The Marshall DSL Series are the latest all valve amplifiers and are direct descendants of Marshall's classic all valve amps plus a few extra attributes such as versatility, switchable channels and reverb: the Marshall JCM2000 Dual Super Lead valve amplifiers.
The 100 Watt DSL 100 and 50 Watt DSL 50 Dual Super Lead heads feature two footswitchable channels, Classic Gain / Channel A and Ultra Gain / Channel B. As the names imply, each channel has a very different character, with Classic Gain / Channel A taking you from a clean to crunch 1959 and then, via a mode switch, up to a 2203 style. Ultra Gain / Channel B takes you from a hot rodded 2203, via a mode switch, to a higher gain response with the addition of mid-boost. Each channel also has its own individual Reverb level.
The amps also feature a Deep Switch and Tone Shift which are common to both channels. The Deep Switch adds a
resonant bass boost to your sound without muddying it up, while the Tone Shift selector shifts out the mid frequencies making the amp ideal for brutal metal tones, especially when combined with high gain settings. Their all round versatility and sheer size of sound make the DSL 100 and DSL 50 superb performance tools for today’s most demanding playingsituations and you can rest assured they are packed full of the famed Marshall TONE.
With the introduction of the Marshall JCM2000 range of DSL50 and 100 heads, the
TSL100 head and the TSL122 combo, the definition of ultimate tone and usable features has been rewritten. This quartet of great amps has now spawned a new generation of compact, lower power combo amps, the DSL201 and DSL401, destined to be classics for both studio and session/club gigs.
As the names imply these amps are 20 Watts and 40 Watts respectively, but as these
are true valve amps, built to exacting standards, do not let the lower power ratings
fool you into thinking that they are just practice amps. The benefits of using a lower powered amp are many, not least that of being able to push the output valves harder for extra warmth at manageable volume levels. Many famous artists have used smaller amps to record classic tracks and how many use lower powered amps on stage, to help balance the sound? Worried that your amp is great for the studio and small club, but
not for bigger gigs? Well don’t, there are ways of making them sound much bigger than they really are.
Just adding a Marshall 1960 4x12” cab is going to increase the spread and SPL of your sound, by simple physics. If not mic or D.I. through the PA. The onboard D.I. output of your DSL201 or 401 contains Marshalls acclaimed speaker emulation circuit, making accurate sounding D.I.ing as simple as plugging in a cable.
Silent recording in your project studio? Again, use the speaker emulated D.I. output, only this time turn down the master volume control (which by the way, controls the apparent output power) to zero and still capture the full valve tone of your amp on tape or disc.
Digital Village is now able to take orders for the full range of the Marshall DSL Series guitar amplifiers from Marshall Amps, the Marshall DSL Series