Not loving my tone...

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Not loving my tone...

Maybe adding a closed-back 112 cab would add the bass your missing. Or a ported cab, like the Mesa 112 Thiele.

Bill

 

[Gtrjunior]

Not loving my tone...

I just ordered some JJ EL34's, and also a Mesa 12AX7. Which preamp slot in my amp would have the most impact on the gain?

V1...it’s typically the preamp slot closest to the input jack.

I’m not 100% sure with the DSL but in my experience with Marshall amps. V1 and V2 are your gain stages.
V3 (in a JVM) is the cathode follower. If the DSL doesn’t have a cathode follower V3 “may” be used for reverb/Fx loop.
And V4 is the phase inverter.

When you decide to experiment with the preamp tubes...
1) they do not need to be biased. They are plug and play.
2) only change one at a time. This way you can hear exactly what changes happen. You may or may not like the changes. Different brands have different tonal characteristics.
I find EHX to be bright
JJ have good gain and are darker
Etc
The phase inverter slot can have a big impact on how the amp “feels”.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Not loving my tone...

Maybe you just aren't a Marshall guy ....

 

[ken361]

Re: Not loving my tone...

The red dot is a selected preamp tube that supposedly less noise when tested its the V1! when you get the new one replace that on first and see if there is issues. If the amp was never biased yet find someone asap there usually set wayyy to hot and that caused fizzy and messy and less tight sounding.

 

[devastone]

Re: Not loving my tone...

The first preamp position has the most effect on gain/tone. It sounds like it may need a trip to a tech too based on what you said about the noise when you turn up the clean channel.

On a side note, how do you like the Chapman BEA?

 

[Exojam]

Re: Not loving my tone...

Do you have a meter so you can just set the bias yourself? If not just pick up an inexpensive one from the hardware store and learn how to do it yourself and save a lot on money. Than you can change the bias yourself and test out different setting setting and see how you like them. I believe I have mine set to 37.

As for setting I cruised around the web and found the below ones and tested them just to see how they sounded and also if they were close to what I wanted I could try my own tweaks.

And I do not believe you need pedals on this amp to get the sound you are looking for though. But I do have two I use sometimes. One I cannot remember what it is and the other is a SoloDallas Schaffer Replica.

If you want some reading on this amp go here and have fun:
http://www.marshallforum.com/threads/the-official-marshall-dsl40c-information-thread.53780/

The below setting are volume to taste that I grabbed looking around:
Gain “lead 2” at 9
Gain “lead 1” under 4
treble to 3
bass at 6
mids to 7-8,
resonance to 3

——————————

Lead 2
Bass @7
Treb @ 3
Mid @8
Pres @3
Res @8
Gain @~1.5 on Lead 2)
volume over 2

————————-
Clean:

Classic Gain - Clean mode
Gain - 6 (7 on the solo)
Treble - 3
Mid - 4
Bass - 6
Presence - 6
Resonance - 6

Low Gain:

Classic Gain - Crunch mode
Gain - 6
Treble - 5
Mid - 7
Bass - 2
Presence - 5
Resonance - 3
———————————
Mid

Ultra Gain - Lead 1 mode
Gain - 4
Treble - 2
Mid - 5
Bass - 5
Presesnce - 5
Resonance - 5

High

Ultra Gain - Lead 2 mode
Gain - 8
Treble - 7
Mid - 4
Bass - 4
Presence - 7
Resonance - 8
———————————-

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Not loving my tone...

sounded like a microphonic v1 if it does it both channels at that kind of volume, but could be any tube shared by both channels. Combo amps can be absolute torture on preamp tubes, tiny vibrations from the speaker directly run through all the tubes more than in a head amp, as parts inside the tube vibrate that ends up as a screaming squeal.
take something like the eraser end of a pencil and *gently* tap each tube. A good tube sounds like a dull, quiet thud. If one makes a big amplified pop and/or rings metallically, it's got something inside the tube that is loose, and it should be replaced.

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: Not loving my tone...

The first preamp position has the most effect on gain/tone. It sounds like it may need a trip to a tech too based on what you said about the noise when you turn up the clean channel.

On a side note, how do you like the Chapman BEA?

The Bea is amazing! I'm looking at replacing the bridge pickup with a pegasus, but the stock pickups are really good. I just want to make it my own.

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: Not loving my tone...

sounded like a microphonic v1 if it does it both channels at that kind of volume, but could be any tube shared by both channels. Combo amps can be absolute torture on preamp tubes, tiny vibrations from the speaker directly run through all the tubes more than in a head amp, as parts inside the tube vibrate that ends up as a screaming squeal.
take something like the eraser end of a pencil and *gently* tap each tube. A good tube sounds like a dull, quiet thud. If one makes a big amplified pop and/or rings metallically, it's got something inside the tube that is loose, and it should be replaced.

I'm bringing it to a tech in the next couple of days to have it looked at. I'd like to buy as few tubes as possible lol, I'm ordering a shop floor custom so I need enough dough to fund it.

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: Not loving my tone...

Do you have a meter so you can just set the bias yourself? If not just pick up an inexpensive one from the hardware store and learn how to do it yourself and save a lot on money. Than you can change the bias yourself and test out different setting setting and see how you like them. I believe I have mine set to 37.

As for setting I cruised around the web and found the below ones and tested them just to see how they sounded and also if they were close to what I wanted I could try my own tweaks.

And I do not believe you need pedals on this amp to get the sound you are looking for though. But I do have two I use sometimes. One I cannot remember what it is and the other is a SoloDallas Schaffer Replica.

If you want some reading on this amp go here and have fun:
http://www.marshallforum.com/threads/the-official-marshall-dsl40c-information-thread.53780/

The below setting are volume to taste that I grabbed looking around:
Gain “lead 2” at 9
Gain “lead 1” under 4
treble to 3
bass at 6
mids to 7-8,
resonance to 3

——————————

Lead 2
Bass @7
Treb @ 3
Mid @8
Pres @3
Res @8
Gain @~1.5 on Lead 2)
volume over 2

————————-
Clean:

Classic Gain - Clean mode
Gain - 6 (7 on the solo)
Treble - 3
Mid - 4
Bass - 6
Presence - 6
Resonance - 6

Low Gain:

Classic Gain - Crunch mode
Gain - 6
Treble - 5
Mid - 7
Bass - 2
Presence - 5
Resonance - 3
———————————
Mid

Ultra Gain - Lead 1 mode
Gain - 4
Treble - 2
Mid - 5
Bass - 5
Presesnce - 5
Resonance - 5

High

Ultra Gain - Lead 2 mode
Gain - 8
Treble - 7
Mid - 4
Bass - 4
Presence - 7
Resonance - 8
———————————-

I'll check those setting out, thanks!

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: Not loving my tone...

So far I'm digging the pedal through the clean channel at a higher volume. Still getting some weird noises from time to time though. I'm going to have a tech install and bias the JJ's I have coming in, so that should improve the noise problems at least. If it's too hot like Ken said it would make sense, it does sound a bit mushy. I'll see if I like the Mesa tube in the V1, but I can play around with pre tubes later on. I like the drive channel for rock stuff, but when I try and play metal it just doesn't work for me. Hopefully this'll improve that. I don't have a problem just using the OD on the clean though, it sounds really nice. I treat it like a preamp kind of.