It feels nice to know a bit about the history of what made the difference inside the amps. One of the most important amps mesa boogies history, the mark iii launched in. The mesa boogie mark series is a series of guitar amplifier made by mesa engineering more commonly known as mesa boogie. The original mark i was actually a modified fender princeton amp, and was made in 1969. A brief history of mesaboogie amplifiers reverb news. The drg stands for simulclass, reverb, and graphic eq, and ill guess lc stands for long chassis. Mesa boogie mark iii blue stripe simulclass preowned. Mesa boogie mark iii versions configurations mark iii 60watt combo 1985 1988. Randall smith, the creator of mesa boogie, began his career at prune music, a chinese grocery store turned music shop. Its tricky to set up and you need to be aware of a few things. The unofficial history of the mesaboogie mark series. The mesa boogie mark iv is my favorite amp of all time, and the one piece of gear i have a real emotional attachment to this specific head in particular, from the early 90s. Unfollow mesa boogie mark to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Ive heard some awesome tones out of mark iiis before, b.
Marco sfogli used to play rash guitars, a small italian company then switches to ibanez guitars and now play them exclusively. This used mesaboogie mark iii head and 2x12 cab is in very good condition with only minor wear. When people come up to compliment you on your tone, you can smile knowingly. Mesa boogie mark iii 3channel 60watt 1x12 guitar reverb. Mesa boogie mark iii maintenance and service guide like all tube amplifiers, the boogie requires some maintenance from time to time. While the original boogie is the brainchild of randall c. Mesa boogie drg special ordereddie money randalls rsc. The original concept was built for an unsuspecting barry melton of country joe and the fish, then tested and named by carlos santana.
This amp is the socalled purple stripe 1986 or second revision of the mark iii. Mark iii cream red stripe drg mark iii cream purple. But unlike solidstate equipment the boogie is user maintainable and user friendly at maintenance time. The boogie magazine ads had me salivating with descriptive phrases like, this is the sound of the 80s, like the brownest of customized marshall. In addition, the ease of setting it made versus mesa mark iii a big impression on me. Mesa boogie mark iii blue stripe playthrough youtube. I am a mesa boogie fan and have owned at various times an original mark i, a studio.
The green stripe revision from 1989 and onward was only offered in simulclass, and ran the outer pair of power tubes as pentodes rather than triodes to gain an extra 10 watts of power in both modes, making it switchable between 85 and 25 watts. Dont know exactly where other strips may fall into. Before long, separate channels for rhythm and lead will be commonplace. If your mesa amp requires a 4 inch fan, this is it.
One of the most important amps in mesa boogies history, the mark iii was. So, i had a mark iii red stripe which i was told was the holy grail of the mark iii s and the only problem i had with it was the fact that you can get a great overdrive tone or a great clean, not both at the same time. Boogie modified fenders, mark iiv, dual calibers, etc. Unfollow mesa boogie mark iii to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Mesa boogie is a leading innovator of guitar amplification technology whose product line includes the mark v, dual and triple rectifier, lone star, transatlantic, mini rectifier, and most recently the new mark five. This version is the blue stripe, the fourth revision mark iii which featured a blue marker stripe above the power cord. It has a 14 inch input for your instrument as well as for a foot switch, and has three switches.
It became so frustrating that i sold it after a few months as i could not perform live with it. Ive been going through a fr system for some years now but am thinking about going back to the boogie. The mesa boogie mark series is a series of guitar amplifier made by mesa engineering. The following guidelines should be taken into account. Mastertone out of a 1985 mesa boogie mark 3 and 1962 fender. Over four decades later our current mark series designs are a living history of mesas contributions and a tribute to the evolution of electric guitar tone. Working as a repair tech while his business partner and friend, david kessner, ran the front, smith quickly gained a reputation with the local san francisco bay area musicians. Find great deals on ebay for mesa boogie and mesa boogie mark. It introduced a third channel, a crunch rhythm sound right in between the rhythm and lead channels. Youve just become the proud owner of the worlds finest guitar amplifier. The amplifier had lead mode circuitry almost identical to. Comes with leather cover, switch doctors 2 way switch, nice shape,blue stripe. Wherever your tonal preferences lie, the mark iii used a different and more. As the title states, i have a mesa boogie mark iii 112 combo amp for sale.
Introduced in 1985, the mesa boogie mark iii was the third major version of this iconic upgrade of the fender princeton. Get the best deals on mesa boogie when you shop the largest online. Mesa boogie mark iii purple stripe tube combo, 1986. Ninety percent of problems can be remedied by simply changing one or more tubes. There was an urgency and bold punch to the soundthey seemed tighter and more cohesive. I ended up buying the new engl fireball 100 shortly after that but that gut feeling i had telling me to buy a mesa mark iii. The mark iii long head has been with trey since the 80s and has appeared in various configurations, including oftentimes hidden behind the cabs and rack or. Get the best deals on mesa vacuum tube head guitar amplifiers when you shop the largest online selection at. How to determine the age of a mesa amp our pastimes. Mark iii stripes what was done on the circuit board. Mark iii blue stripe marshall cab 2x12 celestion v30 shure sm 57 dimarzio crunch lab.
He says too much dialing in for him and thats why he wants to part with it. In march of 1985, the mark iii introduced the world to three footswitchable voices in one amplifier and took its position as the flagship of the line, the next step in the evolution of the mark series family of amps. Mesa boogie mark iii tropical hardwood, simulclass version. I have 2 mesa boogie mark iii one is a combo blue strip and the other is a short head red strip which i have a 212 mesa bottom both are just super, and im lookingfor another, you can spend days and weeks getting new sounds out of them. Dec 18, 2015 when you think of mesaboogie amps, two completely different sounds spring to mind. Get the best prices on our vintage mesa boogie both instore and online. We have the mesa boogie 1986 mark iii tube guitar combo amp in stock in our vintage collection.
By appealing to a wide swath of players, mesaboogie has become a giant in the world of highquality highgain amps, but theres more to the story. Performed by angelo romanazzo produced by livio colucci guitar used ibanez rgt42dx loaded with. Aug 10, 2007 the mark i continues to be a mesa boogie staple. The mark ii series lasted through 1985, when it was replaced by the 3channel mark iii series, which was produced through 1999. The mark ii b was offered as both a 1x12 and 1x15 combo. Tone secrets and history mesa boogie mark series mark.
It has an ev iirc, but it predates the simulclass feature so it lives on the 60 watt setting and i cant imagine or am afraid to find out how loud the 100 watt setting would be. Mesa boogie product catalogs guides 1985 20 weights. That modification is still on the books of official mods, which they send to their. Vintage mesa boogie 1986 mark iii tube guitar combo amp. The mesa boogie mark iiaiib ultimate master volume pedal trick posted on march 17, 2012 september 9, 2012 by jahnli the mark iia and iib series of mesa boogie amps contain a strange but fortuitous function, available only on these early mark amps, since the iic killed it off when they implemented a very nice effects loop. Shop now and receve free shipping on your order today.
Page 2 the mesa boogie itself is more like a fine musical instrument than a piece of commercial gear, and as such it will continue to reward you richly as you gain more practiced in its use. Throughout the 1980s, mesa continued to produce combo and head amplifiers, and began production of rack power and preamps, developing power amplifiers such as the m180190 and strategy series, as well as preamps such as the quad and studio. The mesa boogie mark iii is a guitar combo amp that is tube based and delivers 60 watts of power, although i believe there is a 100 watt version as well. Aug 10, 2007 meanwhile, the mark iii becomes the first amp to offer three modes. Mesaboogie mark iii operating instructions manual pdf download. One of the most important amps mesa boogies history, the mark iii launched in 1985 and brought. The amplifier was voiced so brightly, it is considered to be the most aggressive mark series boogie ever introduced.
In the course of reading about boogie, i saw that there was no one place i could go where i would get a detailed look at the various boogie models. Mesa boogie introduced the mark iv in 1990, and its one of those amps that has everything except the kitchen sink. Mesa boogie mark iii head and 2x12 cab, black, very good. The concept of the mark v was to provide players with the most popular elements of the mark series amplifiers that came before it while making it even more versatile than its predecessors and easier to use. I did this because i thought i could learn a lot about circuitselectronics, and also because i thought it would be a neat accomplishment to end my undergraduate career with. Other models developed in the 1980s included the mark iii, the son of boogie, and the studio. Mesa was started by randall smith as a small repair shop which modified fender amplifiers, particularly the diminutive fender princeton. Vintage mesa boogie 1989 mark iii green stripe tube guitar amp head. A complete history of every mesaboogie guitar amplifier.
Mesa boogie mark iii 3channel 60100 watt guitar amp head 1987. Ive been offered one of these in a trade and im curious to see what you guys think of them. Mesa boogie 1987 mesa boogie mark iii purple stripe combo. Differences between mesaboogie mark iii redstripe and. We have the mesa boogie 1987 mesa boogie mark iii purple stripe combo tube guitar combo amp in stock in our vintage collection. The illustrated history of the worlds greatest amplifiers. The mark iii, like the mark ii had a few different versions over the period it was in production.
Decided to put this mark iii blue stripe through its paces with some riffs from the first theocracy album. Mesa boogie mark iii green stripe simulclass reverb. Just to clarify, the amp in the picture of the control settings is a iib with 10060 watts, reverb, and graphic equipment. Mark iii cream red stripe drg mark iii cream purple stripe. With three separate, footswitchable modes, you get the bluesy cleanliness of a classic fender rhythm 1, the nasty metalness of a marshall rhythm 2, and the heavy crunchiness with smooth lead sustain of, well, a mesa lead. The mark iii long head has been with trey since the 80s and has appeared in various configurations, including oftentimes hidden behind the cabs and rack or standing on its side next to one of the cabs.
The mark iii is 100w and since i do not play live is probably more than i. My personal mark iii is a small head simulclass blue stripe with the 5 band eq and no reverb, so ill be basing everything off of that. Mesa boogie mark iii blue stripe 1x12 combo imbuya hardwood evm 12l. Recently has been seen using a prototype of what would become his signature model, based on a premium line rg shape, this guitar was out in 2016 named the ibanez premium rg msm1. Mesaboogie also known as mesa engineering is an american company in petaluma, california, that manufactures amplifiers for guitars and basses. I left the mesa grill logo plate angled the way i got it as it may be a part of that history. Mesa vacuum tube head guitar amplifiers for sale ebay. The green stripe revision from 1989 and onward was only offered in. It is simulclass with the graphic eq, reverb and a 12 power switch. The amplifier was voiced so bright, it is considered to be the most aggressive mark series boogie ever introduced. Mesa boogie mark iii guitar amp for sale online ebay. The official mesa boogie online store for factory replacement parts, custom parts, hardware, shirts, hats and accessories.
So a buddy of mine asked me if i want to buy his mesa mark iii. In march of 1985, the mark iii introduced the world to three footswitchable voices in one amplifier and took its position as the flagship. But its so limited in other ways only does clean and powerstage overdrive, not even a master volume let alone channel switching, and doesnt seem to like attenuators that i suspect its not the answer to your question. Join facebook to connect with philip asselin and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Board index mesa boogie engineering products vintage amps before 1991. The mesa boogie mark series is a series of guitar amplifier made by mesa engineering more commonly known as mesaboogie. The third revision was the red stripe mark iii which featured a red marker stripe above the power cord. I know nothing about this amp though i do know mesa makes some fine gear. Vintage 1987 mesa boogie mark iii thiele stack sold. We always say that the mark five is a living history of mesaboogie. Mesa boogie mark iii simulclass 3channel 75watt guitar amp. A staff person at mesaboogie has stated to me that both the original and the reissue have a looser lead sound since the first two preamp stages occurs before the tone. Originally just referred to as boogies, the product line took on the moniker mark series as newer revisions were put into production.
Legendary tones my lovehate mesaboogie story, part i. The neighbors hate this mesa boogie mark iii coliseum youtube. For plug in wiring harness, order 250050 fan cord separately. Their records for the mark ii, iii and iv are great, but may not be complete for the mark i although they are very good. It has a 14 inch input for your instrument as well as for a foot switch, and has three switches one for eq inout, standby, and power. Now your new mark iii offers three footswitchable modes of operation. The mesa boogie mark ii debuted in 1978 and went through a number of soft design and name changes through 1985. I have a regular red stripe and can confirm these things are loud. May 07, 2017 decided to put this mark iii blue stripe through its paces with some riffs from the first theocracy album. Then the mark ii boogie was the first amplifier to introduce footswitching between lead and rhythm. Our current offerings, the mark five, the mark five. I would guess 15xxx to 18xxx is black stripe, 18xxx to 21xxx is purple, 21xxx to 24xxx is red, 24xxx to 26xxx is blue, and 26xxx to 28384 is green.
Aficionados of the latter, though, usually dispute this. Nothing beats a boogie 295 power amp from the mark iii era. With the mark iii i coul d get that tone in channel 2 at all but the very lowest volume the boogie had such balls. Aug 30, 2010 this rare 1979 mesa boogie mark ii amplifier head 60100w simulclass example, serial number 3866, features a rare blond tolex with corresponding wheat grill cloth, and remains in excellent original cosmetic condition. You have to really take some time and work to get not just the sound you have in your head maybe but even just a sound thats usable. Add the number from step 2 to 1985 for a mark iii amp to get the production year estimate. It all started here with the original boogie guitar amp. Aug 07, 2014 about this time, mesa introduced its mark iii amplifier, with three footswitchable settings from clean rythym, crunch rythym, to boogie lead. This classic mesa is a particularly rare version, is in great original shape, and sounds absolutely incredible. The fourth revision was the blue stripe mark iii which featured a blue marker stripe above the power cord.
The mark i mesa boogie amp manufacture rate was not as steady as later models. The mesa boogie mark iii combo added a third crunch channel to the boogie s standard rhythm and lead channels. Mesa boogie s own records for that series is also not as complete as the. With only reasonable care it should last a lifetime and, as experience has shown, a well kept boogie will maintain or. The blue stripe mark iii was the fourth version of the mark iii made between 19881989 and features a blue marker stripe above the power cord. Mesa boogie mark iii green stripe, simulclass, eq, reverb green stripe with eq and classasimulclass the last stripe in the mark iii series, the most rare works very good conditionmade in usa includes foot switch and cover. Just curious ive heard people say the only difference is a different transformer. Super sweet 1987 mesa boogie mark iii red stipe simulclass tube bubinga and cane combo with a factory original matching bubinga and cane mesa boogie thiele 1x12 closed back extension cabinet loaded with a matching mesa boogie black shadow speaker and ata flight cases. Run two 412 cabs with v30s, h30s, or greenbacks using a 295 to power your wet side send from guitar amp into effects, then 295, and a 412 in the middle for your direct dry amp tone and you will never be sorry again.
The original mark i boogie was the first amplifier to offer successful lead enhancement. For use on 100125vac system only, as found in north america, japan, etc. No boost, all gain from the amp, and settings as shown in the photo at the end. The thing to remember is that mesa boogie has, can and will customize and retrofit just about anything for the customer.
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