A Marshall for All Seasons

[jonsick]

What’s wrong with the DSL40C? I’m sure I’ve played that version, but never owned one.

Nothing except reliability. I have had a couple of C variants that I have had to call time on for repair and send my customer to Marshall directly. It has a board issue but as Marshall refuse to sell boards now for either this or the JVM series, it's back to Marshall with it.

The DSL40CR so far does not have the same issues.

 

[Wiltonauer]

Nothing except reliability. I have had a couple of C variants that I have had to call time on for repair and send my customer to Marshall directly. It has a board issue but as Marshall refuse to sell boards now for either this or the JVM series, it's back to Marshall with it.

The DSL40CR so far does not have the same issues.

That’t why I was thinking I wanted something dirt simple like that 2203, only amps like that don’t do quiet, do they?

 

[jonsick]

That’t why I was thinking I wanted something dirt simple like that 2203, only amps like that don’t do quiet, do they?

Hmmmmm, if you mean in terms of volume requirements, it isn't the best choice. I mean, it can, but not it's usual place.

I guess, the question I would ask is how quiet do you need it to be? Are you talking about local gigs where the soundguy instantly hates all guitarists because he's had the training equivalent of one monkey teaching another monkey how to bang two rocks together? Or do you usually run into decent soundguys who understand what their PA system is for?

Are you having to get over a drummer in rehearsals?

Are you playing this at home?

That could really help narrow down the requirements so to speak.

 

[Wiltonauer]

Hmmmmm, if you mean in terms of volume requirements, it isn't the best choice. I mean, it can, but not it's usual place.

I guess, the question I would ask is how quiet do you need it to be? Are you talking about local gigs where the soundguy instantly hates all guitarists because he's had the training equivalent of one monkey teaching another monkey how to bang two rocks together? Or do you usually run into decent soundguys who understand what their PA system is for?

Are you having to get over a drummer in rehearsals?

Are you playing this at home?

That could really help narrow down the requirements so to speak.

Home, yes. Sometimes jamming with a friend who has a

 

[jonsick]

Home, yes. Sometimes jamming with a friend who has a

... hamster?

 

[Wiltonauer]

... hamster?

Yes. A hamster and a gen 1 5150 half-stack. Sometimes we jam with a bass player, even a drummer on rare occasion. Smallish spaces like a big office/small studio/basement/garage. I play mostly at home, though. I have plenty of shit I can use to play quiet or through headphones or for DI recording. I could probably run a 5W amp all the way up at home during the day.

 

[Kosthrash]

If you don't want to carry around a heavy amp, then you'll be just fine with the DSL20cr...

DSL20C

marshall.com

 

[Wiltonauer]

If you don't want to carry around a heavy amp, then you'll be just fine with the DSL20cr...

DSL20C

marshall.com

I’m not really jazzed about another combo. I’d rather have a head that’s 50lbs. or less, and a cab with casters. I already have a 2x12 cab that would probably be pretty sweet with a Marshall. It’s a hog, but it has casters.

If I were going to take a 1x12” open-back combo to a jam, I would probably just use a Fender and a small pedalboard.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Yeah but what about the hamster?

 

[Wiltonauer]

Yeah but what about the hamster?

The hamster likes to use the Champion 100 XL. It’s definitely an underdog, but it sounds great with pedals and can play stupid loud. I keep telling him he should use the Tone Master Twin Reverb, but he insists on an effects loop.

 

[Werecow]

The hamster likes to use the Champion 100 XL. It’s definitely an underdog, but it sounds great with pedals and can play stupid loud. I keep telling him he should use the Tone Master Twin Reverb, but he insists on an effects loop.

I knew a hamster like that once. He never listened to anything i said either.

 

[død]

The Silver Jubilee sounds mean as hell, too! They can usually be found for slightly less than the 800s

 

[jonsick]

Yes. A hamster and a gen 1 5150 half-stack. Sometimes we jam with a bass player, even a drummer on rare occasion. Smallish spaces like a big office/small studio/basement/garage. I play mostly at home, though. I have plenty of shit I can use to play quiet or through headphones or for DI recording. I could probably run a 5W amp all the way up at home during the day.

Ah OK so the at home silent thing is sorted.

OK my advice to you is, take some cash and purchase a good quality 2x12 cabinet. Get something good with Engl, Mesa what have you written on the front of it. Don't scrimp. While you're there, get yourself one of those Quiklok heavy duty 2x12 combo stands that allows you to put some height to the thing. Yes two beer crates do the same job but the stand folds away neatly. I have one, I don't even think on the beer crate days anymore - they are bulkier than you think.

After that, embrace your inner gear whore and try out some amplifiers. Start used with whatever budget you have and cycle some around. I would say start with a JVM410H as I think it will be up your street if the budget will stretch. If it doesn't quite stretch, go for a used JCM900, preferably a reissue.

For now though, for sure put the main amount of beans into a good 2x12. No crap. It's a 2x12 you'll have for life so do it right first time.

 

[Wiltonauer]

Ah OK so the at home silent thing is sorted.

OK my advice to you is, take some cash and purchase a good quality 2x12 cabinet. Get something good with Engl, Mesa what have you written on the front of it. Don't scrimp. While you're there, get yourself one of those Quiklok heavy duty 2x12 combo stands that allows you to put some height to the thing. Yes two beer crates do the same job but the stand folds away neatly. I have one, I don't even think on the beer crate days anymore - they are bulkier than you think.

After that, embrace your inner gear whore and try out some amplifiers. Start used with whatever budget you have and cycle some around. I would say start with a JVM410H as I think it will be up your street if the budget will stretch. If it doesn't quite stretch, go for a used JCM900, preferably a reissue.

For now though, for sure put the main amount of beans into a good 2x12. No crap. It's a 2x12 you'll have for life so do it right first time.

How would you go about investing with confidence in a top-quality cabinet if you don’t know what amp you’re going to end up with? Count on changing speakers after you’ve bought the amp and played it through the cab enough to know if there’s an issue?

 

[budda]

How would you go about investing with confidence in a top-quality cabinet if you don’t know what amp you’re going to end up with? Count on changing speakers after you’ve bought the amp and played it through the cab enough to know if there’s an issue?

“If it sounds good it is good”.

 

[Strobe]

If it must be a Marshall, I honestly think the JVM covers the most range. It does most Marshall things passably - and it's certainly my favorite Marshall for high gain.

That said, I like the Splawn Quick Rod with regards to the modded Marshall sound. It covers similar range to the JVM, but I think it sounds better - especially for the more classic gain sounds.

 

[Wiltonauer]

“If it sounds good it is good”.

So I should try the cabs out with different heads to get a more complete picture of what they really sound like. Good idea.

 

[Wiltonauer]

If it must be a Marshall, I honestly think the JVM covers the most range. It does most Marshall things passably - and it's certainly my favorite Marshall for high gain.

That said, I like the Splawn Quick Rod with regards to the modded Marshall sound. It covers similar range to the JVM, but I think it sounds better - especially for the more classic gain sounds.

“Passably” might be good enough for some Marshall things, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to accept an amp that won’t do whatever the SC20H does, and at least as well. (Assuming that were my only Marshall-esque amp.)

 

[owlexifry]

“Passably” might be good enough for some Marshall things, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to accept an amp that won’t do whatever the SC20H does, and at least as well. (Assuming that were my only Marshall-esque amp.)

bro the SC20H is just a mini JCM800 2203 / 2204

a splawn quick rod will shit bricks on either of those.

So I should try the cabs out with different heads to get a more complete picture of what they really sound like. Good idea.

yes. do this.

 

[jonsick]

How would you go about investing with confidence in a top-quality cabinet if you don’t know what amp you’re going to end up with? Count on changing speakers after you’ve bought the amp and played it through the cab enough to know if there’s an issue?

This may fly in the face of a lot of current stirrings in the great ether of the Internet, but here is my take.

A "good" cabinet is likely on that cost a good bit of cash when new. The reason it costs a lot is because it's likely good. I know that's not a terribly fashionable thing to say, but it's true. And to be honest, we can distil that down a lot more. So in terms of "good" cabinet, I would buy something along the lines of a Marshall 1960AV if you want to spend less, the Mesa Boogie Recto cabs are great, the Engl Pro cabinets (avoid the standard), Hesu are reportedly good from what I'm told.

The truth is that if you get a good sounding cabinet, despite the current stirrings being all about replacing speakers and the like, this is a rather expensive and thankless endeavour. If the cabinet is made well and sounds good, then it is good. Sadly a lot of the cheaper cabinets are not good. While I'm sure there's that one cabinet made by that one company that when you fully replace the speakers it sounds OK, I personally have no intention on filling my house with cheap guitar cabinets and a fortune's worth of speakers trying to ascertain which one was the bargain.

Get a good cab, do it right the first time and then you can just leave it the hell alone. The whole replacing speakers fad is just that. I have had to replace my speakers out of necessity, not tone chasing. And if you think about it, if I were to throw four new Eminence speakers in my cab at £120 apiece, I'm into it at around £480. That's a lot of cash for speakers that I just want to "try out" apparently.

Get the right cab from the get go and don't mess with it. If the cabinet is good, then whatever amplifier head you put on top of it will sound perfectly fine. Trust me, a good valve amplifier has a lot more resale value than used speakers. I have a bunch I'm trying to shift and the only offers I have gotten are practically giving them away - I decided to store them and see if a cheap used cab shell comes up instead of completely decimating what I put into em.

Overall, quit over-analysing. Grab a good cabinet and see what you have left for your Marshall budget. It's heavily unlikely anybody gets the right answer on the first, second or even third go. But at least if you don't like your amplifier head, it's far more saleable or trade-able.