ARCHON, 2 CHANNEL C, H, CUSTOM 50 ?

Man...did you have to post that video, Les? Where do I go to sell a kidney again? ;) The HXDAs (and Archons and other PRS amps) are amazing... :)
 
LSchefman said:
The HXDA is not at all the same as the 50, it's much more vintage-sounding; it's a completely different design. The 50 is advertised by PRS as a "modern versatility" sounding amp.

The HXDA is more authentic Plexi than the Friedman; to me the Friedman Small Box sounds harsher (sometimes that's what one wants!) and less buttery; it's more like a hot-rodded Plexi with bits of the JCM800 kind of vibe thrown in (so I prefer the HXDA to the Small Box, having played both). No surprise there, Dave Friedman started modding Marshalls in LA for arena rock guys, and his amp, as well as the Suhr SL68 that I also looked at, are definitely what I'd call LA style modded Plexis!

The HXDA is a different thing; it's a clone of Duane Allman's Plexi, that can be switched to become one of Eric Johnson's Hendrix style Plexis - they got EJ's actual amp to do that, too. They sourced more accurate transformers and the whole bit, so it's much more of a 1968-69 amplifier. This may or may not suit your needs, of course, if you prefer the amp you have - which is a very fine amp - that is a good thing!

We all appreciate different things, play differently, and have different ears. My HXDA sounds exactly like the one in this video; I'm using it with a PRS cab. If you like this tone, great, and if not, also great!
Try before you buy is my advice, though I'll admit I bought based on this video because this is the tone I was looking for for about 45 years. ;)

Click to expand...
HXDA
LSchefman said:
The HXDA is not at all the same as the 50, it's much more vintage-sounding; it's a completely different design. The 50 is advertised by PRS as a "modern versatility" sounding amp.

The HXDA is more authentic Plexi than the Friedman; to me the Friedman Small Box sounds harsher (sometimes that's what one wants!) and less buttery; it's more like a hot-rodded Plexi with bits of the JCM800 kind of vibe thrown in (so I prefer the HXDA to the Small Box, having played both). No surprise there, Dave Friedman started modding Marshalls in LA for arena rock guys, and his amp, as well as the Suhr SL68 that I also looked at, are definitely what I'd call LA style modded Plexis!

The HXDA is a different thing; it's a clone of Duane Allman's Plexi, that can be switched to become one of Eric Johnson's Hendrix style Plexis - they got EJ's actual amp to do that, too. They sourced more accurate transformers and the whole bit, so it's much more of a 1968-69 amplifier. This may or may not suit your needs, of course, if you prefer the amp you have - which is a very fine amp - that is a good thing!

We all appreciate different things, play differently, and have different ears. My HXDA sounds exactly like the one in this video; I'm using it with a PRS cab. If you like this tone, great, and if not, also great!
Try before you buy is my advice, though I'll admit I bought based on this video because this is the tone I was looking for for about 45 years. ;)

Click to expand...
HXDA
LSchefman said:
The HXDA is not at all the same as the 50, it's much more vintage-sounding; it's a completely different design. The 50 is advertised by PRS as a "modern versatility" sounding amp.

The HXDA is more authentic Plexi than the Friedman; to me the Friedman Small Box sounds harsher (sometimes that's what one wants!) and less buttery; it's more like a hot-rodded Plexi with bits of the JCM800 kind of vibe thrown in (so I prefer the HXDA to the Small Box, having played both). No surprise there, Dave Friedman started modding Marshalls in LA for arena rock guys, and his amp, as well as the Suhr SL68 that I also looked at, are definitely what I'd call LA style modded Plexis!

The HXDA is a different thing; it's a clone of Duane Allman's Plexi, that can be switched to become one of Eric Johnson's Hendrix style Plexis - they got EJ's actual amp to do that, too. They sourced more accurate transformers and the whole bit, so it's much more of a 1968-69 amplifier. This may or may not suit your needs, of course, if you prefer the amp you have - which is a very fine amp - that is a good thing!

We all appreciate different things, play differently, and have different ears. My HXDA sounds exactly like the one in this video; I'm using it with a PRS cab. If you like this tone, great, and if not, also great!
Try before you buy is my advice, though I'll admit I bought based on this video because this is the tone I was looking for for about 45 years. ;)

Click to expand...
If the hxda sounds like the video as you say then it's the other amp I've been looking for. The small box and the hxda will give me all the tones I've ever wanted. For bar gigs and home use HXDA 50 or 30 watt. I was thinking 50 watt for more clean head room. What's your take on this thanks again for spending the time to chat... Steven
 
In my opinion, for gigging with the HX/DA, it's the 50 for sure relative to clean headroom. I find, when I gig with it, that I'll need to tweak master and gain between songs to get the optimal set point depending on the song, but it's very easy to control.

I'll shill one more time for the MDT though. If you can find one, it's more.....raw....for lack of a better word. It's 50W also by the way.

 
And...you'll have to trust me that I tried to set these up as best as I could...but here's a direct comparison from the two that I have...

...
 
I have had the 50, and currently have the 30. You'll get both a little more headroom clean and bottom end oomph out of the 50, and a little less "shake the walls" out of the 30. But to put it in perspective, the differences aren't huge. I use mine for recording, so I migrated to the 30. But I love the 50. Pick your poison, ya know? They sound very close, even clean...

Here's my 50 in action with a PRS McCarty Singlecut, bridge pickup, through my former Mesa Recto 212 cab (I now have the PRS 212). This is about as bright as I go with it, my excuse is that the guitar was new, and I was a little excited,,,,;)

And that cab was pretty bright too.No pedals on this one.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/blues-ii-hotg

Here's the same amp/cab, but with a PRS 408 on the neck pickup, with some modulation and delay effects in front of the amp, because someone here asked if the HXDA could do a Trower type sound. So I wrote and recorded this in that style:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/408-hxda-demo

aristotle said:
And...you'll have to trust me that I tried to set these up as best as I could...but here's a direct comparison from the two that I have...

...
Click to expand...

That's not the way I'd set up the HXDA, seems to me you went for getting the amps to sound alike for comparison, but the HXDA works its magic when it goes for different tones - just my opinion, of course,
 
Last edited:
LSchefman said:
It'll be worth the wait.

I was playing my HXDA today, and with the guitar volume around 4 on the guitar knob, the HX gain at around noon on the amp, and the DA gain around 8 o'clock on the amp, master at 2 o'clock, I was getting such beautiful clean sounds that it put a huge smile on my face. Turned the guitar up to about 8 on the guitar volume knob, and I was into some sweet gain, just beautiful stuff.

If you need any suggestions on how to set up the amp, feel free to ask for my endlessly boring opinion. ;)

Be sure to use a good cab with it. The cab matters
I'm reading to pull the trigger on a HXDA built in 2013 has there been any improvements since then that any of you know of thanks Steven
Click to expand...
 
Ready to pull the trigger on a 2013 HXDA has there been any improvements on more recent models that any of you extremely happy HXDA owners know of. If not them I'll soon be one of you....LOL thanks Stevne
 
LSchefman said:
I have had the 50, and currently have the 30. You'll get both a little more headroom clean and bottom end oomph out of the 50, and a little less "shake the walls" out of the 30. But to put it in perspective, the differences aren't huge. I use mine for recording, so I migrated to the 30. But I love the 50. Pick your poison, ya know? They sound very close, even clean...

Here's my 50 in action with a PRS McCarty Singlecut, bridge pickup, through my former Mesa Recto 212 cab (I now have the PRS 212). This is about as bright as I go with it, my excuse is that the guitar was new, and I was a little excited,,,,;)

And that cab was pretty bright too.No pedals on this one.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/blues-ii-hotg

Here's the same amp/cab, but with a PRS 408 on the neck pickup, with some modulation and delay effects in front of the amp, because someone here asked if the HXDA could do a Trower type sound. So I wrote and recorded this in that style:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/408-hxda-demo



That's not the way I'd set up the HXDA, seems to me you went for getting the amps to sound alike for comparison, but the HXDA works its magic when it goes for different tones - just my opinion, of course,
Click to expand...
Well now that sucks cause now I want both damn
 
ok guys I just check the prs 2016 catalog and it seems the MDT is no longer available is that because the you get cokes the same tones out the HXDA or what I like both equally and power tubes are in the mdx thanks
 
Wow that sounded great I like them both man I'm just gonna have to get both I no it. I gotta say for that song the MDT nailed it. Does any one know why prs no longer make the mdx I check there 2016 catalog and it's not there
 
Steven Beardsley said:
Wow that sounded great I like them both man I'm just gonna have to get both I no it. I gotta say for that song the MDT nailed it. Does any one know why prs no longer make the mdx I check there 2016 catalog and it's not there
Click to expand...

First, no changes to the HXDA I'm aware of; My 50 was an earlier one; the 30 was made at the tail end of 2014, and bought new last spring.

The MDT became "Paul's Amp." But it was discontinued. Paul Smith always says, "If you stop buying 'em, we stop making 'em." But only PRS knows what went into the decision. They don't release that info or sales figures.

The MDT is a terrific amp, too. There was also the Recording Amp, also based on the 25th Anniversary amp platform, like the HXDA and MDT. Those are kind of hard to find.
 
I have found all three HXDA MDT and the recording amp I was all set to get the hxda when some one suggested the MDT and man I really like that one also. Maybe even more. Some said it's like the hxda but more raw and that would be my feeling
 
I got to make up my mind sooner or later all three won't be available any last thoughts for me the best would for blues and blues based rock. I've really gotten into using my guitar volume and I want the most pick attack responsive amp thanks for your input I really appreciate it thanks Steven
 
If it matters to you, the HX/DA has more clean headroom. Seems like 8 out of 10 prefer the HX/DA. I'm not sure if that's because they are more available to try out in person, or what...but I'm part of the 2 out of 10. Also, to me, the MDT is better with pedals across the board (not that the HX/DA is bad with them.)
 
I going to go with the MDT I found a brand new one the last version I figure the HXDA will be easy to get later if I want both. The last met version is harder to find and the mdt is hard to find on it's one. to me the mdt just sounds like the best raw EL34 kick amp I've ever heard so that's its. I like raw and while I don't use a lot of pedals I'm thinking my scott henderson boost is going to sound amazing
 
thanks again for taking the time I"ve done all the research I can and there's none to check out so I'm pulling the trigger today thanks again
 
Enjoy it! Hard to go wrong!

It's got Tweed Fender Pro style tone stack, according to Doug Sewell, but with the EL34; and a bit more gain than the HXDA. Very cool amp!
 
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