Slanderous666 said:
Hi im new to this board. I am planning on buying a new amp soon and I have it down to a new Express 2:25, used Rectoverb or maybe a peavey 6505 combo (havent looked into it much but I hear good things) or a marshall dsl401.
I play metal, classic rock, hard rock and some blues once in a while. I listen to hendrix, cream, metallica, black sabbath, machinehead and motorhead, etc. Im looking for some nice high gain but some quality of sound is very important for rock and cleans etc.
On a seperate note I'm trying to figure out the mesa boogie tube system. If I wanted to retube the Express lets say could I swap out the EL84's for EL34's?
Sorry its probably a stupid question but I'd love some more info on the express and Rectoverb as well as peoples opinions on the other amps and how they compare. Thanks in advance
I haven't played the Express, Rectoverb, or Peavey. I do have the DSL401 and have had it for several years. While it's a neat amp in some ways, I would suggest that it basically has a limited tonal range - tending toward a high-gain crunch with a higher-gain version for leads. Most would describe the amp as fizzy. The cleans on the DSL401 are just not great.
My understanding is that the DSL401 can be improved significantly via either a speaker swap or by adding a beam blocker to the current speaker. I have not done either.
Early versions of the DSL401 are apparently prone to overheat and self-destruct. More info is here:
http://www.historiclespauls.com/music/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=48
I have one of these versions but have not had any problems and have not made any mods. I don't set anything on top of the amp and am good about leaving clearance for airflow (seen too many video displays/TVs self-destruct from poor ventilation).
Don't get me wrong - this is a neat amp in many ways, and I am keeping mine. It makes my Strat sound fabulous. There are echoes of the sound that Blackmore gets with his modified Marshall Majors on the "Made in Japan" album. (One any classic rock/guitar fanatic should own, in my opinion.) But the lack of flexibility caused me to start investigating Mesa.
More info on the DSL401 can be found by Googling something like "Marshall DSL401 modification" or "Marshall DSL401 schematic". You can also search the Marshall amp forums, here:
http://www.marshallampforum.com/forum/
I now have a Lone Star Special and a Mark IV with Thiele cabinet. Quite different representatives of Mesa, each with their own features. The LSS has fabulous cleans - best ever. (You have got to hear a 12-string through it - an intense spectrum of sound.) It's also got great high gain - but the high gain is not quite as intense and out-of-control as available on either the DSL401 or the Mark IV. On the 5-watt setting, I can go from bedroom volumes to rehearsing with my band in the basement. 15 and 30 are there when I need more; I can mike it if we have to go beyond that. Every guitar I have sound distinctly different through the LSS; that just isn't true of the DSL401.
The Mk IV provides a lot more power, of course, and an infinite variety of options with the three channels and the graphic EQ. The channel switching is nicer than the LSS. The cleans are not quite as nice, but awfully good in their own right - just different, really. The R2 crunch is fine (though you'll hear others say it isn't; everyone has a different perspective). And the lead hi-gain is great. There are plenty of used Marks out there if you want one; no reason to pay inflated prices, just wait for the right deal. I got mine from eBay. (In any purchasing forum, one just needs to be careful and use alternate methods of checking out sellers - the net's a great tool if you use it properly.)
However, the Mark won't dial down (in power options) as far as the LSS or Express, so if you really need low bedroom levels, you might want to stick with those.
A great experiment with the Mark, though - plug it in, run up the Rhythm 1 gain, master, and output level - oh yeah, put some earplugs in first - this can be one nasty amp on just that channel alone.
I'm in the age group of some others on this thread. Just turned 50. But my first good amp (after some crap like a Vox Beatle run through a home-made A-7 cabinet) was a 50-watt Marshall head through a 1960A slant cab. Great sounding amp, but the way to get the classic rock tone of Blackmore and Page was simple and painful - put everything on 10. I have the tinnitus to prove it. I'm glad we have a lot more flexibility now.
Someone else answered the question about EL84 vs. EL34. More generally, if I remember correctly, the EL34, 6L6, 6V6, KT66, KT88, 6550, etc. are all similar power tube configurations but will all have different bias requirements (that is, the static voltage/current configurations set by the power supply and circuit network around the tube to put the tube into its optimal performance range). (The EL84 has a completely different pin configuration.) So you can't just swap them unless the amp provides switchable bias, or unless you have technical expertise either to reset the bias or modify the circuit to match.
Hope this helps; let me know if you have specific questions.
Dave
