Guitar Center's Blues Masters 2013 with Joe Bonamassa: Marshall DSL40C Demo

We caught up with Joe Bonamassa at the Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, AZ where he demoed the Marshall DSL40C, which each of the ten selected finalists will be receiving for Guitar Center's Blues Masters.
Check out the Marshall DSL40CR (replacement of discontinued DSL40C):
www.guitarcent...

[@TJPenitencia]

"You can make friends--and enemies--in any small club" cracked me up.

[@matthalo89]

Joe is a real dude. Love hearing what he has to say and love his playing.

[@espedale]

Best demo--EVER. Now an even bigger fan of Bonamassa.

[@vincebos7915]

Anyone else notice those awesome stairs?

[@LarryMar]

Only pianists.

[@whatyoumakeofit6635]

Hell ya. Thats all I could see 8n the whole video

[@gnrfront]

It was the only interesting thing on this video

[@andrewclemons8619]

Actually there's been studies done that prove that you only see what you what you aim for

[@castleanthrax1833]

@@andrewclemons8619 If you hold your thumb at arm length, you basically focus on a spot the size of your thumbnail. I know you see a lot more, but that's all that's in your focus.

[@guitarjem]

Regardless of what people say this is now one of the best selling combos in its price range. It is fizzy but a speaker change takes the fiz away. For the price it's a good amp and very well made.

[@evansa7x]

"Distortion scares me." Hahahahaha! The world couldn't handle Joe playing metal.

[@fishnpitstaknnames4699]

Joe Bonametal

[@auntjenifer7774]

@@fishnpitstaknnames4699 that's great !😉

[@JohnSmith-ii9cu]

More like joe couldn’t handle joe playing metal

[@jerrymyers1798]

Everything works great on 10....oh yeah!

[@jonpileggi2621]

Great little amp! I have the Cream Back speaker in mine, and it makes a great difference! The clean channel takes my pedal board really well! No complaints on this amp, Ive owned Mesa Boogies, several fender amps, and this amp has a sound of its own!

[@misterblack6521]

What style do you play?

[@MRSNIFFMEFINGA]

LITTTLLLEE???

[@plindsey3]

"Everything on 10!" That should be the new guitarists' mantra.

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Joe and Marshall true blues legends

[@JohnnyOgres]

Got this amp about a month ago, been jamming with it since. Great sound from an affordable amp. My budget for gear isn't too big, but getting a great all tube Marshall for under $600 is badass. This video is very true to how this thing jams.

[@JohnnyOgres]

Also, I played this back to back at Guitar Center with a Peavey Valveking II, the Peavey didn't stand a chance. This amp was way more superior for the price range.

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

ADD a good speaker like a greenback or v30 and this amp kills

[@joelspaulding5964]

2022....up to $900.

[@elielmartinez5095]

Wow $600? Man yeah now it’s like $900 or so 😭😭. Still going to get it though

[@Patriot6669]

$1049 and counting...

[@kieranoconnor333]

Played one of the limited edition models of this today, super good amp but I can't even fathom how loud it'd be on 10. I accidentally pushed the volume on the ultra gain setting up thinking it was the treble knob and I almost had a heart attack!

[@stringsattached67]

Go read the reviews on this combo anywhere on line and you'll know for yourself that this is one solid great sounding amp ' don't listen to the tone deaf trolls on here that think they know more than the thousands of reviewers that has given this amp 4 and 5 star rating.

[@adamwatson6916]

steve scarberry it's all about preference bot wheather its bad or good. I have seen just many bad reviews on this amp as good ones this amps just any not have the tone a person is looking for. I find it fizzy and has too much gain . I'm not saying it's bad but it's just not to my taste or preference. if your ear does not like it then it doesn't like it. you need to play an amp for yourself and should never buy something because it got great reviews on the internet. or because 200 tom dick and Harry's ordered it from sweet water and posted great reviews on their website. I know many poeple who ordered gear because of good reviews only to find out if wasn't the sound they expected or was looking for. only you can decide if something sounds to you. a million star reviews mean nothing untill you try it for yourself. I bought an ocd pedal because of all the great reviews and ended up trading for a boss od3 because to my ears the odd sounded terrible it's not because I'm tone deaf it's because I know what I want to hear and I i don't hear it something gets changed. I prefer fender and traynor amps with pedals in front be because I don't like the sound of modern marshall does that make me tone deaf . foe me dsl has too much gain to much fizz and I don't like the cleans that much . fenders and traynor give me the sound i want not liking a dsl does not make a person tone deaf. why do poeple get so butt hurt when Someone dislikes something they like

[@adamwatson6916]

steve scarberry reading reviews will not tell how an amp sounds. you can't hear a written review . you won't know wheather an amp sounds good to you untill you try it for yourself .. music and gear is such s personal thing. and everyone has that tone in their head they want to achieve and for some poeple s dsl does not give them the tone they hear in their head. never buy gear based solely on s bunch of good online reviews. many reviews are written by very green people who never owned a tube amp before. when poeple say this is the best amp I have ever heard it's usually because they have not tried very many different types.

[@TheZooman22]

Its a tube Marshall, sounds good.

[@trickyrjb1]

I didnt know what to think about Joe when he first appeared on the scene, but I think hes a really cool dude.. and genuine!

[@winceyV1]

that boy always makes me smile , he plays like him and he uses what sounds good to him he slogs along working hard smiling and being nice we need more like Joe and less like well whoever .. keep it going Joe i will see you live 1 day

[@biggoofybastard]

"These go to 11."

[@simonsmith2642]

+biggoofybastard Well that would be one more then wouldn't it

[@Vizzie87]

Roflmao!

[@usmcchrisg]

biggoofybastard ya and don't even look at it.

[@byrinwang4492]

Nowhere, exactly

[@kodiakandgrizzlybears3787]

Actually, 11 and a half.

[@muninnseyes]

" distortion scares me " and then he dimes the amp. That's class

[@CashCurran]

The sunburst on that 335 though........ GORGEOUS

[@jacobsamano9761]

I owned one of these for about 2 months. I changed the speaker to a Celestion V30, not because the stock speaker was terrible but because if you’re trying to play all out Metal (which in fairness isn’t how your supposed to use the amp) then the distortion can sound fizzy at extreme levels. It is seriously one of the best sounding amps I’ve ever owned, that and a Fender Supersonic 60watt 212 combo. I’m bummed I sold it, I needed money. I’ll definitely buy another one down the road. I have the DSL 1 watt head and it sounds great too. These Marshall DSL amps are really great. Don’t know how he could sit that close to it with everything on 10 though. He must be partially deaf from years of gigging just like my drummer uncle.

[@mr.h5788]

The stock speaker IS terrible! I own one and replaced it immediately. Made a huge difference...

[@Proc112]

@@mr.h5788The DSL40CR (new gen ones) comes stock with a Celestion V-Type which is a MASSIVE improvement over the god awful 70/80s they used to put in these. Still run mine through a 2x12 loaded with 65 creambacks when I’m able to though

[@blkjakk]

DAMN. I have this amp & if I turned the gain & volume up to 10 it'd blow the windows out of our living room AND the neighbors would call the cops. I put a Dr. Z air brake lite attenuator on mine and the amp much more useable in a "home" situation now.

[@francob5623]

it's a versatile amp ? i mean every music even metal?

[@blkjakk]

alpha omega With the attenuator on it like I did, it's a very versatile amp. Beautiful cleans and growling gain. Superb amp.

[@betterthandeadohyea4500]

I'm sure he had it in the 25 watt mode

[@Nirond]

i wanna buy this one but i m really scary about it, i haven't got a nice neighbors

[@seanarmao]

I have been contemplating the attenuator route, but a lot of people say don't do it. And how do you think this amp would do on a boss gt 100?

[@Turn0vers]

I think it's funny how people are bashing Bonamassa by the way he dresses and plays. My immediate thought is He's a #1 Billboard artist what have you accomplished? In my opinion the amp sounded great i have played a few dsl's they're amazing.

[@dquillen1]

JMoney14dawg Don't you know these youtube idiots are way better than any Professional musician... :)

[@Turn0vers]

Yeah they're definitely so much better. ;)

[@dquillen1]

JMoney14dawg They are the same idiots who buy a 100w Marshall half-stack, and then bitch that it is "Too Loud" to use in their bedrooms --- Geniuses. I tell you...

[@Turn0vers]

Biker Tramp Then post it for a $1000 bucks on craigslist

[@adamwatson6916]

joe is great that amp is not. you don't need to be an accomplished musician to know if an amp does not sound right for you. and its stupid to fell a person they are wrong for not liking the tone of an amp. you don't need to be a professional guitarist to have an ear for tone. as many producers will tell you many pros struggle to identify when their guitar is out of tune. joe knows tone buy many pros do not. not everyone has to like joe either. maybe his music is not to everyone's taste. just because a person is not a pro does not mean they have no right to there preferences. the what have you accomplished statement is short sighted and irrelevant . you are basically saying joe is famous so you have to like him and your not a pro so you are not qualified to say you don't like his music .

[@epidude07]

"In the heat of battle... Everything works great on 10... My recommended settings: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, aand 10." 2:59 & 3:19 pure gold

[@mefirstandthegimmiegimmies5160]

I have had mine for years and I love it. Awesome amp for the stuff I play.

[@jonhattanrai]

So, this is the guy that has a signature model of everything on every brand.

[@Voxboy876]

I have this amp and love it. I play it through a JD Newell 212 cab. If you think it sounds shitty....its not the amp

[@michaelholmes8350]

The goat. Prolly the most underrated guitarist in the world. He can play anything, anywhere. Not to mention his technical knowledge.

[@agrojim1975]

That guy is a pretty good player. Hope he makes it big one day. That amp is alright too. I'm sure it will find it's niche.

[@elnico135]

Best demo/review Marshall could ever had

[@martyo8356]

This is a 40 watt all-tub amp. It has a switch to cut the power to 20 watts if needed, which is a great feature on this amp. If you look closely, Joe has the reverb all the way off and the Presence and Resonance knobs turned way down. So that may explain some of the sound quality (or lack thereof). And look at where he's playing. They probably set up an impromptu demonstration in a setting not designed to get the full benefit of the amp's sound and tone. I own this amp and it's a great buy for the money. Lastly, I saw Joe Bonamassa live in concert. He is a GREAT guitarist and very dedicated to the blues genre. But to each his own.

[@lymbesermon1183]

"Distortion scares me" 10 seconds later: "Let's turn all knobs to 11" XD

[@MrSpmaxx]

I am a beginner trying to learn and bought myself a Marshall MG 100HFX and love it.Just cant wait til I learn how to play the guitar so that I can crank it up..Marshall amps rock..

[@castleanthrax1833]

So, 8 years later how's the guitar playing now?

[@dluten100]

I have this amp but with the creamback speaker and I love it. Couldn't be more pleased.

[@vasyatri]

Nice Nice Nice!!! I like to hear this kind of sound

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Joe is a Genius for Sure

[@lifeson241]

Amazing player !!!!!!

[@raul21md]

"My recommended setting is 10...10...10..." lol

[@harryevans1117]

My recommended settings are 11, 11, 11, 11, 11, 11, 11, 11, 11, 11,

[@fender35303]

But why don't you just make 10 a little bit louder?

[@kyleshawcross3995]

fender35303 but this one goes to 11... 😂

[@TheCheck01]

I did so (exept wollume) and it wroks !

[@alecalfaras5936]

1959 Bassman 5f6-a knobs go to 12!

[@justsaying9913]

10 is the sweet spot for sure guitar 🎸 🤙🏼

[@Ellio1862]

Anyone who's never tried a Laney amp should do. Awesome sound.

[@luizaro]

Just one thing, that final sound when he dimes everything on 10 is with the scooped mids button engaged. So it's not quite the midrange Marshall signature sound that you expect to hear on this amp. I have one of these and I love the amp, lots of different textures and classic marshall sounds!

[@traviswhite771]

The 10 over the dials is how EVH had his rigs on amps in the old days. Just run his hand over dials full blast 👌 RIP EVH

[@antonioalbares]

I don't think Joe is trying to tell you "hey this is how I get my tone" he is is just showing you the amp. Last week I had the chance to sit down for an hour and compare a Mesa Stiletto, a Vox AC15, a orange rocker, a blackstar HT20 and this Marshall. Tried them clean, dirty clean, crunch and heavy distortion. Marshall won in all categories but heavy distortion, very responsive amp, you can change the color of your playing (least responsive was Orange, it just sounds one way). It is a great amp and very versatile. I would recommend changing the speaker, it makes a HUGE difference and to be honest the seventy 80 is not the greatest out there.

[@antonioalbares]

+Popsmoke1000 I got a creamback G12H on mine and its killer, but its up to you, depends on the tone you are seeking. You can also go for a G12M (for a classic rock tone) Look at videos comparing speakers.

[@abradfordajb]

Good comments. And, thanks for sharing your amp comparisons. You sound like you know what you're talking about, which is always a good thing. This amp comes stock with a Celestion 70/80, which i totally agree is far from the best fit for this amp. Most folks i've heard replace it with either a V30 or a Creamback. Personally, i think Marshall was trying to be too "market-friendly" in choosing the 70/80. If I was an amp builder who had a good product, i wouldn't deliberately shoot myself in the foot by pairing my amp with an inferior speaker. Rgds.

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

add a v30 or greenback and this becomes one of the best marshalls you can own at the pricepoint.

[@shredtilyurdead]

everything on 10!!! That was awesome!

[@bimbomcgee]

Just bought this amp because of you Joe

[@BrianMorris-zc4md]

Thanks Joe!

[@jordanaldrich]

I just bought one of these and I love it!

[@tonybranton]

Me too

[@kcred58chief1]

I fucking love Joe. His the shit.

[@KillerB3]

Fun to watch.. it's cool to listen to Joe Bonamassa regardless of the amp!

[@Graveyard_666]

I bought mine yesterday. I'm impressed how loud and clear it is. Overdrive sounds amazing with EMG 81'S. I approve.

[@batmandeltaforce]

He sounded so much better when he used Marshall:)

[@AB-lx8cf]

Owned the dsl2000 and yes, I loved that amp. Did have some heating issues and other stuff but I do love that clean channel. The overdrive channel was nice for punk and Indy rock, classic rock at its highest setting.

[@christopherslaughter2263]

I love my DSL 40. I use a pair of Hughes and kettner TM112's with it and get my amp driving three speakers.

[@mattx5499]

I got 5W one and it's blasting even in a 1W switch when I crank it up on 10. I'm pretty sure my neighbours would want me kicked out of the building if I would do that on 5W mode.

[@SSGSharp]

Joe is such a nice dude. I would love to play guitar with him

[@GraffitiPhysical]

Sounds like a great portable kick ass Marshall. The greatest valve amps ever.

[@madaxman2112]

Joe is such a trip... Love it !! Dime it out!!

[@TheMisterious2010]

Love him and I love his smile 😘🥰

[@brianenders2098]

I need to learn how to pick that fast going up and down the scale. Awesome

[@castleanthrax1833]

He has awesome coordination between his hands.

[@lrn2swimlrn2swim]

I bought one of these online on a whim, and must say I'm pretty impressed. One downside is its kinda hard to carry around, so I use a trolley to save myself the trouble. Though the reverb is great, clean channel is beautiful and can go into hard rock territory, and there's some okay sounding metal tones in there too if that's your thing, picture early Metallica.

[@AAA-uz6bs]

For a demo, that's some amazing playing.

[@andyg6967]

If it’s good enough for Joe then it’s damn well good enough for me.😎🎸👍🏼

[@mikemcclelland3864]

All settings on 10...love it

[@greatestguitar1]

Love the guitar as well.....

[@Valdenoyo]

My jaw dropped on 10!

[@bbnatedogg]

Speaker efficiency is a major reason why SS amps are thought to be much quieter than tube amps. Also, the wattage rating of a tube amp refers to the peak while running clean. The amp actually produces more when being pushed into overdrive. Though the volume doesn't really increase once being overdriven due to the fact that the signal is being clipped. A 100 watt amp being driven hard is probably producing 150 watts or so. This is why you wouldn't want to only use 100 watts worth of speakers

[@rezarcher]

"Dime in the heat of battle." That's going in the old phrase book.

[@JordanLake25]

It does sound really good on everything full fuckin' blast.

[@michaelinglis567]

Ive had my DSL100HR since the month they launched and i feel the same way. Its my last amp ill ever want or need (as long as this whole vacuum tube issue is resolved). i put a Hammond filter choke in it last year and it made the amp even better. It sounds fuller and more "solid" and "immediate" with the choke. I put a heavy duty switch on the chassis inside the amp that switches between the choke and the 220 ohm resistor that is stock. That way i can switch back and forth between stock and the modded choke. Each sound is good but i really do prefer it with the choke. Anyways they are such great amps. Ive biased my power tubes as cool as possible ever since i found out about the war in Ukraine tube issue. Im really trying not to play the amp as often which really brakes my heart cause every time i play it i cant get over how great it sounds and i just want to keep playing for hours. In the meantime i picked up a Hotone British invasion nano legacy that ill use for practice so im not putting as much mileage on the power tubes in the Marshall (i have one quad of used but still working EH EL34's if the set in the amp currently has any failures but after that im screwed). I plan on building a larger class AB power amp probably around 100watts that i can use to power the Hotone with so i can get up to gig volume with it. I build guitars, guitar pedals and do amp, guitar and pedal mods constantly so a simple SS class ab power amp should be no problem.

[@TroubleinZION]

Haha He tickles me. "Friends and Enemies." We also share the same birthday, so there's also that. Great guitar player!

[@djizzah]

DSL 2000, damn thats a fine amp. right on!!

[@TomPark1986]

Bright, sharp sounding amp.

[@ace69er]

Several factors. Yes the main amp I use is a 5W Blackstar HT5, valve is usually louder or seems so, but the BIG factor is speaker efficiency! The more efficient, the more dB per watt it can put out. The speaker(s) I use have a 98dB @ 1W efficiency, so are pretty loud! So @ 5 W you're looking at about 102-3 dB!

[@bbnatedogg]

Yep, the DSL2000 is a highly underrated amp IMO. You don't need any pedals for a great blues-rock lead tone IMO. I just run it through a good attenuator, use the lead 1 channel, and crank the gain to 9 or 10 and volume to 7 1/2.

[@hank7166]

This video feels like it was court ordered

[@janvandamm1864]

Please go to see the 12 year old Dustin Tomsen playing and sing Joe Bonamassa's song Blue and Evil. Included guitar solo. He reminds me a lot of the young Bonamassa

[@musicauthority7828]

Make that nine and a half LOL. Joe Bonamasa is a totally amazing guitarist. that ES 335 and that Marshall go together really good.

[@4449steam]

YOU GOTTA GO TEN OUTTA TEN

[@flobeeonekinobee2353]

Love these amps

[@MichaelCoffin]

I just bought this amp. I found it to be fizzy and harsh, so I replaced cap C19 with a 68pF (replacing the 470pF stock value) and replaced the speaker with an Eminence GB128 (greenback clone). Holy cats, do I love it now. Green channel (clean/crunch) transitions nicely to Red channel (hi gain) for blues & rock. If you don't mind spending a few extra bucks for mods, this is a great gigging amp. And loud as heck, if you want loud.

[@marcomanovic9867]

Such an amazing blues guitarist. Really digging his style

[@bbnatedogg]

Even knocking it down to 50 watts isn't going to drop your volume a lot, especially perceptually. A 10 watt amp is half as loud as a 100 watt. I use a Weber MASS 150 attenuator. I can run the attenuator at about 4 out of 10, with the amp settings I listed before, without pissing any of the neighbors off. It still certainly fills the entire house. I can set the attenuator at about 2 without real significant tone loss. I supplement it with my tube screamer if I need to keep it real quiet.

[@PeterDad60]

He's right. Marshall's are meant to sound Best with every control Dimed. Tone, Marshall Roar, Violin like Sustain that does not end! My new DSL40C with the Sweetwater free Celestion G12M 16ohm speaker upgrade is Outstanding. I had for years a hot rodded Marshall JCM 900 and a Full stack of 1960A & B speaker cab's.

[@polpottopg]

Holy shit i play with a drummer and another guitarist and ive never had to put the volume over 2! 3 nearly blows my eardrums hhahahah and he puts it to 10 damn

[@SuHAibLOL]

he must use the pentode triode switch so he can push the power tubes.

[@SuHAibLOL]

+sato without having to get super loud

[@polpottopg]

sato Even using that, its still unusably loud

[@polpottopg]

i have no idea

[@IloveRillettes]

SM57 can undergo a very high level of pressure, so if the gain of the microphone has been lowered, it doesn't necessarily clip. And even less "melt".

[@bimbomcgee]

Just bought this amp because of you joe

[@Nachtopus]

I bought a DSL15c, and within one year it had crapped out on me twice. I got my money back for it and bought a Blackstar HT Club 40. I suggest you do too! The voicings are a lot better.

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

crapstar muddfestivle

[@keithpatel6584]

Great demo 👍

[@snogglemonkey]

I get the feeling that Joe's heart was not in this demo - that he secretly thinks this amp blows.

[@KQKQ23]

I mean as a guy who makes his living on fender tweed amps it wouldn't surprise me lol

[@KQKQ23]

@Madam Murdrum I can't tell if you're being sarcastic lol. I love the Marshall sound but unless you're going 100watt JCM800 or something there of I just find that the sound never quite is the same on the small stuff. LP into a cranked Marshall is glorious

[@cashlandrumful]

ME: "Marshall sucks the most!" JOE: "You just won a free Marshall!!" ME: "Marshall is the best amp ever!!"

[@angusorvid8840]

He plays Dumbles too.

[@I_like_turtles_67]

@@angusorvid8840 I thought he sold them or quit bringing them on the road?

[@Teteuum]

holy fuck, this joe makes me wanna cry, he's so fucking great

[@TheDunateen77]

I'd like to set my amps to ten ten ten and ten but my neighbours would be calling three nines in about TEN seconds

[@chroby]

Me: What are your suggested settings? Joe: 10 Me: 10? Joe: 10!!!!!!! Joe: actually 9 and a half on that one

[@misterblack6521]

I have this amp and love it.

[@BlackWolfgang70]

you master the amp ... great demo !

[@CGFilmTV]

Great short, all dials to the right! :)

[@missionoc]

Very icing, cold! Where is the warmth of a marshall tube!?

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

learn to use and understand the function of a treble knob,come on bud.if you have a lifeless shitty blanket covered amp you cant bring the treble up,it will constantly be a mud fest and you are stuck with mud. blackstar has one of the muddiest amps ive ever heard or owned,they suck. with this dsl you can easily turn down the treble,the presence and the tone on your guitar,does this help? its easier to take something away then to add it when it doesn't exist.

[@patrickwilliams3087]

Yes ladies. The ten on this big letter dsl is 11😊

[@jawsrock1]

I've owned this amp for about 2 years now. I really like it, but I was kinda on the fence at first. After a tube swap with some old military NOS pre-tubes and some JJ power tubes, V30 speaker, and some other small mods, I can easily dial in most any sound I like. I do like the reverb and clean channel. Put a little into it and you'll get a lot out of it.

[@rikkydavidson1762]

❤😮

[@davidhartly9333]

good enough for joe good enough for me!!!

[@Joemommas]

Seriously if you never played one of these in real life don't talk shit about it. It sounds great and like any tube amp it sounds best whens cranked. If you haven't tried one of these then don't talk shit. Videos on KZbin don't do any amp or gear justice.

[@HipsterEatinShark]

I've played both, and it's no JMP or JCM. Fine combo amp for the buck, though. If anything, I don't think Bonamassa does it justice here. It's not a blues amp, lol.

[@armandomorenotherevival7827]

These are great once You upgrade the tubes and Speaker and they can really smoke. I upgraded my friends dsl40c with some tungsol tubes took out that crappy Chinese celestion and put it in an eminence gb128 speaker , with the upgrades it’s more warmer less ratty with that high end shrill from the Chinese celestion and the tungsols tubes with correct biasing can really add more dimension and headroom.

[@PageGuitar1]

Cool vid, and the stairs behind him are awesome - shaped in the form of piano keys.

[@leftyzappa231]

While not an *OLD* Marshall tone, the DSL40c is by far the best out of this line to come out. What is it really? A 40 (or 20 - which I prefer because of power stage overdrive) watt house amplifier. The tones are very good (especially for the price) for jamming and writing. Are you going to use it at a show? You *could* if you have a small/quietish combo (or blues with medium volume). If you are in a rock band though, leave this home and bring something more appropriate to destroying everyone in the building. Just my opinion of course. You could always get a Twin and an assortment of pedals. Cheers!