A few questions

[357mag]

What do you guys think about the DSL401? I used to own one many years ago but sold it. From what I recall it sounded pretty good but lots of people over at the Duncan forum hate them.

Also what about a used JCM800 combo? I've seen some of these on Ebay. I'm completely unfamiliar with this amp though. Is this considered a low gain or medium gain or a high gain amp?

I always use a combination of amp distortion and pedal distortion to get my tone but I do want the amp to have some balls on it's own.

I will not be playing clean. And I use a pretty hefty amount of gain in my sound.

If I could procure a JVM combo for maybe $700 or 800 I would go for it but I don't see that happening.

And then there is the Haze combo which sounds good in the demos I've watched.

 

[steelhorse]

I like the 800 combos. I don't own any, but with the right pedal and guitar, they kick ass.

I never have liked the 401's but I have a few friends who like them just fine. A few guys on here and elsewhere have encountered problems with the little guy but I have never owned one to testify to that.

I'd take the 800 combo over any of the others you mention.

I also wouldn't buy an amp based on demos online, but that's my opinion. I never buy amps without trying them out beforehand even if I buy it online (because it's cheaper even after shipping) I will always try the same model even if I have to drive a ways to do so.

Check craigslist if this is available to you as well.

 

[thrawn86]

Probably the 800. I love my 401, but it is not a gain monster; more like classic rock tones.

 

[equilibrium78]

I work at a music store and i have tested out the Haze 15 and the 40 watt version plus other Marshall amps we have in stock.I do have to say they have a good tone to them. If you crank the Haze 40 all the way up you can feel what the amp has to offer. We have a used JCM 800 from '87 that has EL34's in it and is a good amp if you like the 80's loud volume and tone.

 

[LosAngelesAceFace]

The 401 can shine when you do your own mods on them. I'm not fond of the OD channel though. It sounds very muddy past 6, even when you put a premium tube in V2. It gets REALLY hot, and I often worry about that. The classic channel is a pretty good copy cat of early Plexi Marshalls. I'm actually thinking about trading it in soon.

 

[Purgasound]

I'm a big fan of the 800's. I wouldn't know if someone would call them high or medium gain, I don't like super gain amps because most of it can be unusable. The 800's have a perfect amount where you can choose to play with no effects, or just a little boost, or you could add serious drive to it and go play extreme metal. I think it takes effects better than the 401. I have the heads of both of those amps though, not the combos, but as far as the amplifier is concerned the 800 should be no different than the head. The 401 has a few changes, I'm pretty sure.

 

[PaoloJM]

I'm a big fan of the 800's. I wouldn't know if someone would call them high or medium gain, I don't like super gain amps because most of it can be unusable. The 800's have a perfect amount where you can choose to play with no effects, or just a little boost, or you could add serious drive to it and go play extreme metal. I think it takes effects better than the 401. I have the heads of both of those amps though, not the combos, but as far as the amplifier is concerned the 800 should be no different than the head. The 401 has a few changes, I'm pretty sure.

I agree with this.

 

[357mag]

I noticed that they're are at least 4 maybe more tubes that you can't use in the DSL401. They say:

Due to the larger diameter.....this tube cannot be used in the Marshall DSL401.

In fact I think the only EL84 that you can stick in a DSL401 is the JJ. But like anything else to be found on the internet maybe it's not true?

 

[PaoloJM]

I noticed that they're are at least 4 maybe more tubes that you can't use in the DSL401. They say:

Due to the larger diameter.....this tube cannot be used in the Marshall DSL401.

In fact I think the only EL84 that you can stick in a DSL401 is the JJ. But like anything else to be found on the internet maybe it's not true?

I wouldn't believe anything you read on the web, but this one might be true...

 

[LosAngelesAceFace]

...

 

[LosAngelesAceFace]

I noticed that they're are at least 4 maybe more tubes that you can't use in the DSL401. They say:

Due to the larger diameter.....this tube cannot be used in the Marshall DSL401.

In fact I think the only EL84 that you can stick in a DSL401 is the JJ. But like anything else to be found on the internet maybe it's not true?

I've heard this many times. The power tube sockets are, I call, tempermental. JJs power tubes sound good anyways. I was actually after some Mullard el84s, but Tubedepot said the same thing about the sockets

 

[thrawn86]

On the 401, the metal housing for the head is very narrow and won't allow certian diameters of tubes.

 

[357mag]

I read that the older versions of the amp had this tube limitation but the more recent versions do not. Don't know though.

 

[drstrange]

I made som general mods on the DSL401 and i can say after this it is a nice little combo.
Look at the thread:

http://www.marshallforum.com/workbench/7361-jcm200-dsl401-bias-qestion.html

It will satify you. really.

drstrange

 

[blues]

800 killer amp. I had the 50 watt 2x12 combo when they first came out in the early 80s.

 

[jcmjmp]

I have the heads of both of those amps though, not the combos, but as far as the amplifier is concerned the 800 should be no different than the head. The 401 has a few changes, I'm pretty sure.

I always thought that the 800 combos didn't have a choke. I never owned one or played one and I'm basing this one the Jubilee combos and small head amps vs the full sized heads.

The 401 is el84 based vs el34s in the 800. Totally different sound IMO.

 

[357mag]

I made som general mods on the DSL401 and i can say after this it is a nice little combo.
Look at the thread:

http://www.marshallforum.com/workbench/7361-jcm200-dsl401-bias-qestion.html

It will satify you. really.

drstrange

The part about enlarging the holes for the output tubes is interesting. The whole article is too complicated and only makes sense if your and electro-tech. I have a luthier that also knows how to build amps so maybe he could enlarge tube holes.