Any DV Mark Eric Gales head experience out there?

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 12-30-2021, 12:31 PM

As my Superblock heads into month 4 on backorder, I see both EG heads (60 and 250 watt) on sale and in stock at MF. I’ve tried a few DVM heads and liked them, and I love both the Jazz 12 in our club’s backline and the Little Jazz I keep at home and use on outside gigs (assuming we ever have any again). Both of the Eric Gales heads are priced under $300 and would give me serious clean power through my RE and/or RevSound cabinet.

After selling off the superfluous stuff, the only heads I kept are an Elf and a Microblock. I’d like to have a third little head with higher power, although I’m assuming the Superblock would suffice based on all the reviews and discussion.

So do I make the call, change the order, and have a DV by next week? And if so, is there any sonic or functional reason to pick the 60W or the 250W head besides an extra inch and pound? They’re $20 apart in price. Oy! The pressure!

**Woody Sound** · 12-30-2021, 01:06 PM

I don't know which of of the mini heads you had, but I hated the reverb on the Little 250. Thin, metallic, and chorusy. Don't know if they're all the same. Of course if you don't use the reverb it's not a issue. Also, there was this strange issue, where adjusting one knob would affect the others, hard to describe. My own advice: If you order one, be sure you can return it.

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 12-30-2021, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

I don't know which of of the mini heads you had, but I hated the reverb on the Little 250. Thin, metallic, and chorusy. Don't know if they're all the same. Of course if you don't use the reverb it's not a issue. Also, there was this strange issue, where adjusting one knob would affect the others, hard to describe. My own advice: If you order one, be sure you can return it.

Thanks! I’ve only played through the “little” little ones - 50 and 60W units. I thought the sound quality was clean, balanced and neutral. I didn’t need another amp, or I would have bought one. But I don’t know if the Eric Gales models sound like the other little DVMs or have their own character.

The biggest question is whether it’s worth giving up my shot at a Superblock US for the EG. If I return it because I don’t like it, I can’t get back in my spot in line.

**Gitfiddler** · 12-30-2021, 01:39 PM

Last year I scored one of the 250 watt Eric Gales 'Raw Dawg' (Eric's nickname) mini heads as a back-up for live performances. (Remember gigs?). The head is LOUD and clean. I've only been able to test it at home, connecting it to a variety of speaker cabs (2x10 CTS AlNiCo, 1x12 Celestion Black Shadow or Vintage 30 and 2x12 Jensens).

To me it sounded good through all, but best through the 2x12.

Sound is super clean and slightly dark. Jazz tones are thick but never muddy. I set the 3-band EQ with Bass and Midrange at 12 o'clock and Treble turned all the way up. The reverb is fine, but it does add a tiny bit of flanger effect if maxed, which is odd but not annoying to me.

As far as choosing between the 60 and 250 watt versions, I went with the latter since it may be used for outdoor venue gigs...eventually.
For now it's resting peacefully in a spare laptop bag, awaiting call to duty.

The Quilter mini heads and blocks are the main competitor to DV Mark. Be sure to check them out as well.

**Gitterbug** · 12-30-2021, 01:43 PM

I've had three DV Mark heads: original Micro 50, 50M and 250M; first two still in, the last sold to a shredder. No experience on the Eric Gales signatures, but I believe all DV Marks share the same technology. At least, all Micro 50/60 versions offer the same clean sounds. There's been a lot of criticism regarding the reverb. In straight-ahead jazz, you don't need more than a whiff. The chorus-tipsy nature of the DV reverb makes it great for acoustic guitar, when dosed in more liberal amounts. I prefer DV Mark's darker sound over the Fender/Quilter Americana, an acquired taste. My main gripe is that DV Mark amps represent 1st generation micros and weigh more than 2X vs. corresponding Quilters. OTOH, I believe the 60W EG offers a lot more headroom than a SuperBlock. I love the SuperBlock for the weight, sound and features; a little more clean headroom would make it the Holy Grail of micro-amps.

**Woody Sound** · 12-30-2021, 04:47 PM

I absolutely love my 2 Quilter MicroPro combos. Don't know if their small heads sound as good or not.

**jads57** · 12-30-2021, 06:12 PM

All I can say is after trying the new Quilter Mk4 Combo 1x12” I’m sold! 22 pounds 200 watts, and can cover any gig or genre from Fender, Marshall, Vox both Clean and Overdriven!

Not cheap, but for $1200 that’s a great deal!

**pingu** · 12-30-2021, 07:44 PM

i find it strange that the EG amps don’t have pre amp gain knobs ....

maybe he drives that mini tube front end
with a clean boost ?

anyone here tried that for a bit of crunch ?

**Gitfiddler** · 12-30-2021, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by pingu

i find it strange that the EG amps don’t have pre amp gain knobs ....

maybe he drives that mini tube front end
with a clean boost ?

anyone here tried that for a bit of crunch ?

EG uses pedals for crunch, fuzz, etc.

I'm no Eric Gales, but so far I like the way this amp responds to my Zendrive and RAT, especially if the amp's midrange is boosted to around 1 or 2 o'clock.

**jzucker** · 12-31-2021, 12:06 AM

Yes, I had one. The tone is nice but the preamp gain is too high so that it's always slightly overdriven. There is no user facing preamp gain control on the amp and when I contacted dv mark support, they indicated that they could reduce the gain with an internal change if I sent the amp back to them. I don't remember the reverb sound.

However, I have a DV Mark GH-250 Tube that sounds great. It has a gain control so there's no issue like the one on the EG and the reverb is good. Not great but as good as any other SS amp I've tried. I give it a solid thumb's up.

I actually like the tone control placement better than the quilter. Quilter's treble control is in the wrong place IMO and no matter what, there is always a slightly harsh upper mid spike which you can hear if you listen to any of Rich Severson's videos. Some people like that I guess but to me, it's a detraction. If quilter would address that issue I'd be all in.

**jads57** · 12-31-2021, 12:15 AM

I believe Jack Z is referring to the older Tone Block series Tone control. That is addressed with a set of full tone controls bass, middle, treble. I do wish it had a presence knob as well.
But the only way to find what works for you is try the various amps.

**jzucker** · 12-31-2021, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by jads57

I believe Jack Z is referring to the older Tone Block series Tone control. That is addressed with a set of full tone controls bass, middle, treble. I do wish it had a presence knob as well.
But the only way to find what works for you is try the various amps.

Nope, i had the toneblock 202 (full tone controls) as well as the overdrive 202. The toneblock 202 even has a "fender" voicing on it that supposedly makes the tone controls work like a fender amp but it still didn't work for me.

**Gitterbug** · 12-31-2021, 10:50 AM

Beyond any doubt, Pat Quilter is an amp genius extraordinaire. I also think that his personal guitar sound taste comes through loud and clear. It's more for twang, country, Western Swing, steel and rock rather than jazz. I once ran a Quilter 101R and a DV Mark Micro 50 side by side through an a/b switch to identical cabs. To get them sound as identical as possible, Quilter's bass eq was all the way up and treble all the way down, while DVM's bass and middle were roughly at noon and treble quite a bit up. Attached an old photo on the situation. DVM's settings as per the lower row of knobs.

BTW: Happy New Year!

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 12-31-2021, 11:27 AM

I just changed my order from the Superblock US to the Eric Gales Raw Dawg 250. I already have a Microblock, which is (at least, by Quilter's ratings) as powerful as a Superblock - and I love its sound through my RE and Revsound cabs. And I bought an Elf when they first came out. It's also a fine sounding amp through my 8" cabs, and it's more powerful than the Quilter. So the EG 250 fills a need I left unmet when I sold my big amps - it's loud, clean, and apparently adds little sound of its own. I've been playing through a DV Jazz 12 for a few years and I got a a Little Jazz early this year. I like the DV sound for jazz, but the 60W heads are the same as my DV combos - so pumping it up to 125W seems like the best addition. I'd have loved to try the Superblock, but it's going on 4 months and the thing is still sitting at the edge of the Pacific.

Thanks, everybody - this thread has been a big help. I should have the Gales next week and will post a NAD message when it's here. Happy New Year!!

**Woody Sound** · 12-31-2021, 11:32 AM

I use my Quilters for jazz big band, small ensembles and musicals. They can do anything from dark & smokey to bright and crisp.

**Woody Sound** · 12-31-2021, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by jads57

All I can say is after trying the new Quilter Mk4 Combo 1x12” I’m sold! 22 pounds 200 watts, and can cover any gig or genre from Fender, Marshall, Vox both Clean and Overdriven!

Not cheap, but for $1200 that’s a great deal!

Mk4? Do you mean Mk3?

**jads57** · 12-31-2021, 11:45 AM

Yes Mach 3!

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 12-31-2021, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

I use my Quilters for jazz big band, small ensembles and musicals. They can do anything from dark & smokey to bright and crisp.

If I were starting from scratch, a Quilter combo would be ideal - I'd probably buy the 200 watt HD 12 or 8, plus a Henriksen Blu 6. But I have 4 good cabs right now - RE 10, Revsound 8 bass cab, Eminence 8-15 ported guitar cab, and my original Boogie EVM Thiele. And I have a Little Jazz at home plus a full backline where I play regularly (Jazz 12, Vibroloux, CS PR, tweed Blues Deluxe, Peavey 12” something-or-other, and a Leslie 3300). So I can't really justify another $1k amplifier. Once I sell the Boogie cab, the Vox NightTrain 15 head, and the Gigrac 300 powered mixer I've posted here and on local sites for weeks, I may reconsider.

The only heads I kept are an Elf (manufacturer rated @ 130W into 8 ohms) and a Microblock (manufacturer rated @ 33 watts into 8 ohms). Neither has reverb, and the Microblock has no preamp out and no tone controls (except for the Q knob, which doesn't do much). So the EG250 will be a useful and versatile addition. It's "only" rated at 125W into 8 ohms like the Elf, but the Elf seems to have inherent compression that the Gales apparently does not. So I expect the Gales to be considerably more dynamic and a bit louder through the same speakers. And I use a Wampler Tumnus for smooth OD, which should be a great match for the Gales.