Hi, Well I just bought my first Mesa a DC10 combo. The clean channel sounds amazing. I'm working on the gain channel It sounds alright, but I know what I'm looking for is somewhere in there. Is the volume mod good for lower volumes because 9/10 times I play the master level is at 1.5. Also whats the best way to get that reverb tank out it looks like it has electrical tape wrapped around it. I have a feeling there's a problem with it since I don't hear any reverbs preamp tube is good. The tolex is pretty work the handle is pretty nasty, but I'm happy with it for 750$ with most of the MkIV combos around where I live going for 1300+. I'm running a modded tube screamer through the front with a line 6 compressor ( yea I know it's actually decent though ) for the cleans since I have a peizo on my guitar which sounds great. I have a bbe sonic max in the loop at 3/4 mix. Any ideas on settings for the lead channel for a Petrucci ish tone maybe a little more gain at a lower volume.
First Mesa DC10
- Thread starter kartoffel
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TimeSignature
Well-known member
I typically play at low volumes.
My settings are Gain-7 Treble-5.5 Mid-3 Bass-5 Pres-5.5
Modified V, scooped mids. 2200 slightly higher than 6600. TS9 in front, gain 0 , vol maxed, tone just below half.
Not sure if its Petrucci-ish but sounds pretty good imo. Sounds like a mark but a bit juicier.
My settings are Gain-7 Treble-5.5 Mid-3 Bass-5 Pres-5.5
Modified V, scooped mids. 2200 slightly higher than 6600. TS9 in front, gain 0 , vol maxed, tone just below half.
Not sure if its Petrucci-ish but sounds pretty good imo. Sounds like a mark but a bit juicier.
kartoffel said:
Yes, you have discovered the glory of DCs and Marks! That GEQ is the very definition of "versatility" IMHO. The tone knobs affect the preamp stage of your signal; the GEQ is after, going into the poweramp section. This is important to consider as the bass tones are much tighter and focused dialed into the GEQ rathern than into the preamp (with the bass knob). And any mids you add with the knob sound good (to my ear, anyway, not to mention the mids knob also can be used to add gain to the signal) can be scooped out with the GEQ if you want that chug tone. Or add mids (especially the 750 and 2200 sliders) and get some ZZTop or classic rock tones going.
Also experiement with different gain settings: not only between the 1st volume knob and the preamp's master gain, but also between the channel's master and the amp's overall master volume. You get different textures just by varying these settings. Enjoy the quest. As you've already discovered, there are a thousand tones in these wonderful DCs!
Edward
rockboy999
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I just traded for my first DC-10 and it's like the above......You need to experiment,but you can get all kinds of tones. Start with gain 8,treble 4,mids 0,bass 4 and pres 0. Then make the ram horns with the GEQ and you have metallica. Do the V on the GEG and you get close to a rectifier sound. Like all Mesa's the knobs interact one another and every lttle adjustment makes a difference. Enjoy!!!!
Well I've got it sounding pretty **** good even at low volumes. The headphone jack is a little weird I tried it out a bit I guess it's good if you want to be really quiet. Does any one know how much turning up the master effects the tone of the headphone out or does it skip the power tubes? I bought it with all new electro harmonix tubes 12ax7's and 6l6 I'm assuming their in the bias range since it sounds good and they don't seem to be under or over glowing. When I flip the switch from 60W to 100W the inner two 6l6's don't glow quite as blue as the outer two though. I still need to open up that reverb tank and find out whats going on with that and probably do the volume mod once I get the guts to actually take it apart.
Welcome and congrats on a great amp choice!
Here is how I run the lead channel on mine:
Gain: 6-9 depending on the song
Treble: 7
Mids: 7
Bass: 7
Presence: 10
Reverb: 1-2
Master 4
EQ is an upside down mild V with the high trebles and low bass dead center. I use it for a lead boost and it kills!
The Volume mod will definitely help with lower volumes. I play at my house with my volume really low and it still sounds great. I play with the amp on 2-3 at band practice and turn the gain down a bit, but it is still incredible!
As for the Reverb Tank, I find the end of the tape and un-wrap it trying to keep it intact. The foam is a cushion against vibration, so I try to put the tape on in the same way that it came off.
Before you unwrap it though, make sure that your cables are in the right place. The white one should be closer to the back of the amp, and the grey one closer to the front.
Here is how I run the lead channel on mine:
Gain: 6-9 depending on the song
Treble: 7
Mids: 7
Bass: 7
Presence: 10
Reverb: 1-2
Master 4
EQ is an upside down mild V with the high trebles and low bass dead center. I use it for a lead boost and it kills!
The Volume mod will definitely help with lower volumes. I play at my house with my volume really low and it still sounds great. I play with the amp on 2-3 at band practice and turn the gain down a bit, but it is still incredible!
As for the Reverb Tank, I find the end of the tape and un-wrap it trying to keep it intact. The foam is a cushion against vibration, so I try to put the tape on in the same way that it came off.
Before you unwrap it though, make sure that your cables are in the right place. The white one should be closer to the back of the amp, and the grey one closer to the front.
Actually on the DCs, unlike the Marks, the tone stack is at the end of the gain staging, were it should be for a high gain channel. The others suffer from the tone stack being too early, to where it becomes more of a "distortion character" control than actual tone stack. Thats why I think Randall started adding the GEQ; to have some tone shaping after the gain. Having both the tone stack at the end of the gain stagng AND the GEQ makes the DCs a lot more versatile than most other Mesas.
:lol: I always thought it was ridiculous that the bass on the Mark IV's lead channel can't be turned past 4! :lol:
I had a Mark IV and my DC-10 a couple of years ago, and the 10 is still here! Even if I got the almighty Triaxis and 2:90 I would keep the 10 as a backup!
I had a Mark IV and my DC-10 a couple of years ago, and the 10 is still here! Even if I got the almighty Triaxis and 2:90 I would keep the 10 as a backup!
Well I'm still on the tone quest with the ts-9(808 mod) and my line 6 compressor and the sonic max the GEQ and all the other knobs it's going to take a while. What screws do I have to take out to get the board out to do the volume mod? I'm sure I could figure it out by hey why take out more then you need to. I also want to clean the pots is there a good way to go about doing that? I really want a new shell too since I fell in love with it now I want it to look great I could probably build my own since I'm pretty handy with woodworking but I lack the schematics maybe one of these days ill have mesa build me a new one.
kartoffel said:
If you are speaking of the Output-Volume Mod where you clip the resistor, no need to remove the board. Depending on your version (dunno, DC10 is a slightly diff animal from the 5s), you are either clipping the resistor right at the lugs of the pot, or clipping the resistor at the board. Either way, no need to remove anything once the chassis is out of the shell.
Edward
It's almost unecessary to remove the board for any reason. Especially with a 10 because the chassis is so much bigger than the other DC's.
The resistor should be on the board, slightly to the left of the Output pot if you are looking into the amp from the front.
Make absolutely sure that you discharge the capacitors and unplug the amp before even removing the chassis.
Basically, turn the amp off.
Turn the standby to play position.
Unplug the amp and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Should be good to go. This doesn't work with all amps, my Maverick has a charge no matter what and I have to physically discharge the caps. It works well with the DC's though!
The resistor should be on the board, slightly to the left of the Output pot if you are looking into the amp from the front.
Make absolutely sure that you discharge the capacitors and unplug the amp before even removing the chassis.
Basically, turn the amp off.
Turn the standby to play position.
Unplug the amp and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Should be good to go. This doesn't work with all amps, my Maverick has a charge no matter what and I have to physically discharge the caps. It works well with the DC's though!
Well I got it open and have some pictures for people to have a more visual tutorial Ill probably write up something better eventually just because there is no extremely user friendly one out there at least if there is I don't know about it.
But while doing the operation I found something extremely interesting. It instantly brought me back to my ts-9 mod. There appears to be a op-amp on the board and even better it's in an IC socket too. Has any one else ever messed with this or tried different opamps? JRC4558D or RC4558P ect...
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/264/img3122m.jpg
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/3617/img3125.jpg
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/3500/img3126.jpg
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/1706/img3128.jpg
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5818/img3129fo.jpg
But while doing the operation I found something extremely interesting. It instantly brought me back to my ts-9 mod. There appears to be a op-amp on the board and even better it's in an IC socket too. Has any one else ever messed with this or tried different opamps? JRC4558D or RC4558P ect...
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/264/img3122m.jpg
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/3617/img3125.jpg
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/3500/img3126.jpg
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/1706/img3128.jpg
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5818/img3129fo.jpg
nosajwp
Well-known member
If you are talking about the 5532 opamp, that's for the recording output. I always wanted to try a nicer opamp there like a Burr Brown OPA2134, but never got around to it.
Well I still cant get the reverb to sound I opened up the tank and it looks pristine on the inside. the white cable had some corrosion on the end that goes into the amp so I scraped that and I couldn't get the white cable to come out of the tank so I left that alone. I figured it would have pulled the wire right out or shorted it I where to pull it hard enough to get it out. Maybe I don't have the amp loud enough? otherwise it would be the tube but from what I got out of it there all working all the preamp tubes are the same 12ax7 electro harmonix and it sounds the same no matter which order there in.
If the amp is turned up at all, you should have reverb.
If you have a friend that has a vintage Fender or another Mesa, then you can try his reverb tank with your amp to see.
Most vintage Fenders and just about any Mesa with tube driven reverb will have the same tank.
I've seen several tanks that looked very good inside, but didn't work. Also, if your cable is stuck on the plug at the tank, you can use a small pair of Channelock pliers (adjustable groove pliers) to grip the outside of the plug, GENTLY, and twist it a little. This usually works.
If you end up taking it to a tech, it should be a very simple repair. I would think that it should cost aroung $70 if you need a new tank or other parts.
Just make sure that they guy is a good tech, and that he can work on Mesas. I've seen lots of clowns that act like they know what they are doing. I always ask for references. If the guy isn't a pompous *******, then he should be willing to give them to you.
Just out of curiousity, did you make sure that the white cable was toward the back of the amp and the grey one was toward the front?
If you have a friend that has a vintage Fender or another Mesa, then you can try his reverb tank with your amp to see.
Most vintage Fenders and just about any Mesa with tube driven reverb will have the same tank.
I've seen several tanks that looked very good inside, but didn't work. Also, if your cable is stuck on the plug at the tank, you can use a small pair of Channelock pliers (adjustable groove pliers) to grip the outside of the plug, GENTLY, and twist it a little. This usually works.
If you end up taking it to a tech, it should be a very simple repair. I would think that it should cost aroung $70 if you need a new tank or other parts.
Just make sure that they guy is a good tech, and that he can work on Mesas. I've seen lots of clowns that act like they know what they are doing. I always ask for references. If the guy isn't a pompous *******, then he should be willing to give them to you.
Just out of curiousity, did you make sure that the white cable was toward the back of the amp and the grey one was toward the front?
kartoffel said:
I've got a spare reverb tank laying around from a Mark IV if you're interested in it? Tell me the number and I'll see if the one I have is compatible? Or may be Monsta knows? (hey Andy ...same reverb tank in the DC10 as the Marks???)
Edward
Should be. The only ones that I've seen that are different are the Nomads and Rectoverb because they have solid state reverb and the impedance of the circuits are different from the tube circuits.
The verb xformer drives an 8 ohm load; so you can test to see if its sending a signal by hooking up a speaker to it (makes a nifty little practice amp..). Dont disconnect your internal speaker unless you've pulled your phase inverter or set it to the mute setting.
