Mesa Boogie Mark III as pedal steel amp?
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- Brandon Schafer
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Mesa Boogie Mark III as pedal steel amp?
Any one ever used a Mesa Boogie Mark III (75 watt Simul-Class with EQ) as a pedal steel amp? If so, any suggested EQ settings?
I know it is unconventional, but part of me wonders if it is crazy enough to work. The clean channel doesn't really break up when I use it with 6 string guitar. I'm going to give it a shot through my JBL K-130 and see how I fare.
I know it is unconventional, but part of me wonders if it is crazy enough to work. The clean channel doesn't really break up when I use it with 6 string guitar. I'm going to give it a shot through my JBL K-130 and see how I fare.
- Brandon Schafer
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- Rick Stratton
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I'm reviving this old post, as I've gone back to my 1988 Mesa Boogie Mark III simulcast, Blue stripe, as my favorite amplifier for pedal steel.
It's a combo with a Celestion 90 in the open-back combo, & an EV-200 in the Thiel extension. A great sounding combo.
Previously, I'd been using a Fender Supersonic Twin, which sounded a bit shrill.
I use the footswitch for overdriving the amp on a couple tunes, and I was thinking if I EQ the amp without the Parametric EQ and just kick it in with the overdrive, I'd get a more pleasing lead sound?
What do you think?
It's a combo with a Celestion 90 in the open-back combo, & an EV-200 in the Thiel extension. A great sounding combo.
Previously, I'd been using a Fender Supersonic Twin, which sounded a bit shrill.
I use the footswitch for overdriving the amp on a couple tunes, and I was thinking if I EQ the amp without the Parametric EQ and just kick it in with the overdrive, I'd get a more pleasing lead sound?
What do you think?
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Brandon,
I have a Boogie MkIII that has SIX POWER TUBES !!......This thing is a MONSTER and has great tone for pedal steel .....The Preamp section is the same setup as the Boogie Studio Preamp that so many pedal steel players use ..... I won't give you any EQ settings as they are up to the individual .... As you can see , the amp is very much adjustable , so you should have no problems getting a good tone from this amp .....Jim
I have a Boogie MkIII that has SIX POWER TUBES !!......This thing is a MONSTER and has great tone for pedal steel .....The Preamp section is the same setup as the Boogie Studio Preamp that so many pedal steel players use ..... I won't give you any EQ settings as they are up to the individual .... As you can see , the amp is very much adjustable , so you should have no problems getting a good tone from this amp .....Jim
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Brandon,
I have a Boogie MkIII that has SIX POWER TUBES !!......This thing is a MONSTER and has great tone for pedal steel .....The Preamp section is the same setup as the Boogie Studio Preamp that so many pedal steel players use ..... I won't give you any EQ settings as they are up to the individual .... As you can see , the amp is very much adjustable , so you should have no problems getting a good tone from this amp .....Jim
I have a Boogie MkIII that has SIX POWER TUBES !!......This thing is a MONSTER and has great tone for pedal steel .....The Preamp section is the same setup as the Boogie Studio Preamp that so many pedal steel players use ..... I won't give you any EQ settings as they are up to the individual .... As you can see , the amp is very much adjustable , so you should have no problems getting a good tone from this amp .....Jim
- Frank Sprague
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Mesa Boogie MK 3
Hi Brandon - I have a Mesa Boogie Nomad 50,the predecessor to the MK 4 w/no EQ. I always thought it sounded great with pedal steel , and with the 3 channels it's perfect with a 6 string. I've used a variety of speakers with it , JBL,PV BW, but the 12" 8ohm Telonics won . This amp cranks for 50 watts . . I had it for sale here but no interest . . . Franko
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I had one for a while, but to be honest I didn't like it as much as the 60 watt Mark IIB. That's the amp I should never have sold.
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I probably built that amp. They're quite rare. It sounds fantastic, but you have to get it up pretty loud to get the best tone out of it.James Quackenbush wrote:Brandon,
I have a Boogie MkIII that has SIX POWER TUBES !!......This thing is a MONSTER and has great tone for pedal steel ...
I'd be careful about saying that any two models from that era (early 80s) have the same preamp. The boss was experimenting quite a bit, using Steve Kimock's ears as his sounding board. Having the same circuit board doesn't mean that it's populated with the same components.Tom Gorr wrote:I believe the studio preamp is the same as the mk 2c+,
I left Mesa in 1985. Things probably stabilized quite a bit after I left. It was all pretty crazy there in the early days.
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I left in October 1985.
The Simulclass model wasn't tested with a pedal steel. It was a new concept at the time. I'm not surprised that it didn't work well for steel.
What speaker are you using? That makes a big difference. The 12" EVm speakers are the stock speaker that sounded best for steel. They weighed a lot, though.
The Simulclass model wasn't tested with a pedal steel. It was a new concept at the time. I'm not surprised that it didn't work well for steel.
What speaker are you using? That makes a big difference. The 12" EVm speakers are the stock speaker that sounded best for steel. They weighed a lot, though.
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I signed the inside of the chassis, under the input jacks, with a "B".
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- Dave Hopping
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I always loved the Wood Mesa cab with the cane grill.
Had a few Simul class 90 amps many years ago and as I recall it was 90 watts with a switch that cut it down to 25 watts. The 90 watts was too loud and the 25 cut switch was a bit raspy. I was playing 6 string electric at the time
I use a Mesa Transatlantic with a 5/15/25 watt switch
and the 25 watts is loud and the 15 watt setting is just right for lap steel or guitar. Go figure?
Had a few Simul class 90 amps many years ago and as I recall it was 90 watts with a switch that cut it down to 25 watts. The 90 watts was too loud and the 25 cut switch was a bit raspy. I was playing 6 string electric at the time
I use a Mesa Transatlantic with a 5/15/25 watt switch
and the 25 watts is loud and the 15 watt setting is just right for lap steel or guitar. Go figure?
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I thought I read once that the MC-90 speaker was Mesa's attempt to get the EVM tone in a lower price celestion...anyone ever compare the MC-90 with the EVM?b0b wrote:The 12" EVm speakers are the stock speaker that sounded best for steel. They weighed a lot, though.
Also...b0b, what was it that you liked about the MK IIb, and were the other amps you were comparing to also 60W?
One thing to remember is that the values of most resistors and capacitors are only accurate to plus or minus 10%. There is a randomness that occurs when amps are built - one part can be 5% over spec and another 10% under. That's why two amps made at the same day, even on the same bench, can sound different. The little parts that you pull out of the bins are not identical, just like two pieces of wood are not identical.
My Mark IIB had a special resonance that I've never found in another amp. It just sang. I didn't realize how special it was until a few years after I sold it, when I couldn't get that sound anymore. It had a sweet spot for country rock, in both the clean and lead channels. It had the perfect reverb tone and just the right amount of headroom.
My Mark IIB had a special resonance that I've never found in another amp. It just sang. I didn't realize how special it was until a few years after I sold it, when I couldn't get that sound anymore. It had a sweet spot for country rock, in both the clean and lead channels. It had the perfect reverb tone and just the right amount of headroom.
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b0b,
I'll check it out and see if I can find the "B" .....
That special resonance that you speak of is something that you will find in a Jim Kelley FACS amp ..... It gives the amp " bloom" and adds a natural sustain that is 2nd to none ....It's not a "buzzy" overdriven tone....Just a beautiful bloom that resonates freely especially on clean tones ......Short of going out and buying a Dumble amp , the Kelley gives me this tone in spades !!......Jim
I'll check it out and see if I can find the "B" .....
That special resonance that you speak of is something that you will find in a Jim Kelley FACS amp ..... It gives the amp " bloom" and adds a natural sustain that is 2nd to none ....It's not a "buzzy" overdriven tone....Just a beautiful bloom that resonates freely especially on clean tones ......Short of going out and buying a Dumble amp , the Kelley gives me this tone in spades !!......Jim
I got ya...my Heartbreaker gets singing in about the 4th set (that's about 5 hours of "on" time...I think the temperature shifts component values until things just hit the sweet spot.
It is indeed a very special quality, and I'm inclined to believe it happens in the negative feedback loop of the power amp section, because the feel of the amp changes with it....almost like some component is heated up so much, it becomes non-linear.
further, less negative feedback (none?) is said to make an amp have a more "open" and resonant quality. One of these days I'll build my own amp testbed and try these theories out for myself.
It is indeed a very special quality, and I'm inclined to believe it happens in the negative feedback loop of the power amp section, because the feel of the amp changes with it....almost like some component is heated up so much, it becomes non-linear.
further, less negative feedback (none?) is said to make an amp have a more "open" and resonant quality. One of these days I'll build my own amp testbed and try these theories out for myself.
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As b0b said , there were variable tolerances from amp to amp ....There are other variables also with heat , and other things as certain tubes will compress more than others ..... Once all these conditions or once these ducks all line up in a row so to speak , you end up with a very special amp .... Problem is , as b0b also pointed out , we sell these amps thinking that there is something better around the corner , and end up with the case of the "" one that got away " .....Jim
MY one's that got away ......An original Park 75, and a Matchless HC30 head ......
MY one's that got away ......An original Park 75, and a Matchless HC30 head ......
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- Carl Mesrobian
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I am thinking of getting a MB and get dizzy trying to choose one. I called Mesa and told them I play multi instruments (PSG, electric guitar, ojnab - that drum on a stick with strings, acoustic guitar, mandolin) -- Mesa mentioned the Lonestar. It looks huge, even as a 1x12.
There are several variations on the Mark IIB. Some have 5 band eq some don't. Then I think I've seen a 60/100W version. The Mark III's seemed to undergo various mods in their life (higher gain, etc) Wouldn't lower gain and more headroom be prefererable for PSG?
There are several variations on the Mark IIB. Some have 5 band eq some don't. Then I think I've seen a 60/100W version. The Mark III's seemed to undergo various mods in their life (higher gain, etc) Wouldn't lower gain and more headroom be prefererable for PSG?
--carl
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"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown