Mesa/Boogie DC-5 Head

Loaded for mid 90's model year. Check other ads for exact features

My setup includes Gibson ES-325 1971, Fender Telecaster Plus 1990, Rickenbacher RB-360,VOX wah ,Boss Delay.Mainly my style is straight a head rock rythmn with no effects only the Boogie drive from the pull out of the clean channel with Boogie reverb at about 6.The crunch in the lead channel easily gives me more than my lead players 50 watt Marshall head and 2 x 12 Marshall cab. The Gidson /Boogie combo is especially sweet as is the Dual Lace sensor red humbucker on the Tele Plus. I have yet to find a sound that I really like on the Rickie thru the Boogie but the Rick is not my main guitar and rarely gets played.Poor Rickey just sits there and looks pretty.I play thru a 1 x 12 Boogie/Theile cab with a 90 watt Celestion Black Shadow. I have pulled the back off the cab as I found it too focused directionally. I have also used a Marshall 4 x 12 cab in the past and although it was fun , it was not my sound.I would like to try the new Boogie 2 x 12 cab .The DC-5 IS A LOUD AMP!. I wish it had a quarter or half power switch.I have heard that you can put a volume pedal in line in the effects loop and then crank the master to get your power tubes cooking. I have not tried this yet but will soon as that in my opinion is the best Boogie sound.
Overall the DC-5 IS EXTREMELY VERSATILE sound wise and for my straight ahead style of R@B/ rock my band allways packs the dance floor and gets many compliments on the fine sound.

Only had to change power tubes once in 1998. Havn't touched anything before or since.I never take a backup and have not needed one.

I have never used them although I do not like the fact that they won't reply to email. I live in Canada and phoning them for a question is a waste of money!

My first gig was in high school so I have been playing nearly 30 years. This is my second Boogie and I won't ever sell it. If lost or stolen I might try a different model. I do find the DC-5 HAS TOO MUCH POWER. I would look at other Boogies as the products are very good overall.The Boogie is not for everyone and you must take the time to find your sound with it.When I bought I treid everything from Marshall to Matchless, Vox to Fender , Soldano to Traynor and overall this is what got my cash. There are many many fine amps out there and no one is perfect. The DC-5 offered me the best feature/sound/price combo and I have never regretted the decision to buy it.

Features are listed in previous reviews, no need to go over this again

I use American Deluxe Fat Strat, Hamer Studio. I've played all kinds of music including the new rock. Been playing for 23 years. This is one of the best amps I've owned. Not noisy at all. Note this, you must try the Mesa 6l6 str 454's for this amp. Also, use thier 12ax7 russian 2's. I've tried everything in the book and I keep going back to these even in my Marshall. You'll hear a drastic difference in the complex harmonics of this amp. I almost sold it until I tried the 454's. Very warm and brown. The clean channel is clean as thier Mark 4. With the clean pulled and gain maxed it sounds very clean crunchy. Good for the Stones type of sounds. The Distortion will crush with the best of them for new rock stuff.

The best I've owned, I've owned it for 3 years and dropped it off my 4-12 on the front corner of the amp. My band mates acted like they saw a car accident. It did'nt break just dented the corner SLIGHTLY.
I made sure the tubes were all secure and turned it on. Worked perfectly! Love this company

Unreal, the best ever. I've called them in the past with questions about the tube locations and they've called me back within the day or no later than 24 hours. I recently blew a tube (remember - use thier 454's) for some reason I don't know, called customer service and got a message back within 4 hours that I'm all set because thiers are warranteed for 6 months. No questions asked, done deal, tubes will arrive soon. I think I'm a lifer on this company.

I will be looking into thier new Lonestar amp coming out soon! Thier new f-50 is great! Temptation is there. This amp is a super deal used if you can find one. I wish it had a bias switch for el 34s but what more do you want. I also own a Marshall dsl 50 head which is pretty good, but I keep going back to this one. The Marshall is mainly a backup until I get another Boogie.

Dual Caliber DC-5: 50 watts, all tube (two 6L6 power tubes and six 12AX7 preamp tubes), 2 channels (Rhythm & Lead) with "Pull Boost" on the Rhythm channel, footswitchable and channel assignable 5-band Graphic EQ, Effects Loop with mix level control, recording output with silent recording mute switch, headphone output, two 4 ohm speaker outs and one 8 ohm speaker out, slave out, Footswitch for channel switching and EQ on/off...The DC-5 was designed with the same Rhythm circuitry from the Mesa Mark IV and the same Lead channel as the Dual Recifier.

I use a 1995 Fender American Fat Strat and a PRS CE-22 with my DC-5: The Strat's bridge position humbucker sounds incredible, thick and warm. The Strat's single coil pickups excel on the Rhythm channel with the Clean and Pushed modes, but is lacking a little bit in output power to match the Lead channel. Clean and pushed sounds with the Strat are reminiscent of Fender (SRV, etc.). The PRS CE-22 is a perfect match for the DC-5. Clean channel is smooth and warm but tends to break up slightly at higher volumes (due mostly to the pickups on the PRS, not the amp). The Lead channel is good for anything where distortion is needed, from low gain blues leads to massive Rectifier crunch. When used with the assignable Graphic EQ, the Lead channel is unstoppable, and in my opinion sounds better than the Dual Rectifier itself. The DC-5 is crisp and clear and is one of the most versatile amps I've ever played. This amp is loud for only 50 watts, but is a little low on headroom at higher volumes. Other than that, this amp is sweet.

This is the most reliable amp I've ever owned. I dialed in the sounds I wanted with ease. This amp comes with me to all my gigs along with a Marshall 1960 cab with Celestion Vintage 30's. At low volumes the DC-5 excels with a 4x12. However, at bigger gigs where higher volume is needed, the DC-5 breaks up easily and it's 50 watts can easily be overcome. My best solution for this is to use a smaller speaker cab, such as the Carvin Legacy 2x12 (also with Vintage 30's). The cab is tight and punchy and will help the amp punch through rather than breaking up. As far as the amp itself, I have never had a problem with it. It is very well built.

Never had to contact the company.

I've been playing for 8 years. I currently own a 1972 Fender Twin Reverb and a Carvin Legacy 2x12 combo. The DC-5 blows the Legacy away. The DC-5 stomps on the Twin as far as raw power is concerned, and the DC-5's clean tones are right up there with the Twin. I've played through JCM-800's and Plexi heads which have a more defined crunch tone, but lack in the clean tones. The DC-5 excels in both.

50 Watt head (sounds like 100 watts)- Two Channels - All tube - Six preamp and Two power tubes - Effects Loop, Graphic and Parametric Equalization - Recording Output - Headphone Output - Switch on channel 1 for clean/crunch - Footswitch

The DC5 is one of the most versatile amps out there. Great clean tones right up there with Fender. Distortion can be dialed in from mild vintage style to brutal rectifier. Very warm sounding amp. Can easily compete with most other 100 watt amps in shear volume. I am running the DC5 into a Marshall 1960 4-12 cab loaded with Vintage 30's. I use a Gibson Les Paul Studio as well as a Fender American Deluxe Fat Strat. They both sound fantastic.

Never had any problems to date. Seems very solid in construction.

Never had to use them.

I have been playing 15 yrs. I have owned a number of Marshall combos as well as Marshall half stacks. I like the versatility of the DC5. Marshalls sound great overdrivin but lack a bit when it comes to clean tones. The DC5 gives you the best of both worlds. I highly recommend the DC5

This amp is in MINT condition. It's maroon in colour, which I've been told, is very rare. I know very little about Boogies, so it could be ancient...or new. I DO know that every guitar I play through this thing sounds the same. Strat...same as my Les Paul. I thank Christ that Hendriz didn't use a Boogie!!! If he HAD, we'd really never have heard true Stratocaster sounds coming from him. Listen to the first "Sea level" album. It's EXCELLENT....but the guitar sound is so fuzzy, and round.......so un-Strat-like. Strats have scooped mids. The Boogie fills it all in. Very un-deelish.
Ya'll KNOW what features this beast has!
I wish it had separate inputs for the clean and dirty channels. I'll just put the damned things in myself!! lol
This amp is used for sessions and concerts.

'61 Strat with mid-fifties Tele neck, 68 Les Paul '59 Sunburst
'55 GoldTop. Roland GR-1 Korg A3's.
I have to play all styles. This amp sounds like McDonald's burgers....everyone eats it up. It is almost adequate for clean sounds. Good God...I get a better clean sound from my mid-70's black Yamaha "Twin-looking" combo, and it's Solid State. For dirty...GIMME MY MARSHALL!!!! lol
You see...what comes out of the P.A. is NOTHING like what comes out of the amp speaker. Regardless of the brand or style of the microphone, the amps' sound is CHANGED. Anyone who disagrees.... go back to doing sound at the Ramada Inn. One thing I have to say about the Boogie, is that microphones seem to LOVE the sound they make. With my other rigs, I could have mind-blowing stage sound....and out front it'll be washed out. Plug the Boogie in, crank her up, and it's really THERE, and in the appropriate area of the sound spectrum. But it sounds generic, no bottom end, no top end, round mids....NO CHARACTER. Like I said before...every guitar sounds the same when played through these babies. Not to dump on Carlos...but his sound now is so....uh..."Rockman-like"...that it's nauseating. That's the Boogie for ya.
The Boogie is a good amp, no doubt about it. But if Randall Smith was a REAL guitar player (I don't mean a dope who OWNS 20 Pauls and Strats), he'd HEAR what's wrong. If he spent as much time PLAYING a Strat, as he did building amps...he'd REALLY know. Hey...if I spent as much time building amps as I did practising.....I'd be able to do it. We can't be everything, so we choose out path. Randall's is a most noble one. I respect that. But the sound just AIN'T THERE, baby!!

I've so rarely had gear go down that this is barely worth commenting on. Boogies are robust, so the added piece of mind is good to have. The sound is the most important consideration however. I will unload it the instant someone makes me the right offer. I'd be willing to pay for excellent sound...the reliability I already HAD. Ya know...I feel like I paid $120,000 for a Hummer...but really needed something that goes from 0 to 60 in 4 secondes and pulls .99 g's on the skidpad!!

The Boogie people are very supportive.

I've been playing for 40 years.
I'f it were stolen, I'd kick some thieving-ass. Then, thank them for saving me. And then, I'd rob that mother----er who stole it from me, take the $$ and buy a Marshall.
Why I like it: reliability, AND status (very shallow of me, yes...but...
(Phil Collins got the Genesis gig not because he was the best...but because he had the best jokes. That was what got him the gig. He is great, and so were the others who auditioned. But the jokes did it for him. So whatever edge we can get, we'd BETTER get. If a bunch of guys, me included, are vying for a high profile gig, and I'm hired because I have the best gear, that's good enough for me, dudes! They want McDonald's...they's gonna git it! lol
Why I dislike it: Generic "Rockman" sound.

- Amp was in production in early in 90's
- I use two of them with two Marshall 1960's to play big sound rock n roll (Sabbath, AC/DC,...etc).
- Two total independent footswitchable channels
- Playing out with a loud rock band professionaly, 50 watts sounds like 110watts
- Using two of them I have ground shaking power with enough wide range of tone using six preamp tubes (each head), master volume and a main 5 band eq

- Play a gary moore sig les paul with stock burstbucker bridge pickup.
- Quiet amp dist or clean when not playing.
- You can get this cutting tone but not compressed like a dual rec.
- Clean channel chimes at high volume
- I set the main eq (both channels) with the mids cranked and almost peaking treble and semi peaking bass.
- Distortion is very controllable but packs a rugged rawness thats hard to find with most amps in production now.

I would never play any amp without a backup, but over a years time on the road never have I had any problems but replacing tubes.

I was able to get the schematic from Boogie because the amp was out of production and out of warranty. Those guys will help you with anything but internal modifications.

I've played professionally for 5 years.
I would replace this amp if it where stolen.
I love this amp, I can't seem to find the tone primarily, and can't find the price secondarily.
To use two of these heads I made a circuit with DPDT Relays to use one stereo footswitch pedal that fits in a single rack space which will change channels on both heads at once and switch the main eq on both heads at once.

50 Watt head, two channels. Tubes: six 12ax7 in the preamp and two 6L6GC for the power amp. Parallel loop, graphic and parametric equalization, recording output, switch on channel 1 for clean/crunch. The only problem is that this switch is not driveable by pedal.

GREAT sound. Channel 1 goes from absolutely clean to hard distortion, with very much bite. Channel 2 is for distorted sounds only, but has more mids than the other one. The sound is very fat; you will have no problem obtaining any kind of distortion, for bluesy crunch to Metallica' s punch. No noise at all. Very loud, you would never believe it has 50 watts; on stage, the band will hear only you!!

No problems so far.

If it only had a footswitch to control the gain boost on channel 1, it would be perfect.

Many have already listed these. Standard tone and gain controls, push/pull on rhythm channel, master output level, graphic eq and footswitch. I use the EQ, which is foot switchable on/off, for extra gain for solos which is really nice because you can add additional high end to be heard above the rest of the band.

All in all it has everything I could want and nothing I don't.

I play through a host of guitars including 90's Les Pauls, SG, G&L Asat, 70's 335, 60's Gretsch, and Big Apple Strat. My styles range, but I'm a roots blues, rockability, rock and roll player at my core that does a lot of rock stuff.

The clean channel is very clean in my opinion and works for some of the ballads and rockabilly I play. Pulling out the gain on the rhythm channel gives you a slight overdrive similar to 70's Twin Reverbs which I previously owned. I've never had any issues with the guitar getting too much distortion on this channel.

The lead channel with the overdrive cranked works wonderfully for loud rock. Its less crunchy than you might get with some Marshalls but it's something I really like for the rock stuff I play most often.

Reverb is nice and clean and no noise.

I use a Marshall 1922 with Celestion Greenbacks as well as a 1960 slant cab. With the 1922, you get a very driven sound at lower volumes while the 1960 gives me a bigger sound than that.

I fully rely on this amp and have been using it with the current tubes since I got in 1997 (5 years now). It's been transported around for rehearsals and gigs and never gave me any trouble.

I did get some unwanted sounds for a short time which I found were coming from a bad cable that was losing its connections.

I've heard from other Mesa owners that these things just don't break down. Most of the problems come from old or bad tubes.

I've got to add that I've kept the original QC tag on the power cord. It's got the signatures of all the people involved in checking the amp out.

I've been playing for 22 years and really fallen in love with this amp. It's a good amp for most styles of music. If you want to get a real nasty crunch sound for metal, you will probably need a pedal to get you there, but the overdriven distortion is great for me.

I would definately buy Mesa again because as I've mentioned, it does everything I need it to do well.

They are pricey which is why I'll give them an 8 here. But most premium tube amps out there are close in price if not more.

The amp has all the features I could ask for, there is nothing I wish it had built in, in fact I don't use the Reverb or pull gain boost on the clean channel. Mine has a headphone jack which I don't use- the quality is inevitably much poorer than through a cab, but it doesn't even say it has a headphone jack in the manual I downloaded. I assume it's an older version of the amp. The graphic EQ is like having a third channel, in fact it's exactly how I would set up the third channel if it had one.

I'm playing a Gordon Smith G-60 (Les Paul) through it with a Duncan Distortion in the bridge. I play punk ska, which it suits perfectly. The clean is quite nice on it's own, but with the graphic EQ scooped it takes on a great sparkly acoustic tone which I use most of the time. In the distortion channel I have it set for a high gain Marshally overdrive which is good for Insomniac-era Greenday, which is my favorite sound on the amp. With the EQ I set it for in between NOFX and Less than Jake (mark 4-Recto) Which I use quite a lot as well. If necessary it can be extremely brutal when cranked.

It looks like it will last a long time, I don't know how old the tubes are but the only trouble I've had was a minor short causing the whole tube to glow red hot, which was solved by putting it on standby for a few minutes. When necessary I will replace the tubes with exactly the ones it currently uses (12AX7 and 6L6)

Never contacted them

I've been playing three years, I also own the Gordon Smith and a recto 2x12 cabinet. If it were stolen I would Buy one again, failing which I would look at a single rectifier or a mark 4.

1996 (newer style) head. This amp had all the features I was looking for to play live. I was A/Bing an old Super Reverb and a Soldano to get the best I could for both clean and distorted but it was just too much to manage two amps live. The Rectifier sounded great but really lacked the warmth on the clean side so I started shopping for an amp that could do both. The Carvin Legacy was my first pick until a friend turned me onto the DC-5. Two channels, both with identical controls including a gain and reverb setting. You can pull the gain on the clean channel pot to get an extra '70's overdrive type of boost. In addition it has a 5-band sliding EQ (foot switchable) that is like adding a BBE - it just expands to sound beyond explanmation.

I play Les Pauls and I like the "Big MESA" sound. This amp goes from Black Face Fender cleans to Rectifier with no comprimise. The only drawback I've had with the amp is that it's not designed to be played quiet. You have to turn it up to get the distortion to stop sounding fuzzy. Playing at practice level (with an acoustic drum set) is fine but for dinking around the apartment the distortion is a wash.

The amp was 5 years old and needed both preamp and power tubes replaced. I guess that's about right for a well used amp. Other than that, no grief.

MESA's customer support isn't always that swift for returning phone calls (I've heard this from others) but they got back to me within a day 2 of the 3 times I called them

I have owned one of every big amp at some point along the way. This is the second DC-5 I've purchased and in my opinion, there's not a better made of more versitile tube amp on the market. Not to say anything bad about MESA Boogie but the DC series is far superior to the Nomand series that has replaced it. If you think you want to buy yourself a new Nomad, save yourself several hundred dollars and buy a used DC-5 or DC-10 and $60.00 worth of new tubes.