Is the Mesa Mark III under rated?

[spawnofthesith]

^Yeah it was produced in parallel for quite a few years with the Mark IV


I've said it a million times, but I'm hoping maybe we get a 40th anniversary Mk III reissue in 2025. Keep it mostly the same with some light modern accoutremon

 

[Desertdweller]

I remember in the late 90s Mesa catalogs, they said they would have re-issued the Mark III, but the “fans would not let Mesa discontinue it” and it was still made in like 1996-1998ish.

I pause at the “we would’ve reissued it” comment (2C+, anyone?), but it went strong in production for probably 12+ years.

Every time I hear Sykes on 1987 or Blue Murder, I can hear that Mark III

I think it was still sold as new up until 1998, but they may have discontinued manufacturing earlier. My amp is in the 28000 range which is close to the end of production, however it has a build date of August 1994. IIRC they did not sell well up against the IV which was out at the same time. You had the DC series for cheaper Mesas and the IV and Recto for the more expensive ones, so the III sat in a funky spot.

 

[FuzzyAce]

In what way? I’d guess versatility?

Of course.

 

[la szum]

Ever feel like the Mesa Mark III is the ignored middle child in the Mark series? I've owned a fully loaded blue stripe for 10 years now and I'm blown away every time I turn it on. I get everything from great punchy "fender on steroids" cleans, through juicy/greasy edge of breakup, fat mid gain , and all the different shades of high gain we know and love from the mark amps.

Is it just that the III lives in the shadow of the IIC+ or is there more? I also owned a studio pre (similar to IIC) for around 10 years, and while there are some subtle differences when compared to the III, the two circuits are shockingly similar in the tones they can achieve. Generally, I would say the studio pre is somewhat smoother in the top end with a slightly saggier feel, while the III is ever so slightly tighter and more aggressive. We are talking REALLY minor differences here though.

Any Mark III lovers here?

Aren't IIIs pretty much IIC+s??

The III was my first Mesa amp. It kicked my ass.

Some of the switching/channel limitations made it kind of a one trick pony, or 2 at best.

Those IIIs will skyrocket in value. It's already happening.

 

[la szum]

and the V seems to kind of be out there without many champions.

Uhmmmm..... Hello??

The V will go down as the pinnacle of them in time. The shine of the VII will wear off. The V just is the most
loaded and versatile of them all, and sounds the best.... in spite of the Randall Smith press releases.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Uhmmmm..... Hello??

The V will go down as the pinnacle of them in time. The shine of the VII will wear off. The V just is the most
loaded and versatile of them all, and sounds the best.... in spite of the Randall Smith press releases.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Uhmmmm..... Hello??

The V will go down as the pinnacle of them in time. The shine of the VII will wear off. The V just is the most
loaded and versatile of them all, and sounds the best.... in spite of the Randall Smith press releases.

I think the V is a modern classic at this point... still some holdouts of the initial release hate, but I think its overall very highly regarded by most

I'd rock a V again in a heartbeat

 

[JiveTurkey]

I think the V is a modern classic at this point... still some holdouts of the initial release hate, but I think its overall very highly regarded by most

I'd rock a V again in a heartbeat

Maybe I am going just by forum talk? Especially coming from GAB/GGF where it's Mark III or GTFO. I don't think the VII is anywhere near close to being able to stake a historical claim just yet. Despite it being a general blast so far.

I will say this era is the first Boogie era where I started looking beyond Rectifiers.

 

[Desertdweller]

Maybe I am going just by forum talk? Especially coming from GAB/GGF where it's Mark III or GTFO. I don't think the VII is anywhere near close to being able to stake a historical claim just yet. Despite it being a general blast so far.

I will say this era is the first Boogie era where I started looking beyond Rectifiers.

The V is amazing, all 3 variants. The III is amazing, all stripes and dots. The IV is amazing, both IVa and IVb. The VII is amazing. The IIC is legendary, and all those that came before were great in their own right.

Never forget this and challenge anyone who says otherwise.

 

[RaceU4her]

Maybe I am going just by forum talk? Especially coming from GAB/GGF where it's Mark III or GTFO. I don't think the VII is anywhere near close to being able to stake a historical claim just yet. Despite it being a general blast so far.

I will say this era is the first Boogie era where I started looking beyond Rectifiers.

IIC+>III>IV>JP2C>V would be my guess of order if you combined forums, the Vll appears to be on its way near to near the top

 

[nicolasrivera]

I did 3 mods in my Mark III, one is the R2 volume mod. another one is more aimed to tame the aggressive mid highs it has to make it more "dark" like a MkII C+ this I used a 3 way switch so it has 3 levels. And the final one is a 3 way brightness control in the clean channel as with some of my Strats and Teles its a bit too bright.

 

[nicolasrivera]

Recorded this on my lunch break as a friend was asking for Mark III lead tones...

 

[Desertdweller]

It’s hard to beat a Mark amp for lead guitar. That sounds beautiful @nicolasrivera !

 

[nicolasrivera]

It’s hard to beat a Mark amp for lead guitar. That sounds beautiful @nicolasrivera !

Thank you.

 

[EOengineer]

I’ve been running my Mark III through its paces again recently and this thing just floors me every time.

Plugged in my 62 tele reissue, drop the lead drive down to 2-3, push the bass up to 4/5, pull the lead bright, moderate V on the GEQ and it’s reminiscent of a maxed out Princeton or Deluxe. Compressed and juicy as hell.

Plug in my SG, bass goes to 1, treble to 8, lead drive up to 8, same GEQ settings, and it’s ridiculously tight, dry crunch with liquid sustain and controlled feedback. Master of Puppets in a box but so much more.

This amp is a lifer. It’s never leaving.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

John Sykes says "definitely".

 

[Life Eats Life]

I feel that volume comment in my nightmares. I purchased mine as a combo with the 12L. That combo could have knocked the planet off axis if dropped. Ungodly loud.

I finally got around to moving the chassis into a used head shell and the 12L went into an oversized sealed 1x12 vboutique cab, what an incredible combination. It’s still heavy but easier to manage in 2 trips and punches like a much larger cab. It’s still loud as hell, but the fuller sound of the big sealed cab gives me more of that I love about that amp. I don’t like Mesa’s combos, at least not for high gain.

Yep.
That’s how those old dog Mesa’s are.
Painfully loud.
No thx.

 

[OrganicZed]

I thought the III held up well in this shootout.

 

[HomespunEffects]

As my first Mesa, I'd say it's rated correctly. I had the Simulclass model head. It was just too noisy with any sort of gain for my liking. It felt very stiff and I went back to Marshall back then.

 

[EOengineer]

As my first Mesa, I'd say it's rated correctly. I had the Simulclass model head. It was just too noisy with any sort of gain for my liking. It felt very stiff and I went back to Marshall back then.

The only noise I’ve ever heard from the half dozen or so Mark IIIs I’ve crossed paths with was fan noise. They are not known to be noisy amps.