Marshall DSL40C

[Duffy49]

Personally I am loving the DSL40C with the Celestion Creamback G12M-65.

From the ad copy, but I find it to be 100% accurate: "With its warmth and distinctive growl, the G12M-65 serves up the essence of British guitar tone, with low end grunt complementing its warm mids, crunchy upper-mids and sweet highs. If you want definitive Celestion sound, this is the speaker."

Now keep in mind my playing style/styles. I play modern worship music in my Church Praise and Worship team (Switchfoot, Newsboys, Third Day, Lincoln Brewster, Chris Tomlin, etc.) as well as blues/Texas Blues, Southern Rock, Classic Rock and 80's. I don't really do ultra gain stuff so the taming of the "Utra-Gain" channel was a winner for me.

The Creamback really plays into that a lot as well as the removal of C19. The Creamback really gives me a smoother more even gain while still providing plenty of clarityand sensitivity. I find it balances out the tones in this amp nicely.

I can still get right on the edge of Hot Rodded JCM800 80's tones if I crank the second mode on the Ultra gain channel. Generally I only do that at home though (when the wife and child are away...)

Nice description and it sounds like a good choice for someone.

I'll think about that one. I'm also thinking of:
Governor
Swamp Thang
Texas Heat.

I also wonder what one of the expensive Celestion Golds or Eminence Ram Rods would sound like with their alnico bell covered magnets? I'm talking for blues, blues rock, Southern rock, and rock type music in general; clean and with some mild to fairly strong overdrive, but not ultra high gain - more of a C-19 modded amp type thing on the gain voices.

 

[seattleman1969]

Nice description and it sounds like a good choice for someone.

I'll think about that one. I'm also thinking of:
Governor
Swamp Thang
Texas Heat.

I also wonder what one of the expensive Celestion Golds or Eminence Ram Rods would sound like with their alnico bell covered magnets? I'm talking for blues, blues rock, Southern rock, and rock type music in general; clean and with some mild to fairly strong overdrive, but not ultra high gain - more of a C-19 modded amp type thing on the gain voices.

I paid more attention to the EQ ratings you can find on different speakers than anything else while I was conducting my search and that seemed to pay off. Figure out what is missing in your situation, EQ wise, and look for something that will boost what you are missing/looking for, be it speaker, tubes, or a combination of both.

The balancing of the channels though is an absolute necessity, I truly, and this is just my opinion, do NOT know what Marshall was thinking adding C19 in there. It just makes the second channel completely off kilter with the first. At a very minimum they need a cut switch as an option to remove it from the circuit.

 

[Luis Goi]

Hello Guys,

First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Luis Goi. I’m a beginner and still dealing with basic scales, modes, chords and this kind of stuffs. I play classic rock covers: from Beatles, Credence and Dire Straits to Led Zeppelin, Metallica to Alice in Chains. Of course, I’m still a kind of trained monkey repeating the riffs, chords and solos I memorized But I’m working hard on learning to play the guitar.

I have been researching about tube amps for 6 months. I was not gigging or even jamming, so I decided to take a little time searching, reading and learning about valve amps before pull the trigger.

I intend to keep playing in cover bands for a while. When I think I can really play the guitar, I’d like to do some classic rock versions. So I Think I need a big tone variety. For that reason I started buying a modelling amp. I bought a Vox VT40+. After that I bought a multi-effect pedal (Vox Tonelab EX), so that I could have more flexibility in shaping tones and could access more tones during a gig. Of course, make a Tonelab sing well through another modelling amp is not an easy task, but I was able to achieve a decent result.

Back to the tube amp, in my searching I concluded that the Marshall DSL40c would be the best choice for my purposes. I know I can’t get everything from an amp. If I want a “Fender Clean”, I can’t get a “Vox Overdrive”, a “Marshall Crunch” or a “Mesa Metal Distortion”. That’s why I need my Tonelab EX. But If I could choose, I’d take the “Marshall Crunch”. And, for what I could watch and hear, that combo amp has the ability to bring some of the good “marshall tones” alive.

So I waited till I could get a good price (and when we say a good price here in Brazil we mean a less extortionate one ). Well, I´m receiving the amp this week.

In order to save some time, I’d like to ask if some of you guys have tried to use a Vox Tonelab (or another multi-effect unit) through the DSL40c. I´d like to be able to use my Tonelab as a pre-amp modeling and as an FX unit. My first thought was to link my guitar direct to the Marshall front input, the amp FX send to the Tonelab, and the Tonelab to the amp FX return. This way I think I could turn off the FX loop and use only the amp; or use the Tonelab as a FX unit, by disabling its amp and cabinet modelling and pedal 1 and 2 (overdrives, distortions and wah); or even use the Tonelab as itself, by selecting the clean channel of the Marshall Amp and passing the signal through the entire Tonelab chain.

Does anybody could give me some other advice in how I could set up my signal chain? I know the Tonelab has an “M” output that was designed to be used in front of a Marshall amp. But in this case, I´d lose the chance to use it as an FX unit while using the Marshall pre-amp.

Well, any help will be handful in finding some shortcuts and welcome.

Cheers,

 

[Micky]

Cant see your post, dark text on a dark background maybe?

 

[DirtySteve]

Hello Guys,

First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Luis Goi. I’m a beginner and still dealing with basic scales, modes, chords and this kind of stuffs. I play classic rock covers: from Beatles, Credence and Dire Straits to Led Zeppelin, Metallica to Alice in Chains. Of course, I’m still a kind of trained monkey repeating the riffs, chords and solos I memorized But I’m working hard on learning to play the guitar.

I have been researching about tube amps for 6 months. I was not gigging or even jamming, so I decided to take a little time searching, reading and learning about valve amps before pull the trigger.

I intend to keep playing in cover bands for a while. When I think I can really play the guitar, I’d like to do some classic rock versions. So I Think I need a big tone variety. For that reason I started buying a modelling amp. I bought a Vox VT40+. After that I bought a multi-effect pedal (Vox Tonelab EX), so that I could have more flexibility in shaping tones and could access more tones during a gig. Of course, make a Tonelab sing well through another modelling amp is not an easy task, but I was able to achieve a decent result.

Back to the tube amp, in my searching I concluded that the Marshall DSL40c would be the best choice for my purposes. I know I can’t get everything from an amp. If I want a “Fender Clean”, I can’t get a “Vox Overdrive”, a “Marshall Crunch” or a “Mesa Metal Distortion”. That’s why I need my Tonelab EX. But If I could choose, I’d take the “Marshall Crunch”. And, for what I could watch and hear, that combo amp has the ability to bring some of the good “marshall tones” alive.

So I waited till I could get a good price (and when we say a good price here in Brazil we mean a less extortionate one ). Well, I´m receiving the amp this week.

In order to save some time, I’d like to ask if some of you guys have tried to use a Vox Tonelab (or another multi-effect unit) through the DSL40c. I´d like to be able to use my Tonelab as a pre-amp modeling and as an FX unit. My first thought was to link my guitar direct to the Marshall front input, the amp FX send to the Tonelab, and the Tonelab to the amp FX return. This way I think I could turn off the FX loop and use only the amp; or use the Tonelab as a FX unit, by disabling its amp and cabinet modelling and pedal 1 and 2 (overdrives, distortions and wah); or even use the Tonelab as itself, by selecting the clean channel of the Marshall Amp and passing the signal through the entire Tonelab chain.

Does anybody could give me some other advice in how I could set up my signal chain? I know the Tonelab has an “M” output that was designed to be used in front of a Marshall amp. But in this case, I´d lose the chance to use it as an FX unit while using the Marshall pre-amp.

Well, any help will be handful in finding some shortcuts and welcome.

Cheers,

Hi Luis, welcome to the forum.

 

[Micky]

Thanks Steve. I was gonna try that, but I am at work and kinda busy today.

Anyway, yes, put your unit in the FX loop and try it there.

 

[Luis Goi]

Cant see your post, dark text on a dark background maybe?

Thanks, Steve. I'll pay attention next time.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I use a Zoom G3 multi in the FX loop for delay based effects, mainly, no modelling or distortion. Works well with the 40C. I also recommend, highly, clipping the C19 cap on the board as mentioned elsewhere on here - keeps a much better balance tonally between the two channels. I really like mine!

 

[Luis Goi]

Hello Guys,

After 6 nights and 7 neighbor’s phone calls I can give my first impressions about the setups I tried with the Marshall DSL40c and the Vox Tonelab EX.

First of all, I really loved the amp. Of course, I don’t have much background to say if the amp is a first team or something like that, but it is much better than my preview DSP solid state amp. I haven’t realized what a warm and organic sound meant till I play my first chords in the classic crunch channel with my Stratocaster keeping the gain in 8. Wow!!! Now I know what it means

Well, I asked before some advices in how to use my Tonelab EX through the amp. I made some experiences and here are my findings

Tonelab works impressive fine in front of the amp, using the classic clean channel (volume in 8 and gain in 2 or 3 for bedroom volume). The tonelab has an “M” output that is supposed to be used in front of a Marshall amp. And, for my surprise, that is true. Every tone I tried in the tone lab worked well. I had to do small tunes in my previous presets but everything sounded nice. Bypassing everything in the Tonelab (amp, cabinet, effects, etc), I could send the signal direct to the amp, and use the other amp’s channels. The signal become more strong when compared to the guitar directed plugged in the amp (I have a MIM Fender Stratocaster with Texas Special pickups), but it is good in some occasions. In the others, I can roll back the guitar volume knob a little. It’s not possible to achieve the same sound it gets plugging the guitar direct to the amp, but it works.

I tried to plug the Tonelab in the loop return and it sounded well too, but I lost the facility of using the amp’s equalization and even the volume knobs for quick adjustments on the fly. As I didn’t notice a big quality difference between these two methods I will stay with the first.

I couldn’t get good results using the Tonelab amp modeling plugging the guitar direct on the amp and using the complete loop’s chain (send and return), at least at bedroom volumes. I had to increase the gain in the Tonelab very much in every preset I tried. In some of them, I could achieve a good tone. But, on the other hand, I got the best result using the Tonelab as an FX unit on the loop (modulation, delay and reverb). Once again, I was unable to get good tones trying to use compressor and distortion with this method.

In conclusion, if I was able to get good tones from the Tonelab in the loop chain, it would be perfect, because I could use it as an FX unit too. But, as I can’t, I’ll use the Tonelab in front of the amp before an A/B pedal box, so that I can pass the guitar signal through it or send it direct to the amp. I’ll have to forgo the possibility of using the Tonelab it as an FX unit, at least for now.

I hope this information can help be handful to some people.

I’ll put my impressions regards to the amp itself on the “Official DSL40c Thread”.

Regards,

 

[Micky]

It will be great to have that info in the Official thread!

Maybe we can get the Mods to change the title of this thread to contain Tonelab FX?

Anyway, I have found the FX loop to work well with an EQ, and have yet to play with reverb and echo, as I don't have any external units yet...

 

[Obi Plexi-nobi]

Picked up a DSL40C combo in excellent condition for $269 at a pawn shop. Amazed at how good this amp sounds for both Classic & more modern Marshall sounds! WOW.

Also found a 1996 MIJ Jackson Dinky Reverse in translucent-blue flame for $100. Missing the whammy bar, bar sleeve insert, & the (3) little nut-lock clamp pieces, but it had a Seymour Duncan 'Full Shred' in the bridge position.

That Marshall looks and sounds INCREDIBLE.

 

[BanditPanda]

Know nuttin' bout the guitar however the DSL40C for 269 is a steal.
You may want to swap out the speaker but that is an excellent amp.
BP

 

[JBA]

Picked up a DSL40C combo in excellent condition for $269 at a pawn shop. Amazed at how good this amp sounds for both Classic & more modern Marshall sounds! WOW.

Also found a 1996 MIJ Jackson Dinky Reverse in translucent-blue flame for $100. Missing the whammy bar, bar sleeve insert, & the (3) little nut-lock clamp pieces, but it had a Seymour Duncan 'Full Shred' in the bridge position.

That Marshall looks and sounds INCREDIBLE.

C19 mod and you got yourself the best all around amp for your buck there my friend! Three of us here now: zombie thread officially revived ;-)

 

[ampmadscientist]

Picked up a DSL40C combo in excellent condition for $269 at a pawn shop. Amazed at how good this amp sounds for both Classic & more modern Marshall sounds! WOW.

Also found a 1996 MIJ Jackson Dinky Reverse in translucent-blue flame for $100. Missing the whammy bar, bar sleeve insert, & the (3) little nut-lock clamp pieces, but it had a Seymour Duncan 'Full Shred' in the bridge position.

That Marshall looks and sounds INCREDIBLE.

Major score, Obi Plexi-nobi.