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Four sounds, two at a time. Unfortunately the amp shares an EQ for the two sounds! Yikes! What were they thinking?? Don't be dissuaded from buying it though, seriously good sounds inside. The first channel on low drive is close to a JTM45, the first channel high drive is a Plexi. These are the best sounds in the amp. I prefer using them and hitting them with a pedal for more gain as opposed to switching to the 'lead' channel. The issue is with the shared EQ.. you pretty much have to re-EQ for a decent sound if you switch channels... EPIC FAIL MARSHALL!! Again.. don't let that dissuade you. The 100 watt version is really good, and I own a large collection of vintage Marshall amps. The best part is the switchable effects loop.. you can use PEDALS in the loop without overdriving their inputs!! HUGE PLUS!!! You don't have to use line level rack effects unless you want to, and the loop has two levels to optimize either/or! The front end of the amp takes overdrive/fuzz/distortion pedals extremely well. A stock issue Boss Super Overdrive sounds great in front of the amp, with a lower gain setting and higher output on the pedal. Of course, any other boutique Fulltone/Keeley etc just sounds better, less overall noise floor. The amp in the 100 watt version is a bit more durable overall, as far as it has vents on the top for heat dissapation and a bit more headroom for keeping the bass a bit tighter than the 50 watt. There is also a small issue with the 50 watter frying transformers. I lost two before I went to the 100 watters, and have never had an issue with one blowing. Of course if you are running a soak or pushing the amp HARD every night it will lessen it's lifespan, but it is still a reliable amp. Build quality is o.k., pots are rather cheap and circuit boards are average. As far as serviceability is concerned, your tech will be less reluctant to work on this model than the nightmare TSL.. an amp to be avoided at ALL costs!!! Another thing to consider, these amps are getting ALOT cheaper to buy used, and if they aren't totally abused they are a really good deal. I got mine for $325+$45 shipping. That is a STEAL in anyones book. And the one I got was in really good shape, NOT abused and no noisy tubes or pots. I love my DSL's, and as far as versatility goes, I would bring this to a gig before any of my older Vintage units for that fact alone!! The loop is a HUGE plus for any gigging guitarist who needs that extra tonal pallette that you can't get with a single channel non-effects loop tube head. A fantastic buy Kids, don't hesitate to buy it!!!Read full review
DSL 100w amps ROCK. Plain and simple. They sound awesome and are 100% Marshall. I've been playing for awhile, and I have owned LOTS of different Marshalls over the past two decades. I've owned one JMP 2204, an 89'800 2204, a 1980 JMP 2203, and every 900 Marshall model ever made(head only). The DSL from a gigging musicians standpoint is BETTER then all of the previous 'vintage' models as listed above. Reason being..versatility. Does it sound better then those earlier coveted 'vintage' models? Well..no, AND yes. For me the amp's greatest feature is its two channels. I boost the green channel (crunch) setting with an overdrive pedal (Fulltone). And then use the red channel (OD1) only for solos. I toggle the O.D. pedal on and off on the green channel for clean and dirty sounds. BIG, FAT, warm tones emanate from this channel..VERY JCM 800 like..but with MORE gain when used in this fashion. I then use the red channel boosted with the same pedal for solos..and folks, until you have soloed with a DSLs red OD1 channel boosted with the master volume set around 5..(preamp set around 8)..you have NO IDEA what a great lead sound is!! Its exceedingly warm, tight, thick..and SUSTAINS for days...with killer harmonic feedback..plus the way it feels...very responsive..and lastly CUTS THROUGH the band's mix with ease. You WILL hear your solos! There is no other Marshall that I know of that can match this idiom; that is soloing in the red channel...its an awesome place to be. Other nice features is its ability to get GOOD tones and low volumes. Throw the stupid attenuators away...The amp has a button that boosts the low frequencies..making the amp more dynamic. Killer bedroom volume levels are easily attainable... I wanted to comment on the previous reviewers remark about the amp's shared eq liability. This is a concern to a degree, but its a very small degree. A small learning curve is needed to be overcome at first, but once you traverse it your good. Its a matter of setting each channel's preamp and master volume control...and of course the guitar you are using and its pickups, and any other pedals...but you can find a very acceptable 'compromise' by experimenting with these controls. One thing I wanted to point out is that this amp's tone relies HEAVILY on how it is biased..and the quality of the tubes being used. Preamp tubes have a huge bearing on how the amp will sound. Plus, cold bias settings, far colder then what Marshall recommends, keeps things tight and 800 sounding. The only reason I gave this amp 4 out of 5 stars was concerns about some its service issues and overall build quality. Its 'decent' but not as good as the earlier Marshalls.. However, there are plenty of reports of people using these amps daily, and proved to be reliable IF you are one who takes care of your equipment and understands the need of all tube amplifiers. Many professional acts use these amps now exclusively. Iron Maiden's guitarists for instance tour with these amps today... Some years in the future the DSL will be highly regarded as one of Marshall's 'best ever' amps.Read full review
This is a great amp that can be bought for a reasonable price. This was one of Marshalls attempts to make an "affordable" amp made in the UK. This was done through the use of some plastic parts that were traditionally metal (input jacks, corners, etc) and while these parts do make the amps a bit more fragile it doesn't in any way lessen the tonal aspects. I feel that these are far superior to the "budget" amps Marshall is presently and recently offered that are made in Vietnam and China (MA and DSL series). The amp does have some limitations compared to the boutique amps on the market but in all fairness that isn't a true "apples to apples" comparison. I really like the fact that you can get that good thick midrange chunk from these amps that harken back to the glory years of rock music. If your looking for a good classic rock tone (think AC/DC, early Van Halen, Free, Gary Moore.....) and your on a budget this is your amp! You can also dial in the scooped mids, super saturated tones that (unfortunately, in my humble opinion) are popular with metal bands these days. A note of caution, as one should expect from a 100 watt amp, this thing is LOUD so you may want to consider the 50 watt version if you don't need to straighten the hair of the people in the first 10 rows! All in all this is a real sleeper of an amp that doesn't get much notice but really delivers. These can regularly be found for around 600 bucks or less which really does make for a true bargain.Read full review
The amp has awesome tones and it is not hard to adjust it to get the sound you desire. It can give you great clean tones and switch to crunch with endless sustain!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Very Decent English quality. Sounds pretty good. The 100 watt EL34 design drives the Marshall 1960A to very acceptable levels. Exceptional value for the money! And NOT Chinese!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned