Dsl40 Issue

[bambam789]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone may be able to help regarding my problem. I got a Marshall DSL40 last week off ebay. Been playing it in my shed every day without any problems dialling in my tone. I had band practice last night in our town hall & as soon I switched on I was getting a high squeal whining tone on the red channel. I play rhythm so don't use many pedals but took them out the equation by plugging directly into the amp with the same problem. I tried my spare guitar & the lead guitarist guitar with the same problem. I was all set on calling my local amp repair center this morning but set it up in my shed again this morning with exactly the same settings from last night (volume, gain the same) & it's fine. I even turned it up a bit louder & it's fine.

I must add that I have a Jazzmaster which has a Les Paul style toggle switch & it was worse when I had the switch on the treble setting, it was still there in the middle & rhythm setting but on treble it was worse. I must also say that the clean channel was fine, the problem was on the rock channel (I think it's classed as the red channel on this amp)

Any ideas what this could be? I was certain it was the tube playing up but now I'm thinking it wasn't reacting well to the hall which gets me concerned going forward for gigs how it will react in other venues.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Lee

 

[solarburn]

May be tubes. May be guitar and pups. Maybe shit power in town hall.

However i always check tubes first. If not that everything in the chain.

 

[bambam789]

Thanks for your reply. From those options I would go for the tubes. As I said I tried 3 different guitars all with the same problem so it's not the guitar. I doubt it's the power from the hall as we've practiced down there for a year with no problems & it powers bass amps & a Fender Blues Jnr no problem.

So do you recommend taking it in to be looked at by an expert? I don't particularly want to spend the money unless I have to. Or is it better to order online & change myself?

 

[solarburn]

Thanks for your reply. From those options I would go for the tubes. As I said I tried 3 different guitars all with the same problem so it's not the guitar. I doubt it's the power from the hall as we've practiced down there for a year with no problems & it powers bass amps & a Fender Blues Jnr no problem.

So do you recommend taking it in to be looked at by an expert? I don't particularly want to spend the money unless I have to. Or is it better to order online & change myself?

Seriously...I'd start with preamp tubes. Have you tried other guitars there so you can eliminate that? If so I'd change preamp tubes.

Have you biased the amp and know where your power tubes are at? I hear not spending the money so I'm being serious...

 

[solarburn]

My bad. I see you've tried other guitars. From your place to the other are your settings the same or a bit different meaning are you increasing volume at the other?

 

[solarburn]

If you don't have spare tubes take it to a tech.

If you do have spare tubes try them...get them as they are needed. More than a tech.

 

[solarburn]

Bambam? What differences are there in your settings from home to other place?

 

[bambam789]

I haven't biased the amp personally as I don't know how to. I could find out from the guy I bought it from if he did.

I'm not an expert as you can tell but I'm struggling to understand why I would get the sound in the hall & not my shed at home if it's the pre amp tube or the power tube. Wouldn't it make the same sound wherever I was playing the amp?

I'm trying to think what would be best to do, either buy some pre amp tubes & test them or just take it in for a service, let the experts sort it, bias the amp & have peace of mind going forward. I would happily pay the money if I knew it needed doing but I can't get my head round why it's fine in one room & not another.

 

[bambam789]

Settings are exactly the same. I made a point of keeping the amp identical from last night at band practice to this morning when I set it back up in shed. No difference in settings yet one room gives me a high squeaking sound & the other doesn't which is why I'm edging towards the room somehow effecting it but it doesn't effect other band members or my old amp.

 

[solarburn]

I haven't biased the amp personally as I don't know how to. I could find out from the guy I bought it from if he did.

I'm not an expert as you can tell but I'm struggling to understand why I would get the sound in the hall & not my shed at home if it's the pre amp tube or the power tube. Wouldn't it make the same sound wherever I was playing the amp?

I'm trying to think what would be best to do, either buy some pre amp tubes & test them or just take it in for a service, let the experts sort it, bias the amp & have peace of mind going forward. I would happily pay the money if I knew it needed doing but I can't get my head round why it's fine in one room & not another.

Ok. If it's tube its an easy fix...if you have spares. Learning to bias the power tubes on a DSL40 is doable. Once learned you'll know what I mean. I wished you had spare tubes so we can eliminate that.

Are you louder at the other place? I mean turning up louder?

 

[solarburn]

I haven't biased the amp personally as I don't know how to. I could find out from the guy I bought it from if he did.

I'm not an expert as you can tell but I'm struggling to understand why I would get the sound in the hall & not my shed at home if it's the pre amp tube or the power tube. Wouldn't it make the same sound wherever I was playing the amp?

I'm trying to think what would be best to do, either buy some pre amp tubes & test them or just take it in for a service, let the experts sort it, bias the amp & have peace of mind going forward. I would happily pay the money if I knew it needed doing but I can't get my head round why it's fine in one room & not another.

Yes. You can go to tech. If you do, have him reveal everything he does so you learn from it.

 

[bambam789]

I don't have spare tubes but my lead guitarist has a Fender tube amp, could we take them out of his & try them on mine?

I was playing a little bit louder at hall than I was last week in shed but only a little bit. But this morning I kept the volume & gain exactly the same as last night & when I tried in shed it was fine again. I even turned it up louder than last night to really test it & still no problems. Is it worth bringing the amp into my kitchen perhaps & testing it in there as it would have more of a hall effect to it, might bring out the high pitched squeaking sound again possibly?

 

[solarburn]

I don't have spare tubes but my lead guitarist has a Fender tube amp, could we take them out of his & try them on mine?

I was playing a little bit louder at hall than I was last week in shed but only a little bit. But this morning I kept the volume & gain exactly the same as last night & when I tried in shed it was fine again. I even turned it up louder than last night to really test it & still no problems. Is it worth bringing the amp into my kitchen perhaps & testing it in there as it would have more of a hall effect to it, might bring out the high pitched squeaking sound again possibly?

Where are you standing in both? Sometimes getting closer to the amp will cause feedback...screeching.

 

[bambam789]

I'm actually standing nearer to the amp in the shed, right next to it in fact. Really doesn't make sense does it!?

 

[solarburn]

A different room or power source can change our best settings. I'm definitely trying to help and figure this out with you.

 

[bambam789]

I'm about 10 feet away in hall

 

[solarburn]

I'm actually standing nearer to the amp in the shed, right next to it in fact. Really doesn't make sense does it!?

No.

 

[solarburn]

Which makes me think of power source and the diff between both.

in one place guitar & chain works. Same guitar and chain.

doesn't mean a tube is not getting challenged in the hall. Just don't want you to spend unwanted coin. Still thinking...

 

[bambam789]

Yes thanks I appreciate your help believe me.

I can bring it into kitchen in about 2 hours time as I will have the house to myself then so will definitely try that. Obviously at the hall I'm plugging into a different mains but it's the same mains that powered my old amp & powers the lead guitarist amp. I even use the same extension lead in hall that I do in shed. The setup is as close as you can get in both rooms but with different outcomes.

 

[bambam789]

Yes to put it very basically the guitar/amp chain works in shed fine but the same guitar/amp chain doesn't work in hall.