I got my DG30 and cab shortly after they were introduced, in 2014. It’s become my favorite amp.
One thing to know is that it’s a unique amp for several reasons that I’ll get into in a moment.
First, it uses 7189 power tubes, not standard EL84s. These are known as EL-84M sometimes, or the Russian numbering 6P14P-EV. The tubes are special military grade tubes, have more output and higher headroom than an EL-84, and will last more than 20,000 hours. The ones that came in my amp are still going strong after ten years.
Do not use 7189A tubes, they have a different pin configuration. Standard EL-84s cannot handle the plate voltage, either. Don't disconnect the fans, they're there for a reason, the amp runs hot.
Check the tubes that came with your amp to make sure that 7189s are installed instead of something else. The preamp tubes should be 12AX7 for everything except v2, the reverb driver, which uses a 12AT7.
When I met Doug Sewell, PRS' amp designer, he told me the DG30 is the most labor-intensive amp he's ever built, or that PRS has ever made, and it's 99% hand-wired. In fact, I don't know which bit or bob isn't hand wired, the connections all look hand wired to me.
I have a copy of the instructions that I got from PRS, so if you need it, PM me and I'll email it to you.
In terms of operation, it's a little different from a typical Mesa-style master volume. I learned that I get best results by opening up the master volume, then dialing in the gain and EQ, and finally taming the result with the master. You might have to readjust the controls once you lower the volume, because they're interactive.
Grissom runs his old-school, wide open., by the way. I use the master set to around 2:00, which is fine for the work I do in session recording, but too loud for practicing. It sounds fine at much lower output levels, so don't be alarmed.
The boost switch on the back is great. I normally run the amp in boost mode, it becomes a fire-breather, but it also sounds good in normal mode, so try both. The presence and cut controls on the back panel work a treat in getting your high end just right.
The tone stack is based on the HiWatt, and the rest of the amp is a combination of Grissom's favorite Vox and Tweed amps, making this amp a very unique thing.
Spend some time experimenting with the controls, and you'll be rewarded. Don't be impatient, this is an amp you have to learn to use, and it's worth the effort. It's a lifetime amp for me, non-negotiable, and I've had some killer boutique amps over the last 30 years.
Finally, this is an amp that NOS tubes make a difference in. Mine has NOS Brimar 12AX7s. Swapping them for something else changes the character of the amp. I may try an RCA 7025 I've been saving in v1 at some point, but all is good now so I'm not fixing what ain't broke!
One last thing I need to mention...
In my sessions I've found that miking the amp old-school, with the mics back a foot or more, yields the best tone I've ever recorded.
This is the amp with the 594 Soapbar to start the melody, and halfway through, the melody is carried by the humbucker 594. I didn't touch the controls when I switched guitars. I don't use a ton of gain, and ran both guitars with the bridge pickup and the guitar volume at around 8.
BTW, if you hate the tone, ignore much of this advice!
