Tsl tribe

[LuredMaul]

What did you clean it with?

 

[Kid Klash]

I used Simple Green and a toothbrush followed by water and an old towel on the Tolex and knobs, and Windex and an old cotton T-shirt on the metal parts. I carefully vacuumed the grille, and then wiped it down with a slightly damp towel. The torn Tolex was repaired with Contact Cement.

 

[MartyStrat54]

I finished cleaning it up, fixed a couple small Tolex tears, checked the tubes and bias, added some castors, and decided to call it done. The hole in the grille cloth is small and doesn't bother me, so I'll leave it alone for now. Here she is all cleaned up.

Wow! That looks real good. All the back panels are still there. I have a 2004 TSL122 and it's been gigged pretty hard. It's missing the middle and top back panels.

I replaced the Vintage and Heritage speakers with Eminence Man 'O Wars. It's brutal. All NOS tubes.

 

[Kid Klash]

Thanks Marty. That's a sweet looking 122 of yours! I was thinking about removing the upper and middle back panels to help cool the chassis, PCBs and those inverted tubes. Plus it'd give me a place to store the AC cord too...

 

[MartyStrat54]

Here's my late model TSL602. I bought it when I was living up by KC. Musician's Friend had a huge clearance store and I would buy non-working amps. I got this one for $325. It was dead and had a three-inch tear in the grille. I took it home and it turned out to be a bad PI (V4) tube. Put a good tube in it and it fired up. I put a custom cane cloth grille on it with a gold logo. All NOS tubes and Eminence Tonespotter and Black Powder speakers.

I took out those awful Wolverine speakers and installed a pair of 1961 JBL D123's.

Then I got worried about blowing the JBL's so I pulled them out an put in my favorite pairing of a Black Powder and Tonespotter. I can crank it now without worry now.

 

[MartyStrat54]

Yes I feel that the 122 runs a lot cooler with the missing top and middle panels.

 

[Kid Klash]

Wow! The cane grille and gold logo look great! Now you've got me rethinking the grill cloth on my 122...

 

[chee16]

The back of that 602 looks familiar Marty..... Though your tubes might be nicer them mine

That combination does sound really good, thanks again.

 

[Kid Klash]

Yes I feel that the 122 runs a lot cooler with the missing top and middle panels.

I thought so too. On the other hand, I've been thinking about installing a small computor-type mains voltage fan on the inside of upper rear perf metal panel to pull hot air out and away from the tubes and chassis. This way it's still be somewhat stock in appearance, but the fan should help diminish the heat buildup caused by the inverted chassis and tubes that these TSL combos are noted for...

 

[phuzaxeman]

love my vintage tsl60 6L6 converted amp

 

[chee16]

love my vintage tsl60 6L6 converted amp

Details on conversion? Details on change in sound?

 

[phuzaxeman]

Details on conversion? Details on change in sound?

had my amp specialist (tone dr) configure my amp to using 6L6 power tubes (not to mention he changed the cheap pots and biased everything). not a tech guy myself but the conversion sounds great. it has a different kind of clean and overdriven warm sound too it. it has some mesa flavor. sounds better than when I bought it.

The Tone Doctor Custom Audio Services - Home - Humble, TX

 

[Vicious Amplification]

I personally like the TSL heads, and I don't understand why they get such a bad rap. They have some build quality issues for sure, but that's taken care of with the newer main boards, so I feel like that's where most of the negativity comes from. I was bummed when they quit making them. They sounded a little more traditional to me with just the right amount of gain. I play on the crunch channel more than the lead. Mines a little fuzzy sometimes at higher gain, but it's expected. Most modern amps are now days.

I'm completely redoing a TSL 100W head at this moment. Repairing everything that I can see that might be compromised. Broken/cracked solder joints, caps, trannies, choke, tubes, jacks, fuse holders, everything.

I have both the DSL and TSL 100W heads.

I've got a couple of projects going like a DIY JCM 800 2203 and a DIY Solando SLO100 in the works (not yet working). I always go back to the TSL.

 

[Vicious Amplification]

I thought so too. On the other hand, I've been thinking about installing a small computor-type mains voltage fan on the inside of upper rear perf metal panel to pull hot air out and away from the tubes and chassis. This way it's still be somewhat stock in appearance, but the fan should help diminish the heat buildup caused by the inverted chassis and tubes that these TSL combos are noted for...

I'm looking at adding a fan to mine also. I think that will help with some of the heat issues. Your suggestion should work fine.

I think you should be able to wire a small 120v fan about the same size to the power swtich so that it comes on/off with the amp. I'm worreid though that it might add additional noise and feedback. I think I've found a few that will work for this.

Also, I've thought about adding a small power port to the metal screen that powers the fan seperately for a wall wart type transformer. The only thing visiable would be the seperate power port.

Any way you slice it, I think it's a good idea.

 

[TSL60Rocker]

TSL's All the Way man!

 

[craiguitar]

I personally like the TSL heads, and I don't understand why they get such a bad rap. They have some build quality issues for sure, but that's taken care of with the newer main boards, so I feel like that's where most of the negativity comes from. I was bummed when they quit making them. They sounded a little more traditional to me with just the right amount of gain. QUOTE]

This is so true.
I was doing some comparison last night using my Axe-Fx II. Now the Axe is capable of frighteningly accurate Marshall sounds, and I was messing with the 1987x amp block. Once I tweaked a nice tone I decided to see if I could replicate that tone using my TSL60 on it's crunch channel. To my surprise I got REALLY close. Using the same speakers of course (a huge part of the equation). What a versatile amp this really is.

 

[custom53]

My JCM2000 TSL is my number one amp...! They are great amps..!

 

[TSL60Rocker]

Ok so you guys that have TSL60s how do you run your channel volume on crunch and lead channel vs the master? Is it one of those deals where you can run the channel volume up really high and bring down the output with the master? I just wasn't sure if that was the case, as the clean channel doesn't have a volume control.

I run my Master 3/4 and then bring up the clean/crunch channels close to half way and my lead chaneel just a little more. I feel I get a better clean sound that way. The rhythm sound is great and not over saturated and Pure Marshall. With the TSL60 you can push the amp to get full range of those tubes. It also allows me to play at a lower volume as compared to the 100. I mic my amp during gigs, even small gigs and helps with stage volume without messing with my tone. I can back off the master or I still have room to go a little more.

 

[JimiRules]

What year did they change to the newer main boards? My TSL60 is a 2001.

 

[TSL60Rocker]

I bought mine brand new in 2003. Still sounds amazing.