Higest Gain Boogie ?

[Ed]

I own a old DC-3 combo, It is 35 watts. I'm looking for a little more power, and a Lot more high gain in a amp. I have herd good things about the new Stilleto Ace 50 watt combo, I'm looking for just about that much power. But after reading some other posts I'm not sure what to buy.
Modern high gain, or Fluid drive. Which has a higher gain. My DC-3 is a little flabby and dark on the lead channel. In other words I'm looking for a combo, about in the 50 watt area, and it must have a high gain that smokes, and not flabby sounding with single coil pickups from a Strat. What do all of you think I should buy.
Thanks Ed
P.S. Does anyone now why the words bottle rocket fall under my name when I never typed that as part of my name. And how do I get rid of it? Thanks.

 

[kylek]

Rectoverb combo is a 50 watt combo that is basically a single rectofier with reverb... its either that or the tremoverb. One's a dual rec and ones a single rec combo basically.

The words under your name are just a way of displaying yoru seniority. The more posts you have, the "better" it will appear. It goes up from bottle rocket, to mark I, II, III, and on up depending on how long you've been here and how many posts you have

 

[jbird]

For the 50 watters, I'd think the Ace would be better paired with a Strat than a Rectoverb or Solo 50.

 

[tele_jas]

I think it all depends on what kind of gain you like?? I'm not a big Marshall fan and the Ace is kind of voiced on a Marshall. I play Telecasters and I love the Rectifier tone with a single coil, and you can always get a boost pedal too to push the preamp a little harder too...... I use a Seymour Duncan Pickup booster sometimes, but it gets less and less all the time. I think I have a few clips on my site of the Rectifier tone using a Telecaster..... www.guitartest.moonfruit.com on the Road King page, its the same as a Single/Dual or Triple in Vintage mode on channel 2.

As for the Rectoverb combo, they tend to sound a bit "flabby" through the stock speaker but really thump in a cab... But still sound pretty good if you don't expect tons of low end. The Tremoverb is about 105 pounds, but sounds great and you can pull 2 of the power tubes and 1 rectifier tube and cut the power down to 50wts. The F-50 is pretty nice sounding and with the Contour switch on it can do high gain with no problems and the cleans are BEAUTIFUL. If you have a few extra $$$, I'd check in to the Roadster 1x12 combo... It's a 1x12 closed back amp with the ability to cut the power down with the flip of a switch on the back - Also has 4 channels from clean, brit to full out Rectifier distortion.

That's my $.02 worth

 

[jbird]

Thats right! I forgot about the 50/100 watt power reduction switch on the Roadkings and Roadsters! For that fact, even the Stilletos! I would'nt go for the removing power tubes thing! I must also add though, I've never been a fan of single-coil pups through high gain settings!

 

[kramerxxx]

The Lonestar is a good medium gain amp that really works well with pedals. I heard one that Andy Timmons was demo'ing on a YouTube clip that was amazing. It has the 50/100 power switch with multiple rectifier settings.

I have a DR too but the Lonestar has a much better clean. A very versatile amp.

 

[GuitarCarr]

test

 

[Micah]

Get the rectumfryier in my opinion. Its just my amp as far as I can tell :wink:

 

[Ken in NC]

I had a Triaxis and that thing had more gain than I would ever need for anything. 8)

 

[plumptone]

You asked a loaded question, and because of that you are going to get different opinions from everyone. It's a matter of what you define as "more gain". Boogies span the whole gain spectrum, and with the introduction of the Ace, they cover basically ALL bases now.

I'm also a singel coil guy and a DC-3 user. While I wasn't necessarily looking for more gain, I was looking for a bit more headroom, so I tried out a bunch of 50 watt combos. I settled on the F-50 because as someone posted earlier it has the BEST clean I've heard in a long time (from anyone, by the way, not just boogie), and also had gobs of gain on tap. What's great about the F-50, in my opinion, is that in the gain channel you can almost exactly replicate the DC-3 in overdrive (with more punch/ fatter low end because of expanded headroom and the different power amp tubes), and then when you engage the "contour", you are really getting very close to rectifier territory. If money is an issue for you at all, the best bang for your buck is going to be the F-50. Try it - I think you'll like it. It's basically like the DC-3 all grown up. If you like the DC-3's overdrive character, but you want a bit more saturation, I think you'll find what you're looking for in the F-50.

Good luck!

 

[Ed]

Thanks to all of you that answered
my post. All good answers for the way I explained my question.
I thought I would clear up a few things about what I'm looking for.
I don't like the lead channel on my DC-3. I'ts too flabby and dark, I play thru the clean channel. I use a Boss OD-20 pedal, set on the loud setting, with the gain up high.
That gives my Strat a nice high gain sound that is smouth not harsh. And that gives my sound some great harmonics in the higher regesters. I like the smouthness of Santana's tone, with the harmonics of someone like Vai.
I feel that buying a amp with a little more power than my DC-3 would help with a couple of things. One would be more Bottom End than the DC-3, Mine seams to be lacking there, but the DC-3 has the real crisp clean highs I do like. I'm trying to find a amp with both great highs, and great or better bottom end thats tight and not flabby sounding. I tried the F-50 out. The clean channel was good, but the lead channel sounded flabby, like my DC-3. Also the tone was very mid range to my ears. The highs just wern't as crisp as my DC-3. I'm looking for that scouped EQ sound. Punched up lows, and less midrange, with punched up highs. Too bad the new Boogies don't have a grafic EQ like the older ones. Another reason I'm looking for another amp is to stop using my pedals for overdrive, and high gain. I would like to be able to get that from a good Boogie. Money, I won't mind spending a little more for better quality. I'm not looking for a 100 watt amp, just something around 50 watts.
Does this info help narrow down which model Boogie I should buy.
Thanks again for any help.
Ed

 

[RR]

... The words under your name are just a way of displaying yoru seniority. The more posts you have, the "better" it will appear. It goes up from bottle rocket, to mark I, II, III, and on up depending on how long you've been here and how many posts you have

****, I better delete some of my posts, Mark IIIs is not my cup-of-tea. Don't mean to ditch them its that sharing tone controls with two channel and one channel having two modes doesn't work for me. A great amp nevertheless.

Or I better posts or answer more.

Anyone a Road King?

BoogieBabies is 'only' a Single Recto and he's-the-man! Well so is many of you like MonstTone etc ... :wink:

 

[HappyStrat]

My MK IV delivers enormous amounts of gain. My RK I delivers way too much more than I need. Gain at times can be sweet, but most people overdo it, including myself. I may be wrong but I think the RK unleashes the most.

 

[Russ]

If you still want an excellent clean with tons of gain on tap for a lead channel go try the Mark IV. I found that the cleans are better than any rectifier and that the lead channel retains a certain tightness that a rectifier will never achieve. Though the Mark IV is sold as an 85 watter you can easily cut it down through the use of the various switches and tube selection. It can go from a full service large venue pro gigging amp down to a nice home practice amp. Just be sure to get the right speaker(s) for your application as this vastly changes the sound stage and invariably your final tone and effective volume levels. The DC/F amps are to me a compromise of an amp that sits the fence between being a Mark and a Recto. Though the DC/F amps have a nice clean and moderate gain levels to me they do not do either the Mark lead nor the Recto well. I would suggest to just go out and try some amps. Though suggestions here are nice they are really just our opinions mainly. Also though backed by some with technological knowledge it is still your ear that needs to be satisfied. Realistically, your other gear and your playing style will dictate what amp will suit you best so you really should go out and play other amps. Before exhausting your finances by buying another amp though I would make sure that you have done everything you can to make the DC that you have already perform as close to where you want it to, ie. tube, speaker, cabinet, etc. changes. But, if you happen to find a combination that suits you better in another amp while appropriating the necessary gear to change your DC tone/gain levels I would not hesitate to make the change. Many people buy into popular trends. I take it that you may not be of that mindset as you have a DC so go out and play everything you can, make any changes you can to your current amp in the process, and don't be automatically steered towards someone else's opinion. Then make an experienced decision before you waste any more money.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Mesa marketed the DC Series as having the, "... clean channel of the Mark IV and the LEAD channel of the Dual Rectifier."

EL84s do sound darker to me than 6L6s, especially when over-driven. My DC-3 has way more gain than what I need!

Bill

 

[Russ]

Thanks to all of you that answered
my post. All good answers for the way I explained my question.
I thought I would clear up a few things about what I'm looking for.
I don't like the lead channel on my DC-3. I'ts too flabby and dark, I play thru the clean channel. I use a Boss OD-20 pedal, set on the loud setting, with the gain up high.
That gives my Strat a nice high gain sound that is smouth not harsh. And that gives my sound some great harmonics in the higher regesters. I like the smouthness of Santana's tone, with the harmonics of someone like Vai.
I feel that buying a amp with a little more power than my DC-3 would help with a couple of things. One would be more Bottom End than the DC-3, Mine seams to be lacking there, but the DC-3 has the real crisp clean highs I do like. I'm trying to find a amp with both great highs, and great or better bottom end thats tight and not flabby sounding. I tried the F-50 out. The clean channel was good, but the lead channel sounded flabby, like my DC-3. Also the tone was very mid range to my ears. The highs just wern't as crisp as my DC-3. I'm looking for that scouped EQ sound. Punched up lows, and less midrange, with punched up highs. Too bad the new Boogies don't have a grafic EQ like the older ones. Another reason I'm looking for another amp is to stop using my pedals for overdrive, and high gain. I would like to be able to get that from a good Boogie. Money, I won't mind spending a little more for better quality. I'm not looking for a 100 watt amp, just something around 50 watts.
Does this info help narrow down which model Boogie I should buy.
Thanks again for any help.
Ed

According to that post you might really want to consider the Mark IV....

Tight bottom, Santana tones on tap, scooped eq, excellent cleans, great harmonics, not 100 watts, etc.

If I am not mistaken you can get the Mark IV down to about 40 watts via 6V6s in tweed mode if necessary.