NAD - DG30 (well, new to me, and piecemeal)

[shinksma]

I had a hankering for a DG30 amp for a long while now, and stumbled across a couple of good deals, piece by piece. First the cab last month, and then I snagged the head last weekend, and it arrived today. Here it is beside my Archon 100W and Cab:

The DG30 head itself is physically larger than the Archon. And it has cooling fans, which I did not know about.

This is a really nice sounding amp, and puts out quite a bit of volume. And then kick on the Boost on the back, and ooomph! So much punch!

I haven't had much time to play - that work at home thing let me give it a quick run through for a few minute, but maybe later this weekend I'll exercise it! I did play a bit with the top cut and presence on the back, and the brightness switch on the front. Lots of good tones there!

It sounds quite different from my HXDA, so I can understand why @LSchefman has both as his main amps!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Ridiculously good looking amp.

 

[bodia]

Ridiculously good looking amp.

And that cabinet!

 

[toothace]

Well done! Congrats!!

 

[RickP]

Great looking amp! You’ve got a pretty mean PRS amp collective going there!

 

[shinksma]

Great looking amp! You’ve got a pretty mean PRS amp collective going there!

Thanks! the Archon was the first PRS amp I ever bought - prior to that I thought I was satisfied with a Fender HRDX.

Now I have the Archon 100W head + 2x12 cab, Sweet 16 Head + 1x12 cab, HXDA 1x12 Combo plus 1x12 ext cab, Archon 25W 1x12 Combo, and DG 30 head + 2x12 cab.

So for my last two "gigs", I have used a Tech 21 Fly Rig into the PA or an FRFR amp like the Fishman Acoustic amp.

:shrug:

I had my reasons! Normally for a small-ish gig I would bring a pedalboard and the Archon combo - that's why I got it. But those recent gigs definitely had circumstances that demanded as small a foot print as I could muster, and the Fly Rig certainly delivers there!

 

[dmatthews]

Nicely done sir! Congrats!

 

[László]

I had a hankering for a DG30 amp for a long while now, and stumbled across a couple of good deals, piece by piece. First the cab last month, and then I snagged the head last weekend, and it arrived today. Here it is beside my Archon 100W and Cab:

The DG30 head itself is physically larger than the Archon. And it has cooling fans, which I did not know about.

This is a really nice sounding amp, and puts out quite a bit of volume. And then kick on the Boost on the back, and ooomph! So much punch!

I haven't had much time to play - that work at home thing let me give it a quick run through for a few minute, but maybe later this weekend I'll exercise it! I did play a bit with the top cut and presence on the back, and the brightness switch on the front. Lots of good tones there!

It sounds quite different from my HXDA, so I can understand why @LSchefman has both as his main amps!

It's a cool amp flavor, isn't it?

Doug Sewell told me that it's the most complicated and time-consuming amp PRS builds. It's 95% hand wired (there is one circuit part that isn't), everything is mil-spec or better, etc. I think the sound is very authoritative, and it can do an awful lot of things! Enjoy it!

 

[László]

I should also mention that there's a manual for the DG30 and DG50 on the PRS site, and it has lots of good info about the amp, what kind of tubes to use (EL84Ms are not the same as EL84s), tips on how to set it up, etc.

I'd be happy to answer any questions about how I set mine up and run it for recording.

 

[andy474x]

Man, I’m jealous of your amp stash!

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Now I have the Archon 100W head + 2x12 cab, Sweet 16 Head + 1x12 cab, HXDA 1x12 Combo plus 1x12 ext cab, Archon 25W 1x12 Combo, and DG 30 head + 2x12 cab.

So for my last two "gigs", I have used a Tech 21 Fly Rig into the PA or an FRFR amp like the Fishman Acoustic amp.

Ironic... a couple years ago, I had a 4 year stretch where I had at minimum 5 tube amps at all times. In that couple year span, I had Egnater Tweaker, Budda SD18, PRS 2
Channel H, Mesa Mini Recto, Mesa TA30, Mesa TA15, Mesa Mark V25, Mesa Mark V, PRS Custom 50, Vox AC30hx2x, PRS Archon and Bogner ATMA.

During that time, every gig I did was done with either my Fender Vibro Champ XD (still have it) or Atomic AA3>QSC CP8, or (don't laugh) I had one regular (weekly) gig I did where I played with only acoustic instruments in small rooms of 30 or less, and played my Roland Micro Cube. Yes, I gigged a Micro Cube weekly for almost 3 years.

I LOVED my tube amps, but realized I had a PILE of them that I played only at home and not when I played live. So I sold all of them except the two that had the best tones for me. PRS Archon and Bogner ATMA. I keep wanting "one more" and I've bounced between a Splawn, or an HX/DA or a couple others. I would buy a TA15 again in a heartbeat if I could find one for what I sold mine for because it's flexibility in tones, in volume levels and wattage/power stage choices, is hard to beat. But for some reason they are all listed for over way more than I sold mine for. I've considered SO many others.... Swart, Carr, Dr. Z and others because I just LOVE playing them. But only a small lower watt combo could be used at any gig I'd play at, so live I still keep playing the Atomic AA3 or AA12.

So yeah, I get "I have these great tube amps but gig a Fly rig."

 

[László]

Thanks! the Archon was the first PRS amp I ever bought - prior to that I thought I was satisfied with a Fender HRDX.

Now I have the Archon 100W head + 2x12 cab, Sweet 16 Head + 1x12 cab, HXDA 1x12 Combo plus 1x12 ext cab, Archon 25W 1x12 Combo, and DG 30 head + 2x12 cab.

So for my last two "gigs", I have used a Tech 21 Fly Rig into the PA or an FRFR amp like the Fishman Acoustic amp.

:shrug:

I had my reasons! Normally for a small-ish gig I would bring a pedalboard and the Archon combo - that's why I got it. But those recent gigs definitely had circumstances that demanded as small a foot print as I could muster, and the Fly Rig certainly delivers there!

Sometimes it's better to go with the flow and make gigs easier on yourself and your band mates. The amps aren't going to be all hurt and walk out on you.

"Les, speaking on behalf of your amps, you would do well to remember that amps have feelings."

"Oh, it's you, HXDA. Sorry, I lost my head there for a moment."

"Really? Which head did you lose? All of us are still in your freakin' basement, sitting here, waiting for you to quit this boring orchestral music bender you've been on and start playing guitar regularly again."

"You can be replaced by a modeling amp, you know."

"You're dreaming if you think that. I double-dare you."

 

[El Fenix]

Sometimes it's better to go with the flow and make gigs easier on yourself and your band mates. The amps aren't going to be all hurt and walk out on you.

"Les, speaking on behalf of your amps, you would do well to remember that amps have feelings."

"Oh, it's you, HXDA. Sorry, I lost my head there for a moment."

"Really? Which head did you lose? All of us are still in your freakin' basement, sitting here, waiting for you to quit this boring orchestral music bender you've been on and start playing guitar regularly again."

"You can be replaced by a modeling amp, you know."

"You're dreaming if you think that. I double-dare you."

Sounds like my neglected tele I need to sell.

 

[shinksma]

I should also mention that there's a manual for the DG30 and DG50 on the PRS site, and it has lots of good info about the amp, what kind of tubes to use (EL84Ms are not the same as EL84s), tips on how to set it up, etc.

I'd be happy to answer any questions about how I set mine up and run it for recording.

I found them! I went the long way round, doing a Google search instead of just looking on the Customer Support page. (I first went to the product page, and did a general search using the PRS search tool, no dice.)

The manual is very nice, lots of good info indeed!

Oh, and yes, I may prod you for your set-up info - I seem to think you may have already described it in a thread or two, but it is also possible your tastes have tweaked it since then.

It does seem to be an amp that will do cleans very nicely, at reasonably high volumes if needed, while also offering that really nice thumpy crunch at higher gains. I did not get much chance to play with it over the weekend, too many other things going on, so perhaps this week in the evenings...

 

[László]

I found them! I went the long way round, doing a Google search instead of just looking on the Customer Support page. (I first went to the product page, and did a general search using the PRS search tool, no dice.)

The manual is very nice, lots of good info indeed!

Oh, and yes, I may prod you for your set-up info - I seem to think you may have already described it in a thread or two, but it is also possible your tastes have tweaked it since then.

It does seem to be an amp that will do cleans very nicely, at reasonably high volumes if needed, while also offering that really nice thumpy crunch at higher gains. I did not get much chance to play with it over the weekend, too many other things going on, so perhaps this week in the evenings...

I have a few setups I like with the amp. One's for my usual recording setup, where I go from clean to crunch with the guitar's volume knob. Another's for when I use it as a pedal platform. Finally, there's my Wild Man setup with the boost on.

Right now the amp has the NOS Brimar preamp tubes it came with (it's one of the 'first 20" from the 2013 Experience), except for the AT7 reverb driver (that one's an NOS Mullard I got for it), however I recently picked up some NOS RCAs. I'm curious to hear whether the amp will sound different with those installed. I've been putting that experiment off because it sounds so good with the Brimars!

I've become a bit of an NOS tube nut over the years. Add that to my other nutty stuff, and stick me in an asylum somewhere.

 

[shinksma]

So, amusing anecdote from last night...

Had the other couple in the band over for a social visit (we hang out three times a week, on average), and I demonstrated the new-to-me DG30 amp.

Of course, we had to play a particular song after I jammed out the opening chord riff. Decided that another electric guitar doing rhythm would be nice for the song we picked, so I could solo a bit. The amp is currently in my upstairs music room, so the other available amps were my Archon 100W or my old Fender HRDX. I thought to myself, well, the HRDX has a sound a little closer to the DG compared to the Archon, let's go with that. Both plugged in straight, no effects.

O.M.G.

The HRDX couldn't keep up even when I dialed back the DG30 to "no so loud" settings.

I played through the HRDX today to make sure it wasn't "broken". No, sounds fine, it just doesn't have the same oomph that the DG30 brings. The HRDX is supposedly a 40W amp. Well, the DG30's 30W rating is a whole lot louder! And that was not in Boost mode! It just muscles its way around!

Very glad to have picked up this amp!

 

[dmatthews]

So, amusing anecdote from last night...

Had the other couple in the band over for a social visit (we hang out three times a week, on average), and I demonstrated the new-to-me DG30 amp.

Of course, we had to play a particular song after I jammed out the opening chord riff. Decided that another electric guitar doing rhythm would be nice for the song we picked, so I could solo a bit. The amp is currently in my upstairs music room, so the other available amps were my Archon 100W or my old Fender HRDX. I thought to myself, well, the HRDX has a sound a little closer to the DG compared to the Archon, let's go with that. Both plugged in straight, no effects.

O.M.G.

The HRDX couldn't keep up even when I dialed back the DG30 to "no so loud" settings.

I played through the HRDX today to make sure it wasn't "broken". No, sounds fine, it just doesn't have the same oomph that the DG30 brings. The HRDX is supposedly a 40W amp. Well, the DG30's 30W rating is a whole lot louder! And that was not in Boost mode! It just muscles its way around!

Very glad to have picked up this amp!

Holy carp!
I haven't played my HRDX in a long time, but that thing goes LOUD! You guys play a stadium levels?

 

[shinksma]

Holy carp!
I haven't played my HRDX in a long time, but that thing goes LOUD! You guys play a stadium levels?

Not normally - we are a Celtic Folk band, and usually we play at levels during practice where we don't need microphones for the vocals.

But I was in demo mode, and there might have been alcohol involved, so volume levels were excruciatingly high...

 

[László]

So, amusing anecdote from last night...

Had the other couple in the band over for a social visit (we hang out three times a week, on average), and I demonstrated the new-to-me DG30 amp.

Of course, we had to play a particular song after I jammed out the opening chord riff. Decided that another electric guitar doing rhythm would be nice for the song we picked, so I could solo a bit. The amp is currently in my upstairs music room, so the other available amps were my Archon 100W or my old Fender HRDX. I thought to myself, well, the HRDX has a sound a little closer to the DG compared to the Archon, let's go with that. Both plugged in straight, no effects.

O.M.G.

The HRDX couldn't keep up even when I dialed back the DG30 to "no so loud" settings.

I played through the HRDX today to make sure it wasn't "broken". No, sounds fine, it just doesn't have the same oomph that the DG30 brings. The HRDX is supposedly a 40W amp. Well, the DG30's 30W rating is a whole lot louder! And that was not in Boost mode! It just muscles its way around!

Very glad to have picked up this amp!

I've been saying for years that when I'm tracking through the DG30 or HXDA, and then switch over to the Lone Star or Fillmore to layer in a different sound for a mix, the Mesas sound quite a bit less exciting, and it isn't due to volume. I think it's the whole package, the three dimensionality, the depth, dynamics, touch-sensitivity, everything.

The DG is the whole package.

This isn't a knock on the Mesas I have. I like them a lot. They're great amps and I wouldn't want to part with them.

But the DG is in a different league. For me, it's one of the great 'Mac Daddy' amps of all time. My other is the HXDA. The only amps I've owned that were in that higher echelon out of many amps were several Two-Rock Onyx models.

Granted, I am not a high gain player, so for that other amps exist for different players.

If your DG isn't equipped with great NOS preamp tubes, you might consider a set. I rolled tubes after owning mine about a year, and the comparison between the NOS in mine and new-production tubes was interesting. The amp is very revealing of tube differences. But that's probably for down the road - meantime, enjoy the DG! My amp has NOS EL84Ms that were Russian military made in the 80s as well. But I find that the biggest difference is the preamp tube situation.

I will be trying the NOS RCA 12 AX7s in at least V1 at some point, but I've been rearranging my studio for acoustic reasons, and it's been a slog. I'm too whipped to do it right now.

 

[jfb]

Sick amps. Congrats. That Archon is looking nice as well!