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Yamaha DG60-112

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Manufacturer URL http://www.yamaha.com/
Features 8.1 (37 responses)
Sound Quality 8.1 (39 responses)
Reliability 9.2 (29 responses)
Customer Support 8.5 (10 responses)
Overall Rating 8.7 (34 responses)
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Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 02/28/2009 at 10:57pm by Doug Rawlings
Email: doug_rawlings<at>sbcglobal dot net

Features : 9
I really see no reason to add to the feature descriptions for this amp, since it has been reviewed extensively. Suffice it to say that I find it impressive, and very useful. I honestly think that it is a huge mistake to call this a "modeling amp". The 8 selections on the two channels come across to me more as just basic templates of generic sounds; you are left to tweak them to your own preference. To my way of thinking this is not modeling. They make no pretense in trying to replicate a Marshall sound or a Fender sound. The big reason I like this unit is that it makes it easy to come up with your own sound.

Sound Quality : 9
I just got the amp, but after fiddling around with it, I'm very pleased. It will produce a usable tone for virtually any application. Some racket on the higher gain settings, but this is to be expected. I don't get why everyone ******* about the stock speaker, since I find it more than adequate. Remarkable amount of low end grunt for an open-backed cabinet. My only beef is that the digital reverb gets a little weird at high settings, but this is a minor complaint.

Reliability : 10
Are you kidding? Yamaha ANYTHING is built like a tank. You can't miss.

Customer Support : No Opinion
No experience, but given their reputation and longevity, I would expect the best.

Overall Rating : 10
I have now been playing the guitar for 39 years, 30 of them professionally. I have gigged clubs, toured with national acts, and spent countless weekends doing studio recording. Amps come, and they go. I would rate this as one of the top ten that I've owned. If I find another one, I'll buy it.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: Canadian 200
Submitted 10/12/2008 at 01:50am by mike s

Features : 7
It's a pretty basic amp with regards to features. Has reverb, which is ok. The overdrive/distortion is pretty good for a small amp. There are 2 clean channels, and four overdrive/distortion channels. Good variety of tones. The feature that I like the most is the high and low input jacks which helps make just about any guitar match the amp. Also has a effects loop which I have never had to use.

Sound Quality : 9
This is where I personally feel this amp shines. When I first saw the amp, I kind of had the typical preconception that it was a pathetic little thing that didn't even deserve my attention. Actually, my friend bought this amp four or five years before I eventually bought it from him. It sat in his closet for a couple of years before I decided we should try it at a jam. We play loud prog-rock and I've never had issues getting lost in the mix of the band. I play an American tele and use multiple effects. The best thing I find about the amp is that my guitar sounds like a tele, and my effects sound like they are supposed to, even without using the effects loop.

Reliability : 8
I've jammed and gigged with it for almost three years now and have never had a issue. I play a lot of shows and actually sold my Traynor 4*10 tube combo amp (which I loved) after I started using this. I hated carrying around the heavy Traynor and I spend a lot less time at my chiropractor now because of the fact that the Yamaha is so much more compact.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never dealt with them.

Overall Rating : 9
I have to give this a 9 because it has been a tank for me and I love the sound. If it broke I would definitely try to replace it, but these are hard to find where I live. I'm actually looking to buy another one exactly like this to keep at my friend???s house where we jam, if I can ever find one.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: 380 USED
Submitted 02/18/2008 at 03:25pm by Will Hansen
Email: NeoClassicalManiac at Hotmail<dot>com

Features : 6
This amplifier was made in 2001 or 2002. I bought it used for $380 in 2005. It is a 60 watt solid state "modeling" amplifer. I say this becuase,although it has different amplifer models,it doesn't allow you to truly tweak them.

Sound Quality : 6
It's not bad,but not great either. The stock speaker is trash with far too much bass response and no midrange. Also,the amplifer models are somewhat sub-par. They are close but they don't capture the magic of what they are trying to emulate. The cleans and crunches are nice and I now use it as an acoustic amp for my Parker Fly Deluxe.

Reliability : 5
Again,it's not bad but not great. The speaker rattles around inside the amp and the pots are cheap. I gigged it a lot during late 2005-mid 2007 and it held up but not without replacement of a master volume pot among other things.

Customer Support : 6
Yamaha makes a fine product but their customer support is somewhat lacking. I haven't used them myself but I have heard some horror stories. They don't seem to remember what products they used to make.[I emailed them for info on my prototype Yamaha RGX 1212s and it has been 6 months now.]

Overall Rating : No Opinion
I am 13 and have been playing for 10 years.Overall,it makes a decent practice amp but after a while,you need to move on. It was starting to be overpowered at band practices and I needed something else. I now use it as an acoustic amp for my Parker Fly Deluxe.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: USD 200.00 USED
Submitted 10/23/2007 at 05:52pm by DC

Features : 8
60 watts, solid state, one 12" speaker, footswitchable dual channel with independent reverb. Effects loop and line out with speaker simulator. Extremely flexible EQ section: Treble, Hi Mid, Lo Mid, Bass and Presence. Mine has a Celestion G12T-100 speaker, not the OEM Eminence speaker.

Sound Quality : 9
The DG60 has different amp types labled "Clean", "Crunch", "Drive" and "Lead". There are two of each type, with one being brighter and more "in your face" than the other. Controls for Gain and Master Level. Nice clean tones, and everything from subtle breakup to exploding amp distortion. This is a modeling amp, not a tube amp and I dont think it's really fair to compare the two side by side. IMHO though, Yamaha DG series are the best modeling amps and come the closest to emulating the response of a real tube amp. Allan Holdsworth uses DG series amps, enough said..

It is only 60 watts so it is not extremely loud, but it does have a line out. What's great about it is that you can get killer, full sounding cranked amp tones at low volumes, and using the hi and lo mid controls you can get a ton of different variations. I love having the two totally independent channels. The reverb is very good for a digital emulation. There is no patch storage so you have to remember your settings (or write them down). I like the "analog" look, no LED readout, just knobs to twist, and it does not have motorized knobs like the DG80.

I love the sounds, although it seems to be a very bright sounding amp, most of the time I have to crank the Presence all the way down and the Treble to about 2 or 3. The previous owner put in a Celestion G12T-100 speaker, so I'm wondering if it is the speaker. I plan on trying some different speakers in it to to try to tame the high end a little. I am using guitars with single coil pickups, it may sound less bright with humbuckers but I dont own a guitar with humbuckers to test it.

Reliability : 8
Dont know, but solid state is pretty reliable.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 9
I own several tube amps, Fender and Laney. I bought the DG60 because I like the DG Series (I own a DG Stomp also), and wanted a portable and versatile amp that wasn't built like a toy. The DG60 delivers. I've never played through a dual channel combo that had this much flexibility in sounds. I doubt I would gig with it, unless I could slave it to another amp for more volume, but for practice and recording, it kicks butt. The only thing I wish it had is built in delay and chorus.

If you can't get a good sound out of this amp then you really shouldn't be playing guitar.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 02/18/2007 at 04:56pm by marc
Email: mandm1 at actrix<dot>co<dot>nz

Features : No Opinion

Sound Quality : 9
Update to my previous review. Ummm... I should've read the manual. With high output pickups, use the low input jack! This came to me in a dream. I tried it and it worked. Then I found the info in the manual. Doh! I take back what I said about shrillness. If you plug you guitar into the appropriate jack, this amp sounds fantastic, even with the stock speaker. My apologies for the misinformation. What a great little amp!

Reliability : 9
Still never had a problem with it.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
For the money - 10. Compared to all other decent amps I've played (Fender Twin Reverb, Fender Bassman, Mesa Mk II copy) it's still a 10!


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: AUD 290 USED
Submitted 11/28/2006 at 07:49am by fabian

Features : 9
i purchased the Yamaha DG60-112 used in a second hand shop for $290. It is one the first digital simulating amps on the market, but i guess they did not seek to actively seek to have the all too frequent amp simulation settings, but rather is an amp with the ability and flexibility to allow the used to find a sound that suits him, covering a very broad spectrum. would be a great amp for a session muso.

Seeing it in the store, i recalled that Guitar player magazine gave it rave reviews. trying it, i realised why. the amp was made in around 2000 and provides two identical channels, however each channel is able to be voiced to whatever you wish, the number of amp sounds and distortions available are huge. playing a mixture of hard 70's rock, swamp, blues and some Jazz this amp covers the pallet nicely. channel switching is obtained easily using a simple foot switch. the equalisation on the amp is its heart and its strength, enabling the player to tailor his sound perfectly depending on his style, guitar and genre. the hi and low Mid controls are the best things about the amp simply they enable the amp to sound so different with even minor changes.

I guess the only amp sound i cant get is the sound of a VOXAC30, but i am not complaining, since i already have one of those. most fender, marshall, boggie and hi-gain stack sounds are avaiable on the unit. AND..... it does not sound simulated at all!!!!!

it has 60 watts of power and its plenty for my needs. the only thing i wish this amp had was the ability to store settings, there are so many good sounds available that two channels is simply not enough (i am being greedy) the more expensive versions have the programmability, but hey.... its a lot of amp for $290!. the reverb is clear and smooth and not "digital sounding at all. yamaha did a great job ob this one. it has a single 12inch speaker made in the USA.

Sound Quality : 9
as stated previously, the amp is able to get all sorts of sounds, from clean to full on 80's saturated distotion, together with the tone controls, the sound pallet is huge. distotions are very valve like and can be set from subtle to full on grunge. this works equally well with both single coil pickups, as well as humbuckers. the amp is also very quiet. the clean channels are clear and warm reminding me of fender amps... owever these clean settings are just that clean. if you want dirty/clean then its easy to get from one of the dirty channels with the gain down low. overall a very valve sounding amp of excellent quality. i have many guitars ranging from vintage a strat, yamaha SG3000s, guild, charvel, eastwood savannah and they all sound great through it.

Reliability : 7
i have had it only some weeks now, howver my general experience with yamaha stuff has been excellent. i do not expect any problems judging from past history

Customer Support : 8
in all that time i have had yamaha gear i have NEVER had to call them. this includes processors, guitars (i own 3 yamaha guitars) and amps. customer support have been most helpful when i have contacted them regarding info on older model guitars.

Overall Rating : 9
i have been playing since 1975 and have had many guitars and amps over the years. i tend to stick with tried and true classic models, such as vox etc...however this amp is excellent... really!. it complements my VOXAC30 very well and have used the two together on a gig....it makes for a really serious mix of sounds... especially given the variety of sounds from the yamaha. I only wish it had a speaker out just to try it with a quad box... but i guess i am being greedy here.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 10/18/2006 at 02:26pm by FULLTILT

Features : 9
Not sure of the year but thinking 2000-2004. Has two channels but has 8 amp models on each channel. Each has their own reverb and 5 way EQ gain and volume. I cranked this amp up before I bought it and it sounded great loud!. Some amps seem to have a louder clean channel than the overdrive channel but not the case here. Has an effects loop and line out. The reverb can also be turned on and off with a footswitch.

Sound Quality : 10
I just had to write a review on this amp. I picked it up used at my local Guitar Center for...are you ready...$75 bucks!! It is in great condition with just a little dust on it. I got this for my practice amp with the band so I would not have to lug around my Line 6 Duoverb or Crate Shockwave half stack. I had a Line 6 spider II that I thought was cool till I run across this and tried it out just because of the price. The cleans will dirty up nicley and the distortions are great. The 5 way EQ is AWSOME and each channel has its own EQ and reverb. I play a Paul Reed Smith standar with it and there is some slight hiss on the drive channel with the gain up at 9-10 but who cares...its my practice amp. Man I wish they had this there when I bought the Spider II, it gets lost at rehersals. This is one of those buys that I will keep! Best $75 bucks I ever spent.

Reliability : 9
This is my first Yamaha product but my friend who plays keyboard says he has never had any problems with his yamaha gear.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : No Opinion
Been playing for 30 years and play in a working band playing rock music. Everything from the motor city madman to godsmack. This is my new found treasure. If stolen I would try to find another one. I have tried out a fender frontman 25r and a crate gt65 and ended up with a line 6 spider II. If I would have seen this first I could have saved over $100 bucks. The only thing I wish it had would be some chorus for the clean channel but I have a pedal for that if I want it. I have to give this a 10 because for the $75 bucks I got it for it is a 10.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $260
Submitted 05/03/2005 at 05:02pm by Dan

Features : 9
Made in 2002; I;d been looking for one since they were discontinued last year. I found a new DG-60 on eBay (N.O.S.). Perfect for my needs - a simple switchable 2-channel setup in a compact package. 60 watts - just enough for me. Solid state, but it has GREAT Yamaha digital amp emulations. The only reason it doesn't get a 10 is is that it doesn't have a billion presets, but I don't need them...

I like and play most classic rock (Steely Dan, Lindsey Buckingham w/ Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits) - this amp does a nice job of covering the bases.

Sound Quality : 10
WONDERFUL, played either quietly or loudly. Both Clean settings and the Crunch 1 setting are worth the price of this amp alone. Previous posts noted that the standard Eminence speaker was the weak link, but it sounds fine to me.

My signal chain is a Tele clone with active EMGs (and a Fishman PowerBridge, which goes to an altogether separate output) to a Whirlwind AB box (one side goes to a Korg tuner) to an MXR DynaComp to an Ibanez Tube Screamer to a Dunlop CryBaby to an Arion Digital Delay to the Yamaha DG-60. The Tube Screamer is used simply to boost the volume slightly for leads and "tighten" my sound. The distortion is produced by the Yamaha.

I use the direct out to send my signal to the board, but I would be comfortable miking it with an SM-57. Guitarists need to learn that amps don't need to be loud onstage. I keep my stage volume comfortably low and let the FOH sound man take care of my volume out front; a nice monitor mix lets me hear what I need to hear.

Reliability : 9
No tubes to worry about. Built like a tank. I'd comfortably use it at a gig without a backup.

Customer Support : 9
Yamaha is class organization that builds nice stuff, with dealers in virtually every town.

Overall Rating : 9
This is my ideal amp: versatile, compact, affordable, just enough features. No need for a 200 lb Marshall stack for me...


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: $650 (New Zealand $) used
Submitted 10/08/2004 at 04:07am by marc
Email: mandm1<at>actrix dot co dot nz

Features : 9
This is an amazingly versatile solid state modeling amp with a 12" speaker, all in a small and lightweight package. See earlier reviews for a complete list of features.

Features I like: The huge variety of tones you can dial up with the 8 modeled amp sounds. There are 4 basic sounds (clean, crunch, drive & lead), each with a bright and dark setting. Add to this... gain, 5 part equalization (including presence control), and a sweet digital (spring) reverb. All this can be dialed up independently on 2 foot-switchable channels - sweet! Most of the control knobs are clearly visible and accessible.

Features I dislike: The lack of extension speaker output. The stock 12" Eminence speaker does not do justice to the amp. The sensitivity of some of the controls (eg. reverb, gain) are wonky - on some amp settings, I wish I could expand the range between, say, 2 and 3 on the gain knob because that's where all the nice tones are packed. I guess this adds to the versatility of the amp but it makes it tricky to dial up some of my favourite tones. It'd be nice if the effect loop jacks were on the front of the unit, but that's a minor peeve.

All up, it's pretty darn feature-packed.

Sound Quality : 7
I mostly play my Steinberger GM with active EMG-60 and SA pickups through it. I play all sorts of stuff but I mostly dig cleaner tones and even my lead style tends towards smooth, thick, harmonic distortion rather than metal crunch. I started out quite frustrated by this amp in combination with my HiFi Steinberger guitar. As other reviewers have found, the amp tended to sound shrill or dry and it just couldn't handle the rich bass notes that the Steinberger produces. At even moderate volume the bass response was loose - bassically crap :) Then, out of curiosity, I hooked the DG60 up to a 12" RCF speaker in my 130W vintage Mesa Boogie copy tube amp. I was blown away by the sound of the DG60 through the RCF. The DG60 was suddenly producing beautiful, lush, warm clean tones and some excellent lead tones. The shrillness is gone, the bass is big and tight, and the amp simulations sound much more interesting. By comparison, the amp sounded like a toy played through the stock Eminence speaker.

A lot has been said in these reviews about tube amp emulation. The DG60 can give the warmth of tube sounds with the fidelity, versatility and convenience of solid state - it can deliver the best of both worlds if you run it through a decent speaker. It's a mystery to me that Yamaha would pair such a sweet amp with such a crap speaker - and then they didn't even provide and extension speaker output!

If your DG60 leaves you cold, I suggest (as some other reviewers have) that you swap the Eminence for something better. I might do that sometime, but for now I'm bypassing my tube amp and playing the DG60 through the RCF - and I'm loving it!

Rating the DG60 for sound is tricky. With the stock speaker,4. With a well-matched speaker, 10 out of 10. So overall, I'll give it a 7.

Reliability : 10
I've only had the DG60 for about 3 years. I have taken it around town a bit and I've never had any problems.

Customer Support : No Opinion
I've never had to deal with Yamaha. Given the size of the company, it shouldn't be difficult to get it serviced if need be. I bought it 2nd hand - don't know 'bout no warranty.

Overall Rating : 8
This is a fantastic amp paired with a crap speaker. Played through a good speaker, it comes alive. In comparison to my newly serviced tube amp, played through the same RCF speaker, the DG60 is almost as warm, but without colouring the sound. The DG60 lends more depth, expressiveness and subtlty to my playing than the tube amp. It improves the outputs of my Boss CS3 (compressor) and my Boss CE-20 (chorus/dimension). As I'm not strictly after so-called "vintage" sounds (Stop livin' in the past!), I think the DG60 is a better amp than my Mesa Boogie copy. It can provide the best of both tube and solid state worlds - and that's amazing!


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $300 used
Submitted 07/11/2004 at 12:38am by "bor"

Features : 8
This is my... uh... almost-four-year update on this amp. In my original review, I took the amp back to the store. A few months later, I bought a used one off the HC classifieds. I've kept that one ever since. So, manufactured circa 2000... this is a basic two-channel modeling amp, etc., features have been sufficiently covered in all the reviews below.

The thing I've always liked about this amp, as opposed to a number of other analog modeling amps in history, is that it stays true to traditional amp design. The controls are all accessible in realtime from the front panel. There is no patch memory and the only effect you get is reverb. I like that.

I'm still upset that it's a pain to kill the internal speaker for direct recording, and I'm especially peeved that there is no external speaker jack. At some point I'll probably cut this up a little to add a speaker out; for years, I've even contemplated taking it out of the cab and putting it into a homemade head box. This amp is lightweight compared to most 1x12" combos, but personally I find all combos larger than 8" to be a big pain in the butt. Then again, I am the sort of lazy / obsessive-compulsively hyper-practical individual who would happily own an inflatable couch if it wouldn't scare off the ladies.

Finally, there's really no other good place in the HC review template for this complaint: Although I don't really want patch memory per se, it should be mentioned that the knobs for all parameters (except the amp model on each channel) are way, way, WAY too easy to move. You can carry this amp with the front panel facing away from your pants leg, carry it with as little jostling as humanly possible, and somehow by the time you've moved it ten feet your settings are all gone. Thankfully, they don't drift while you're playing or anything, and the amp is not so very touchy and digital that only one exact set of settings will work. But this has annoyed me greatly over the years-- I dial in a sound I want in rehearsal, and have to dial it back in again once the band has set up on stage.

Sound Quality : 8
I've only ever used the amp with humbuckers. I note that most of the folks below who aren't raving about this amp seem to use single coils, so perhaps that's something to keep in mind. But personally, I still think this amp sounds absolutely fantastic for a shocking number of applications-- especially considering what it is, a second-generation modeling amp that sold for under $500 originally.

I had bad GAS some years ago. 50 amps came and went through my hands in a matter of two years-- VHTs, single-channel Soldanos, blackface and silverface Fenders, Traynors, Marshalls, old Ampegs, just about anything that was available on the used market for less than a grand... you name it, I probably had one for a month or so. Two years ago, I was down to this amp, an early silverface Bandmaster, and a '59 Gibson Skylark, the latter two of which not only sounded great but had longstanding sentimental value. I found I wasn't playing much any more, and I needed money. The Bandmaster and the Skylark went on eBay. I kept the DG60.

I'm still not playing much any more, and now I'm moving and need money again. I was contemplating getting rid of the DG60, maybe getting a ZVex NanoAmp (or whatever it's called) if I ever wanted to play again. So I got the DG60 out last night for the first time in ages-- and changed my mind. The present market value of this thing is at least four times lower than it ought to be.

I still don't care much for the sound of the Drive 2 and Lead 2 models, which I originally hypothesized might have been for single coils-- they sound way too nasal and honk-y, or at least they do with my Hamer's Duncan humbuckers. But every other model sounds great, once you've got the EQ set up right (which takes about five seconds of experimentation).

Here's my take: the amp is incredibly responsive and analog-sounding, which is still a set of adjectives that can barely be applied to the latest generation of digital modeling gear (although I'll admit I've not tinkered much lately!). Both clean models sound great, not clean as an operating room, just a hair more warm and Fendery. If I played jazz, I'd probably pick Clean 1 and get away with it just fine. Drive 1 has lots of punch and character... and Lead 1 is one of the best high-gain tones I've ever heard, period.

Once you hop up the gain on the clean models, you can even get a convincing, sweet, near-breakup overdriven / "blues-y" sound a la my old crusty Skylark-- a tone that completely eludes every other modeling device I've ever used, in that they just get brittle and nasty when they try to fake a nice mild breakup.

My only quality complaint re: sound is the incessant, steady-state hissing of the power amp, which is always there regardless of what model you're using or even what the master volume is set to. However, this is really only a nuisance if you want to record with the amp through the speaker. In a live context it's likely to go totally unnoticed. And at least it doesn't go up drastically as you increase the master level (actually, on the clean models it doesn't go up very much at all when cranked!).

Yeah. This thing just sounds way better than it has any right to. I thought I was mis-remembering or something, but apparently I'm not.

Reliability : 10
Four years on, been gigged some, sat around a lot, never a hiccup when turning on again after x number of months (or years!). It got used a lot when I first had it and did just fine, thank you very much. I think the pots are pretty cheaply (or at least weirdly) made, but I also have no reason to believe that they'll fail at any time in the near future.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Again, I have yet to have a problem with any Yamaha gear I've ever owned (and this is not the only Yamaha piece I've kept around), so...

Overall Rating : 10
If you see one of these for $150 like the guy below me (and you mostly use humbucker, perhaps?), well, I'll back him up on this one: you can't go wrong. I don't really think you could go wrong for $500. If you're looking for a portable, reliable, low-risk, low-liability amp that can just about do it all, you should seek this secret weapon out.

By the way, don't bother trying to "steal this preamp" with the now-very-cheap DG Stomp... the Stomp sounds nowhere near as good as thing does.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $150 used
Submitted 05/23/2004 at 10:33pm by Anonymous

Features : 10
Pretty well covered. I love having a full set of tone controls for each channel, and having the "1" and "2" settings for each setting to me they seem like a Gibson and a Fender setting for each one (e.g. one is darker and one is more treble which works well for switching between guitar types.) Love the split mids too.

Sound Quality : 8
The weakness is the speaker. I replaced mine with a Celestion and it brought the amp alive. Gobs more bass and a light tighter sound. Less "boxy" too. I wouldn't have given this amp the time of day being a gear snob, but a couple years ago I was at a Guitar Center and in the closed room with all the spendy axes they had one of these sitting atop a Bogner Shiva. I was tinkering with the Shiva and plugged in this thing for a lark. I was shocked. It was a hoot. Where was this amp when I was 15? Two completely independent channels, some groovy distortion and overdrive, independent reverb for each channel, lot's of settings and no BS digital interface to fool with - knobs baby, knobs! I twist a knob and get what I want - I don't want to program the bloody thing. Anyhow, it's been a great utility amp, and not a bad acoustic guitar amp. Pre-speaker it's a 6.5, post speaker change a solid, proud 8.

Reliability : 10
Once the speaker is gone a trooper. Oddly enough the speaker wasn't even cranked down, you could almost take the nuts off by finger torque. Solid state, one would imagine it's similar to Peavey reliability.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
Jimminy X-mas, for the price of a decent pedal, here is a heckuva good sounding amp. These really deserve a look. If you stumble into a used one grab it and throw a newer speaker in there. For value it's a 10, nothing could touch the flexibility and tone of this thing at the price I got it. I have a gaggle of Fenders, a Vox, etc and still am pretty impressed by this one.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $500
Submitted 04/25/2004 at 11:47pm by Jonathan Bell
Email: jonathanbell81 at msn<dot>com

Features : 9
2 Channels with 8 different amp settings. Each channel having a master, trebble, bass, mid high, mid low and reverb. Doesnt have a foot switch to change between channels, but you can buy one. Has effects loop with blend nob, line out/headphone jack. Speaker mute switch. I think it should have come with a foot switch.

The first thing I thought when the guy showed me the amp, "60 watts!!! I am not buying this tini amp". But little did I know...

Sound Quality : 10
OK, play with a Hohner Les Paul with Seymore Duncan high output bridge and medium/high neck. My music style is Metal and it fits my style well.

I was originally wanting to buy a Marshall MG250DFX. I also considered a Crate GTX212 and a Fender 212. I tryed this Yamaha by chance, I never even considered it. But when I played on it! WOW!!! It was really something. It felt like I was playing on a tube amp. Tone was awsome. Then, I plugged into the Marhslall 250. Um... what a let down. Really. Then tryed the Fender, then the Crate. And believe me, the yamaha amp sounds really good. For Metal/Hard Rock, this amp kicks some serious ass.

Then, I though to myselft, well, the amp sounds good but its just a 60watt. So, I compared it to the 100watt Marshall. I played both on 9/10. I could not believe my ears!!! The Marshall Struggled while the Yamaha still sounded clear. Believe me! The thing with the Marshall, it starts sounding struggling when it is on high volume, while the yamaha still sounds strong on high. This amp is seriously loud (And clear when loud).

The amp can make all sorts of different sounds. You really have alot of power to cusomize your sound. It has a hummm but now nearly as much as the Marhsall has.

The clean channel is still perfect on high volumes. As I said above, this amp handles high volume well. Really well.

The distortion is really good. Still trying to decide whether I prefer the MT-2 on it.




Reliability : No Opinion
I have only had it for 3 days. I will submit another review in 6 months or so.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Have not used it yet.

Overall Rating : 9
I have been playing for 5 years. I have a Hohner Les Paul, Boss ME-30, Boss Metal Zone, J/Dunlop Cry Baby, Heath 60watt 212 and of cource the Yamaha DG60 112. If it were stolen or lost, I would have to buy it again. Because the amps that I compared it too (Crate GTX212, Crate GTX112, Marshall MG250DFX, Marshall MG100DFX, Fender 212) this amp is better.

All I have to say is, try this thing. Personally, I think that this Yamaha is under rated, and the Marshall is over rated. The crate is quite nice but lacks alot of features and doesnt have as nice tone as the yamaha.

I will submit another review when I have had it for 6 months.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $399
Submitted 04/29/2003 at 01:19pm by Jack Narcotta
Email: jacknarcotta at yahoo<dot>com

Features : 7
Here's my two year status report on this amp ...

After two years of punishing this sturdy little amp (see my review from May 2001 down below) I do find I'm still wanting a few features: a linked channel switch and reverb footswitch port would be nice (why two separate connections requiring two separate footswitches?); an alternate speaker out for use in driving an extension cab would be IDEAL; rear-mounted PA outs for going direct; maybe a footswitchable effects loop but I go back and forth on that one.

I find this amp is versatile enough to use to play many styles of music, and also versatile enough to use different guitars and keep each guitar's character intact.

Sound Quality : 8
I'm still playing all kinds of stuff with it, though I gravitate towards rock a la Foo Fighters, Tool, Hum, My Bloody Valentine, U2, all the good stuff.

After two years this thing is holding up well - noise comes mostly from my pedals and not the amp itself. On extreme gain settings the distortion has some wicked hiss to it but what amp doesn't without some kind of noise gate? On the clean tones there's a bit of a hiss that can wash out the last few blips of delay or echo.

I've found my favorite sounds are two of the factory settings, actually. The "everyday clean" from Clean2 and the "overdrive accentuating the lows and highs" from Drive2. I settled in on those almost by accident through my own tweaking - I guess if I read the manual two years ago I would've had instant gratification. :) I find the Drive2 to be the best channel for my music style, when I use an overdrive or booster (I have a Nick Greer Sonic Boom fronting the input) in conjunction with the Drive2 channel it's heaven for me. Big sound at moderate volumes and just the right amount of oomph from riffing chop to lead sustain.

I really like the sound of this amp. For what it is - a practice amp and a home recording tool - it's still great.

However ... I can't give it a 10 because of it's serious predisposition to guitars with humbuckers and the fact I can't find a useful dirty tone from the Drive1, Lead1, or Lead2 channel. There's too much midrange skank in there for me. Maybe for some guys that's cool, but I like my EQ to be very smiley face in shape and those channels just don't work for me ...

... as does using this amp with single coils. I find to get the same thick sound as humbuckers through Drive2 I have to use single coils through Lead2. Playing through anything less than dimed out gain on Lead2 with my Warmoth Strat with Texas Specials results in high end to the point it's piercing and unmusical. I've tried many different settings on the amp and with pedals and I just can't come to a happy resolution.

Reliability : 10
It has always powered on and all the functions have always worked.

Customer Support : No Opinion
I've never needed Yamaha customer support in the two years I've played through this amp, and since I bookmarked the website I have access to the manual when I need it.

Overall Rating : 8
After two years, still a great amp for the money and the reason it's used, still a good value and still sounds great with my humbucker equipped guitars which is what I play most of the time.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $299
Submitted 01/17/2003 at 09:30am by Collin Riley
Email: CRiley9784 at aol<dot>com

Features : 10
Made in 2000? This amp is versatile, in that it sounds not very good in alot of sounds. 2 channels are great but getting the optional footswitch is difficult and definitely special order. If this is really so much better than the other modeling amps than they must really be terrible, and it has been a long time since I regularly used an old solid state amp, but the "acoustic" brand 100 watter with tremolo I used to play, I remember i sounding much better than this. (it was a 6x10 piggy back though. The Yamaha has about enough power to play over drums, although I have not been in a band for a long time and have not done that.

Sound Quality : 2
I play it with a fender old tex mex strat, a fender standard telecaster and a jay turser strat (which has a troublesome neck, but sounds good.) I don;t find it noisy. I wanted a no maintenance, light, simple powerful amp and after reading the reviews here a couple years ago (about) I shopped around and guitar center said they would sell me one for $299. which sounded like a deal and a half, but There is no comparison to a tube amp. I am so stupid, I might try to buy a better speaker ( although I personally have no problem with fender tube amps through an eminence speaker which is what I read Yamaha use) I may even build a solid wood cabinet with glued cut joints and see how that works, I really would like to hear this amp sound good, but to me, it just never gets there. I want to be easy, but I don't like it.

Reliability : 10
I think you can depend on it. That is why I bought it. I have a marshall JCM 900 100 watt combo with 1 12. It was not my first choice, but when I realized I needed another nice tube amp, it was available at a good price. The only contrast I would draw, is that that marshall sounds so much more like an amp is supposed to sound, but after a lot of play these last couple years, it is starting to crackle and hum, so it is time to replace tubes and celan it up a little. Tubes are expnsive and maintenance is time consuming. I am older now and I have more money and stuff, but when I was younger and broke and gigging alot, I couldn't always pull that kind of thing off, that is why I bought the Yamaha, so let's rate it great for reliability.

Customer Support : No Opinion
SUre they are fine, I personally never have time to deal with manufacturers on stuff. I used to always buy used, so I am in the habit of hiring guys to fix stuff, I am the wrong person to ask.

Overall Rating : 2
I have played 20 years, I began on a fender champ which my dad gave me when I was 13 years old and I had a department store electric guitar. I jammed that thing with a drummer and did not realize how spoiled I was. Since then I have owned a few fender amps, an acoustic solid state when I was broke and needed something, Now I have a Marshall 100 W JCM 900 combo, and electar 10 watt chinese tube amp which I prefer plugging into over the Yamaha (which should tell you alot.) I am now mostly an acoustic bluegrass player, but I like to play rock on electric guitar for my own edification in my jam room. I realize that "It is not the arrow it is the indian" and if you mess around with the Yamaha, you can get something that sounds pretty good, but the second you plug into any piece of crap chinese tube amp alongside it, you'll realize the Yamaha sucks. I am a fan of new technology and a fan of buying cheap stuff that works, I am a fan of Yamaha and now I have a pain in my arse because I bought this piece of crap for what turned out to be all the wrong reasons. I will say these other players who reviewd tis amp positively must be much better than I am to make this thing sing, and my hat is off to them. This amp would not have inspired me as a beginner.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $245.00 used
Submitted 09/20/2002 at 06:55pm by Anonymous

Features : 9
This amp will cover many styles and do some very well. The amp
has 2 channels each with 8 amp types. Effects loop with blend
control. Headphone & lineout jack. This amp isn't as loud watt
4 watt as a tube amp, but is loud enough for club gigs and a
drummer no problem.

Sound Quality : 10
This is where the Yamaha scores high and the reason I bought
this amp. TONE! It is simply the best non-tube amp I've ever
played. Not to mention I got it for $245.00 used. I mostly use
the Crunch 1/Gain 4 for most of my stuff. And set the B
channel with crunch 1/but Gain 7 for a Steely Dan/Calton
type sound. The Dive setting can do Class A stuff well--not my
gig--Also the Lead channels have enough gain for most--but to
much grit for me. The cleans aren't what I'd hoped for--not bad
but not the amps shinning points. Crunch 1's tones are worth the price of admission alone. P.S. The Reverb kicks ass. Very good for digital.

Reliability : 8
Construction is not bad, but could be better.

Customer Support : 9
I've had good experiences with Yamaha.

Overall Rating : 9
Been playing a long time and own some really nice gear including
new and old tube amps. This is a big leap forward solid state and digital tecnologies. I think if Yamaha continued to deep'n and expand this line as well as beef up the build quality (i.e. plywood cab instead of glue-wood/maybe a vintage 30 speaker) they would have a real winning line of amps on their hands. Overall very nice amp
for the money.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $300.00 used
Submitted 09/16/2002 at 06:08pm by Anonymous

Features : 9
Good features, no way to program presets though.

Sound Quality : 8
Sounds good with humbuckers or single coils but each needs to
be dialed for the guitar being played. Nice clean and edge
distortion sounds. Really heavy sounds at high volume tend to
crap out the speaker. Clean and medium grit can go gig loud
no problem. Reverb is pretty sweet for a spring sim, can even
do surf if jacked up. Over all it's a nice amp with a good usable
veriety of sounds. Not to mention no mantainence. Honest 8!

Reliability : No Opinion
Be hard to tell. N/O

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never delt with them. N/O

Overall Rating : 9
Sounds better in my opinion then many of the other options
that are non-tube. Very close in sound to a tube amp and
about 85-90% of the feel. Does Fender and Marshall/Solando
sounds very well, even for a purest I can reherse and sit
in with this amp No problem.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $220.00 used
Submitted 06/20/2002 at 10:58am by Anonymous

Features : 7
Good features for a little combo amp. Needs more power, and better
speaker/cabinet.

Sound Quality : 7
This amp sounds very goood for a digital amp, but (yes there a but)
the speaker and the cabinet don't live up to the rest of the design--
amp could use a few more watts too! Sounds good at practice to small
gig levels, but from there on it starts to crap out and the speaker/cabinet rattles. AMP MAKERS TAKE NOTE!!!!! Partical board is NOT good cabinet making material. --But the new Vox Valvetronic and AC30 R.I. both use partical board--so do alot of other companies.
But come on! do you really think in twenty more years people are going to be going out of their way to find vintage partical board
for the 2000 era digital modeling cab sound? I hope we never get that stupid as a culture. Companies go out of their way to make designs that are extremely cheap to build but still do a decent job.
Compair to my vintage Fenders (and I'm not just talking tone here)
this this will never fetch a collector's price, because 1.) The amp
is make out of cheap crap. and 2.) It can't even come close to the
volume or tone my fenders put out.
This amp DSP tones are very impressive, its too bad Yamaha chose to
make these amps so dam cheap, there made in Tiwain for God sakes. It suprizes me that Bramhall Jr. and Allen Holdworth are playing these
amps. If I had the kind of resorces those guys do, I'd be using much
better gear than this. This amp is not bad,it's real pretty good for what it is. Just a shame it never saw a good plywood or pine cab with
a HiFI speaker like EV,JBL,or Celestion Century.
P.S. I did put an EVM12L in the amp and it did inprove the tone
and would have given more headroom, but (here we go again) the cab
rattled at about the same volume as with the stock Eminence, so
it's a design problem with the cab. Like I said earlier--CHEAP
MATERIALS!!!!

Reliability : No Opinion
Looking at the rest of the build quality, I'd have a hard time saying.
This is definitly a disposable amp, not a 20 year collector. Good
back up or practice amp. No tube killer.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Unknown

Overall Rating : 6
This amp reminds me of Bose stereos. They're good designs made with
cheap materials. If it wasn't for these big companies design teams
they would be fucked. Cheap designs with cheap materials?--It could happen....... Peavy,crate,pignose????? O.K. it's already happened,
but you know what I mean. The only reason this is any kind of a success is because of the guy who designed the amp models. Yamaha's
execution of the building of this product is typical and sad. Corp.
america/ The World Inc. sucks. They're even fucking up the quality of music gear. An amp built 40 year ago--is built better,sounds better,and will last the test of time. This thing will soon be just another cheap amp nobody wants. Could have been something totally
different. Something cool!
Yamaha We'd rather pay more, and get more. Quite try to cut corners, there is NO way to build a great cheap amp.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $210.00 used
Submitted 06/18/2002 at 08:15pm by Anonymous

Features : 10
No effects other than reverb, but all the stuff most giggers need.

Sound Quality : 9
Very, very good sounding-It doesn't out do my 64 Princeton Reverb
but then this amp can make way more sounds than the Princeton. It's
amazing Yamaha captured so much of the things I like in a tube amp
with totally alien like electronics. Lots of people seem to be saying
what these amps don't do, (like the way people bitched about digital recording when it first appeared, and now it is used through out the
Pro market) but this is really cool stuff. In years to come these
types of amps will probibly be the majority of the market too. Don't
worry guys! There will always be tube freeks lurking,cause they DO
sound soo dam good. Be smart! take it all in. There's good and bad
in all this music stuff. Exploit the strenths! Great amp!

Reliability : 10
Don't know yet, but I've had good luck with Yamaha.

Customer Support : No Opinion
UNknown?

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing 15 years (I'm 31) and I still to this day own
some great tube amps. Love them! But I also live in Bigfork MT
and in the winter it can get down to -20 and tube amps don't like going into that kind of cold after playing very hot for hours. Had
many repairs related to that problem, and finally decided to try
the best of the modeling amps. Yamaha IS the best for sound,feel,
price. It will be a great winter and dive bar gig amp. Not the same to a "T" as a tube amp, but I Love it! Still a great sounding amp overall. Exellent value.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 01/28/2002 at 09:36pm by Anonymous

Features : 7
It wasn't my amp, but from what I could tell it was nicely equipped. BeingI digital modeling amp I think it should have a few built in effects. They may make a model with them, but I don't know.

Sound Quality : 6
I was pleasantly suprised, being the tube purist I am. I used it in the studio to lay some scratch tracks down before setting up my rig, and I got a very good sound. I play mainly metal, but this thing can do a decent job at anything. I heard quite a few finished products the engineer at the studio had down of many different styles of music and they all sounded pretty good. I'll say this one thing too, any fan of metal knows Carcass's Heartwork album has arguably one of the best metal tones; high gainy and tight with a sweet hint of tube drag. The engineer nailed the sound with that Yamaha. Know the amp doesn't feel like a tube amp, but it does a good job of giving a tube sound to tape. A little hissy as others have said. I wouldn't want to gig with it, because play mainly metal and those little combo amps always end sounding like crap when drive them hard with alot of distortion. But I think for other styles it would suit well. I would say definetly geared toward studio or practicing where you don't have to crank it.

Reliability : No Opinion
I don't own it, but the owner has had it for a couple of years with no problems

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never takled to them.

Overall Rating : 6
Like I said I'm partial to tubes, and I'm still partial to tubes after playing this amp. But I still was impressed by this amps sounds. I do plan on getting a better practice amp soon and if I could find a used one for a good price I'd grab it up. If I was buying new I'd definetly listen out to what else there is that's equally equipped.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $400
Submitted 10/21/2001 at 07:42am by Zane Harris
Email: kykayak at home<dot>com

Features : 7
Made 2000 or 2001. I play lead in a Beatles and other 60's cover band, and this amp is versatile enough for my playing. What little extra bit of versatility I need I get from one multi-effect pedal. The amp has 2 channel swithching, either from the front panel or from an optional footswitch. Each channel has completely independent control settings, including separate reverb settings. The reverb is also footswitchable in/out (note, a single or dual generic footswitch from Mars is a lot cheaper than the footswitch from Yamaha). There is an effects loop with a blend control, so that you can mix your signal anywhere from a full dry, unaffected signal to a full wet, affected signal (and any mix in between). There is also an unbalanced combination headphone jack/line out jack which outputs +4dbm. The one feature I wish it had was an external speaker jack. The unit has a single Eminence Legend V12 speaker, 8 ohm. I contacted Yamaha regarding connecting an external speaker jack. They advised me that the electronics of the unit would not hold up to driving a 4 ohm load long term. The solution I am looking at is putting in two external speaker jacks desingned to be used at the same time. The first would be in series with the existing speaker, to hook up a second 1-12" 8 ohm cabinet (custom made to duplicate the dimensions of the Yamaha S112 speaker cabinet, loaded with a Legend V12) that this amp would sit on top of. That would get the main speaker and the controls.up closer to me. That would give me a 16 ohm speaker system, theoretically cutting the power output of the amp down to 30 watts. Then a second external speaker jack would be wired in parallel, for the purpose of connecting a 2-12" 16 ohm speker cabinet (an Avatar G212, which is factory loaded with the Legend V12. The standard wiring is 4 ohm, but the owner of the company has advised me that it can be purchased wired 16 ohm at no additional charge) which would sit on the other side of the stage. The two 16 ohm systems in parallel would bring the overall impedance back down to 8 ohms, making the amp electronics happy, bringing the power back up to the rated 60 watts, and would give my sound more dispersion around the stage for the rest of the band to hear. Volume for the audience, even with the 1-12" speaker, has not been a problem, but getting the rest of the band to hear me has been. Our PA system is not elaborate enough (yet, we'll get there soon) to run my guitar through the PA (and monitors), so this is my solution for now. It would have been a lot easier if Yamaha would have used tougher components that would have held up to a 4 ohm load... The amp does have enough power for me, primarily because our band focuses on being quiet enough for small venues and allowing the audience to actually carry on a conversation. I am competing with a rhythm guitar playing through a Pathfinder and a bass throught a T-25, and of course the drummer. Finally, it would be very cool if this unit also had a tremolo... It loses a point because nothing is perfect (hence, all my ratings will start from 9, and go down from there), it loses a point for no ext speaker jack, and it loses a point for no trem...

Sound Quality : 8
I use a 78 Gibson Les Paul Custom and a 2001 Epiphone Dot, both with the stock pickups (the Dot is going to upgraded to DiMarzio PAF's). Most of my playing is single note leads, and the sound of this amp suits my needs. It is a little noisy; I wouldn't use it for recording. But for live performing, the noise is never heard. The clean channel can be forced into the early stages of distortion by turning up the gain, but can also get clean volume. From a Beatles cover point of view, this amp is capable of a lot more distortion than I will ever need... Loses a point for the slight noise.

Reliability : 9
This is the fourth Yamaha amp I have had in 22 years, and one of the other units I purchased 19 years ago and still have today. I have never had a failure with any of them.

Customer Support : 8
Yamaha tech support via the internet was very prompt at calling me back on the phone to answer my questions regarding the feasibility of installing an external speaker jack. The tech I talked to even called me back again the next day to correct some of the information he gave me after talking to some other techs. They also told me which Eminence speaker model the unit was loaded with. And, they mailed me the service manual for the older Yamaha amp I still have (I think that cost me all of $5). However, I have since tried to contact them with further questions, and they have not responded. Lose a point for not getting back to me on further questions.

Overall Rating : 8
I have been playing since 1969, when I was 9 years old, but up until about a year ago I was strictly a rhythm player. My gear includes an LP Custom, Epi Dot, Yamaha G100-212 amp, a Zoom GFX-707, and a Dano Tuna Melt tremolo. If the amp were stolen, I would probably buy the same model again. I love the 16 voices which all sound like a progression of the same amp. That means I can build a sound of my own on this amp rather than jumping all around trying to copy other peoples sounds. I hate the fact that Yamaha did not build it sturdy enough to support 4 ohms (it is pretty much a standard in the solid state amp world that an 8 ohm amp will support 4 ohm). When I purchased this I compared it to a Vox Cambridge 30-210, which sounded too flat to me, and a small Marshall 50 watt solid state combo(sorry don't remember the model number) which was way too agressive on the distortion for my needs, you could get either plain clean, or way too much distortion. Much too difficult to get subtle amount of distortion. Oh, yeah, another major factor that led me to this amp was it's weight and my age. My first Yamaha was a G100-412. Weighed 97 pounds. The G100-212 weighs 64 pounds. I'm getting too old to carry around this sh*t! The DG60-112 weighs only 40 pounds. It is light enough that I can carry it around for a practice amp, and ballsy enough that I can get by without the extra cabs if I want and still use it go gig. Loses a point again for the 4 ohm/external speaker jack thing.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: 699 (CAN)
Submitted 05/20/2001 at 03:37pm by Matt Corkum

Features : 9
Yamaha's DG series is an excellent set of digital amps simulating and modelling other amp types through careful study of electronic paths and such. When I first tried this amp, its 8 amp types blew me away. Not to mention its 2 completely independent and footswitchable channels, with reverb. There was no other amp for me. With an FX loop, and great line out to boot, I bought the DG60 within a half hour of trying it out. Only one thing wrong though (see Overall Rating)...

Sound Quality : 6
I use a Yamaha Pacifica and an Epiphone Les Paul Special. With either guitar, this amp produces an amazing array of sounds, from sparkling clean to gusty blues, to full on rock and metal sounds. However, it is very noisy, even when grounded and using good cables. Very hissy. And the feedback is an unnatural squeaking that makes me want to throw up. And it happens when the amp isn't even cranked. I loved this amp in my room and small practices, but when I had to crank it when my 5-piece rock band played a gig, the sound was disgusting. It was rattly and distorted and lost all of the nice harmonic content I had bought the amp for. I guess the 60watts just aren't enough to hide the fact that this is a digital amp and not a valve or solid-state amp.

Reliability : 10
Great little amp. Not too heavy, and it never failed on me. I even used it with an acoustic guitar onstange when my DI Box decided not to work.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Didn't have to deal with them, but the warranty is 3 years I believe and the guys at Buckley's Music (where I bought it) said to just bring it in if something ever went wrong.

Overall Rating : 7
I've been playing for 7 years and I've previously only owned a few smaller amps (10w Marshall Valvestate which actually stood up to a full band practice, a 20w Fender Bullet Reverb and a 15w DOD GrindIT). I borrowed my cousin's Peavey Bandit 112 for about year and absolutely hate anything that Peavey makes except their nice tube amps. This amp is a decent amp, but the lack of a speaker output made me have to trade it, because this amp just doesn't have the balls to stand up to a 5 piece rock band onstage with monitors, etc. At only 60w, it nearly makes it, but the sound is hideous when the volume is past 7 or so. With a speaker output, I would've added a cabinet and taht would've solved my problem. But I ended up trading it and my Fender Bullet Reverb for a beautiful new amp: a Laney Tube Fusion TF400. I got a great deal and I am not dissapointed. The Laney has 4 channels rather than just two, a great footswitch, speaker output, and it's 120w. Where it lacks in the choices for amp models like the Yamaha, it makes up for it in so many other ways.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: 4500 (DK kroner)
Submitted 05/18/2001 at 02:22am by Jan Agersten

Features : 7
Two channels, digital simulation of 8 different Tube-amps. Both channels offers amp-type, gain, master, bass, low mid, high mid, treble, presence, reverb. It have speaker-emulation out.
It can't remember any settings, you have to use the knobs.

Sound Quality : 9
It's a little bit noisy.
The 8 amp-modes are very fine, you can get all from Mesa to Fender-sounds, but not as a replica of those.
I play modern jazz and the Yamaha are very fine to do this type of music.

Reliability : 10
Topscore here - no tubes.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 7
Here you are: 8 very good amp-simulation with a very big range of sounds. But no chorus, flanger, rotary .... And you can only have two setups a time - I need at least five.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $400
Submitted 05/14/2001 at 02:09pm by Jack Narcotta
Email: jacknarcotta<at>yahoo dot com

Features : 7
A two-channel solid-state amp using Yamaha's digital modeling technology. There are eight amp models available per channel, each channel with its own gain, volume, EQ, and reverb. The channels and reverb are footswtichable but a switch is not supplied by Yamaha :(, I recommend the Roland FS-1 for switching channels. The reverb is selectable via foot action, however Yamaha has made it a completely separate input jack, requiring another footswitch for total operation. That's one of the weirder things I've seen lately. The amp also features an effects loop with a blend control, a headphone jack for super late (or early) night jams, and a relatively light 45 lbs. or so. It beats lugging a head and cab around. ;)

Sound Quality : 10
The amp is all about TONE. I tried the Line6 combos, the Johnson combos, the Marshall AVT series, smaller Fender amps, Peaveys - nothing even comes close to the overall OOMPH you get from this amp. Clean - just dial in two flavors (one more 2x12ish, the other 4x12 sounding). Crunch and dirty? Just call up the next two model types and dial in the right amount of gain. This is the first modeling amp I've heard that transmits a guitar's natural sounds. My Strat sounds like a Strat - a problem I had with the Line6 amps (second place in my small amp contest) was though it sounded great (the distortion channels especially) my Strat sounded very close to my two humbucker Carvin on any gain setting at 1 or above. This Yamaha amp will pick up pick nuances, string noise, pickup types, player quirks and good sounding bad habits ...

The gain is unreal on the lead channels but completely manageable and chords ring out through it, even in detuned (dropped D and below) situations. The bass response will make you look behind the amp and make you wonder how they get a closed back sound in an open back 1x12 combo.

What this amp won't do is perfectly replicate a tube sound. My Carvin MTS3200 100-watt head sounds completely different, and it should because that's my larger performing amp and sounds better when it's cranked. The Yamaha excels at getting you mind-boggling tones at any level, and though I haven't used this amp outside of my apartment I've been considering using it on smaller gigs. Just stick an SM57 in front of it, put the master on 4 and you're good to go.

Reliability : 10
I've had the amp for a few weeks and it has powered up every time, sounded great every time, and I don't expect any less. There's very little that could get busted on the front, the knobs are made of heavy duty plastic and the grill cloth is tightly woven and attached to the front of the cab. No chance of snags etc. from lugging it around from place to place (if you choose to).

Customer Support : 8
Never dealt with Yamaha, though the DG amp website was tough to find on the web. Everything is posted on-line though, from manuals through product brochures. That's always a plus just in case you need a quick fix or tip.

Overall Rating : 10
This amp all about getting amazing sounds at moderate/quiet volumes without playing through an AM radio sounding piece of crap. You can gig with this amp, you can jam with this amp, you can play air Yngwie all you want with this amp. The distortion and crunch are the amp's shining moments, the EQ is pristine and very effective. A perfect small amp for the home, studio, or small gig.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: 850 (Australian)
Submitted 04/09/2001 at 04:21am by Anonymous

Features : 8
made in 2000.
Extremely Versatile, From mellow blues to Hot rock to reverb drenched jazz...
2 channels, Identically voiced. has blendable fx loop, head phone jack/line out, speaker mute, footswitchable reverb and channel select
I wish it had an speaker extention jack - the unit has awesome sounds, but for big gigs, I have to go line out thru a power amp and into a quad box for the big balls.

Sound Quality : 8
everything is awesome except for the following - when using 'wet' effects -eg, Chorus, delay etc, the unit breaks the signal up at higher saturations of the effect. also it hasa tendanc to be real noisey when the gain is cranked up. ie, you turn down your guitar and get a huge hummmm. bit of a bummer. other than that its great!

Reliability : 10

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 9


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: $680 (Canadian)
Submitted 03/03/2001 at 05:45am by Vanwarp
Email: andremadore at hotmail<dot>com

Features : 8
Mine is a 2001 model. Footswitchable dual channel setup with independent controls for EQ and reverb. Has 8 usable preset amp types: 2 Lead, 2 Drive, 2 Crunch, 2 Clean; and the owner's manual includes a chart with 16 preset factory sound settings to get you started. (A variety of country, blues, Jazz and Rock sounds) It has an effects loop and a line out/headphone jack (which passes through a speaker simulator - great for recording). No chorus, no tremelo, no tape echo, no delay, no digital memory and no external speaker jack. The regular features on this amp are easy to use and versatile enough for me.

Sound Quality : 9
This amp sounds great! I tried both single coils and humbuckers on this baby and I have NO complaints on the sound and tone achieved by both. I play a Fender strat...and do not use any stomp boxes. The TONE I get from this amp is truly awesome.

I compared many, many amps before deciding on the Yamaha DG60-112. I looked at Fender, Marshalls, Crates, Peavey, Line 6 and found more versatility in the Johnson JM-60, the Tech 21 Trademark 60 and the Yamaha DG80-112 or 210. But all that versatility was not really what I was looking for. For the price/sound/tone, I could not find better than the Yamaha DG60-112.

Reliability : No Opinion
This amp has a one year warranty. It is built solid and weighs 40 lbs. Used for bedroom practice and band rehearsals.

Haven't owned it long enough to rate it on reliability.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing for 25 years. Best sounding modelling amp I could find for the money.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: Can. ($549)
Submitted 02/12/2001 at 10:27pm by D Sawchyn
Email: sawchynd<at>sk dot sympatico dot ca

Features : 9
The amp is a 2000 model and was on the store floor as a demo for awhile. Amp could use preset buttons but what the heck, that's what memory is for! I noodle on everything from rock to metal to jazz (no I'm not in a band but I still like to have great equipment that sounds good). The amp is used at home in my office and as for features, check the other guys who can type better:)

Sound Quality : 10
I use a Larrivee solid body electric with two singles and a Fury split humbucker in the rear with a Floyd Rose (if anyone has any info on these guitars, let me know! I've never seen another one!) I was originally looking at a Crate DXJ112 and had already ordered it when I decided to try this ol' Yamaha sitting in the corner collecting dust. From the very first chord I played on this thing my mind was changed! Compared to the Yamaha, the Crate had absolutely NO TONE! I find the bottom end on this amp's single 12 unreal. It will rattle the paintings of your walls and still play clean (or dirty and hell whichever you prefer). Even the Crates DX212 was tested side by side with the Yamaha and the DG60-112 kicked its ass! The selected amp models are very versitle for any style I want to play and the tone controls can shape you into pretty much any sound you want (mind you they could be abit more responsive). I wanted tube-like sound but didn't want to spend the cash for one. I don't regret this purchase one bit because of one word.....TONE!

Reliability : 7
Comes with a 1 year warranty and the store I bought it from throws in an extra 6 months to boot! (thanks to Sheldon and the boys at St.John's Music). From the looks of it, I don't think there will be any problems. Seems to be built very solid, so for now a 7 will do.

Customer Support : 7
The store has been great with follow up. Yamaha has a great website too with some extra tone settings you can try.

Overall Rating : 9
Overall this thing kicks! Even though it digital simulation, it has....what's the word.....'life' to it! It reacts incredibly to attack, rolls back nicely on volume settings just the way a tube would. Never regretting buying this for a second. If it were stolen....I can say out loud what I'd do (it's that good). So if your in the market for a digital amp and finish checking out the thin sound of the Line 6 Spiders and get over the flashy effects and no bottom end of the Crate DXJ112 and DX212, do yourself a favour and take this amp out for a test drive. These amps are highly underrated as far as I'm concerned and I don't know why Yamaha is not promoting them more! I would have given it a 10.....but nothing it this world is perfect :)


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $399
Submitted 01/11/2001 at 07:24pm by Anonymous

Features : 8
Two channels Modeling amp. The only problem is that there is no way to capture the sound once found. otherwise it's not bad.

Sound Quality : 7
Gold Top 72" large Hums. every amp sounds good

Reliability : 10

Customer Support : 10

Overall Rating : 10


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: #499.99 (Irish pounds)
Submitted 12/19/2000 at 03:55pm by Anonymous

Features : 9
Although being digital and not having an LED screen this Amp is still the best Amp I ever owned. It is better than my 100w Marshall and my line 6. The two channels are amazing with excellent effects and Distortion. I use this amp for live gigs and never once let me down. The sound is so crisp and bright, better than that dead tone you find in Marshalls. This Amp got alot of knocks around and is still as excellent as when I got it. IT is the most versitile Amp I have ever used.

Sound Quality : 10
I use a Fender stratocaster and a Yamaha SVG300. Both of these guitars sound brilliant through it. I mostly play Heavy/Trash Metal and find it excellent for that. I also use a Zoom 2100 effects pedal through the amp connected to a Boston Wah pedal and a Yamaha footswitch. The actual effects on the Amp are good enough but I like Variety. This amp is not really noisy but you would know it is on.
The clean effects and the Distortions are amazing as are the Chunk and the Drive. The amp itself is full of variety and has a huge amount of lastibility compared to Marshalls. This amp will blow you away.

Reliability : 10
I have had this Amp for over 6 months and never once has it let me down. Since I got it I have always brought it to gigs without the back up of the Marshall or the Line 6. I never had to service it and I dont think i will ever have to.

Customer Support : 10
Yamaha have being the best company I ever dealt with as I have bought two items off them already. It is under full guarantee even though I wont need it. Yamaha are very helpful and friendly and I hope to Buy another product off them in the future. Yamaha are the best Customer support out there.

Overall Rating : 10
I have been playing this amp for over 6 months and is my favorite amp.
I have a Marshall and a Line6, a Fender strat, a Yamaha SVG300, a Zoom 2100 effects board and a Bosten Wah. If it was stolen I would not hesitate to sell my Marshall or line6 to buy a new one. I love the Amp itself, the sound and every other little detail about it. This Amp is Superb in every way and nothing could replace it. I compared it to many Marshalls, Johnsons, line6 and a Carlsbro. The one that came closest is my brothers 90w Lead Carlsbro Cobra which is also an Amp I would recommend. If you are looking for an excellent amp with excellent effects and sounds and a lot of personality look no further. Although maybe a bit pricey well worth it and a major investment.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $335.00
Submitted 11/20/2000 at 01:30am by Steve
Email: sls3772 at msn<dot>com

Features : 8
The DG60 is a digital "tube modeling" amp competing with similar models from Line 6 and Johnson. Features: 12" Yamaha spkr, 2 channels each with independant controls. Channel switching, effects loop, direct line out, reverb, high and low inputs to match your guitar's output. Controls are Gain, master, treble, high mid, low mid, bass, presence, reverb and the amp "model" knob which features 8 models: 2 lead, 2 drive, 2 crunch, and 2 clean. Each of the 2 channels has its own set of these controls which is extrememly nice. I HATE 2 channel amps with shared controls and eq so this amp makes me very happy in that respect. The amp is VERY easy to use. Pick a channel, dial in your amp model from one of the 8 to chose from, do some tweaking and go. For me the amp is perfect since I like the usual 2 channel deal...one dirty which I can control with the guitar vol knob and one clean. Overall the amp is very well thought out. I give it an 8 hear beacause first, nothing's perfect, and second I'm a little annoyed that Yamaha didn't make footpedal for the reverb and channel switching...you have to go out and by your own.

Sound Quality : 8
I use a '73 Gibson SG currently which is stocked with Gibson 500T and 490R pickups which are high output. The combination of the mahogany body and these pickups makes for a very thick tone. I have to be really careful about what amp I use with this guitar since it can sound overly dark and muddy. The low and high mid controls coupled with the presence on this amp make it a perfect compliment for my guitar. The one thing I really like about the presence is that it isn't at all harsh or biting, even when turned all the way to 10. The amp is VERY tube sounding, and I mean VERY. Its impressive that Yamaha packed this many features AND this much tube tone into a 1X12 combo for less than $500. Unlike the Line 6 models (of which I've owned 2) and the Johnson (total synthetic sounding crap) Yamaha has chosen to go after tube tone and feel rather than trying to get close and then load up on preset banks of overrated effects. The tube feel of this amp is amazing, to my ears at least...its got me looking for a good ol' standby switch :) The amp acutally reacts to volume changes by the amp controls or by guitar vol like a real tube amp, in fact I'd say it reacts better. It sounds like Yamaha nailed tube tone but left out all the quirks in fickleness of the real thing which to me is great...CONSISTANT tone. As much as I love real tubes like Marshalls and Boogies it always seems like everytime I powered up it sounded different, somethings good, sometimes not so good. I don't care how much someone says "our tubes are tested etc etc"...its a crap shoot of sorts. With this amp you've got consistancy. I play a little of everything from punk to ambient clean and this amp does the job. Its a nice little workhorse. As one other person hear mentioned the sounds are "grown up". Its not an effects laden thrash monster but it does lay out some heavy chunk if you dial it in right. The lead and drive are very articulate and throaty for lack of a better term. I'm really dying to hear a Strat or other single coil guitar through the amp because I have a feeling single coils would really sing through it. The cleans aren't shimmering, but then again Gibson SG's aren't known for that either so I can't really judge the amp for clean until I've heard a nice set of a single coils through it. The crunch models are nice...just lower gain but really I don't need them since I can achieve the same by rolling back my volume on the SG. With the Line 6's for example you can dial in a setting which sounds good at one volume but as you turn up a Line 6 doesn't react like real tubes do, it just simply amplifies a programmed sound so it sounds like just that when loud...an amplified program. The Yamaha on the other hand reacts like real tubes. As you turn up the master it starts to add more tube like compression and sag. Yamaha have really done their homework. Despite its 1X12 size this amp puts out! I can't get it past 4 or 5. Its loud and its full. Something else really great about this amp is all of the sounds/models are consistant(there's that word again) with the others. Instead of sounding like 100 different amps Yamaha has chosen to make the amp sound more like one amp. All the models "match" I guess it what I'm trying to say...each step, from clean up to full out gain sounds like it belongs to the previous or preceeding. It sounds like one amp with progressive voicings instead of trying to emulate different amps. If you want Fender clean with a VOX chimey overdrive with a Rectifier distortion you'll need the Line 6 AX2, which will only simulate those combinations. If you want an amp that sounds like one amp with multiple yet related consistant sounds from clean to full tilt then go with Yamaha. Honestly, I can't emphasize enough how much more real this amp sounds and feels over the other modeling amps. It just has more tone and feel than the others, no competition. I give it an 8 again for the reasons above and also because I'm rea

Reliability : No Opinion
I've only owned the amp a week and I only do home recording so I can't vouch for live gigging stamina for it. It seems very sturdy and Yamaha isn't a company that is known for making shotty stuff, I'm pretty confident the amp won't have any reliability problems.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Again, no experience here. Haven't owned it long enough

Overall Rating : 10
I give it a 10 here beause it is truly an amazing little amp for the money. I've paid more than I paid for this for real tube amps that didn't sound this good and this model is the bottom of the barrel of the line I can only imagine that the DG80 and DG100 kick ass even harder. Eventually I'd like to check out those models as well but for the money and tone this amp is just damn great. Cheers to Yamaha on this one.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $399
Submitted 11/01/2000 at 12:55pm by Steve D.
Email: esdel at eudoramail<dot>com

Features : No Opinion
No need to restate what's been mentioned in other reviews.

Sound Quality : 4
OK, here's what I want to talk about. I've been playing for 33 years, Berklee College alumnus, play a wide variety of styles. I was looking for an amp that was a)LIGHTWEIGHT!!!! b)versatile, and C)relatively inexpensive. The DG60 seemed to meet all these criteria. It sounded great at the store and in my house. The Yamaha digital amps are far superior to all the others out there, especially the much-ballyhooed Line6 (if you want to try a truly bad amp, check out the Spider, which, as another reviewer mentioned, is like a cheap toy by comparison). I like the simplicity of this amp: no effects-drenched, unusable presets, just great basic guitar amp tones. While the clean tones will never compare to my Rivera Jake, I actually prefer the crunch, drive, and lead sounds on this amp -- in the store, anyway. You've probably figured out by now what I'm going to say next, so here goes: Live, this amp just doesn't cut it. I mean that literally; the amp just didn't cut through at all, like a good old tube amp. Not only that; I had the eerie feeling that I was interacting with a zombie: it looks alive, but it's really not. I guess I had to play one onstage to finally hear for myself the difference between digital amps and tube amps. Digital amps simply don't sound like "real" amps, just as virtual reality is not the same as "real" reality. It's an impressive demonstration of technology's ability to mimic something, but it in no way equates to the real thing. Maybe someday they'll get it right, but for now, the real world still rules. By the way, don't blame my guitar; if my Tom Anderson Hollow T Classic can't bring this amp to life, nothing can (I will say, though, that the amp is more partial to my Anderson, with its Tele and Strat tones, than to my Godin LGXT with Duncan humbuckers). I'm giving the amp's sounds a 4 using the following logic: as a practice amp (and maybe for recording) I give it a 10; as a stage amp, I give it a 1. Average those two and you get 5; however, since amps are meant to be played live, I feel I have to rate the amp below the halfway point.

I noticed some other reviewers were very impressed with this amp live, so maybe this amp will work for you as well. Personally, though, I find it hard to believe that a player would not notice and be bothered by the artificial quality of digital modeling amps. So I'm back to my Jake. It's about 20 lbs. heavier and it doesn't have enough gain for heavy rock and fusion solos, so I have to use my ratty Rat pedal, but it's a real amp, and it has the sweetest clean channel on the planet.

Reliability : No Opinion
Don't know; returned the amp. I've owned other Yamaha gear, though, and never had a problem with it.

Customer Support : No Opinion
N/A

Overall Rating : No Opinion
Overall, I give it a 4. Read my explanation under "sounds."


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $479
Submitted 09/01/2000 at 10:23pm by bor
Email: none

Features : 7
See below.

I think the basic setup of this amp is very appealing-- in a way, it's better-suited for a live rehearsal context than the other Yamaha DG amps, even if you lose the flexibility of instantly recallable patch memory. It would be nice to have programmable memory, of course, but there's something to be said for aesthetic simplicity. I for one would rather have all the stuff that screams "digital" (membrane buttons, LCD displays, etc) hidden from audience view while the knobs remain up front. The DG60 doesn't look as digital as the other amps in the DG lineup-- the interface is highly "analog"-- and as such may better suit those of us who still wish to "look tube" in our modern digital era.

A speaker out would be a massive enhancement, as would the ability to kill off speaker emulation in the line out (in favor of another speaker emulator of some sort). I'd like to see this particular amp produced in head-only form to compliment the programmable DG130HA.

One more annoying "feature" worth mentioning: the "speaker mute" switch is the sort of recessed button that you usually find for memory-reset functions on digital synths and such. If you want to use the line out in the studio without the speaker running, you'll need to have a mechanical pencil or paperclip handy-- and the amp will turn the speaker back on when you turn it on the next time. A hard-turn rotary switch would have been a far better design choice.

Sound Quality : 9
I've owned over forty amps and preamps, and presently own seven such devices, five of which are vintage tube stuff. I wasn't expecting to be impressed when I plugged in, but for under $500, the DG60 is simply astonishing. It sounds great with hums OR single-coils. It mops the floor with the Johnsons and Line 6s dominating the digital-amp marketplace, and actually delivers (to a considerable degree, anyway) on the hype presently surrounding modeling. This thing kicks the AX2's ass-- let's not even talk about the Spider, which is at the same price point but sounds like a flimsy toy by comparison.

Both clean models are excellent by modeling standards, and capable of some quite tasty overdrive with the gain hopped up. (The cleans do seem to be quite a bit softer than the other six models, and lack a bit of tube ring/sparkle, but they sound MUCH bigger and better than the other modelers out there, not to mention the vast majority of decent solid-state amps.) The crunch models aren't quite what I expected from the name-- they're a little on the mild/harsh side-- but I imagine that many players could find a better use for them than I could.

Drive 1 and Lead 1 are both great, with Drive 1 being more what I expected from "Crunch" (yer basic 70s-Marshall grind), and Lead 1 being one of the smoothest, fattest, heaviest high-gain tones I've heard in ANY amp-- including all-tube Soldanos and VHTs. (The number "2" versions of these models seem to approximate a mushier amp like a Boogie, which is not quite my style. But again, I can imagine other players enjoying the tones produced with these models.) Reverb is also digital, but it's very tasteful and lush. I guess I should mention that I'm not a fan of spring reverb, though.

My complaints about the amp: As another reviewer below mentioned, there is a noticeable fixed amount of power-amp hiss, even when master is turned completely down-- granted, not as much as you'd find in a Crate or something in the same price bracket, not to mention the majority of tube amps. Regardless, it's annoying in a digital wonder, and I'm sure it could have been avoided somehow.

The modeling doesn't sound quite as good through the line-out as it does through the speaker, which again makes me wish that the built-in speaker emulation could be switched off. This feature would also be handy for running the preamp through a nice clean tube power section.

Several reviewers have also commented on the frequency-extremes characteristics of the included Eminence-- I agree that it can be a bit on the boomy side without proper EQ. Didn't get the chance to try it out with another speaker; you'll note that all the "upscale" DGs come with Vintage 30s. (Myself, I think I'd probably try a Weber Thames before a V30. Since this amp can actually keep up with a band-- unlike its competitors-- I question the wisdom of installing a 30-watt speaker in an open-back 60-watt+ combo.)

This amp has the depth, character and real tube feel that its competitors lack. With any present-day modeling amp, you don't really have the ability to get weird yet (tinkering with individual modules and making "fictional" amps out of bits and pieces of various gear, like you can in the Alien Systems ReValver plugin). Maybe someday soon, we'll see a hardware device designed for live usage that allows you to do some serious model hacking via MIDI and an editor program. Meantime, the DG is excellent for covering all the standard bases, but for my trash tones and such I still have to seek outside help. Still, I feel that the DG has much more personal character than any of the other models I've played to date. This is a good thing.

Let's keep in mind, too, that this amp runs for less than $500 new. At the price, it's really a steal. I can't remember ever being this enthused about a late-model amp, let alone one that sells in the beginner price range... and this is about as plug-and-play as it gets i

Reliability : No Opinion
Never had a problem with any of my Yamaha gear, although I suspect they probably cut a few corners here and there to keep prices down on this particular piece.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 9
It's weird, but I liked this amp so much that I brought it back to the store. Reason (well, besides hating the retailer I got it from): it can make enough great tones that I figure I'd like to have more than two available at a given time. So I'm holding out for either a DG Stomp (which has a month's worth of backorder at the time of this writing) or the DG130 head. Still, I could see buying another one of these down the road for rehearsals. It's a beautifully simple interface that has an interface much like a "real" amp, and you can't beat a one-piece 40-pound package.

Yamaha seems to be doing a miserable job of marketing these things, so they're the sleeper of the modeling wars-- out here in the Midwest, the retailer I bought it from said that they got theirs "by accident" with no plans to order more (despite a floorful of inferior Line 6 product), and I'm having a hard time finding the full DG lineup in even the most obvious mail-order locations. If you can find one in a local shop, try it out-- I guarantee you'll be impressed.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: 650 (CDN)
Submitted 07/20/2000 at 04:42pm by Al Drake
Email: jettek at sprint<dot>ca

Features : 8
2 channel (foot switchable), 8 preset models per channel from clean to crunch, digital spring reverb (foot switchable), 5 band eq per channel. 60 very healthy watts feeding a digital preamp into a SS power amp and out to a single Eminence 12" speaker. Can cut through the mix in all but the largest venues (but doesn't every one use a PA doing large gigs anyways). There is a blendable effects loop on the rear panel and the line out uses the preamp effects which is very handy if you do direct recording. The only feature that is missing here is an external speaker jack, which is really too bad because this baby would make a 4x12 cab sing. Of course that didn't stop me from adding one anyway. :o)

Sound Quality : 9
This amp sounds really tooby, it took some fiddling with the settings to get the sounds I was looking for, but trust me they are in there. From latenight quiet practice to earsplitting gigging levels, this amp can do it WITHOUT sacrificing tone quality. My only critique lies with the stock emminence speaker which I find to be a tad shrill at times and a little loose on the bottom end.

I play 3 guitars though this amp, a Les Paul, a BC Rich warlock with active pups and a Samick with twin humbuckers, they all sound great. When using the Warlock I find I need to turn the gain on the amp down since it provides so much pregain on it's own. The Amp exibits tube like compression while playing and you can dial up country clean to metallica scream. I rate sound as a 9 because I feel the speaker is the weak link in an otherwise excellent package.

This is not a toy, it can be and is used as a serious gigging tool, I have had many comments on the sound of the amp, and other musicians have been stunned that there isn't a single tube in it.

Reliability : 10
I would definitley use this amp without a backup, it has seen it's fair share of banging around and still looks and sounds brand new.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Due to formentioned reliability there has been to reason to contact Yamaha.

Overall Rating : 10
If this amp were lost I would buy another, If it were stolen I would personally find the individual and show him what a 112 combo feels like stuffed up his.......


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $400
Submitted 07/04/2000 at 11:21am by Anonymous
Email: wyman2<at>juno dot com

Features : 8
Features? Well that depends. If this was a tube amp, it would be considered full-featured, but for a modeler it's very basic: no FX except reverb; no balanced outs; no MIDI; only 8 models (essentially 4 each of Fender and Marshall). But these features, plus being compact, light-weight and rugged, add up to a damn near perfect gigging tool.

Sound Quality : 9
Oh yeah, the sound. That's another fearture that makes this such a great gigging tool. I've used a lot of rigs over the last 25 years, and I've never had anything bark through the mix like this little beast. No, it's not a freakin $2000 Matchless. But it's bark is sweet and textured and its response to picking is very tube-like. What more do you want? How about getting optimal tone at any volume, and not having your tone go to hell if you find yourself gigging at the end of 150' of 16 wire? Viva la solid state.

I find the EQ is fussy: the perfect setting for my SG will sound like hell with my G&L and even worse with my strat. That's not to say you can't dial in great tone with any guitar, just that you have to be prepared to tweek when switching. (If you use lots of guitars at gigs, check out the fully MIDIfied DG80.)

I can't compare the stage tone of the DG60 to that of other modelers, because I've never heard a modeling amp on stage. I've SEEN a few, and the guitar players using them seemed to be hearing something interesting, but nothing much was audible out front. Too bad, because the Johnsons and Line 6's sound pretty good in the store. But that's the thing with the Yamaha: it's voiced for grown-ups who perform rock-n-roll and blues; kids looking to make cool sounds in their bedrooms should look elseware.

Oh -- I have to admit I changed the speaker to a Celestion Vintage 30. The stock Eminence is a good speaker, but it seemed rather shrill and boomey, necessitating lowish settings for both bass and treble.

Reliability : 10
Compared to a tube amp it's a piece of granite.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
If Yamaha wasn't cursed in all their guitar-related endeavors, they would take over the world with this line. It's simply a great tubless amp. My racks and Fenders will be staying in the studio from now on.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: 549 (CAN)
Submitted 06/30/2000 at 12:10pm by Anonymous

Features : 9
Digital Modelling amp from Yamaha's new line. Has 2 footswitchable channels w/separate EQ, reverb on each channel, 8 different amp models, eff. loop, line out with speaker simulator, 12" Emminence speaker. Most features of a regular guitar amp.

Sound Quality : 10
I use this amp with a variety of guitars, but my favorite is with strats. I disagree with most of the other reviews here. Sounds beautiful. I have played old Fenders and vintage Marshalls, and I own an all tube stack. While this doesn't reproduced those sounds exactly, it comes very close. You can tell lots of attention went into the modelling. This amp is not for real heavy styles though (don't expect 'brutal' distortion, although there is quite a lot of gain), but if you like an awesome versatile clean/crunch amp for classic rock and contemporary sounds, this thing rocks. I played a bunch of other modelling amps from Line 6 (Spider)and Johnson (Millenium) but they sounded wimpy. Sound was too contained (not to mention noisy). The Line 6 Spider didn't sound too bad but it simply wasn't loud enough and would definitely get buried live with a bass and drums. The Yamaha is a great live amp (which is what I use it for) and the speaker simulator is great for recording too. I love it especially compared to other amps in this price range ($549 CAN).

Reliability : 10
No problems yet. Don't expect any.

Customer Support : No Opinion
N/A

Overall Rating : 10
I have been playing guitar for about 20 years and I've been through a lot of amps. I decided to give this one a shot after the DG80-112 got a rave review in Guitar Player Mag., and I'm glad I did. I have always been frustrated by tubes amps, love the sound, hate the maitinence and this amp fullfils my need for tube-like tone without all the hassle, hype or expense associated with regular tube amps. If it were stolen, I'd get another one in a minute, no question. Might as well say something bad about the amp too: I don't like the fact that it has two footswitch jacks, one for ch., one for reverb. Why couldn't they just have made a dual footswitch instead of having to use 2? Bottom line: for the price it is the best digital modelling amp out there and it BLOWS comparable solid state amps(Peavey, Marshall Valvestate, Laney,etc...) away. Just my $0.02


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: Canadian (599)
Submitted 06/04/2000 at 03:54pm by Anonymous

Features : 1
I can't believe that people who have been playing for longer than me (in some cases WAY longer than me) are saying that this is the best digital modeling amp. THIS AMP SUCKS MAJOR GOAT NUTS!!

Sound Quality : 1
the clean distorts, the distortions are just HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE. THIS AMP SUCKS! don't buy it.

Reliability : No Opinion
Like the guy at the bottem said, I can rely on it not to break, but not to sound good. IT SUCKS!

Customer Support : No Opinion
Yamaha does put out good products, I had a good guitar of theres once, and a keyboard. but their amps suck goats.

Overall Rating : No Opinion
IT SUCKS! I think you already knew my rating! don't buy it, all together this amp blows! I managed to get a good distorted sound out of it using my tube screamer, but it still sounds WAY TOO FAKE! so take my advice and stay away from this amp, it's for your own good. PLEASE don't make the same mistake I did.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: $599.00 (Canadian)
Submitted 05/29/2000 at 06:04pm by The French
Email: alalande<at>unitz dot on dot ca

Features : 9
This amp was released to my knowledge at the summer NAMM july 1999 and is one hot little number. It is absolutelly versatile and covers every base from all out metal to twanging country. It's a basic A/B chanel type setup but I do wish it had three chanels for a clean/crunch/full saturation type back and forth type of thing. It does include however some really nice features such as dry wet blend on the effects loop, a headphone jack that doubles as a line out that, beleive me, is really accurate and you won't be needing a mike there no more. This little amp will sing it's heart out for you and is plenty loud for any practice and can also easilly handle small clubs, actually the Emminence speaker in it is quite the little projector but you would not know it till you get out in a big room so I have to say that although it's not a power box it's got lots of head room and would hold respectably against anything watt for watt tube or otherwise. This la creme de la creme in as far as digital modeling is concerned and is replacing two pretty nice amps that I have in my stable so it's got to be good. If it was not for the chanel switching of only two instead of three it would have gotten a 10. Oh yeah I almost forgot, the reverb is superb and I honestly though it used a quality spring tank reverb but then fould out it was digital, good job and hats off to the engineers on that one.

Sound Quality : 9
I use a 57 strat and a Lado custom hawk with PafPro pickups in it and this amp just loves either guitar, unlike other modeling amps that colour the sound of the pickups to emulate the sound they are after the Yamaha relies on the old addage of garbage in------garbage out and any one who thinks that because their guitar sounds great on one amp it should sound good on any amp is sadly mistaken but this amp will lend itself nicelly to most guitars. I do have to mention that since I started using this amp that I have actually stopped using my effect processor and that is a scary thought,I have been using stomp boxes since I was 14 ( I'm now 44 ) and have been using processors for about a dozen years and this is the only amp that has gotten me off of them, so tone wise the amp is a ten. Don't get me wrong, there is no such thing as the perfect amp but there is nothing else out there that does the digital thing as well as this amp. My only beef is that unlike other amps that control the master volume by attenuating the power amp, the yamaha's amp runs wide open all the time and all the dynamics work is done by the processor. So there is a constant power hiss that is audible and although you can use an expression pedal thru the effects loop and your stage volume will go up and down, the line out volume will remain constant. So for these missgivings the amp will score lower.

Reliability : No Opinion
Never had to deal with Yamaha but have heard that they are excellent. I hope I never have to find out. I have always giged with two amps on a stereo type set up with a processor but this amp is going to make me do the one amp thing, so we will have to wait and see but I don't think it will be a problem.No more tubes, ye haw!!!

Customer Support : No Opinion
Three year warranty parts and labour, solid state amps have gotten very reliable so don't know what to answer here.

Overall Rating : 9
I have been playing for 36 years and I play everything from country to all out metal shred but my favorite is blues (S.R.V.) and R&B and this is the only amp that can do it all, (withouth a processor, remember, this amp has no bells or whistels like the other modelers). If I were to do it again I might get the DG80 for the sake of getting the built in effects and multiple preset chanels but the price tag is a lot more and to be honest the DG60 is vitually identical tone for tone and I find I'm not in need of the sustainer on compressor or delay to get that full sound any more. The competitors to this amp that I did try would have given me the multi chanel thing because of all the programable presets namelly the Johnson JT50 and the Line 6 Spyder but honesttly neither one came even close sound wise and both were a lot noisier than the Yamaha. Keep up the good work Yamaha but at least include a !@#$%%$@## chanel and reverb pedal on future shipment and fix the lack of volume control thru the effects loop playing thru a P.A. is nice but not everybody has access to sound man to adjust the volume on the fly so the use of a microphone becomes necessary and defeats the purpose of the bets sounding direct line out system out there. I defenitelly would buy another one fore the sake of it's tone but would probably upgrade to a DG80 for the sake of a lot more flexibility in chanel switch.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: 650.00 (CANADA)
Submitted 05/25/2000 at 11:45am by Anonymous

Features : 10
AMP MADE IN 99. ITS ONE OF THE BEST AMPS IVE PLAYED. I ALLSO HAVE A FENDER PRINCETON THAT IS GREAT AND THIS COMES REALLY CLOSE.I PLAY COUNTRY AND ROCK AND FIND THE AMP DOSE IT ALL VERY WELL.IT HAS TWO CHANNELS.IT HAS PLENTY OF POWER TO HANDEL ANY JOB.I PLAY IN A THREE PIECE BAND AND IT DOSE EVERY THING IT NEEDS TO DO.THE SPEAKER SIMALATER DOSE GREAT IN THE STUDIO TOO!

Sound Quality : 10
I PLAY A TELE AND A STRAT.IT CAN HANDEL ANY STYLE I PLAY.AAND IT IS REALLY QUIET.I PLAY ALOT OF DIIFERENT STYLES AND FIND THE CLEAN IS REALLY CLEAN AND THE DISTORTION IS REALLY GREAT ITS JUST A GREAT AMP FOR ITS PRICE.

Reliability : 10
I WOULD USE THIS AMP AND NOT EVER WORRY ABOUT IT. NEVER HAVE HAD ANY PROBLEMS.

Customer Support : 10
YAMAHA IS THE GREASTEST TO DEAL WITH NEVER HAD ANY PROBS.IT HAS A YEAR WARRANTY.

Overall Rating : 10
IVE BEEN PLAYING FOR ABOUT 34 YEARS.IF IT WAS STOLEN I WOULD BUY ANOTHER MABY TRY THE DR 80.I ALSO OWN A FENDER PRINCTON REVERB.I COMPARED IT TO MY PRINCETON AND I CAN GET THAT SAME SOUND.I DID COMPARE IT TO A CRATE AT THE SAME PRICE BUT THE CRATE DIDNT EVEN COME CLOSE IT SOUNDED VERY CHEAP. TO WRAP IT UP ITS RTHE BEST AMP IVE HEARD IN YEARS AND WOULD REALLY RECOMEND THIS AMP TO ANYONE WITH ANY STYLES.


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: US $399.00
Submitted 05/15/2000 at 07:12pm by kevin
Email: motokev<at>networld dot com

Features : 8
read others above, thats what it does

Sound Quality : 6
I play fenders and PRS guitars. I like blues rock (SRV style).
the amp i thought was great sounding at lower volume. I bought the amp through musician friend for only $399. i thought wow, pretty good price. i was happy with the amp for about 2 weeks, then started to crank the amp. this is when it started to sound shitty on the over drive channels. I also didn't care for the clean sound. i thought it was weak compared to a fender clean sound (solid state and tube.
if it would have had a decent clean, i would have kept it. the amp was quiet. i must say though, the two channel was nice. Also, didn't come with a channel foot switch, tight wads. maybe the 80 DG or 100 DG would sound better when cranked. But, i will leave you with this input, out of all modeling amps, the DG series is the best for feel and tube sound. I'll spend more time with the DG-80 and 100. I might buy one if they sound great at higher volume. I know they won't get that fender clean tone, but i don't think any amp can achieve that except fender. Lastly, i thought the reverb on the amp was really good. it suprised me, since i think fender makes the best reverb and the DG was pretty close.

Reliability : 9
no problems for 2 weeks. The amp's construction was top notch !

Customer Support : No Opinion
N/A

Overall Rating : No Opinion


Product: Yamaha DG60-112
Price Paid: 699 (Canadian)
Submitted 04/19/2000 at 06:25pm by Erich Heintzman
Email: Arbiter101 at hotbot<dot>com

Features : 6
This amp is very versatile, in that it has a variety of sounds in it, but most of them (to me anyways) don't sound that great. I've had the thing for almost a year now, and I still haven't found the sound that is perfect to me, I've come close, but this just doesn't nail it. thats the problem with amp simulators.

Sound Quality : 8
I'm using a Yamaha RGX120D --> Boss Octave --> Ibanez Tube Screamer --> Boss Super Phaser. The amp is noisy, but not extremely noisy. It's noisy no matter what setting/volume you have it on. the Clean channel isn't half bad, it kind of distorts at high levels, but not too bad.

Reliability : 10
I can really rely on it not to break, and I would use it without a backup. But I can't rely on it to sound good, thats all!

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never delt with them.

Overall Rating : 5
If you are looking for a cheap good sounding amp to upgrade from your little crappy practice amp you got with your guitar when you first started, or your looking for a cheap first amp. then don't buy this one. Go for a Line 6 Spider, or a Johnson. they are both cheaper than this, and sound WAY better!

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