sergiodeblanc
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I don’t think I’d personally believe all the great stuff you say about PRS amps if you didn’t keep a couple of Mesa’s around to compare them to.
My HXDA and DG30 Do Enough Stuff. Why Do I Have My Mesa Amps?
- Thread starter László
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RickP
Established 1960, Still Not Dead
Annnnnd, that California Tweed is even a different kind of Mesa among all those Mesas. “Mesa” is far from one amp tone.I don’t know Les…I have a DG30 and HXDA, but I don’t let that discourage me from owning a Mesa or two.
Amps are just good fun!
Sometimes a thread like this makes me reconsider why the heck I do the crazy things I do, and the proverbial light bulb goes off in my head.
My fascination with the CAD PRS amps came about because the music work I was doing had changed stylistically just before PRS introduced the HXDA and DG30.
My paying gigs at the time had switched from the rock styles Mesas worked best with, to Americana and Brit-pop styles. So the music went a little better with the HXDA and the DG30 than with my Two Rocks or Mesas. It's really that simple.
The Fillmore is here because one of my recent clients likes a pushed Tweed sound. The Lone Star was bought because my son toured with one and sounded great, so I got one.
It's a fool's errand for me compare the PRS amps to Mesas. It's apples/oranges and it's probably crazy to say one's 'better'.
Makes more sense to say they're different styles of amp entirely, and leave it at that.
Wyzard
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Pretty much my conclusion, using similar/same amps.
Though in defense of the Two Rock I use the most these days - namely the Akoya - I can thin or thicken it at need, and it has at least some of the Marshall "bark" about it. Certainly, however, none of the Two Rocks do what my Coli IIB, IIC+ or MkIV are capable of at higher levels of gain.
Having sold my last JCM800, and with my plexi PA head away being restored, I need something more overtly "Marshall-y" right now. Bloomin' typical.....
As a side-note: it seems Joey Landreth may end up with his own sig amp, and there's a decent chance it'll be based at least partly on the Akoya.
RickP
Established 1960, Still Not Dead
The Akoya is a cool amp. At some point I'll get another Two Rock.
The think about the PRS amps that I love is that they sound so transparent and authentically vintage, and this is one of the things I like best about them. This, even though the DG30 isn't a clone of any amp - it still sounds vintage.
Before I dig into another TR, though, I'm still on the hunt for the perfect Vox style amp, and it may have to be a Matchess HC30. And even that's going to depend on projects that come up.
What a classy pairing! Plus the Cali Tweed is the nicest looking Mesa I've ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on.On that note, this has been a fun combo this morning!
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The retrospectiscope switch is always in the 'on' position here.
Tucson Thump
Mint Heavy Relic
Ben Elton, unless you want to be known as the guy with the turkey over his head. But then I really enjoyed Atkinson in Maigret.
I was looking at an HXDA 50 (gorgeous brown paisley and copper flame maple) unfortunately he would only part with the head .
Les and any others that own both the HDXA 50 and DG 30 what's your relative impressions ? (I'm stoked with the DG 30 just curious)
Les and any others that own both the HDXA 50 and DG 30 what's your relative impressions ? (I'm stoked with the DG 30 just curious)
Well, they're different.
As you probably know, the DG combines elements from Tweed and Vox amp tones with a Hiwatt type of tone stack, according to what Grissom told Doug Sewell he was after. I think the attack of the notes is pretty quick, the amp handles percussive playing differently, and it can be more compressed and midrange-focused than the HXDA, depending on how you use the Boost and set the amp up. These characteristics are all useful for lots of different things.
The "DA" of HXDA is based on Doug Sewell and Paul Smith's analysis of the actual Plexi Superbass Duane Allman used in 'Live at the Fillmore'.
Switch it into "DA" mode and if you can't get that exact 'Live at the Fillmore' tone, it's on you, not the amp (though Duane did also use a Marshall cab loaded with EVs with the back of the cab removed, supposedly). Still, the amp does deliver 'that' tone in spades.
The "HX" switching took place when Paul and Doug analyzed one of Eric Johnson's Superlead Plexis and realized that by switching in only a few parts, they could have that sound too. That's what the switches do, but the amp has two additional tricks up its sleeve:
1. You can switch the parts from Superbass to Superlead partially; the three switches allow you to create your own version of the Plexi combining the switches in different ways. This is a wonderful feature.
2. The Treble Gain and Bass Gain controls act like jumpering the inputs of a late '60s plexi without the patch cord. You can blend them any way you like to create the sound you hear in your head.
The 50W HXDA has more/looser bottom end than the DG30, and more of that Marshall style treble content (which of course can be dialed in or out). The attack of a note is more gradual than the faster attack of the DG30.
In addition, the Master Volume is post-phase inverter on the HXDA, and pre-phase inverter on the DG30. What this means is that you don't need to monkey with the tone controls to use the HXDA master, it operates the way most MV amps do. The Pre Phase Inverter design of the DG30 means that the tone of the amp changes with the setting of the Master Volume, and you need to go back and tweak the tone controls just a bit when setting up the Master.
I remember the tone of the early Plexis, and the HXDA captures it quite faithfully, both models.
As you can see, the two amps are unique enough that having both isn't an exercise in 'what the heck did I buy both for?'.
RickP
Established 1960, Still Not Dead
I don’t know anything about this, other than having noticed it for sale on Reverb. He’s accepting offers, and needs to post more pictures to show the condition all around, but the front looks great. Just sharing…
PRS HXDA 50 2016 Paisley and Black Gold | Reverb
This is a great plexi-style amp from PRS. This amp is unique because it features paisley cloth and a flame maple facia. This amp has been discontinued as well as the paisely and flame maple. Here is your chance to own some unique PRS history as well as a very flexible plexi. Sounds great at any v...
reverb.com
THANKS Les ,you are a mountain of great wisdom and experience, I'm not gigging and I'm pushing 68 so the DG fits me well . I think the McSoapy and the new Walnut semi LTD will mate well with it. Rick , THAT HXDA was the one I was looking at , he didn't want to sell the cab for some reason , so as cool as it was I passed and no regrets .
I'm definitely not saying HXDA over HDRX, because I've never played through an HDRX. I can't compare them!
PS, where in MI are you located?
I'm actually a steaming pile of...uh...er...wisdom and experience!!!
We have much in common! My 594 Soapy is stellar with the DG30, and I love my Semi-Hollow Special with the DG as well. They both go really nicely with it. In fact, the DG is the amp that gets the most play with both of those guitars.
I usually use the McCarty Singlecut, the CU24, and the PS 20th Anniversary model with the HXDA. I love my HXDA, but I feel the very same way about my DG30. Both of my PRS amps get more play than the Mesa amps, hence this thread.
gush
She said "huge bag of dibs".
Take em to the train station??
Les is right the McSoapy and the Special semi LOVE the DG 30 , but then so far everything I've played through it does. They both sound fine through the Boogie as well , the Cab on the DG 30 is really quite special.
Simon Says
A Dentist for the Lawyers
I can't disagree as I never had a chance to play any PRS amplifiers, but I have owned Fillmore for nearly three years, and this amp still amazes me; I still rediscover it once in a while. It made me a one-amp guy. This amp is just something else. It is wearing all kinds of hats I throw on it.
Maybe one day.
Maybe one day.
I've mentioned this before, but my son (who's got 3 gold records to his credit as a producer/engineer/artist) told me that of all my amps he likes the Fillmore best.