DSL 2000 - setup and mods

I know there are a few up here who play a DSL 2000 and know lots more about it than I do. I started using one about a month ago and am loving it, but as always I wonder if there are things I should/could do to get more/better tones. I play mostly Chicago style blues (think Muddy, Wolf, early Buddy Guy, Elmore James, etc.) and some surf type stuff (Link Wray some Dick Dale, etc.)

I use it with no pedals or effects (occasional Dunlop Wah or slap echo - but rarely) and have the classic gain channel set up moderately clean with some grit if I dig in. This is the primary setting for rhythm and leads on the mellower/slower songs. I use just-neck or just-bridge positions on the tele and do fiddle with the tone and volume knobs depending on the song/section. I also use the "ultra gain" channel with a fair amount of gain (setting 1) for slide and raunchier lead work. The slide guit is a Casino with P90s and I usually end up on the neck pup on the tele for leads with the tone rolled off a little. I'm playing at low volumes for this amp so any/all tube distortion is pre-amp. I usually keep the treble cut to about 9 oclock on the amp, the mids raised to about 3 oclock and the bass at noon.

So here's the questions:

1) For singing/sweet leads, I use the ultra gain with the tone on the tele's neck pup rolled off. Is there another way to use the amp (not a pedal - I've never met an OD pedal I really liked) to get those sort of tones? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

2) Should I pull the outside two power tubes to knock it down to 50W? Is the power tube distortion on this amp much better sounding than using the pre amp and MV? I think the gain/MV dirty sounds are very good, but am I missing out on the best part?

3) There are companies out there who claim tonal miracles by modding this amp. Anyone have an opinion?

I feel a bit like a kid in a candy store with all the sounds I've found in this amp - maybe I should just stop and be happy!

Thanks in advance,
Josh

Bumped due to inadequate title (begging help from experts - that part wasn't clear...)

Thx,
Josh

I've built a PILE of amps, and I still mainly use my JCM2000 DSL100 for live work.

PREAMP TUBES
First, swap out those TERRIBLE Marshall labelled preamp tubes. The power tubes are actually pretty good. Those 12AX7's on the other hand suck.

I like ElectroHarmonix 12AX7's, some folks don't. Preamp tubes you can simply plug in, no biasing or tech stuff required.

BIAS
If you have a repair guy who you like going to, have him bias the amp's power tubes. They're usually OK, right out of the box though.




So here's the questions:

1) For singing/sweet leads, I use the ultra gain with the tone on the tele's neck pup rolled off. Is there another way to use the amp (not a pedal - I've never met an OD pedal I really liked) to get those sort of tones? What are the advantages/disadvantages?



I like setting the Ultra channel (NOT with the extra boost on) a few notches lower on its Gain knob until the overall crunch is about the same as the Classic crunch channel - then I boost the actual Volume a bit. This way, my leads don't sound any different than my rhythm - just louder.

The Ultra channel uses diodes to clip/distort the signal, so if abused/overused it can sound very fizzy and canned. Using it in moderation is important for when you use it for lead work.

I actually like to overuse the Ultra channel for some stuff, but I do anything and everything from '20s acoustic Blues, '50s Country, to Industrial and Metal (where the Ultra shines).

Generally, I like JCM800 sounds and use the Ultra's Gain control VERY sparingly.



2) Should I pull the outside two power tubes to knock it down to 50W? Is the power tube distortion on this amp much better sounding than using the pre amp and MV? I think the gain/MV dirty sounds are very good, but am I missing out on the best part?



I wouldn't pull a pair. The deal with MV Marshalls is getting most of your crunch from the preamp - to even notice the lack of headroom between 50w and 100w amps, you'd have to be playing that 50w pretty dang loud anyway, so its only a marginal difference to your ears and neighbors.

Besides, the 100w has a tighter and bigger bottom end.

Also, pulling a pair would mean having to remember to change the impedance switch on the back ;)

TASTE
A lot of tube purists and snobs have some sort of near-religious view of tube overdrive. It doesn't matter what others think, it matters what you think.

An Epi Valve Junior for instance, sounds as one dimensional and ratty as an overdrive pedal to me... yet its sold on its "pure tube overdrive" merits.

Like I said, I have a PILE of amps I've built - ALL TUBE ('50s and '60s Fender circuits, '60s Marshall circuits, freaks, and high gain beasts), and my personal preference is for master volume type amps, usually with cascaded preamps. This makes most snobs shudder in horror (as do DSLs apparently HAHA).

Some non-MV amps dimed sound like ass too. SO its all a matter of taste... and I dig MV Marshalls.



3) There are companies out there who claim tonal miracles by modding this amp. Anyone have an opinion?

I feel a bit like a kid in a candy store with all the sounds I've found in this amp - maybe I should just stop and be happy!



Yes. Stop and be happy - AFTER you swap out them stock preamp tubes.

This amp can cover a lot of territory, but I bought mine because it sounded BETTER than the old, original JCM800's sitting next to it in the shop.

It can easily hit that JCM800 voice and having a Lead channel for a volume kick for solos helps a lot.

Although, I still use my moddified BF Princeton head I built with 6L6's for Country and Rockabilly.

I just swapped the stock 12AX7s for some Ruby Tubes and man oh man did it take the edge off the gain "fizz". Thanks very much for the other advice - I've never been nearly as happy with an amp, but I get the perfectionist streak in me and just keep tweaking. Glad to hear that someone who's played one a lot more doesn't think they need mods. I don't think I've had the gain up past 3 on either channel for very long yet (maybe one chord). Thanks again for the advice - I was fishing for some comments from you.

- Josh

PS> Sounds like our musical tastes have a lot of overlap - does you band have any music up on the intertubes?

For preamp tubes, try to pick up ones on the cheap as you go.

Even older used tubes can be had for cheap and can sound wonderful.

I'm not particularly a big fan of the EH's, but tastes vary. I have used them in a pinch in some amps.

Since modern high gain amps typically have gonzo to spare, you might want to experiment with lower gain preamp tubes. My affordable fave for the first slot is a Sovtek 5751 - it has the same basic construction as their 12AX7LPS, but with a little less gain. Just a personal preference, though.

For the phase inverter tube (last one, typically closest to the power tubes), you can round things off a touch with a 12AT7 or even a 12AY7.

I like mixing up my preamp tubes. The circuit tends to be fixed to give you different characteristics at each gain stage. You can vary this even more by mixing tubes.

It's kinda fun collecting preamp tubes, and swapping them without looking at what's what. You can arrive at some cool combinations.

If you're on a budget, there are plenty of great preamp tubes for 12 bucks or less.

It's kinda fun collecting preamp tubes, and swapping them without looking at what's what. You can arrive at some cool combinations.

If you're on a budget, there are plenty of great preamp tubes for 12 bucks or less.



Very cool idea. Sounds fun... sometimes even a bombed out dusty old tube will probably make some amp, somewhere, in the right socket very happy.

Damnit 11 Gauge, why are you always putting ideas in my head when I don't have time to do anything as it is!!!

he josh, i recently purchased a marshall dsl 401 for a very small amout of money. it sounded soso. then i installed a vintage 30 speaker. that did not sound too good.. and then, as a final operation i had all the tubes replaced with jj-products. a miracle happened: the amp is the bomb now. i am not toogood in explaining sounds in foreign languages. but is a lot mellower, but still very articalated and hasa an excellent bass. no more harshness. i am very happy. i play a lot of slideguitar and rootsy hillbillypunk and i heard your stuff on the twangercentral, so i guess your taste will be in that direction as well. eddie

Thanks all for the ideas. After reading the comments yesterday I stopped by the guitar store (small local one) for some 12AX7s and it is night and day on the gain. I was getting some nice sounds before, but I had to back off on the tone on the guitar and the treble on the amp quite a bit. Also, when I got the gain going enough for some nice sustain, it was really easy to go over the edge into fizziness. Now it's much more predictable and controllable.

I ended up with some Ruby Tubes 12AX7s because it's what the local shop had and the Voodoo amps guys seem to favor them. I've put some of their 6L6s in a Peavey as well. So far, I like them a lot. The Marshall branded tubes sounded buzzy and harsh with less responsiveness to my right hand - they just went straight to eleven. The RTs are much livelier than the Sovtek 12AX7s I had in another amp, and sound like a punchier version of some old RCAs I used as well. The RCAs could have been worn out though - I think they were original from a 1952 amp... They were fairly cheap too - $13/ea.

What does the phase inverter tube do? I went from a class A 8 watt Champ-like amp with two knobs on it to this thing... I've got some learning to do!

- Josh