DSL20CR: Finally Have a Tube Amp

[december]

The people that say Boss Katanas sound like/as good as tube amps are huffing glue. I've been fighting with one for 18 months, trying to get decent recordings.
Just got my 4th amp in 22 years, DSL20cr, first all-tube amp (2 were Valvestates) and I'm blown away. The Katana is a plastic toy next to this. It's so smooth. I can max out the presence and it doesn't get all harsh and shrill. Barely needs any EQ (got a 5 band parametric in the FX loop to balance out the mids and cut the typical problem frequencies in distortion, i.e. 1.4 and 2.5kHz, and it's perfect). I bet the total time I've spent fiddling with the parametric EQ in the Katana Tone Studio adds up to weeks. This is set where it's gonna be and I doubt I'll ever have to change it. I could never get the 12" Katana and the 12" VS to sound balanced as a stereo pair, even if just using the Kat as a power amp with the stereo FX returns. The VS always sounded much more present and articulate; at equal recording levels the VS always sounded louder, the Kat buried and muddy.
DSL FX loop to stereo pedals, VS 40V 8040 as the second power amp/speaker. Mics on front and back. Even with different mics they sound well-balanced as a stereo pair.
On disability, I didn't think I'd ever be able to afford it, but I was blessed with 15 months rent assistance. I didn't become aware of AMS until recently, though: payment plans without credit; the only way I could get something for this price. On sale for $800, 12 monthly payments.
Much Gratitude to the Universe and the Muses for making my Art possible.
DECEMBERmusic.org

My review:
I've always loved the Marshall crunch channel. I've had two Valvestates and they superceded my distortion pedals. This DSL is the best sounding distortion I've ever had. A lot of my dirt pedals are gritty, kinda like a broken speaker sound. The DSL Ultra Gain channel is so smooth. With a Precision Drive in front of it I get really nice chugs.
It is a little dark and it's hard to switch between the amp distortion and distortion pedals because the pedals are so much brighter.
People have suggested I replace the tubes and speaker. I'll probably end up doing that, eventually. But as it is, it's still by far the best sounding amp I've ever had.
Negatives: the knobs are very loose and turn very easily; when I press the Tone Shift button I can easily bump the volume knob.
The reverb is barely there, even when at max, but I don't care. I never use amp reverb and I have a nice stereo dual reverb pedal. Reverb is probably my least-used effect. But if amp reverb matters to you, know that this isn't much of anything. I tried the DSL40CR at a GC store and its reverb was the same.
My main complaint is the 1/8" emulated output. Why a 1/8" jack for that?! It's not like there isn't enough room for a standard 1/4" jack. The 40W version has a 1/4" emulated output jack. I hate when they skimp on things like this on the smaller models. I didn't get 20W because it costs less, I got it because 40W is way too much for my apartment. Now I have to find a 10' 1/8" to 1/4" cable.
I used a stereo adapter and mono cable to connect the emulated output to the interface and it sounds decent but it picks up a good amount of noise. I wonder if it would be less noisy if I had a proper cable for it… It doesn't sound good enough to be my only recording source but I do like what it adds when I mix it with the mic tracks.
I'm using the 10W setting in an apartment. My neighbors are more tolerant than most so I can use decent volume. I'm using large diaphragm condensers so it doesn't need to be very loud for them to get a solid signal.
The footswitch is solid and heavy. The cable has to be at least 20', very long. It would be nice if it could unplug from the pedal, but it's fixed on. I'm not gigging with it so I won't be moving it, but for those that are, a detachable cable would be a little more convenient.
I wish I could have gotten this a year ago, now I have several songs to redo. When I compare parts I've recorded with the DSL20CR to the old tracks recorded with the Katana, I'm like "wow, what a profound amazing difference".
4 stars because it's obviously not perfect, but it's the best amp I could ever dream to have.

 

[maggotspawn]

Congrats! Enjoy it.

 

[C-Grin]

congrats, great story of conversion. And you probably will never get the urge to dabble with any other Marshall tube amps if you keep hanging here

 

[Matthews Guitars]

Congratulations! Your first tube amp won't be your last. I got into tubes early. My second amp was a '73 Fender Pro Reverb that had been chopped to a head. Cost me all of 75 dollars out of a pawn shop in maybe 1985. My first amp was a garage sale Heathkit TA-16, I think, and I knew in weeks that it wasn't going to cut it. Ever since then, I've literally never been without a tube amp at any point. Today I've got enough Marshalls alone to provide two bands with rental gear at the same time. It's a sickness that I don't want to be cured of.

 

[SkyMonkey]

Well done @december

You're right about the reverb though.
I quickly gave up on the 40CR reverb.
A GT-100 in 4CM has taken over duties.

Gotta' love a Valvestate though.
I have a VS65R too that gets as much use as my 40CR (especially in a 5CM stereo setup).

 

[bhatta]

Congrats on the DSL.
Being a proud owner i have to say, it's a great amp. Tons of tone!

But yeah, the reverb is non existent. You'll need a pedal.

Cheers and enjoy

 

[ITburst]

Congrats! I have the DSL20HR and slant 2x12 cab. I think I respect my Katanas a bit more but absolutely love the sound of Marshall.
Enjoy!

 

[Rokinroller]

Congrats . Glad you like it . DSL does it for me . In no matter which form , from early JCM2000 to present . There is always a useful great sound in them . Great cleans to mild crunch to rich distortion . No other offers so much or does it better . Yes its probably a shame the reverb sucks in such contrast to the rest of a great sounding , very versatile amp . Always liked my Valvestates too . But as my friend ITburst above says , I as well still have my Kat 50 and still respect it for what it is . The Kat really opens up when pushed . My Marshalls stay at home . When I go out to small gigs and jams , its the Kat that goes out to party with me . So small and light but has a big voice .

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

@december
Congratulations on your new tube amp purchase .. they do make a difference..

Mitch

 

[Gene Ballzz]

The comments about the reverb on the DSL20 surprise me! I have both a DSL40CR and a DSL20CR and while the reverb on the 40 is generally non-existent, the reverb on the 20 seems just about perfect, though Dick Dale would be seriously disappointed!
Just My Thoughts,
Gene

 

[ITburst]

I found the reverb on my DSL20HR to be almost enough. I could live with it in a pinch but I usually have my Strymon blueSky helping out. It can take over from the max end of the amp and go right over the top from there. Not that I ever max it out.
The main thing I like is that I can play with the decay setting which I can’t do with the Marshall.

On a related note, my Vox has a lot more reverb than the Marshall but the more I turn it up the decay also increases. Not always a desirable thing. Again, a pedal works nicely.

 

[scozz]

I rarely, if ever, use reverb. I have 3 amps with reverb, and anytime I try a using a little I turn if off rather quickly.

I do use a delay pedal for some stuff, mostly Floyd stuff.

I see some guys who won’t buy an amp because it doesn’t have reverb. I don’t understand that because reverb pedals sound much better than any amp reverb I’ve heard.

Unless it’s an economic decision I get that, reverb pedals are fairly pricey.

 

[Old Guitar Player]

Good Decision on the DSL20CR! I spent 30 years with tube amps, before modelers were even a flicker in the eyes of amp developers. Then I went full "modeling" for a while. Just recently I picked up a DSL-20CR for my personal use at home, and when recording. I've found that modeling can work well for live performance, especially when running direct through to the front of the house. Plus, the difference in the LIVE mix of a "properly modeled" guitar sound, versus a "real" tube amp on stage can be minimal. BUT, my opinion is the interaction you enjoy while using an "old school" tube amp is MILES above what can be emulated through any of the current modeling technology. I think both options have a place, but there is nothing like the warmth of tubes being pushed to the limit, through a good Creamback. You might want to consider an Attenuator so that you can push your tubes a little, at lower home volumes. It definitely makes a difference, and helps keep the neighbors at bay... loll One last thing, if you upgrade your factory speaker to a NEO Creamback (like I did) not only will it sound a little warmer, you'll save 4lbs! As a really OLD guy, an amp that is 31lbs (instead of 35lbs) is easier to haul around...

 

[JarrodPimental]

I agr

View attachment 120617
The people that say Boss Katanas sound like/as good as tube amps are huffing glue. I've been fighting with one for 18 months, trying to get decent recordings.
Just got my 4th amp in 22 years, DSL20cr, first all-tube amp (2 were Valvestates) and I'm blown away. The Katana is a plastic toy next to this. It's so smooth. I can max out the presence and it doesn't get all harsh and shrill. Barely needs any EQ (got a 5 band parametric in the FX loop to balance out the mids and cut the typical problem frequencies in distortion, i.e. 1.4 and 2.5kHz, and it's perfect). I bet the total time I've spent fiddling with the parametric EQ in the Katana Tone Studio adds up to weeks. This is set where it's gonna be and I doubt I'll ever have to change it. I could never get the 12" Katana and the 12" VS to sound balanced as a stereo pair, even if just using the Kat as a power amp with the stereo FX returns. The VS always sounded much more present and articulate; at equal recording levels the VS always sounded louder, the Kat buried and muddy.
DSL FX loop to stereo pedals, VS 40V 8040 as the second power amp/speaker. Mics on front and back. Even with different mics they sound well-balanced as a stereo pair.
On disability, I didn't think I'd ever be able to afford it, but I was blessed with 15 months rent assistance. I didn't become aware of AMS until recently, though: payment plans without credit; the only way I could get something for this price. On sale for $800, 12 monthly payments.
Much Gratitude to the Universe and the Muses for making my Art possible.
DECEMBERmusic.org

My review:
I've always loved the Marshall crunch channel. I've had two Valvestates and they superceded my distortion pedals. This DSL is the best sounding distortion I've ever had. A lot of my dirt pedals are gritty, kinda like a broken speaker sound. The DSL Ultra Gain channel is so smooth. With a Precision Drive in front of it I get really nice chugs.
It is a little dark and it's hard to switch between the amp distortion and distortion pedals because the pedals are so much brighter.
People have suggested I replace the tubes and speaker. I'll probably end up doing that, eventually. But as it is, it's still by far the best sounding amp I've ever had.
Negatives: the knobs are very loose and turn very easily; when I press the Tone Shift button I can easily bump the volume knob.
The reverb is barely there, even when at max, but I don't care. I never use amp reverb and I have a nice stereo dual reverb pedal. Reverb is probably my least-used effect. But if amp reverb matters to you, know that this isn't much of anything. I tried the DSL40CR at a GC store and its reverb was the same.
My main complaint is the 1/8" emulated output. Why a 1/8" jack for that?! It's not like there isn't enough room for a standard 1/4" jack. The 40W version has a 1/4" emulated output jack. I hate when they skimp on things like this on the smaller models. I didn't get 20W because it costs less, I got it because 40W is way too much for my apartment. Now I have to find a 10' 1/8" to 1/4" cable.
I used a stereo adapter and mono cable to connect the emulated output to the interface and it sounds decent but it picks up a good amount of noise. I wonder if it would be less noisy if I had a proper cable for it… It doesn't sound good enough to be my only recording source but I do like what it adds when I mix it with the mic tracks.
I'm using the 10W setting in an apartment. My neighbors are more tolerant than most so I can use decent volume. I'm using large diaphragm condensers so it doesn't need to be very loud for them to get a solid signal.
The footswitch is solid and heavy. The cable has to be at least 20', very long. It would be nice if it could unplug from the pedal, but it's fixed on. I'm not gigging with it so I won't be moving it, but for those that are, a detachable cable would be a little more convenient.
I wish I could have gotten this a year ago, now I have several songs to redo. When I compare parts I've recorded with the DSL20CR to the old tracks recorded with the Katana, I'm like "wow, what a profound amazing difference".
4 stars because it's obviously not perfect, but it's the best amp I could ever dream to have.
View attachment 120618

I agree 100% I also went from a katana to dsl20 and my exact thoughts were that a katana sounds like an amp made out of paper. It’s trash.

 

[Seventh Son]

The reverb on the DSL20 is just there to provide some room ambience when playing in small spaces, typically at home. For that, it is perfectly adequate, in my opinion.

 

[december]

I rarely, if ever, use reverb. I have 3 amps with reverb, and anytime I try a using a little I turn if off rather quickly.

I do use a delay pedal for some stuff, mostly Floyd stuff.

I see some guys who won’t buy an amp because it doesn’t have reverb. I don’t understand that because reverb pedals sound much better than any amp reverb I’ve heard.

Unless it’s an economic decision I get that, reverb pedals are fairly pricey.

Reverb is the least important effect for me. I don't care if an amp has it built-in. I use delay a lot on clean tones. I do have a Source Audio Ventris dual reverb, though. Haven't decided if it's worth the $350 yet. It's got some neat ambient reverbs like the Offspring engine but the Shimmer isn't great and that's mainly what I wanted a reverb for.
Reverb just washes out the delays, so I'd like to run them in parallel, but also stereo, and they're out of phase from each other so I'd need a $240 stereo parallel mixer with phase switches to be able to do this.

 

[december]

Good Decision on the DSL20CR! I spent 30 years with tube amps, before modelers were even a flicker in the eyes of amp developers. Then I went full "modeling" for a while. Just recently I picked up a DSL-20CR for my personal use at home, and when recording. I've found that modeling can work well for live performance, especially when running direct through to the front of the house. Plus, the difference in the LIVE mix of a "properly modeled" guitar sound, versus a "real" tube amp on stage can be minimal. BUT, my opinion is the interaction you enjoy while using an "old school" tube amp is MILES above what can be emulated through any of the current modeling technology. I think both options have a place, but there is nothing like the warmth of tubes being pushed to the limit, through a good Creamback. You might want to consider an Attenuator so that you can push your tubes a little, at lower home volumes. It definitely makes a difference, and helps keep the neighbors at bay... loll One last thing, if you upgrade your factory speaker to a NEO Creamback (like I did) not only will it sound a little warmer, you'll save 4lbs! As a really OLD guy, an amp that is 31lbs (instead of 35lbs) is easier to haul around...

I've got this inexpensive attenuator on the way. I hope it's not a "you get what you pay for" thing, it has a lot of good feedback.
Carl's Custom Guitars 16 ohm Speaker Soak Guitar Amp Volume Attenuator https://reverb.com/item/8280-carl-s-custom-guitars-16-ohm-speaker-soak-guitar-amp-volume-attenuator?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=8280

 

[ITburst]

I’ve been thinking about getting an attenuator myself but I really don’t know much about them, which works best, which is better for the amp, etc.
Advice from the gang here is always welcome but I know I would be up against the “ask and you’ll get a thousand different opinions” kind of situation. I know everyone has their own opinion on which is best so I’m not sure I want to look into that rabbit hole just yet. But it is on my mind lately

 

[scozz]

I’ve been thinking about getting an attenuator myself but I really don’t know much about them, which works best, which is better for the amp, etc.
Advice from the gang here is always welcome but I know I would be up against the “ask and you’ll get a thousand different opinions” kind of situation. I know everyone has their own opinion on which is best so I’m not sure I want to look into that rabbit hole just yet. But it is on my mind lately

Word around here says our member, @JohnH, has the best sounding, transparent, attenuator around. Many knowledgeable members here speak very highly of it.

You can make it yourself if you can solder a little and know some wiring info, if I had those skills I’d own one of his.

I would look into that before anything else, I think @Gene Ballzz will attest to that.

 

[ITburst]

Word around here says our member, @JohnH, has the best sounding, transparent, attenuator around. Many knowledgeable members here speak very highly of it.

You can make it yourself if you can solder a little and know some wiring info, if I had those skills I’d own one of his.

I would look into that before anything else, I think @Gene Ballzz will attest to that.

I barely have the skills to play my Les Paul’s, you want I should solder??