Just bought a 1986 Mark III Purple Stripe, wood cab, Simu-class, reverb, EQ amp. And like yours it has been sitting with original tubes and everything in an attic for 30+ years! Took it right to the tech, and now I have to wait! Did yours need much servicing after sitting so long?
Great review of this wonderful amplifier. Thank you so much. I recently purchased a Mark 7 Mesa boogie amp. I know the mark 2C sound is not the same as it does not have the same speaker . Hopefully it sounds at least 85 to 90% the same as your wonderful sound in Mark 3.
Great video and playing. thank you so much for the info on my mark 3. I have been messing with it for years trying to get the right Santana tone and you're like the only person on the Internet that actually went through it and showed me everything I needed to know. thank you
The Mark 3 the most underrated of the Mesas . I have a green strip that I shipped to mike B to the + mod . It’s so incredible. You’re amp looks beautiful
Red stripes were the best. Also, the natural wood cabs with the wicker front always sounded best to me. And the EVM sounds amazing. But it makes the amp, already heavy, that much heavier. In fact, they often would come with castor wheels to move them.
@@rollysguitars Great tone makes up for a lot of things. I had a Boogie 50 Cal combo in the 80s and 90s. Loved taht thing. Not the lightest amp but one big reason why I got it over the Mark III was the weight. It had a Celestion rather than an EV. It sounded amazing, like the best Marshall ever hybridized with a blackface. The Marks were hit and miss because of the red and blue stripe thing. The reds sounded a lot better. I think the presence was better. Wasn't crazy about the Mark IV but think the V is an improvement. Also loved the Studio .22 combo and rack mounted preamp and the .38 Special. Boogie made their name with combos before they ever made stacks. I think Randall started making stacks because Keith and Ronnie played Carlos' Boogie, loved it, and wanted it in a loud stack configuration. Anyhow, that's the story I heard. They make great stacks as well. Their cabs put every other cab on the market to shame.
I got a wood and wicker S O B and keep it in a road case. On wheels. It's heavy but it's what I wanted for years. Now I gotta live with it. Weight and all.
I have to say, I’ve always had a thing for that amp aesthetically. If I had a studio, I’d buy one just for decoration. That it sounds great is a bonus 😄.
I have had the Red Stripe Mark III long head version for close to seven years. Same thing for me… having had numerous amps (including other Boogies), this is hands down the best amp I’ve owned. I run it with a 4x12 Recto Traditional. I also have a wicker-grille Mark IV flame-maple 1x12 (an EVM12L) that I exclusively use as a satellite for the Red Stripe. My only advice would be mine favours original 70s Tesla EL34s and Sylvania 6L6s (both extremely hard to get nowadays) in the power section. A night and day difference over modern-production valves.
Forgot to say… it’s the feel and openness that does it for me. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. It’s funny, I ended up ditching the analog delays I had (‘79 Deluxe Memory Man, both versions of the Diamond Memory Lane), as the Red Stripe didn’t gel with them. Ironically, it loves a Strymon Timeline through the FX loop… D Bucket engine on around 500ms. Sounds magical for leads.
Hi, hope you're well? Just watched your video on your mark 111. Very enjoyable. Have a wood grain identical to yours. Didn't know that about the red stripe so went & checked mine which has a red stripe..... Have only played it at 3 on master volume a few times since I purchased in 1987!!!! Very Loud. Was wondering if you had disconnected the fan...I couldn't hear it going in the video. David
Oh, and I have a Two Rock Gainmaster 35, which is a spectacular amp. Aside from the Mark II, and the 2 Rock, I have a Marshall SV20H, that I run into a JBL K120, Sebago cab. I also have an old Silver Faced Twin Reverb. (1976). Between these four amps, I can get anything throughout Rock History. Well, except a Vox AC30, EL-84 thing. Definitely want a Z Wreck! Or, a Mesa Lone Star Special.
How does this Mark III compare to the Fillmore 100? I know both are equipped with 4 6L6's and both have pretty good wattage. I realize it doesn't have a 5 band EQ, but could you get some of that thick bark tone you opened with in the video on the Fillmore? Thanks
The Mark III is really nasty - in a good way, with very thick middle range and you can boost it even more with the EQ. the Fillmore has a thick tone too, same heritage...not as nasty as the Mark III...I like the Fillmore 100!! Amazing FX loop it has, great clean...nothing wrong with it. A Mark III is much more collectible though...
@@rollysguitars Ok. I was going to buy a Fillmore 100 combo but then it sold. A new one's about $2,000 on back order so for the last few days, I've have just been listening to Fillmore 50 amp demos back to back as well as some other Mesas like the Nomad 45, Mark III, and Triple Crown. They all were around that 2 grand price range but I wasn't sure which to get. The Fillmore 50 as much as I liked it, always seemed to sound just a bit too shrill and not as saturated as a Mark III. The Nomad 45 on Reverb with the maple wood (it's still up) was gorgeous plus El84's were tubes I was familiar with. But since Nomad 45's were usually at $1,200, I felt it was just a bit overpriced at $2,000 even though it was a beautiful amp. Triple Crowns were nice but especially with the changeable tube bias, but head and cabs weren't really my thing and I thought the combos just didn't look that good. It was between the Fillmore 100 and Mark III. Then I came back to this Mark III demo and my mind was made. 1:08 was all I needed to hear. I'd rather take hours tweaking the knobs and eq for THE right tone, than accept a Pretty good tone and call it a day. Just bought a 1989 Mesa Boogie Mark III Green stripe simul class. It's got 85 watts, 2 6l6's 2 El34's, and it's gonna be a badass amp. Cheers Rolly
Mine is the same as yours , but a blue stripe. I love mine and traded my llC+ for it , when the lll just came out. I’m Not sorry. This is the best amp I’ve ever heard. Yes, I lost value compared to the llC+, but it’s a better amp. Just because everyone’s gone crazy over the llC+ , doesn’t mean that the llC+ is better. Remember, opinion are like assholes. Everyone has one. The Mark lll is the Best Boggie. Yes they weigh as much as a car...😩😩😩😩. They can also blow walls down. I keep mine in it’s road case.. I could never bond with my 96’ PRS Custom 24 10top. My Les Paul is for me.
Would be cool to hear that Les Paul Custom into this amp. Not to mention a Strat. Very tasty tone's here man. I have tried like hell to dig the PRS's and just can't quite get there with them. Really can't put my finger on why either (no pun intended). Maybe 50 plus years of Strat's and Les Paul's and SG's has something to do with it.
A wonderful 60th Anniversary Gibson Les Paul '59 Historic and a Fender Custom Shop Telecaster have just arrived here to my studio and I'm going to shoot some videos about them using this amp :-) so follow me and you won't miss those videos :-) thanks for watching!!!
I think it is because of their pickups. I played an early 2000'ish McCarty Arch-top. Like a $4000.00 guitar, and I didn't like it at all. Tried a more recent one, with different pickups and it was great! Go figure?
@@rollysguitars Santana uses very little gain volume and a lot output volume )) His strings make no noise at all when he goes over the strings with his hand
The only thing wrong with this video is... the fact that you have the clean channel, or V1 gain stage at 7.5 - 8. Key difference between the Mark II's and the Mark III's is that the Mark III's have more gain in the V1 gain stage. Yes, I have one. It's a blue stripe. Like I was saying, the main diff between the Mark II's, and the Mark III's is that little bit more gain in the V1 tube. I live in fairly close proximity to the Mesa Boogie HQ in Petaluma, CA. I know what I'm talking about. These are seriously fantastic amplifiers! Greatly overlooked! A smoking amp for about an even G. If you don't take advantage of the exrtra gain in the V1 tube, you are not utilizing the full potential of this incredible amp! yeah, it's different from a King Snake, or Mark iv, OR v. The Mark III is a different beast! Dime the V1 gain stage! I can't say it loudly enough.
@@rollysguitars Oh, and one more thing that I've discovered, especially if you dig Trey Anastasio and the band, Phish, whom is a well renowned player of the Red Stripe. He uses 2 Tube screamers into a Ross compressor, to slam the front end. My fave is a Wampler, Tumnus into the Ross, and then a Maxon, Sonic Distortion. Just my personal preference, after having shoved many pedals at it. If you get the mastere volume right around 4, these things turn into an entirely different beast. They almost ply themselves, and that is ridiculously loud, to have the V1 dimed, and the MV around 4. It'll start to peel the paint off the walls, so be careful!
Hands down this is the BEST AMP I've ever had. This 34 years old, all original, Boogie Mark III (red stripe) is such a raw sounding beast!
Lead channel pull the treble shift for Santana tone and turn off the EQ You also need a 10 meter guitarcable and that is no joke
Just bought a 1986 Mark III Purple Stripe, wood cab, Simu-class, reverb, EQ amp. And like yours it has been sitting with original tubes and everything in an attic for 30+ years! Took it right to the tech, and now I have to wait! Did yours need much servicing after sitting so long?
Great review of this wonderful amplifier. Thank you so much. I recently purchased a Mark 7 Mesa boogie amp. I know the mark 2C sound is not the same as it does not have the same speaker . Hopefully it sounds at least 85 to 90% the same as your wonderful sound in Mark 3.
i love your videos. especially the jtm 45! cheers! happy easter
I've never played a real one, but the version of this amp in Amplitube has become my favorite
I haven't either but I agree the mk3 was the best amp on Amplitude IMO
Great review ! Should I grab this hot deal I found on a mark iiii blue stripe simulclass ?will it sound very comparable to this red stripe?
That's a tremendous Mesa tone. Even through my computer it sounds distinct from other Mesa's I've heard in reviews videos
Thanks for watching!!!
Great video and playing. thank you so much for the info on my mark 3. I have been messing with it for years trying to get the right Santana tone and you're like the only person on the Internet that actually went through it and showed me everything I needed to know.
thank you
Glad it was helpful!
The Mark 3 the most underrated of the Mesas . I have a green strip that I shipped to mike B to the + mod . It’s so incredible. You’re amp looks beautiful
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Did the iii+ mod on mine, the cleans are so pristine now
I have an '85 Mark III (the 80th made) no stripe and it has been the best amp I've ever owned. And it is still in mint condition.
I have a red strip DRG too. Amazing amp, love it to death. Sounds killer with my custom 24 too! Great vid, loved it.
whats the difference between red or blue stripe ?
Great sounding amp
Wonderful tone! Love my Mark V 90W combo.
Thanks a lot!
Red stripes were the best. Also, the natural wood cabs with the wicker front always sounded best to me. And the EVM sounds amazing. But it makes the amp, already heavy, that much heavier. In fact, they often would come with castor wheels to move them.
Yes these are amazing! I don't care about the weight if it sounds like this
@@rollysguitars Great tone makes up for a lot of things. I had a Boogie 50 Cal combo in the 80s and 90s. Loved taht thing. Not the lightest amp but one big reason why I got it over the Mark III was the weight. It had a Celestion rather than an EV. It sounded amazing, like the best Marshall ever hybridized with a blackface. The Marks were hit and miss because of the red and blue stripe thing. The reds sounded a lot better. I think the presence was better. Wasn't crazy about the Mark IV but think the V is an improvement. Also loved the Studio .22 combo and rack mounted preamp and the .38 Special. Boogie made their name with combos before they ever made stacks. I think Randall started making stacks because Keith and Ronnie played Carlos' Boogie, loved it, and wanted it in a loud stack configuration. Anyhow, that's the story I heard. They make great stacks as well. Their cabs put every other cab on the market to shame.
I got a wood and wicker S O B and keep it in a road case. On wheels. It's heavy but it's what I wanted for years. Now I gotta live with it. Weight and all.
All of the Mark lll’s are great.
Not just the red stripe.
I have the blue stripe one. What’s the difference?
Can you play it on a normal volume or is it super super loud? In order to Sound any good?
Sounds great... I would love to hear my Yamaha SG through one of these... Think I'm going to be on the lookout for one :)
Thanks for watching!!!
It seems I'm not the only mark iii fan out there. Great video.
Not at all! I like this thing a lot! Thanks for watching!
I think the no strike black stripe is the closest to the iic as it has the exact transformers and the others don’t
I have to say, I’ve always had a thing for that amp aesthetically. If I had a studio, I’d buy one just for decoration. That it sounds great is a bonus 😄.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I have had the Red Stripe Mark III long head version for close to seven years. Same thing for me… having had numerous amps (including other Boogies), this is hands down the best amp I’ve owned. I run it with a 4x12 Recto Traditional. I also have a wicker-grille Mark IV flame-maple 1x12 (an EVM12L) that I exclusively use as a satellite for the Red Stripe. My only advice would be mine favours original 70s Tesla EL34s and Sylvania 6L6s (both extremely hard to get nowadays) in the power section. A night and day difference over modern-production valves.
Forgot to say… it’s the feel and openness that does it for me. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. It’s funny, I ended up ditching the analog delays I had (‘79 Deluxe Memory Man, both versions of the Diamond Memory Lane), as the Red Stripe didn’t gel with them. Ironically, it loves a Strymon Timeline through the FX loop… D Bucket engine on around 500ms. Sounds magical for leads.
Thanks for watching and for the advices!!
Incredibly versatile amp. It does way more than Santana.
yep!!
Hi, hope you're well? Just watched your video on your mark 111. Very enjoyable. Have a wood grain identical to yours. Didn't know that about the red stripe so went & checked mine which has a red stripe..... Have only played it at 3 on master volume a few times since I purchased in 1987!!!! Very Loud. Was wondering if you had disconnected the fan...I couldn't hear it going in the video. David
Thanks, you too!
Oh, and I have a Two Rock Gainmaster 35, which is a spectacular amp. Aside from the Mark II, and the 2 Rock, I have a Marshall SV20H, that I run into a JBL K120, Sebago cab. I also have an old Silver Faced Twin Reverb. (1976). Between these four amps, I can get anything throughout Rock History. Well, except a Vox AC30, EL-84 thing. Definitely want a Z Wreck! Or, a Mesa Lone Star Special.
Isn't you speaker 🔊 destroyed?
The white/gry edge you can see on the back of your amp/cabinet,
But it's still sounding wonderful 🤘😊😎
I’m getting one exactly like this on Wednesday. But a green stripe!! - just got it and put a “short” on my channel
hi, i got the same amp, what is your setting for the crunch channel?
How does this Mark III compare to the Fillmore 100? I know both are equipped with 4 6L6's and both have pretty good wattage. I realize it doesn't have a 5 band EQ, but could you get some of that thick bark tone you opened with in the video on the Fillmore? Thanks
The Mark III is really nasty - in a good way, with very thick middle range and you can boost it even more with the EQ. the Fillmore has a thick tone too, same heritage...not as nasty as the Mark III...I like the Fillmore 100!! Amazing FX loop it has, great clean...nothing wrong with it. A Mark III is much more collectible though...
@@rollysguitars Ok. I was going to buy a Fillmore 100 combo but then it sold. A new one's about $2,000 on back order so for the last few days, I've have just been listening to Fillmore 50 amp demos back to back as well as some other Mesas like the Nomad 45, Mark III, and Triple Crown. They all were around that 2 grand price range but I wasn't sure which to get. The Fillmore 50 as much as I liked it, always seemed to sound just a bit too shrill and not as saturated as a Mark III. The Nomad 45 on Reverb with the maple wood (it's still up) was gorgeous plus El84's were tubes I was familiar with. But since Nomad 45's were usually at $1,200, I felt it was just a bit overpriced at $2,000 even though it was a beautiful amp. Triple Crowns were nice but especially with the changeable tube bias, but head and cabs weren't really my thing and I thought the combos just didn't look that good. It was between the Fillmore 100 and Mark III. Then I came back to this Mark III demo and my mind was made. 1:08 was all I needed to hear. I'd rather take hours tweaking the knobs and eq for THE right tone, than accept a Pretty good tone and call it a day. Just bought a 1989 Mesa Boogie Mark III Green stripe simul class. It's got 85 watts, 2 6l6's 2 El34's, and it's gonna be a badass amp. Cheers Rolly
@@leovilla1857 Nice one Mate! Enjoy it! Good choice!!
Because of this video I bought one! Thank you
Mine is the same as yours , but a blue stripe.
I love mine and traded my llC+
for it , when the lll just came out. I’m Not sorry.
This is the best amp I’ve ever heard.
Yes, I lost value compared to the llC+, but it’s a better amp.
Just because everyone’s gone crazy over the llC+ , doesn’t mean that the llC+ is better.
Remember, opinion are like assholes. Everyone has one.
The Mark lll is the Best Boggie.
Yes they weigh as much as a car...😩😩😩😩. They can also blow walls down.
I keep mine in it’s road case..
I could never bond with my 96’ PRS Custom 24 10top.
My Les Paul is for me.
I agree. I'd take a Les Paul over a PRS any day. The PRS's usually have a nice and comfortable neck, the the LP's .......to me just sound better.
Thats in great condition, sounds amazing.
It does! Thanks a lot for watching!
Would be cool to hear that Les Paul Custom into this amp. Not to mention a Strat. Very tasty tone's here man. I have tried like hell to dig the PRS's and just can't quite get there with them. Really can't put my finger on why either (no pun intended). Maybe 50 plus years of Strat's and Les Paul's and SG's has something to do with it.
A wonderful 60th Anniversary Gibson Les Paul '59 Historic and a Fender Custom Shop Telecaster have just arrived here to my studio and I'm going to shoot some videos about them using this amp :-) so follow me and you won't miss those videos :-) thanks for watching!!!
I think it is because of their pickups. I played an early 2000'ish McCarty Arch-top. Like a $4000.00 guitar, and I didn't like it at all. Tried a more recent one, with different pickups and it was great! Go figure?
True sound of electricity 🤩
Thanks for your kind words and for watching my video! Cheers!
Wish I had gear like that when I couldn't play
Going to buy a mk3 green stripe this week for my Bday 🎉 Merica' FK YEA
I thought this was the classic sound too tho
PRS into a mesa boogi in the 90s
Yeah man and I love this sound! Thanks for watching
Nice Cover The Amp Sound Big !
Thanks a lot for watching!
Lead channel pull the treble shift for Santana tone
I agree. Yes I tweaked my settings since this video...
@@rollysguitars Santana uses very little gain volume and a lot output volume )) His strings make no noise at all when he goes over the strings with his hand
the best amp by boogie
Thanks for watching! Yes I think so!!!
The only thing wrong with this video is... the fact that you have the clean channel, or V1 gain stage at 7.5 - 8. Key difference between the Mark II's and the Mark III's is that the Mark III's have more gain in the V1 gain stage. Yes, I have one. It's a blue stripe. Like I was saying, the main diff between the Mark II's, and the Mark III's is that little bit more gain in the V1 tube. I live in fairly close proximity to the Mesa Boogie HQ in Petaluma, CA. I know what I'm talking about. These are seriously fantastic amplifiers! Greatly overlooked! A smoking amp for about an even G. If you don't take advantage of the exrtra gain in the V1 tube, you are not utilizing the full potential of this incredible amp! yeah, it's different from a King Snake, or Mark iv, OR v. The Mark III is a different beast! Dime the V1 gain stage! I can't say it loudly enough.
Yes I've already figured it out since I released this video! Gain 1 is on 10 now :-) Rock n roll! Thanks for watching :-)
@@rollysguitars That's great news. Oh, and definitely pull the, BRIGHT switch, that adds even MORE than these things can deliver! More is more.
@@CaseEJoanz yes that bright switch is always activated!
@@rollysguitars Oh, and one more thing that I've discovered, especially if you dig Trey Anastasio and the band, Phish, whom is a well renowned player of the Red Stripe. He uses 2 Tube screamers into a Ross compressor, to slam the front end. My fave is a Wampler, Tumnus into the Ross, and then a Maxon, Sonic Distortion. Just my personal preference, after having shoved many pedals at it. If you get the mastere volume right around 4, these things turn into an entirely different beast. They almost ply themselves, and that is ridiculously loud, to have the V1 dimed, and the MV around 4. It'll start to peel the paint off the walls, so be careful!
@@CaseEJoanz I'm on the lookout for a Red Stripe. Any chance you know where I can find one for sale? Thanks!
WOW. It's even got the ElectroVoice EVM12L !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah man! That makes it even heavier :-) Thanks a lot for watching!
Original owner here of a 1986 Purple stripe, 60/100 in wood and wicker, EQ and reverb.Dead mint! Why? I just hate the tone.
Sell it to me!
You lucky duck!