Members Polaris20 Posted July 22, 2008 Members Share Posted July 22, 2008 Here's a DC-3 on eBay. A bit pricey though: http://cgi.ebay.com/Mesa-Boogie-DC-3-DC3-Tube-Guitar-Amp-Amplifier-Combo_W0QQitemZ140250950633QQihZ004QQcategoryZ10171QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MrVisual Posted July 22, 2008 Members Share Posted July 22, 2008 I saw some F-30s and F-50s, they seem easier to find than the Mark IV. Other than ebay, are there good sites to buy/sell used gear? Thanks, Marc F50 is among the best you can find for Petrucci tones. Or for any tones in fact. I recommend it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GodBlessTexas Posted July 22, 2008 Members Share Posted July 22, 2008 Your kid is good, and awesome on you for being supportive. I'm 32, been playing for 20 years, and my mom STILL hates the fact that I took up the guitar even though it's not what I do for a living. As others have stated, if the Mark IV is out of your price range, then some of the smaller Mesas will get you close to what you're looking for: the DC-3, F-50, etc. But every now and again a used Mark IV pops up in the $1200 range, and that's a steal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thenakedarab Posted July 22, 2008 Members Share Posted July 22, 2008 That's actually quite interesting... Now to find such a beast will be a quest indeed I didnt want to go the hotplate way, so something built-in to lower the ouput is a great option. Not as low as the express but... What do you guys think of the Express 5:50 or 5:25? (Thanks for the great suggestion btw). Marc No problem man, I'm just glad to see another person's parents support their interests the way mine did when I was a kid. I might not have ever made any real money off it, or done it for a living, but music has brought me so much personal pleasure and release in life, as well as many good friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Curtis.Fagan Posted July 22, 2008 Members Share Posted July 22, 2008 You know, we're all opting for Mesa here, which isn't a bad start at all, but Petrucci is also a tone master with his finger tips. His sounds are also part and parcel to his playing. I would say, from my experience, a Carvin X100B with a boost can get very close with less options and knobs to tweak. It's a really rad start for a young kid, made in America, and will ship right to your door. Used, they go for $350 usually, and are all tube, and have the similar graphic EQ. Now that said, they aren't the same, they are more a JCM800 sound, but with a boost and some clever EQ'ing, I've been able to get some mean ass tones and wicked lead sounds out of them, and they are 100, 50 and 25 watt optionable. For me, the price and flexibility are top notch, and worth it's weight. They're also very very loud for gigging rooms, and great at lower volumes in the bedroom/basement as well. Just a thought.... -Curtis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members heath Posted July 22, 2008 Members Share Posted July 22, 2008 Used peavey Ultra with a speaker change(I recommend emminence swamp thangs for any peavey as it really tames the honk). You can pick one of these up for near nothing used. Three very usable channels. The cleans are very clean, the crunch will handle the DT style crunch tones and the ultra will handle the heavy stuff and lead tones. He can use the xt live for effects in the loop and really get a good sound for not alot of cash. A JSX combo would be another great option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phyrexia Posted July 22, 2008 Members Share Posted July 22, 2008 Mark III, because it sounds enough like a IV and is half the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SUBnet192 Posted July 22, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 22, 2008 No problem man, I'm just glad to see another person's parents support their interests the way mine did when I was a kid. I might not have ever made any real money off it, or done it for a living, but music has brought me so much personal pleasure and release in life, as well as many good friends. Well, teenage is coming and I'm sure that'll be a great outlet for him. He actually asked me to try guitar, I never pushed him into anything. He's motivated, loves learning new songs, and the funny thing is he's discovering music in general as he goes along... He couldn't tell Pink Floyd from ACDC before but now I picked up guitar at the same time he did, so I could play with him. But kids being the way they are, he outclassed me within a year and I couldn't keep up. Now I'm just his gear provider And I like it lol (it pays off to see him play like that) Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SUBnet192 Posted July 22, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 22, 2008 I was sort of inclined towards the F30 a year ago or so, and for some reason, Mesa seems like the right choice. I was looking at the express 5:25 now because it looked like the replacement for the F30. The main issue with picking an amp is trying them to see what you like but in the area, all the dealers sell Line 6, cheap Fenders, etc... The closest Mesa dealer is 35km from here, and they're jerks (Steve's Music in Montreal). So I try to get as much information and recommendations as possible to make the fewest trips to the right places Your experience helps me tremendously! Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SUBnet192 Posted July 22, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 22, 2008 Your kid is good, and awesome on you for being supportive. I'm 32, been playing for 20 years, and my mom STILL hates the fact that I took up the guitar even though it's not what I do for a living.As others have stated, if the Mark IV is out of your price range, then some of the smaller Mesas will get you close to what you're looking for: the DC-3, F-50, etc. But every now and again a used Mark IV pops up in the $1200 range, and that's a steal. And where do you find a deal like that? on ebay? I hate auctions... Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BigFatPaulWall Posted July 23, 2008 Members Share Posted July 23, 2008 And where do you find a deal like that? on ebay? I hate auctions... Marc Who's paying for the amp? You? Your son? If you are, I would suggest waiting and getting the MKIV...maybe make it a Christmas present or something. Trust me, your son will be thanking you nonstop for years to come. You could have your son do extra chores around the house and such. That's what my dad made me do when I was a kid and I wanted a piece of gear. Unfortunately for me, I grew up in the country, so the "chores" involved some pulled muscles and the occasional scorpion sting (not fun!)...but it paid off. If you're really tight on money and can't wait, I would get him a MKIII just like someone else suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FastRedPonyCar Posted July 23, 2008 Members Share Posted July 23, 2008 Wait patiently for a mesa studio preamp to show up on ebay or the mesa forums classified section (or just post that you want one) then find a decent used rack mount power amp and you're golden. I used to run my preamp into a carvinT100 dual 50 watter. Sounded really good and yielded a very convincing "evening with JP and rudess" album tone as well as getting a good agressive "images and words" tone. fast forward to 3:30 if you wnat to cut to the chase [YOUTUBE]I-m84FIJx9c[/YOUTUBE] I also endorse the DC2/DC3 idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GodBlessTexas Posted July 23, 2008 Members Share Posted July 23, 2008 Mark III, because it sounds enough like a IV and is half the price. If you think the Mark III is half the price of a Mark IV, if we're talking both being used, then you haven't been watching prices recently then. The difference is between $200-400 now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ultron Posted July 23, 2008 Members Share Posted July 23, 2008 If you think the Mark III is half the price of a Mark IV, if we're talking both being used, then you haven't been watching prices recently then. The difference is between $200-400 now. yeah, I got mine last year for $650, which was an average price, now that's a steal.....crazy with these Boogie prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GodBlessTexas Posted July 23, 2008 Members Share Posted July 23, 2008 And where do you find a deal like that? on ebay? I hate auctions... Marc Ebay mostly, but sometimes I see them go that low on the Mesa Boogie forum. $1200-1400 seems to be the sweet spot for used Mark IV's, Dual Rec Solos, and Stiletto Deuces/Tridents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GodBlessTexas Posted July 23, 2008 Members Share Posted July 23, 2008 yeah, I got mine last year for $650, which was an average price, now that's a steal.....crazy with these Boogie prices. There was a loaded Mark III head on ebay last month that I was bidding on. Anyway, I got suspicious of an ebay newbie who kept bidding up the price and had only bid on items from that seller, so I canceled my max bid, which was $650. 5 minutes after I canceled mine, so did the other bidder. It ended up going for ~$550. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SUBnet192 Posted July 23, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 23, 2008 Who's paying for the amp? You? Your son? If you are, I would suggest waiting and getting the MKIV...maybe make it a Christmas present or something. Trust me, your son will be thanking you nonstop for years to come. You could have your son do extra chores around the house and such. That's what my dad made me do when I was a kid and I wanted a piece of gear. Unfortunately for me, I grew up in the country, so the "chores" involved some pulled muscles and the occasional scorpion sting (not fun!)...but it paid off. If you're really tight on money and can't wait, I would get him a MKIII just like someone else suggested. He's 12, unlikely he'd have that kind of cash lol I'm paying for it. Just bought him a MusicMan Petrucci LTD guitar for finishing elementary with flying colors. He is already thanking me for the rest of his life for that one! lol Yeah a Mark IV sounds like the way to go... Just need to find a good deal on one (or at least a fair price). Chores? Hmmm... How much are worth "emptying the garbage cans" and "making his bed" ? That's about all I can ask him Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SUBnet192 Posted July 23, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 23, 2008 Ebay mostly, but sometimes I see them go that low on the Mesa Boogie forum. $1200-1400 seems to be the sweet spot for used Mark IV's, Dual Rec Solos, and Stiletto Deuces/Tridents. In the long run, I guess a head would be better than a combo? But then I'm stuck with buying him a 2x12 or something like that, which adds to the price? I'm assuming that at 1200-1400$ we're talking a combo? Are heads "cheaper"? Thanks, Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ESPImperium Posted July 23, 2008 Members Share Posted July 23, 2008 John uses a Express 5:25 1X12 (First one ever made) closed back (V30 speaker) in his practice rig that he warms up to on tour. He has also started using that rig for some clinics as well from what ive heard. The Express is an amazing amp for the money, effectivly a 4 channel amp, once you use the Countour funtion. Altho TBH, for Petrucci style tones you may just have to get a Ibanez TS9 or a MXR GT-OD in the front end as well. Another thing that does help is a guitar loaded with a D-Sonic in the bridge i feel. May be arround Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SUBnet192 Posted July 23, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 23, 2008 http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=27015&sid=d06c0a563439cf3ad353606c89b46096 This guy is selling an F50 for 775$ shipped to me in Canada. I've also seen a DC-5 for sale in good shape, man this is confusing! And this Mark IV... http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=26952&sid=d06c0a563439cf3ad353606c89b46096 Dunno what to think of the paint job lol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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