2nd gen ODS with Erwin chassis.

[Dr d]

I said that I was about to receive some 70s Dale RN65cs and indeed they came, thanks to the generousity of a fellow forumite. I put them on the plates of V1, V2 and in the PI about a week or so ago. The difference in tone is quite astonishing…..in a very good way!
At first, I wasn’t too sure that I liked the Dales. Compared to the Mepcos, the Dales sounded overly smooth and seemed to lack sparkle at the top end. However, the more I played the amp and the more the resistors burned in, the “sweeter” the tone got. I eventually tuned in the eq for my all mahogany Les Paul Custom and it sounded absolutely gorgeous. I then tried a P90 Les Paul Junior, Telecaster and Strat and all sounded beautiful. The conclusion that came to was that the Mepcos had a broader bandwidth and consequently a little more gain. They are a very lively sounding resistor. The Dales have a narrower bandwidth and sound smoother/sweeter and more of a nod toward the 4th gen sound as I perceive that. Btw, the old Dales definitely sound more sophisticated than the newer Dales.
To conclude, both resistor types sound amazing. They just have different characters. It has been quite an eye opener for me. V1 and V2 plate resistors define the overall tone of the amp it would seem to me. Please share your experiences if you agree or disagree with the above critique.
Btw btw, I much prefer the 3rd gen eq vs the 2nd gen. The 2nd gen eq is very limited imo.
I am really quite taken with this amp!