NAD: Mesa Mark III red stripe

[rupe]

I got a chance to play my blue stripe next to a red stripe into the same cab a couple weeks ago. Both had the same options but the red stripe had 2 6l6's and 2 el34's, all mesa's, where mine has 4 winged c 6l6's. The red stripe was noticeably darker/ less highs, not as aggressive, and less gain. Both sounded great but having been used to my blue stripe I strongly preferred mine. Not sure if it was the tubes or being different stripes that make the difference, but it was MUCH bigger difference than I thought it was going to be. Either way I still want a red stripe next to my blue.

Congrats, they're great amps, and for the record I love how they look. They're instantly recognizable.

RJF: Is there a half power switch? From what I've read that's the switch, they just didn't always label them. Mines simul and has a half power switch.

One time we had a couple of IIC+ amps together and they sounded very different from each other.

Tone is in the wicker...

 

[Mailman1971]

Tone is in the wicker...

And we both know damn well that the black amp is going to sound meaner then the brown amp.
That's just the way it is.

 

[borninwinter]

Here is the vid

 

[JCDenton6]

Cool vid, I remember this, would love to hear this prototype recto in action!

 

[thiswaythatway]

Tone is in the wicker...

And we both know damn well that the black amp is going to sound meaner then the brown amp.
That's just the way it is.

The bottom one was a 60 watt model so non-simul. The top was a loaded one. Actually, these 2 were close but we had another loaded one that did sound very different, not as good as these 2.

 

[Little B]

Congrats on the red!!! The mk III series is one of the best out there of any series.Ive got a red stripe coliseum that was just gone over by Mike B @ Mesa and the thing rips.I just nabbed the ultra rare mesa simul stereo satellite head.I played an 80s band gig with another rig talker a while back and I used my red stripe coli, and he used a suhr/alderidge modded jcm 800..The two blended together real nice I was told from from f.O.H.Enjoy your red stripe!!!!

 

[acalaf]

Just picked up a blue stripe this weekend and I am seriously impressed. I though my small logo rev g triple recto with the schumacher trannies was the sound to beat, but this one sounds bigger, if that's even possible. Through my recto cab, with the pull deep switch engaged, the palm mutes are almost scary. Sounds like a whale of sound coming at you. The sustain is also unbelievable, it never seems to end. I'm still in the honeymoon phase, but, so far, wow, what an amp!

 

[Motorpud]

Pull everything except bass, keep the bass on 1-2, put everything else between 7 to 10 except your masters. Graphic EQ would be in your basic V shape and used to tailor your sound to exactly what you're looking for. I think my exact settings were something like 8 (P), 9 (P), 1, 5 (P), 2 (P), 7 (P), 7 (P). It doesn't say it in the manual, but pulling R2 while in the Lead channel will give you a slight boost in gain. And yeah, the mid knob barely does anything. Almost no difference between 0 to 10, so I just put it on 5.

That is pretty much where I landed as far as settings when I played on it yesterday. With the bass pulled it's too boomy sounding. I found that the treble dimed sounded the best, and keeping the presence on the back of the amp around 0-3 depending on brightness of the guitar plugged in.

Keep in mind that on these amps the treble knob also adds gain.

I had the same red stripe that Dan had and it was a monster. I've had amps up to $5k+ and IMO none of them outperformed that amp except maybe the VH4S I played at Dan's. That amp was awesome

 

[Mailman1971]

Pull everything except bass, keep the bass on 1-2, put everything else between 7 to 10 except your masters. Graphic EQ would be in your basic V shape and used to tailor your sound to exactly what you're looking for. I think my exact settings were something like 8 (P), 9 (P), 1, 5 (P), 2 (P), 7 (P), 7 (P). It doesn't say it in the manual, but pulling R2 while in the Lead channel will give you a slight boost in gain. And yeah, the mid knob barely does anything. Almost no difference between 0 to 10, so I just put it on 5.

That is pretty much where I landed as far as settings when I played on it yesterday. With the bass pulled it's too boomy sounding. I found that the treble dimed sounded the best, and keeping the presence on the back of the amp around 0-3 depending on brightness of the guitar plugged in.

Keep in mind that on these amps the treble knob also adds gain.

I had the same red stripe that Dan had and it was a monster. I've had amps up to $5k+ and IMO none of them outperformed that amp except maybe the VH4S I played at Dan's. That amp was awesome

For sure man....with a great cab set up....that Mark III is just nuts right?
On that note......you still gotta play the Modded Recto.