The most aggressive/meanest Mesa Mk Series amp?

[yngzaklynch]

Is it the Mk IIc+ or Mk III Coliseum? I have not played either but have owned 2 Mk IVs and thought they were great. Just curious which Mk series amp sounded the most aggressive.

 

[Tone Monster]

Is it the Mk IIc+ or Mk III Coliseum? I have not played either but have owned 2 Mk IVs and thought they were great. Just curious which Mk series amp sounded the most aggressive.

III

 

[marvcus]

Is it the Mk IIc+ or Mk III Coliseum? I have not played either but have owned 2 Mk IVs and thought they were great. Just curious which Mk series amp sounded the most aggressive.

I wouldn't really classify the IIC+ as mean/aggressive, per se. It can be dialed up, sure, but it has a very distinctive buttery feel to it that no other Mark amp has. I think you're closer with a III.

I had a IIC+ when Dream Theater's 6DOIT came out. "Misunderstood" is a good example of a IIC+ tone in a mix.

 

[steve_k]

The Mark III Red or Black stripe with GEQ and Simuclass is the meanest, baddest, Mesa mofo on the block.

Steve

 

[Mailman1971]

The Mark III Red Stripe..........

 

[some dude]

Mark III red. It's the rawest evolution. After the red they started to refine the sound more and move towards what would eventually become the Mark IV sound.

That said, there's a lot of subjectivity involved. For instance, I find the IIC+ to sound more mean and the Mark IV to sound more aggressive... whatever that means.

 

[wheelman]

Is it the Mk IIc+ or Mk III Coliseum? I have not played either but have owned 2 Mk IVs and thought they were great. Just curious which Mk series amp sounded the most aggressive.

I wouldn't really classify the IIC+ as mean/aggressive, per se. It can be dialed up, sure, but it has a very distinctive buttery feel to it that no other Mark amp has. I think you're closer with a III.

I had a IIC+ when Dream Theater's 6DOIT came out. "Misunderstood" is a good example of a IIC+ tone in a mix.

Also most all of Hetfields' melodic thick lead lines ( like Orion). Nothing touching that tone IMO in the Mesa line up. The .50 caliber +'s although not the mark series are pissed off mean nasty ass toned. They are great for the money.

 

[Sixtonoize]

Of the Mark series amps I've owned and played, my III red stripe was definitely the most aggressive.
The Studio Pre (supposedly the closest to a IIC+) was really smooth and great for leads and the IVa and V win for versatility...but for all out ballsy aggression, you can't beat a Mark III in any stripe.

 

[Shask]

I think it is funny that everyone says III red, as I always feel like my III red isn't aggressive enough but, I usually compare it with more modern amps like the Recto and 5150.

It is definitely meaner than the IV, Studio preamp, and .50+, which I have directly compared it with.

 

[Hard&Heavy]

Jim come on over I have a mkIII coli blue stripe and it is a monster real raw and agressive.

 

[yngzaklynch]

Jim come on over I have a mkIII coli blue stripe and it is a monster real raw and agressive.

Greg I would love to get over there again!! I actually have been telling fellow forumite bstaley to get in touch with you. He's asked about the Diezel Herbert several times. Bill is a big rack guy, I told him that the Diezel Herbert is the one amp that can really do it all. I'd like to get ratter and bstaley over there so they can hear some of the killer amps you have. Maybe in a few months when winter calms down we can get together.

Jim

 

[Hard&Heavy]

Sounds good. Just give me a shout.

 

[yngzaklynch]

Thanks Dave. I have a short list on amps I want to collect and the Mesa Mk Series is definitely on thet list.

Jim

 

[JakeAC5253]

To me, the black, purple, red and blue are super similar. I left out the green stripe since its power amp is wired in pentode (vs triode as the other are) so it sounds really huge with that bottom end grunt.


http://homepage.mac.com/mesaboogie/dot.html
In order, the stripes were:

None or Black Stripe
Purple Stripe
Red Stripe
Blue Stripe
Green Stripe

As with all things MESA, what these various stages represent are a matter of opinion with respect of the sound character. Don't let anyone pass on a bunch of bullshit about one being better than the other. They represent snapshots in time of the development of an amplifier line. If the amplifier gets you the tone you want, the jiffy marker is nothing more than a mark of its vintage. Much anxiety is generated in the Mark III group by this extensive evolution, much because of misinformation about what these stripes represent.

#1 - No mark or a little dot. Only a few hundred then some balck marks or "+"'s .

- Lean and powerful amp with more output power than a IIC+

#2 - Purple: reshaping of R2

- R2 was shaped to be more "rounded" and less gain, with improved level

#3 - Red: R2 is like current Mark III

- R2 further developed and very hot. Lead mode is also tweaked to close in on the IIC+ sound

#4 - Blue: Reshaping of R1

- More aggressive preamp gain - reshaping of R1, Power section made akin to IIC+

#5 - Green/Simul-Class: Final R1 and Lead Channel reshaping

- Cleaner R1, Lead channel reshaping, and unlike other Simul amps, these Mark III's were wired in Pentode - NOT triode in the Class A sockets for more power. Power section is same as Blue otherwise.

So there you have it, the story of the dot series. More legend than reality, they are all great amps, just find the one that is right for you. I hope that you find this helpful.

Excellent post. I love it when myths and hype get stomped in the name of real science and provable truth.