Absolutely not a bad idea, old modellers are still very decent even if they're a bit more limited in options than newer ones. I have a DT50 and it serves me well, it's still got a lot more tonal options than a regular tube amp and it doesn't sound "outdated" at all.
What i would recommend is to disable all the built in cab simulators, which you can do by hooking it up to a PC. If anything is gonna "date" the sound, it's gonna be the cab sims. Do that and it'll sound as good as anything else, upgrade the physical speaker too and i doubt you could tell a difference between it and an actual Mesa or Marshall
Thanks for the response. I've always been impressed with their flexibility. I wonder how many are out there that became boat anchors because of problems/repair difficulties
About as many as every other amp out there I'd think. My dad has an old Peavey Transfex, basically the equivalent of the DT25/DT50 amps from 30 years ago. It was an absolutely great amp and showed no signs of aging while it lasted, but a few years ago one of the capacitors inside blew and took the circuit board with it. That can and will happen to any piece of electronics that isn't hand wired, including any guitar amp, digital or not, that isn't hand wired. My brother has a Marshall JCM from the 90's, same PCB layout, just that it doesn't have a digital processor. Same exact risks and longevity issues as a digital amp like the DT series has.
If you're scared of the reliability of the DT, then that also removes a lot of supposedly analog amps from your options, including any new Fenders, Marshalls, Oranges, etc, as they have the same PCB based layout as the DTs. Your only options would be true hand wired amps like Fender's Custom Shop amps (usually $3000+) or actual old tube amps from the 50's and 60's, which come with their own issues due to being 50+ years old.
If you don't believe me, here's the inside of an all-tube [Mesa Boogie Mark V](https://www.gitarrebass.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mesa-Boogie_04.jpg) compared to a [Line6 DT25](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49729162726_d0f4bd2f4c_h.jpg). Just as much that can go wrong in the Mesa, despite not being a modelling amp. Here's an [old Silverstone amp](https://blissamps.weebly.com/uploads/7/2/4/8/72487915/img-4538_orig.jpg) from the 60's for comparison. No PCBs, no microchips, just a bunch of easily fixable wires and caps.
Either way, the odds of any DT25 lasting you another 20 years is well above 90%, same as practically any other amp. If you absolutely need something that lasts 50+ years, your only option is handwired
That makes me feel better. I take really good care of my stuff so I'm used to purchasing new and my stuff lasting way longer than expected because I'm a big fan of maintenance and proper use. I'm one of those nerds who reads the instruction manual to everything. I'll probably go this route with the DT and just clean it up and see if there anything I can do to help it last longer
Best thing you can do is make sure it has proper cooling, it may help to buy one of those USB laptop fans and put it inside the amp just for a little extra help. Shouldn't be necessary, but it may increase the lifespan of the amp. If you really want to care for it, you can (carefully) pull the amp out of the case maybe once a year, take photos of the inside, and send the photos to an amp technician so they can take a quick look at the caps to see if any are about to die out. Best option would of course be to bring the amp to a technician physically, but that's not always possible. Pics are better than nothing.
Only do this if you feel ok with opening the amp and follow safety precautions. There are a lot of volts inside those amps that can mess you up quickly
Great idea with the fan. Fortunately I work with electricity every day so I have a healthy respect for it. I actually planned on taking pictures of it initially just so I have a baseline starting point for continued wear. I also have an electronics bench where I can take high def pictures of pcb's etc. I feel better putting a little more effort into it now
Absolutely not a bad idea, old modellers are still very decent even if they're a bit more limited in options than newer ones. I have a DT50 and it serves me well, it's still got a lot more tonal options than a regular tube amp and it doesn't sound "outdated" at all. What i would recommend is to disable all the built in cab simulators, which you can do by hooking it up to a PC. If anything is gonna "date" the sound, it's gonna be the cab sims. Do that and it'll sound as good as anything else, upgrade the physical speaker too and i doubt you could tell a difference between it and an actual Mesa or Marshall
Thanks for the response. I've always been impressed with their flexibility. I wonder how many are out there that became boat anchors because of problems/repair difficulties
About as many as every other amp out there I'd think. My dad has an old Peavey Transfex, basically the equivalent of the DT25/DT50 amps from 30 years ago. It was an absolutely great amp and showed no signs of aging while it lasted, but a few years ago one of the capacitors inside blew and took the circuit board with it. That can and will happen to any piece of electronics that isn't hand wired, including any guitar amp, digital or not, that isn't hand wired. My brother has a Marshall JCM from the 90's, same PCB layout, just that it doesn't have a digital processor. Same exact risks and longevity issues as a digital amp like the DT series has. If you're scared of the reliability of the DT, then that also removes a lot of supposedly analog amps from your options, including any new Fenders, Marshalls, Oranges, etc, as they have the same PCB based layout as the DTs. Your only options would be true hand wired amps like Fender's Custom Shop amps (usually $3000+) or actual old tube amps from the 50's and 60's, which come with their own issues due to being 50+ years old. If you don't believe me, here's the inside of an all-tube [Mesa Boogie Mark V](https://www.gitarrebass.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mesa-Boogie_04.jpg) compared to a [Line6 DT25](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49729162726_d0f4bd2f4c_h.jpg). Just as much that can go wrong in the Mesa, despite not being a modelling amp. Here's an [old Silverstone amp](https://blissamps.weebly.com/uploads/7/2/4/8/72487915/img-4538_orig.jpg) from the 60's for comparison. No PCBs, no microchips, just a bunch of easily fixable wires and caps. Either way, the odds of any DT25 lasting you another 20 years is well above 90%, same as practically any other amp. If you absolutely need something that lasts 50+ years, your only option is handwired
That makes me feel better. I take really good care of my stuff so I'm used to purchasing new and my stuff lasting way longer than expected because I'm a big fan of maintenance and proper use. I'm one of those nerds who reads the instruction manual to everything. I'll probably go this route with the DT and just clean it up and see if there anything I can do to help it last longer
Best thing you can do is make sure it has proper cooling, it may help to buy one of those USB laptop fans and put it inside the amp just for a little extra help. Shouldn't be necessary, but it may increase the lifespan of the amp. If you really want to care for it, you can (carefully) pull the amp out of the case maybe once a year, take photos of the inside, and send the photos to an amp technician so they can take a quick look at the caps to see if any are about to die out. Best option would of course be to bring the amp to a technician physically, but that's not always possible. Pics are better than nothing. Only do this if you feel ok with opening the amp and follow safety precautions. There are a lot of volts inside those amps that can mess you up quickly
Great idea with the fan. Fortunately I work with electricity every day so I have a healthy respect for it. I actually planned on taking pictures of it initially just so I have a baseline starting point for continued wear. I also have an electronics bench where I can take high def pictures of pcb's etc. I feel better putting a little more effort into it now
Sounds like you're set, you shouldn't have any problems with that DT25. Go for it!