Did Mesa MkIIIs come in newer cabinets like these?

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

This is a 90s cab, and I know they made some Mk IIIs into the 90s, but I've never seen one like this.

 

[telecopter]

I don't think so, Dr. TB. I have had several and even the newer ones had the old school look. However the chassis is the same size as some of the newer non wide body models, therefore it would fit in a newer cab.

I put a Mark II in newer Mark IV cab once. Both were the non wide bodies...

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

I don't think so, Dr. TB. I have had several and even the newer ones had the old school look. However the chassis is the same size as some of the newer non wide body models, therefore it would fit in a newer cab.

I put a Mark II in newer Mark IV cab once. Both were the non wide bodies...

That's a bummer .... I bought this one and was thinking it was a clean original. It completely smokes though!!! I mean it is a great sounding amp, so it's not a big deal. I just kind of like originality.

 

[seajay]

That's a bummer .... I bought this one and was thinking it was a clean original. It completely smokes though!!! I mean it is a great sounding amp, so it's not a big deal. I just kind of like originality.

So tell us more about your Mark III. (Stripe color? Simul-class? etc.)

 

[GTRJoe]

I seem to recall the last new MK III's I saw in a store had the same cosmetics as the combo in the picture. I believe MK III's were made until 1999. So it would have to be a green stripe, and have a high serial number probably in the 27XXX to 28XXX range. There was some crossover of materials. So it could be original. I have 2 wide body 1X12's that have the old vinyl, but came with the raised logos. I later changed the logos to the old flat style to match my older amps. I also had a pair of Recto 4X12's that were covered in the old style vinyl. I special ordered those with greenbacks. Kinda wish I'd kept 1 on those.

 

[bluesmain]

dang thats sweet!

 

[Matt Gordon]

I had one but my chassis was shock mounted, and I had the Jacaranda wood upgrade. Back in the 80's, the (Mesa) tolex was much different than that stuff. Has to be a later model.

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

I seem to recall the last new MK III's I saw in a store had the same cosmetics as the combo in the picture. I believe MK III's were made until 1999. So it would have to be a green stripe, and have a high serial number probably in the 27XXX to 28XXX range. There was some crossover of materials. So it could be original. I have 2 wide body 1X12's that have the old vinyl, but came with the raised logos. I later changed the logos to the old flat style to match my older amps. I also had a pair of Recto 4X12's that were covered in the old style vinyl. I special ordered those with greenbacks. Kinda wish I'd kept 1 on those.

That's interesting..... and it is a 28XXX sn. I found some generalized information on these but nothing that broke down the SNs year by year. It very well could be the original case. It has the fan and the reverb bag in the bottom like my 80s red stripe combo and there is a sharpie hand written 1996 date on the chassis .... but that could be when it received the reverb or R2 mod. The guys on the boogie board seem to think it's a transplaneted head perhaps? I tried to call Mesa Boogie, but those guys are closed on Fridays! Man! I would love to work at Boogie

So tell us more about your Mark III. (Stripe color? Simul-class? etc.)

It's a green stripe, Simul-class, has the reverb and R2 mod, Black Shadow 200 watt EVM speaker, has Mesa 6L6s and JJ KT77s. It came with a Voodoo 4 button switch so I can control all three channels and the reverb. I have a red stripe combo too, but I think I like the green better..... the clean channel is amazing.

I paid $1050 for it...... which if you think about it, isn't bad at all considering this sounds better than any DR that I've owned.

 

[GTRJoe]

The date written on the chassis should be the date it was made. Mesa doesn't put a date on the amp when it's modified. The only things I've seen that document a mod are an "R" on the back means it has the reverb glitch mod. A "+" over the power cord means it has the C+ mod.
It could be a transplanted head but who cares. It's a great looking amp. So now you have pair of MK III combos? Excellent.

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

The date written on the chassis should be the date it was made. Mesa doesn't put a date on the amp when it's modified. The only things I've seen that document a mod are an "R" on the back means it has the reverb glitch mod. A "+" over the power cord means it has the C+ mod.
It could be a transplanted head but who cares. It's a great looking amp. So now you have pair of MK III combos? Excellent.

I popped the chassis out tonight and it has a 7/96 MB written on the chassis. Inside some of the caps seem to have a 96 in the numbers, so I expect that may be some date code.

I guess that must be the proper cab. I shouldn't really care like you say ..... it's a nice amp overall. Yep, I have a red and green stripe. Good amp for the money.

 

[rrhea]

It's a green stripe, Simul-class, has the reverb and R2 mod, Black Shadow 200 watt EVM speaker, has Mesa 6L6s and JJ KT77s. It came with a Voodoo 4 button switch so I can control all three channels and the reverb. I have a red stripe combo too, but I think I like the green better..... the clean channel is amazing.

I paid $1050 for it...... which if you think about it, isn't bad at all considering this sounds better than any DR that I've owned.

Congrats! Nice amps, those. Weird cab you have there, since I thought all of the Mark IIIs were in the shock mount cabinets (mine is). I just pulled my early 90's Green Stripe from the closet recently to play out with some younger guys. The clean channel is amazing! I had forgotten how great this little amp is. I am playing mine though my Bogner 2x12 cab, and I currently have a shell on order to convert it to a short head.

I love the Mark III! It is currently the subject of my blog (link below).

RR

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

Congrats! Nice amps, those. Weird cab you have there, since I thought all of the Mark IIIs were in the shock mount cabinets (mine is). I just pulled my early 90's Green Stripe from the closet recently to play out with some younger guys. The clean channel is amazing! I had forgotten how great this little amp is. I am playing mine though my Bogner 2x12 cab, and I currently have a shell on order to convert it to a short head.

I love the Mark III! It is currently the subject of my blog (link below).

RR

You can actually order a head shell? I'd love to do that!!

 

[rrhea]

You can actually order a head shell? I'd love to do that!!

You sure can. Just call up Mesa and they'll build one for you. They're about $250 -$300 for black tolex, depending on what you order (with/without reverb, fan, etc.)

Well worth it! I can't wait for mine to arrive.

RR

 

[Rich]

You can actually order a head shell? I'd love to do that!!

Check ebay too. They come up regularly and for a lot less than buying from Boogie. I picked up mine, virtually new, for like 125-150, IIRC.

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

I don't think that's the original cab. Yours is among the last Mark IIIs made, but they didn't look like that. I've owned 3 Mark IIIs, and they weren't like yours.

Actually, after a lot of research I do think it is correct. If you think about it, by 1996 Mesa was using the new cabs for all their product line. I dated this amp as a late 1996. The mounted fan and reverb tank inside the cab is just like my red stripe cab.

It's weird how different the red stripe compares to the Green.

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

Check ebay too. They come up regularly and for a lot less than buying from Boogie. I picked up mine, virtually new, for like 125-150, IIRC.

Yeah, that's a good idea too.

It's just the thing is so heavy with the EVM in there

 

[Stormin]

Definately not. In the Mark III days, the used a regular Tolex with some grain to it. That's the newer Black Taurus vinyl with jute grill cloth. I wanna say that's a post 2000 cabinet, but I can't give you exact dates.

Also didn't most Mark III's have the suspension mounting? If I had to guess, that cab was originally on a Mark I reissue.

Stormin!

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

Definately not. In the Mark III days, the used a regular Tolex with some grain to it. That's the newer Black Taurus vinyl with jute grill cloth. I wanna say that's a post 2000 cabinet, but I can't give you exact dates.

Also didn't most Mark III's have the suspension mounting? If I had to guess, that cab was originally on a Mark I reissue.

Stormin!

Sorry man, I researched all this quite a bit after starting this thread. Boogie used that cab from the early-mid 90s and on.... it's the correct cab. After the MkIV came out, very few MKIIIs were built, so most did have the 80s to early 90s tolex. The MkIII was built up until 1999.

I have other boogies from the same mid 90s era with the same tolex, grillcloth and logo.

 

[prs1999]

Go google search "the boogie board" forum. Those guys in there live ,breath and bleed Mesa .
I have never seen that strap system for screwing in the chassis . My MKII,MKIII, and MKIV all had the "sus4" shock absorbing head mounts
But,if you say it's correct,then who knows what Mesa's system of thinking is.
Sweet looking amp...did you get all the footswitches too?

 

[AdmiralB]

Definately not. In the Mark III days, the used a regular Tolex with some grain to it. That's the newer Black Taurus vinyl with jute grill cloth. I wanna say that's a post 2000 cabinet, but I can't give you exact dates.

Mesa was using Taurus as early as 1993 - here's a halfback I had, it was from mid-1993:

It had the Taurus and leather corners, but the old grill.

Having said that, I don't think the cab in question is from a Mark III. If you look at pictures of the latest Mark IIIs, they were still using the 'trim washer' mounting, not straps.

IMO that's a Mark IV cab.