Selling: Marshall DSL40C

I have other plans, amp-wise. I have enough Marshalls here to get me by even if I part ways with this one.

Foot switch included, of course :-)

• Selling: Marshall DSL40C (40W, all tube amplifier, switchable to lower wattage)
• Self-collect: Address will be disclosed upon confirmation
• Queries/ confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• No reservations/ trades
• Condition: 8.5/10
• Price: $500 (final)

Lo-morning

It's Saturday morning, it's always fantastic if it's away from work. Just finished playing some tunes, here's the set up:

• Guitar: Gibson LP Tribute 50s with Duncan humbuckers
• Pedal: CMATmods Butah
• Amp: Marshall DSL40 Classic gain channel

It's a slightly different approach as I dialed in a tamed drive voicing- the Marshall's Classic Gain gain channel has significantly less roar & the fact that I only had it at 3. The saturation came from the Butah, the drive's almost max-ed out with the brightness in check- tone knob not even past 30%...

What's the point? It's about the ability to play like me with a less familiar set-up. I've always turned things up, way up in fact & this served me well in terms of playing technicalities but that's like wallowing in familiar territory. What if I was made to play with unfamiliar ingredients, could I pull it off or would the excuse be that lame 'it's not my set up, I can't play'?

But the reality of the situation is that we can never be our real selves when faced with a compromised playing situation but it would do us well to be prepared should the situation arise.If you can't be at your 100% best then you can try being very close. Nothing beats playing with your gear & dictating your set up, eh? 

So moral of the story: If there's no caviar, the cod roe has to manifest a near-caviar experience & you have to see that happens.

Marshall: DSL40C (Part 4)

I had some pedal time with my Marshall DSL40C this morning. Actually it started last night but the good part of it happened today. I connected some pedals through the FX loop feature of the amp at the rear panel, the cables were long enough to rest it on the amp's top.

What's the difference if one does it this way? This connection allows the pedal to be connected after the pre-amp section so it sounds different compared to regular guitar-pedal-amp connection. The DSL40C blends well with the pedals in this mode, it needs more volume to ensure that the pedal's output does not overpower the amp's pre-amp section. If you refer to specialized amp heads, many of the FX-loop feature has an independent volume knob, this way, we can control how much influence your pedals have in the chain. This feature is absent here.

With any Tubescreamer/ Tubescreamer clones/ drive type pedals, the DSL40C sounds very creamy. In fact, it's able to take away some of that signature Marshall sting if you don't fancy that in excess. I know this amp likes distortion type pedals (no the intense metal type) instead, to make it sound very fierce but watch your pedal's tone control, do not let the top end get out of hand, otherwise you'll hear too much high frequency in there. With any distortion units through the loop, I need not raise the amp's gain too much, in fact, it's more fruitful having it at the half-way mark.

Mashall: DSL40 (Part 1)

I hear something good, I just have to have it. I have like... 4 Marshalls here so this is another Marshall but it's not about restricting myself from being excessive with a particular brand name- heck, no. It's about hearing something good & giving it due credit.

I've been spending some time with the new Marshall DSL40C today & it sounded good. This is a reiteration that it sounds quite removed from its 'DSL' predecessor in drive mode. I know the difference personally because I used to own the DSL401 combo. If you think you want a rounder Brit grit, you are better off with the MA series. The new DSL is an angry amp, that's what I like about it. It's more fruitful taming an angry amp to manifest a degree of politeness but it's not as breezy injecting ferocity into a gracious amp.

Here's how it looks at the rear, it's not entirely a 'closed-back' unit. That switch you see there is the half-switch; it reduces the amp to half power.