Dual Calibers

[gp]

I just talked to 2 techs at Mesa and they told me it is not recommended to pull power tubes in el84 amps.I have also been told by a few other techs the.The result would be extra strain on the 2 tubes left and also the transformers. There is so much misinformation on the web.

 

[TrekFX]

I just talked to 2 techs at Mesa and they told me it is not recommended to pull power tubes in el84 amps.I have also been told by a few other techs the.The result would be extra strain on the 2 tubes left and also the transformers. There is so much misinformation on the web.

make of it what you will. I called Mesa and got my info from a tech.

The seems to be some dissent there, I guess.

 

[gp]

Trek- How long have you been running your DC-3 with 2 EL84's ? Is the amp any hotter than when you used 4.

 

[gp]

Come on DC owners lets hear from you ! I love my DC-3 so much I had to buy a second one to make sure I had a spare.

 

[CudBucket]

Hey! I wanna hear some clips of these things. Maybe I'll add one to my Mark IV rig!

Dave

 

[JazzRules]

\
Anyway, even at a rating of 30 watts it still screams like a banshee. With the nod from a Mesa tech, I pulled two of the EL84s and brought the gain to where I can actually run the master up to 10 and get some output stage tone-contribution without too much "neighborly discomfort!"

I really love the tone from Mesa's EL-84 amps. Chimey clean tones, groaning, velvety, liquid high-gain tones. Just a great all-around amp.

I did the same with my DC-3. The Boogie tech told me to switch to the 4 ohm output, which I did. Now it's like a DC-2 with a graphic EQ.

The DC-3 is probably the best of the DC series, in terms of sweetness of tone. More like a Maverick than a DC-5.

 

[macaddict]

New to the board, and I am so glad to see others with the same love/lust that i have for the dual caliber series. I have a DC-10 100/50 watt head. What a slammin tone. I have used this amp on everything from country to hardcore drop d metal, and it just amazes me every time. I get so many compliments on my tone, and everyone wants to know what amp i am running. ( I keep my head behind my cab, I don't want everyone knowing the secret to great tone! ) I was so disappointed when they stopped making this line. in my opinion it was the last great amp they made. I hate the recto series of amps, maybe it's because everyone uses them and the tone just sounds to common to me now, but I am just not crazy about them. Well just wanted to say hey, and Right on! a place with a love for thge DC!

 

[ktulucaller]

Well I am in the same boat as macaddict. I too own a DC-10 head and the thing just SCREAMS! It really cleans up well too. I can go from UFO/Maiden distortion to Death/Crowbar insane gain. The cleans are truly a thing of beauty with the DC series

I bought mine a few years ago for like $1000.00. And it has been worth every penny, I just wish I had a Boogie cab instead of an old Marshall cab but hey what can you do!

 

[gronk62]

I loved my first DC2 so much when I bought it that I got a second one to keep it company

 

[scottcrud]

Man, I've been searching for a DC-10 Head for years, I finally had to settle on a MKIV. Which I would gladly trade for a DC-10.

 

[TPM]

Man, all this is great to read...I've got a Studio Series (similar to the .22) 1X12 and I've been totally digging it, but I need more control over the two channels...this led me to the DC series, and specifically the DC-3. It's great to hear you all raving about these amps, 'cause I've got my eye on some on ebay ($525 starting bid, 1X12)! Anyway, this is a longshot, but have any of you A/B'd a Studio Series (or .22) with the DC-3? Any thoughts on the sound differences? I'm thinking the sound might pretty much be the same if you pull two EL84's (the Studio uses only 2). In any event, great thread, thanks guys.

Tom

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I'm loving my DC-2. I just bought it on Ebay as a project. It needed a new output transformer.

I replaced the transformer with a Heyboer from Mojotone ($40) and the thing came alive.

I can get some serious Carlos tone out of the lead channel, and then kick in the Contour for solos.

The Clean is wonderful. Not quite Fender, but really close.

The Reverb is outstanding. I am now doubting my Rectoverb and Mark IV. You would think that an amp called the "Rectoverb" would have great reverb, but it sucks.




I'm thinking about selling the Rectoverb & possibly the Mark IV and getting a DC-3 & a DC-5. They are so much easier to use than the Mark IV, and so much better sounding than the Rectoverb.

 

[fdesalvo]

I've just purchased a 1998 DC-10 head and it's mint! I'm running it through a Marshall 1960 slant and it just kills through this thing! The cleans are sparkling and the distortion is very thick and saturated. This is my favorite M/B, no doubt!

~F

 

[larseko]

Just have to throw myself into the praise here. My DC-3 is so great, especially the clean. I purchased mine a couple of months ago, and it continues to amaze me, although it perhaps wasn't quite what I originally was looking for. Very versatile indeed, but I haven't quite settled for a higain setting yet. I might do at some stage, though, there are so many adjustments, and I'm such a noob at turning the wheels.

Anyway, how are the different dual calibers compared to each other sound wise? Just asking out of curiosity, it seems like all the mesa info out there is centered around rectoschmectos of different kinds :?

 

[fdesalvo]

gronk62,

Man, that's a really nice pedal board!

I loved my first DC2 so much when I bought it that I got a second one to keep it company

 

[gronk62]

gronk62,

Man, that's a really nice pedal board!

Thankyou.

I made it myself. Its version 3. I ran outa space on the previous two :mrgreen:

 

[nose993]

A DC5 would be just fine for me.

WOW how exciting!

 

[Bullen]

The DC-5 was my first Mesa amp. It was a sweet amp. I thought that the clean channel sucked at that time, but I was using EMG 81 pickups and they indeed suck for clean sounds. I woild probably love the clean now with my EBMM JP model. The distortion was killer though.
I sold it to get my dual recto head in 1996. I still miss it sometimes.