DG30 vs Deluxe Reverb

El Fenix

El Fenix

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I have the opportunity to buy a DG30 head and cab for a great price.

But, I'd have to sell my Fender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb to make it work.

How effective is the master volume on the DG30?
 
El Fenix said:
How effective is the master volume on the DG30?
Click to expand...
How effective is the master volume on the '68 Deluxe? Doesn't have one, does it (if memory serves)?

The DG30 master is substantially different from the post-phase inverter designs like a Mesa. It is NOT going to be simply turning up the gain, then turning down the master, and you're done.

The design is pre-phase-inverter, so the master is quite interactive with the tone and gain controls. You have to spend a little time experimenting, and learning what will work for you. Just turning up the gain and turning down the master (as with most MV amps) isn't using the amp to its potential.

Once you get the hang of it, the master volume is quite good, especially in its 'normal' setting (as opposed to 'boost').

Is it a bedroom amp? No. It's every bit a pro gigging and recording amp, one of the two or three best amps I have ever owned (including lots of boutique amps and vintage black panel fenders), but if you're worried about turning it up because there's a sleeping baby in the house, it's probably not going to work for you.

I find that setting the master about 2/3 up is a very good territory for my session work in my home studio, but I usually only have the gain up to about 1:00. I'm an 'edge of breakup' kind of guy.

Also, I control my volume and gain with my guitar's controls. So what I do may or may not work for you. I generally set the amp up to just start breaking up with the guitar volume on 6 or 7, so I can go down to about 5 on the guitar for cleans, and up to 8-10 for more dirt.

It is a wonderfully responsive amp to guitar pickups, controls, and ALSO to your pick attack. It's a 'fast' amp and won't hide your mistakes like some amps with a slower attack. It can be percussive or searing, depending on how you set it.

The boost function KILLS, if you can handle the volume.

You've probably heard this clip in another thread, I did it a few years back. It's the DG30 with my 594 Soapbar and 594 Humbucker. The rhythm part is the soapy, fairly clean, the first solo is the soapbar, the send is the humbucker model.

I had the amp set up exactly as I've described above, through the DG cab. As you can hear, it's very manageable at levels that aren't ear-splitting. Just remember that it's an amp made for a pro player (Grissom) and there aren't compromises made for players who are still figuring things out.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman%2Fmessy-22

Also, the amp sounds wonderful with the matching cab, and it makes a bigger difference than I expected using other cabs. I hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
LSchefman said:
How effective is the master volume on the '68 Deluxe? Doesn't have one, does it (if memory serves)?

The DG30 master is substantially different from the post-phase inverter designs like a Mesa. It is NOT going to be simply turning up the gain, then turning down the master, and you're done.

The design is pre-phase-inverter, so the master is quite interactive with the tone and gain controls. You have to spend a little time experimenting, and learning what will work for you. Just turning up the gain and turning down the master (as with most MV amps) isn't using the amp to its potential.

Once you get the hang of it, the master volume is quite good, especially in its 'normal' setting (as opposed to 'boost').

Is it a bedroom amp? No. It's every bit a pro gigging and recording amp, one of the two or three best amps I have ever owned (including lots of boutique amps and vintage black panel fenders), but if you're worried about turning it up because there's a sleeping baby in the house, it's probably not going to work for you.

I find that setting the master about 2/3 up is a very good territory for my session work in my home studio, but I usually only have the gain up to about 1:00. I'm an 'edge of breakup' kind of guy.

Also, I control my volume and gain with my guitar's controls. So what I do may or may not work for you. I generally set the amp up to just start breaking up with the guitar volume on 6 or 7, so I can go down to about 5 on the guitar for cleans, and up to 8-10 for more dirt.

It is a wonderfully responsive amp to guitar pickups, controls, and ALSO to your pick attack. It's a 'fast' amp and won't hide your mistakes like some amps with a slower attack. It can be percussive or searing, depending on how you set it.

The boost function KILLS, if you can handle the volume.

You've probably heard this clip in another thread, I did it a few years back. It's the DG30 with my 594 Soapbar and 594 Humbucker. The rhythm part is the soapy, fairly clean, the first solo is the soapbar, the send is the humbucker model.

I had the amp set up exactly as I've described above, through the DG cab. As you can hear, it's very manageable at levels that aren't ear-splitting. Just remember that it's an amp made for a pro player (Grissom) and there aren't compromises made for players who are still figuring things out.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman%2Fmessy-22

Also, the amp sounds wonderful with the matching cab, and it makes a bigger difference than I expected using other cabs. I hope this helps.
Click to expand...
The Deluxe Reverb doesn't begin to break up until 4.5 with PAF style humbuckers. And at that point, it's almost as loud as it's going to get.
 
El Fenix said:
The Deluxe Reverb doesn't begin to break up until 4.5 with PAF style humbuckers. And at that point, it's almost as loud as it's going to get.
Click to expand...
The DG gets loud, if you want it. The boost thing is gig-level. Switch into normal, and it's perfect for recording.

It's also got a rear panel cut control like on an AC30. The tone stack is HiWatt. The input seems Tweed, to me. The EL84M tubes are different from EL84s - they're Russian military tubes. Regular EL84s will melt in this amp, and it has a fan because it needs it.

I love mine. I got one of the first ones that came out at Experience, loaded with NOS tubes, and I call it the 'Mac Daddy' of my amps.

I LOVED my Two-Rocks, and this amp is quite different, but I got it in 2013 and will never, ever part with it. The more you play it, the more you like it, assuming it's your style of amp.

But:

I don't want to sell you on something just because I like it. You might not share my tastes, or music needs. We're all so different!! What I really like might not be for you.

It's so much more amp than the Deluxe. It's also mostly hand wired, and Doug Sewell told me it's the most difficult amp to make he's ever produced.
 
LSchefman said:
The DG gets loud, if you want it. The boost thing is gig-level. Switch into normal, and it's perfect for recording.

It's also got a rear panel cut control like on an AC30. The tone stack is HiWatt. The input seems Tweed, to me. The EL84M tubes are different from EL84s - they're Russian military tubes. Regular EL84s will melt in this amp, and it has a fan because it needs it.

I love mine. I got one of the first ones that came out at Experience, loaded with NOS tubes, and I call it the 'Mac Daddy' of my amps.

I LOVED my Two-Rocks, and this amp is quite different, but I got it in 2013 and will never, ever part with it. The more you play it, the more you like it, assuming it's your style of amp.

But:

I don't want to sell you on something just because I like it. You might not share my tastes, or music needs. We're all so different!! What I really like might not be for you.

It's so much more amp than the Deluxe. It's also mostly hand wired, and Doug Sewell told me it's the most difficult amp to make he's ever produced.
Click to expand...
I've got a Marshall 6100 also. Good clean channel and classic crunch on the second channel. The master on about 3 has taken care of whatever I've used it for. Not many places you can use 100 watts wide open these days.
 
I will say that for me the DG30 is one of those amps that is excellent for what it does. Takes pedals great but also sounds great plugged straight in. I am going to agree with Les though, it is hard to part with an amp that works well for you / that you enjoy playing in order to replace it with another amp that may not fulfill the same tonal aspects. On the other hand, if you feel that the DG30 covers more ground for you and you feel you can do without the Fender then go for the DG30.
I would pick up a DG30 in a heart beat it it were me, again jsut my 2 cents
 
I don’t really miss my DG30.

However, I’ve mentioned plenty of times how I was “using it wrong” and the amp was in no way designed for me.

It looked t!ts though… and sounded like nothing else. It does a very “sexy” (ugh, sorry, but that’s the only word I could think of) sounding creamy clean lead tone thing (like some Sade kinda sh!t), but I’d run outta volume even with the boost on.

Now, if I ever see a DG50 for a reasonable price… I might have to.
 
sergiodeblanc said:
It does a very “sexy” (ugh, sorry, but that’s the only word I could think of) sounding creamy clean lead tone thing (like some Sade kinda sh!t), but I’d run outta volume even with the boost on.
Click to expand...
The clean tone is 100% what you said, Serg. It's creamy, and at the edge of breakup the thing just purrs. That's my favorite thing about it.

It's not the right amp for folks who want, for example, a scooped Black Panel Fender Deluxe or Twin clean tone, or even a Mesa style clean tone, both of which float my boat in different ways - they're great tones, too.

I dial in the DG30 to be the double latte of guitar amp clean tones.

"That latte thing was a ridiculously yuppified statement, Les."

"Best I could do on the spur of the moment."

"Maybe you should take that refresher course in creative writing."

"I never took a creative writing course."

"Maybe it's time?"
 
LSchefman said:
The clean tone is 100% what you said, Serg. It's creamy, and at the edge of breakup the thing just purrs. That's my favorite thing about it.

It's not the right amp for folks who want, for example, a scooped Black Panel Fender Deluxe or Twin clean tone, or even a Mesa style clean tone, both of which float my boat in different ways - they're great tones, too.

I dial in the DG30 to be the double latte of guitar amp clean tones.

"That latte thing was a ridiculously yuppified statement, Les."

"Best I could do on the spur of the moment."

"Maybe you should take that refresher course in creative writing."

"I never took a creative writing course."

"Maybe it's time?"
Click to expand...
Yeah! Although I think it can kinda approximate or at least coexist with a Fender-ish tone (depending on settings) it’s not nearly as scooped sounding, and all the controls for sculpting the treble were really cool.

I’ll post this inexpertly recorded and kinda repetitive song that’s all DG30 again to kinda show what I liked about it.


HB Spruce, cable, DG30. There’s some compression added after the fact on the whole mix, but it gives a rough idea of how the amp responded to varying attack and the limits of the reverb (dimed). It can still get plenty washy but it’s not all like, sprooing.

Apologies to anyone feeling like sticking their head in the microwave after listening.
 
sergiodeblanc said:
Yeah! Although I think it can kinda approximate or at least coexist with a Fender-ish tone (depending on settings) it’s not nearly as scooped sounding, and all the controls for sculpting the treble were really cool.

I’ll post this inexpertly recorded and kinda repetitive song that’s all DG30 again to kinda show what I liked about it.


HB Spruce, cable, DG30. There’s some compression added after the fact on the whole mix, but it gives a rough idea of how the amp responded to varying attack and the limits of the reverb (dimed). It can still get plenty washy but it’s not all like, sprooing.

Apologies to anyone feeling like sticking their head in the microwave after listening.
Click to expand...
What are you talking about? This is a really good song. The guitar sounds great.

With a more solid rhythm section this song would pop.
 
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