Building up my DC 5 Combo

wolfgang6505 · Apr 11, 2006

Hello everyone, I posted before telling everyone that I put 2 EVM10L's in my DC-5 Combo, Monsta-Tone you seen em in there, well I'd like to boost the output to almost 100 watts. (it would be about 75-80 w. cathode bias mod)

I know I need to upgrade some stuff here and I was thinking I could use either a DC-10 or a Fender Twin Reverb for donner parts.

I will need an Output tranny, Power tranny, Choke and two more Power tube Sockets BUT what else?

Does anyone know what else has to be done? Maybe Monsta-Tone would know about doing something like this...

Hey Monsta-Tone!

nosajwp · Apr 11, 2006

Wouldn't it just be easier to sell the DC-5 and get a DC-10? There are a few DC-10's on eBay right now.

fdesalvo · Apr 11, 2006

You will also need more filter caps..dude, just sell what you have and get a 10.

wolfgang6505 · Apr 12, 2006

Yeah it probably would be alot easier to just get a DC-10. But I don't want to get rid of the EVM10L's I put in my DC-5. So I thought it would be one bad *** little amp if I could just beef up the wattage. It'ld still be the same size as a DC-5. The DC-10's are bigger and my back doesn't like the idea of 212's LOL.

My amp tech would call me crazy for wanting to do this so I'm about even telling him my idea LOL. He thinks it's loud enough but for an outside gig it really isn't all that loud.

Monsta-Tone, check out some places on the web for some parts to do your cathode mod. I think that's where my tech gets his stuff I'm not completely sure though. I will take some pics of the chasis of my DC and send them to you this evening or tommorrow.

-wolf

Wally · Apr 12, 2006

Wolf, by the time you put in the bigger trannies and other extras, that DC5/10 would weigh in about the same as a stock DC10. The trannies are the big weight items not the speakers. The old adagae holds true...when you are buying an amp, buy weight because the value is in the transformers; and good trannies are heavy....at least for big wattage amps they are.

Monsta-Tone · Apr 12, 2006

The only thing that I would recommend would be to get a DC-10.

If you are set on using the amp you have now, you can just replace the Output Transformer with a Hammond 1645. They are factory wired with Ultra-Linear taps. Ultra-Linear is how the Fender Super Twins and later Silverfaces were able to squeeze more volume out of the same basic amplifier.

Email me and remind me. I can look up some model #'s for you. I think that this will be your best course of action if you want to keep the amp and make it louder.

Keep in mind though that your tone will drastically change, as will the amounts of perceivable Gain. Ultra-Linear is known for it's Clean headroom.

Simply changing your Output Transformer to a larger model without Ultra-Linear will increase the headroom a good amount. You could use a Bassman replacement from Heyboer. It is huge for a 50 watt transformer. The DC's have super small Output Transformers so that they can get transformer saturation, which increases the amount of distortion the amp has.

Mercury Magnetics have some really nice models too. My Soldano has some serious distortion, but retains the Cleans until it is fully cranked.