DV Mark Galileo 15, DV40 212, and Bad Boy 120 TESTED BY MICHAEL ROSS ITALY S MARKBASS AMPLIFIERS HAVE PROVED THEIR mettle with pros like Jeff Berlin and Bob Daisley, who appreciate these lightweight yet powerful heads for their punch and dynamic sensitivity. Having conquered the bass world, the company is seeking success in the guitar amplifier market with a series of innovative tube-powered models. I recently had the opportunity to check out the entire DV Mark line, which, in addition to the models on deck here, includes a metal-oriented version of the Bad Boy 120, a combo version of the 15-watt Galileo head, and a EL34- and 6L6-powered head version of the DV40 40-watt combo. I tested these amps with a 1965 Stratocaster, fitted with DiMarzio Virtual Vintage pickups, through both DV Mark cabinets and a custom 1x12 of my own. I also pushed the front ends of the amps with either an Electro-Harmonix Germanium Big Muff or a Paul Trombetta FeederBone overdrive. Galileo 15 The somewhat stark appearance of the mostly black metal Galileo 15 is softened a bit thanks to some figured Tolex on the sides and a fashion-forward leather strap that traverses the entire head. The perforated metal cover that encloses the top section of of the amplifier won t keep out invasion by dust or beer, but all those holes help make the head extremely light. A pair of small metal rails on either side of the front panel protects the black-striped pointer knobs and Boost switch. The Galileo has no standby switch. Instead, about ten seconds after you flick on the juice, there s an audible click that tells you the tubes are warmed up and the amp is ready to rock. Given its size, wattage, and EL84 tubes, you might assume the Galileo would sound similar to an Orange Tiny Terror or Vox Night Train. However, where the Orange and Vox amps trade in Brit-style grind, the Galileo is a clean machine, offering an amazing amount of pristine headroom easily as much as the clean channel on my 30-watt Egnater Rebel. And not only is the Galileo loud, but its clean sound has enough harmonic depth even at low gain settings to make reverb unnecessary. (If you can t live without it, reverb is available on the combo version.) The Galileo offers a satisfying amount of crunch with the Boost switch engaged, but if ever an amp was made for pedals, this is it. A little kick from my distortion pedal tightened up the amp s slightly wooly-sounding 134 NOVEMBER 2011 GUITARPLAYER.COM
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SPECIFICATIONS CONTACT DV Mark, (347) 886-8656; info@dvmark.it CHANNELS CONTROLS CONCERNS GALILEO 15 HEAD Also available as a 1x12 combo with reverb, footswitchable boost, and built in overdrive circuit. $749 retail/$599 street One Gain, Bass, Middle, High, Master, Boost switch Two 12AX7 preamp tubes, two EL84 output tubes, 12AX7 phase inverter, solid-state rectification 15 watts 4Ω and 8Ω speaker outs 10 lbs Amazing headroom. Warm clean tones. Breakup is a little loose. DV40 212 $1,749 retail/$1,299 street CHANNELS Two CONTROLS Normal/Bright switch, Channel 1 Gain and Master, Channel 2 Drive and Master. Shared Bass, Middle, High, Reverb, and Presence. Solo switch. Two 12AX7 preamp tubes, two EL34 output tubes, 12AX7 phase inverter, solid-state rectification 40 watts Continuous Power Control (CPC). Footswitchable Boost function. Pentode and Triode modes. Low or High Bias mode switch. Service port. Three distortion which is looser on the low-end, more like a Fender than a Marshall and really made it come alive. In many ways, the Galileo 15 sets the tone for the DV Mark series. It isn t a clone of anything in particular, though the sound is definitely more American than British. Instead, this little powerhouse is ready to carve out its own sonic niche in the small amp scene. SPEAKER CONC speaker outs (4Ω, 8Ω, 16Ω) Two 12" B&C Neodymium DV Mark Custom 37.5 lbs CPC allows power tube push at low volume. Light weight. ERNS Neodymium speakers may not appeal to all tastes. The Galileo 15 s circuit offers the same level of component and build quality as that of DV s larger heads and combos. M O R E O N L I N E Check out DV Mark amps being played at the New York Amp Show. See Rocco Zifarelli jam with a DV Mark Combo DV40. Watch Andrea Inglese showing off the three channels of the Bad Boy 120. Get these links and more at guitarplayer.com/november2011 BAD BOY 120 $1,999 retail/$1,499 street CHANNELS Three CONTROL Gain, Master, Presence, Bass, Mid, and High for each channel. Solo Boost, 0/-6dB pad switch. Rear panel: Send Level, Loop Assign knob. Low or High Bias mode switch. Four 12AX7 preamp tubes, two KT88 output tubes, 12AX7 phase inverter, solid-state rectification 120 watts Smart Controller pedal. Service port. Five speaker outs (2x8Ω, 2x16Ω, 1x16Ω). SPEAKER Tested with a DV Mark C412 Standard 4x12 cabinet ($1,299 retail/$949 street) 21.6 lbs Wide range of warm tones through three fully controllable channels. Light weight. CONCERNS None. 136 NOVEMBER 2011 GUITARPLAYER.COM
DV40 212 For a big combo sound, few things beat a 2x12 Fender Pro or Twin Reverb, or a Vox AC30 or AC50. Unfortunately, hauling these beasts around and hustling them in and out of a car trunk can be a chore. That s why the first thing I noticed about the DV40 212 was its weight: at less than 37 lbs, it s a little over half the heft of an AC30. DV Mark accomplishes this by using Italian poplar for the cabinets (which is lighter than most woods) and installing B&C Neodymium-magnet speakers, which are significantly lighter than speakers with alnico or ceramic magnets. The result shaves off more pounds than Jenny Craig. The back-saving properties of this EL34- powered combo are just the beginning of its special features. Do you prefer 6L6 or 6V6 power tubes? Just pop them in. The amp will bias them and automatically rebias as needed to compensate for uneven wear. You can also set the bias to High for a more present sound, or Low to preserve tube life. Another bit of new DV Mark technology is a service port that connects to a computer interface (not included) so you or a tech can monitor the bias, plate voltage, and condition of the tubes. Many 2x12 combos are too loud for some gigs, and the DV40 solves this problem via its Continuous Power Control (CPC). In pentode mode, this feature lets you vary the amp s power from the full 40 watts (class AB) incrementally down to 1 watt (class A), or from 15 watts (class AB) to one-half watt (class A) in triode mode. This gave me a wide range of volume options from neighbor-friendly to front-row assault without significantly altering the tone. As you might expect, though, the sound opens up a bit more in the higher-wattage modes. With the CPC full up, the DV40 delivered a warm, clean sound, similar to the Galileo s, with plenty of headroom. Either channel can be used for lead or rhythm with slightly different voicings. The overdrive sound was smooth and creamy, and it cleaned up easily when I backed off my guitar s volume. The footswitchable gain boost is a handy feature. With the gain set low and the volume turned up, it works as a volume boost. At higher gain settings, especially with the CPC set to low power, it boosts gain. As with the Galileo 15, the DV40 doesn t sound particularly like any other amp, but its open, neutral voice readily accommodates whatever guitar and/or pedal you run into it. The B&C speakers sound great, but the instantaneous attack associated with Neo speakers can take some getting used to. I also tested the DV40 through a custom 1x12 cab sporting an Eminence Texas Heat ceramic-magnet speaker, which yielded an equally rich, albeit smaller, sound with a more traditional feel. The DV40 212 is a must to audition if you are tired of hauling that Twin or AC30, but it s also worth a look for anyone seeking a versatile combo that s suitable for any musical genre short of all-out metal. Note too that the DV Mark 40-watt sound is available in a single-channel format with the Little 40 L34 and Little 40 L6 heads, both of which have all of the other goodies found in the combo version. Bad Boy 120 If your music involves moving some serious air, DV Mark s three-channel Bad Boy 120 is wooing you. This head, which uses twin KT88 output tubes to pump out 120 watts of stadium power, weighs in at a mere 21 pounds. And get this: The DV Mark C The top panel of the DV40 212; Note the Continuous Power Control on the far right. 138 NOVEMBER 2011 GUITARPLAYER.COM
412 cabinet I tested it with is rated at 600 watts and tilts the scales at a feathery 47 pounds thanks to the Italian poplar construction and Neodymium speakers. Each of the three channels has independent Gain, Master, Presence, and 3-band Tone controls. A pad switch accommodates high output pickups and/or active electronics, while a footswitchable 6dB Solo boost function can kick any of the channels up to 11. The rear panel offers outputs for single or multiple speaker configurations, as well as a send-levelequipped effects loop that can be assigned to any or all of the channels with the Loop Assign knob. The included Smart Controller footswitch remembers all loop and boost assignments, even after being powered off. Also included are individual switching jacks for the channels, effects loop, and the Solo function for players with MIDI systems that send switching information. A pro rig indeed! As with the 40-watt combo and head, the Bad Boy features a switch for High or Low bias and a service port to interface the amp with a computer for bias, tube wear, and voltage readouts. The Bad Boy s clean channel has headroom for days, facilitating chiming arpeggios capable of ringing through a double bass drum kit, or serving up spanking-clean funk rhythms at volumes that could cut though a full contingent of keyboards and horns. You can overdrive this channel by cranking the Gain knob, but why bother when Channel 2 is waiting in the wings? I was highly impressed by the adaptability of the second channel. Tweaking the Gain, Master, Solo boost, and effective tone controls, I was able to dial in everything from Texas blues to classic rock crunch to Iron Maiden-level metal. For solos, Channel 3 has all the gain and sustain you need while maintaining good dynamics and touch sensitivity. It is rare that I hear a three-channel amp where all the channels are equally appealing, but the Bad Boy 120 fits that description. And keep in mind that adding a boost or overdrive pedal in front of this head effectively doubles its sonic possibilities. This amp certainly offers a high degree of flexibility, but if you are into heavier sounds, be sure to check out the Triple 6 head ($1,499 street), which is essentially a Bad Boy 120 that s voiced for metal and packs even more gain. Either way, with so much going for these amps in the tone and portability departments, anyone who needs this kind of power should give these big rigs from DV Mark a shot. g 140 NOVEMBER 2011 GUITARPLAYER.COM