JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
I would love to have a IIB or a III coliseum head. Are there any out there that a poor guitar forum mod can afford? Do I need a coliseum? No…..but yes…I do….anyone have any experience with these things?
CrystalSky
Well-known member
III Coli was for sale here for like above $5k so I guess that ship has sailed…
JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
I need to holler at narad…I think he has about 12 or so.
Neptical
Member
I've been watching the Mark III Coliseum (blue stripe) for sale over at TGP. Still not sold.
$4750
$4750
MetalHeadMike
Well-known member
Coliseum isn't loud enough
glpg80
Well-known member
JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
X2…stereo….more better..
glpg80
Well-known member
Pretty much what they go for anymore. I had to pay to play to get mine.
JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
Nothing awesome is cheap….
glpg80
Well-known member
They’re an experience. This amp isn’t capable of “below TV volume” or “above TV volume”. It’s more like 3 volumes: no sound, no TV, peeling paint. It’s the worst master volume on the planet but you quickly don’t give a fuck because of the awesomeness that comes through your cabinets.
B
braintheory
Well-known member
You must have the version I had with the super fast volume taper. The other 3 I had (including another blue stripe ++ Coli) had a normal volume taper like my iic+ and could be played at lower levels (not that I ever really did lol). Some amps here and there for whatever reason have unusually fast ones. The volume taper on Yehuda's Hell Razor KT150 was even crazier than that coli, while mine is like the other 2 Wizard's I had before
Beyond Black
Well-known member
Coliseums are horrifying beasts. There’s so much available power and headroom, that you’ll be at demolition decibel levels, smashing atoms, and the amp’s not even trying. It’s like an 800 lb gorilla benching 140lb. Just crushing and articulate sonic ultraviolence.
C
c+addict
Well-known member
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
H
Holy-diver
Active member
They’re cool, I have owned a handful of them and used them in a metal band pretty extensively over the years. I think in general they have a little more punch. To me the half power models of the iii vs the simulclass makes a more noticeable difference and I always preferred the half power models, coli or no. The extra headroom and perceived punch of the coli is similar to the difference between a dual and triple recto. Tonally it’s next to nil but I prefer the bigger power section usually.
The master volume thing is more of a mark iii thing, none of the 6 coliseums I had really had a terrible master volume but I have had a couple regular ones with the am radio or ground shaking taper.
I love the mark iii but one of the things that was cool about them was the value, I can see them in the 1500 range for the regular loaded or ~2000+ for the coli but a lot of the current prices are a no from me. It’s never been that amp for real reasons; it will never be the iic+ as much as people seem to want it to be. I have owned enough of them to have a credible opinion but ymmv
The master volume thing is more of a mark iii thing, none of the 6 coliseums I had really had a terrible master volume but I have had a couple regular ones with the am radio or ground shaking taper.
I love the mark iii but one of the things that was cool about them was the value, I can see them in the 1500 range for the regular loaded or ~2000+ for the coli but a lot of the current prices are a no from me. It’s never been that amp for real reasons; it will never be the iic+ as much as people seem to want it to be. I have owned enough of them to have a credible opinion but ymmv
I
inyarak74
Well-known member
rottingcorpse
Well-known member
(....insert "yo mama" joke here....)
M
mesaboogieE34L
New member
I've had my Mark III Blue stripe simul for 33 years, it just has massive punch with headroom and pairs up perfectly with my Mesa Standard 4x12 with EVM12L's.
glpg80
Well-known member
What people don’t know is that the coliseums that are pentode converted are worth even more than before. Mike B. has recently said he’s done doing pentode/triode conversions as they take too long. As time goes on there’s certain models that are only going to continue to increase in value because of company decisions and Mike B. himself just getting older.
I personally like the insane gain on tap with my III++. The IIC+ does a great rhythm tone but I find the III to do the compression thing much better which is my preference. Not everyone wants a IIC+ with the scooped mids thing going on but I respect those that chase it.
R
Racerxrated
Well-known member
+1
I've had 3; an early IIB(#81 I think), and 2 later IIBs one with a B+ mod, and the last one became a C+ Coli. The only one with the heart attack vol was the early IIB which didn't have the limiter knob(2nd master vol). The B+ mod adds one, and the very late IIB that became a C+ had the limiter knob stock. They all went through slight changes as the IIB went on for 3 years; the first was like a NMV amp with huge volume immediately; very loose feeling while the late 2B was tight like a C+ and had the limiter knob.
Fusionbear
Well-known member
I bought a no stripe MKIII Coli back in the 80's from Valley Art guitars in Van Nuys, and gigged it in two bands. The first band was a thrash band and the amp simply killed. I played it with a full MESA stack with the Celestion/EV combo. In the second band I added a TC2290, a Carvin power amp and powered another MESA stack. That was in the band Black Sheep. Probably the best hardrock tone I've ever had. I sold it to get the Quad/Strategy rack stuff. But, in retrospect, loved the Coli's tone over the Quad, even though it wasn't as versatile.