DSL40 Head That Doesn’t Look Like a Valvestate or Mesa/Fender

[Leonard Neemoil]

It began life as an Acoustic Control Corporation G100T. It was a direct competitor to the Mesa Boogie Mk1 and is basically a highly hotrodded Fender Twin with a 5 band EQ. Sounds great on paper, not so much in real life though. I bought it new in the early 1980s before I knew what I wanted. They went under and then it wasn't worth anything so I never did sell it. Just before covid I Frankensteined it into a channel switching 2203 with a five band GEQ and both parallel and series FX loops. So the same feature set as when new, but with the heart of a 2203 instead of a weirdly voiced Twin. It really sounds good these days and on the outside looks box stock. Since it uses premium parts it was worth doing it imo. Even has Mercury Magnetics transformers. Given what I know now, I'd probably try a few more things to get the voicing right as a Twin instead of going full Frankenstein on it, lol. But a 2203 with a passive 5 band GEQ is really fun, so I'm not undoing it. I actually have it set up to run at 50W with 2x EL34. But it was never a problem heat wise with 4x 6L6.

Mine is the model right before this one and the only difference is the new one has 4 switches on front where mine has two front two back and no Master vol on the clean channel: https://reverb.com/item/70781195-vi...tar-amp-head-60-100-watt-sounds-amazing-video

Amazing video indeed, lol. Reminds me exactly how much I hate the stock tone...

Yeah, premium parts says it, imo.

I think the 2nd and 3rd gen DSL parts are less than stellar...I think.

 

[stickyfinger]

OK, if you reverse the pot sweep and relabel the faceplate somehow, then 0 starts at 5 o'clock and the knob goes counterclockwise to 10 at 7 o'clock.
Amps with head and combo versions like the Origin 20 & 50 are exactly the same amp, with different face & back plates.

Maybe I had too much to drink but your saying he can flip the chassis in a head shell, make a reverse faceplate and reposition the knob and the same ?

 

[fitz]

Maybe I had too much to drink but your saying he can flip the chassis in a head shell, make a reverse faceplate and reposition the knob and the same ?

Yes -
I don't turn the knobs backwards on my 4210 because it upside-down.
You actually don't need a reverse (mirror image) faceplate; you need a faceplate with the labels for each control rotated 180 degrees (just like the amp).

 

[fitz]

Here's a visual for ya'.

More is clockwise, less is counterclockwise, even upside-down.

Head - tubes up:

Combo - tubes down: (exactly the same amp chassis - power & standby are rotated)

Combo upside-down - tubes up: (as if inverted in a head shell)

 

[SkyMonkey]

I don't have a DSL40, but I have a DSL100H. The pot shafts are "D" shaped and the knob can only be inserted in one orientation. That's what I am talking about.

Although maybe using set screw knobs with a screw long enough to reach the flat side of the "D" would work. Or maybe even ungluing the caps and regluing them in the right position. That could work, now that I think of it.

In the 'Factory' made heads and combos, all the pointers orientated for centre sweep 'up'.
So, do they make two differently orientated knobs to fit the 'D' shafts (and can they be bought?).
Or are there differently orientated 'D' shaft pots.
Or am I just talking $#!te again?

EDIT: Call off the search. The 'D' knobs can be bought in either orientation.

Marshall Amp Parts - Marshall Knobs

Marshall Amp Parts - Marshall Knobs

www.amprepairparts.com

 

[BC108]

You could compare to a JCM600, too. Not only Valvestate (which I love it!) or MG

 

[scozz]

Just to be accurate, not all Valvestate heads are created equal,…

 

[Dave_11]

Regarding the push-on D knobs, you can get knobs with the D-hole in the opposite orientation that would allow you to mount the chassis with the tubes pointing up and have the correct pot sweep action (or whatever you call it). I was looking into doing this when I was thinking about converting my Ori20 combo into a head. The face plate would be the main problem for the DSL40. Marshall makes both orientation face plates for the Ori20 and you can buy them for a price, but I'm guessing not for the DSL40.

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

Just to be accurate, not all Valvestate heads are created equal,…

This looks like the VS’s I had

 

[PelliX]

I don't have a DSL40, but I have a DSL100H. The pot shafts are "D" shaped and the knob can only be inserted in one orientation. That's what I am talking about.

The 100 *is* essentially the 40 with two more output valves; check out the boards. They're the same.

 

[guitarbilly74]

Regarding the push-on D knobs, you can get knobs with the D-hole in the opposite orientation that would allow you to mount the chassis with the tubes pointing up and have the correct pot sweep action (or whatever you call it). I was looking into doing this when I was thinking about converting my Ori20 combo into a head. The face plate would be the main problem for the DSL40. Marshall makes both orientation face plates for the Ori20 and you can buy them for a price, but I'm guessing not for the DSL40.

Maybe they can sell the DSL100H faceplate. You'd need to trim the sides to the combo size but the hole pattern is the same.


But again in, personally I'd just buy the conversion headshell and use it as is. No one is going to think it's a MG or whatever. For starters , SS amps don't have a standby switch. Anyone with minimal knowledge of amps will know that's a tube head. It also says DSL40C in big bold letters right in front of the amp lol

 

[Dave_11]

Maybe they can sell the DSL100H faceplate. You'd need to trim the sides to the combo size but the hole pattern is the same.

That's a great idea! I emailed Marshall customer service about the Ori20 face plate and they got back to me with a part number within a day. Face plate can be ordered from www.tubesandmore.com, but when I checked they had to order it from England.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Hi, all. I’m new here so I apologize if this has been answered already.

Is there anyone who makes a replacement faceplate for the DSL40 that’s inverted? Also, does anyone make a cabinet that doesn’t have chassis hanging like a Mesa or Fender?

I’m not a hater of the look. I’ve had a Mark IV for nearly 20 years, I just want to make a head out of my DSL that looks like a Marshall head.

Mount it on top like a Bluesbreaker.