Falling out of love with my DSL40C

[DirtySteve]

Steve..I tried the cab with the DSL40 and it still left me searching for that bigger JCM800 sound. It was like a woman showing you her breasts and not giving you the rest of the package...Leaves you hanging for more....LOL

...ok then maybe not. That is disappointing. I really am rooting for the amp to be a success, it's just not doing it for me. If the Ultra channel was more old school sounding still instead of modern it would probably work better for me. I want an amp with the gain of the red channel (well maybe not as much), but with the old school feel and vibe of the green channel.

Kind of the same way I wish my class 5 just had a little more gain on it's own. Like maybe how it does cranked with an OD in front, but on it's own. Then put an OD in front of that and we wouldn't be having this conversation because I wouldn't have needed to buy another amp in the first place.

 

[veryLOUDdsl100]

Take it down to the local shop and plug it into a well broken in cab. Dont ditch it so quick until you know for sure theres no saving it. You may be pleasantly surprised and love this thing!

He's right, 40watts would be plenty enough to push a 2x12 or 4x12 and it might take your sound to heavenly

 

[DirtySteve]

Take it down to the local shop and plug it into a well broken in cab. Dont ditch it so quick until you know for sure theres no saving it. You may be pleasantly surprised and love this thing!

If it was that much better I wouldn't want the combo at all. I'd probably be pissed that it doesn't come in a head version and still sell it.

 

[veryLOUDdsl100]

If it was that much better I wouldn't want the combo at all. I'd probably be pissed that it doesn't come in a head version and still sell it.

If were talking about the dsl40 combo amp, it does come in a head version, the new dsl100h or you could buy a used jcm2000 dsl head....if were not talking about the same amp... then please disregard

 

[Marshallmadness]

I didn't know a combo could be tight, thick, and punchy until I picked up an old jcm4010. Wow. I could go on forever about that beast. I might suggest hunting down one of the older jcm800 amps if you have to have that sound. I have never heard a later Marshall belt out metal like an old jcm800 with Drake transformers and a boost pedal. They sound great at very low volumes too.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

The DSL40's a nice amp. Maybe not the "DSL reissue" I originally argued. But hey - for 7 Benji's, what other Marshalls are there to compare it to? Lately I've been favoring this Fender X2 thing or whatever because of the 15 watts and all. I expect that to be discontinued soon.

I'm more interested in seeing if Marshall comes out with some cool items in '13. I'd love a 1-watter, but I'm just not paying $800 + tax for that.

 

[Darth Federer]

No doubt the good stuff can be pricey but if you have a playing environment where noise is a serious issue then you will get the value back in spades because of how much you get to play and crank the 1 watter. You are paying for enjoyment after all. Let me ask it like this, what other amp could you get cranked Marshall JMP JTM or JCM tone(what we all love) at 3:00pm or 3:00am without waking the neighbors or the people in the next room? What other amp will give you cranked JMP JTM or JCM tones in a condo or apt without getting the cops involved. Aside from the fantastic tone, these issues also add value to the 1 watter and help to better justify the price. If I had a dollar to playing time ratio figured out, Marshall is probably paying me by this point.

 

[X2203xman]

I didn't know a combo could be tight, thick, and punchy until I picked up an old jcm4010. Wow. I could go on forever about that beast. I might suggest hunting down one of the older jcm800 amps if you have to have that sound. I have never heard a later Marshall belt out metal like an old jcm800 with Drake transformers and a boost pedal. They sound great at very low volumes too.

Steve is liking this.I think the 800 series is the sound Steve is after.Am I getting warmer?..I highly rcomend any 800,even the new ones.D L ROTH has a killer vid of the new 2203.You can find it in the member classified section.I'd post it,but feel like it's his to post...Anywho,any 'ol 800 is 'gonna rip old school style.The 1987 will get you there at mega volume,it's a great amp for sure.Whats the plan Steve???

 

[Vinsanitizer]

No doubt the good stuff can be pricey but if you have a playing environment where noise is a serious issue then you will get the value back in spades because of how much you get to play and crank the 1 watter. You are paying for enjoyment after all. Let me ask it like this, what other amp could you get cranked Marshall JMP JTM or JCM tone(what we all love) at 3:00pm or 3:00am without waking the neighbors or the people in the next room? What other amp will give you cranked JMP JTM or JCM tones in a condo or apt without getting the cops involved. Aside from the fantastic tone, these issues also add value to the 1 watter and help to better justify the price. If I had a dollar to playing time ratio figured out, Marshall is probably paying me by this point.

I understand. It's that age-old decision between convenience and quantity.

 

[Marshallmadness]

This might be off topic but I just picked up a haze 40 for the heck of it. It was actually broken but that's another story. After a proper set up with tubes and bias it actually does the 6 knob jcm800 feel and dynamics pretty well. Really had a pretty good old school voicing. Want metal? Dial it to match a 2203/2204 then turn on the sd1 or zw44 and look out. With a good guitar and player it gets really good tight punchy metal sounds. The 40 watts of it is not even close to the ppwer of my jcm800 4010 combo. That amp on 2.5 I swear is louder than the haze wide open. I am all about old jcm800 voicing and that's what sold me on the haze 40.

 

[snshami]

In case anyone's noticed I've kind of shut up about it lately. The honeymoon is over and I'm really disappointed right now. I feel like I have to make this post in case someone is making a purchase based on anything I've said, because I LOVED it at first and ran my mouth all over the place.

I tried tubes and speakers and that's not it. I can't get anything out of the crunch channel that my class 5 doesn't do better and the clean channel isn't anything special, but that's not why I bought it.

I bought if for metal, but I'm very disappointed in the Red channel lead 1 and 2. The more I play it and tweak it the less I like it. It was great at first, but now that my ears have gotten used to it or it's breaking in or whatever it is it just seems fizzy and way too bright. It probably cuts like a knife live and in the mix, but I don't gig so that's of no use to me.

I don't believe for a second that this has anything to do with where it was made so don't even go there!!! ...and I've never played an old one so I don't know if there's a difference in them sound wise. It's just not doing it for me.

I think I'm looking for a more "old school" sound. Like a higher gain Class 5 at around 20 - 50 watts that still sounds good at lower volumes would be perfect.

Back to the drawing board I guess.

Firstly I commend you on your honesty but would like to add a note of caution that might be at odds with the general flavour of the other comments in this thread.

I think there should be a new acronym to go with GAS something along the lines of you wake up and realise you never really needed that new piece of gear but were buying it to fill a need of a different kind. In other words you were scratching your itch in the wrong place. Then the honeymoon is over and the itch is still there. You blame the new piece of equipment for not magically fixing the problem.

I think many of us have been there. I certainly have on many occasions. Often I buy a new piece of gear because I am musically stuck and tell myself I need that certain feature to make progress. While that is true on the odd occasion, it is not true most of the time.

Anyway I realise that I might be oversimplifying here and this may not apply to you at all. I do feel that the DSL does vintage and modern Marshall very well. It really is quite versatile and if you cannot nail the sounds of a Class 5 then there is something not quite right. I had an awesome Jet City 2112 that had the old school rodded Marshall sound covered really well. My new DSL can cover that sound as well. Remember what I am saying here includes adjusting the controls on your guitar as well.

Like I wrote in my other post, and in many posts before, we have so many many variables at our disposals that can drastically affect our tone. The guitar is such a big part of that, the pickups, how we control the volume and tone pots.

What I am saying is I wouldn't give up just yet. A guitar amp is a tool to make sound but you need to wield the tool. I believe this DSL is a more versatile tool than most. If you cannot make it work for you then maybe its that signature Marshall tone that is not doing it for you. Another thing is we all change and sometimes go through phases where we like one kind of sound over another. Maybe you are in some sort of interlude.

Hope I have not offended in any way..

 

[DirtySteve]

No you didn't offend me, you make some great points and paragraph 2 nailed it...you're just waaaaaay late. I have already had an amp built and it on it's way since this thread. ...btw, I still have my DSL and most of my problems with it turned out to be the preamp tubes I put in it weren't right for it. It's also broken in over time (or my ears have) and it's much better. I still doubt I'm going to keep it though.

You're right...it was an impulse. I saw a big Marshall that I could afford and I'd read so many good things about the old ones, I just jumped on it. I don't regret buying it and I learned something.

 

[snshami]

In the interests of fairness and full dislosure I bought my DSL40c on kind of an impulse as well . It was more of an opportunistic impulse.

I had these two amps, an Ibanez Tubescreamer and a Jet City Combo and loved them both. Then this Marshall came along at the lowest price and highest feature list of any Marshall Tube amp ever. It had more power, two channels and effects loop, reverb and a huge amount of controlability. I was intrigued. I checked it out, totally fell in love with the tone and realised that if I sold my two amps that were still very new I could afford the Marshall and it would last me longer, be more versatile and leave me wanting for nothing.

In the end my son took the Ibanez and I sold his but that is another story.

This Marshall is it for me. I can now concentrate on music and not be distracted by amps. Some time in the distant future, after the kids have left home I know I will buy a Vox AC30 to complement this Marshall. The Vox sound is probably one thing the Marshall will not do. Of the two the Marshall is the amp I find more versatile for what I play.

 

[seattleman1969]

I found the 40C too fizzy also.

Here are a few of things you can do to get what you are looking for. The first two are not too expensive. I started cheapest and most effective first and went from there.

After the first three Mods my amp sounded fantastic.

1. Remove c19 (Just desolder one leg) or replace the 470pF capacitor in position C19 with a 68pF silver mica cap, Personally I prefer the former, just desoldering or removing rather than the latter. Regardless it takes about 15 minutes, costs either nothing or less than a dollar if you replace it, and has a HUMONGOUS impact on the icepick sound of the Ultra Channel. The EQ is evened out across the two, and you can get a much wider array of useable tones.

2. Replace the stock EL-34s with JJ 6CA7s. Nice fatter sound, solid bass that doesn't flub out, a nice cross between 6L6 and EL34 Tones, everything good about both and the price is under $20 per tube.

3. Replace the v1 and the v4 preamp tube with a 12AT7s. This calms down and smooths some of the gain and opens up the Classic channel with a bit more headroom if you use the the Crunch side. It's a lot more like a JTM-45 where you can get the sweet spot of just breaking up with your guitar volume all the way up or roll it back for a nice sweet full clean tone.

4. I am running a G12M Creamback in mine currently, and it really helped the tone a lot (Removed the extreme highs of the 70-80). I have heard, although not verified, that a well broken in 70-80 can sound very good as well. Blackstar uses them in their HT Stage line of amps and they sound great stock/new. Maybe a good break in is all that is needed.

I really want to try out the G12H Creamback as it is supposed to have a tighter low end still as well as more clean headroom. I may even build a 1x12 extension with a G12H and a Gold in the Combo Cab.

 

[Greatwhitenorth]

I found the 40C too fizzy also.

Here are a few of things you can do to get what you are looking for. The first two are not too expensive. I started cheapest and most effective first and went from there.

After the first three Mods my amp sounded fantastic.

1. Remove c19 (Just desolder one leg) or replace the 470pF capacitor in position C19 with a 68pF silver mica cap, Personally I prefer the former, just desoldering or removing rather than the latter. Regardless it takes about 15 minutes, costs either nothing or less than a dollar if you replace it, and has a HUMONGOUS impact on the icepick sound of the Ultra Channel. The EQ is evened out across the two, and you can get a much wider array of useable tones.

2. Replace the stock EL-34s with JJ 6CA7s. Nice fatter sound, solid bass that doesn't flub out, a nice cross between 6L6 and EL34 Tones, everything good about both and the price is under $20 per tube.

3. Replace the v1 and the v4 preamp tube with a 12AT7s. This calms down and smooths some of the gain and opens up the Classic channel with a bit more headroom if you use the the Crunch side. It's a lot more like a JTM-45 where you can get the sweet spot of just breaking up with your guitar volume all the way up or roll it back for a nice sweet full clean tone.

4. I am running a G12M Creamback in mine currently, and it really helped the tone a lot (Removed the extreme highs of the 70-80). I have heard, although not verified, that a well broken in 70-80 can sound very good as well. Blackstar uses them in their HT Stage line of amps and they sound great stock/new. Maybe a good break in is all that is needed.

I really want to try out the G12H Creamback as it is supposed to have a tighter low end still as well as more clean headroom. I may even build a 1x12 extension with a G12H and a Gold in the Combo Cab.

Do you have to source the 68pF silver mica cap from an audio retailer or can you get one from any electronics store? I have considered just clipping the existing C19 cap in my DSL40C but I'm not sure it would be a positive change for me. I don't find the tone "ice picky" per say and I don't want the amp sound like I threw a blanket over it if you know what I'm saying.

 

[kamran]

I found the 40C too fizzy also.

Here are a few of things you can do to get what you are looking for. The first two are not too expensive. I started cheapest and most effective first and went from there.

After the first three Mods my amp sounded fantastic.

1. Remove c19 (Just desolder one leg) or replace the 470pF capacitor in position C19 with a 68pF silver mica cap, Personally I prefer the former, just desoldering or removing rather than the latter. Regardless it takes about 15 minutes, costs either nothing or less than a dollar if you replace it, and has a HUMONGOUS impact on the icepick sound of the Ultra Channel. The EQ is evened out across the two, and you can get a much wider array of useable tones.

2. Replace the stock EL-34s with JJ 6CA7s. Nice fatter sound, solid bass that doesn't flub out, a nice cross between 6L6 and EL34 Tones, everything good about both and the price is under $20 per tube.

3. Replace the v1 and the v4 preamp tube with a 12AT7s. This calms down and smooths some of the gain and opens up the Classic channel with a bit more headroom if you use the the Crunch side. It's a lot more like a JTM-45 where you can get the sweet spot of just breaking up with your guitar volume all the way up or roll it back for a nice sweet full clean tone.

4. I am running a G12M Creamback in mine currently, and it really helped the tone a lot (Removed the extreme highs of the 70-80). I have heard, although not verified, that a well broken in 70-80 can sound very good as well. Blackstar uses them in their HT Stage line of amps and they sound great stock/new. Maybe a good break in is all that is needed.

I really want to try out the G12H Creamback as it is supposed to have a tighter low end still as well as more clean headroom. I may even build a 1x12 extension with a G12H and a Gold in the Combo Cab.

You just revived a year old thread, I don't think Steve even has the amp any more.

 

[Rocktane]

You just revived a year old thread, I don't think Steve even has the amp any more.

Nope, it's long gone. LOL

 

[kamran]

I don't get why new members always revive dead threads. Great impression.

 

[Mesa100w]

I fell out of love with Mine,and bought A Mesa and haven't looked back

 

[iron broadsword]

I don't get why new members always revive dead threads. Great impression.

Probably because they found the site via that particular thread in google or something. Pretty sure that's how it happened to me, and I should know better, haha.