Can't clean up my DC-5's lead channel with volume roll back

Hi guys.
I'm trying to get a decent "volume roll back" sound from the lead channel of my DC-5 but it seems to me that is so much compressed even at lower volumes, that i can't do it.

I can do it in my clean channel though, while have the pull-boost engaged and it's splendid. But i would like to have this option also in the lead one while playing a solo with DC's liquid tone and to roll back the volume to clean up the gain for bluesy passages.

My lead setting is:
gain 7
treble 6-7
mid 4-6
bass 2-3
pres 3
volume 2
output 2

On this vid https://youtu.be/D_M2dY50CUM?t=6m46s the guy plays a Mk III ( i know it's different) and while has this cool liquid santana lead at the same time he can roll back the volume a bit and clean up beautifully. If you watch the vid he plays a strat style with single coils, if i can understand from his sound. I also play a strat and i want something like this

Any thoughts? Am i doing something wrong?

Remove the 22k resistor that's attached to the treble pot. I did this to the DC-3 that I used to own and it increased the amp's ability to clean up with the guitar's volume control.

Thanks my friend.
But i would prefer to not touch anything inside like this.
Only with this mod i can achieve the thing i'm looking for?
There is no other way? is my setting wrong?

virtu said:

Thanks my friend.
But i would prefer to not touch anything inside like this.
Only with this mod i can achieve the thing i'm looking for?
There is no other way? is my setting wrong?

Click to expand...

treble bleed?

virtu said:

Thanks my friend.
But i would prefer to not touch anything inside like this.
Only with this mod i can achieve the thing i'm looking for?
There is no other way? is my setting wrong?

Click to expand...

It's understandable that you don't want to modify the amp. It was the only way that I could get expressive, bluesy sounds out the lead channel of my DC-3. It made that channel less "fizzy", too.

BlackBoxy said:

treble bleed?

Click to expand...

Thanks man but it's not the guitar. Actually my Ibanez has treble bleed pot. It's the amp

Don said:

virtu said:

Thanks my friend.
But i would prefer to not touch anything inside like this.
Only with this mod i can achieve the thing i'm looking for?
There is no other way? is my setting wrong?

Click to expand...

It's understandable that you don't want to modify the amp. It was the only way that I could get expressive, bluesy sounds out the lead channel of my DC-3. It made that channel less "fizzy", too.

Click to expand...

Thanks my friend but i'm sceptical about all amp mods in general. There must be some other way.
As much as i love the amp this thing pisses me off!!
Anyone else?

experimenting with v2 v3 other tubes ?

I had forgotten about this! Try a JJ ECC823 in V1. It'll lower the gain in the lead channel while leaving the rhythm channel stock. This helped my amp a lot.

http://www.eurotubes.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=102&idcategory=49

Thanks for your inputs guys and i think this would be a solution, at least has logic.
I don't know if it's v2 or v3 though. Probably vi it's more tone affective in lead ch.

@BlackBoxy (considering that Don already modded the amp)
Supposing that you have a stock DC, do you have a cleaner sound when you roll off the volume?

virtu said:

Thanks for your inputs guys and i think this would be a solution, at least has logic.
I don't know if it's v2 or v3 though. Probably vi it's more tone affective in lead ch.

@BlackBoxy (considering that Don already modded the amp)
Supposing that you have a stock DC, do you have a cleaner sound when you roll off the volume?

Click to expand...

hi,

lead channel tubes on the dc5 are V2 v3! i experienced powerfull tubes here, making it with more headroom delaying a lil tubes break in!

its difficult , on a mesa dc5, lead channel is a 5 stages pre , its difficult to make it sound like a clean channel, but dc5 has lot of versatility through the lead channel, enough to get workable acceptable clean roll of volume tone, that would miles away of a real clean channel !

you must experimenting tubes v2 v3 , and roll up mast vol and off general volume , to clear up your fat tone !

Half of V1 (V1a) is the first gain stage for the rhythm channel. The other half (V1b) is the first gain stage for the lead channel. In the JJ ECC823 V1a is similar to a 12AX7 and V1b is similar to a 12AU7. I liked it a lot in my DC-3B but still found the need to lift the 22k resistor from the treble pot's wiper in order to get the sensitivity that I wanted.

All of V2 is used in the lead channel.

Half of V3 (V3a) is used in the lead channel. The other half (V3b) is used for FX loop recovery.

Don, in fact its V1b the first stage of the lead chanel , problem , tone is made mostly on first triode, all behind along this chain will be affected, every one knows how shitty tone come through ay7 or au7 !

gain stage is located between the 2 triodes of V2 , would be better to experimenting highter transconductance tube there , like a cv4000's, mullard genius at7 !

my opinion

So, you suggest a lower gain preamp tube in V2 and V3 or a higher quality one?

virtu said:

So, you suggest a lower gain preamp tube in V2 and V3 or a higher quality one?

Click to expand...

http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/12AT7-ECC81-Tube-Types/Mullard-12AT7WA-CV4024

lead channel on boogies are fat , but this kind of at7 could make your life easier with responsif roll off cleans

BlackBoxy said:

virtu said:

So, you suggest a lower gain preamp tube in V2 and V3 or a higher quality one?

Click to expand...

http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/12AT7-ECC81-Tube-Types/Mullard-12AT7WA-CV4024

lead channel on boogies are fat , but this kind of at7 could make your life easier with responsif roll off cleans

Click to expand...

Thank you for your time my friend.
I'll give it a shot, even if i think they are expensive (3 times more than a regular JJ...)
But if they give me what i want, it'll be worth the extra cost

https://www.watfordvalves.com/product_detail.asp?id=630

can find it cheaper , around 20 bucks

At the moment i'll throw a couple of spare JJs ECC81 which are equivalent if i understand well and if they are ok then i go for mullards :lol: :lol:
thanks anyway!!

If you don't want to mod it (and there are MANY mods here for the DC-5), then tubes will only scratch the surface. I agree with what Don has written; we did similar things to our DC-3s, which have an amazing rhythm channel but a stubborn lead channel.