I hate my DSL40C

[brp]

I post over on eGullet, one of the larger food forums on the net. There's a topic today on the best way to warm you dinner plates. Apparently people fill their sink up with hot water, submerge their plate for 5 minutes and then dry it off.

lol riveting tale, ol' chap.

 

[Sournote]

Wow, just wow. I am not rejecting anyones help. It's the reason I came here. But just read some of the post's again. People telling me It's how I play, I have not been playing long, not used to the tube amp. Christ, how would you feel? I know when something sounds right and when it doesn't. If I was more tech savy I would post something, but that isn't the case. It seems everyone is bashing my ears and capabilites. If you play guitar, I sure as hell hope you know good sound and bad. So the 3 other players I know that tried to tune the amp, can't play, haven't been playing long enough, not used to a tube amp?

Sorry for drawing conclusions from the limited info in your first post.

That said, you said you have been playing solid state amps and perhaps have become tuned to prefering that sound, or perhaps are playing at lower volumes where tube amps are sub-optimal.

 

[maxxi]

all theads ive seen stating the poster doesnt like the new DSL line is about the 40 watt combo version.

guess they're the 'weak link' in the new DSL line? :cool2:

 

[Guitar-Rocker]

First mistake, online purchase. No one had one in my area. Read the reviews, listened on Youtube. I thought it sounded great. Mine doesn't. I appreciate the suggestion, but I really don't feel like changing speakers, tubes, whatever else, after spending $700.

Unfortunately, many combos will not be voiced as to your tone needs and will need tweaked. I can understand frustration in paying good money for an amp, and it doesn't nail your tone, but if the amp is the one for you, you might have to tweak it to taste. That said, I can't build a combo to nail 70's tone even if I'm only countig parts at $700, not counting labor.

 

[JohnH]

Hi cecil
I just want to say welcome to our forum, and I commiserate with your woes. Its getting harder to find bricks and mortar shops to try gear out in these days. So we have to buy gear 'sound unheard', and its risky.

Im interested in these amps because i use its predesessor, which is a keeper imo.

Ok,so faced with your issues id try two things:

First thing is, if you havnt already, find a time and place where you can turn it up to at least 6. This should smooth it out allowing you to use tune the tone with the tone, presence and resonance controls. If you find your tone, then theres something to work with towards using it at lower volume.

My other thought is to borrow an eq box or a processor set only to work on eq and put it in the loop, to give a finer ability to tune the tone.

Good luck! Although its a new model, its based on a well loved design so theres gotta be some good sounds in there somewhere.

J

 

[DirtySteve]

To be fair, the OP was a statement, not a question so I totally get his frustration with some of the responses. He wasn't asking for advice he was just giving his opinion because he's disappointed. I get that, I am, too.

I do believe it could have to do with the it being an open back combo. I for one bought this amp because I read so much about the DSL sounding good at low volume. Well it turns out (at least the combo) does not. I cranked it again today and it's much better loud, but I can't always crank it so it's not what I want.

I knew when I bought mine I didn't need 40 watts, but at that price with the features it has over the 15 watter it was a no brainer. I'm still turned off on the 15s features so I'm going a different route.

 

[cecil1]

Finally some good feedback. Here is the bottom line. The amp is muffled and fuzzy and nothing I try helps. I mean nothing. I just cant fathom that this is just the way it is. How can I get rid of this? I am talking about the ultra gain channel.

 

[Dizzyg12]

I would try new tubes. My blackstar amp recently lost its oomph an was very weak and notes/chords were not as crisp as it was new. New tubes brought I back to life. Very possible you got one with a bad tube.

 

[cecil1]

You know what. I think you are maybe onto something. There is no way in hell this thing should be muffled. Period. End of story. Maybe something is wrong and I am fighting a losing battle. Anyone with any suggestions to try and clean up the ultra gain channel?

 

[guitargoalie]

Which Line6 are you comparing it to? I was submerged in line6 gear a few years ago, and I was a lot more accepting since I was not coming from a tube background.

I have the first bogner spider valve, and yes after playing it compared to my dsl for a year, I'm well aware that the feel of the amp is a lot more artificial and stale. That being said, there are still sounds on there that have a smoother distortion than the dsl's lead channel.

I have a feeling its simply the dsl's distortion character that you don't like. IMO adding a muff pedal would worsen things. Getting different/better quality preamp tubes can make a subtle difference.

Most important do two things - post a clip of your lead channel mic'd if you can, and 2. compare your sound to some youtube demos (yayaya youtube compression and shitty sound quality, I'm talking real general here)

 

[DirtySteve]

You know what. I think you are maybe onto something. There is no way in hell this thing should be muffled. Period. End of story. Maybe something is wrong and I am fighting a losing battle. Anyone with any suggestions to try and clean up the ultra gain channel?

Yeah you may be right. Muddy and muffled mine is not. It's bright and harsh, but not muddy. Even when I tried an Eminence Red White and Blues, which is a much darker speaker, it was not muffled, but it still had that bright streak.

 

[brp]

You know what. I think you are maybe onto something. There is no way in hell this thing should be muffled. Period. End of story.

I agree. "Muffled" is not what I've heard about this amp. Not sure tubes is the problem but a good place to start.

 

[Sournote]

Finally some good feedback. Here is the bottom line. The amp is muffled and fuzzy and nothing I try helps. I mean nothing. I just cant fathom that this is just the way it is. How can I get rid of this? I am talking about the ultra gain channel.

Try the other channel or turn it up way loud and keep the gain around 2 (the # not the clock position).

Also you have to understand ultra gain is MOD-REN sounding. (Yes, I know I spelled it wrong.)

With the gain turned up past about 2 on the Ultra channel the tone is in modern metal-ish territory (at least from the perspective of someone looking for classic rock to 70's metal tone)and that is the way it it is. I mean "Ultra" is implies a lot does it not? At least 1/2 the range of the DSL 40 is not useable for me but that doesn't mean the part I can use doesn't sound good or that the part that's too gainy for me isn't perfect for the guy wanting a more modern sound.

If ultra is too gainy for you, try messing around on the clean side and see if you can't find the classic tone you are looking for. If you can't, then the DSL40 is indeed not your amp and I wish you luck finding the tone you seek in this price range. (Perhaps you should take a look at a PV Classic 30.)

 

[Ken]

You guys are starting to piss me off. I KNOW when something sounds good, and when is doesn't. The damn things sounds muffled and mudddy, and any other changes I make to clean it up give it a tinty sound. !

Typical of bad tubes and/or bad bias. If the amp is new I can GUARANTEE the bias is too hot. Get someone to set the amp to about 8-10 mV lower than factory spec. Most people also change the speaker from stock on these amps.

Try these ideas and then get back to us.

Ken

 

[Quasar-Kid]

Wow, just wow. I am not rejecting anyones help. It's the reason I came here. But just read some of the post's again. People telling me It's how I play, I have not been playing long, not used to the tube amp. Christ, how would you feel? I know when something sounds right and when it doesn't. If I was more tech savy I would post something, but that isn't the case. It seems everyone is bashing my ears and capabilites. If you play guitar, I sure as hell hope you know good sound and bad. So the 3 other players I know that tried to tune the amp, can't play, haven't been playing long enough, not used to a tube amp?

I'm right there with you bro...
The DSL40 is a very uninspiring product
And: It's EXPENSIVE considering it's performance characteristics

I assure you - it's not you
Look I didn't want to say this because this is a Marshall forum
But I sent a buddy of mine in to play it as well and report back to me
This is a guitarist who has recorded on albums of significance and is a quality player

Unless pushed I will not give you his exact quote
but he was displeased with it

 

[cecil1]

Quasar-Kid. Thank you. I just turned the gain down and volume up. It sounded better. But who in the hell can play that loud at home? Also thank you to the previous poster who mentioned trying this. I knew damn well I knew what I was talking about. I took a lot of heat here earlier. Now what Marshall to buy?

 

[DirtySteve]

.... Now what Marshall to buy?

Take a look on the last page of my thread at what Adrian had to say today. I wish I had a way to compare the 2.

 

[paul-e-mann]

I still say somebodys gotta plug this thing into a good broken in cab before judgement is passed. It may be the speaker, or the speaker not being broken in, the fact its an open back combo, or some other reason. Being a fixed bias, is there a way to override this so it can be set differently? Maybe its set too hot/cold. I cant imagine Marshall saying "hey lets market this piece of crap and see what the public thinks". It must have sounded good to someone at headquarters!

 

[Dogs of Doom]

If it is muffled sounding, could be a faulty transformer as well. There's always the chance that something in electronics is faulty, whether or not the product is a good product in general...

 

[DirtySteve]

The bias is adjustable. That's why I never swapped power tubes. I don't know what the numbers should be and I barely know enough to set it if I know the numbers.