Marshall DSL20HR and 1936V cabinet - modern metal sound?

[markok1847]

My second post already in this forum So, I finally managed to get back into guitar playing after 20 years (first I was 16) and I managed to order MG50GFX combo which is indeed some pretty bad sounding combo - I mainly play the clean channel, also added a Polara reverb pedal for some fun. The crunch channel on that amp is awful. Im planning to at least change the speaker on that - v30 maybe. Im using my crap 20 year old guitar - Ibanes GRX70

Anyway, I also just ordered DSL20HR and a 1936V for a more serious playing. My main goal is to get a nice metal sound out of that. Did I do good? Im hesitant since I think I bought the wrong stuff - there is no option to try gear out where I live, I dont know many people in bands anymore either. I relied on YouTube in making my decision - Ola Englund for example.

Basically Im looking for the early Metallica sound and the more later modern metal sound - Animals As Leaders, John Petrucci solo albums. I also ordered some pedals - both Revv G3 and Revv G4, also Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 and also a Abasi Pathos distortion pedal. I think I went a little overboard

 

[scozz]

Yup, you’re fine, a Dsl20 and a Tubescreamer will get on fine for Metal.

Congrats on a great amp and cab, and welcome to the Marshall Forum!

 

[fitz288]

My second post already in this forum So, I finally managed to get back into guitar playing after 20 years (first I was 16) and I managed to order MG50GFX combo which is indeed some pretty bad sounding combo - I mainly play the clean channel, also added a Polara reverb pedal for some fun. The crunch channel on that amp is awful. Im planning to at least change the speaker on that - v30 maybe. Im using my crap 20 year old guitar - Ibanes GRX70

Anyway, I also just ordered DSL20HR and a 1936V for a more serious playing. My main goal is to get a nice metal sound out of that. Did I do good? Im hesitant since I think I bought the wrong stuff - there is no option to try gear out where I live, I dont know many people in bands anymore either. I relied on YouTube in making my decision - Ola Englund for example.

Basically Im looking for the early Metallica sound and the more later modern metal sound - Animals As Leaders, John Petrucci solo albums. I also ordered some pedals - both Revv G3 and Revv G4, also Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 and also a Abasi Pathos distortion pedal. I think I went a little overboard

Ya done good.
Dsl20HR is a great amp, and paired with a 1936V should rock some nice metal!
I have mine on a stack of MX112's with a V30 & a T-75.
You may have gone a little overboard on the dirt pedals, but who cares.
The Ultra channel on the DSL20 is high gain and won't need much front end push, if any.
I have a couple of OD pedals that I use on the Classic channel and can get a great variety of tones.

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

TO THE FORUM OF LOUD
You’ve done fine my brother
In about 6 more months you will have probably acquired some more gear, but you are good to go right now.
Cheers
Mitch

 

[LCW]

Check out Lambchopper678 on YouTube… he’s done a bunch of tone vids to sound like various metal bands just using various EQs and pedals…

 

[OriginOfTheSpecies]

Not necessary but an EQ for the loop and 4 in/output noisegate are handy tools for sculpting a metal tone too. I like the cheap-as-chips artec mini parametric eq for notching out just the right spot in the mids.
If you're like me you'll find yourself whittling down pedals once you've found "your" tone.

 

[AdrianDSL]

My second post already in this forum So, I finally managed to get back into guitar playing after 20 years (first I was 16) and I managed to order MG50GFX combo which is indeed some pretty bad sounding combo - I mainly play the clean channel, also added a Polara reverb pedal for some fun. The crunch channel on that amp is awful. Im planning to at least change the speaker on that - v30 maybe. Im using my crap 20 year old guitar - Ibanes GRX70

Anyway, I also just ordered DSL20HR and a 1936V for a more serious playing. My main goal is to get a nice metal sound out of that. Did I do good? Im hesitant since I think I bought the wrong stuff - there is no option to try gear out where I live, I dont know many people in bands anymore either. I relied on YouTube in making my decision - Ola Englund for example.

Basically Im looking for the early Metallica sound and the more later modern metal sound - Animals As Leaders, John Petrucci solo albums. I also ordered some pedals - both Revv G3 and Revv G4, also Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 and also a Abasi Pathos distortion pedal. I think I went a little overboard

Welcome You should get some killer metal tones. Here are my current settings on my DSL40CR for low volume playing, always using an OD pedal as clean boost.

 

[Trident]

“WELCOME”

 

[SkyMonkey]

You may have gone slightly overboard with the REVV pedals. They are generally run straight into the FX Return for the best effect as they are preamp pedals.
A Boss LS-2 could be the thing to switch between a front end signal chain using the TS, and the REVV's into the Return.

 

[GregM]

Yup welcome, Methinks you are gunna have some fun!

 

[markok1847]

You may have gone slightly overboard with the REVV pedals. They are generally run straight into the FX Return for the best effect as they are preamp pedals.
A Boss LS-2 could be the thing to switch between a front end signal chain using the TS, and the REVV's into the Return.

Thanks. Im just learning the pedals thing since 20 years ago as a teenager I had no money for a decent amp and pedals. I forgot to mention that I also bought a Boss NS-2 for the noise and a TC Electronic Looper pedal. I actually have no idea how I will set this all up when the amp and cabinet finally arrives Im definitely not going to hook up all the distortion pedals at once, lol, will probably choose one and get rid of the others.

So I basically got all these pedals to choose from:
Boss NS2
Ibanez Tubescreamer TS9
Revv G3 distortion
Revv G4 distortion
Abasi Pathos distortion
TC Electronic Looper
Digitech Polara Reverb

 

[scozz]

No Sd1 on your list @markok1847! The Sd1 and Tubescreamer are legendary with Marshall amps, both pedals are staples of the industry!

Maybe you’ve overlooked it, easily done being it’s only a $50 pedal,… the best deal in pedal history imo.

Get one!

 

[fitz288]

So I basically got all these pedals to choose from:
Boss NS2
Ibanez Tubescreamer TS9
Revv G3 distortion
Revv G4 distortion
Abasi Pathos distortion
TC Electronic Looper
Digitech Polara Reverb

I'm interested to hear if you like the Revv's in the loop return as @SkyMonkey suggested.
I'll also concur with @scozz - get an SD-1, it does not disappoint.
Tubescreamer is another classic, I have a clone that does the 9 & 808 - nice juice on the classic channel.
I'd add one thing for your consideration: EQ in the loop, I use one on most of my amps, any brand is better than none.

 

[markok1847]

I will definitely look into the SD-1 thing and will let you know about the Revv pedals. With YouTube comparisons at least with the Revvs people say that they sound very different but on the videos they sound almost exactly the same, so that will be interesting.

Should I also get a delay pedal? Im not very fond of the effect, but everyone seems to be using it. Im also a bit concerned about my old Ibanez GRX70 humbuckers (the budget GIO series from 2000-2003). Should I be looking for active pickups instead or replacing these passive ones? I dont exactly understand how the guitar prices have changed these past decades - back in 2002 my guitar cost 300 euros, I was looking at a local aftermarket today and it seems one guy is selling the same type/series humbuckers in new condition for 60 euros a pair. So an upgrade for me would be pickups which cost more than 100 euros? I dont want to change them out and get exactly the same quality

 

[fitz288]

I will definitely look into the SD-1 thing and will let you know about the Revv pedals. With YouTube comparisons at least with the Revvs people say that they sound very different but on the videos they sound almost exactly the same, so that will be interesting.

Should I also get a delay pedal? Im not very fond of the effect, but everyone seems to be using it. Im also a bit concerned about my old Ibanez GRX70 humbuckers (the budget GIO series from 2000-2003). Should I be looking for active pickups instead or replacing these passive ones? I dont exactly understand how the guitar prices have changed these past decades - back in 2002 my guitar cost 300 euros, I was looking at a local aftermarket today and it seems one guy is selling the same type/series humbuckers in new condition for 60 euros a pair. So an upgrade for me would be pickups which cost more than 100 euros? I dont want to change them out and get exactly the same quality

I'm not a big fan of delay, unless you need it for a particular tune.
I like a touch of reverb & chorus in the loop (with an EQ, of course).
Playing alone in my living room is a little sterile with a dry amp.
Active pickups are very different than passive IMO - I had some and didn't like them, but again, that's just me...
I'd suggest try before you buy, it's a different kind of tone.

 

[FlamesAreWicked]

I was able to cop a pretty good Metallica sound running a dsl40 into a Mesa 212 with a TS9 in front.. active pickups.. I ran the gain about 10 o clock on the red channel and let the boost and pickups do the rest

 

[scozz]

………..Should I also get a delay pedal? Im not very fond of the effect, but everyone seems to be using it…….

Unless you play music that requires a delay, there’s no reason to get/need a delay. I have one mainly for Pink Floyd type music, I’m a a big Pink Floyd and David Gilmour fan, that’s the main reason anyway.

I do use it for other things besides Floyd, it’s not a pedal I use everyday though. I also have a chorus pedal, I probably use that almost as much as the delay, I have both of them in the loop.

Also in the loop I have an eq pedal and a boost pedal,… Tubescreamer and a Sd1 in the front. I’m running the 4 cable method.

I would suggest you hold off on all that wet pedal kind of stuff for now, you’ve got enough stuff coming to keep you busy dialing in all the tones you’ll have available.

You’re gonna have a lot of fun buddy, Enjoy man!


My little board,….

 

[markok1847]

Thank you for the replies so far. Still waiting for the DSL20HR amp and the 1936V speaker I just realized I dont know how to wire these two together. Do I need one speaker cable or two?

 

[SkyMonkey]

Thanks. Im just learning the pedals thing since 20 years ago as a teenager I had no money for a decent amp and pedals. I forgot to mention that I also bought a Boss NS-2 for the noise and a TC Electronic Looper pedal. I actually have no idea how I will set this all up when the amp and cabinet finally arrives Im definitely not going to hook up all the distortion pedals at once, lol, will probably choose one and get rid of the others.

So I basically got all these pedals to choose from:
Boss NS2
Ibanez Tubescreamer TS9
Revv G3 distortion
Revv G4 distortion
Abasi Pathos distortion
TC Electronic Looper
Digitech Polara Reverb

I have a setup that switches from front end OD and distortion to FX Return preamp pedals using an LS-2.
I will post how it's done later.

 

[clutch71]

Thank you for the replies so far. Still waiting for the DSL20HR amp and the 1936V speaker I just realized I dont know how to wire these two together. Do I need one speaker cables or two?

You will need a single speaker cable for the DSL to connect to the 1936.

I recommend that you spend time guitar>amp>cab before you start adding pedals. Set everything at noon lower the volume and turn up until you get a good sound in the room. Remind yourself that getting album tone in the room is not going to happen for a lot of reasons. I think you made a good choice and given some time getting used to the dry sound of the amp to create your foundational tone will go a long way in getting back into guitar.