I WANTED TO LIKE IT... MARSHALL DSL5 COMBO AMP

[@adamwatson6916]

A 5 watt amp not being loud enogh to use in a band is not a revelation by any stretch . Its understood by everyone that these are not gigging amps .

[@Matt-ng9xv]

Also, a combo amp is literally the exact same thing as a head and cabinet. It’s just COMBOined. So if you can’t get ANY combo amp to be louder than a drummer/band with only vocals in a PA/“loud enough”? I suggest that either you don’t understand gain structure, or you’re starting to lose your hearing. A 20 watt combo and a 20 watt head and cab of the same everything will yield the same everything. And any show you will play that matters will have a PA and sound guy, who will put this nifty thing on your amp called a microphone, and with that, the sound of your amp, whether 5 watts, 20 watt, combo or stack, will be put through the PA, which completely dwarfs your cab no matter what. And speaking as somebody whose been that sound guy before, bands with guitarists who don’t get that, or who think they NEED a loud amp to turn all the way up cuz they’re “a loud band! We play loud!!” Yeah? Well the diaphragm of that microphone doesn’t do “loud”, it takes what is, and MAKES it loud. Which means you can have the tiniest guitar amp imaginable, and if it’s got a good tone, it will be in the PA, which will make it sound like it’s bigger than any individual amp will ever be. Don’t be one of those guitar players who doesn’t understand stage volume can be minimal and house volume still be gigantic, because they are two separate things. Loud stage doesn’t equal loud show, at least not in a good way. But it can certainly equal noisey show and leave people who came with a ringing in their ears for the next 2-3 days.

[@Michel-r6m]

A head (or combo) with out for another cab can get louder with that cabinet on the condition the speakers sensitivity is higher (at least 3db/w/m) in order to make an impact. Speaker size and the cab itself can also impact the sound. Short: wattage tells only half the story.

[@fredthegreat09]

THE BEST COMBO TO PLY AT HOME

[@rocktorrocks]

I just got the DSL1CR and am surprisingly happy with it. It’s got a smaller speaker which I thought might not sound good or full but in a small studio space it sounds pretty good. Nails the hard rock and classic rock tones I like and is light, compact and simple to use without annoying the neighbors. It’s not the best amp in the world but I’m plenty happy and for the size, price, and features it still feels like a great value for someone wanting the Marshall sound at home. I see them used for under $300 often. I have a youtube short showing some tones from mine.

[@yyjj4230]

Dude, this is one of the best sounding demos that you did! And that is A LOT. Just brutal mids. Cheers from Argentina

[@Matt-ng9xv]

Did you try playing it in a tuning that was any higher than drop G#? Just sayin. Loads of reviews praise this amp for its versatility. Maybe it’s the lack of versatility in your playing that’s limiting your ability to use it right?

[@nicholascortez7103]

I agree, although, I swapped out the original speaker with a celestion greenback. It completely changed that little monster for the better.

[@MICKIN310]

this little amp is perfect for jamming at home with another guitarist , bassist or in the bedroom or if you need to go and check out buying a guitar its small sounds great and got a punch of a good tube amp BUT remember its 5 W not a 50W or 100W

[@Dave-nm3xc]

I like those upstrokes you did in behind the nut.. i think im gonna steal that. 👍🏾

[@BennettMarks]

I have a DSL 20 watt. And I love the sound of the bigger amps. You should try the bigger wattage amps. the 20 is pretty fire!

[@zac3126]

I love my 20 watt as well

[@PikaStu666]

Yeah he did a demo of the DSL20 about a month ago, it sounds awesome. Very tempted to get one myself.

[@BennettMarks]

@@PikaStu666 It's worth the money. Can handle pedals pretty well and gets loud. The Fact I haven't gotten a noise complaint from my neighbors is honestly crazy.

[@adamwatson6916]

I own the 5CR and the 40CR and played the DSl 20 several times and its not a night and day difference . There is a difference but its not night and day. . The DSL 5 is a great amp and sounds better than the DSL 20 If you know how to use the proper set up . You need to use it as a head .It only has a 10 inch speaker and its a cheap crappy one at that plus its an open back combo and the Cab is too small . The small enlosure and open back design along with the 10 inch speaker makes the amp really boxy congested and nasal sounding as well making the amp sound loose and bass deficient . The cheap speaker makes it very fizzy . Run it like a head through a closed back Cab with 12 inch speakers and all those issues go away . It becomes a very full and balanced tone Monster . The main issue is that it lacks bass without the deep switch on and soonds boxy and tinny but with the deep switch engaged it becomes too flubby and dark/muddy but with a 2 by 12 closed back Cab you can run the amp with the deep switch off and the Treble set to 7 the mids at 5 and the bass at 4 and this gets you in the sweet spot where you have just the right blend of low end and high end . The bass is much tighter and the lower mids much more defined and vocal with a very clear and slightly rounded top end . The low end has just enough squish and you get a nice creamy sounding compression that still has good clarity and bite . It sounds much more vintage than the bigger DSls .The 5CR through extension cabs with 12 inch speakers sounds like New Wave of British Heavy Metal tone. It goes toe to toe with my Mini Jubilee in the Jubilees 5 watt mode ..The Jube has a little more touch sensitivity but its only a slight difference.

[@Archartugan]

what speakers do you use in 2x12 for DSL5CR?

[@-cobainism-]

you’re such an amazing youtuber. you get what the people want. stay metal dude

[@bigjkeelfoot9665]

Ray!!!!! love the content you pump out. I Think it would be cool if you did an update video on what you think about the PRS MT15. It's such a small beast that I would love to see you look at again!!! Thanks for the amazing work as always.

[@tobins6800]

I second that.

[@PaulChoate-s4v]

“You can get something better for the money” yet you don’t tell us what. P

[@mattiaswestman3910]

The stock speaker is crap, swap it for a G10 Vintage or do the 12" V30 mod

[@saflex1]

I found that the DSL5 is quite good for old school thrash tones at home, especially when playing through a 1x12 or 2x12

[@Gearslayer92]

Not anything wrong with the stock speaker in this amp. If you can't make it sound good then it's you, not the amp...

[@TheSammyreynolds]

the 10 inch speaker is the problem.

[@lukaszpiasecki]

Not a problem. It’s a feature. Don’t forget what it is made for. :)

[@efeisik0]

@@lukaszpiaseckithe problem is the speaker itself, not its size🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@TylerJohnstonGuitar]

@@efeisik0 Right. I have an Orange amp with an 8” speaker that sounds better. Quality over quantity.

[@efeisik0]

@@TylerJohnstonGuitar I have a 90’s squier champ also with an 8 inch speaker and it sound rich and full. Thats maybe because its worn in so much in near 30 years. It could be the speaker in this marshall needs that treatment too🤨

[@jconner3891]

Yes

[@beniseli1272]

Unhappy with gain structure? Get a distortion pedal and push the classic gain chanel (cmon its based on a plexi, thats what u do with plexis). Unhappy with the tone of the gain? Get a cab with 12" speakers, no matter if 1x12, 2x12 or even a 4x12, because the thing with this amp is, that you can unplug the inbuilt speaker and just connect another 16ohmish speaker to that jack

[@IkeHowell]

2:26 when will this be a song so i can play it on repeat all day??🤔🔥

[@jmv668]

Always sounded harsh to me, changed tubes, changed to greenback to creamback,12" cabinet but always the same .

[@peeepppy]

that intro riff dude 😮‍💨🔥

[@bradsutherland_writer]

I have had this amp for a few years and I love it. It is not easy to dial-in though.

[@dennisneo1608]

I have one, and I live the clean er channel best. Nice tones.

[@acegitaar]

Thx bro What tune ur playing Awesome dropped 🎸

[@Lowtech14]

I have no idea how it sounded in your room of course, will say the recording sounds great. It is meant to be a home amp.. would have liked to know how much even less volume there was in low power mode :-)

[@silverstaralchemist]

When I bought mine used for $300 back in 2015 it was definitely worth it. Nowadays? Hell no haha And quick tip, for heavy music this absolutely needs a boost. Otherwise the low end flubs out and just sounds uninspiring. I threw a 10-inch Creamback and new tubes in mine and I've been loving my tone ever since. Never felt like I needed to upgrade amps after that.

[@atlejohnnyrygg7124]

Why isn't it worth it nowadays? Can still be found for $300 used and with latest price jump on everything it should be an even better buy. What would in your opinion be better options in the same price range?

[@ddbrock9675]

Creamback is definitely the speaker you want in this amp.

[@sdoman7215]

Thats interesting, I was just messing with my own 2020 dsl5cr and decided to crank up the gain, noticed the flubbiness you speak of. Do you know if tubes or the speaker made a bigger difference? I do enjoy the clean and overdriven sounds on it with my offset tele, so I cant knock it for most of my playing.

[@silverstaralchemist]

@@sdoman7215 I've got a video on my channel with the speaker change so you can hear for yourself. The mids really opened up with the creamback and sounded more full. For heavy tones an OD in front may still be needed to cut some of the flub and give you tight, heavy chug sounds.

[@silverstaralchemist]

@@atlejohnnyrygg7124 oh, I didn't know they still available at those prices used. Below 500 I'd say it's still worth the money

[@richterduplessis4201]

Great review! I have the same amp and found that changing the speaker helps with getting better high gain tones. But yeah this amp is definitely made for home practice/jamming and not gigging.

[@bdubs1967]

I just bought one and its fantastic. Marshall tones and enough volume control to not destroy your hearing or piss off your family/neighbors. Through an eq pedal in it and its even better. My only disappointments are 1) No Marshall Crunch tone and 2) The reverb is WEAK. I'm not a big reverb fan, but the Studio reverb on my Marshall MG30FX is infinitely better. But hey its just a great amp. Love mine.

[@aliaksandryurenia8093]

Oh man, I like your music

[@xanderraymondcharles]

Hey thanks so much!

[@augursaudiocult]

Gotta see Ray soon 🔥

[@Cpmnk]

Its an amazing amp if you change the speaker or get the head with a separate cab

[@patodaneff4836]

You can connect it to a separate cab??

[@oliviergub927]

Thanks for making me feel less alone. Every one is praising this amp, and I agree that the clean channel is great (and not so loud IMHO), but the ultra gain channel is soo dirty and almost muffled. I can compare with the DSL1CR, that I still own and that is really nice overall, but as it was not loud enough (and speaker too small) I expected the DSL5CR to be all I need... but not. I had a Blackstar HT5R before and I own a Vox AC10, they all sound much better than the DSL5 gain channel.

[@smeemusic]

Id like to see little amps like this with speaker upgrades or disable the internal speaker and place an output jack in its place to run an extrenal cab. No they probably wouldnt be loud but they might get a tone worth recording. Also this may open up a new realm of tone chasing. I couldnt imagine the smae circuit is in this amp as one of their flagship models. However the difference may be hiding a gem. I wouldnt be against turning cobo amps into heads like glenn did to that 6505. I did this same thing to an old ampeg amp YEARS ago. And yeah it was a stellar conversion. Just made more sense as i use 412's and have nearly no use at all for combos.

[@jasondorsey7110]

Did that with a marshall vs100, so much better through an ext cab than as a 1x12 combo...I also run 5 watt tube amps like a '74 champ or silvertone 1471 through ext cabs with good results

[@smeemusic]

@@jasondorsey7110 yeah this is the exact thinking that comes up with the coolest stuff. You find real unique vibes when you use gear in ways it wasn't designed to be used Or modifying gear to take it to the next level. I think some people are scared to start ripping their stuff apart to see what they can do to it. But I think once you realize it's not really difficult to do stuff like speaker swaps, it kinda opens the door to discover really cool stuff.

[@RussBMCSGT]

Each amp is unique. I’ve had 2 completely different TSL100’s over the years & now I have a JVM410H (hands down a WAY better amp than the TSL100) & while I don’t have 2 to compare I would be willing to bet that side by side identical settings they’d probably sound different from one another. Rock on bro!

[@thomasvanetten8116]

I wanted a Marshall till I had one then I traded a hot rotted marshall JVM for a mesa boogie mark v but I kept my marshall cab that had some anniversary vintage 30s it was noice that’s why I took the mesaboogie on trade

[@xiwiwix]

I just got a SL-5C and it's a lot of fun. It's pretty much a 2 Ch JCM800 w/ 2203 PreAmp on channel 2, all tube gain, zero diode clipping. I'm use an external cab, into a Captor X and it's wonderful. You should check one out, brutha. Great video! And I agree with you, the tone was meh on the DSL5, and for the price, there's a plethora of different, better options.

[@Michel-r6m]

Plug it into a cab with a speaker that is bigger (12") and has higer sensitivity (3db/w/m at least) and you'll have a totally different sound and experience.

[@justmehere6094]

DSL series isn't really voiced for what you were playing on it. It's not meant for that. It's meant for classic rock, 80s metal, etc. ADDITIONALLY it's a 5 watt PRACTICE amp. It's meant for home practice.

[@0xGcs]

I personally own the DSL40c and I think it's a total monster compared to this amp. $250ish more and you get much more amp for your money.

[@adamstrachn]

I've played a DSL40 a few times and it's a killer amp. Marshall seemed to ship this 5 watt with a trash 10" speaker. I'm sure it would sound better with the right speaker. That would probably kick up the price a bit though.

[@jean-michelmenard394]

Hey it’s been long time I did not see your video how are you

[@jairlaiter6679]

The clean chanel is way better than dirty. I like it with pedals

[@dalejacksonmo]

Good demo

[@JayBirdGuitars]

I love my dsl1hr with evh 12 celestion

[@lilian896]

I've got same amp. Good for practice or enjoyment.

[@DavidMadeira29]

Not your first choice but it should be the unbreakable one, three channels tubes had always one channel going down. Namastè.

[@brozio77]

the real problem is the shitty 10 inch speakers, i have a lot of them and the only one barely passable it's a very old celestion g10-50 from early 80's. ten 30 for sure, i own unfortunately one, it's a bad bad sspeaker. my suggestion is to try tre premap out with a good ir or the amp with a good cab. in my opinion it's not a bad or average amp even if, i agree with you, overpriced.

[@giuseppezambotti8576]

I have that speaker in a Lead 20 from the eighties: it still sounds amazing, mate!

[@prestonbowden1008]

Yea I’m with you on this one. Not bad but not great either. Would rather have the dsl 20

[@TylerJohnstonGuitar]

Here’s why I’m an Orange guy: Just about every 2000+ dollar amp is gonna sound good. Most sub 200 amps are very subpar, but theirs hold up like the expensive ones. Marshall, Fender, and just about everyone else struggles in the budget tier.

[@adamwatson6916]

Most Sub 2000 dollar amps are not sub Par. The idea that Amps need to be over 2000 dollars to sound Good is just silly. I have heard Many Sub 2000 dollar amps that Blow the more expensive amps out of the Water . Most 2000 dollar Plus Amps are hype . Marshall Makes great Sub 2000 dollar amps and the DSL 5 is no exception if you know how to dial in an amp and run it through a closed back cab with A 12 inch speaker(s) especially 2 by 12s or 4 by 12s . The DSl 40CR and Origin 50 are also fantastic . Put a Creamback in the Origin 50C crank it up and juice the pre amp with an SD-1 . Best selling amps of all time are the Marshall DSL and Fender Hot Rod series

[@Rockerrobin]

Marshall needs a modern amp the vintage sound will only last for so long eventually everyone who is into it will die off. Biggest turn off I have for the DSL is that it has no effects loop.

[@giuseppezambotti8576]

It HAS an effect loop, dude.

[@jhvuvnik65s24]

Not at all what that amp is for. Get a blackstar ht-5 if you want a tiny little recording amp for drop tuned modern metal. This marshall sounds great with the gain maxed on the clean channel.

[@IanOnTheDL]

The cleans sound pretty good but the dirty sounds dry and lifeless

[@BkBk-gy6vr]

Put some dirt pedals in it and its a night and day difference. Your testing a Marshall and not using pedals wow.

[@-LSTR-]

Id put a 10" Greenback in it

[@QuentinLatour]

Are the glasses real?

[@burnbacktime]

CGI bro.

[@QuentinLatour]

​@@burnbacktimewas my guess too 😂

[@aussieas6655]

That amp loses treble the higher the gain is turned up 🙃

[@DreidMusicalX]

I don't think there is an amp I have ever liked in my 38 years I liked that was a 1 X 12. I've owned several because it was all could afford growing up being poor. After I hit 2X12 and full stacks. There was just no going back. I own the DSL100HR right now, it's this amps big brother, and it just trashes! I have been able to play any genre with the DSL100HR when most amps are one trick ponies. But yeah bro, I agree, these little amps are for learning, but I would rather have learned on bigger amps if I could have growing up.

[@dennisneo1608]

It has 4 tubes not 3

[@DavidAllenMD]

Sounds good in a mix on its own not so much

[@nickalderman5943]

I really wish they had skipped the combo and just done this as a head. Marshall ALWAYS use garbage speakers in everything under $800

[@donbishop6994]

And its 700 bucks. 😂😂😂😂😂 Not a chance id pay that. Id get a Bugera 50 watt tube combo for around half that price before id buy that.

[@giuseppezambotti8576]

Seven hundreds? You sure? Here it's 400 new. Still WAY too much, I mean.

[@donbishop6994]

@@giuseppezambotti8576 I'm in the US and I looked it up on Sweetwater while I was watching this video. It was 699. In Europe they are cheaper, I assume you're across the pond.

[@Stef140]

Even the bigger DSL40 sounds pretty bad, the V-Type speaker is just not it.

[@JayBirdGuitars]

lmao at modelers ...hey if yall just want a marshall i mean this one works but if ya want cool real tone use a modeler...hahaha (wtf)

[@chrisw5742]

Yeah for your tuning? NOPE. Not the right amp lol. For standard E tuned old school metal that amp will slay.

[@tykit9230]

The DSL's made in Vietnam are not that good. UK made will always sound much better

[@burnbacktime]

5 watt class A... None for me thanks.

[@jconner3891]

The glasses ❤

[@Matt-ng9xv]

All amps sit on the floor bro. Ever try a chair or leaning them against a wall?? Lol

[@raygarcia2727]

You know what’s messed up is I can play like that since I was 14 and now I’m 50 . I always wanted to play like Jimmy page of Led Zeppelin , Alvin Lee of Ten Years After RIP , David Gilmour of Pink Floyd , Kieth Richards of Rolling Stones , Eric Clapton of Cream , Jack White of the White Stripes , or the Greatest Guitar Player of All Time Jimi Hendrix , people like that not this Crap . It’s so Stupid it Easy . It seems like the Easiest Stuff to play is done by Morons 🫵🏻💩👈🏻💫🪐🌗🌜🌛🌒🌚