# Finaly found the perfect Tube Amp..:)



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Yes ladies and Gents, after 1 year of searching and trying out every thing i could get my hands on, and could'nt make my mind up...UNTIL, i tried the Mesa Boogie MKIII amp...HOLY MOLLY, now i know why they say the only thing you need with a MKIII, is a Guitar, no effects, nothing  the distortion is just insane, clean is as good if not better then most Fender amps.

The Amp is in MINT condition, all new lamps AND...it as the famous EVM12L speaker, it blows the Black Shadow Celestion that was also available outa the water realy.

With no further due...my new baby :rockon2:


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

WoooW! Looks really great! Is it really heavy?


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Ti-Ron said:


> WoooW! Looks really great! Is it really heavy?


yeah..for such a small amp...a big 65pds. Speaker's magnet is HUGH.


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

Wow, it's spotless; looks awesome. How much did you pay?

I've read that these amps are extremely loud; how's that working out for you?


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## Steve_F (Feb 15, 2008)

Ah, I used to have a Mesa Combo like that. Selling it was a big mistake. I am jealous.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Greg Ellis said:


> Wow, it's spotless; looks awesome. How much did you pay?
> 
> I've read that these amps are extremely loud; how's that working out for you?


I paid 1200$, and trust me..worth EVERY PENNY. as for loud?..dude, you can't beleive it. And contrary to a Marshall, even at very low volume, this thing as a distortion to kill. Seems hight at 1200$..but it's EVM12L version, not the celestion and it's mint with 200$ of tubes.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

sounds like a good deal man! i was told that that is one of THE boogies to get for metal and punk, actually.

between my les paul, my jsx, and my TS7ovChaos, i can easily get every kind of tone i want out of the thing, so im not worried


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## SinCron (Mar 2, 2006)

Congrats. It's always awesome when you find that amp that's just right for you. However....... didn't it have a head version? . I thought those amps were supposed to have more options.


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## Archer (Aug 29, 2006)

I used to have a MkIII. It was a great amp.

I prefer the Celestion to the EV big time...but that is just personal preference.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

@SinCron, more Option?, god, there's 3 channel, an graphic EQ!, reverbe, all operated via Footswitch, every knob you see is pulled for a another sound option!..what else do you want?..hehe


Archer, problem with the celestion version is that it could'nt take the power of the amp, and you get extremely muddy distortion.


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2008)

al3d said:


> god, there's 3 channel, an graphic EQ!, reverbe, all operated via Footswitch, every knob you see is pulled for a another sound option!..what else do you want?..hehe


Do all three channels share the EQ?


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

iaresee said:


> Do all three channels share the EQ?


yep, they do


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## Glasstone Amps (Feb 27, 2008)

Awesome man! Nice photos too! Did you take those?


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Glasstone Amps said:


> Awesome man! Nice photos too! Did you take those?


Thanks, and yes i did, but in all fairness, been a photographer for 20 years, so pretty well equiped i'de say compared to the average guy.


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## SinCron (Mar 2, 2006)

al3d said:


> @SinCron, more Option?, god, there's 3 channel, an graphic EQ!, reverbe, all operated via Footswitch, every knob you see is pulled for a another sound option!..what else do you want?..hehe


Wouldn't mind these options.

-Boost: Add up to 9 dB of volume boost, switch it on/off via the FS44 footswitch and MIDI.
- Bright: Boost highs starting at 5kHz for added clarity.
- Mid Cut: A unique mid cut helps dial in a master scooped tone from mild to extreme.
- Deep: Adds low frequencies at the sub-harmonic level
- Smart Loops: Total control of your effects, remembers your effects loop settings for each channel. Just assign a loop(s) to the current channel, Smart Loop™ permanently saves it until you change it.
-3 Drive Modes:
-a) "Center" - a classic rich, open overdrive with lots of headroom.
Turning up the Drive knob adds sustain and warmth.
-b) "Thick" - brings on the chunk with a massive low-end, textured mids and blistering highs. Turning up the Drive knob adds sustain to the highs, grit to the mids with low-end bark.
-c) "Intense"- the most gain and sustain with notes that leap out with startling articulation. The low-end is deep and percussive. Mids and highs smoothly blend and still cut through. Turning up the Drive stretches the envelope of sustain to the edge.
-EQX: Toggle between standard EQ and Expanded EQ. This switch opens a wider frequency range for the TREBLE and BASS.
-Presence: Boosting 8kHz to help cut through.
-3 Drive Modes:
-a) "Center" - a classic rich, open clean sound with lots of headroom. Turning up the drive adds tube warmth and sag.
-b) "Bright" - adds high end to the preamp, inviting high frequencies to chime -and sustain as the Drive is turned up.
-c) "Soak" - boosts all preamp frequencies. As the Drive is turned up, a vintage snarl emanates from the amp.
-EQX: Toggle between standard EQ and Expanded EQ. This switch opens a wider frequency range for the TREBLE, MID and BASS. Presence: Boost 11kHz for glassy, shimmering highs.


Sorry, but I'm just a whore for more. That's why I got the amp I did ^_^.


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## JSX/6505 (Nov 18, 2007)

Looks killer!!

Great pics!


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## Glasstone Amps (Feb 27, 2008)

al3d said:


> Thanks, and yes i did, but in all fairness, been a photographer for 20 years, so pretty well equiped i'de say compared to the average guy.


I figured you were a photographer. Very nice!


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Congrats! That's one sweet amp.

I had a DC-5 combo for a couple years and it was really quite a nice piece. I ended up selling it because it was just too much for my back and my purposes at the time (needed something lighter and simpler). Had the Celestion which to me work beautifully with the 50 watts.

I don't regret selling her .... but I miss her.

The good news is that I may have a line on a DC-2 (which is the last thing that I need - but that's not stopped me yet lofu)


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

The big problem I have with mesa boogies is all those buttons and switches. You can get some great sounds but there's a million ways to get bad sounds as well. Thats why I like the simplicity of the Dr Z amps. The stangray I have on order has a volume, tone and cut knob no reverb. And thats it. Simple but rich in tone.


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## SinCron (Mar 2, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> The big problem I have with mesa boogies is all those buttons and switches. You can get some great sounds but there's a million ways to get bad sounds as well. Thats why I like the simplicity of the Dr Z amps. The stangray I have on order has a volume, tone and cut knob no reverb. And thats it. Simple but rich in tone.


How many pedals do you use? I wonder how many people on here prefer an amp with multiple options VS people who prefer a simple clear amp and a series of pedals. My roomie has an EH Graphic Fuzz and a small OD pedal to get different OD/Distortion sounds and just plays through a clear amp while I like to have everything I need right in there. He makes good arguments for people who get their sound from a pedal board though.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

That's one of the few Mesa models that has always interested me. It and the Subway one.

If you want to cut down the weight, stick a Jensen Neo in it!


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

SinCron, you can't realy compare a MKIII mesa Boogie to a Carvin amp. it's like apples and oranges realy. the Boogie is pure power and gain with tons of controle. No other amps will give you that sound with not a SINGLE fx on it.


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## SinCron (Mar 2, 2006)

What do you mean by single FX? I'm just saying I love features . That's why I went with Multi FX pedals for so long. That and I'm just a tad giddy about owning my first tube amp. I love the graphic EQ on the amp though. Is it a 12 or 15 db range?


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2008)

al3d said:


> yep, they do


How do you put your head around that? I've never used an amp that shared a tone stack for three separate gain stages. I guess you can toggle the EQ in and out to radically alter the gain vs the clean channel?


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

SinCron said:


> What do you mean by single FX? I'm just saying I love features . That's why I went with Multi FX pedals for so long. That and I'm just a tad giddy about owning my first tube amp. I love the graphic EQ on the amp though. Is it a 12 or 15 db range?


To each is own i guess...i could never get into those amps will millions of stuff on it, and then add a ton of FX pedals.. Simpler is better for me..


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## Soldano16 (Sep 14, 2006)

Mark III Boogie time - I owned one. It was used but owned by a collector so it had no mileage at all. Even came with all 4 Sylvania 6L6's. Mine was top of the line with the simu-class option, reverb and EQ. 

Pros: Serious tone, It does 2 things hugely well. a) great Fender on steroids clean and b) but really only if you like that saturated lead tone - it does that really well.

Cons: You have to really know how to dial in an amp. EVERY TIME - cause it's about the most fussy amp I've ever played. HEAVY AS HELL.

But if you can dial amps and want that great clean, it kicks ass.


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## violation (Aug 20, 2006)

Soldano16 said:


> Cons: You have to really know how to dial in an amp. EVERY TIME - cause it's about the most fussy amp I've ever played.


Is it just me or are all Boogie's insanely touchy like that? That's one of the reasons I tend to avoid them. 

Congrats on the amp... and those are some sexy photos.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

violation said:


> Is it just me or are all Boogie's insanely touchy like that? That's one of the reasons I tend to avoid them.
> 
> Congrats on the amp... and those are some sexy photos.


i've been playing it for a week now..and i can't say i have any trouble with it...i play maiden, priest, ozzy, metallica, and i can do all their sound with simple adjustment in a second realy. and man does it sound good. lots of guys told me would never touch a marshall after boogie...now i know why..


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

SinCron said:


> How many pedals do you use? I wonder how many people on here prefer an amp with multiple options VS people who prefer a simple clear amp and a series of pedals. My roomie has an EH Graphic Fuzz and a small OD pedal to get different OD/Distortion sounds and just plays through a clear amp while I like to have everything I need right in there. He makes good arguments for people who get their sound from a pedal board though.


Down to 4 pedals, 3 of them true bypass. I'll likely be rid of one of them (Keeley Compressor) as I hardly have it on. The delay is used very sparingly on just a few songs and the chorus is almost never used. My hotwired overdrive gets the most use and that may even be eliminated to some extent when my Dr Z stangray arrives. Getting closer and closer to guitar straight in to amp.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Great photos of a great amp! It's nice to have choices in this amp world of ours, ain't it! The older I get the more I dig the all-in-one combo. Trouble is, no amp can deliver everything, though this Boogie makes a valiant effort.

I generally come from the less-is-more-in-an-amp camp, and throw some pedals in front as required, but basic EQ, ins and outs, master volume, standby, are things I much prefer. An amp needs to stand on its own, clean and dirty, as a sort of default position for me. If I wanted more amp features, the Boogie would be top of the list.

Just wondering if anyone hotrods these things or if folks are satisfied with them out of the box.

Peace, Mooh.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

only thing i MIGHT add will be a Analog Delay from Maxon eventually, but that's it. Reverb is perfect, and clean and full bore distortion is top gun, so no need for anything else.


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

Do you have a pic of the back panel?

I'm curious about what sort of options you have there for external speakers.

Also, is there a second footswitch jack on the back?

That single plug on the front could control two functions max (which ones?); that doesn't seem like enough, really.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Greg Ellis said:


> Do you have a pic of the back panel?
> 
> I'm curious about what sort of options you have there for external speakers.
> 
> ...


There are 3 speaker jack output. a precence knob, reverb knob, effect loop jacks, and a footswitch jack to controle QE, channel 3 and reverb.


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

Awesome. Gawd I want one now...


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Greg Ellis said:


> Awesome. Gawd I want one now...


hard to find...but once you've found one....YOU'RE IN PURE POWER HEAVEN..hehe :rockon2:


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

al3d said:


> i've been playing it for a week now..and i can't say i have any trouble with it...i play maiden, priest, ozzy, metallica, and i can do all their sound with simple adjustment in a second realy. and man does it sound good. lots of guys told me would never touch a marshall after boogie...now i know why..


Supposedly these were the amps that Stryper used for recording in the 80's (along with parametric EQ, and a few other effects). I'd say their sound sums up the MKIII tone. Always wanted to spend some time with one.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Diablo said:


> Supposedly these were the amps that Stryper used for recording in the 80's (along with parametric EQ, and a few other effects). I'd say their sound sums up the MKIII tone. Always wanted to spend some time with one.


Also, metallica Master of Puppet..


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

pretty sure a Mark III isn't too hard to find, just be prepared to ship from the states lol


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## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

Mooh said:


> Just wondering if anyone hotrods these things or if folks are satisfied with them out of the box.


I never hear of people hot-rodding Boogies. I like their tones, but I get the feeling that it has more to do with them being really a pain in the bum to tinker with. Don't amp techs absolutely hate these things?


Nice amp by the way. You like scooping the mids? I thought Boogies were all about the nice fat sound of a juicy mids mountain.
I changed the mid pot in my JCM800 from a 22K to a 50K plus an extra 10K resister to ground. That way I don't have to have that knob always turned all the way up


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

@Bubba, you can find some MKIII yes, but Mint ones are pretty rare, and special ones with a EVM12L. they are 20 years old you know.

@Bcmatt, don't know where you've heard that, but the 2 tech i use for my amps are in love with the MKIII, from what i'm told, very well constructed and realy easy to fix or maintain.


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## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

al3d said:


> @Bcmatt, don't know where you've heard that, but the 2 tech i use for my amps are in love with the MKIII, from what i'm told, very well constructed and realy easy to fix or maintain.


well, at least we can squelch the nasty rumors then. I apologize for my slander. I haven't even seen inside one.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

bcmatt said:


> well, at least we can squelch the nasty rumors then. I apologize for my slander. I haven't even seen inside one.


ahaha..no worries mate..


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

bcmatt said:


> I never hear of people hot-rodding Boogies. I like their tones, but I get the feeling that it has more to do with them being really a pain in the bum to tinker with. Don't amp techs absolutely hate these things?



Thats exactly the sentiment of a couple of amp techs that I had talked to when I owned my Mesa LSS for a short time.


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