Marshall DSL20HR vs Studio Classic (SC20H)

Marshall DSL20HR vs Studio Classic (SC20H) with a Supro Westbury and Gibson Les Paul Classic. Xotic EP Boost, Strymon Timeline and Strymon DIG used via an Orange 212PPC with a Celestion Creamback 65m and Vintage 30.

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[manjilray]

I had the good fortune of playing the DSL 40, Origin 20, Studio Classic and Studio Vintage at a local music store. The "studio range" is simply outstanding. The DSL has way more features than any of the others but has the least pleasing feel. The Origin felt slightly better but still lost out to the more expensive cousins from the UK. If you are playing rhythm and chords, the feel may not seem that different and the DSL could sound similar to the JCM with pedals. However, when you play solos with those grieving bends, the Studio brothers swell and wail straight to your heart. People may argue about the additional cost, but the emotion they evoke is priceless. In short, I would say they feel more organic, natural and respond more predictably to your picking and strumming. Based on my experience, I would recommend not making a decision based solely on YouTube videos. You should go and try all of the options on your mind before choosing.

[FUNLICKER]

After giving it a lot of thought for the past few months I decided to save up and got the JCM instead of the DSL. I was a bit worried the single channel was a major limitation but it is totally not the case, as demonstrated here a booster pedal on the high input will unlock that classic sound. I can only see three possible scenarios to choose the DSL over the JCM. 1. Home use as it is not nearly as loud as the JCM and you really need to crank up the JCM in order to get the full rich tone which can be a problem for those around you, even at 5W this thing's a beast. 2. People who are looking for a very specific modern scooped distortion and want to chug with no need for pedals. 3. Budget limitations. Also I run it through an Orange PPC212 closed back with V30s and it's the perfect match for me, the thick wood and grille in the Orange cabinet helps taming the brightness of the JCM. Great demo BTW!

[michaelbarber]

Another thing not mentioned is that the stock tubes in the SC are of much higher quality than the ones shipped with the DSL. Swap the cheap EL34 power tubes in the DSL with KT77's, replace the V4 with a balanced Sovtek 12AX7LPS, V3 with an EHX 12AX7 and V1 and V2 with something like NOS Baldwin or pre-war EI 12AX7 and the DSL will absolutely outperform the SC model.

[danz]

I like the DSL better for high gain and SC20 better for clean & crunch. Thanks for the demo! You covered a nice range of tones.

[ziggyz]

I bought the SC20H a few years ago before the prices really skyrocketed, and I couldn't be happier! I play a mix of classic punk, hardcore, hard rock, and some early metal. It excels at all of those. A boost pedal in front for home use works wonders.

[JoseyStranded]

6:24 "Mother, tell your children not to walk my way..."

[ThePedalboardOrchestra]

Thanks for that interesting video. I could not say, that the SC20H is always my favourite. I'm sure you could tweak the amps with the EQ, that it would be difficult to distinguish in a blind test (apart from the louder volume of the SC20H. Concerning the price, I think the DSL20HR is a very good deal.

[macwalsh]

Thanks for the great comparison! Unfortunately, I want both heads now. Classic cleans and DSL gains.

[KB_Joys]

Im suprised that 2 decent amps sound like garbage here.

[joedabron]

Wow. Damn you just dispelled any ideas I had of being able to get away with just shelling out for the DSL20. The JCM has so much more body and richness in the clean tone. It sounds like ‘it’, while the DSL sadly doesn’t. But if the SC20 is so much more powerful, maybe the DSL40 would be a fairer comparison?

[tonytorres]

I’ve played a 2203 and 2204 for over 25 years. I’ve also played many other Marshall amps. JVM, DSL, Vintage Modern, JCM 900. They all sound good, but they don’t have the 800 sound...not even close. I find that people who say that their DSL sounds like an 800 probably never owned one and just want to make themselves feel good. And the louder you play the 800, the more you will hear and feel the difference over the dsl range.

[jefferson]

I'm considering the DSL20 as my next purchase. Yes, the Studio Classic is, on the whole, probably better. More sustain and overtones seem to come through, but considering the price and the fact that I preferred more than a few of the DSL tones, it seems an obvious choice. Yes, when I win the lottery, I will buy ALL the gear, but I just want a decent head+combo that's usable at home or on a gig, and I'm not playing any huge venues. Still, not impressed with the sub $1k cabinets from Marshall. Would it be heresy to use a Vox 2'x12 cab with greenbacks?

[grizhall]

Not being a smartass but the DSL is 10w low power mode I have one.

[vondragonnoggin]

I think there is no contest here. The Studio Classic sounds pretty glorious in comparison. The DSL still sounds great but that little JCM 800 roars with classic Marshall bite. Either would be a great choice but if you can save the money, the Studio Classic would be a lifetime amp. Now comparing to the Studio Vintage, I might lean to the Vintage more but only because it covers 60’s to 80’s pretty easy. Marshall knocks it out of the park giving some affordable lower wattage products all with EL34 tubes. Even the Origin is pretty cool and a modded Origin is the cheapest way to eargasms around.

[AdamGotheridge]

Really nice video. The LP has the nut out of whack I think, or maybe pressing to0 hard on the strings, or need heavier strings. In some of the stuff I can hear the a5/b5 chords going out of whack, like the e is sharp on the a and in tune on the b chord, or the opposite where the a chord is in tune and the b is out. Just providing some feedback, and I struggle with the same thing. Like I pickup a LP and I can't make that thing sound in tune until I play it for a while and kind of figure out how to compensate for what's going on. Video very well done though, thanks.

[seansmith]

Thanks for the video! It's been a long time since I've witnessed a beating of this magnitude in an amp comparison. The JCM800 sounds great while the DSL sounds like the speakers were packed with mud and a swarm of bees was buzzing around it. The rolled off guitar volume clean tone comparison was just down right shocking.

[federicograssetti]

You can’t compare these amps in this way. The first thing I noticed in the first clip is that the settings are very different. It can be right because they’re different but if you cut the resonance, the treble and the gain of the dsl and boost the treble and the gain of the SC20 is normal that the SC20 will sound fuller and brighter.

[Skampissy]

I thought about getting the SC20, but I just got the DSL 20 late last weak. I think it sounds great. I wanted marshall and marshall I got. This video does not do it justice imo. I drive a 4x12 blackstar with v30s and the distortion and cleans are on point. The cleanse with my Gibson Les Paul actually surprised me.

[exaymssik]

dude, how many videos you gonna do before you finally invest in a tuner?

[sjr]

Studio Classic sounds great but not 2.5 times better. I think, given that some players budget doesn't afford the difference, one could come very close with the DSL and the right speaker combination. JMHO.