Re: Mark III Blue Stripe - Pros vs Cons?
I have three Mark IIIs. One is a 200-watt Coliseum head, 6x6L6 power, no stripe, EQ and Reverb. Then I have two combos: one red stripe and one blue; both are fully loaded with EQ, Reverb, Simul-Class. One has the EVM speaker; one has a Celestion G-100. The blue stripe has the Celestion, and also has the R2 Mod, allowing for a Master Volume on the R2 Channel. I use the combos with an additional 112 EVM Thiele cab underneath them. I have a couple of Mesa 412 Half-Back cabs and a 212 HB cab for the head.
The amps have five power configurations. There are 60-watt (2x6l6), 100-watt (4x6L6), and Simul-Class versions. These typically run with 2x6L6 in Class AB, or 2xEL34 (or 2x6L6) in Class A. There's a switch in the back for the 75-85 watt Simul-Class mode, or the Class A mode alone for 15-25 watts. (Most of the Mark IIIs run the Class A tubes in Triode; the later amps run Pentode for a little more power.) My Coliseum head is 6x6L6, and there is also a Simul-Class version of this head that they rate at 150 watts using 4x6L6 and then two tubes in Class A mode. The 100-watt and 200-watt versions do have Half-Power switches.
You may find some combos with a Black Shadow/Celestion C-90, or the Eminence/Black Shadow MS-12. The C-90 has that British snarl, the MS-12 is more like a JBL D or E-series with a smooth and sweet mid-range. The EVM is a monster, and probably the least "colored"--it puts out pretty much what you put into it.
Another nice feature is that some of the amps feature hardwood cabs and wicker grills. There were also vinyl options--my red stripe combo is in cream with a gold grill, and I have the matching Thiele cab for it. Beautiful rig, and actually more rare than the hardwood amps.
I love my Mark IIIs. I think they are great sounding amps. With the Thiele cab, I can certainly hang with any 100-watt stack; and while the amp is heavy, it is certainly more portable and has a smaller stage footprint--handy in small bars and clubs. Whether it's my G&L Legacys, Les Pauls, ES-335, Ibanez Artstar or Ghosrider, or my cheap-ass DanElectro 12-strings--every guitar sounds good through these amps. The controls have good sweeps, and they are sensitive. There are several pull-pots that can further help you tailor the tone. The Graphic follows the preamp, so you can dial in some bass without the amp being flubby. The V setting is renown for its great rock tone--I use a reverse V to add punch to my single coil guitars. They take pedals well.
My preference is for the fully loaded Reverb, EQ, Simul-Class, EVM versions, and these were the most expensive and generally are the most desirable. So the fully loaded version is where I would start price-wise, and then make deductions for no EQ, no Reverb, etc. I see fully-loaded Mark III combos with the hardwood cabs go for around $1,200 n my area; falling to around $600 for 60-watt, no EQ, no 'verb Plain Janes. Footswitches should be included.
Faults:
The footswitch situation is a bit messy--it uses three separate switches; LEAD/RHYTHM, RHYTHM 1/RHYTHM 2, and REV/EQ. They all use separate cables. There are some companies making all-in-one units with a cable snake. Mesa does sell replacements, but even finding used ones--they are expensive.
Not much control over the R2 Channel. The Gain is pre-set by the R1 Gain control. The R2 Mod is handy for controlling the over-all volume of this channel, and helps balance the three channels. The Mark IV has a little more control over R2. The Nomad has three channels with separate EQ and gain controls for each, but not the various power amp configurations. The Mark V does it all. The amps were hyped back then as having the "brown sound" from R2, but let's be clear--this amp is NOT a Marshall. You can get some great jazz tones from R2 by rolling down the guitar's volume--it has a warmer voicing than R1. But slam it with humbuckers and it will still sing and crunch.
Not the best reverb on the planet, but certainly usable. Probably not the amp to get if you're doing Dick Dale surf music. You'll need the REV/EQ foot switch to get the best of the reverb. There is a factory mod available.
Not the best EFX loop, and it is not switchable. Works pretty well with rack gear with buffered ins and outs. Some pedals work well, some don't.
Heavy. My Mark III with the EVM is probably 80 lbs. plus, and the one with the Celestion right behind it.
Mesas are made with non-adjustable fixed bias. Now, that's not a fault--to me, it is a BIG asset, because as long as I use Mesa's tubes, I don't have to pay to have the amp re-biased each time I change tubes. That actually saves the user a LOT of dough over the life of the amp. Where it can be a problem is when some yahoo decides to be "smarter" than the amp's designer and has the amp modded for bias pots. And then you get some out of spec tubes in it, and then it can cause problems down the line. Helps to know if the amp is stock or been modified before you buy.
There are probably better amps for Nordic Death Metal. These amps were state-of-the art, but they are from the '80s. But for jazz, blues, country, classic rock--great all around amps. Use accordingly.
Again, not a fault per se, but these combos are high-powered .44 cal derringers--lots of power in a small package. You must keep high quality, low noise and non-microphonic tubes in them.
The combos are good, but adding the 112 Thiele makes them come alive. The Thiele add a lot of low-end punch and projection, and sets the combo up at a good level to see and adjust the controls. I like the combination of the open-back combo and the closed bottom--better than either alone. For me--it's just perfect for the gigs I do.
So that's about all I know on the Mark III. I STRONGLY recommend that you download and read the Mark III's Owner's Manual from the Mesa website. The Boogie Board forum at grailtone.com is a great resource, and if you have any questions, the guys at Mesa are happy to help. Call them!
Good luck!
Bill
