When I first discovered the DV Mark Little 40 amp back in the summer of 2011, I knew it would be my next amp. For me, its versatility in configuration and tone made it the perfect amp as I play a wide variety of genres. I dig that in five minutes, I can pop off the top grille and swap out the power tubes; going from EL34’s to 6L6’s and even higher-output 6V6’s like the JJ 6V6’s AND I don’t have to bias the tubes as the amp will do it for me! Talk about ease of use! The “Continuous Power Control” is also incredible, providing analog power scaling, not just stepped power scaling that’s found on my other amps. And the tone? Well, it’s simply killer.
For the past year, I’d been using a pair of awesome GrooveTube 6L6 GE’s which have a nice, open overdrive characteristic, but recently, I’ve been wanting a more aggressive, compressed sound so I replaced them with the stock EL34’s that came with the amp (they’re quite good, by the way). To test out the change, I brought the amp to church this afternoon. Unfortunately, the only musicians in attendance were my bass player and myself. That didn’t bother me too much because we’re both active musicians outside of church, and have the experience to fill in empty spots where needed.
All I can say about the gig was that I was in absolutely tonal heaven today. When I cranked the amp (I had my Aracom PRX150-Pro attenuator hooked up), I was greeted with this gorgeous, smooth overdrive that was absolutely sweet to my ears. Even my bass player remarked on how great my rig sounded tonight. And tonight was one of those moments where everything was just right. It had to be because I was the only guitar. But whether clean or distorted, my rig sounded great. And when I’m not worried about trying to get my tone tweaked, I can focus completely on my performance.
But it was my overdrive tone that was the kicker for me tonight. To me, it was the epitome of what a Les Paul played through a cranked-up amp should sound like. It felt well… regal. And I felt on top of the world as a result.
Guitar Gear 
Dawg, wanna get even more kick out of your amp? Next time you replace the 34s, try a pair of JJ E34Ls. More punch in the low end than EL34s.
Oooo…. I will definitely try those out. Damn! Only $15 apiece. Sold!
I can go from clean pop ballad to touch of hair country to smooth, buttery jazz, and full assault snarly rock and back.
GREAT unsung hero amp! I love my amp rocking the 6L6 power tubes right now, but nice to know I can sub out the stock EL34 Ruby tubes or some vintage 6V6’s when wanted.
One word…. Ya-Hoo!!!!
Unsung hero is right on the money, Eddie! I’ve recommended this amp to several people, and while they don’t necessarily “dis” the amp, they almost end up getting something else – and NOT being happy with it. Not sure why they shy away from it. Maybe because they see the affordable price of $799 for a 40 Watt amp and somehow think that it’s a cheap knock-off amp. Too bad. For those of us who have one, we know it’s a total chameleon. Oh well, their loss…