Mesa DC-5 - History/Lineage?

[Bad.Seed]

Hey fellas
Posted a clip of the DC5 with a boost yesterday in a few of the FB groups. I really enjoyed the way it sounded, but one group in particular apparently thought there was something wrong with my amp and it sounded bad.

A couple of the comments in that group said the lead channel of the DC5 is derived from the Rectifier and not the Mark series, which I found interesting, as the amp definitely dialed and sounded like my Mark IV, with a lot less compression and gain. The boost got it right back to Mark territory.

This made me curious as to the origins of the amp. I know it came after the 50 Cal+ which was DEFINITELY a mark derivative, but I don't know what was changed. Any insight on the history of the DC5 series?

Also, here is the clip in question

 

[thegame]

I had a DC-5 in the mid 90s. Nice amp when played alone but didn’t cut great with drums. They were intended to be a Mark/Recto hybrid but kind of ended up with the shortcomings of both instead of the strengths. The older .22 and .50 calibres are better for a “budget” Boogie. I didn’t like the soft attack of the DC series.

 

[Techdeth]

The first Slipknot album amp is all I know about it . But it sure looks like it came from the mark series

 

[BSRIAudio]

The half rectifier half mark aspect is more like one channel of each rather than the vibe across the whole amp. The rhythm channel has the tone stack before the gain stages like a mark and the lead channel has the tone stack after the gain stages like a rectifier. So you can use the graphic EQ to make the rhythm channel a bit more like a mark or the lead channel really dramatically contoured.

They have a lot less gain than a rectifier on the lead channel.

 

[Snave]

The half rectifier half mark aspect is more like one channel of each rather than the vibe across the whole amp. The rhythm channel has the tone stack before the gain stages like a mark and the lead channel has the tone stack after the gain stages like a rectifier. So you can use the graphic EQ to make the rhythm channel a bit more like a mark or the lead channel really dramatically contoured.

They have a lot less gain than a rectifier on the lead channel.

This. While the lead tone stack was put after the gain stages on these amps (like Marshalls, Soldanos, Rectos, etc.), the whole "half Mark IV, half Rectifier" thing was more marketing than reality. I was disappointed with a DC-10 head I hunted down ages ago because I believed Mesa's description of the channels.

 

[Bad.Seed]

This. While the lead tone stack was put after the gain stages on these amps (like Marshalls, Soldanos, Rectos, etc.), the whole "half Mark IV, half Rectifier" thing was more marketing than reality. I was disappointed with a DC-10 head I hunted down ages ago because I believed Mesa's description of the channels.

View attachment 221470

This is great! Thanks so much for uploading man, I really appreciate it.

 

[errrrrl]

one group in particular apparently thought there was something wrong with my amp and it sounded bad.

I saw that and was reading the comments... wtf was all that about anyway? Its like you pissed in their fruit loops or something lol

 

[Bad.Seed]

I saw that and was reading the comments... wtf was all that about anyway? Its like you pissed in their fruit loops or something lol

Same dudes that come after me every time I post there. I don't take them seriously. They have reputations as deluded assholes. It's just sad one of them runs a pedal business that seems to get some amount of respect in the underground community.

The only real reason I questioned the lineage is I got more of a Mark vibe but a couple people mentioned it having a "rectifier" lead channel.

 

[Speeddemon]

I had one a while ago and posted some clips here... for me it lacked the Mark liquid focussed punch in the lead channel. It sounded more bloated, wider, with a certain almost fuzzy saturation in the low-end that I couldn't dial out and it needed a boost to shine.

I guess that was part of the Rectifier-esque character. The cleans were awesome though...remained huge, punchy and clear.

But yes, with a boost it's a different ball-game and comes closer to a Mark's tone, but I prefer amps that don't overload the preamp with so much low-end, which results in more clarity, definition and punch typically. See most Engls, EVH and Mesa Marks.

 

[mnemonic]

Schematic is available online, neither channel have much at all in common with a recto other than they’re both tube amps.

https://schematichell.com/mesaboogie/boogie_dual_caliber_dc5.pdf

“Blend between a mark and a recto” is something I’ve seen said about every high gain amp Mesa makes that isn’t a mark or recto. Probably just marketing copy to drum up interest, and people online repeating what they’ve been told by others.

 

[BSRIAudio]

The cool thing about the DC amps IMO is there is no trickery to dialing them in or using them. Everything works as expected and they're punchy and clear and fun to play.