1988 Mesa Boogie Mark III Blue Stripe DRG in more recent shell Black

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This is a really nice example of Mesa Boogie's Mark III, a 1988 Blue Stripe model with the short chassis. The cabinet is newer than the amp, which was re-housed from a combo by a previous owner.

At its core, the Mark III offers three separate channels: a clean channel that is warm and lush, a rhythm channel with a gritty, midrange-focused sound, and a lead channel capable of producing searing, high-gain saturation.

The Blue Stripe designation refers to a specific iteration within the Mark III series, with the stripe indicating a brighter, more aggressive tonal character. The fourth revision or the Mark III, it is considered to be the most aggressive Mark Series Boogie. The power amp was also altered to mirror that of the IIC+.  

The amp boasts Mesa’s Simul-Class power section, which combines Class A and Class AB amplification for a blend of warmth, dynamics, and headroom.  

Just in case you're not a Boogie nerd:

In a typical amplifier, the power section operates in one of two main configurations, here is some info:
Class A: All output tubes are conducting current throughout the entire cycle of the signal (i.e., 100% of the time). This creates a warm, rich, harmonically complex tone with smooth overdrive, but it’s less efficient and produces lower power, which is why pure Class A amps tend to have lower wattage.

Class AB: In this mode, the output tubes alternate between conducting current, which makes it more efficient and able to produce more power. This results in greater headroom and more volume, but it doesn’t have the same level of harmonic complexity or smooth overdrive as Class A operation.

Mesa Boogie’s Simul-Class design essentially combines these two approaches in one amp. It uses both Class A and Class AB circuits working together to create a hybrid power section. Typically, two tubes in the amp are operating in Class A, providing warmth and harmonics, while two other tubes are running in Class AB, providing power, headroom, and efficiency.

For example, in a Mesa amp like this Mark III, when running in Simul-Class mode: Two of the power tubes (the outside pair - the EL34s) operate in Class A, creating that rich, harmonically complex tone that guitarists love for its warmth and smooth overdrive.  The other two tubes (the inside pair - 6L6s) operate in Class AB, giving the amp more volume, punch, and clarity at higher output levels.

This blending of Class A and Class AB allows guitarists to have the best of both worlds: the sweet, singing overdrive and harmonics of Class A, paired with the clean headroom and power of Class AB. As a result, amps with Simul-Class sound more dynamic, providing a richer and more versatile tonal palette.

The switch on the back moves you from Simul Class operation to Class A, allowing you to lean only on the EL34s in Class A operation, dropping the power and increasing saturation.

And another nerdy thing - the DRG designation in the title of this listing - DRG means Simul Class, Reverb and Graphic EQ.   HRG is another designation, meaning one hundred watts, reverb and graphic EQ.

So anyway, this amp operates perfectly.  When it arrived here, we tested the tubes, as we always do.  All four of the 6L6 tubes that came with the amp tested well, but one of them is loose at the base.  So, we swapped in a new set of Svetlana EL34s in the outer power tube sockets.  

The amp is everything described above!  A beast!

Case/Cover?: No
Color: Black
Dimensions: W18-1/2" x H8-1/4" x D10-1/2"
Weight: 39 lbs
Watts: 60 Watts
Date: 1988
Power Transformer Brand/Codes: See pics
Choke Transformer Brand/Codes: See pics
Output Transformer Brand/Codes: See pics
Reverb Transformer Brand/Codes: See pics
Extension Speaker Out? Yes
Effects Loop?: Yes
Reverb or other effects?: Reverb
Power Tubes: 2 x 6L6, brand new matched and 2 x EL34  Original Mesa tubes included, tested fine one with loose cap.
Power Tube Brand: JJ/Svetlana Electronic Devices
Preamp Tubes: 4 x 1Ax7, 1 X ecc83
Preamp Tube Brand: Mesa, JJ
Filter Caps: Original
Pedal: No
Pots/Codes: Original
Tolex/Tweed: Updated shell
Knobs: Original
Handle: Updated shell
Power Cord: Original
Notes:

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