DC-3 swapped preamp tubes, now it ROCKS!

[LEVEL4]

I was always somewhat displeased with my DC-3 . . . until NOW! As I was loading it into a new rackmount kit this afternoon, I swapped a couple of the preamp tubes. I guess had a bad preamp tube in V1. Now, I see what all the excitement is about. This is a bone-stock, 18-year-old, mint-condition, DC-3, with new TungSol preamp tubes, and a fresh set of JJ EL-84s.

The DC's lead channel is warm, growly, and "FULL." The distortion has a very "musical" quality to it. The DC-3 kinda pwns my Mark IV for tone. The Mark IV does have more punch, but a somewhat less-natural, hard-to-find, mid-range tone. The Mark still has about about 30% more presence and treble on-tap than the DC-3, however. I see why many think this is one of the best amps Mesa ever made. Get an A/B/Y switch, and play a DC-3 and a Mark IV together (using varied GEQ settings on each), and you'll never go back to playing a single amp again. They sound ridiculously good together.

 

[LEVEL4]

Well, I take SOME of that back. I just dialed in a tone on the Mark IV that was IDENTICAL to the DC-3. However, here's the difference in brightness between the two amps: The DC-3's treble and presence are dimed. The Mark is at '6' on treble and '6' on presence. But, at those settings, the two amps sound IDENTICAL. Just goes to show ya . . . that Mark IV is VERSATILE!

 

[Monsta-Tone]

The DC-3 is a great amp.

 

[Alivefor5]

Hey Level4, please post your 'clone DC-3' settings for the MKIV.

Interesting ability of the MKIV to do this. I've got settings for some of the Fender amps that I wasn't using and traded off.

 

[fdesalvo]

Dude, I am so damned happy that you hear what the DC3 is all about. Those 6BQ5s add so much harmonic content and chime to the lead and rythym channels. I agree that this probably the best modern sounding amp that Mesa/Boogie ever produced.

Rock on, brothah!

 

[LEVEL4]

Hey Level4, please post your 'clone DC-3' settings for the MKIV.

Oh, crap. I've since changed everything (about a 1,000 times), and now I've forgotten where the GEQ was set. I'll play around tonight and find them again. Don't worry, I can totally find those settings again. It's easy as *** with the two amps sitting on top of each other (got them both rackmounted in the same rack now). But, it was basically, the Mark IV with similar settings, with the presence and treble backed off to '6,' whereas, the presence and treble was dimed on the DC-3.

But, to rebut my earlier enthusiasm, the Mark is still a GREAT amp, proven by the fact that you can pretty much dial in almost anything the DC-3 can do, but, at the same time, you can't dial in all of the brightness of the Mark IV on the DC-3. Nevertheless, the amps are far more similar-sounding than I had initially thought. Mesa's own marketing blather about the DC-series being "Recto-inspired" is total bullsh*t. It sounds nothing like a Recto, and far closer to a Mark.

Dude, I am so damned happy that you hear what the DC3 is all about. Those 6BQ5s add so much harmonic content and chime to the lead and rythym channels. I agree that this probably the best modern sounding amp that Mesa/Boogie ever produced.!

Me too! Thanks! I know you're a big DC-series fan as well. I see why, now. The DCs are some of the best-kept secrets of Mesadom., let alone, the general guitar-playing population. It's killer that you can buy a used amp THIS good for only about $500-$600.

P.S. What's a 6BQ5?