DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

[shadow666]

I'm pretty much torn between these three amps, so what do you guys suggest?

I play grunge/punk/hardcore/noise rock along with some metal and other heavy alt rock, but I get distortion from a Russian Big Muff and can dial it in on my OS-2 if necessary so cleans are higher priority than distortion, although if it's there I'm not complaining.
It has to be loud enough to gig on it's own (i.e. no PA) cause I'll probably be playing parties and stuff with it.
It also has to be durable, cause I'm a high school student going to uni next year and won't have much money to spend on maintenance.
I would like for the cleans to be that jangly R.E.M./Smiths kind (I know Peter Buck uses a Vox in studio, which is what drew me to the AC-15) but that won't necessarily be a killer.
So, out of these three amps, which would be the best for my needs? Or if you can recommend anything around the same price (I live in Australia, so our prices are a bit different) that would also be good, but since I've played all three of these and like most things about them it'd have to be bloody good for me to consider it.

 

[James Rock]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

I'd say Ac-15 for jangly cleans definately but I'm not sure how durable they are as the VOX design tend to been known to be unreliable that said my dad has a 80's AC30 and it works and sounds good and hasnt needed servicing since he bought it second hand in 1994 (although it probably should).

 

[shadow666]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

I also thought about an Ashton VP-50, cause it's cheaper and I've heard a lot of good things about Ashton amps (even though their guitars are universally considered sh*t). Anyone played one of these/got experience with them?

 

[Imp]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

one upgrade for the DSL 401 i can definitely recommend is a speaker swap - i have one and had a couple of resistors changed to make the amp's OD tone darker.

the clean channel is awesome for pedals though, it's really flexible.. a lot of people prefer a good pedal into the clean channel to the OD's the amp offers!

for what you're after (and your budget) it sounds good - i've used mine for parties and like 'nighttime' church gigs, no worries there

 

[shadow666]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

Okay so I'm cutting the Randall from consideration because they're best known for metal and I can't test one, so it's down to the DSL, AC15 or Ashton VP-50. Which is best?

 

[Yngwiestein]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

one upgrade for the DSL 401 i can definitely recommend is a speaker swap - i have one and had a couple of resistors changed to make the amp's OD tone darker.

the clean channel is awesome for pedals though, it's really flexible.. a lot of people prefer a good pedal into the clean channel to the OD's the amp offers!

for what you're after (and your budget) it sounds good - i've used mine for parties and like 'nighttime' church gigs, no worries there

+1 The DSL is great if you use the right speaker. I would go with Eminence. It's more versatile than the Vox. Randall is cheap and doesn't sound as good as the DSL or AC15. I suggest the DSL401.

With a tube upgrade and a new speaker you could have a fantastic sound with the DSL.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

I have one of the newer AC15s so I can comment on that but I haven't owned the other two.

I think that you'd definitely have to try out if the 15w Vox is loud enough for you. I haven't tested mine out thouroughly in band conditions but the times I've tried it it was just perfect for my band. I could have it going full blast and being just nicely above the drummer in the full mix. But, if you had a louder drummer it could be too quiet for you.

I love to play some doom/stoner/noise all the time with the Vox with a fuzz in front and it sounds heavenly. The sounds I go for are from the Electric Wizard / Ufomammut school and the Vox can be very very impressive for just a small package.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

I'm also unsure if a 15 watt single speaker amp would be loud enough and then CLEAN enough at band volumes to play in that situation. You might have to scale up to a AC30CC instead if you want to go vox. I think that they go for pretty decent prices and I've heard that they really sound great. If jangle is what you want, the AC30CC will deliver it at the volumes you are likely to need. The DSL is a fine amp, but I wouldn't describe it's tone as jangly.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

yeah i'd say just save up & get an ac30cc

they're pretty amazing, i must say

DSL's leave something to be desired on both channels i think. The cleans are decent but not great & the drive tones are more or less in the same boat

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

I'm also unsure if a 15 watt single speaker amp would be loud enough and then CLEAN enough at band volumes to play in that situation. You might have to scale up to a AC30CC instead if you want to go vox. I think that they go for pretty decent prices and I've heard that they really sound great. If jangle is what you want, the AC30CC will deliver it at the volumes you are likely to need. The DSL is a fine amp, but I wouldn't describe it's tone as jangly.

Of course I forgot to mention this in my earlier post. Good call.

When I mentioned that it was perfect for my situation and drummer I naturally meant that it was driven hard with a dirt pedal and hadn't had any clean tones whatsoever in many, many decibels. If you're looking for a clean tone to use in a serious band situation, definitely step up for the AC30CC.

 

[shadow666]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

I can probably stretch to an AC30 if I put in my own money (it's meant to be a brithday/Christmas/graduation present from my parents).

I was also thinking, however, of getting an Orange AD30HTC head (which aren't actually too expensive here, and I love Orange tone) and sticking it with a big old Ashton bass cab I picked up at a garage sale a few years back. Is this a good idea?

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

That's cool if you love the Orange tone. Follow your heart and your ears mang. Get what you like and don't listen to anyone who tells you what you should do. Just go with your gut and trust your ears.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

Of the three amps your looking at, I would choose the DSL 401.

But if a used Mesa DC-3 appeared, I would tell you to jump all over it. Might cost a bit more, but it would be well worth it.

Bill

 

[Imp]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

I was also thinking, however, of getting an Orange AD30HTC head (which aren't actually too expensive here, and I love Orange tone) and sticking it with a big old Ashton bass cab I picked up at a garage sale a few years back. Is this a good idea?

if you can swing it, the impedances match for now, and you save up or get a nice cab later on, that's a cool idea and will leave you with a lifetime bit of kit at the end

 

[shadow666]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

I think I'll go for the AD30HTC head and use my Ashton bass cab for now, but once I pay off my other guitar purchases (new pickups, tremolo pedal, second guitar) I'll start saving for a new cab. I like it though for now, and I like what a bass cab does to guitar sound, especially when I play sludgier stuff.

 

[shadow666]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

Well, it turns out the the Orange pricing was either a mistake or a one-off deal cause it's back out of my ballpark. Right now the AC30 CC2 looks like my amp of choice.

 

[Kommerzbassist]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

While the AC15&30 are definately not "bad" amps, I think they won't quite be the sound he's looking for...

Grunge, Punk, Harcore just scream for the DSL imo But if you've got a little more cash, why not go with a TSL601? It's got the EL34 instead of the EL84 which generally don't have that lovely sound of the 84s... just because they like to rock haaard :firedevil
Seriously... do you want a more singing tone or are you leaning more towards heavy stuff... because then you should seriously consider the EL34s... they're way punchier than the 84s and will give you that extra gig power.
Although... for any good place that has a solid PA, the 40W of the smaller DSL or the 30W of the AC30 should be quite enough. I wouldn't trust the AC15 though. It's not quite a "loudness" thing but rather headspace.

Once again... you'll probably get 2389203e^32932832 different answers on this topic because sound is subjective and there is no right answer to this other than only one: The one YOUR ears give you. You've already played them... do it again... take your guitar... your pedals... play them and take the one that just sounds "right" (or rightest) to you. Everything else is just theory.

Edit: What I forgot to say is that while EL34s are heavy when pushed, you can also get the cleans out of them.

Edit: Oh and another think cause I just read you like a more bassier sound... the EL34s are better there, too

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

If cleans are the priority, the AC30CC rules the roost IMHO. It has far better cleans than the DSL or TSL. I own a DSL-100 head and I'd likely trade it in a heartbeat for an AC30CC. The cleans on my EL34 equipped DSL are indeed suprisingly good. No doubt about it. They just can't compete with the vox.

My suggestion is to take your distortion pedals and your guitar down to the shop with the vox and try them out with it. If the distortion sounds you get are what you want with the vox and your dirt pedals (after much dialing etc), go for the vox for sure. If they sound crappy together, you may then want to consider the DSL for it's distortion it has right out of the box plus the decent cleans it also has. It might not get you into REM-Jangle land, but the versatility the amp has will get you where you need to go more or less. The DSL does sound like it fits the genre's you listed fairly well, but it just doesn't fit with the cleans you want all that well.

 

[Aceman]

Re: DSL 401, RG50TC or AC-15

I really like the DSL 401 cleans - but not totally the fuzz. I never thought of the pedal i nto clean...hmmm.