Mesa Mark III or IV?

P

pierce34celtic

New member
I'm looking for something that would do well for trash and some modern rhythm and lead tones as well as good cleans. Some tones I'm after are Testament, Metallica, Megadeth, Unearth, Nevermore, and some nice cleans would be a big plus, maybe a slight bit of a dirty clean for SRV if possible. There are a couple really good deals on Peavey 5150 and XXX for less than $600. However, the tones that I'm looking for are primarily Mesa, especially Testament and Metallica. A few people have recommended for me to skip the whole 5150/xxx and find a used Mark III for $700-800. My budget is exactly 1K, not any more. I'm wondering if this is a good option, since I'm not fond of the shared EQ. Would a Mark IV be better than a III for me? Or are the Peaveys capable of nailing these tones and at a better price?
 
Re: Mesa Mark III or IV?

I owned a Mesa Mark III combo for a year. It was the blue stripe version, which is known for being the best sounding one because it was the most similar to the older Mark IIC+ specs.

I found it hard to have all 3 channels sounding good since they all shared the same EQ. I never experimented with an OD pedal though. I think that if you kept the gain low on all channels and then used pedals to further define the tone of each channel, you could have an easier time getting better tones out of each channel. Otherwise, go for the Mark IV.
 
Re: Mesa Mark III or IV?

I have both Mark IIIs and a Mark IV--but--I don't play the type of music you're into. Makes it hard for me to make a recommendation. I do play a lot of different types of pop music, from Blues and Classic Rock, to Jazz and some Classic Country. I try to emulate Clapton when I play my G&L Legacy, and I like the smooth, singing sustain of Santana. The Boogies get me those tones. The Rectifiers are in a different league altogether.

I played in a band in the '90s with a guy who had a 5150 for a while. I always preferred the tone of my Mesa Mark III half-stack. Every guitar I used sounds good through this amp. I"m sure the 5150 has more gain than the Mark III, and probably a tighter bottom end. Likewise, I'm also not that keen on the XXX. I just don't need that much gain from my amp these days. If I did, I'd probably have to get a Marshall, or at least a Metal Zone! LOL!

The amp that Peavey makes that continues to impress me is the JSX--the Satriani signature. The Cleans are very good, the Crunch is very good, the Ultra Gain is pretty good. I don't think it sounds like a Marshall, nor does it sound (chug) like the Recto I compared it to. I don't think it has that Mesa Mark Series singing lead voice--to my ear, it didn't sound as smooth. Were I forced to choose between a Recto, a XXX, a 5150, or the JSX--the JSX might get the nod.

Oh, and one of the most absolutely hellaciously loud amps I have ever heard--Jake E. Lee at a club in Seattle about 10-12 years ago used two 5150 stacks-dimed. Holy C%@P!!!! At that was on the NORMAL channel, LOL!

The best advice I can give: If you can try the amps under the circumstances you will be using it--that's always the best way to judge.

Bill
 
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