Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

Silence Kid

Silence Kid

New member
Enough of me whining about some random amp I want to bedroom Doom with, couldn't pass up the deal (including footswitch.) The amp I wanted when I was a sophomore in high school (or maybe that was a Mode Four- thank you magazines.) In the loud alleyway did what I wanted, so brought it home. Stock speakers (2x12" Wolverine,) JJ/GT re-tube just completed with paperwork from a tech. Was a block from my guitar lesson, couldn't refuse.

Initial thoughts:
  • It's pretty heavy
  • Sounds best with master dimed & gain/volume for each channel set as-appropriate. Or in other words, sounds not at all as good doing the opposite
  • When I got it home (despite its ability to sound quite loud in the alley I bought it at,) it *wasn't* quite as loud as I thought a sixty watt tube amp ought to be; on inspection, looks like the impedance was set at 8 ohm, using the two speakers in series for 16 ohm. Well, that might be it; will make another attempt at being loud when day breaks

Any other users? Haters? Sheepish to reveal this is my first real amp, I've never had a tube amp greater than five watts (though one of my other amps is a Silverface Champ) and all my other amps have tended to be pretty embarrassing (but not terrible) things like vintage analog solid state, modern modelers (ok, some of those were terrible) and most recently playing through my MacBook/PA. I know it's not the most *awesome* Marshall, but I'm liking it so far; if I get sick of it I can flip it at Guitar Center and make more than what I paid so I'm happy.

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Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

Better than nothing haha. One of Poison the Well's guitarists was using the half stack version when i saw them in like 2003.
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

theres a lot in that amp so spend some time with it. those speakers arent great but i wouldnt swap em anytime soon. enjoy the new toy!
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

Thanks:D Didn't get to turn it up, but did switch the impedance (back) from 8 to 16 this AM before work. In the meantime, my google results regarding whether a mis-match could make that much volume difference were between '16 ohm speakers into an 8 ohm amp will be half power' and 'there should only be a mid-shift from a mis-match on a tube amp and no volume drop.'

Between those two statements, I could believe 'half-power' - After flipping the switch to 16 it's where I figured it should be - can't turn any channel volume beyond one for a listening-level/good neighbor sound with the master dimed. :) (On first try getting it home I was worried I'd broken something, and pretty alarmed aka scared the volume knob was tipped so high, without blowing my ears off. Made me assume I wasn't getting a full signal for the guitar, and that if something shifted and I all of a sudden got full output, I could blow up the house. Though still playing at bedroom levels for now, I didn't think the amp sounded any better at 8 ohms so leaving it at 16 .)

Reading up on the speakers (nope, no plans to replace) sounds like varied feedback depending on open/closed cab. I have Celestion Rocket 50s wired to my 100 watt Fender Libra; I may plug them in momentarily for a laugh (curious if they make me appreciate the stock speakers more, or I may actually like them knowing me.) Overall really enjoying it; I don't hate the high gain channel (much better without mid-scoop engaged,) like the clean channel (actually *do* like it with the 'deep' switch, sounds like every recorded clean guitar in 2002 ) and the crunch channel is good - but I'm actually glad to have the higher gain channel as well.
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

The 100 watt head was my main amp for over 15 years. Always loved the tones I got from it, although Marshall purists dismiss it as a "modern" thing, and not up to par with other known models.

My only advice is to keep an eye on the FX Loops, mine has lots of issues woth it, with sound cutting off even with nothing connected.

Otherwise, rock on and congrats on the find!
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

I loved my TSL 122. Best sounding Marshall since the JMP, IMO. The crunch channel is great, as is the clean. I never really used the red channel. I'd love to have your amp, because I regret selling mine. I've never understood why the Internet hates TSLs.
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

ItsaBass said:
I loved my TSL 122. Best sounding Marshall since the JMP, IMO. The crunch channel is great, as is the clean. I never really used the red channel. I'd love to have your amp, because I regret selling mine. I've never understood why the Internet hates TSLs.
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Glad you found this thread, I noticed much of the praise on this forum was concentrated among a couple people :D Again I’m not the best person to judge; the ‘best’ amp I used on a regular basis is a Fender Tonemaster through a Mesa cab that ‘belonged’ to my college band, and that was fifteen years ago so can’t compare.

Never experienced any of the Marshalls people rave about, even a DSL; but sort of curious whether the lower typical price (seriously cheap) and time have healed a bit of the perception of the TSL since the ten year old threads I’ve found full of only criticism. At least it’s a comfort I have something bigger than my Vox AC4 ‘if I need it.’ It’s so heavy it also makes a good bedroom amp, when I consider the effort of moving it any other place.
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

that tonemaster was a beast of an amp! sounded great when turned up a bit but it got loud quick
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

And more detective work! The thing still wasn't as loud in daylight as I thought it ought to be - swapped out pre-amp tubes till I found the sole offending Russian Tung Sol (the uh- left-most.) Replaced with a Russian GT, and *now* I need to roll back the Master to avoid shaking the house :D
 
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Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

Cool amps. I found my 601 to be finicky to dial in, but was great when I did. I must admit, I was planning on changing the speaker in it, as I felt it was too dark and muffled.
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

I mentioned using this for a bit of doom so the lack of brightness/more bass sort of drew me to it more - I have three spare RFT 12AX7s I could use for V1 - V3 that would prob. darken the tone even more; almost just installed them when I was looking for my prob. tube above but decided against it since it doesn't *need* that. Plus - almost all my guitars are bright to begin with (almost all single coil, including three Jazzmasters and a Jaguar - I have only two guitars with PAF-style pickups, one of which I keep at my mom's house.)

I do want to try a DSL now, since people prefer it - what puzzles me is I hear people tend to not like lead channel on the TSL -, but the DSL *only* has the lead channel (no crunch channel/mode,) is that correct? Does the lead channel on the DSL have less gain (being the chief complaint on the TSL lead channel) or a more versatile clean that can get to 'crunch' in lieu of the 'missing' crunch channel?
 
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Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

Silence Kid said:
I do want to try a DSL now, since people prefer it - what puzzles me is I hear people tend to not like lead channel on the TSL -, but the DSL *only* has the lead channel (no crunch channel/mode,) is that correct? Does the lead channel on the DSL have less gain (being the chief complaint on the TSL lead channel) or a more versatile clean that can get to 'crunch' in lieu of the 'missing' crunch channel?
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The DSL only has two channels, but each one has two modes. The classic gain channel has clean & crunch modes, while the ultra gain channel has lead 1 and lead 2. Many of the people who dislike the TSL lead channel prefer the lead 1 mode on the DSL. Compared to the TSL in terms of gain, DSL lead 1 has more gain than the TSL crunch channel but less than the TSL lead channel.
 
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Appreciate the clarity - I see the modes on the faceplate now. Seems useful in concept, I’m playing with the gain relatively high on ‘crunch.’
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

I had the head, but essentially the same thing. Not the most versatile Marshall, but it does more modern dirty tones pretty well.
 
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Like I mentioned, I only used clean and crunch on my TSL.

I'd have preferred a two channel amp with just green and orange. But there were enough good features that it was worth for me to get the TSL even if never using the red channel. The orange channel on the TSL is better than the red channel on the DSL, IMO.
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

I got nothing but love for my TSL. I went through quite a few OD pedals before I found the right fit, and now, I just love it.
Congrats on the amp!
 
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Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

Thanks again! Bit of an update- I guess what alarms me is there really isn’t any undesirable ‘fizz’ at all on the high end, which I have sort of read is a complaint in the million TSL threads I’ve happened across. The top-end is just rock solid in all channels, might be mine is just biased well or has the right tubes.

Speaking of ‘never google yourself,’ seems like anything that’s not a ‘too much gain’ comment is someone complaining they need a pedal to boost the lead channel, which all makes me feel better about enjoying it on its own merits now.
 
Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

Always remember that most of the people who write reviews don't have the same musical taste or tonal criterion as you.

I'll say it again: to me the TSL series were the best sounding Marshalls since the JMPs of the '70s. I'd own one before an 800 or 900 (and I owned a 900 100W Dual Reverb). When I had the Marshall itch bad, I spent about a year, and I obsessively shopped hard and tried them all, considering anywhere from vintage beat JTM all the way up to brand new. I settled on the 100W TSL 122 2x12 combo, based almost entirely on tone (it was actually more expensive new than most of the JMPs I was looking at on the used market). I almost went for the one you got, but the 100W had the half power switch, VLP, etc.

Your amp cooks, man. Don't let a couple of clowns on the Internet tell you otherwise. Play the **** out of the clean channel and tell me that's not a gnarly classic Marshall tone!
 
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Re: Nu Amp - JCM 2000 TSL 602

Silence Kid said:
Thanks again! Bit of an update- I guess what alarms me is there really isn’t any undesirable ‘fizz’ at all on the high end, which I have sort of read is a complaint in the million TSL threads I’ve happened across. The top-end is just rock solid in all channels, might be mine is just biased well or has the right tubes.

Speaking of ‘never google yourself,’ seems like anything that’s not a ‘too much gain’ comment is someone complaining they need a pedal to boost the lead channel, which all makes me feel better about enjoying it on its own merits now.
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My guess on the fizz is preamp tubes. Marshall's OEM tubes have been mediocre at best for ages, and most of the people complaining about amps on the internet haven't bothered to swap any of them. Case in point my Jet City JCA22H sounded like a metal can full of bees with the stock Chinese 12AX7s, but JJs in the gain stages took care of the issue.
 
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