Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

STRATDELUXER97

STRATDELUXER97

Stratoblaster Tone Meister
I was talking to my buddy Bobby(Midnite Man) on the phone tonight and we were talking about the different older model Marshalls...The topic was based around the non-master volume Marshalls and the 800 series...Both of these amps are out of the average players reach these days..

I played through the DSL Marshalls when they came out and the thing I remember most about them was it's clean tones..I remember liking this amp overall though also...

Can owners of this amp give us some tonal scoop overall about either the DSL 50 or the DSL 100 and refresh my memory...Thanks all..

John
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

I've tried a dsl100 and its really cool and yes it has very, very good cleans for a marshall and it is very versatile too. I've heard some say that it isn't as marshally as the older ones but thats do to the versatility, channels, master volume etc. but it is a sweet amp none the less, I would want to get one of these but I'm just a sucker for those classic plexi tones so thats what I dream about...
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

Well.. You got it right about the cleans there, the DSL50 has excellent cleans and alot of headroom..to give you an idea i just looked to see how high the volume had to go on the clean channel before distorting using the weber mass, I got it to about 8 on the clean volume with the preamp gain on about 4, but considering the wolfgang pups are also quiet high output also..There is alot of depth to the clean, there full of life and with a touch of reverb they really Shine :laugh2:

Using the crunch mode on the clean channel you can get a blues tone to die for (sorry for sounding flabouyant :laugh2: ) IMO, it can give you a really chimey full clean tone mixed with the somewhat gritty bluesy dirt that can nail southern rock and SRV and the like..

The OD is great, I haven't actually heard what it sounds like fully cranked and unattenuated but from what i can get out of it on rather high amounst of attenuation is quiet satisfying indeed..Using the lead mode 1 on the OD channel and with a medium gain setting you can Totally Nail AC/DC's tone, Sabbath,Maiden, basically any band that have used Marshalls over the years because of its versatility..
On lead 2 IMO this thing can go up to death metal levels of gain but i tend not to go that high with it..the lead 2 gives a boost to the mids and it would seem that theres a good bit of added gain also..

It also seems like a very reliable amp as ive had no issues with it, only thing that seems to be wrong with it is a screw on the input transformer is slightly loose and i hear a rattle now and then but soon i shall fix that :laugh2:

Only thing that might add to it is if there was a seperate eq channel like the TSL but IMO the higher sound quailty from the DSL more than makes up for it..I dont particulary have a problem with it tho as my tones eq settings lend itself to both channels,

If your a mid scooper then this may be an amp for you too, turning the mids to 0 and using the Tone shift button give you a pretty heavey tight mid scooped sound, The deep switch also sounds very good and doesnt get muddy but for me i never use it as i dont have alot of bass in my tone..

Hope this was enlightening.. :laugh2:
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

how do you find the dsl 50 compares in tone with the dsl 401
not even close?
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

y2stevo said:
Well.. You got it right about the cleans there, the DSL50 has excellent cleans and alot of headroom..to give you an idea i just looked to see how high the volume had to go on the clean channel before distorting using the weber mass, I got it to about 8 on the clean volume with the preamp gain on about 4, but considering the wolfgang pups are also quiet high output also..There is alot of depth to the clean, there full of life and with a touch of reverb they really Shine :laugh2:

Using the crunch mode on the clean channel you can get a blues tone to die for (sorry for sounding flabouyant :laugh2: ) IMO, it can give you a really chimey full clean tone mixed with the somewhat gritty bluesy dirt that can nail southern rock and SRV and the like..

The OD is great, I haven't actually heard what it sounds like fully cranked and unattenuated but from what i can get out of it on rather high amounst of attenuation is quiet satisfying indeed..Using the lead mode 1 on the OD channel and with a medium gain setting you can Totally Nail AC/DC's tone, Sabbath,Maiden, basically any band that have used Marshalls over the years because of its versatility..
On lead 2 IMO this thing can go up to death metal levels of gain but i tend not to go that high with it..the lead 2 gives a boost to the mids and it would seem that theres a good bit of added gain also..

It also seems like a very reliable amp as ive had no issues with it, only thing that seems to be wrong with it is a screw on the input transformer is slightly loose and i hear a rattle now and then but soon i shall fix that :laugh2:

Only thing that might add to it is if there was a seperate eq channel like the TSL but IMO the higher sound quailty from the DSL more than makes up for it..I dont particulary have a problem with it tho as my tones eq settings lend itself to both channels,

If your a mid scooper then this may be an amp for you too, turning the mids to 0 and using the Tone shift button give you a pretty heavey tight mid scooped sound, The deep switch also sounds very good and doesnt get muddy but for me i never use it as i dont have alot of bass in my tone..

Hope this was enlightening.. :laugh2:
Click to expand...

Great post buddy....What are you plugging your DSL into as far as cab and speakers?

Bobby are you reading this?
"Only thing that might add to it is if there was a seperate eq channel like the TSL but IMO the higher sound quailty from the DSL more than makes up for it..I dont particulary have a problem with it tho as my tones eq settings lend itself to both channels,"
"
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

When I was researching which Marshall I wanted to buy, I spent quite a bit of time reading over at the Marshall Forum. What I learned that of production model Marshalls, and the key word is production, the general concensus is that the DSL50 is the best thing that Marshall has put out since the 60's. If I did not go the route of having my 2205 modded, I would have probably bought the DSL.

BTW, my modded Marshall has seperate eq for the clean and gain channel, and the cleans are really Fender clean.
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

I haven't tried the DSL 401 as I wasnt loking for a combo so I only tried the TSL 60 and 100's and DSL 100 at the time, I bought the DSL50 off the Net as i knew i would'nt need a 100watter so i got the DSL 50,

Im Playing it through a 4X12 Trace Elliot with G12t-75's .
Its not the most portable of cabs so im going to build a 2x12 for when i dont want the hassle..The 4X12 has a hell of a big sound though, Monsterous .. :laugh2:
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

Y2Stevo is pretty much right about the DSL50 being able to cover most past Marshalls.
One thing I love about them, besides the versatility, is the external bias points that require nothing but a voltmeter. So easy to bias! I prefer the Marshall sound with a closed back cab, so I'm not a fan of Marshall combos. You can get DSL's used for as low as $600, so they're a great value.

There's only one major complaint I have about them. They have a global deep switch, which effects both channels...BIG MISTAKE. The gain channel sounds great with it on, while it adds too much bassy mud to the clean channel. The clean ch sounds much better with it off. I wonder if this is something that could be changed easily, or if it effects the power section, or something. Also, they come with Svetlanas, so there's no need to upgrade the power tubes, although I'd probably put GT12AX7C's in it, which is what sounds best with Bogners. The only other channel switching Marshall that is equal to a DSL is a 2550 Jubilee head. I've A/B'd both, and they run neck and neck with a few differences. The Jubilee's clean is more Voxy, and the DSL's clean is more JTM 45. Both gain channels will give up the goods.
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

STRATDELUXER97 said:
Great post buddy....What are you plugging your DSL into as far as cab and speakers?

Bobby are you reading this?
"Only thing that might add to it is if there was a seperate eq channel like the TSL but IMO the higher sound quailty from the DSL more than makes up for it..I dont particulary have a problem with it tho as my tones eq settings lend itself to both channels,"
"
Click to expand...

Oh, I'm DEFINITELY reading all this, John! This is really good stuff and I appreciate everyone who's put some input towards this subject.
I was leaning heavily towards trying to locate an early 80's JCM800. And I know many of you, like Rob and Jeff, are big fans of the amp. Rob has two of those bad-boys with matching 1960A vintage cabs....way-cool. And that's his sound, which I respect totally. Jeff probably feels the same way about his JCM800.
After doing some serious research here at the forum and at other Marshall sites on my own plus talking with John on the phone about some of the important aspects of the vintage and newer Marshall amps, I'm beginning to feel that I may be looking at a DSL50 mainly because of it's ability to produce the classic Marshall sounds I grew up with and still be able to handle the more contemporary music I also like, too. It sounds like an amp that I can get along with nicely and grow with. Plus there's a lot more of them available out there, new and used. I may end up having to buy an attenuator or power-brake for practicing purposes, but that JCM2000 DSL50 sounds like a really good way to break into the Marshall amp-scene. I'm gonna get my butt down to a guitar store soon with one of my axes and try one out.
I'd love to hear more from you all about this and other Marshall amp models, so please keep 'em comin'!!
Thanks, John, for getting this thread going!!!!
....Bob
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

Bob.....

Check out the JCM 600 also. It has THE nicest cleans I've heard in a Marshall, except for my Jeff Seal mod. The OD is really, really good for everything but Metal, and I don't think you play much of that. The 600 is a good set of tubes and a set of good speakers away from being the sleeper of the entire Marshall line. Yeah, it's an early 90's PCB built amp, but they got it right. In fact, it was really better overall than my JCM 800 prior to having it modded. The ONLY thing my 800 had over the 600 was that throaty growl when you cranked it all the way up.

The 2x12 combo's surface on eBay from time to time for less than $500. I just saw a head go for $375 not too long ago. I almost picked up a 2x12 combo a few weeks ago that was speakerless for $300. I was out working and missed the end of the auction, otherwise it would have been mine. I would have sold it, but it was a good deal.

Check one out if you get a chance, or PM Tom M or Jumpmarine. They both own these. It's certainly a more cost effective way to get into the Marshall experience.
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

Jeff_H said:
Bob.....

Check out the JCM 600 also. It has THE nicest cleans I've heard in a Marshall, except for my Jeff Seal mod. The OD is really, really good for everything but Metal, and I don't think you play much of that. The 600 is a good set of tubes and a set of good speakers away from being the sleeper of the entire Marshall line. Yeah, it's an early 90's PCB built amp, but they got it right. In fact, it was really better overall than my JCM 800 prior to having it modded. The ONLY thing my 800 had over the 600 was that throaty growl when you cranked it all the way up.

The 2x12 combo's surface on eBay from time to time for less than $500. I just saw a head go for $375 not too long ago. I almost picked up a 2x12 combo a few weeks ago that was speakerless for $300. I was out working and missed the end of the auction, otherwise it would have been mine. I would have sold it, but it was a good deal.

Check one out if you get a chance, or PM Tom M or Jumpmarine. They both own these. It's certainly a more cost effective way to get into the Marshall experience.
Click to expand...

Great post Jeff....My buddy had the 2x12 version of the 600 amp and had alot of problems with it...His had the tubes sitting sideways and rattled...I thought the speakers were cheesy and the cabinet just felt cheap to me...It sounded ok,but his was in the shop way too much for me to ever recommend it... :32:
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

my dsl 100 will be here wednesday with the voodoo amp hex mod and the differen't transformer. I've been waiting more then a week and i still can't sleep at night!!! :rolleyes:
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

Chi3f said:
my dsl 100 will be here wednesday with the voodoo amp hex mod and the differen't transformer. I've been waiting more then a week and i still can't sleep at night!!! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Trace is a friend and an all around great guy...He knows his stuff and his mods sound and work great...You'll be very happy with your amp for sure...The 73 50 watt Marshall that I Own used to be one of Trace's own amps.. :dance:

John
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

Gearjoneser said:
Y2Stevo is pretty much right about the DSL50 being able to cover most past Marshalls.
One thing I love about them, besides the versatility, is the external bias points that require nothing but a voltmeter. So easy to bias! I prefer the Marshall sound with a closed back cab, so I'm not a fan of Marshall combos. You can get DSL's used for as low as $600, so they're a great value.

There's only one major complaint I have about them. They have a global deep switch, which effects both channels...BIG MISTAKE. The gain channel sounds great with it on, while it adds too much bassy mud to the clean channel. The clean ch sounds much better with it off. I wonder if this is something that could be changed easily, or if it effects the power section, or something. Also, they come with Svetlanas, so there's no need to upgrade the power tubes, although I'd probably put GT12AX7C's in it, which is what sounds best with Bogners. The only other channel switching Marshall that is equal to a DSL is a 2550 Jubilee head. I've A/B'd both, and they run neck and neck with a few differences. The Jubilee's clean is more Voxy, and the DSL's clean is more JTM 45. Both gain channels will give up the goods.
Click to expand...
Oh and thats another thing i'd change, If you want a big bass heavey OD tone then The DSL also delivers with the deep switch, but then your clean channel is very bass heavey and does get a bit muddy..
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

Oh and thats another thing i'd change, If you want a big bass heavey OD tone then The DSL also delivers with the deep switch, but then your clean channel is very bass heavey and does get a bit muddy..
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

That's the only design flaw on the DSL's. TSL's suffered from a feeble switching relay between the midgain and highgain channels, which goes bad. Also, the bells and whistles sucked the life outta TSL's slightly. The DSL50 is the best modern Marshall.
Tubed, biased properly, and plugged into a Vintage 30 cab, they will give you about everything you could ask for. I would have killed for one when I was 17. Amps have come a long way since then. At that time, I was using a JCM800 2204 and thought the gain was weak and grainy. Modded Marshalls wouldn't have been a popular thing, if they had come out with the DSL in the mid 80's.

Chi3f's DSL100 with the Trace Hex Mod is going to be a tone Krusher. I'm assuming it may be the greatest Modern Marshall, since they yanked the Axiom trannies and replaced them with OEI transformers, and rebuilt the pre and power sections.
I'd love to plug into that one!
 
Re: Marshall DSL Owners...Your Tonal Opinions Please

The Hex mod sound clips sound great and I haven't heard anyone complain about Trace's work so I have a feeling it'll be one hell of an awesome amp.

When is he going to release a lower watt, multi channel head? I'd kill for a 30-35w head from him.
 
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