NAD DSL100H...again.

[Adrian R]

Wholeheartedly agree. Red channel 1 all the way.

Just needs some volume to display its glory ..and biased correctly...

 

[TheKman76]

And I've been playing with it some more and find that it's the ultra gain channel that suffers most from the icepick highs.

I find this fascinating as I went out of my way to up the brightness in my DSL40HR. The Ultra channel bright cap was omitted in the HR, I added it back almost immediately.

What cab/speakers?

 

[cliffenstein]

Just needs some volume to display its glory ..and biased correctly...

The way I dial in my 1997 made DSL100 (never had drifting bias issues at all), gives me killer tone quiet or loud.

Deep: in (engaged)
Presence 2
Treble 2
Middle 4
Bass 3
Tone Shift: out (disengaged)
Volume to taste
Gain 3
Channel red lead 1

I used to keep the Gain at 4, but lately I’ve been at 3. I find these settings very similar to a healthy 2204 where the 2204 would have the gain at 8.

 

[Adrian R]

The way I dial in my 1997 made DSL100 (never had drifting bias issues at all), gives me killer tone quiet or loud.

Deep: in (engaged)
Presence 2
Treble 2
Middle 4
Bass 3
Tone Shift: out (disengaged)
Volume to taste
Gain 3
Channel red lead 1

I used to keep the Gain at 4, but lately I’ve been at 3. I find these settings very similar to a healthy 2204 where the 2204 would have the gain at 8.

I ALWAYS like cranking the presence control, and then setting the treble to room and or guitar...it varies. Cranking the presence gets my Heyboer OT talkin'.. Gain at like 5, mv at 4...insane...

 

[cliffenstein]

I ALWAYS like cranking the presence control, and then setting the treble to room and or guitar...it varies. Cranking the presence gets my Heyboer OT talkin'.. Gain at like 5, mv at 4...insane...

I like a big, thick, growly tone and that’s how I get it with that amp. It’s a slightly tweaked version of what Angus Young’s guitar tech detailed about how he sets Angus’ amps.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I generally never turn presence controls up very high. Maybe that's why I still have excellent high frequency hearing at my age. Yeah I like it loud but at a safe distance and only for brief spurts of loud at a time. And I'm totally happy to wear my Etymotic High Fidelity earplugs, which give a pretty even full spectrum reduction of all frequencies by about 20 dB.

I like nice clear harmonics and overtones, but not for the sound to be dominated by them.

 

[Adrian R]

I generally never turn presence controls up very high. Maybe that's why I still have excellent high frequency hearing at my age. Yeah I like it loud but at a safe distance and only for brief spurts of loud at a time. And I'm totally happy to wear my Etymotic High Fidelity earplugs, which give a pretty even full spectrum reduction of all frequencies by about 20 dB.

I like nice clear harmonics and overtones, but not for the sound to be dominated by them.

I hear ya, ahh, well maybe...lol... I love the fidelity when cranked, but then I turn the treble way down... But, yeah, I like a really bright sound.. Schenker always has his presence cranked on his 2205s..I concur with that dude!

 

[Matthews Guitars]

It never rains but it pours....now I'm deciding whether to go for a JCM900 high gain dual reverb model that's been offered to me for quite a good price. Do I need to buy another Marshall so soon?

Depends on how things go this weekend.

 

[cliffenstein]

It never rains but it pours....now I'm deciding whether to go for a JCM900 high gain dual reverb model that's been offered to me for quite a good price. Do I need to buy another Marshall so soon?

Depends on how things go this weekend.

You might not like it as much as the DSL.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I've already checked out some demo videos and it's probably closer to the core tones I seek out than the DSL. I think it'll work.
In any event I'm sort of accumulating gear bargains in the lead-up to the Orlando FL guitar show next April. I'll be there with a few swap tables and use any amps and gear I have that don't make my A list as a means to make a little money and justify being at the show.

 

[Tatzmann]

I'd take a 900HGDR before any DSL. But saying that, to be totally honest, all of them have nothing on a proper 2203...so idk if those amps make any sense for you buying. But if you can get it for a nice-price, its good fun testing it out.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I'm always open to trying something new and seeing if I like it. I've found the DSL to be a substantially higher gain, more modern sounding amp than the 2203 which is "medium gain" by modern standards. It does not get into the liquid smooth gain range for leads, while the DSL does, and that's something I don't mind adding to my range of tones. I've found some good sounds in the DSL that please me and I intend to keep it, at least for now.

I've got plans for my 2203. Starting with replacing the octal sockets with ceramics as two of them have arc damage. I can't turn it up without risking another arc over event. It will also get an S.I.R. no. 34 mod (Headfirst instructions) on a trial basis. Why not, the amp already has a modification history. Those 34 mods are reversible.

I've decided to get the 900 and believe me, the price is right, so I'll sure not lose any money if it's not the right amp for me. I do understand that it's built to be run loud. OK by me!

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

Yesterday another DSL100H in excellent condition fell into my lap for 400 dollars US. How could I say no?

No photo needed, it looks just like any other DSL100H in excellent shape.

It works fine. But it's going to take some getting used to. It's tonally very much a different animal from my Superleads, my 2203, or any of my Mesas.
I already found that the effects loop settings that work on my Mesas don't work well with this amp. I'll have to start tweaking, especially the EQ, to find what works.

It has a lot of potential. The base tone is good. But I'll have to spend time finding the amp's best tones.

And if it doesn't quite make it for me, I can easily get my money back out of it, or even make a few bucks off it.

This is my second DSL100H. The first one came to me making no sound. Found open cathode resistors on the power tubes. Replaced them, good to go. Didn't tonally "bond" with that amp, and sold it.

Congrats on the score

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

@Matthews Guitars

And good luck with the 900.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I learned more about the 900, how it's mostly a solid state amp with a few tubes in it. I'm reconsidering.

 

[cliffenstein]

I learned more about the 900, how it's mostly a solid state amp with a few tubes in it. I'm reconsidering.

Exactly…probably the best mostly solid state amp ever made but still.

 

[Tatzmann]

I learned more about the 900, how it's mostly a solid state amp with a few tubes in it. I'm reconsidering.

I thought you already knew that.

It's exactly what Marshall marketed as "Valvestate", feeding a standard EL34/5881 poweramp.

The eq cathodefollower could have simply realized with another Opamp and V2 is totally unnecessary. They changed the preamp circuit twice. It started out as bassically a 2 channel 900MKIII. Not the first, nor the last bad decision by a certain solidstate enthusiast at Marshalls back in the day.

But besides that, i own a 4100HGDR and a 2100MKIII and atm i wouldnt say the HGDR is the lesser amp, different yes, but not really worse.

They can be modded though in many ways, lotta guys mess with values upfront, but its actually way simpler to skip the "silly-con" altogether.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

There's a Headfirst video where he rips out the factory boards and rebuilds it as an entirely new all tube amp. I suppose I could do that...LOL. Yes I could but I've got other projects to handle before I think about another one.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

This amp is showing no sign of the dreaded DSL100 bias drift/conductive board problem but I'm afraid it might.

As I understand it, it was a pre-2005 issue. So maybe I'm OK as my amp has a 2017 build date.

Its circuit board part number and revision is....DSL100-60-00 issue 1.

 

[Tatzmann]

The DSL100H doesnt have this problem, newly designed circuitboard and the powervalvesockets are chassismounted on these.