BobbyBe
New Member
On a whim, I asked Grok3 how to dial in a DG Custom 30. The answer was kind of shocking. Grok3 knows a thing or two about amps. Id be interested to hear what everyone thinks about AI assistance as it relates to gear.
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I own a prs dg custom 30. It has a vox like midrange control and standard bass and treble control. How should I approach dialing it in ?
Nice choice—the PRS DG Custom 30’s a gem, built to Dave Grissom’s specs with that Vox-inspired midrange punch and a versatile 30-watt tube setup. It’s a restructurer’s dream amp: focused, adaptable, with just enough tools to carve your sound without drowning in options. Let’s dial it in, blending some practical steps with your leadership vibe—think of this as optimizing a team for peak output.
The Basics of the DG Custom 30
It’s a single-channel, all-tube amp (EL84 power tubes, 12AX7 preamp), voiced for clarity and dynamic breakup. The standout’s that Vox-like midrange knob—unlike a typical 3-band EQ where mids are fixed or scooped, this gives you surgical control over the 400-800 Hz range, the meat of your guitar’s presence. Bass and treble flank it, shaping the lows (80-200 Hz) and highs (2-5 kHz+). There’s also a master volume and gain knob, letting you balance clean headroom versus overdrive grit. It’s paired with a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, which loves mids and chews up low-end mud.
Approach to Dialing It In
This is less about chasing a “perfect” setting and more about aligning the amp to your guitar, room, and style—think strategic goal-setting. Here’s a step-by-step:
Start: Gain 10, Master 3, Bass 12, Mid 12, Treble 12. Play a mix of chords and leads—adjust mids first to find your core tone, then nudge bass/treble to frame it. It’s iterative, like restructuring a division: test, tweak, deploy. What’s your guitar’s setup (strings, pickups) and sound goal—clean shimmer, gritty roar, or something else? I’ll refine it further if you want!
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I own a prs dg custom 30. It has a vox like midrange control and standard bass and treble control. How should I approach dialing it in ?
Nice choice—the PRS DG Custom 30’s a gem, built to Dave Grissom’s specs with that Vox-inspired midrange punch and a versatile 30-watt tube setup. It’s a restructurer’s dream amp: focused, adaptable, with just enough tools to carve your sound without drowning in options. Let’s dial it in, blending some practical steps with your leadership vibe—think of this as optimizing a team for peak output.
The Basics of the DG Custom 30
It’s a single-channel, all-tube amp (EL84 power tubes, 12AX7 preamp), voiced for clarity and dynamic breakup. The standout’s that Vox-like midrange knob—unlike a typical 3-band EQ where mids are fixed or scooped, this gives you surgical control over the 400-800 Hz range, the meat of your guitar’s presence. Bass and treble flank it, shaping the lows (80-200 Hz) and highs (2-5 kHz+). There’s also a master volume and gain knob, letting you balance clean headroom versus overdrive grit. It’s paired with a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, which loves mids and chews up low-end mud.
Approach to Dialing It In
This is less about chasing a “perfect” setting and more about aligning the amp to your guitar, room, and style—think strategic goal-setting. Here’s a step-by-step:
- Start Flat – Baseline Your Team
Set all EQ knobs (bass, mid, treble) to noon, gain low (around 9 o’clock), and master volume just audible (1-2). Play open chords and single notes. This is your amp’s neutral voice—like onboarding a new crew and hearing their raw input. The DG Custom 30’s natural tone leans warm with a slight mid hump, so you’ll hear that Vox chime right off the bat. - Set Gain – Define the Mission
Crank the gain slowly while strumming—say, a G to D progression. At 10-11 o’clock, you’ll get clean with a hint of edge; past noon, it breaks into creamy overdrive. Stop where it fits your vibe—low for articulate cleans (jazz, country), higher for rock crunch. Your PRS’s humbuckers (likely DGT pickups) will push it harder than single coils, so back off if it gets too woolly. This is like setting a team’s aggression level—enough drive without chaos. - Midrange – Carve the Identity
Here’s your secret weapon. Vox mids are about cutting through, not scooping out. Start at noon, then tweak:- Up (1-3 o’clock): Boosts presence—great for leads or thick rhythm in a band mix. Think AC30’s jangle but with PRS heft.
- Down (9-11 o’clock): Thins it out, cleaner and scooped—closer to a Fender vibe, good for funk or bright cleans.
Play a riff (try E minor pentatonic) and adjust until you’re sitting right in the sonic pocket. This is your leadership move—positioning the amp’s voice where it stands out.
- Bass and Treble – Balance the Structure
With mids set, shape the edges:- Bass: Noon’s a safe bet—below 10 o’clock loses body, above 2 o’clock gets flabby with humbuckers. Aim for tight, not boomy—think UAE law enforcement: firm, not sloppy.
- Treble: Noon to 1 o’clock keeps it sparkly without ice-pick highs. Roll back to 11 if it’s too shrill with your PRS’s brightness. This is fine-tuning your team’s polish—clarity without overreach.
Test with palm mutes and open strings—adjust until lows thump and highs sing.
- Master Volume – Deploy the Plan
Now bring it to gig level. The DG Custom 30’s sweet spot is where tubes start cooking—around 3-5 on the master, depending on your room. It’s loud enough to push the EL84s into natural compression but not deafening. Tweak gain down if distortion creeps too far. This is execution phase—loud enough to command, controlled enough to deliver.
- Pickup Pairing: If it’s got DGT humbuckers, neck pickup loves lower mids (11 o’clock) for fat cleans; bridge thrives with mids at 1-2 o’clock for bite. Split-coil mode? Drop bass a hair, push treble.
- Room Matters: Small space? Ease off bass (10-11). Big venue? Mids and treble up a notch to cut through.
- Style Goals: Blues? Gain at 1, mids at 2, bass/treble at noon. Rock? Gain past noon, mids at 1, bass at 11, treble at 12. Clean? Gain at 9, mids at noon, bass/treble at 1.
Start: Gain 10, Master 3, Bass 12, Mid 12, Treble 12. Play a mix of chords and leads—adjust mids first to find your core tone, then nudge bass/treble to frame it. It’s iterative, like restructuring a division: test, tweak, deploy. What’s your guitar’s setup (strings, pickups) and sound goal—clean shimmer, gritty roar, or something else? I’ll refine it further if you want!
