Mark III sucks as a pedal platform. Advice needed!

[Elektrik_SIxx]

I'm currently touring in a Pink Floyd tributeshow with a Mesa Mark III combo while using drive pedals. These pedals are a Rat, Boss BD2 and a BYOC muff clone. The amp totally doesn;t do justice to these pedals. Besides, the amp is just way too loud ( in class a mode) for the rooms that we play ( 400-2000 seaters).

So the Mesa has to go and I'm looking for 40-50W amp, either 2x12" combo or head/cab. Clean headroom is important. Don't need channel switching or reverb. I dont' want to break the bank either. I basically want a British sound for this tour, not specifically Marshall or Vox although my pedals can get that too.

So far the candidates are:

-Bogner Barcelona
-Brunetti Singleman 35
-Fender Hotrod Deville ML

If anyone can point me towards the right amp, I'd be grateful. The Mark III, while a great amp on its own, just sucks for my purposes.

 

[Heady Jam Fan]

To each his own, but I can guarantee that amp works great with pedals! I used mine with a Rat for a long time until I stupidly sold the Rat. Crank the Rat a bit with a Strat and you have Gilmour, turn it down with a hollowbody and you have Scofield. I can get good tones from my Mark III in an apartment (very quiet) or large/outdoor gigs.

 

[QRSS]

blackface bassman

 

[kramerxxx]

I have a recommendation for you, as I have a Mark III blue.

Turn the first volume down to 4-5, Pulled, mids 5, bass 2, treble to taste. Remember that the presence control adds bite AND gain, keep it on the low side. DON'T use the Graphic EQ. then run the master volume higher.

 

[buddastrat]

I had several Mesas and a few other channel switching/high gain monsters, and they never seemed to like/react to pedals as well as I wanted or like my other "simpler" amps. Even running them low gain and flat EQ, simple OD pedals, I mean they worked, but , I was like "is it on?", I'd almost have to look to see if the light was lit. With the old Marshalls, if you step on it, you know it, everyone knows it. Maybe it's less circuitry to go thru or something, I dunno what makes that happen, but I like amps that are simple and easy. If it's got a bunch of knobs or a small army of 12ax7's, they ain't for me.

 

[dwoverdrive]

To each his own, but I can guarantee that amp works great with pedals! I used mine with a Rat for a long time until I stupidly sold the Rat. Crank the Rat a bit with a Strat and you have Gilmour, turn it down with a hollowbody and you have Scofield. I can get good tones from my Mark III in an apartment (very quiet) or large/outdoor gigs.

I have actually heard good things about these amps as a pedal platform. Plus I wonder how an amp with a great drive tone is being used only as a pedal platform. If the Mark III is too loud for a 2000 seat venue then I must be doing it wrong....

 

[Fishyfishfish]

Marshall Plexi or clone.

 

[logdrum]

You ever visited http://www.gilmourish.com

He has some excellent advice

Here's one on Bedroom Setup

http://www.gilmourish.com/?p=5345

 

[sleewell]

is this a joke?

 

[Heady Jam Fan]

I have actually heard good things about these amps as a pedal platform. Plus I wonder how an amp with a great drive tone is being used only as a pedal platform. If the Mark III is too loud for a 2000 seat venue then I must be doing it wrong....

All three channels sound great, and I find them easy to balance. However, I use it as a 2-channel amp personally just because I like the input gain set lower than ideal for the R2 (crunch) channel. I use the R1 clean channel as a pedal platform and I turn on the lead channel for leads. I set it with maybe just a touch of hair. Mostly its just nicely compressed to the point it absolutely sings.

 

[Teleman76]

Hi-Tone DG-50 you are doing Gilmour so that's my suggestion. This amp will do the pedals justice.

 

[Wyzard]

All three channels sound great, and I find them easy to balance. However, I use it as a 2-channel amp personally just because I like the input gain set lower than ideal for the R2 (crunch) channel. I use the R1 clean channel as a pedal platform and I turn on the lead channel for leads. I set it with maybe just a touch of hair. Mostly its just nicely compressed to the point it absolutely sings.

I have a recommendation for you, as I have a Mark III blue.

Turn the first volume down to 4-5, Pulled, mids 5, bass 2, treble to taste. Remember that the presence control adds bite AND gain, keep it on the low side. DON'T use the Graphic EQ. then run the master volume higher.

These, according to personal taste.

I have three Blues and a Green, and I use a Cornish SS-3 pedal to get results that I would put right up there with my K&M LTD (with Pacific transformers).

Something has, perhaps, been missed by the OP somewhere along the line; but I've all the sympathy for this, as I've been there, and burned great amps that I should've kept….. if only I'd known how to dial them in.

 

[kramerxxx]

A Mesa Mark is a hot-rodded Fender, basically. the attack and In-your-face response works really well as a pedal platform, IMHO.

Most folks use these amps with HIGH much preamp gain, and miss out on all the other amazing tones it can do.

 

[Elektrik_SIxx]

Thx for your replies, folks. Let me make it clear that I don't think the Mark III is a bad amp, just not as good as a pedal platform. I plugged my pedalboard into a hiwatt combo last week and the pedals sounded like they are supposed to sound. Before getting a new amp I will continue experimenting with the settings on the clean channel.

 

[Elektrik_SIxx]

is this a joke?

Haha, of course! Got you there! The Mark III is the best pedal platform ever! LOL

 

[Schafrocks]

I had a Mark III for many years. The clean channel was my favorite part of the amp. And, it took pedals great. I can't imagine not being able to get that tone with the right pedal. One if the bigger Pink Floyd tribute bands (can't think of their name) used a Suhr Badger set clean and a Suhr Riot pedal to get that tone. Of course, the right guitar and pickups, as well as his delay settings played a big part in that sound. Not what I would have thought but he nailed the Gilmour sound.

But I can't imagine the Boogie set clean with the right pickups, OD/distortion pedal, delay ,etc., getting the that tone.

 

[mixn4him]

What speaker is in the combo? Ever try running it thru a closed back cab? Dominic Miller got great tones for years with Boss pedals thru a MKIII