For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

[mwalluk]

I had an epiphany last night. Thinking about the two previous threads - the coming back to equipment one and the one about what makes you a better player (well better gear makes me a better player), Every thing came full circle to me.

As you are all well aware I've posted numerous amp threads looking for a new sound and I'm sure your probably sick of it (but hey at least we're discussing gear though, nothing beats that). I still want another amp to coincide with my DSL 100. Partially because I have major gas and partially because my credit has been raised which even more fuels my GAS addiction. I do want to get something in a different vein, maybe a more american sounding amp like a Peavey or MEsa.


Anyways, as you know I picked up a Les Paul STudio Deluxe and loving it to death. Being used to ESP LTDS the Gibson is def making a better player. So I decided to try to give the DSL another shot. I got a decent rocking sound using the red channel 2. But what really changed my take was channel one orange boosted. I cranked that ****. I had the perfect settings, threw on a Zakk Wylde OD, then tried it with my Keeley DS1 and was pure bliss.

Then of course I tried to tweak it some more and lost that moment. Partially because I drank to much that night. However last night gave me hope. Maybe after all My DSL could work for me.

 

[rashayritto]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

I haven't seen your previous threads so forgive me if this question is redundant. Have you tried going a less modern route as far as amp choices? Perhaps a JCM 800 or earlier model or a Fender TwinReverb with some tasty OD pedals. I don't know if you play particularly modern music but some of the most cutting edge bands I listen to stand apart tone-wise due to their vintage gear taste.

Just something to consider

 

[mwalluk]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

I haven't seen your previous threads so forgive me if this question is redundant. Have you tried going a less modern route as far as amp choices? Perhaps a JCM 800 or earlier model or a Fender TwinReverb with some tasty OD pedals. I don't know if you play particularly modern music but some of the most cutting edge bands I listen to stand apart tone-wise due to their vintage gear taste.

Just something to consider

I was actually thinking about an 800 but I would need to crank it. I prefer single channel amps but I'm starting to use my amp as a single channel by using my guitars volume. I need a really pristine clean - could clean it up using a chorus, but prefer a decent clean. I'm not a fan of fenders at all.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

saying "I need a really pristine clean" and then saying "I'm not a fan of fenders at all" almost made my brain explode

seriously dude, that's INSANE. go play some ****ing Fenders. They are the cleanest pristinest.

there's a reason every single amp with a clean channel claims to have nailed "Fendery clean tones".

 

[mwalluk]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

saying "I need a really pristine clean" and then saying "I'm not a fan of fenders at all" almost made my brain explode

seriously dude, that's INSANE. go play some ****ing Fenders. They are the cleanest pristinest.

there's a reason every single amp with a clean channel claims to have nailed "Fendery clean tones".

It's just something about the "fender Twang" that I do not like. I never liked them for some reaosn and still don't. Maybe it's the frequencies but the Fender sound I just dont dig. It's hard to explain.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

you're not playing the right ones.

 

[rashayritto]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

you're not playing the right ones.

lol

But seriously try going out of your comfort zone a bit and you might be shocked what you find. You said you'd "have to crank" an 800....THEN WHY NOT CRANKED AMPS SOUND DIVINE! I love a cranked sound opposed to something with too much headroom doing oddly defined distortion. But again thats just me.

This is probably obvious but take a look at what gear the musicians you take after are using/have used. Figure out who defined tone for you and use it as a starting point. Good luck

 

[Hoboman]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

My main gigging amp is a two channel JCM800. KICKS BUTT.
My backup is a DSL50.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

I hate so say that they probably threw too much pre-amp gain into the DSL, without enough high-quality well-thought-out tone-shaping circuitry to make it sound "just right". But the amp DOES do what marshalls are good for, namely that it uses the power section to add flavour, gain, depth, warmth, and punch.

If you think of it like that, sort of like "the amp's gain knob should never go past 5", then the amp starts to get a lot better. The way a lot of pedals tighten up your guitar's sound really matches some of the boomy sound of the clean channel. When you switch back to the clean sound the bass helps things fill out the sound. Plus the tone knob on the pedal lets my sound warm up a bit further before the DSL's somewhat bright preamp has it's way with it. Oh and the red channel with the gain on 1 with a fuzz pedal sounds really, really, really thick and delicious. The red channel with really low gain makes just about any dirt pedal sound fantastic to me.

Doing this "gain replacement surgery" doesn't seem to take the "marshall" sound out of the amp. It's hard to explain, bit it's like the amp still colors the tone a LOT no matter how you set the pedal.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

I've tried just about everything I could think of to make the DSL-100 sound like a classic marshall and I never got there. It's just voiced for modern sounds and that is really it. It's not a bad amp and it sounds pretty good if you get the right speakers, but it will never be a classic marshall. It was a fun and profitable endeavor though. I made roughly $250 off that amp.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

I've tried just about everything I could think of to make the DSL-100 sound like a classic marshall and I never got there. It's just voiced for modern sounds and that is really it. It's not a bad amp and it sounds pretty good if you get the right speakers, but it will never be a classic marshall. It was a fun and profitable endeavor though. I made roughly $250 off that amp.

I know what you mean. It's like, don't get the hot rod deville if all you really want is a bassman. The DSL can claim to have "the marshall sound" all it wants, but it's up to the user as to whether or not they actually like the amp

 

[eschoendorff]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

Anyways, as you know I picked up a Les Paul STudio Deluxe and loving it to death. Being used to ESP LTDS the Gibson is def making a better player. So I decided to try to give the DSL another shot. I got a decent rocking sound using the red channel 2. But what really changed my take was channel one orange boosted. I cranked that ****. I had the perfect settings, threw on a Zakk Wylde OD, then tried it with my Keeley DS1 and was pure bliss.

Then of course I tried to tweak it some more and lost that moment. Partially because I drank to much that night. However last night gave me hope. Maybe after all My DSL could work for me.

Wait a minute... we're talking about a DSL here, right? Where is this "orange" channel?

My DSL is a two channel amp - green and red - with a switchable modes for each channel. Are you talking about using the crunch mode on the green channel? Is that your orange?

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

I found your tone, and I'm not giving it back.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

Wait a minute... we're talking about a DSL here, right? Where is this "orange" channel?

My DSL is a two channel amp - green and red - with a switchable modes for each channel. Are you talking about using the crunch mode on the green channel? Is that your orange?

that's what I always thought he meant

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

It's just something about the "fender Twang" that I do not like. I never liked them for some reaosn and still don't. Maybe it's the frequencies but the Fender sound I just dont dig. It's hard to explain.

Ever test drove a Hiwatt? That's a different clean flavor from Fender Clean.

When people start getting dissatisfied with the cleans on channel switching amps their expection of a clean are now exceeding more than a the typical channel switching amps with great distortions can realistically provide. There are two main courses of action.

One is to go to a single non-channel switching amp (usually non-master volume) that cleans up decently (with the right pickups) when you back off a bit, but also has a good natural overdrive at gig volume pushed, which the right pedal can then push over the edge when you want more.

The second is to go to a two amp setup. One set up only for cleans (w/ good reverb) and the other one setup for your crunch/OD and distortion tones.

You can always go to a channel switching amp which you like its cleans better, but usually that involves compromises of the amp's dirty tones as well. (some Bogners may be the exception)

I'm not so picky about pristine cleans on a channel switching amp cause I like "smokey cleans" anyway. Another factor with amps delivering good cleans and good distortions is the guitar and it's pickups. If you play a channel switching amp and you plan on using these features, you must play a guitar that can provide a good clean as well. I like single coils in the neck position on most guitars for this reason. A PGn for HB only guitars.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: For a Moment I found my tone then I lost it.

im gonna take out a big bank loan and buy an original 1960 les paul cos that will make me play better than anything.