Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

[v8stang289]

I'm thinking about getting a small Tube amp for home use. Budget is around $500. I mainly play classic rock, hard rock, some 80's metal, and a little country.
I'm leaning towards the Marshall DSL series, but have a few questions.

In the 1 watt series, is it worth getting the DSL1HR head and the MX112R cabinet over the DSL1CR combo? I would think the 12" speaker would have better balance than the 8" combo, but it is worth the additional $150-200?

Is the DSL5CR too loud for living room/bedroom use? I definitely wont be gigging, just playing by myself or possibly jamming with my brother from time to time. So should I step up to the 5 watt or is the 1 plenty for what I'm doing?

Also both those amps have the low power setting that will drop to .1 and 1 watts respectively.

This will be my first tube amp.

Are there others I should consider in this price range?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

honestly, i would never buy a 1w amp. the 8" speaker is also something id avoid. 5w and 1x12 can be fun and sound good

 

[Adieu]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

Always get a 12" speaker cab with decent speaker(s)... all you need is matching ohms, 1x12 2x12 or even 4x12 is ok even with 5w amps.

Marshall branded cabs except for the AV/BV series and old vintage stuff are typically the absolute WORST for your money

 

[AxlOz]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

If you're just buying something to play at home I wouldn't bother with a tube amp - I'd go for a Yamaha THR10 or something like that.

I have tried a 1w JCM800 combo a few years ago and I was very impressed by it, great tone for such a small package, but not worth the asking prices, even used are too pricey.

 

[justFred]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=611815&gclid=Cj0KCQjwguDeBRDCARIsAGxuU8Y75FljK28Yo9gBXr0PazwWLjnXhz8y8cIS7hN2Tf8b85S-fJ2nRmEaAilsEALw_wcB

 

[BenPerkins]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

Check out the Egnater Tweaker 15 - very versatile amp. It’s also cathode biased so if a tube dies, you can just put another one in (no amp tech needed). Used they cost around $250 or so.

For a cabinet, Laney IRT series is inexpensive. Hughes and Kettner also makes inexpensive cabinets. I’d get a 112 cabinet.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

I have a DSL40c that I just use at home and it's fine for home volume. It has the 1/2 power switch and that works nicely. The DSL 15 sounds good too. I think a combo is fine, provided it's a 12" speaker. You may not ultimately care for the stock Marshall speaker and having the 12" speaker opens up a world of possibilities for replacement speakers.

The benefit to a head and 1x2 cab setup is that it will allow you to upgrade to a 2x12, 4x12 or even another 1x12 cab in stereo if you ever needed or wanted to upgrade. I'm a big fan of tube amps and there is nothing like a good sounding tube amp. You'll find opportunities to turn up loud when you have the house to yourself or you may even find yourself playing in a group down the road, and you'll have a better setup for that with a tube amp.

I wouldn't go one watt..... maybe the right 5w amp, but with your budget you can easily get into a DSL15 or even the DSL40c with tone 1/2 power switch down to 20 watts.

Good luck.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

If you're only playing at home and won't ever get to crank it (a 5 watt tube amp will still rattle some windows), what about a good modeling amp instead? The new Helix Stomp should be around that price and you can always add some monitor speakers later. I saw someone mentioned the THR10 already but the Helix really sounds significantly better (I own both).

The only point to big tube amps over modelers IMO is how the guitar behaves at high volume, which you could still do with a modeling amp but then you'd have to worry about adding a really linear power amp and speakers. If you're playing quiet, a good modeling amp (Helix, Axe FX, Kemper) will sound just as good if not better, will be 100x more versatile and will be a lot easier to record with.

Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

The 20 watt and 40 watt DSL combos can sound pretty good at home volumes using their master volumes, as Jeff_H reported, and they come with 12" speakers.

The DSL5C uses a 10" speaker. The power tube is a 12BH7.

The DSL20 uses the big bottle EL34s but the 12" speaker in the combo is the 70/80, which is a budget speaker. Most lower watt amp combos run budget speakers, but as others mention you want to run a good speaker or swap in a good speaker with a tube amp because the speaker is an important part of the tube amp tone. If you get the DSL5 combo then plan on swapping in a 10" Greenback. The DSL20 can be run in 20 watts or in 10 watt mode.

The new DSL40CR uses EL34s reducible to 20 watts and uses the well regarded Celestion V-Type speaker. The V-type is of medium efficiency, so its not as loud as running it through a Vintage 30 or another high efficiency speaker, which makes the amp more manageable.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

If you're only playing at home and won't ever get to crank it (a 5 watt tube amp will still rattle some windows), what about a good modeling amp instead? The new Helix Stomp should be around that price and you can always add some monitor speakers later. I saw someone mentioned the THR10 already but the Helix really sounds significantly better (I own both).

The only point to big tube amps over modelers IMO is how the guitar behaves at high volume, which you could still do with a modeling amp but then you'd have to worry about adding a really linear power amp and speakers. If you're playing quiet, a good modeling amp (Helix, Axe FX, Kemper) will sound just as good if not better, will be 100x more versatile and will be a lot easier to record with.

Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk

Modelling amps are an excellent solution for lower volume situations. However, I can understand the OP wanting his first real tube amp as well.

 

[PierceOkken]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

Never ever ever buy a combo with a 8" speaker, they tend to be super harsh and very unbalanced. The Blackstar series one 10w combo is a very good amp. It does everything you listed. It is 549$, but you can find it used for 300-400.

 

[v8stang289]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

Thanks for all the input, you've given me some things to think about.

I do already have a modeling amp in the form of a Code50. I know the code gets a lot of hate, and honestly the factory presets mostly suck. But with custom presets and tweaking "controls" you can get some pretty good sounds, at lower volume anyway. I just really want to try a tube amp.

Any opinions on a hybrid like the Orange micro series? The micro dark looks interesting. I actually played through one at a guitar center in Florida last summer. It seemed pretty good but it was through a 4x12 cab and i didn't get to play around with it much.

I'd like to try a few different amps, but unfortunately don't have any decent guitar stores within 80 miles or so.

Thanks again for the ideas and opinions.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

Definitely get your first tube amp! It can be really rewarding in the long term.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

In the 1 watt series, is it worth getting the DSL1HR head and the MX112R cabinet over the DSL1CR combo? I would think the 12" speaker would have better balance than the 8" combo, but it is worth the additional $150-200?

Is the DSL5CR too loud for living room/bedroom use? I definitely wont be gigging, just playing by myself or possibly jamming with my brother from time to time. So should I step up to the 5 watt or is the 1 plenty for what I'm doing?

I can't speak for the Marshalls, but I have experience with the 5W and 1W versions of the same amp in the Randall range. All-tube as well.

Yes, a 12" is a VAST improvement over the 8". I used to have an RD5 combo (with a 10" speaker) which I traded for an RD1 head and an Orange PPC112 cab. Night and day difference. Even with a fancy Celestion 10" Greenback in the RD5 that I swapped in, it sounded tinny, fizzy, and boxy. As soon as I plugged either the 5W or the 1W Randall into the 12" cab, it sounded way better.

Yes, I did find 5W too loud for home practice. By the time it sounded its best, it was past loud TV volume levels. Not exactly what I consider practice volume. Turned down quiet, the 1W sounds way less fizzy and more full like a cranked tube amp.

Tube amps are fun, and the right amp can sound great at bedroom volumes. I originally went for these Randall RD's after owning a POD and a little Laney state, and boy, whan an improvement. I also spend a lot more time playing and a lot less time tweaking the countless parameters of a digital amp.

 

[AxlOz]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

If you already have a modelling amp (the Code 50), then yeah, get into a tube amp, they are worth it (imho of course). If there's a remote chance you'll play with a drummer or another guitarist etc at some point, go for a few more watts - 15 would be plenty. If not, you'll never find a 'cranked' tube amp sound at bedroom levels, its just never gonna do that. Even the 1w amps will be loud at home, regardless of speaker size..

Some other options to consider though:
- Blackstar HT-1 - 1w amp head, pair with whatever speaker you like. (They also do a 5w version)
- Marshall Origin 5w - I hear great things about these amps for that classic Marshall tone.

 

[BenPerkins]

Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

Any opinions on a hybrid like the Orange micro series? The micro dark looks interesting. I actually played through one at a guitar center in Florida last summer. It seemed pretty good but it was through a 4x12 cab and i didn't get to play around with it much.

I have a Micro Dark and it’s great. It loves single coils and P90s. It has an effects loop, which is useful. It can easily do Classic Rock to Black Sabbath. Probably 80’s metal too if you put a distortion pedal in front to tighten up the gain. Haven’t tried Country, but the cleans are okay.

My only criticism of the Micro Dark is that the gain sounds a little fizzy with the stock tube. Replace it with a Mullard 12ax7 ($20) and it’s perfect.

 

[v8stang289]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

Well, I came across a dsl1hr and a mx112r for $350. That was too good of a deal to pass up imo so i bought it. We'll see how the 1 watt head and the 12" does when it gets here. I figure worst case I can get my $$$ back.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

1W valve head with a 112 cabinet should sound plenty good/loud for at-home use. Neither of my 2W heads can be cranked at home without being isolated in a closet for recording. I can almost get away with it with my 5W head until I apply any gain to it, and then it’s game over.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Low wattage tube amps, Marshall DSL? Help me choose.

I have a really cool little 25 watt tube head FS. Jet City JCA 22H Custom head that is right at a year old. Graet sounding little rig have owned 2 over the years . Reason I am parting with it is have a pair of EL 84 25 watt combos ( Mesa Subway Rocket and a Zinky Blue velvet) and over the last couple of months have wound up with a pair of 50 watt heads. Something has to go. In the shipping box from jet City lighted footswitch and a custom cover. Nice rig great low volume tones solid cleans and a hot high gain side + a really good tube effects loop.
Outdoor gig unmiced on my Blackstar 1/12 cab loaded with a WGS retro 30 only effects were a little delay in the loop.

Have an anniversary next week and can use the $ so hit me if interested.
Can get photos and have a amount I want to net so---.
Amp is flawless has sat for most of it's life on stage a t my Church.
This is it from MF
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/amp...cation-custom-jca22h-20w-tube-guitar-amp-head