DSL40CR- Help dialing the amp in - Tone questions

[Whizzinby]

Have you checked the bias on your amp? It's very easy to do on this amp and could be at least part of your problem. Possibly some new/better tubes might help as well.

I tend to only use the green channel on the ultra gain side and keep the gain relatively low(10-12 oclock) and for my purposes(classic rock) it sounds really good. Like others have said maybe boosting with a pedal from this point might work better for you than adding more amp gain.

Also, wondering at what volumes you are playing at? I'm guessing on the lower side with the kids at home. Turning it up if you can will oftentimes tighten things up and give you a very different/better tone.

I have not checked the bias, though I have watched some videos on checking it, replacing tubes and speakers. Seems easy. Maybe I need to buy a multimeter this evening lol. What is the recommend bias setting? Side note, I’ve considered everything in terms of replacing power tubes, speaker etc. (But am hesitating only because if none of those work out it’s just sunk costs)

In terms of using OD/Distortion pedals I’ve had a fair few in the last month LOL (Revv G3, Iron Horse, Rat, Westwood, Tubescreamer, Blues Driver, Soul Food, OCD) Where I’ve landed with relative content is the Strymon Riverside and Earthquaker Plumes. (OP Amp Big Muff for fuzz) TBH I’ve never quite been content with any of them into a Gain channel on the DSL, rather than Just into the clean channel. I think I probably like the Riverside because it is so wonderfully varied with it 5 gains stages and It’s really smart underlying DSP for the EQ band that make it hard to dial in “bad” tones, and does a relatively good job masking underlying inability to dial the amp EQ in.

As for volume, this sucker is LOUD so I don’t think I’ve ever gone past 11 o’clock on the channel volume in 40w mode. (A great way to clear out the downstairs of my house haha) Generally I stay around 9-10 o’clock in the channel volume, and sort vary the masters between noon and maxed, because generally it seem the amp wants purr a bit more with the masters cranked. I thought about getting an attenuator so I could get it really cooking, but again it sorta goes back to my sunk cost worries. (And me knowing that I should be able to get something going even at the levels I generally play at)

 

[Whizzinby]

Played at lunch, spent an hour or so twisting knobs. Basically tried to get the most tolerable OD1/2 tone and then revert back with that to clean with pedals. Not terrible, still very rough around the edges. Took a pic, would love to get some feedback with you guys playing a bit with these settings to get your thoughts!!!

 

[SkyMonkey]

Sorry but that pic is too small to see your settings.
A set of spare tubes is rarely 'sunk' money.
If you are considering trading the DSL for an Origin, or most other tube amps, the preamp will use the same ECC83 (12AX7) tubes.
Bias to around 33mV.

 

[Whizzinby]

Sorry but that pic is too small to see your settings.
A set of spare tubes is rarely 'sunk' money.
If you are considering trading the DSL for an Origin, or most other tube amps, the preamp will use the same ECC83 (12AX7) tubes.
Bias to around 33mV.

 

[Whizzinby]

Sorry but that pic is too small to see your settings.
A set of spare tubes is rarely 'sunk' money.
If you are considering trading the DSL for an Origin, or most other tube amps, the preamp will use the same ECC83 (12AX7) tubes.
Bias to around 33mV.

Sorry I thought the thumbnail would be clickable to enlarge. Posted a full one.

I’m definitely going to check the tub bias tomorrow after I nab a multimeter. Seems straight forward. Can’t decide whether I want it to be off bias or not lol.

I’m assuming I can take a cursory glance at the power tubes to make sure they look in good order too. Is there anything else I should look at once I pop the back plate off?

Regarding the Origin, it was just a thought. I’m not really desirous of getting rid of the DSL, but it crossed my mind that the Origin is no cost lateral, should I get to that point. (Before considering other more expensive options)

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

Sorry I thought the thumbnail would be clickable to enlarge. Posted a full one.

I’m definitely going to check the tub bias tomorrow after I nab a multimeter. Seems straight forward. Can’t decide whether I want it to be off bias or not lol.

I’m assuming I can take a cursory glance at the power tubes to make sure they look in good order too. Is there anything else I should look at once I pop the back plate off?

Regarding the Origin, it was just a thought. I’m not really desirous of getting rid of the DSL, but it crossed my mind that the Origin is no cost lateral, should I get to that point. (Before considering other more expensive options)

I have the Origin 50H’s , yes a pair, and a pair of the older Dsl40c’s, the Origin will get you the older classic type of tone, and the Dsl will put you in a more modern flavor, I mix mine together to get what I am after, but I could play either one without a problem.
Cheers to getting your tone worked out for your ears.
Mitch

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I haven't owned a DSL40 but I had a DSL100H for a little while. My assessment of the overdrive was about the same as yours. I found it to be kind of harsh and lacking in warmth and musicality. It was too raspy with sibilant harmonics and it was just not my sound.

However I'm extremely happy with my 2203 and if there's no worries about cranking it up, there's absolutely nothing like a cranked up 1959 Superlead. On a desert island with a reliable generator, I'd never run the Superlead with the volume under 7. It'd probably be heard by ships 20 miles out to sea! But that's the big, fat, rich, creamy sound of true sonic happiness right there.

I think you're just fighting to get a good tone out of an amp that, ultimately, doesn't have YOUR kind of tone in it.

So...try something else. Sometimes the best way to fix the problem is to start over with something else.

I'm going to make a recommendation. But I may be labelled as a heretic because it's not a Marshall. If you have an opportunity to try out a Blackstar JJN20, DO IT. Don't even hesitate. I have one. It's very impressive and it's just 20 watts with a 2 watt mode. It complements my 2203 and my 1959s very well. It really does capture the feel of a classic Marshall but with plenty of gain on tap and a more modern voice available when you press the voicing button. It's quite a versatile little amp and very well made.

 

[Whizzinby]

I have the Origin 50H’s , yes a pair, and a pair of the older Dsl40c’s, the Origin will get you the older classic type of tone, and the Dsl will put you in a more modern flavor, I mix mine together to get what I am after, but I could play either one without a problem.
Cheers to getting your tone worked out for your ears.
Mitch

Wouldn’t say I worked it out fully, but def have a better feel for how Resonance and Presence can be used after digesting this thread and doing tome fiddling.

I realize the Origin is a lower gain amp, I only mentioned that amp because it’s basically the same price so it could be a last ditch swap trying to stay in the Marshall family. If I can only use the DSL as a pedal platform then was curious if I could on the Origin to perhaps a slightly different result. (Driving more gain from pedals etc)

Do you notice different tonality between the DSL and Origin or is it basically the same minus the gain? (Ignoring the channel differences etc)

 

[Whizzinby]

I haven't owned a DSL40 but I had a DSL100H for a little while. My assessment of the overdrive was about the same as yours. I found it to be kind of harsh and lacking in warmth and musicality. It was too raspy with sibilant harmonics and it was just not my sound.

However I'm extremely happy with my 2203 and if there's no worries about cranking it up, there's absolutely nothing like a cranked up 1959 Superlead. On a desert island with a reliable generator, I'd never run the Superlead with the volume under 7. It'd probably be heard by ships 20 miles out to sea! But that's the big, fat, rich, creamy sound of true sonic happiness right there.

I think you're just fighting to get a good tone out of an amp that, ultimately, doesn't have YOUR kind of tone in it.

So...try something else. Sometimes the best way to fix the problem is to start over with something else.

I'm going to make a recommendation. But I may be labelled as a heretic because it's not a Marshall. If you have an opportunity to try out a Blackstar JJN20, DO IT. Don't even hesitate. I have one. It's very impressive and it's just 20 watts with a 2 watt mode. It complements my 2203 and my 1959s very well. It really does capture the feel of a classic Marshall but with plenty of gain on tap and a more modern voice available when you press the voicing button. It's quite a versatile little amp and very well made.

Kinda hits hard regarding “might not be YOUR tone... might need something else” for a couple reasons. It’s the first rig I’ve ever spent real money on as I spent the last 10 year only playing acoustic, and before that had a relatively cheap solid state VOX/S that I had no real expectations of. Figured I’d go ahead an just get a nice setup and went with a Gibson SG, a handful of cool pedals and was damn sure a Marshall would be the way to go. Lol

To be honest though I don’t disagree with your sentiment, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world to pivot.

That said, I’m going to check the tube bias tomorrow and see if all is in order, and I have a three day weekend to fiddle around a lot more to see where I stand. Pending that I’ll see if I want to bother with a speaker replacement or just start planning a pivot to other 1x12 or 2x12 setups.

 

[Listogast]

View attachment 75151

Have you tried diming the master volume and using the channel volume to control how loud the amp is? I've heard instances where maxing the master volume gives you better tone but I can't confirm since I have the previous non master volume version.

Also another thing I thought of, does your amp have the stock speakers? It's possible that you're just not faring well with that certain speaker. I know the old DSL's had a speaker that was notorious for being harsh and overly bright. Mine has a Celestion G12M-65 Creamback and i find it to fit the amp really nicely.

 

[Whizzinby]

Have you tried diming the master volume and using the channel volume to control how loud the amp is? I've heard instances where maxing the master volume gives you better tone but I can't confirm since I have the previous non master volume version.

Also another thing I thought of, does your amp have the stock speakers? It's possible that you're just not faring well with that certain speaker. I know the old DSL's had a speaker that was notorious for being harsh and overly bright. Mine has a Celestion G12M-65 Creamback and i find it to fit the amp really nicely.

Before reaching out to everyone on this forum my go-to was to max the master, which I got from some you tubers who said the amp is way better with them dimed. (And I do agree the amp is way better the higher those are set) I haven’t tried that with my current EQ settings but will tonight, though it could be ear piercing at 40w mode. (Which to me sounds WAY better than in 20w mode)

These are the stock V-Type speakers in my DSL40CR, which from what I gather online are an improvement on the speakers from the DSL40C version. But, I have seen quite a few people online that still didn’t like them, and swapped them out, normally with V30’s or Creambacks.

And it did cross my mind to try one or the other speaker, (V30 or Creamback H 75) but my only hesitation is the fear of putting them in and still not liking it lol. (Though that might be the route I ultimately go, as Id prefer getting this amp to work over starting over with something new, but I fear That being a sunk cost)

 

[SkyMonkey]

The V-Type is a good speaker.
I think the clue is in the name (V-Type).
It is regarded as a tamed V30 style speaker, with the mid range spike of the V30 reduced.
Choosing a replacement speaker is a gamble as you will get multiple differing opinions, and YouTube videos are not reliably representative of the tone you will actually get from a DSL40CR (i.e. the amp used in the video is highly unlikely to be yours).
V30s are extremely popular, but polarise opinion. I gather they are good for cutting through the band mix live but harsh for solo use.
A Creamback might be a smoother experience.
I went for a 60W Neodymium G12 Century Vintage (another tamed V30 style speaker) but they are now discontinued.
I still use the V-Type from the DSL40CR in an open back 112 cab underneath the DSL.
Be aware that a replacement speaker should be able to easily cope with the wattage of the amp.
Most say double the amp wattage for safety, but half again should be OK unless you thrash it with added OD pedals.
The G12T-75 is a fairly cheap, safe bet for Metal too. They come up 2nd hand often and will likely be broken in.
Stick to 16 ohm for flexible extension cab options.

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

Wouldn’t say I worked it out fully, but def have a better feel for how Resonance and Presence can be used after digesting this thread and doing tome fiddling.

I realize the Origin is a lower gain amp, I only mentioned that amp because it’s basically the same price so it could be a last ditch swap trying to stay in the Marshall family. If I can only use the DSL as a pedal platform then was curious if I could on the Origin to perhaps a slightly different result. (Driving more gain from pedals etc)

Do you notice different tonality between the DSL and Origin or is it basically the same minus the gain? (Ignoring the channel differences etc)

When I play through the Origin’s I dial in a mid 70’s Judas Priest type of tone similar to the same era as UFO, Thin Lizzy, but it is very crisp, I am also using a MXR10 band eq, and the SD1, everyone hears things differently, but I like what I am hearing.
I can bring IPhone clips of how I am playing through both amps.
They are posted in a couple of different threads here on the forum.

 

[Listogast]

Before reaching out to everyone on this forum my go-to was to max the master, which I got from some you tubers who said the amp is way better with them dimed. (And I do agree the amp is way better the higher those are set) I haven’t tried that with my current EQ settings but will tonight, though it could be ear piercing at 40w mode. (Which to me sounds WAY better than in 20w mode)

These are the stock V-Type speakers in my DSL40CR, which from what I gather online are an improvement on the speakers from the DSL40C version. But, I have seen quite a few people online that still didn’t like them, and swapped them out, normally with V30’s or Creambacks.

And it did cross my mind to try one or the other speaker, (V30 or Creamback H 75) but my only hesitation is the fear of putting them in and still not liking it lol. (Though that might be the route I ultimately go, as Id prefer getting this amp to work over starting over with something new, but I fear That being a sunk cost)

Do you have an example of the type of tone that you're going for? As you can tell, all of us have our own ways of dialing in our amps so there's no one right or wrong answer in how to dial in your amp. I feel like the DSL can get really close if you're trying to mimic a tone that was recorded with any type of Marshall. If it's a different type of amp, you'll have a harder time.

 

[Lukas]

I don’t know how much distortion tone you want but this is my heavy tone and I think it’s awesome. This was with the stock V type speaker I’ve since changed out to a G12T75 which I love even more and need to make a vid with it. The heavy part is master at noon, treble at 3 o clock, mid at 1 o clock, bass at 1 o clock, presence at 1 o clock and resonance at 3 o clock. I will add I boost the OD red channel with a tube screamer but that’s it. Ohhh and I do use the tone shift. Active pickups make a world of difference if you want a good distortion too also.

 

[purpleplexi]

Err....sorry, which pedal?

Ethos TWE-1



I think the 40 CR bias sounds good at 32mv. When you set the bias it has to be in 40w mode.

 

[Whizzinby]

Do you have an example of the type of tone that you're going for? As you can tell, all of us have our own ways of dialing in our amps so there's no one right or wrong answer in how to dial in your amp. I feel like the DSL can get really close if you're trying to mimic a tone that was recorded with any type of Marshall. If it's a different type of amp, you'll have a harder time.

Tough, because what I like versus what I play diverges. Primary influences are Smashing Pumpkins and Hum without a doubt. Both high gain, the latter a little more saturated. For more modern stuff I like a mix of instrumental “post rock” stuff (cringe using that sorta terminology at 40) like Dialects and And So I Watched You From Afar, or heavier stuff like Oathbreaker, Pallbearer, Narrow Head etc.

As far as what I would say I like playing. I have a buddy with drums down the road and he has a different musical background so we sorta meet in the middle playing stuff loosely in the Gary Clarke, Marcus King, AC/DC mode.

At the house (majority of playing) I’m generally gravitating towards clean tones layering reverb/delay/chorus, transitioning into more saturated high gain stuff. (That might loosely be a mix of all the bands above)

 

[Whizzinby]

I don’t know how much distortion tone you want but this is my heavy tone and I think it’s awesome. This was with the stock V type speaker I’ve since changed out to a G12T75 which I love even more and need to make a vid with it. The heavy part is master at noon, treble at 3 o clock, mid at 1 o clock, bass at 1 o clock, presence at 1 o clock and resonance at 3 o clock. I will add I boost the OD red channel with a tube screamer but that’s it. Ohhh and I do use the tone shift. Active pickups make a world of difference if you want a good distortion too also.

Nice, haven’t heard some SOAD in a while.

Def on a collision course for either a replacement speaker or running a 2x12 cab with it. (Which might be the best of both worlds because if I ultimately wanted to pivot, I’d just have to focus on a head)

I’ll gives those eq settings a try.

 

[Whizzinby]

Ethos TWE-1



I think the 40 CR bias sounds good at 32mv. When you set the bias it has to be in 40w mode.

What is the full range supported by the amp/tubes?

I’m planning to get a multimeter today to check/adjust the bias.

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

I don’t know how much distortion tone you want but this is my heavy tone and I think it’s awesome. This was with the stock V type speaker I’ve since changed out to a G12T75 which I love even more and need to make a vid with it. The heavy part is master at noon, treble at 3 o clock, mid at 1 o clock, bass at 1 o clock, presence at 1 o clock and resonance at 3 o clock. I will add I boost the OD red channel with a tube screamer but that’s it. Ohhh and I do use the tone shift. Active pickups make a world of difference if you want a good distortion too also.

That is a great heavy tone ..
Thanks for sharing brother