DSL 50 underpowered?

[RhoadsDude1022]

Hey guys, this might be repetetive, and if so, someone bludgeon me with the hammer of the gods! I used to own a Marshall DSL100 (spectacular amplifier) until I stupidly sold it to satisfy my Mesa needs. Anyways I was looking on ebay, and those DSL50s are a whole lot less expensive. Do you guys think that the 50 is underpowered compared to the 100? Obviously there is the issue of headroom, but in general, for a 50 watt tube head, can the DSL50 hold its own?

Thanks in advance, Andrew

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

Obviously there is the issue of headroom, but in general, for a 50 watt tube head, can the DSL50 hold its own?

Thanks in advance, Andrew

Definately yes.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

It's plenty loud for any band situation, especially with a 4-12. 100W heads usually require you to keep the volume at 3, where's you can get more power tube growl out of a 50W turned up to 5 or 6.

If you want to give a 50W Marshall a little more headroom and girth in the tone, retube it with JJ E34L's. Luckily, DSL's have bias pots/points on the back panel, so all you need is a voltmeter to get the amp sounding great.

 

[RhoadsDude1022]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

Thanks guys. I have a Single Rectifier, and the thing is hella loud! I don't know I just get this wierd feeling about the DSL 50 because of some harmony-central reviews. Anyone know how big the difference is? As far as the feel of it goes, is the extra 300 bucks well spent on the DSL 100? Thanks again- Andrew

 

[y2stevo]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

The DSL50 is definitly LOUD!
The only way i can get a it cranked at gig levels (at least at the recent practises that we were practising at something about gig level for a Bar) is using an attenuator,Even on high attenuaton settings its Hella loud!!!!!!!!!

 

[Robert S.]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

There is only a -3db drop in volume between a simular 50w and 100w amp. Its not as big a difference as most guys think.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

Yes, and the speakers can easily make up that much difference. Speakers, may have a larger impact on precieved volume than wattage. 50 watt Marshalls are plenty loud enough to gig with.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

I just get this wierd feeling about the DSL 50 because of some harmony-central reviews.

An amp like a Marshall DSL takes a lot of bashing on Hackmoney Central, but it's not because there's anything wrong with the amp, it's because it's an 'industry standard' and all the people with different amps have to compare it to theirs.
If you know anything about hackmoney-central, you know it's a bunch of parrots who squawk on and on about their newest finding.

I wonder how many of them have Jeff Beck's mind and fingers? He uses 2 DSL50's live.

 

[LesPaulRules]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

The DSL 50 is plenty loud. You could not turn this thing all the way up in any club I've played. For that matter, Half way up is too loud.

DSL 50's sound really good turned up though. Just to mention, I sold my Mesa Rectoverb for the DSL50. Best move I've ever made.

 

[Marcel]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

I prefer 50 Watts over 100 Watts for the reason that a tube change is much cheaper for just a little bit less headroom (3db as robert said) +plus better sound at lower volumes

 

[slash857]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

50 watts is way more than enough in virtually any situation. ive got a marshall avt50 50 watt amp and my volume has never been past around like 2:30 ish. NEVER. thats not even a tube power section.

i have also played in front of my whole school in the auditorium , without the amp being miced. probably around 300 people there, large place and the sound definitely carried well.

 

[RhoadsDude1022]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

Hey thanks for all the advice guys. I think I knew about the 3db difference in headroom. My biggest concern is probably keeping up with a 6505 halfstack, but my mesa does it fine. And the thing I absolutely loved about my old Marshall (DSL 100) is that at higher volume levels, the thing roared. Any idea how this head would sound with my Mesa cab? 4 v30's. With all this in mind, would you guys go for the 50 watt head if it was that much cheaper?

Thanks again guys!

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

In theory:

Put a DSL50 and a 100 next to eachother at the same decibel level, the DSL50's tubes are working harder and making a more raw distortion sound. This sounds better to me.

Same reason I want an Orange Rocker30

-X

 

[Dan-ola]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

Put it this way - Gary Moore runs his DSL50 master volume at 5, period. When I did that in my garage, some poor guy came from 5 blocks away to say I woke his kid up :eyecrazy:

You will not be disappointed with a DSL 50!

Dano

 

[RhoadsDude1022]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

Lol thanks again guys. Loving this feel to the forum, never been this quick to respond. Oh and Dan-ola check your PM!

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

Some guys like a 100, not totally from a loudness or a head room perspective, but rather from a tonal prefrence. Four power tubes can give a more complex mix of harmonics, compared to two power tubes, when run fairly clean.

Additionaly, a 100 hit's the speakers harder, and that can effect the tone in unique way depending on the speakers and the cab. Some speaker models sound shallow and extra bright behind a 50 watt amp, compared to how they perform behind a 100.

Some feel the 100's have a certian "raunch" in the low end that other amps don't, although this "raunch" isn't really apparent unless a cranked non master volume 100 amp is in use..... What? ?? what did you say??...

 

[chcjunior]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

If I recall correctly, there were two modes to run the clean channel on the DSL50. One mode was meant to emulate the JCM 800 and the other was just out and out clean (I'm working from memory here as I owned the amp for three months). The "clean" mode does in fact hurt for headroom compared to the volume of the other mode (and definitely compared to the other channel with the super duper gain modes).

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

When I got my first "real" guitar amp, it was a 100w non-master Marshall. There were no places that I could play that amp and have it sound good on it's own. The guys in my band convinced me to trade it for a 100w MV model. For some reason I had it in my head that I *needed* 100w. I traded that one for a different 100w- and then somewhere along the line I figured out that all the guys around town that I dug were all playing 50w Marshalls. I traded that 100w for a 50w MV and I was closer than I'd ever been in producing the sound I heard in my head. After trading amps around a few more times, I've found my ideal amp- a 50w. I also have a 50w Park.

I'm not just "settling" for the 50w- I just wish I hadn't had it in my head that I needed 100w right off the bat.

 

[MDS]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

I know this isn't the same amp by a long shot, but I've used my 50 watt Mesa for ... um....10+ years now and never had lack of power be an issue.

 

[FuelGTRX]

Re: DSL 50 underpowered?

My band's last rhythm guitarist had a DSL 100 halfstack and I could easily keep up with his volume with my DSL 50. I noticed more of a volume difference with a speaker change (Vintage 30's to Greenbacks) than with a wattage change. The only way you could tell the difference btween our 2 through the same cab is that his clean channel sounded better at high volumes. This is mainly a headroom issue, but the DSL 50's clean still sounds great.