Mesa/Boogie DC-3 Head

I should commence stating that Mesa Boogie amplifiers are IMHO fantastic. Each and all of them. Just plugging into one, any one, and you will feel the difference with any other amplifier (chip, trans or tube) you ever tried. The Dual Caliber series is certainly no exception to this golden rule.

Introduced in 1990, this little, half sized head has tone to spare. Rating at the 30 loudest watts I ever heard in my life, this savage has 1 input, 2 completely independent channels (each one with independent reverb!), dual rectifiers, a million tubes (four EL84 and six (6!) 12AX7), 5 band graphic EQ (perfectly voiced, affecting both channels: 80Hz / 240 / 750 2200 / 6600), record line out, slave output, 4 and 8 ohm external speaker jacks and a proprietary volume controlled effects loop. Is unbelievable how much amplifier this people could cram in a little box.

Controls in the front panel are generous: Gain, treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Reverb and Master for each channel and then master output level and five band EQ for both (together with selector switches) is what you?ll get. Any imaginable tone could be pulled with little experimentation, with the only exception of massive, extreme gain distortion (I reserve my magic Damage Control Demonizer for that).

The Dual Caliber series (really popular from its introduction until its decease) comprised three models, the DC3 (30 watts), the DC5 (50 watts) and the DC10 (100 watts, switchable down to 60 watts), offered in both head and combo versions. The DC3 and the DC5 are the most similar one, and specifications in both are almost identical, having the DC5 50 watts instead of the 30 of the DC3 and 6L6 power tubes instead of EL84, (therefore loosing a tiny bit of emphasis and definition in the upper harmonics, yet I?m being extremely picky here).

The DC Combo versions are exactly the same amplifiers, in a larger wooden case housing a 12-inch, 8 Ω Mesa Black Shadow speaker (type MC90, which could be muted for recording purposes via a switch). The DC10 features two 90 watts custom designed Celestion speakers, wired in series at 16 Ω. Some of these could be found today used with the special order wicker/cane grill and/or red ?eye?, for a more ?traditional? look.

I discarded the concept of playing with amplifier heads (favoring the preamp/poweramp array ages ago), and nowadays that approach is almost ridiculous to my home studio environment, but I just could not resist keeping this one. I mostly play with humbuckers and locking trem guitars (I own more than a 100), and these tools were used on this amplifier. My playing style is some sort of shred / classical, with several nuances to appreciate both clean and distorted tones on the DC3, which I own since some years now.

The clean sound is by all means perfect (not a single argument at this regard, and we know that guitar players are particularly prone to have arguments about everything). The distorted sound, on the other hand ?yet equally uncanny, creamy, thick and tight- was a little bit less ?gainy? than I might desire (say, that of a Dual Rectifier head, even when is perfect for most applications), so I usually ?push it? a little bit with a Boss CS2 and/or an MXR DD11 (an original Tube Screamer or Boss DS1 worked equally well, or even better for this purpose!). Blues players, and even rock?n?rollers could breathe and live with just this amplifier, but my playing style requires something a bit more muscular.

I tried to keep things simple and small (something advisable for any home studio) but I?m still keeping one Marshall JCM 4x12 and Laney 2x10 cabinets to pump some serious volume when required. This head sounds glorious through a professional cabinet, yet is too ?raw? through its direct recording output, loosing mostly all of its charms, so recording this using a vacuum tube microphone in front of the speakers is the way to go.

Pros? Everything.
Cons? None. Extreme overdrive could not be enough for some styles. Loud as hell, it might be tricky to exploit the full potential of the DC3 in a home studio environment (provided that, along with your studio, you have a home).

This might well be one of the best built amps I ever own. If you dare to open it up, you'll be impressed by how neat all connections were made. For a regular production, non boutique, amplifier, this one deserves a perfect ten.

Never dealt with them. Very nice, informative website -updated regularly- and a nice touch to keep records for discontinued products (like this one).

This is one of the finest amplifiers that money can buy today. No question about that. Perfect for almost any contemporary style, only hardcore shredders will miss more distortion. Do not let this one pass by, you'll regret that.
If I would like to share anything else? The DC3 redefines the concept of L-O-U-D !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Beware!

Bought the amp around '93? Can't quite remember the year. Weak 'verb is irrelevant as the volume increases. Just crank it and play yer arse off. The graphic EQ is tight - knock down the 240Hz, leave the 750Hz flat, boost the others and you're damned tootin if that don't sound like the Dual Rectifier crunch monger. The other guit-ist in my band uses the Dual Rectifier, and it just doesn't cut thru at all. My DC-3 tone breathes over the top in bars, clubs, and outdoor shows. Pick slide into a monsterous A chord and people will turn and stare. I use an old ADA digital delay/chorus/flinger dialed in thru the effects loop at about 20% to get a slightly wet sound.

Great with a Kramer Night Swan at almost any dial settings, tricky with a 62 Strat but sounds great with the EQ off. I love muddin' up the clean channel to Gain 7 and Mid 7 and rippin on some classic Zeppelin - with my Strat.

Only drawback is the volume at which the sweet spot exists - too much for household use when anyone else is home. There's pretty much no low volume use for this amp - its loud or louder.

This amp was on backorder for months. I had to pay the dealer up front, too! When I called Boogie they said the transformers were on backorder, which is hard to believe, unless they forgot to pay their bills on time.

The amp has always had intermittent problems with noise on the clean channel. Changing the appropriate tubes or all tubes only results in a temporary fix. Unplugging the footswich kills the noise, but when I flip the front panel toggle to Rhythm, the noise comes right back. Going on standby for a while then back on can stop the noise for 10 seconds or 10 days or not at all. The lead channel always works like a charm.

I stopped using Boogie's tubes because guitar centers in Chicago never have them, and they act as though you have to be the crowned prince of some far, far away emirate to qualify to buy them. The groove tubes have a distinctly different character and produce a wholly pleasurable playing experience.

The 2x12 half-back Boogie cabinet came new with stripped wood screws holding the grille in place. I went to a fabric store and bought some tacky blue sequin prom dress and some velcro to hide the speakers, got the grille back on good enough. After the whole backorder experience and the frustration of working with the dealer, I didn't have the stomach to even deal with it anymore.

I am not sure what year this was made. It is a pretty versatile performer. I bought it originally as a back up amp for shows. It's a short head so it is really easy to transport. I was using Mesa Tremoverb as my main amp but now I am using this amp more due to it's more unique sound and superior clarity.

A lot of people say that the clean is not good on this amp, and honestly I do not know what they are talking about. The clean is very clean and stays clean at high volumes. It has a very punchy, throaty and rich tone to it. Way better than the Tremoverb. The distortion is great too, very clear. Not as thick as the Tremoverb but it sounds so much better in the mix. The Tremoverb got lost and was often competing with the bass due to it insane low end. The DC-3 cuts through but it is still very thick

I have not had any problems with this amp.

same as noted above by others
the 2 channel is very nice to have

i play rock blues and pink floyd. I like the amp. you can tell boogie makes top quality amps !. this is my first boogie. the amp was very queit. the amp had really nice overdrives. I'm really a fender dude, but mesa makes a better overdrive. But, boogie needs to work on their clean channel. the reverb is what i didn't care for. leave it to fender for reverb. The amp was really loud for 30 watts. plenty loud for any gig. so, i like everything about the amp except it was missing the nice clean fender tone and reverb. if boogie had those added, it would be the best.

very reliable, boogies last forever. the bmw of amps.

N/A

i've benn playen for 7 yrs. i like rock blues (SRV). I like pink floyd big time !!! best band ever. man, how can i get the david gilmore tone ??? anyone ? i pretty much liked the DC-3, except for the clean and reverb. the clean is pretty good, but not like a fender.

This is a 1998 Boogie DC-3 Head that I bought from the nice people at Soundcheck Music in New Orleans. As noted by others, it is an all tube 35 watt head featuring 2 completely independant channels, seperate reverb, seperate masters(as well as an overall master volume) , and a 5 band graphic eq.
I am playing it through a Carvin Bolt with a solid walnut body, fixed trem, 10ga strings, evolution bridge, and 2 Rio Grande Tallboys in front.
I enjoy any kind of good guitar music where people actually play and work the strings(classic rock, blues, jazz, and gasp, *some heavy stuff).

I recently sold a 1995 MarkIV head and wanted something with less features which offered more simplistic operation. You heard me right. Though I could switch the power on the MKIV down to 30 watts, it was more amp than I needed. Not to mention, a Mesa running at 35 watts IS rediculously loud. I cant tell you how often I find people here looking for a 100 watt Boogie or whatnot. I just have to laugh because unless you play an arena, where you'd be miked anyway, you'll never get to open up a high wattage tube amp like the MKIV.
Anyway, let me tell you about this gem of an amp. For one thing, it is So compact-it is a short chassis head. The distortion of this Boogie i entirely different from th MkIV in that it is much more focused sounding. It is truly brutal. It is also a HELLUVA lot QUIETER than the MKIV. Of course, you'll hear a bit of a hiss, but it's a tube amp after all. If you can imagine a billion pieces of broken glass singing along with the key of your guitar, then you know what this distortion sounds like. I can hear notes in the most complex of chords with the gain on 10. Another thing, there is no low-end flabbiness that is so often associated with these things. People (teeny rockers) must realize that the ultra low bass that you hear accompanying palm-muting is the end result of a mixing board. I'm sorry to rain on your parade. However, with a 4x12 loaded with vintage 30's, I get the fattest lowend ever.
The clean, by contrast, is not Fender clean (whatever the hell), but it is clean nonetheless. I love those little el84 power tubes. I can get the blusiest sound or the cleanest sound that I could ever hope for. Ask me about headroom with this channel. I haven't run out of it yet, and if I envisioned that I might, well looky here, there's a volume control on my guitar that I could adjust! Evertime I play it it continues to amaze me. I'm breathless and can't believe that I hav a rig that sounds this good. you just have to be careful with the higher gain settings- it is so full and thick that it virtually plays itself- I find myself cheating on those crazy legatos!

If reliability were to be measured by the quality of attention payed to detail, then I'd score it a ten here. Welded chassis, quality components, awesome woodwork.....

I caled them concerning a few lingering questions, and the guy that I talked to was one of the people who built my amp! How professional is that??? They are really ecited to hear from you.

Look, I've wasted thousands on shit equipment throughout my life and one thing I've learned is that you get what you pay for. Save yo damned money, boy, and but yo'sef a Boogie.

This amp has tons for control, maybe too many
You've got a Volume, low, mid, high, reverb, presence for each channel plus a strong 5 band eq and a master volume
Its all tube with a total of 8 tubes

When i purchased this amp i finally found an amp i was happy with.
I used to use a Carvin 2x12 cab with a Carvin Dc-127 guitar and it sounded nice but not warm enough. I now use a 4x12 cab and the difference is amazing.
The clean channel is nice but not as good as my 67 Fender bassman, but the distortion is very smooth and with the 5 band eq you can tailor it to any sound. It seems to me the eq is more useful for the distortion

i have to give it a 10 because ive owned it for like 8 months now and never had any problems whatsoever with it
plus mesa has a good rep.

I think this is a wonderful amp
i wouldnt give it a 10 because i have yet to hear an amp that good
But it has so many features and a great tube sound
id deffinately recommend it because im more than happy with it

1998 MODEL- ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES-I DO WISH IT HAD A REVERB ON/
OFF SWITCH, BUT I CAN'T COMPLAIN. PLENTY OF POWER-SMOKES MOST LARGE
AMPS. I HAVE MANY AMPS, BUT IF I HAD TO SETTLE ON ONE, IT WOULD BE
THIS ONE.SOLID BODY GUITARS

SOLID-BODY GUITARS WITH HIGH-GRADE PICKUPS. I PLAY ROCK AND ROLL -
IT HAS ALL THE BASES COVERED. NOT AT ALL NOISY AT ANY SETTING. THE
CLEAN CHANNEL RETAINS CLARITY AT ANY VOLUME. A FULL RANGE OF TONES ARE
AVAILABLE IN THE GAIN MODE. HARD TO TOP.

UTTERLY RELIABLE ANYWHERE. NO BACKUP NEEDED. NO PROBLEMS IN 1 YEAR
USE.

BOUGHT IT USED FROM AN OLD FRIEND, SO NO MANUAL. A CALL TO MESA
BROUGHT A NEW ONE PRONTO. VERY NICE FOLKS.

I'VE BEEN AT IT FOR 22 YEARS, OWN 8 AMPS, 9 GUITARS AND 50 FX. ALL OF
MY INSTRUMENTS ARE CUSTOMIZED BY ME. I'D GET ANOTHER IN A SECOND.
I SOMETIMES ATTACH A 1X12 MESA EXT CAB W/A CELESTION VINTAGE 30, SAME
AS THE AMP'S SPEAKER, FOR ADDITIONAL SPREAD IN BIG VENUES. MANY PEOPLE
COMPLEMENT THE SOUND.

The loudest 35 watts I've ever heard, tube or not. The 2 completely separate channels (6 12AX7's, 4 EL84's),excellent sounding tube-driven reverb (Accutronics), buffered record out, parallel FX loop (mixes FX 0-100% w/ orig. signal), 5-band EQ, etc. I just got this, which has M/B's modification to the EQ switching. The stock footswitch allows you to engage the EQ at any time, or assign the EQ via a rear toggle on the chassis. I'm still playing around with it. It has a ton of features. The short head (18.75") is portable & will sit perfectly on M/B's 1x12 extension cabs. Practice through the headphone jack at home, then take it to practice where the bigger cabinet is. It has 3 speaker jacks (8 ohm, 4 ohm, 4 ohm). I wish it had the "Pull Boost" feature found on the DC-5 & 10's rhythm channel. (I didn't realize the DC-3 didn't have this at the time I bought it-neither did the sales rep.) Footswitch (channel, EQ) is included, but no vinyl cover!

TONS of tone. I can feel it respond to every nuance of both hands, and the output tells all, good playing or bad. You first realize it's 35 watts when you run out of clean headroom. But unless you play arenas or enjoy pissing off singers, this should be enough power. I play 80's & 90's rock using a Charvel Model 4 with a Duncan JB (w/ a coil split switch)& Rio Grande single coils, and sometimes a borrowed US-made standard Strat. The DC-3 head sits on an older Boogie 2x12 half-back with Black Shadow/Celestions. The clean channel has great range- clear, big & open. Great Strat tones here. I LOVE a bright crunch, and this DC-3 does OK when you dime the gain & mid (the mid plays a dual role of midrange and gain)on its rhythm channel- it just needs more kick in the pants that the DC-5's "Pull Boost" might provide. When you max the Master for this channel, (the "Output Level" affects both channels)it thickens up a bit. Sounds so good, but then its level is mismatched with the lead channel and the FX loop is OD'd. The lead channel is pretty dark and very Boogie, with lots o' gain. It has that Boogie mid punch, and is very articulate. A JB sounds amazing when the gain is between 3-7, nice & thick but defined. Singing vocal lead at max gain, but doesn't have too much gain. At low volumes, you can play with the tone controls a bit more- their effect is much more pronounced at higher volumes.

Too new to tell. Based on how it's assembled, I'm sure it could road surf & still work!

Called BEFORE I bought the DC-3, and immediately was talking to a tech about several products in detail. Friendly & helpful, didn't rush me. Dealer was great. 1-year warranty.

I've been playing for about 15 years, and have owned a couple Marshalls (JCM 800, Jubilee 25/50),a Carvin X-60C, and an ADA MP-1 rack system. I've played through several others. Each has been either extremely moody or a 1-tone wonder.
This DC-3 delivers the goods. A great all-around amp. Maybe not as much pure character as some amps, but no gremlins either. Playable for hours. I wish it had that rhythm channel boost. I might try to trade up to the DC-5 to get it. The extra $200 might be worth the 3rd sound, that bright elusive grind.
This amp is worth it. Pretty amazing, when you think of the stress it can put on a marriage: a) It keeps you entertained for hours into the night b) It's louder than war c) It costs more than 168 long stem roses d) It looks "old" and has vacuum tubes

30 watts(but very loud),channel switching,switchable eq,parrallel effects loop,tone,tone,TONE!i run it thru two 2x12 recto cabs(the cabs sound totally different than the stock speaker in the combo).the amp is perfect for everything i want:LOUD,TONE,VERSATILE,and did i mention TONE!

it does everything i want times ten.my style is lead-wise like steve morse & eric johnson,groove-wise akin to stevie ray thrown into a blender with dimebag darrel(boy do i love texas..).the high gain channel i peg the gain and i get awesome sound(some might like more distortion,but every sound man and engineer creams over this setup).the clean channel i crank the gain on also,incredible bluesy tone ...i have 3 yamaha pacifica's and a ibanez rv470 all with seymore jb trembuckers in the bridge,and a ernie ball sillouette with steve morse p/u's...i would recomend switching the first two pre-amp tubes to sp-ax7's,the give you the same gain with much less noise..

built like a tank!my one and only!had it for a year and i play it all the time,hour after hour(monotinus isn't it)

the best i have ever dealt with,and iv'e been playing 18 years and i call every company(yes i am quite annoying,and they were still great!)

i have owned a 5150 head,a fender power chorus,fender m-80,a laney(forgot model),and played thru everything(i worked at a couple of stores over the years);i will never again buy any other company's amp,this is perfect for me(i almost sound like a comercial),but really i can't believe how great it sounds every time i fire it up