Does the MARSHALL DSL Still Hit the Spot?

Gear I use to make my videos

Feeling social?

⪢ My Cab IR's (Free)

00:00 - Hello
00:49 - LP + Marshall = GOOD
02:18 - Green Channel
05:01 - Red Channel
07:00 -Boosted
11:52 - Cleans
13:47 - Conclusion

[eds]

great video and you nailed it about this amp. Green Crunch=2203 style no nonsense Marshall tone. Red 1 covers the modded plexi high gain style stuff, Green 1 does some cool clean stuff, and the less said about Red 2 the better.

Green Crunch can sound pretty indistinguishable to my 2203 and Red 1 gets insanely close to my BE100 (in some aspects its actually better than the Friedman - its more open and lively sounding, the Friedman is a little bit more controlled). I love the old Marshalls but its so hard to beat a DSL (and Vintage Modern) for what they can be scooped up for.

[LeviBulger]

I freaking LOVE the most recent incarnations of the DSLs, specifically the DSL40CR. Its one hell of an amp with serious bang for buck. It doesn't even need a speaker upgrade. But man it freaking rocks and has every feature you want in a combo. The 100w version is also a monster.

[zpp]

I love my Marshall JCM 2000 50. I've had it for over ten years and it has never let me down. Thanks to its variability, it covers almost all musical styles. He is also very good with pedals. In my opinion, this is one of the best Marshalls ever. 
Btw, I love Plexi too.

[ioannisstavropoulos]

I have a JCM 2000 DSL 50watt head since 2001. It's not my only amp but it's the only one that can cover so many bases so well. It's also an ideal pedal platform. If you add a boost infront and a 10 band EQ in the FX loop, there is absolutely nothing you can't do.

[vannmagruder]

My literal favorite all around amp, I always used lead 2, backed down the gain a bit, turned down presence, treble, and bass and boosted the mids and it does all the throatiness

[ericolson]

I picked up my DSL 50 after watching one of your earlier videos of this amp.. Your recordings of this amp are what the damn amp sounds like. I can actually get the same tones you get on the videos at home, studio, rehearsal or live. It's a true tone machine and a blast to play thru. Thank you again for the killer videos....

[KaddysJamKave]

Just bought a jcm2000, this video helped me IMMENSELY to dial in a MUCH better high gain tone. Presence OFF was the secret sauce for me... I would NEVER of thought about doing that, deep switch ON, treble 1'oclock, mids 1'oclock, bass 10'oclock, gain anywhere from noon to 3'oclock, red channel lead 2 with tone shift ON boosted with an SD-1 and it's absolutely GLORIOUS! Really took away the fuzz and over compression that the tone shift introduces and gives it an awesome 90's thrashy kinda tone. fkn LOVE IT.

[stratodan]

Yes! He’s back with the JCM2000 DSL!!! ❤

I have tons of tube amps to choose from but my 50 watt JCM2000 DSL is my main gigging amp when I can turn up a bit. Love using it. Sit it on top of a horizontal closed back 2x12 cab w V30s. Killer sound for all things rock. I use it as a 2 channel amp and use a Boss FS-5L mounted on my board to change channels. I use the green crunch channel w gain on 3 for my clean tone. Then I’ll kick on a a good sounding mid gain pedal (Wampler Plexi drive, OCD, or Barber Gain Changer). Then when I want high gain I switch to the red channel Lead 1 with gain around 2 o’clock. So there’s my clean, crunch and high gain tones.

Now to do this and have both channels sound good and sound balanced eq wise, I pretty much set all eq controls to 3 on the dial - which is less than 1/2 way. And push the Deep switch ON. Gotta have the deep switch on. This is why I have to use the crunch channel for my clean. Can’t use the clean mode because it is sooo bass heavy. But luckily the crunch mode w gain set low works great for clean. Maybe not for recording, but certainly for gigging. I’d also add that I boost all three gain stages w my trusty SD-1 that I’ve been using since 1982. Lol.

Also did clip the bright cap in the red channel which really helps a lot to get rid of the ice picky highs and some of the fizz. I do the 4 cable method so my mod and time based pedals go in the loop.

Your JCM2000 sounds as good as mine! Love this amp forever! I also have a JCM2000 TSL60 head that I bought new in 2000. Before I got the DSL50 last year from Reverb I was using the TSL60 head and running everything into the front of the amp using the clean channel only. That amp works great using it that way. But the mighty JCM2000 DSL50 is where it’s at for me now. So inspiring to gig with it. I just know I’m gonna crush when that amp is behind me on stage.

Thanks so much for doing another JCM2000 vid!!! You were one of the reasons I pulled the trigger on my DSL50. Can’t thank you enough!

[jasons.]

I gotta say that I love my DSL amp. It's really versatile. There's plenty of tonal changes to get from it, just by swapping an overdrive pedal. Thanks for the video Leon, cheers from Texas!

[peterharvin]

I absolutely love my JVM, but hearing this I know that I would have been equally taken with a DSL if I had bought it. AC/DC tones are a total delight.

[SajidWaikhom]

Nice! Sounds identical to my cheap DSL20 head. I suspect they share identical circuitry.

[jazz_grooves]

Hits the spot for me ;) I have a 2006 JCM 2000 DSL 100 with jubilee grey tolex. I use a rat pedal to boost it or SD1 or OD2 to mix it up. Great bang for the buck! These things will be worth a lot more in the future IMHO. Great video Leon. Cheers 👍

[tgunmusicchannel]

I've got a DSL, JVM 401 JS, JCM800 and JCM900 and love them all for their own things. JVM will always be my favourite but if I want tight modern gain I'd still choose the DSL

[kalebaldwin]

For quite a few years, Gary Moore used the green channel on these with pedals and he got a great tone (of course, he could get a great tone out of anything). Kind of how he used the normal channel on his Soldanos back in the early 90s.

But he was also known to run his amps pretty loud. That plays a big part in the tone and feel. Marshalls like to be cranked, even the more modern, higher gain models.

[MangoMeoww]

Have had a jcm 2000 50w head for a while. Green channel, crunch mode, boss sd1 and that's my sound. I'll never get rid of this amp. Nasty, aggressive as hell. Great clean channel too. Red channel isn't my jam, but it's good for playing at low volumes. Amazing amp. Never selling it.

[dukedog]

I bought a 40c at Sweetwater on clearance for 399.00 bucks a few years ago its all i need it is bad ass gotta set ip upright like any amp love it !

[rabbleinarms]

the JCM2000 DSL100 was the first Marshall I ever bought(I had always ben a fender/boogie guy). Now, 15 years and multiple amps later, I still absolutely love it.

[ericolson]

Man, that everything-at-1 tone around 11:15 was I'm a fat strat guy (despite owning three of those Greco LPCs 😅) and it just felt right.

[lightinme]

This is one of my favorite Marshall's!! Truly a sleeper amp! Paid 600 last year on eBay after watching you and the Studio Rats show case it. It's the best money I have ever spent on a amp! After a JCM900 next. :) As always love the riffs and you channel!

[michaelnedoshytko]

I picked up a DSL 20 head in the fall. Great amp! Never been a Marshall guy, but I like the tones it produces. Very responsive to different Guitars. Classic gain channel is very transparent, and I love how it takes the Boss Sd 2 and Od 2. Will be keeping this amp for as long as I can. I don't think I'll need a Studio 2525H anymore. 🎸 Thanks Leon!