Marshall DSL20HR, Affordable But Also GOOD??

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Marshall Amps at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/rQ76JR Marshall Amps at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/nf4a9fq9vm Thomann Affiliate: www.thomann.de/intl/index.html?offid=1&affid=3210 Sweetwater Affiliate: sweetwater.sjv.io/k0mGvx My personal Thomann recommendations: thmn.to/thocf/cv37zixo68 My webstore for Captures, presets etc: ko-fi.com/sonicdrivestudio

[@monstruonegro05]

It's quite unfair: any amp sounds great in this channel!!! 😜🤘🏽

[@valendis]

Hahaha Exactly my thought!

[@timtaylor164]

You have an excellent point. Guy is way smart and talented to test stuff. Lol.

[@Trevoire520]

Great to see you reviewing this Jon. One of my favourite tones on my old DSL was the Green Channel maxed out in Crunch mode, tubescreamer in front to boost. You could get some great metal sounds with that. Not sure if this will pull it off though, would be cool to hear it in to boost or not to boost!

[@KahnuevsKrake]

I own this amp and I love it! I have a PRS MT15 that I love just as much, it kick like a mule in the low end and the leads are lush, but it doesn't quite nail the classic rock vibe like a Marshall does, so those two amps make a bloody good team. Plus a Vox Mystic Edge pedal gives the cleans a nice AC-30 like chime, so I've got every sound I want nailed! I very nearly got a Studio Classic for twice the price, but found a secondhand DSL20 on Reverb for just over £200, and I can safely say I struck gold!

[@007SpencerForHire]

Great review! In all fairness, hardly anyone buys a marshall DSL of any description for its clean tones. Lewis from Alien Weaponry has 2 DSL 20's and he mostly plays without pedals, just plugged in to the front.

[@Tanax13]

The crunchy rock tones are the perfect representation of this amp IMO! Also to my ears, that's where it really shines! :D

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Yeah, that's the sweetspot!

[@jasonrichardson2458]

Amazing tones and riffs as always, Jon.Great work 🔥🔥

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thank you!

[@danielclark6507]

Nice to hear an audition/review of an amp, that is comprehensive and well organised, with great audio quality.

[@jasons.3921]

Hey Jon, thanks for doing this review on the Marshall DSL20. I have been playing through mine for about a year and absolutely love it. It has definitely become one of my favorite amp heads. Looking forward to your next video.

[@jasons.3921]

I think so. Give a it a go, it'll surprise you@@73prd

[@philliprobinson129]

I've had this amp for 6 months now. Definitely a bright sounding amp. Which it was abit less so but its definitely a good amp for classic metal/thrash etc.

[@SGNighthawk]

Man you make the best videos for amps and tone comparisons ever! Your channel simply RULES!! And has helped me a lot in finding what I really need! Awesome work !! Thank you

[@seventhsealhere]

Amazing little amp, especially for the price. Great product Marshall! Great video and portrayal of the amps capabilities! 👍

[@michaelheath76901]

I'm glad you mentioned how the clean channel breaks up early on. I have an EVH LBXII, and the clean channel is the same way. I was thinking about the 40 watt combo, but thought it would be too loud for my needs. So, maybe for clean, DSL 40 is the way to go. I also considered the Fender blues deluxe.

[@SinNameOn]

I am using Marshall DSL 40CR version. After the original Celestion V-type swap to the Celestion G12 M Creamback, the amp sounds great and it doesn't matter if it's clean, crunch or OD2 channel. At home, I use DSL 1 HR for homerecording and it also works great in this application. Thanks to these two amps, I have almost identical sounds when practicing and recording at home or during rehersal and live gigs. DSLs after 2018 are really successful and universal design, which I definitely recommend for a limited budget

[@WesselsReaper]

Great to hear! I was between this head the the 1 watt DSL1 head… strictly home use. I was scared of missing out on features/adjustability but honestly, I’m going to be using a tubscreamer, eq in tx loop to go after that 80’d Metallica sound…do you feel the dsl1 would be just fine for this? Also was going to use a 2x12 with v30’s or greenbacks..what do you think on this? I’m fairly new to this so any tips greatly appreciated! 🤘🏻

[@rollingstart_90s]

​@@WesselsReaperI'd also like to know. Which speakers would fit better for this amp, Vintage 30's or Greenbacks?

[@Ihsan_neff]

When you swap the speakers which sounds better & why?

[@bertgillmeister3569]

Where the hack does you always get this great Song ideas??? I'm really always blow'n away....

[@RidzuanYahya]

That tone reminds me of Deftones for some reason... I am sold!!

[@brrblack497]

You are the only dude to make this amp sound good on KZbin. Must be the IR's? Seeing these used around $350-$500.

[@fishnpitstaknnames4699]

I bought my dsl20 a year ago. It is well worth the money. I run mine through a 4x12 cab and it gets plenty loud.

[@Holms]

I have MG cab in here, and I'd say MG is lot louder :) Although MG crunch really hurts my ears.. While DSL20 doesn't have a clean tone like MG has.. but I've just bought maybe i'll adapt somehow :D

[@viniciusbarbosade]

@@Holms I own both, a DSL 20 CR (I've swamped the stock speaker for a Celestion Vintage 30 16ohms) and an old early 2000 MG80. Both good in their own terms, but I may say that, despite of enjoying MG's clean tone, I really don't miss it in DSL, specially for recording (I really think it's possible to extract a decent and convincing clean tone from it). In live situations, I would say that no 20 watts tube amp would really give you crystal clean tones, you need much more headroom for it (and you probably would not get it from a Marshall as you would from another tube amps and, depending on what you want, just a transistor amp would give you that kind of clean tone).

[@sleepwait9613]

i really liked the crunch tones, that is where this amp shines imho, especially with that les paul

[@JamesJonesReverendJ]

I have an older DSL40C that I love. I've gone through ORanges, 5150s, Helix etc. still love the Marshalls...my latest and best is a JVM410 With my ear I gravitate to Marshall...then Orange. Musta been my childhood music upbringing

[@SonicDriveStudio]

I had a DSL100H for a while but I'd like to try one again someday

[@mrcoatsworth429]

I own a JCM 2000 DSL50. I like it, but I had been playing that for 10 years and got kind of bored of it. Got an orange last year, and I just love how different it is from the Marshall.

[@stevekent]

There’s no amp a good EQ pedal can’t tame and this is no exception - for the price the DSL range is excellent and good enough for 99% of players. Great demo and I love that you play mainly rhythm and not the same old blues/rock licks everyone else tends to play when demoing gear 🤟🏼😁🤟🏼

[@yakface1473]

Stunning Les Paul Classic - I have exactly the same guitar (2015) and have been hunting for the best amp for ages, think I’ll be picking up the dsl20hr after seeing you make it sound so good - amazed by your playing ability and style!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks so much! They are great guitars aren't they? Some quirks but they sound really good tbh

[@briantomkinson7134]

good amp, to make the classic gain channel useable after setting the ultra gain use an EQ in the loop

[@UndertheMangoTree]

That pushed clean tones are just incredible. Sheesh!

[@ivanfeaguirre]

Just got my one of this as my first tube amp. I have an HX Stomp and also a hybrid amp (Terror Stamp). I’m learning how to deal with volume and gain because it is pretty loud. Also running the HX Stomp through the fx loop return of the DSL and getting amazing tones. I have a Orange PPC112 cabinet with a Vintage 30. I guess I’m in the best of the worlds with this digital-tube combination.

[@spyware1100]

Yeah, volume is a little too much for a room amp even in 10W mode, so i had to buy an attenuator (just an affordable harley benton one) to keep my hearing while getting good tones. I use it with a tube screamer clone in front of it, and it can do that metal tone i like. :) I don't have experience with other tube amps, but it's well worth the price.

[@jegl1012]

An amp that looks this good at this price point with classic Marshall tone is a steal IMHO.

[@Soldano999]

Forget the affordable part. It sounds good PERIOD. I already noticed it when ola demoed the DSL1 i was blown away. I will buy one for christmas.

[@matthorner35]

That pushed clean tone is unreal

[@Toronado7590]

Hi Jon, I am myself an owner of this amp, and I feed it to a 2x12 Orange V-cab. That combination really sounds well with heavy sneaky palm mutes and quick clear right hand rythmics. I play heavy rock stuff (not as heavy/low as your tones though), and it is true that a booster nicely helps to tighten the tone in the solos. As you remarked too : the low-end is a bit tricky to manage on my Fender Atomic humbuckers, so I'm considering switching to new pickups. But I should really be good with this gear for a few years. Anyways : dude, your riffs are sick! Should you release an album with a mix of all the amps you try and all your riffs, I'd surely buy it. Love your work man!

[@rickleblanc8900]

I agree. His playing and his guitar tones are brilliant. A cd of his "best of" would be awesome

[@Qaaqqutsiannguaq]

A little late but I was work and couldn't wait long to listen and see this video. My friend blind tested me with this amp and JCM 800 and I better like this amp in every channel. (They are both good amps). Nice work as usual, never seen bad sounding amp in this channel.

[@natethompson1257]

Killer riffs as always! Great demo Jon. Keep up the good work.

[@band7339]

I think it's a very solid amp as well though it does seem quite a bit more scooped compared to other classic marshalls. You gotta turn up the mids on these line of DSL's or else they sound a bit hollow IMO.

[@kadestorm]

Nice demo for a great amp. Hell, the entire series of amps is great.

[@rodneywhite2565]

You need to do a vid on how you process the tones like you’re playing in this vid.

[@hansgrayman4809]

I am starting to really like these new DSL's. This is an old review and demo when I'm watching it. A year after you put it out, but a great review and demo still. You know how to get good tone out of an amp and lay down some nice guitar while using it. So much changes with amps with the right tube choices and speakers you run them through. I'm thinking Marshall probably used Sovteks in this one. I don't know what they're using now that they sanctioned Russia more while leading us all into WWIII. With the future of Russia tubes in question these days. I'm looking to get out of amp modelers completely at this point I think and sell the Fractal FM3 and frfr I have, and spend the money back on a small DSL for my studio. I don't know if I want the 20 watt and a cab, or the smaller 5 watt combo. But I'll figure it out. With either, if I bought the combo 5 watt or 20 watt head with a matching mini cab, I would need to retube and change the speaker out from the low end, poor sounding Celestions they put in them.

[@voa.aquino]

I'd certainly go to a 4x12 and DSL20HR

[@leeforrester466]

What a great review and demo! Kudos!

[@dcbluez4883]

The cleans sound great to me. A single coil strat would be cleaner but I like a little dirt on the cleans anyway

[@timboller9192]

Excellent demo. Purchased the dsl head cuz of this!

[@TheAmirShimon]

I was planning to get an SC20H at some point but I think I prefer this one more and it's cheaper, win win.

[@sveinunghamre324]

I have this and it's a nice little Marshall amp. Cranking the volum max on the classic gain with just a little gain will get you a clean glassy tone. What kind of IR packs do you recommend getting for heavy, stoner and classic rock and solo sounds for this?

[@DreidMusicalX]

I have its big brother, the DSL100HR, and it does fantastic for live playing. This amp really shines with HSS or a Strat in general. Clean or Gain. I was lucky to pick up the head for $500 bucks! I got nearly two years of playing on it daily before having to change tubes, and it has a switching problem that is now being take care of for about $150.00. So I feel I won on this so far because I am still under the price tag of the new price they now ask for the 100watt head they now want $1,300 US for it and total I am only into it for about $800 with tube, labor for switching issue and all. I do like the outside biasing points on the 100HR head. Not sure if those 20watt or the 40watt DSL have those? All amps need that! But still, this little 20 watt head kicks some serious ass!

[@MRxr400]

i had a dsl50 when they first came out. it was the shared eq that let it down for me. my last marshall before i moved to boogies. my favorite marshall i owned was a single channel, non master volume jcm800, it was a great amp.

[@waltjames407]

I have a newer DSL5 that I got recently, and I was so in love with the sound of it that I went and got a used DSL40C from 2015 to have that tone on stage, but the DSL40 failed miserably and sounded like utter crap. Got tired of trying to dial out the harshness, gave up and sold it. Can't figure out why 2 amps of the same line sound so different. The DSL5 is meaty and thick and glorious, and the DSL40 is thin, fizzy, and has this harsh high end that you simply cannot dial out. Tried replacing the speaker with a V30, and that made it even worse. I want the sound of my DSL5 for playing in a band, but I don't know if there is such an animal. The DSL5 is THE tone, but the DSL40 I had sounded hideous, and I don't know if I want to risk getting a DSL20 since the 40 watt version sounded so horrible to my ears.

[@markn9355]

Exactly what I needed to know, great video!

[@alexdenton6586]

The emulated out is just the best for me

[@williamsimmons4678]

Im re-commenting on this because im quite satisfied with this amp considering all things. sure there's limitations but its not bad !!🤘🤘

[@UKSportsFan]

Torn between this and a Peavey 6505 mh. In all honesty it will probably come down to which one has the best Black Friday/Cyber Monday pricing and deals...but I will be getting one or the other in a couple of weeks.

[@_mysilentblue2227]

Whatever you do don't watch his Ironball video because you'll be torn between 3. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3XRaoqlo86kmac

[@UKSportsFan]

@@_mysilentblue2227 ...great amp, and I love Engl cabs, but unfortunately it's out of my price range. I need to stay around the 5 hundred dollar range and want to buy new as opposed to used.

[@m.thousands1848]

Please share with us settings when you used the Les Paul 🙏🏻

[@remirouxel7680]

Nice demo ! What's the specific IR from York used in this video for High Gain demo ?

[@cliffords2315]

Tone Shift fixes the loose bass, also turn back the treble and add a little more Presence

[@798125]

Sounds great! Love your riffs and playing as always! I notice you are using York audio impulses these days. Do those sound Better than ownhammer?

[@CGH67]

Awesome review!!

[@adiethammett91]

Sounds pretty cool. What cabinet did you use into this amp? And what mic?

[@JRs-guitars]

Great amp...I had one. Can't really do modern metal though, so I traded mine for a EVH LBX2. If the Marshall had one or two more gain stages...I would've kept it.

[@mindful__gardener]

Add an overdrive you can do all kinds of metal

[@AntonioRamos_To]

Between the Marshall DSL20CR or DSL20HR head Since you've tested , I'd like to know which one you recommend and why. Speaking of Marshall's DSL series is it good for many styles of music? From Blues, through Rock to Metal? I became interested in the Fender Bassbreaker, I played it and liked it, but I gave up because its construction is bad, accessing the components is very difficult, the block was designed and made thinking about the space it occupies and not thinking about repair / maintenance. And if it gives problems, it's a headache. Thanks for your videos

[@desertscoldmoon]

Yeah man, it sounds fantastic as always; I don't think I've ever heard a bad tone on your channel... I might need to take a look at those York IRs, sounds more open and "organic" than the own hammer stuff. Keep it up man!

[@jacobseal]

I just bought a few packs. They are indeed the cream of the crop currently.

[@paisteplayer1040]

I really like my dsl20 much more than the dsl15.. its sounds good for low volume playing. Now its not even close to as good or loud as a PRS mt15, which I use for louder playing.

[@toneconsultant]

I like how this is called a “cheap” amp. I can afford any head. I just really like the tone of this amp (with a boost, of course).

[@KuscoBooYah]

Dude, love your playing! Very cool stuff. Do you have any albums? The DSL50 was my gigging amp for 4 years. I miss it now. This is making me think one of these might fit the bill!! Still have the green 4x12….. hahaha!

[@mantashaft]

I have a fryette PS 100 on back order and When I ordered it I did not know about this red seven Amp central…. I think there’s some functionality in the PS 100 that I would not get from that unit but I have to admit it seems like a pretty cool product and I wouldn’t mind trying it out

[@NielsBeier]

Man! Great video! Really hope you’ll do a Helix VS Amp with this. Absolutely amazing tones. Would love to get all of these tones as presets for my Stomp!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks! There isn't a DSL in the Helix and it is a specific sound so I don't know if I'll be doing a DSL vs Helix I'm afraid

[@NielsBeier]

@@SonicDriveStudio Wouldn't it be achievable with the Brit 2203 or Placeter? :)

[@ace-rob71]

Sounds great. I got the combo version with a V30 inside. I wonder how you recorded yours. Miced or a loadbox like a torpedo captor?

[@rocklandrevolution2139]

Great video. I'm definitely going to have to try one of these.

[@cnserviceuy]

I think that Blackstar HT20RH gives a warmer and less harsh tone, and its cheaper. But, to taste the colors 👍💪

[@J_Braz_]

At 799.99 they aren't affordable anymore. I paid almost half as much for one just a few months ago.

[@jake13b]

sounds awesome jon. did you switch out the tubes on it? was wondering if great tubes would make a difference in this baby. i am assuming it comes with cheap ones.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Stock tubes

[@mindful__gardener]

I like doubling this dsl20c + 4x12 cab with a dsl 2000 50watt + 4x12 cab stereo 2 rigs. Sounds huge. Or double it with a peavey 6505+

[@portuguesebeer5069]

Awesome amp! Cheers from Portugal 🤘🍺🇵🇹

[@TRENTSINCLAIRE]

awesome reviews and comparisons. i'm not a metal guy though i sometimes like playing with a good metal tone, but i'm primarily looking for a solid rock high gain/clean tone (think Will Swan of Dance Gavin Dance); do you think this or the Blackstar HT Club 50 would lend itself better to that?

[@MrAdohl]

yeah i reckon a DSL. As far as I know, Will at the moment is in love with his Friedman, which are boutique amps modelled to sound like Marshalls anyway, essentially.

[@taokichavez9319]

hey man, great video thanks for sharing. Would You consider comparing a few Marshall models? I´m on the fence about what amp should I buy sound and feature-wise, I liked the DSL20 the most out of all the "lunchbox" heads but I´m not sure if I should save and buy a bigger amp like a jcm 800 reissue or a jvm or something

[@Jaxisagod5]

Good amp reviews. Thank you! So what are your top 3 amps?

[@devingrubbs]

Hey John, thanks for doing this video. I’m looking for amps in this price range right now and having a hard time choosing. I’m curious what you think of the Egnater Tweaker 15?

[@SonicDriveStudio]

I haven't tried an Egnater so I can't comment. I'd love to try one

[@pranjalsharma3370]

Great! But I personally feel, in the same price tier, that an Orange Dual Terror or Rocker 15 head would slap this Marshall amp hard.

[@steverherb]

I thought the cleans sounded really interesting. They had a texture that would probably sit nicely in a mix.

[@Anton-ji4td]

On the back is 1 x 16, 1 x 8 or 2 x 16 (parallel = 8).

[@stevepainter731]

great playing!!

[@nekrovulpes]

With a boost? Habeeb it. Great value for money. I use my big DSL as mainly just a power amp, though. Helix amp sims going in through the FX return. Sounds legit as fuck.

[@PapaLeech89]

How did you record this? Pro Logic or Pro Tools with a USB interface?

[@NOEFFECTS27]

Hi John great video review! As I have that amp and I fully agree that this is very bright. Regarding about your comment what boost pedal would you suggest? Thanks!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

There are many great options out there. A tube screamer or Boss SD1 would be nice but I highly recommend the Laney Steelpark too.

[@PapaLeech89]

Hi there, what interface did you use to record this amp on the laptop/PC? Also, did you use a stereo 1/4 inch jack in the rear of the amp to this interface? Pro Tools, Pro Logic, Reaper or Audacity?

[@biebiekei3798]

I only believe in this channel now, could you compare Marshall with Bogner and Peavey?

[@celestialode]

Used to own this amp along with the DSL1H (1W) version. In my opinion the 1W version had a better tighter sound minus the extreme brightness of the 20W model. Used the same cab from Carvin loaded with V30s

[@WesselsReaper]

Would you recommend the 1w vs the 20w? I want it for home use, not needing deafening volume, just loud enough to rock out too from time to time, then low enough volume to not annoy the wife and kids too much lol

[@davidte4602]

cool !... but... no backside presentation ??? :(

[@williamsimmons4678]

I have this amp The 800 however is a beast compared and voicing is stellar..waiting to rent another one but this dsl will suffice

[@fernandojimenez1743]

do you think this amp would be enough for little gigs? (with a good cabinet)

[@williamsimmons4678]

Damn son you make this amp sound killer😅😅 ive got one and wish i knew the tone stack better...thx man

[@Emi4Rock]

To me sounds fucking solid, great amp

[@jedibri17]

Tone shift helps the clean channel sound not as bright.

[@kinglord5163]

Compare this side by side to other (tube) amps in the price range and we will really see whats its made of....

[@estebanjosealvarado3138]

I'm curious, does this have OD1/OD2 on the Ultra channel like the others? I have a DSL40CR and I find OD2 to be a bit too fizzy and congested. OD1 has enough gain for most applications and if you boost it you can get to modern metal territory. Sounds a bit more true to Marshall tone.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

I don't know...

[@estebanjosealvarado3138]

@@SonicDriveStudio I'll dig around and see! Thanks for replying back so fast!

[@adityabali1939]

Is it loud enough for a gig (mic’d cab) ?

[@SM57]

If you can play every amp sounds good 😉👍

[@binhck]

Btw, can share the signal chain you did to have the DSL to work with York Audio IR? I love tube amps but want to try with different IRs

[@rubyhoodie]

What would be better between this one and a SC20H in terms of feel and usability, would the JCM 800 Studio do things the DSL can't ? I love your vid on the four 20 watt Marshall heads

[@mantashaft]

I am assuming cleans are better on the 800 but that’s my guess

[@rubyhoodie]

@@mantashaft thanks for the quick answer I would love to try both in person

[@engkueing6958]

Can make out if the cabinet is 1x12?

[@RockMattStar1]

How good does it sound at 10w though?

[@Garrett-In-Canada]

what would be a good cab to run with this head for that 80s hair metal

[@TimFialka]

Hey 👋 If I connect an external preamp to the effects loop, will the EQ section with resonance and presence work?

[@frederikhudec]

This is the way

[@godforever27]

Between the dsl20hr, Laney ironheart 60, and tubemeister 40 which one would you choose if you could only have 1. I had a marshall dal15h before and like the tone. But I feel the other two options would be better.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Hmmm in that case either the H&K or Laney. Both are excellent

[@godforever27]

@@SonicDriveStudio thanks for the feedback appreciate it!