DSL20HR home run

[Max Gahne]

@tresmarshallz before I dove in the chassis I put an EQ pedal in the FX loop and had some success with that. I found the foot switchable loop handy to A/B my tone stack and EQ settings to help dial each other in. Ear fatigue was exactly the description I was using before tinkering with it. Mine is still bright and aggressive but no ear fatigue. Tinnitus yes but that's a different thing

 

[tresmarshallz]

I appreciate the input and details on what you have done. I would love to try modding but I will prob screw something up. I can try the EQ thing, on an MXR 6 band what frequency do you think would cut to get rid of the issue? THanks!

 

[Seventh Son]

I have both the DSL15 and the DSL20. It’s ironic that Marshall claim they improved the DSL20 by taming the harsh top end, because the DSL20 is way more scooped and treble-y than the DSL15.

 

[Max Gahne]

@tresmarshallz you just have to play around with it. When the FX loop is being used the tone stack, presence and resonance are also still being used so they all interact. I tried to find the best settings for the tone stack/presence and resonance and then start with the EQ all flat and just added or subtracted by ear, punching the FX loop in and out to A/B what I was doing to see if I was making it better or worse. In the end I'm not using any resonance and very little presence.

 

[tresmarshallz]

Read a bunch of different opinions in different threads on this forum and tried a few things that helped. Cut the treble down and resonance down and raised the presence, and put a little tape over the cab so the V30 isn't shooting right into my face, this seemed the help a lot!

 

[Seventh Son]

Wow, @ max gahne, I think I see what you mean. I made a point today to play it for a while longer that usual and started to get treble ear fatigue, and it can’t be dialed out. That is what I remember not liking so much about my DSL100 years ago. I am glad you may have found a way to adjust it with mods etc. I want to keep the amp, so will probably play around with different tubes etc.

I find that the amp has a slightly nasal tone, not unlike the tone from its emulated out. It reminds me of Judas Priest on Screaming for Vengeance. Very open and quite classic, actually.

With mids and treble at noon, bass at 8, and presence at 3, I sometimes feel it sounds a bit scooped, but if I push the mids a bit more, it starts to sound very boxy very quickly. I think my perception of a mid scoop is probably due to the voicing of the mids. It’s a more vintage sound and it takes time for the ears to get accustomed to it. I think it’s a very nice amp, overall. It sounds pretty good and has a very good feature set.

 

[tresmarshallz]

So I read over tons of threads how people try a 12at7 or 5751 in V1 or V2, I would always think "that will never work for me, I am a high gain freak", so I have never given it serious thought. Then I realize I use the preamp gain so low on this amp on both channels (like 11 O'clock), it would be fine to reduce the gain with a lower gain tube. So, I tried a 12AT7 in V1 and then V2. Totally loved it in V2, allowed me to jack up the preamp gain without fizz and treble ice pick....yet still plenty of gain. It didn't seem to really reduce the power or volume, It just smoothed it out where I could start bringing the treble and presence back in without taking my head off....the best change so far! So, thanks to this forum for all the great ideas

 

[NelsonP]

I've got the DSL20C combo and it is great. I swapped the stock Seventy-80 speaker for a G12M Greenback and it sounds fantastic. I do keep the gain dial pretty low on the red channel though (around 3 o'clock) as it has a ton of gain.

Obviously it's had home use only this year, and so I use it in 10 watt mode and never really get the volume up. I find that I have to dial back the treble and presence a bit to get it sounding right, but having done that it sounds brilliant.

I also have a decent modeller, which is known for it's ability to model Marshall style amps well (an Atomic Amplifire). It's decent enough, but not a patch on the DSL. The difference is mainly in the dynamics and feel / responsiveness, rather than the tone.

 

[colchar]

What are the differences between the DSL20H and the DSL20HR? Or is it simply some stores screwing up the listing?

 

[tresmarshallz]

I'm guessing Reverb? The HR I was assuming is for Head/Reverb. I honestly didn't realize there was also a 20H, I though all the new DSLs were ended in either CR or HR

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

What are the differences between the DSL20H and the DSL20HR? Or is it simply some stores screwing up the listing?

I think the R means it is the revised version of the original, there are a few other changes but I don’t have all the information on them.
Cheers

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

I'm guessing Reverb? The HR I was assuming is for Head/Reverb. I honestly didn't realize there was also a 20H, I though all the new DSLs were ended in either CR or HR

CR is the combo version, HR is the head
Cheers

 

[colchar]

The DSL20H appears on the Marshall website, but the DSL20HR does not.

 

[Michael Roe]

Read a bunch of different opinions in different threads on this forum and tried a few things that helped. Cut the treble down and resonance down and raised the presence, and put a little tape over the cab so the V30 isn't shooting right into my face, this seemed the help a lot!

If it has too much fizzy ear fatigue, try a different speaker. In my experience, the V30 is the worst speaker for the DSL series. I use my DSL20HR with a Bogner 2x12 with creambacks. It sounds thick and tasty. I have never felt the need for EQ in the loop or drastic EQing. Then again, I wonder sometimes? My DSL20HR was one of the first runs of 2018 which needed some kind of factory fix ( something to do with the FX loop and emulated out) which I never had done. The loop on mine is pre-channel volume. Maybe mine sounds different because of that??

 

[Georgiatec]

I appreciate the input and details on what you have done. I would love to try modding but I will prob screw something up. I can try the EQ thing, on an MXR 6 band what frequency do you think would cut to get rid of the issue? THanks!

If you have a looper, play a passage of licks, then play them back through your amp while adjusting your EQ until you find your sweet spot.

 

[Seventh Son]

I think the on-board EQ is very effective on the DSL20. Any perceived excessive brightness or spikiness can be easily dialed out with the Presence control. Usually somewhere around 3–4 works well.

 

[Max Gahne]

The DSL20H appears on the Marshall website, but the DSL20HR does not.

on Marshall's site on the DSL20H page scroll down to the Technical Specifications and Marshall lists the model as DSL20HR

 

[fitz]

Any perceived excessive brightness or spikiness can be easily dialed out with the Presence control. Usually somewhere around 3–4 works well.

Agreed, I put the presence down (9 o'clock) and resonance up (3 o'clock), but keep the amp TMBs at noon and onboard reverb off.
I run my ME-80 in the loop for EQ, TE, reverb & clean boost into the power tubes.

 

[scozz]

I think the R means it is the revised version of the original, there are a few other changes but I don’t have all the information on them.
Cheers

I always thought it stood for ‘reverb’, learn something new every day!
Cheers Buddy!!

 

[scozz]

........I do keep the gain dial pretty low on the red channel though (around 3 o'clock) as it has a ton of gain........

Wow man , that is definitely a “ton of gain” buddy. Did you maybe mean to type 3, not 3:00? Because 3:00 is 3/4 of the way up.