HXDA...share your DA settings

[CatStrangler]

If you are familiar with Plexi circuits, the switches work as follows:
The first one changes the cathode capacitor on V1, the first tube, thereby making it brighter and one step closer to Super Lead from Super Bass.
The 2nd switch adds a 68uF bypass capacitor on V2, which adds some brightness and more gain. This was yet another difference on the plexi progression in the late 60s.
The 3rd switch changes the negative feedback resistor from Bass setting to Lead setting. Less negative feedback makes the output section brighter.

All of these things are changes that were reflect various incarnations of the plexi circuit in the late 60s.

As for my settings, around the house, I leave it all on the DA settings. Vol 1 around 11am, Master around noon. Treble and Mid all the way up, and bass all the way off. (I'm running a 65 watt Greenback in my combo, so I can't run bass high at all.)

For gigs, I turn the first switch on, turn the master all the way up, Vol1 around 10-11am, Vol2 up just a bit, and I'll add a bit of bass on the Eq. I also use an attenuator to control the final volume and to create a post-power-amp effects loop.

Nice I also have the greenbacks, I'll have to give this a try.

 

[duhdewd]

I wish that Doug and Paul would do a tweed/blackface amp like the HXDA. Do one of Clapton's tweed twins for one side and Stevie's Vibroverb for the other.

I actually run my HXDA 100 really clean most of the time DA/HX/DA with both gains around 9 o clock. I use a lot of treble and mids at about 3 o clock and presence at 2:30 I keep the bass around 10 o clock then bring the master up

 

[László]

I wish that Doug and Paul would do a tweed/blackface amp like the HXDA. Do one of Clapton's tweed twins for one side and Stevie's Vibroverb for the other.

Have you tried a DG30?

I think it does Tweed tones very well, though blackface is a different thing than what it does - the DG tends toward warmer clean tones than a BF amp. It also does some other interesting things. I really love the thing.

One other thing I've found just recently with my HXDA 30 is that it sounds markedly different through my DG cabinet, with its ported rear enclosure. It's less "Marshall" and more open, cleaner, and leaning a little more to "Fender" that way.

I get pretty good blackface and Vibroverb sounds with the Lone Star 100; not perfect, but close enough for me, plus there's that Mesa thing it can do. In fact, the reason I got it is because my son's touring with one, and both he and his lead guitarist cut their album with an old Vibroverb, but have been touring with Lone Stars; he said he can come closer with the LS to duplicating the tones he cut the record with it than anything else he's tried (that would be an awful lot of amps). So there's that.

 

[duhdewd]

Have you tried a DG30?

I think it does Tweed tones very well, though blackface is a different thing than what it does - the DG tends toward warmer clean tones than a BF amp. It also does some other interesting things. I really love the thing.

One other thing I've found just recently with my HXDA 30 is that it sounds markedly different through my DG cabinet, with its ported rear enclosure. It's less "Marshall" and more open, cleaner, and leaning a little more to "Fender" that way.

I get pretty good blackface and Vibroverb sounds with the Lone Star 100; not perfect, but close enough for me, plus there's that Mesa thing it can do. In fact, the reason I got it is because my son's touring with one, and both he and his lead guitarist cut their album with an old Vibroverb, but have been touring with Lone Stars; he said he can come closer with the LS to duplicating the tones he cut the record with it than anything else he's tried (that would be an awful lot of amps). So there's that.

I want to try a DG30 really badly! If I get to make it to the Experience I'll get to.

I know Mesa does magical stuff with a PRS (I gigged a Heartbreaker 212 for about 3 years) but my amp tech hates them with a stinky vehemence, he bristles at the mention of the boogie.

Plus I have found a real magic in Doug and Paul's amps. Each CAD amp I've had the privilege of trying had something that made me want to come back to it. What's even cooler is how awesome they work with your strats, teles, and lesters.

 

[László]

I want to try a DG30 really badly! If I get to make it to the Experience I'll get to.

I know Mesa does magical stuff with a PRS (I gigged a Heartbreaker 212 for about 3 years) but my amp tech hates them with a stinky vehemence, he bristles at the mention of the boogie.

Plus I have found a real magic in Doug and Paul's amps. Each CAD amp I've had the privilege of trying had something that made me want to come back to it. What's even cooler is how awesome they work with your strats, teles, and lesters.

No doubt, I love my PRS amps, they're my #1 musical joys in the amplifier world. I personally haven't played through, or heard, an amp that compares.

I simply mention the Mesa because it's a nice amp for what it does.

 

[CatStrangler]

my contribution for the weekend. I was struugling to find a happy ground with my Santana Retro. The Santana bridge pickup seems to like DA side While the 57/08 gravitates towards the HX side. With some tweaking I found a happy medium that satisfies both pickups.

Edit, I also found these settings with small tweaking worked very well with a couple 58/15 sets I have. I did today find myself wishing that the HX/DA switches could be operated by footswitch. Maybe the PTC will find itself with an inquiry from me tomorrow morning

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[HANGAR18]

Good thread.

 

[László]

Mine are pretty similar, I use a little more bass with the bridge pickup and a little less treble...

 

[HANGAR18]

I wanted to preserve some valuable Les info by transplanting it into this thread.

Les' "Favorite" settings for the HXDA:

Note: I set the guitar to get a good semi-clean "edge of breakup tone" with the guitar volume on any of my PRSes at around 5-6. So that's where I start. That way I can roll up the volume for a great overdriven sound, and roll it down a touch for a nice clean sound.

These are the settings I use most often; I like to get an elastic, "Duane Live At The Fillmore With A Little More Crunch Up Top" tone.

Switches, left to right: DA, DA, HX

Knobs, left to right:

HXDA Gain: 10-12 o'clock, depending on the guitar

Bass Gain: 8-9 o'clock, depending on the guitar, cabinet and room

Treble: 10 o'clock (at relatively low volumes, more treble = too much scream, but at very high volume things can change).

Middle: 12 o'clock to 2 o'clock, depending on the guitar

Bass: 12 o'clock to 2 o'clock, depending on the guitar, the cabinet and the room

Presence: 10 o'clock-12 o'clock, depending on room

Master Volume: usually around 12 o'clock - 2 o'clock depending on whether someone comes to my door with a gun telling me to turn it down. Yes, it's loud this way. But vintage style amps like to be opened up (though the HXDA has a good master volume IMHO).

With hotter pickups I keep the gain lower, with less hot pickups, or if I split the pickups, I turn the gain up.

I don't do this song by song, because I write originals. So I'm not shooting for someone else's tones, except, as noted above I like the general overall sound of the Fillmore recording with this amp -- or at least what I think of as that sound in my mind's ear.

More notes:

I have an NOS early 70s Mullard in the V1 preamp tube position, and some cherry-picked-for-low-noise JJ ECC83S tubes in V2 and 3, however, I plan to install another NOS Mullard in V2 at some point (I have one on hand), along with a set of Siemens NOS EL34s made in Germany (probably by RFT). I'm waiting for the stock Winged Cs to wear out before I do that, however.

Final Note: These are settings I use with a PRS birch ply Big Mouth 2x12 with V-30s. These settings also worked with my old Mesa Recto 2x12 closed back. They might be different with other cabs.