Marshall DSL100

Benjy_26

25's Nemesis
Hey all.

What do you think of this amp?

What are the pros? Cons? How does it sound?

How are the clean tones? Mid gain? High gain?

Also, how would it do with a 2x12 cab?

Thanks for all the help.
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

I've played the DSL many times. It's a rock solid-sounding amp. I like it a little better than the TSL.

Pros: Sweet two channel amp
Cons: Only two channels.

Cleans are fairly nice - nothing Fenderish.
The crunch and distortion channel are superb. You may or may not like them due to the certain type of sound you're looking for. But, keep in mind, the clean channel is a clean/crunch channel. You'll need a boost pedal to do leads that cut through the mix.

It should sound great with a 2x12 cab since it does, of course, have a master volume.
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

Can it do tones that range from old school R&B all the way to STP and Foo Fighters style OD?
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

I like it not my vibe. I like the DSL50 a little more, but probably I could crank the tubes a bit more at the store. I was about to buy one when I used to play with punk bands so its good for that. I really love the Classic channel alot. The two channels are all you really need there is a gain selector on both channels I believe for more stages of gain. Also there is a mid boost I think they call depth not to sure on this so you are getting 6 different tones.

The only con I can think of is its a bit expensive for what it is, but all marshalls are.

Got some good prices on ebay
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

Benjy_26 said:
Can it do tones that range from old school R&B all the way to STP and Foo Fighters style OD?

It can to the FF and STP OD. As far as the R&B tones - no. The clean channel on the TSL is better than the DSL, but the crunch channel on the DSL is better than the TSL.

You might want to think about other choices.
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

Personally I think the Cleans and OD on the DSL are great! I have the DSL 50 with Marshall 1936 2x12 and i find it fantastic.(Mr Jeff Beck use's them live as well as in the studio :rolleyes: )

very versatile amp IMO.It would definitly do the OD's you as, Tho who is STP??I'm sure I know it but im only awaker 3 minutes now :laugh2:

If you mean R&B ='s some thing like the commitments for instance then yes, It can do R&B!
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

It will probally play what you play through it;)
Pro's only two channels, not too much crap, straight shoothing amp.
With good speakers I think it sounds very good.
Then again I do not belive in utopia regarding guitar sounds:D
I just play...hehe
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

The DSL gets a bum rap for being noisy and loose on the bottom end...with some good tubes I think they sound great...IMO, they are far better than the TSL...both cleans and crunch, the reverb sound great. IMO, these are the best "new" Marshalls in years.
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

What do you guys like better that is a similar amp for a similar price?
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

How much is the used Hiwatt, and, does it do channel switching?

BTW, I love my Marshall 2x12 cab.
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

I own its little brother, the DSL50.

Two channels, each with two stages.

“Classic Gain” offers clean and crunch modes (modes are not footswitchable). The cleans are very usable so long as you aren’t looking for Fenderish clean tones. The crunch channel is a moderate 70s British type crunch that reacts well to pedals. The crunch mode doesn’t really start to cook until the volume is way up.

“Ultra Gain” is a more modern, yet still Marshall, sound. The modes are Lead 1 and Lead 2. Personally I find the Lead 2 to be too high gain for my tastes and very buzzy. Lead 1 is just right (it’s a higher gain, beefier version of the crunch channel). The nice thing is that I can still get pretty good tone out of the ultra gain channel without cranking the volume (although, “5” is still pretty loud for a 50 watt Marshall).

There is a deep switch and a tone shift. The deep switch is basically a bass boost that really fills in the bottom end. Use carefully because it can also loosen up the low end. The tone shift is not a mid boost, but rather a mid-cut. In the “in” position it scoops the mids quite a bit.

I’ve used it with a cheap 4x12 Fender cab and a 2x12 loaded with a pair of Celestion Greenbacks. While I prefer the overall tone of the 2x12 over the 4x12, the 4x12 certainly filled a space better.

Unless you need the headroom for the clean channel, I’d recommend the DSL50 over the DSL100. The gain channels break up much sooner, and 50 watts should be enough power to play just about anywhere you would play without a PA system.
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

That's the thing, I need clean headroom for the old school R&B, funk, and blues styles my band plays.

I can get a good deal on the 100, but if the clean channel sin't up to the task, I think I'll go with some other kind of channel switcher.
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

Well, have you had a chance you play one? The clean channel is clean, but it's not particularly that sweet.
 
Re: Marshall DSL100

I've played one briefly at work, but couldn't really dial in a great clean or high gain sound. The mid gain crunch tones were superb though.

I don't think I can base my opinion on this amp after only playing it for 10 min. though.
 
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