Mesa/Boogie DC-3 Combo

I bought this amp from a Friend . got a deal on it i think. excellent condition, never gigged, only used for practice and studio work. It even still had the original tubs on it. Fell in love with it especially the clean channel. the effects loop works great for me and the EQ is a real bonus, love what it dose to the amp makes it more versatile. this amp features two channels, a five band EQ, effects loop, individual Revebs per channel, and the EQ switch is great ( you can have the EQ on the clean channel or overdrive or both!! i have it on the overdrive to help scoop out some mid and boost the low to give it a more metal sound. great combo amp with a Vintage 30 celestion. VERY LOUD amp.

First of all, get rid of the factory tubes and put in some JJ EL 84's in the power and Electro Harmonix 12ax7 in the pre amp section.The clean is verry cleen and glassy tone. This amp has a very nasal sound with almost to much Mid range sound in it, especially the distortion channel. the good news is that the 5 band EQ helps scoop it and get rid of the fuzz because of the vintage 30. the fuzz is mostly heard at low volume. you cant really judge this amps tone a low volume. Crank this baby and you will know what im talking about. this amp is not to noisy and its variety in tone is a blessing for the combo it is. i love this amp. took me some time to get used to the tone but she is really singing!

This thing is built like a tank!! can really take a beating, has never let me down, at least in a gig that is. the only downside is like any tube amp, the tubs go from one second to another especialy in this amp because the El 84's burn real HOT and this amp gets veeeeeery hot. im considering installing a fan on the back to avoid any meltdowns LOL.

No warenty, ive tried to call a few times but never seam to be able to get a hold of anyone and their schedule....Monday to thursday? thats bull ****! cant tell me they cant afford to pay someone to be there till friday at least. have never returnes my calls. its a good thing thire amps are reliable!

I have been playing for about 15 years.
i have a Dual rectifier solo head (love it) and a Marshall jcm 900 half stack ( never use it, its not really mine, my Friend left to Amsterdam and told me to hold it till he was back. i have 3 Les Pal's one classic, a standard and a costume, a G&L Legacy strat type, a Seagull mini jumbo electric acoustic, TC electronic G system and a few peddals.

IF stolen i would Cry!! and try to get another one or get a mark IV.
i love the aggressiveness of this amp it can allow me to do almost any style. its louder then most 1X12 combos and can run a 4*12 cab like nothing. this amp is the ****!

Two channels, crystal clean on one, all the gain you could need on the other. Separate tone, master, and reverb controls for each channel, channel assignable or footswitchable 5 band eq, overall output level control so balancing channel volumes is easy. Effects loop, slave and recording outputs, 3 speaker output jacks - one 8 and two 4 ohm. Plus a silent recording feature that mutes the speaker and a headphone jack. Tube driven parrallel effects loop and reverb. Mine has a Celestion Vintage 30. More features than most guitarists need or will ever use, but since there are so many new amps with 3 or more channels, rectifier and variac settings, etc., I only gave it an 8. The only thing it doesn't have that I need is a solo boost, which I'll be using a pedal for.

Has 4 EL84 power tubes and 6 12AX7's. 35 watts, but the loudest 35 watts I've ever heard, and more than enough power for any gig. It's louder than my 50 watt Marshall JCM900 which I've gigged with for years. It'll push a 4X12 cab with ease.

I play rock and metal and use a stock Gibson Les Paul and a Fender Highway One strat with Lace Sensors. Both guitars sound incredible through this amp. The clean sounds are really nice, and the high gain channel sounds incredible. I wanted that classic Mark III or Mark IV Boogie tone, and this thing sounds very close. It's much quieter than the Mark III's I've played, and much more versatile since it has separate controls for each channel. The gain is very fluid, not fuzzy at all, which is what I wanted. Even at the highest gain settings the chords ring out with amazing clarity. Leads sound beautiful, each note cuts through with clarity. It doesn't hide sloppy playing the way a lot of high gain amps do, every note comes through clear as if you were playing on the clean channel. It has more sustain than any amp I've ever played. The 5 band eq is what really make the amp shine. I played the new Express and F series amps and liked this one much better.

Not sure, haven't had it but a couple weeks. So far it works perfectly.

Haven't had to contact them.

I've got a very good sounding Marshall JCM900 MKIII and a Mesa V Twin Preamp. I like this amp much better than both of them. I run it through my Marshall 4X12 cab with vintage 30's and it sounds incredible. I've never been this happy with an amp. The only thing I would possibly like better would be a Mark IV or Mark V. I've been playing amps for months now looking for a sound I'm happy with. I've played the Marshall JCM 2000, Peavey 6505, Bogner Alchemist, Line 6 Spider Valve, Soldano, and others. I like this amp much better than the rectifiers, Express Series, F Series, and Mark III's. And I LOVE every Boogie amp I've ever heard, so this one really shines imho. given the price these things go for used I have to give a 10. I got lucky and got mine in show room condition.

Ok. I've had this amp for about 10 years and always thought it was ok. I changed the speaker to a vintage celestion 12 inch neo speaker. But the main difference after reading the manuel and missing this over the years is that if you push the gain down to 2 or 3 on the clean channel you can play quietly and still push the gain nice with a pedal. The hiss is gone then and the volume manageable. You can put the master volume and other volume anyware you want. I now like the amp a lot better and have greater flexibility in all sounds. Still like most people the other channel is very boxy still. But who needs a two channel amp when one channel sounds great and you can still use the eq pedal for a boost.

It is better now.

I have eletro harmonic 12ax7 and jjel84's nice tubes.

I felt it had too much tube hiss. turning the gain down got rid of it.

You can download the manuel from Mesa.

Well it sounde ok with the vintage 30 celestion. I cahnged it to a neo vintage 12 inch celestion. It is lighter to carry now and has a more alnico blue kind of sound. It breaks up a little earlier on the clean channel and can be brought back to a clean sound with a twist of the gain knob. ( or lowering the mid). It also gives me a better controlled fedback on the higher gain channel. It just sounds better. I also switched to electro harmonix 12ax7 and jj el84s. I probably will switch to tung sol 12ax7's at some point.

bring extra tubes. Never broken down. Extremely loud amp.

Out of warranty.

Ive been playing 45 years and have lots of amps and guitars. This amp sounds good with all but humbuckers sound a little better. I play the blues rock. It now sounds better with the 12 inch vintage neo celestion and weighs less.

This 2 channel combo has been with me since it was new around 1995 or so. I bought it originally as a practice and back up amp to my Mark 4. I actually like the gain channel better on the DC than the Mark. More focused and a tighter overall tone. The footswitchable EQ is great for punching up the lead sounds and getting a sort of "Brown Sound'. Has a speaker mute that is nice but have never really had to use it. Has a headphone out on back as well as a very quiet and functional effects loop. Wish it was footswitchable like the Mark 4 is. The footswitch controls the channel and EQ. Has reverb controls for both channels but is rather weak. That is really my only beef with it.

I have spent many hours and $$$$$$$$$$$$$ on getting this amp JJJJUUUSSSTTTT right. First was the tube quest. I endded up staying with the Low Noise Mesa preamp tubes but am using JJ's for the power section. I went with a cleaner headroom tube and installed a variable pot so when I install tubes I can check and adjust the bias. If you keep Mesa power tubes in it this is not nessacery. I also want the clean channel to be cleaner and I found that the speaker was at fault as much as the power tubes. I tried many speakers and when I put an EV classic in my Mark $ the Black Shadow 90 watt Celestion that came out of it went in. BINGO!!!!! Just what the doctor ordered. Since this amp is loud and only rated at 30 or so watts I think the little 30 watt vintage celestion it came with just wasn't enough. I'm very pleased now and it gives me anything I need. You just need to go slow on the controls like someone else said the EQ on the channels and the graphic are very sensitive. I use a PRS custom with humbuckers, Gibson Les Paul with duncan pups, a Strat with duncans and a Tele with Lindy Fralins. They all sound great in it but some guitars may need some small tweeks because of output differences. This amp is also quite quiet for the sound levels it produces!

This amp is very rugged but like any tube amp you can't just toss it around and think that it will not result it problems eventually. Tubes can be very funny if not handled properly. I did notice that the top of the amp use to get rather hot and this began to bother me. I had a very qualified teck that I have used for years to install a small fan on the left side looking from the back blowing across the power tubes and this made a huge difference in the operating temp. I think it likes me more now!!! The only time it ever failed me was one night at a small christian coffee house I play regularly I thought I'd use my 4x12 marshall cab. After about 30 minutes it shut down. I FREAKED!!!! I unhooked the cab and after several minutes I got sound out of the combo speaker. Wheeewwww. I later found after thinking it must have been an impedance problem my switch on the marshall cab went south. Got another one and no problems since. ANY MARSHALL CAB USERS BETTER CHECH THESE REGULARLY WITH A METER111111

i HAVE NEVER HAD A BETTER EXPERIENCE WITH ANOTHER COMPANY THAN MESA BOOGIE. Even my nickname for years has been Boogie Bob! They are very helpful and always willing to do whatever to help you. I don't remember how long the warranty was on my amp. I think a year or maybe more but it has been out for so long that should tell you the build em' right.

I have played for over 30 years and I cannot find any other amp maker that I would switch to.If it were stolen I'd be up the creek cause they don't make this one any more. I love the compact size and the huge sound this thing delivers. Wish the reverb was more like a Fender. Then it would be the perfect amp!

This is a 30 watt all tube (minus the rectifier) amp run with 4 el84s. It also has- 2 separate channels, each with their own gain, bass, mid, treble, presence, reverb, and volume controls, an FX loop, and switchable boost.
I use(d) the amp primarily for practice, though I used it in small venues numerous times, and it had plenty of power for anything that I did with it.
The graphic eq was pretty cool too.

I use primarily a Gibson Les Paul Std- with the stock Burstbuckers and a few effects, but I like to keep it pretty sparse.
This amp is great for clean. I loved the clean channel for warm, yet a glassy quality to open chords and slower leads. The DC-3's break up early (3 to 4 out of 10 on the gain side)- but that was not the amp's fault since you can't expect a great clean with humbuckers and a lower output, low(er) headroom amp. The plus side to that was classic bluesy breakup was fairly easy to achieve.
The gain channel was actually fairly disappointing to me, and it was the reason I ended up selling the amp. It has a buzzy/fizzy quality to the distortion, especially at low volumes. I ended up using the amp at a gain setting no higher than 4 or 5. This helped but it was never great. I think that though the distortion is thick- it lacks power and the ability to really cut through. I play anything from progressive rock/metal to blues to a bit of jazz. When all is said and done, the mids and the fizzy gain were my biggest issues with the amp.

The amp had a few glitches- but I think most of them were user errors. Never broke down.

Never talked to them. I've heard they're good but I wouldn't know.

I've been playing for 9 years, owned amps made by carvin, marshall, peavey and crate. This was probably the most durable and professional quality out of any of them.
I bought the amp because I fell in love with the sweet clean sounds, but when it comes down to it I am mostly a rock guy.
I sold it about a month ago and have been on the amp search ever since- still trying to find "that tone".

Dual Channels - clan and distorted. EQ's up the wazzu and a Graphic EQ to further shape the tone. Foot pedal to switch from rythem (clean) to distorted and to engage the graphic EQ in each setting. Rule of thumb on this amp is that the slitest moverment of any EQ knob or graphic EQ level will have big impact on the tone. It takes a lot of patience to figure out the sensativities of each EQ then to eventually get your sound. It took me a good 3 weeks to get the hang of it and i'm still learning. There are so many variations with the knobs and the graphic EQ that you can intermix that I think you can spend a whole life time experimenting.

I play Metal Metal metal.. you get the point right. I delve into a some blues solos and hard rock but, i'm mostly inspired to play thrash to metalcore. When I first got this amp i was dissapointed at the lack of distoriton but, that was just a stupid mistake i made by not knowing how to properly EQ this amp. Having a never owned a tube amp and mainly having played SS amps with digital and analog pedals, I never really gave great focus on EQ's. On digital and analog pedals turning the eq 1/4 one way or another will make a slight impact however, if you so much as blow on an EQ knock or slider on this amp you will get a completely different sound. I finally figured out the V combination on the graphic EQ which really made a difference but dont think its as simple just making a V. THe V configuration in iteslf has tons of variations which impact the treble,mid, huge bottom, and bass. I found that 2200 and 6000 slider up high dropping te 750 all hte way down and keeping the 60 and 240 slider below the middle gives a great balance of a scooping the mids while maintaining the high's and lows. The funny thing was that when I first played this amp I was thinking that this almost sounds like a metal zone or a Line 6 metal/ insane feature then It occured to me "hey stupid this is the real thing that that those companies were copying" lol

Very well made, the tubes are very exposed though so you do have to pay special care to the way you transport this amp. Definitely need a case for this amp to ensure its safety

Had some questions, called mesa and spoke with a rep who was very knowledgable and gave informative advice on how to maximize the tone.

I've been playing for 8 years, I started out late when I was 25 and am now 34. Initially got inspired to play blues and rock but, then that lead me into liking metal since in my opinion it brings about the most range for the guitar. This is by far the best amp i have ever owned. After buying the DC-3 i kinda went on a Mesa binge and also bought the Nomad but, the DC-3 is better. THe graphic EQ can cover most to any sound. I would also suggest using a tube screamer with this amp which really bring out the sharpness. I dont really hate anything about. I guess every guitarist spends their entire life searching for the ultimate tone, This is close, the only thing I wish it had more of is a little more smoothness and lush to its tone but, its a mesa which are known for the gritty bottom which no other amp matches. I can always add a pedal to the mix to enhance the tone so that doesnt bother me. THe core sound I want is in this amp. Its not a rectifier but, I can get those tones by manipulating this amp with my tube screamer and noise gate. I dont think i will ever sell this amp unless I get a great deal on a rectifier. Then again this thing is so compact and packs such a great punch that it would be hard to get rid of even if I did get my dream rig

Overal it has good features, but it really could use some other things. It is a 2 channel amp, I really wish it was 3, that would make my day. The reverb is independently on both channels, sweet. The fixed bias is wonderful. The EQ is one of the most wonderful things that Mesa has put on a few of thier amps, I dont see why they dont install it on all of their amps! If you are turned off of this amp because it is only 30 watts..... well iv got a surprise for you.... Its the loudest 30 watts you will ever hear. I have acually played in concerts where this will hold up against a 200 watt solid state half stack, and even in thoughs concerts, I never went past 5 for the output.

Ah the sound, this is where it gets very interesting. Both of the channels are great. The stuff I like is a mixture of lighter and harder stuff. The sounds I like to get are from groups like, Jars of Clay, Skillet, Alter Bridge, Dream Theater, Jeremy Camp, Rush, U2, Kutless... so ya, I really need something that can handle both ends of the spectrum well. Currently in a band called Chosen (www.myspace.com/chosenrock). The clean channel is very appealing. It can be set to have no break up or some break up. It is very nice to use in soft songs, specially when reverb is used. The distortion is great as well. It can deffinatly get into that heavy territory. It may be not as massive as a triple rec, but it is much more versitile then one. It has a nice saturated sound, has a nice ballance low end. The only problem here is that the lead channel isnt really good at not having that Mesa sound (if that makes sense). You kind of seem stuck with the heavish territory (changing the preamp tubes could probibly help here). sure you can turn down the gain, but, it still has the same characteristic. For me this really is not a big deal, but for people that want the vintage classic rock stuff, well this might be a problem. What even makes this amp sound good is the 5 band EQ, you can really tweak your sound. WHY DOES MESA NOT DO THIS ON THIER NEW AMPS !!! Another great thing about this amp is the output options. Each channel has a seperate output level, then there is another master output level, very helpful in a live setting.

It is preaty good. I had a problem with it once, something blew in it, and made it unplayable. However I think it was because of a surge, so it is not really the amps fault. And this is a 10+ year old amp, and who knows what the previous owner did with it. So I say this thing gets a 10.

Never really had to deal with them. I did make a call before about something and they were helpful, I was not on hold for long (that right there earns high marks)

Overall, this is a great amp that one can buy for 600 bucks. It is a great shame that Mesa stopped making these. The Express I think is suppose to be its replacement ( and the F series as well). Id does not have the EQ, which makes no sense, so therefor it is not a true replacment. It is very reliable, no problems on stage. The 30 watts is more than enough for me, it would be hard to use if playing in arenas or something, but I dont see that as an issue for me. Even at practice it gets loud, I usually stay at about 3 1/2, which is plenty, belive it or not. I think the only other amp that could truly replace this amp is a Mark IV (which has 3 channels). The amp can scream with high gain, but it can also dish out a very pretty clean sound (think Alter Bridge). I truely don't need another amp other than this. This is one of though things that I will keep forever becasue of the memories, quality, and sound this amp has.

I bought this amp for 500 bucks used, and it was the best deal i ever got. I mainly play classic and 90's rock, but a ton of blues mixed in. This amp has a great overdriven blues tone. Mesa's are not typically know for having a good clean channel, but this one is friggin awesome. The celestion v30 sounds great! One of the great features of this amp is the graphic eq. You can set it to be used as a volume boost, or to make it sound completely different. The spring reverb is a good thing to have and this amp has it, with an awesome set up too. It has reverb separate for both channels and it almost sounds like a fender on clean. It has an fx loop and a headphone jack...very handy! And sure, this amp is heavy, but dont be a wuss, its worth carrying to be able to hear it! This amp is 35 watts, and that may not sound like alot, but this baby is loud! I cannot stand to turn it up past 5 without ear plugs. The unique thing about its volume system though, is that it has an output level control and then two master controls for each channel. It also has the usual controls plus a great presence control for each channel. I usually put the output on 4 and the dist. on 3 and the clean on 3 1/2 for band practice and loud gigs. This amp will kick a marshalls ass any day. This amp is all tube power too! 4 EL-84's and 6 12-AX7's. This amp has it all no matter what style of music you play. I honestly have no idea why they stopped making them.

This amp is pure dirt. The distortion is incredible. It has an extremely high gain that is good enough to play metallica on. It sounds like a Mark IV, but has more growl in the distortion. I'm currently playing it through an '02 usa fender stratocaster with 3 single coils. That combo is great for blues and hard rock. However, if you want this amp to sounds its best, play it through a les paul. Holy Crap! This baby truly growls, and the eq only makes it better. I like to use it as a solo/ volume boost channel. The amp hardly buzzes at all, even through my single-coiled strat. This thing has great rhythm and an incredible soloing sound. The clean channel is great for any style of music, even at high volumes. True tube tone! And if you're a solid-state junkee, wake up, cause they suck!

This amp is like a rock, you can practically drop it off the roof and still play it. I've never had a problem with it and probably never will. Some people like to think that mesa amps burn out tubes too quickly..BULL!!!! They're just fine when it comes to the tubes. One of the most reliable tube amps out there.

No problems, never had to deal with the company!

This is the best amp I have ever played through besides a triple rectifier. I will never get rid of it, and will gaurd it with my life. I love everything about it except its weight, but its well worth it. If you want a great sounding amp, its going to be heavy! All tube amps are. The only thing I wish it had was more reverb cause i like a load of it, but there is still plenty. I garuntee this is the best deal you will ever see unless someone gives you a recto for free!

Covered.

Amp's used, older but mint. Doesn't look like it ever left the 'basement'. ;- )

Super versatile amp for the money and portability!

1st channel reminds me of a nice Fender Twin and can get the light-clip tone for great rhythm base or new country clean. Can get a really warm sizzle with a nice crisp edge for that neck clean jazz tone...killer!! Also gains up nicely for a smooth blues tone!

2nd channel is nu-metal/90's-00's rock (typical Mesa + PRS tone). But, gain can be rolled back for a nice crunch rhythm. Also, with the use of the 5-band EQ, the amp can really soar into the fusion gain-meets-clarity/articulation tones.

Nice, usable Accutronics reverb and V30 speaker - great!

Overall, very versatile amp - quite surprised!!

Will say the stock Mesa tubes are typical generic tube tone - buzzy, cold w/o character. Throw in a set of JJ's (eurotube.com has a couple complete DC-3 retube kits available at great prices for a quick solution) and the amp really came to life!

It's a tank! Very solid. No worries at all.

Called Mesa to find out the age of the amp based on the serial #. Received a return call less than an hour later with helpful info and a brief but pleasant chat with the gent (Michael Taylor). Nicely done folks! One of the best mfg interactions I've had in a long, long time and MUCH appreciated!

Playing for 28 years. Fulltime pro musician.

Own Dr. Z, Vox, Fender, Mesa amps; G&L, Fender, Gibson, Danelectro, Seagull, Yamaha, Ibanez, Blade guitars; Keeley, Fulltone, Boss, Ernie Ball, Line6, ProCo, Seymour Duncan, Digitech, Ibanez effects. Like great tone, great mfg'ing, great quality, reliability and versatility. Had a Triaxis/2:90 rack rig once-upon-a-time but wasn't crazy about it. After hearing several folks get great tone out of their MK series and Blue Angel amps I decided to reinvestigate Mesa amps for their non-rectifier models. Glad I did...but it's still nice to have that rectifier channel there when studio or sub-date gigs call for it.

Great amp!