Marshall DSL15 6V6 JCM800 Hot Rodded claim

[Maxbrothman]

First of all, this was a 6V6 amp. I owned one but sold it. I can't believe I missed it was a 6V6. I thought it was an EL34. No wonder it sounded different to my ears than a regular Marshall.

Anyway the hot-rodded JCM800 claim is in the red box below.

I was looking through other DSL manuals of amps still currently being made. I couldn't find that claim being made elsewhere. I could be wrong but anyone catch it anywhere else?

If not, then what gives? Did players decide it didn't sound like that claim and so Marshall rescinded it?

Also that 6V6 choice. I take it Marshall stopped doing that after finishing production of the DSL15?

P.S - I get 6V6 is close to an EL34 but with differences.

 

[Maxbrothman]

So in 2009 there was another 15W 6V6.

MHZ15H, aka, Haze 15.

 

[scozz]

I’ve always preferred the Dsl15 to the Dsl20, seemed a little more organic sounding to me. I’ve always thought it was the 6v6’s, but never got any deeper into it.

 

[fitz]

If the DSL15 had a loop, I'd already have one.
I do have the 6V6 Haze15. (no loop needed - built in chorus & reverb)

And I've also tried the 6V6 tubes in my Origin20 & DSL20HR.
The cathode bias adjusts for them, and they give another tone option to those amps that get some power section drive when cranked.

The 6V6 in the 20's are a little quieter, and get some native OD at a lower volume, if that's what you're after.
A little warmer clean tone, but they also get a little wooly/fuzz-ish in the bass when cranked.

 

[Sg-ocaster]

I love my modded dsl15c. I swapped out the bright cap and cathode resistor of the ultra ch and comverted to OD1. Tubes and a Hertiage G12-65. Brought it to the studio couple months ago mic'ed up with a Sennheiser 421 and after an initial scoff the engineer came out after the first track amazed that it sounded to him just like an 800 and asked me if that was what I was going for when I modded it. Too me its like a more compressed 800 with much less volume.

 

[Purgasound]

I don't think they're anywhere close to an 800. Circuit and sound-wise. That's not to say it's a bad amp, I just think it's more of a buzz word than anything. I have a DSL5CR I use for backstage rehearsing and it sounds killer.

 

[Wildeman]

I'm curious about that amp, I've still not seen one in the wild. Y'all reminded me about my Haze 15 though, I need to dig that thing out! I've been stuck on my AC4-12" for months.

 

[Gene Ballzz]

@Maxbrothman ,

Any problems with the DSL15, were rarely related to 6V6 power tubes. The big issues I encountered were A) Lack of an effects loop (and reverb deleted on the head) and B) The disparity of tonal character between the two channels! Absolutely great sounds can be achieved from either channel (I preferred the CLASSIC channel with GAIN and VOLUME cranked), but the other channel will sound like DOO-DOO, with the same EQ settings! The DSL20 improved this channel disparity a bit, and added a fairly OK effects loop! The downside is that the DSL20 lost that glorious power tube overdrive of the 6V6s, that I believe were also fixed bias, as opposed to the cathode bias of the DSL20.

Had the DSL15 provided a loop, the DSL20 would never have been needed, as slight mods to the ULTRA channel were fairly easy to bring it into the same "tonal ballpark" as the CLASSIC channel. On the other hand, the channels on the DSL20 and overall sound are "close enough" to make it a very useable grab n go amp, in stock form! Except, of course, for a speaker upgrade in the combo! I've found a Creamback 65 to be just about perfect here!

Just My Experiencin'
Gene