maintenance & upgrades for the DSL100 head

[GibsonMarshallGuy47]

my DSL100 is about 8 and a half years old... never been re-tubed, nor have I had any work done on it at all. I know that probably within the next year or so, it will probably need all new tubes, and a re-biasing. I figured I would try to get ahead of that and plan on buying the new tubes sooner rather than later. now, I know that the power tubes are four EL34's, and the pre's are four ECC83's. however... are there any other tubes that you guys can recommend that will work with the DSL, but sound better? I play heavy rock type music, so naturally I would want tubes that would give it some clarity, fuller frequency response, and a beefier, chunkier, higher gain type of character. also, what about upgrading other components? like the output transformer, or another part that will enhance the tone of the amp? I'm open to any and all suggestions.

 

[Gunner64]

 

[GibsonMarshallGuy47]

 

[Rokinroller]

Tubes and transformers are not a solution . Speakers are the most important tone shapers . If a stock DSL100 in good working order and new tubes doesnt do it for you , then look for another amp that will suit your quest .

 

[Gunner64]

@Adrian R ..Wait for it.

 

[Rokinroller]

ADRIAN knows how to handle a DSL .

 

[GibsonMarshallGuy47]

Tubes and transformers are not a solution . Speakers are the most important tone shapers . If a stock DSL100 in good working order and new tubes doesnt do it for you , then look for another amp that will suit your quest .

I don't think you understand... my amp is 8 and a half years old. I've never had it diagnosed, serviced, or re-tubed at all. the amp is running on borrowed time. the tubes will definitely need to be replaced very soon. they probably won't last much longer. maybe another year or so, if I'm lucky. I want to purchase the replacement tubes NOW so that I'm ready whenever they fail, which is inevitable at this point. and when it comes time to replace them, I figured why not look into some other tube options that will work with a DSL100 that might sound better than the stock tubes. aside from that, I have also heard and read about people upgrading other components of the amp (like an output transformer, for example) resulting in a noticeable tonal improvement.

 

[Rokinroller]

I don't think you understand... my amp is 8 and a half years old. I've never had it diagnosed, serviced, or re-tubed at all. the amp is running on borrowed time. the tubes will definitely need to be replaced very soon. they probably won't last much longer. maybe another year or so, if I'm lucky. I want to purchase the replacement tubes NOW so that I'm ready whenever they fail, which is inevitable at this point. and when it comes time to replace them, I figured why not look into some other tube options that will work with a DSL100 that might sound better than the stock tubes. aside from that, I have heard of people upgrading other components of the amp (like an output transformer, for example) resulting in a noticeable tonal improvement.

Thats fine . Get tubes and bias the new EL34 power tubes . Buy a well matched quad from a good vendor . Fresh tubes and proper bias will make your DSL run its best .

 

[GibsonMarshallGuy47]

Thats fine . Get tubes and bias the new EL34 power tubes . Buy a well matched quad from a good vendor . Fresh tubes and proper bias will make your DSL run its best .

I did some research, and apparently, the JJ KT77 tubes are supposed to be a really good upgraded compatible tube for EL34's. from what I've read about them, they are less compressed, and have a more pronounced, tighter low end response than EL34's. a friend of mine told me its crucial to make sure to go with a reputable tube vendor, like The Tube Store and Viva Tubes. but unfortunately, they don't seem to have the exact JJ KT77's. does anyone know if Tube Depot is a reputable, reliable site for buying tubes?

 

[rocker68]

Tube Depot is great. I've never had a problem with them. It's advised that you specify the ma range you require. Example, " These will bias between 32 to 42 ma " . They always give me exactly what I ordered. Power tubes brands are like salad dressing flavors. It will be a while until you find your favorite. First, which generation dsl is it ? How many knobs on front ? JCM, DSL H or DSL HR ? That will influence the pwr tubes choice. HR ? Slightly darker. I vote EHX. H? Noticably brighter. JJ 34L. Or 6C7A. JCM ? Adrian is your guy. Many brands to choose from. Mullard, Tong-Sol etc. Read as many opinions as you can . Choice of speakers and/or pickups alters and affects everything. Good luck Hoss. Enjoy the journey.

 

[Rokinroller]

I'm a 6CA7 in a DSL guy . Love the beef ,balls , and articulation of a good EH 6CA7 . 72-75 ma per side , incredible big 3D sound and amp runs cool and stable bias . In my last 2004 JCM2000 one at least .

 

[Trouble Free]

if the tubes work the tubes work. I have a couple amps that have had the same tubes for nearly 40 years now.

Buy a spare set and save them till you need them

 

[SkyMonkey]

My only suggestions are to get the same tubes again if they have served you well for 8 years.
Didn't DSL100H amps come with JJ's.

Get a balanced tube for the inverter.
Maybe try out an ECC823 in V1 to tame the OD2 a bit.

I do get where you are coming from though.
I panicked a bit and bought a new full tube set for my 40CR as the pandemic started to ramp prices and stocks plummeted.
And mine is only 5 yrs old.

 

[GibsonMarshallGuy47]

Tube Depot is great. I've never had a problem with them. It's advised that you specify the ma range you require. Example, " These will bias between 32 to 42 ma " . They always give me exactly what I ordered. Power tubes brands are like salad dressing flavors. It will be a while until you find your favorite. First, which generation dsl is it ? How many knobs on front ? JCM, DSL H or DSL HR ? That will influence the pwr tubes choice. HR ? Slightly darker. I vote EHX. H? Noticably brighter. JJ 34L. Or 6C7A. JCM ? Adrian is your guy. Many brands to choose from. Mullard, Tong-Sol etc. Read as many opinions as you can . Choice of speakers and/or pickups alters and affects everything. Good luck Hoss. Enjoy the journey.

my DSL is about 8 and a half years old. its precisely a "DSL100"... not one of the older JCM2000 heads, or the newer DSL100-H's (which I've read is a completely different amp than the prior DSL100's).

 

[LPMarshall hack]

my DSL is about 8 and a half years old. its precisely a "DSL100"... not one of the older JCM2000 heads, or the newer DSL100-H's (which I've read is a completely different amp than the prior DSL100's).

If I’m not mistaken, if your amp has the “DSL100” logo underneath the power switches, it is the latest HR model. If the logo is on the right of the switches, it’s the DSL 100H model. Both are good tho.

Edit: based on some pics, looks like the 100H models actually say (read) DSL100H to the right of the switches.

 

[tschrama]

if the tubes work the tubes work. I have a couple amps that have had the same tubes for nearly 40 years now.

Buy a spare set and save them till you need them

This.

Why change tubes after 8 years, or 18? If they bias up, that means they still have plenty of transductance and replacement is just a waste. And no, you wont change a amplifiers tone by changing tubes.

 

[GibsonMarshallGuy47]

yeah, I am definitely in the market to invest in some power tubes now, just so that I have them and am prepared for the day that they do fail. then maybe later this year I will look into preamp tubes as well... here's another odd question about tubes - are tubes ok to just sit on a shelf somewhere for months or years at a time?

 

[Karl Brake]

I don't think you understand... my amp is 8 and a half years old. I've never had it diagnosed, serviced, or re-tubed at all. the amp is running on borrowed time. the tubes will definitely need to be replaced very soon. they probably won't last much longer. maybe another year or so, if I'm lucky. I want to purchase the replacement tubes NOW so that I'm ready whenever they fail, which is inevitable at this point. and when it comes time to replace them, I figured why not look into some other tube options that will work with a DSL100 that might sound better than the stock tubes. aside from that, I have also heard and read about people upgrading other components of the amp (like an output transformer, for example) resulting in a noticeable tonal improvement.

The tonal differences between different brands of output tubes is minimal, but JJ makes an EL34 II tube that definitely has a bit more bottom end, good for any Marshall that's too upper mid focused. I found it made a nice difference in a JVM. Or an EL34L, which is similar. Some people swear by the ruby EL34 STR. It is a bit more aggressive but has a shorter life. You're absolutely right...after 8 years, new, freshly biased output tubes 8n general will make the amp seem to wake up!

 

[Adrian R]

@Adrian R ..Wait for it.

Lol

 

[Gunner64]

Lol

Stand down bro. It's the newer 100h, not the 2k...my bad.