50% wrong forum: DC-5 vs. Subway Rocket tone

[polaris20]

I've got a DC-5 combo that I won't ever part with; **** beautiful sounding amp. However I'd like another, smaller boogie for keeping at work and moving around more for jams. But I'd also like it to sound different than my DC so it's more valuable as a recording tool.

Question is: how different sounding is the Subway compared to the DC-5? I haven't had a chance to play a SR in so long that while I know I enjoyed it when I did, I can't remember the tonal difference.

 

[MusicManJP6]

Most portable boogie I've owned so far was an F-30 combo. Much different from the DC series for sure. I really liked that amp!

 

[edward]

I owned a SubRocket. Tried to love it ...failed. The OD was just too grainy for me. Cleans were ok, but just that, ok. The 10" just felt lacking. No, I wasn't trying to compare it to my DC5 at all. I just did not bond with its overall tone.

FWIW, if you want a quick grab-n-go amp that is smaller/lighter, the Fender Princeton Reverbs are everywhere, and you can get a silverface for not that much coin. A PRII is even better IMHO, but that's got a 12 and isn't as "small" as maybe you need.

Edward

 

[polaris20]

Didn't really get on with the F30s I've played; I think it was the V30 though.

That's interesting about the SR. Kinda bummed; specwise it fits the bill. I'm. Urious now about the Princeton, I'll see if I can find some clips. Also might take a long lunch tomorrow and go check out the Express 5:25 1x10.

 

[bobby wasabi]

I own a Subway Rocket, non-reverb version. It's a great little amp. The cleans are good. The lead channel is quite nasally, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The contour mode is well, what you can expect from the contour mode. Makes the little guy sound big. It's taken me years to dial in just the right tone. I'm pretty happy with it, although it's really my backup now that I own a 5:25 head w/ 1x12 cab. I'm not sure how it compares to the DC, although I always thought the Subway series was derived out of the DC circuit, no?

 

[madryan]

I'd say a .50 caliber + might be what you're after, or possibly a Lonestar Special.

 

[polaris20]

I'd say a .50 caliber + might be what you're after, or possibly a Lonestar Special.

Didn't get a chance to go today

LSS is very possible too, though it'd definitely have to be used. Might be a very good contrast. though still going to be heavy as hell.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

If you like the distortion on the DC, you will not like the distortion on the LSS. I'm not dissing the LSS, it is a great amp, but not what I was looking for.

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned this, but you might want to look into a DC-3.
It is drastically different sounding than the DC-5. Cleans are very chimey and the distortions are more ZZ Top than Santana type tones.
At one time, I had a DC-3, DC-5, and a DC-10 all sitting next to each other. It is surprising how different they can sound from each other.

I didn't like the V-30 in mine though, I thought it sounded way too nasally, in a bad way.
I swapped it with a Mojotone BV-30H (Heritage 30 clone) and it sounded wonderful!!!
Put an EV loaded Thiele cab under it and you have a mini-stack that can kill small Marshalls at 100 paces!