Changing a Mark III for a Mark IIB?

Hi guys, i currently own a fully loaded Simul-Class Green Stripe Mark III and i'm thinking to Change it for a Mark IIB, i use my boogie most for vocal singing leads, bluesy leads, classic rock and sometimes for fendery cleans, i don't play metal.
What kind of improvement i could have from changing my III for a IIB?
Thanks at all.
David.

You do realize your post is going to be Mark III owners -vs- Mark IIB owners because you used the word "improvements".

My buddy sold his full loaded simul class Mark III. I asked why, he answered: "I can't get the rhythm distortion channel" and the lead channel to cooperate together. One setting, sacrifice the other channel setting. And even at its best setting, I still prefer your Mark IIB lead tone. I can't get that tone. It (Mark IIB) doesn't get lost, buzzes out like my Mark III. Even when I set the preamp gain low, just can't fine tune it like yours.

The Mark III was successor of the Mark IIB because of the on-going market where guitarists were looking for more (preamp) gain.

So you are going backward with preamp gain.

Mark3Boogie said:

Hi guys, i currently own a fully loaded Simul-Class Green Stripe Mark III and i'm thinking to Change it for a Mark IIB, i use my boogie most for vocal singing leads, bluesy leads, classic rock and sometimes for fendery cleans, i don't play metal.
What kind of improvement i could have from changing my III for a IIB?
Thanks at all.
David.

Click to expand...

I've had a lot of Mark series amps and for me (one who shoots also for vocal singing leads/doesn't do metal etc) I would stay with the Mark III as you have so many options. However there is only one way to know and that's put both amps side by side and run your best licks through 'em. Also test with the same speakers, EVM's are what I use.

I've got a post up right now about Mike at Mesa Boogie doing his III+ mod to my recently purchased III. He changes the values of the III to Mark IIC+ values. The III has a different transformer and a different circuit so they will never be exactly the same. It arrives today!!!! I'm really looking forward to the results. The mod puts a volume control on the back of the amp for the Crunch rhythm balance also. Check my post out for more info.

My main amp is a 100 watt Mark IIc+ 100 watt reverb. No EQ or Simul-class. Its been my main amp for many years. I think the IIc's improvements over the IIb are significant but not everyone feels that way.

The Mark III Purple that I purchased certainly was sounding good when I sent it off to Mesa albeit I still like my IIc+ better for lead. It just sounds "Bigger"..... I bought the III as a back up amp and/or setting the Mark III up for ideal clean and crunch rhythm and using a a/b/c box to switch over to the Mark IIC for lead work.

I hate giving out tone advice without giving some audio reference, here is what I do with my IIC+: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVkEaeKayi0

I never had a IIB ever, so I can only tell you the following right out of my heart:

Shortly before I bought my first red I checked out a IIB at a man who wanted to sell. No EQ and no REV, 60W.
When I drove home after with the tram I was SO shaked by that experience that I forgot to get out quickly enough at my home station. All other people inside who did know me laughed.........I`ll never forget, was in 1986.......

Few years ago I reflected about strongly, if I should buy a IIB additionally but I dicided for a second red.

I`d also give you the advice to do an A/B check with your green, to be sure at the end what to do.
It`s hard for me to advise you selling your green for a IIB............ :wink:

Mark IIB with something like an xotic BB Preamp is a killer 3-channel amp – that's what unlocked the IIB as a *great* amp for me. I don't play metal, love Boogie leads, love Fender cleans, and love to get the Led out on a crunch channel

Using a pedal allows you to turn down the preamp gain a little bit on the amp, which helps with the clean + singing lead tradeoff, and gives you a third channel (fourth if you count clean / pedal crunch / lead / lead + pedal).

For me the downside of the IIB is the noisy FX + reverb and the thing that made me get rid of mine – the popping channel switching, which I couldn't deal with.

If you're going to go down the pedal route, the BB (or any of the xotic pedals) is a really good option as the tone stack is way transparent, it's got notches at 12:00 on treble and bass which I believe take the controls out of the circuit. Sounds that way, anyway.

Mark llB has an effects mod that will make the lead channel sing. I owned a Mark llB and used a Mesa studio pre amp in the front and that was really quite an incredible tone so I think if you messed around with different pedals and tubes you could get good tones for sure with the Mark llB. That said, the Mark lll is a chameleon of an amp. I personally have found every tone imaginable in my Mark lll. If you can try the Mark llB for a couple of days, you may be swayed to trade, but in my opinion you'll be sorry if you do get rid of your Mark lll.