Ceriatone built DC30. Almost from the time I got the amp I've experienced problems with the cut part of the circuit.  I like the cut knob at about 1:00. Running at full volume for a while and the amp literally dies. It fades/cuts out to barely able to hear it and real thin sounding. I have found if I turn the cut knob all the way to the right it won't fade/cut out... but I don't like the sound of it. Too thin that way. I've also found if I run at very low volume with the cut at 1:00, it won't fade out. It doesn't like running at moderate to full volume.

Any ideas? Nearest tech to me is over 500 miles. I can solder and follow directions and have previously built an SE PTP amp in the past but I don't know how to trouble shoot or the theory of electronics. Thats why I bought the DC30 from Nik in the first place. I knew a DC30 or ODS was way beyond my ability.

Thanks for any help

Some of you may have read  about my volume cutting out problem. After some twiddling (local amp tech had never heard of a Matchless DC-30), I fixed some loose solder connections where we had put the diodes in the rectifier as Nik recommended.  I could get more gain but still the same problem... just not as pronounced.

After more twiddling I came to realize that if I used the cut pot to cut all bass, problem solved. Even if I chose the most bass heavy setting on the tone switch it was fine.

On the cut circuit there are 3 caps and 4 resistors. Which have to do with the bass end? I don't have a multi-meter nor do I know how to work one, but I can solder. Any Ideas on which is the one(s) that handle bass freq?

Hmm... now that I look at the layout some more it appears the cut just cuts all those components out of the circuit, right?

I also noticed the new layout Nik has for the amp includes two caps in the rectifier. Can somebody tell me whats up with that?

Another question; is Nik's Dizzy30 the exact same as a Matchless amp? Is the circuit the same?

I read somewhere the DC-30 was hard on components. Is that true?

I have a Ceriatone built DC30. I've had it for awhile and it's recently started cutting out at high volume (as if you were cutting out flipping a pickup selector switch). It cuts out exactly on the strum but not on the sustain or even feedback. I've wiggled the speaker wires, changed tubes, etc. If you back off the gain to clean, it doesn't cut out unless it's real bass heavy. If you engage the master volume and turn the gain up but the volume down, it's fine. It works the same on all four inputs, whether 2 or 4 output tubes are used. The longer it's on, the worse it gets.

Any help would be appreciated. Trying to avoid the cost of an amp tech. 



My pragmatism has taught me; distrust pragmatism.

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I bought the DC-30 for the clean tone (gig country and mellow) but I really wanted the TW Expression because I like classic, power rock when we jam and goof around. Budjet for only one choice... gigging won.

I figured if I didn't think the drive was hot enough I'd put a pedal on it. So far I've tried the several pedals we have laying around here and was disapointed:

Rocktron Austin Gold - Worked excellent on my SE Class A. I could back the gain off the amp and it made the sound hot without sounding overly fizzy, feedback was easy. On the DC-30, it just sounds fizzy on both channels.

Barber LTD - Very nice OD pedal. Sounds awesome on the clean channel of a transistor amp. On the DC-30 it sounds thin and fizzy like something is fried.

I know some will recomend a TD-9 or TS.... I've never really cared for that tone (thats what I call the fizzy tone).

Is there a pedal that will be transparent enough that it wont color the tone (or sap it out) but push the amp to sound more like a TW? Think Mississippi Queen by Mountain.

I'm looking for comments with first hand experience. A sound clip would be great.

Will this work to use one Holy Grail to go to both channel's for the effects input's?

Thanks alwalt,

Apparently not everyone knows those obvious bit's and pieces and my research started here.

If I want reverb on each channel, I'll need two independant reverbs? I do have a ABY box, so if I blend the channels with a reverb on one, it'll be essentially blending dry and wet, right?

Thanks for stating the obvious. Could you or someone else be a little more obvious since my DC-30 didn't come with directions... or pictures. I have no foggy idea what I would do with a stereo Y cord and my holy grail in those back two imputs labeled channel 1 and channel 2 effects. That is why I asked the original question.

Of course I love the sound of the amp dry (it's not dry) but I want my holy grail in the loop, but not in front, for surf.  I tried to hook it up to the effects loop (never done anything like this before) and the amp doesn't make a sound. I tried every combination of 1-2, in - out.

Any ideas?