HXDA Tone issue?

[guitarman23]

I needed some advice before calling PRS. The last 2 times I've used my HXDA live I noticed a woofiness and muddiness that I could not seem to dial out. At the last gig bandmates noticed so I switched over to the Cat 5. There was no smoothness at all. It would fart out if that's a description.

My settings were:

DGT guitar

DA HX HX

TGain - 11:00
BGain - 8:00
T - 11:00
M- 1:00
B - 10 and kept decreasing it
P - 10:00
Master - 11:00

I tend to run it like Grissom where I gig a nice break up and then push it w a pedal but most times I don't need to instead just using an EP booster for clean boost.

Any ideas would help guys. Thanks.

Jon

 

[guitarman23]

50 watt head into 1x12 w WGS veteran 30 w is what's in my Cat 5 combo. I set the HXDA on top of the combo and use it's speaker. I've never noticed an issue before w that setup.

 

[László]

I'd definitely check the power tubes and bias.

 

[sws1]

Seems like a lot of bass with the DA switch on. I usually have the 2nd volume at zero, and the bass VERY low when the first switch is in DA position

 

[László]

I run an HXDA set up almost exactly like the OP, but with the bass at one o'clock, and the switches at DA/DA/HX. The problem he's describing isn't about setting up the amp.

He shouldn't be getting mud at his settings. Something's not right.

I'd check the tubes, check the bias if the tubes check ok, and if it's still not figured out, call PRS.

 

[guitarman23]

Thanks for all of the help guys. I'll pick up a meter and check the tubes and bias. It's fairly recent that it started sounding like this mostly in the past month.

 

[László]

Thanks for all of the help guys. I'll pick up a meter and check the tubes and bias. It's fairly recent that it started sounding like this mostly in the past month.

I'm thinking it's probably a bad power tube, something simple like that.

One of the signs of "time to replace the power tubes" for me has been a sudden change in the basic tone of the amp like that. As good as the Winged C's sound, they don't make 'em like they used to make the original Mullards, etc.

 

[Boogie]

As good as the Winged C's sound, they don't make 'em like they used to make the original Mullards, etc.

And unfortunately, they don't make =C=s like they used to, either.

 

[László]

And unfortunately, they don't make =C=s like they used to, either.

So I've heard, sadly. But they're readily available in the NOS market.

 

[guitarman23]

Do you guys recommend a decent bias meter I should pick up?

 

[László]

Do you guys recommend a decent bias meter I should pick up?

For this purpose a simple multimeter should do fine. They're very inexpensive.

 

[alantig]

For this purpose a simple multimeter should do fine. They're very inexpensive.

And if you have a Harbor Freight nearby, they're even cheaper than that.

 

[Boogie]

Harbor Freight is one of my favorite stores. Almost more than Guitar Center.

Scratch that, definitely more than GC. Kids aren't trying to play with the drills so loud that I can't think.

 

[guitarman23]

Well said!

 

[guitarman23]

Picked up a digital meter. Anyone know what you dial the meter to for biasing as far as the values around the dial go, 200m, etc. The rest of it is simple to figure out from what I've seen. Thanks.

 

[László]

Picked up a digital meter. Anyone know what you dial the meter to for biasing as far as the values around the dial go, 200m, etc. The rest of it is simple to figure out from what I've seen. Thanks.

This is from the support document for my DG30 amp but my guess is it also applies to any of the PRS bias points:

"To read the tube bias,set your meter to millivolts."

 

[guitarman23]

Thanks Les I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Boogie]

I've heard lots of reports of bias settings being way off the recommended mark. What did you find out, guitarman?

 

[guitarman23]

I was able to get a meter last week and bias the amp. One tube was 26 and the other was 27. I'm not sure what that did w the tone since I've been out of town but I plan on playing through it in a day or so. Does that sound like enough of a difference to be a problem?

 

[László]

I was able to get a meter last week and bias the amp. One tube was 26 and the other was 27. I'm not sure what that did w the tone since I've been out of town but I plan on playing through it in a day or so. Does that sound like enough of a difference to be a problem?

Definitely check with PRS Customer Service on this -- my recollection is that the bias should be a bit higher, more like 30 - 35. The trouble is, I can't remember the correct number, and that may be simply due to 30-35 being an acceptable range.

Another possibility if it still doesn't sound great is that you simply may need new tubes.