opinions and owners of mesa mark iiis

[nighttrain69]

thinking of picking one up,theres one in the local paper by me ( hour away) wanted to get some info on them..i did some research on the history of the stripes and the shared eq but wanted to get some actuall owner,user opinions.. thanks for any input

 

[LP Freak]

Killer amps...especially for the money.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Do you know what stripe it is? Blue and Red stripes are more sought after but I've heard a killer green stripe in person. I've never played a purple. There's some compromise as the channels share controls but you can add master volume to control the rhythm volume, it's a very easy mod and you can get info from the Grail forum.

 

[nighttrain69]

yea,the one im looking at is a red strip ,non reverb..theres also a blue on the bay..is the gain similar to the 2c+ and the 4 or is the mark 4 the better option..

 

[Gainfreak]

yea,the one im looking at is a red strip ,non reverb..theres also a blue on the bay..is the gain similar to the 2c+ and the 4 or is the mark 4 the better option..

What Danny said previously and to answer your Question the MKIII is similar to the IIc+ and has more grind then the MKIV.

I love both amps for different reasons. I find the MKIV to be more refined and the MKIII to be grittier.
The only downside to the Mark series is when you get caught up with screwing around with the Graphic eq. You'll dial in a killer sound and then after playing a while, you will second guess yourself and then start screwing around with it .........again and again

 

[Valtyr]

I got one a few weeks ago. It replaced a Mesa F-30. I think the Mark III is much more versitile and I am very happy with it. Some thoughts...

- The graphic eq is great. Tone control for any single channel is impressive.
- Shared tone controls do force some compromises across multiple channels.
- Most of the control knobs pull out to control a second parameter.
- It takes some time to learn how to dial these amps in, but you get used to it. Pull some sample settings and the manual off the web before you try the amp out.

 

[angelspade]

I owned and recorded with a Mark III red strip for 2 years. Mine had the graphic EQ....Should NEVER have sold that amp. Literally one of the most forward sounding, aggressive amps I have ever owned...So much PUNCH, with just the right amount of compression. Had about 80% of the "size" in the low mids and bass...But without the unnecessary grain and harsh high-top. Also a pretty "tight" amp...Miss that thing.

 

[jerrydyer]

awesome amps BUT when switching between the channels there was always a swell effect and slight pop they could never fix. vactrols can be difficult sometimes.

 

[sjk]

Great amps, love my bluestripe, if you like lots of gain it has more than you will ever need also.

 

[jlbaxe]

I have the Purple stripe, no GE, no simu, has reverb and I did the Vol mod. Mine is the 60w (2)6L6 s and is still bawls loud. Great amp and has a bit of a fender vibe to it as well. GReat for Rolling Stones,Blues, Rock etc.

I think any of them are great amps, just different flavors.

 

[MrDan666]

Aslong as it has the Graphic EQ, then those Mark III's are great amps. Lots of gain and they sound big... But if it had no Graphic EQ, i wouldn't even consider buying. The tone is in that EQ IMO.

Like Ralph (Gainfreak) said, the Graphic EQ can be a total pain in the ass after a while. I had a Mark III and i think i spent more time screwing around with the EQ than anything else!

 

[daveg62]

The mark III's are getting older, so maintenance is most likely required (cap replacement, grid resistors, tubes) The r2 mod is a very good thing. Might want to consider sending it in to mesa and get it gone over by MIke B. One of the best lead tones IMHO of any amp. Some don't like the amp because it can be tough to dial in, but when you do it sounds awesome.

 

[nighttrain69]

thanks for all the input fellas

 

[headlessdeadguy]

Best metal amp I have played. Period. Keep in mind that I play old school thrash soo...... The lead tone and cleans aren't to shabby either.

 

[The Hoff]

It has all pretty much been covered. I concur-fantastic amps for the money! :thumbsup;

 

[JohnSykes]

I love mine (red stripe). You dont really need a boost for soloing. The GEQ is great for that.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Aslong as it has the Graphic EQ, then those Mark III's are great amps. Lots of gain and they sound big... But if it had no Graphic EQ, i wouldn't even consider buying. The tone is in that EQ IMO.

Like Ralph (Gainfreak) said, the Graphic EQ can be a total pain in the ass after a while. I had a Mark III and i think i spent more time screwing around with the EQ than anything else!

The one good thing about the non-EQ models are that you can pick up one cheap and stick an MXR 6 band EQ in the loop and it's pretty close to an amp with the EQ built in.

 

[mboogman]

I'm another lover here. I actually use mine as a 4+ channel amp. Clean, crunch, crunch with a boost (which is brutal), heavy rhythm, and lead. I typically turn the eq off for leads, to get a nice mid boost. Helps the notes jump out of the mix with girth and greatness.

 

[nighttrain69]

i think im sold. i wanted something to compliment a special fortin build thats incomming .
what im really liking is the single note passage and lead tone capabilites the mark series offer.and from the web searching ive done ,it seems most are voiced fairly similiar..appreciate all the input rt brothers

 

[mojotone]

Words to live by, copied from the Mark III manual. "In the Rhythm modes the Volume 1
control determines the Effects Send level, and in the Lead mode, it is the Lead Master. By running the Master 1 higher and these two controls lower, you can improve the performance of sub-standard effects."

If you are an effects loop user, this will come in handy.

Also, the graphic EQ is a very nice option to have- if used in moderation. Too much adjustment of the GEQ is for a shitty guitar or speakers, in my opinion. Been playing the Mark series since the 1980's, myself. Good times!