter how I set the knobs and I realized pretty quickly that I was still a Marshall kind of guy

I sold it to some guy about two weeks later.

He showed up at my college and we set it up in one of the outside courtyards in front of the engineering building.

He cranked that thing and it sounded pretty damn good so it looked like he knew his way around the amp.

Fellow students were coming from all over the campus to hear him jam on it, lol.

I did buy a Mesa Mark V and a Triaxis many years later and they both helped me to have a better understanding of the way to dial in a Mesa amp so now I am a Mesa AND Marshall player

I just bought a Mark IV Version B the other day and I think it is an AMAZING amp!!!

I am looking for a second one as back-up now or maybe a Version A for a slightly different tone

 

[GJgo]

The amp sounds pretty damn good "before" the mod so now I'll have to watch your newest video with the mod

I scored one of these from a guy that was known as one of the best players in our area (a YJM/Lynch type of player) but he decided to stop playing in bands and be that married-stay-at-home-guy so he sold it for pretty damn low to me.

I think around $400 including a matching Mesa 4x12.

However, I could not get it to sound good for me no matter how I set the knobs and I realized pretty quickly that I was still a Marshall kind of guy

I sold it to some guy about two weeks later.

He showed up at my college and we set it up in one of the outside courtyards in front of the engineering building.

He cranked that thing and it sounded pretty damn good so it looked like he knew his way around the amp.

Fellow students were coming from all over the campus to hear him jam on it, lol.

I did buy a Mesa Mark V and a Triaxis many years later and they both helped me to have a better understanding of the way to dial in a Mesa amp so now I am a Mesa AND Marshall player

I just bought a Mark IV Version B the other day and I think it is an AMAZING amp!!!

I am looking for a second one as back-up now or maybe a Version A for a slightly different tone

If you already have a IV, I recommend that your second mark be a IIB. Send it in for service if you get a keeper. That would be a well-rounded Mark setup.

 

[Beyond Black]

For posterity when some guy digs up this thread in three years.. Here's something I put together to compare my old HRG C++ and this DRG III++. It's the only C++ clip I had with a cab I still own!

...and the real secret sauce, putting a 12AT7 in V2 to uncompress it.

No, the III++ is still not a C++. It's missing that chewy clarity that makes the C+ what it is. But, this setup is still pretty damn good on its own!

For the $$$, I’d take the III over the II. Sounded more aggressive also, which I prefer.