LIST YOUR TOP 5 MARK AMPS

List your top 5 Mark series amps, no particulars barred; stripe, dot, a, b, +, etc., with 1 being your favorite, and so on. You're welcome to list the entire Mark family if you're so inclined, and any details that you feel make each amp worthy.

Are these answers going to make you decide which amp you are trying to give your Lonestar up for? :wink:

~Nep~

Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, Mark IV, Mark V :lol:

GTS is so, so, right, this is an endless and pointless thread, just play some amps and stop dreaming. The great thing about all the Mark series amps except the V is that they're used gear, so it's not like you're gonna take a loss by trying something you don't like.

As soon as I'd read the title, I knew there would be trouble :lol: Sorry to say it, but these kinds of threads don't go well with this board

My favorite Mark amp is whichever one the end of my guitar cable is plugged into.

Pilgrimx,

It's cool man, I'm not a dick. If your looking for great cleans and excellent dirty, look no more after the Mark series. You won't ever be disappointed. I can relate man, no biggie.

~Nep~

CoG said:

Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, Mark IV, Mark V :lol:

GTS is so, so, right, this is an endless and pointless thread, just play some amps and stop dreaming. The great thing about all the Mark series amps except the V is that they're used gear, so it's not like you're gonna take a loss by trying something you don't like.

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:lol: :lol: :lol:

I just waiting for the Mark VI to come out. 20 years maybe? :lol:

The only marks ive played are my Mark III, my old Mark IV and a few hours on a guitar shop Mark V.

Id rate them...

#1 my purple stripe Mark III
#2 my Mark IVb
#3 the Mark V i played

Tone:
Coliseum mk iii
Mkiic+ short head
Mkiii red
Mkv
Mkivb
Mkiii no mark
Mkiib

Functionality:
Mkv :lol:

CoG said:

Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, Mark IV, Mark V :lol:

GTS is so, so, right, this is an endless and pointless thread, just play some amps and stop dreaming. The great thing about all the Mark series amps except the V is that they're used gear, so it's not like you're gonna take a loss by trying something you don't like.

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Why would I go to the Mesa/Boogie Board and ask for a list of favorite Mark amps? It's a site dedicated to Mesa amplifiers, not personal opinions. I'm such a Nub... Now I see.
I really expected a little more from this forum than pedantic finger wagging. But, I have to admit, I saw it coming. People can't resist fodder like that. Their beta-boss voices always come out: "Here we go ... we've been here so long, we know this AND that, bully bully..."
I appreciate the perfunctory :roll: responses, but next time you see someone asking a question you've seen before, remember that some of us don't live here--some of us have read for years on the sidelines--and either answer the post with respect or ignore it. You never know, you may be answering one of your guitar hero's one day. :roll: :mrgreen:

pilgrimx said:

You never know, you may be answering one of your guitar hero's one day. :roll: :mrgreen:

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Are you Santana, Gillis, Lukather, or any of the other Boogie players that know anything about guitar tone other than METAL????

JOEY B. said:

pilgrimx said:

You never know, you may be answering one of your guitar hero's one day. :roll: :mrgreen:

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Are you Santana, Gillis, Lukather, or any of the other Boogie players that know anything about guitar tone other than METAL????

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Metal is fine...for barn roofs.

pilgrimx said:

Metal is fine...for barn roofs.

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I agree, there is nothing wrong with heavily distorted guitar tones, as long as they are applied in good taste.

pilgrimx said:

Metal is fine...for barn roofs.

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The metalz is super cool man! It's teh br00talz that belong out in the barn. :lol:

pilgrimx said:

CoG said:

Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, Mark IV, Mark V :lol:

GTS is so, so, right, this is an endless and pointless thread, just play some amps and stop dreaming. The great thing about all the Mark series amps except the V is that they're used gear, so it's not like you're gonna take a loss by trying something you don't like.

Click to expand...

Why would I go to the Mesa/Boogie Board and ask for a list of favorite Mark amps? It's a site dedicated to Mesa amplifiers, not personal opinions. I'm such a Nub... Now I see.
I really expected a little more from this forum than pedantic finger wagging. But, I have to admit, I saw it coming. People can't resist fodder like that. Their beta-boss voices always come out: "Here we go ... we've been here so long, we know this AND that, bully bully..."
I appreciate the perfunctory :roll: responses, but next time you see someone asking a question you've seen before, remember that some of us don't live here--some of us have read for years on the sidelines--and either answer the post with respect or ignore it. You never know, you may be answering one of your guitar hero's one day. :roll: :mrgreen:

Click to expand...

Pilgrimx,

Good words my friend, and I totally respect what you said. Sadly, even around these places you will get snuffed. Hope you get the help your looking for.

~Nep~

You guys are missing the point... we ARE being helpful. You can debate this on the internet all day but it doesn't actually matter because you've either got $1200 or so to go and start cruising for used Marks, or you don't.

If you do, well, just get one and see what you think, and if you don't like it but you hear sounds from other Mark amps that you do, either come on here and ask "why doesn't my X sound like the Y in the clip" or (for example) go "hey, maybe the mark III green is a little too aggressive for the Santana tone I am into" and flip it for a different amp.

Since there's probably less than five guys on the board who have owned more than 5 different Mark amps, pretty much any list of "top 5" is going to involve a lot of 'well, I played it in a store for 20 minutes at low volume' or just talking **** about stuff you've never played (welcome to the internet!)

And if you would really rather read about amps on the internet than play them, there's a "Search" box there. Start with typing in "Mark I" and see what people have to say. Then move to "Mark IIA". You'll learn more about what people think about their amps than you could ever want to.

ryjan said:

My favorite Mark amp is whichever one the end of my guitar cable is plugged into.

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++++++++++++++++1!

Marks I have owned:

1978 Mark I GEQ 60/100 Rev modded with post Fx level effects loop and GEQ circuit placement
1984 Mark IIC+ DRG
Mark IVB head
Mark IVA combo
Mark III purple stripe head DRG
Mark III green stripe head DRG
1985 Mark IIC+ DRG
Mark III red stripe Coliseum head KDRG
Mark III blue stripe Coliseum head KDRG
Mark III green stripe head again (modded for bias and C30 capacitor)

Marks that I have played for an extended period of time:

Mark IIB (with Post FX Level mod)
Mark III no stripe
Mark III red stripe DRG
Mark V head


Once I discovered the Xotic RC Booster pedal, I quit looking for a 3 channel Mark series amp. :wink:

I currently own the 1984 and 1985 Mark IIC+ amps and an Electra-Dyne. Enough said! :twisted:

I own 12 Mark amps plus some other non-Mark Mesa amps.
I agree with what someone has already said here... my favourites are the Mark I, the II, the III, the IV and the V.

- Mark I 1977 60/100W head, export transformer, hardwood/wicker, reverb with GEQ placed after the master
- Mark IIC+ 60/100W combo, export transformer, hardwood/wicker, reverb, GEQ
- Mark III purple stripe 60W combo, export transformer, modded by Mike Bendinelli to "orange" stripe (actually a joke between us; he adapted it so I can use EL34 in it), reverb, GEQ
- Mark IVA combo, hardwood/wicker
- Mark V head

I'm a happy owner.