Marshall DSL5CR (Brilliant Budget Tube Amp?)

[@MrPolevaulter]

Check out more amp reviews: kzbin.info/aero/PLNaLwTdlpQNHNo5bubVjV1OW04gkqU8rM Or some of my music: kzbin.info/aero/PLNaLwTdlpQNHKlg8ALZfM3AINC20WMp8s

[@donniebrown2393]

@Elmo karjalainen what is your thoughts about the marshall dsl 40cr

[@MrPolevaulter]

@@donniebrown2393 Haven't tried it yet.

[@craiggerald8096]

Hey Elmo is it better to replace the stock speaker with a greenback

[@marlonksasman]

I ended up buying this amp after this review, and it's incredible. Playing it at a quarter volume and half gain while on 0.5w is perfect for my studio apartment, I can clearly understand how this amp is powerful enough for a small gig venue. This was a great purchase thank you Elmo.

[@tritontransport]

Yep since it’s a tube amp the 5 watts sounds more like a standard 20 or 25 watt amp so it is perfectly good for using in small clubs and dive bar gigs

[@canadianintheukbrian]

that's great information to know, I have the Boss Katana Mini looing for another amp , living in apartment where you can hear fart, is tough getting a decent amp , if you dropped it down to .5 watt , have the volume low , your saying you will not loose any sound quality

[@andreafranceschin820]

⁠@@canadianintheukbrian wouldn’t DSL 1 be more suitable for an apartment? I’m just deciding for myself which of the 2 would better suit…

[@dawoud8013]

@@andreafranceschin820 Same question here for appartment... DSL1 or DSL5 in 0.5W mode for cranking sound in appartement ?? ^^

[@andreafranceschin820]

@@dawoud8013 i finally bought a DSL1 and I’m satisfied with it. For what I understood DSL5 is better sounding due to its bigger cone but difficult to use in a flat even at 0,5W (DSL at 0,1W can be too loud also…)

[@johnnorth9355]

Blimey - all the Marshall most of us will ever need ! Fantastic for us bedroom axe warriors. Great to see so many views as well Elmo - you are building a great channel slowly but surely.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@herrrecht3607]

I have the Marshall DSL1CR and it's great for me (beginner with small appartment).

[@alexeygorky76]

Have you had some noisy buzzing in your amp? I have tested DSL1 in the store, sound was great, but there was noisy buzzing when I turned on the amp, and I gave up from purchasing.

[@madcauchyren6209]

@@alexeygorky76 Noise is usually not a big problem for amps. Normally not a quality issue. But if it is too loud, even you can hear the unpleasen noise while loud playing, that could be a problem.

[@zaporoshti3392]

@@alexeygorky76 you can get a noise gate pedal.

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

​​@@zaporoshti3392DBX 166 19" you get compressor,gate and limiter in stereo (2×mono). Works like a dream on my DSL-1

[@chrischu9551]

@@alexeygorky76 hey buzzing is quite often a result of your home and the outlet not having a stable enough power supply/wiring...

[@fishingdude0184]

Just got mine an hour ago and WOW!! ❤ perfect for my apartment with my chihuahua haha! And it sounds so good!!

[@emossg]

Really popular mod for this is 12" speaker. It will fit with little work so if someone really wants 12" speaker it is fairly easy to do.

[@markgreenfield772]

Stunning Amp ! ive wasted loads of time and money on home practice amps before settling on this, cant fault it! price, sound, size all good. i did buy the 1 watt first but sounded small because of the speaker size, but then got this and its not going anywhere and its for all genres of music

[@georgel2519]

Absolutely amazing sounding amp. I just recently upgraded mine with a with a celestion G10 greenback, and it's worth every penny, huge step forward to an amazing tone, even at very low volumes. I can't get enough of this amp

[@benallmark9671]

That’s what I’m looking for , something I can get those great tones from but not get complaints from my nabours , is this what I’m looking for ?

[@natethompson1257]

I've used the 10 inch greenback before in numerous Marshall and Orange amps and can't recommend it enough for British sounding amps. The top end is nice and smooth, the mids are that classic greenback growl and the low end is nice and punchy. A perfect speaker for that classic Marshall roar.

[@mihneagimbis4409]

​ @Ben Allmark for what genre would u recommand the celestion g10 greenback ?? Thanks

[@adamwatson6916]

To get the best out of a DSL 5 you need to plug it into a closed back extension cab . It becomes a very different beast with an extension cab . It sounds killer with G12H30 heritage speakers either the 75 hz or 55hz will sound killer. My favorite combo with this amp is my G12H30 55 Hz heritage loaded 1 by 12. The low mids are like a wrecking ball to the chest when you crank it.

[@amertha]

How do you run this 16 ohm into a 2 x 12 extension cab? How many ohms per speaker?

[@richterduplessis4201]

Awesome review Elmo! The Marshall DSL5CR has been a real surprise, I bought it earlier this year to replace my previous 40w tube amp as I'm mostly a home player now and couldn't be happier. I did end up replacing the speaker to a 10 inch version of the Vintage 30 (G10 Vintage) and it sounds incredible! I live in an apartment and have had no complaints so far. These are ideal for playing at home or even recording.

[@joshmuz9018]

Couldn't be happier? Not even a bit. From a dsl5. Not even with a 1959 superlead or a jcm800 not even a little happier

[@RagggedTrouseredPhilanthropist]

@@joshmuz9018 yeah, because the 1959 superlead and the JCM 800 are perfect for downsizing and finding the perfect bedroom/living room amp.

[@DannyMartin3z]

How’s the low power mode on this? Can you get good tube times without annoying neighbors?

[@pbboeye1012]

LOL ok first, I had been considering the DLS5CR, and this was an amazing review - best I've ever heard. I fell in love with the amp and am upgrading my backordered DLS1CR to to the '5'. So I cannot thank you enough. The other thing is I have laughed me ass off watching your expressions on this vid, remembering how my friend and I used to play and make faces as teenagers. Your channel is the best, Elmo. It's like I am right there either flipping on your riffs or laughing tears over your antics.

[@PedroYippeekayaye]

Sounds like a good amp. Recently I've been testing the waters with playing way more clean bluesy stuff, but at heart, I'm Rock 'N Roll so maybe this will be a good middle ground between the vox ac4 and The marshall origin, just so I can get my metal on occasionally.

[@stoofbuis]

i can't believe how good this little beast sounds,......i play a diezel vh-4 myself, that sounds superb, but it costed me a fortune, and weights 31 kg.. I am no pro, so i consider to sell the diezel monster,and buy this..........very satisfying for the small clubs i play 65 % of the time.

[@redseadiver43]

Absolutely great valve amp. Best purchase for the price. Awesome sound.

[@natethompson1257]

For a small tube powered 1x10 combo amp, it sounds really good. A tad boxy but nothing super obnoxious. The 10 inch speaker handles overdrive very well, and the clean channel has a nice warmth to it. This would make a great home, small gig or practice amp. Plus, it's a Marshall, so it's built to last.

[@corneliuscrewe677]

A lot of the boxiness fades as you break the speaker in, and it’s a non issue if you run it through even a half decent cab. I’ve got an old Randall Jaguar 4x12 cab it sounds absolutely massive through. I understand a tube upgrade does wonders too, but I haven’t felt the need to try it. Love mine.

[@natethompson1257]

@@corneliuscrewe677 I imagine through an old Randall Jaguar cab, it'll sound ferocious. Oftentimes, 10 inch speakers sound boxy at the start, then break in well. 10 inch speakers are good choices for small, low wattage combos since they distort easier and cut through a mix better than a 12 inch at lower volumes. 4x10 cabinets are becoming a more popular choice for studios and bands who play in areas with noise limits and want more midrange punch in their tone with their big boy amps like the old 100 watt Marshall heads, but at more ear friendly volumes.

[@corneliuscrewe677]

@@natethompson1257 Couldn't agree more. I have an Origin 20 combo with a very broken in 10" Creamback in it, that DSL5 sounds HUGE on that speaker. The DSL's speaker is really opening up well after a few weeks use.

[@allanjcarpenter]

Elmo…great review. I’ve had this amp for a couple of years, and I love the clean/edge of breakup tones I get from it. It breaks up a lot faster with humbuckers, of course, but even so, there are plenty of clean tones on tap. I can’t imagine a better amp for the living room. And it really has that classic Marshall look!

[@danieltv123]

Same here! Bought in 2019 and still love it

[@DamianS1893]

Wow, I am very impressed with this Marshall DSL 5 CR.

[@danielsguitarchannel1992]

I use this amp for night practice and it sounds great at low volume even with a TS808 infront of it.

[@Williamk492]

Nice review! I think I am sold for this. The reverb sounds really nice! All the best from Belgium 👍🏻🇧🇪

[@len4109]

Great review, especially the ownership of Bum note really made me laugh awesome playing and strat 🤟

[@alessandrotorrescampos522]

Great, finally a good brand tube amp able to play quietly, in home.🥳

[@hafstrat]

Yo! Elmo. Thanks for your videos. I’ve decided on one of these after considering Harley Benton, Laney … etc, as a second amp to accompany my HT5 mk2 for a two amp pedal platform rig.

[@m.norhishamm.radthi9395]

I love Marshall and I love your demo ... Man.. that solo try out is awesome!!!

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@niallio77]

I like the Origin but prefer the DSL because the cleans are more "Fender". Crank up the gain and you still get classic Marshall sound. DSL40CR on my radar, i simply can't afford Fender Deluxe Twin Triplets Reverb blah. Speakers Out just adds to the appeal too.

[@gertvanrooy428]

I have a Boss Katana which, set at 0,5 watt, is perfect for playing at home. Sometimes actually even too loud still. And no fx loop. So i think this amp wld be better for me.

[@andreafranceschin820]

Did you consider DSL1 if at 0,5 watt it sounds even too loud?

[@TheMefisto97]

I have a Marshall dsl1hr with a 10 inch Jensen speaker. It is very loud, I am thinking of buying a JHS little black amp box to play quieter but with hot tubes. Great amp with Marshall sound for home use.

[@bw1955]

The JHS LBAB drastically improved my DSL1HR.

[@TheMefisto97]

@@bw1955 Good to know, tnx.

[@TheMefisto97]

I've made a clone of LBAB, now I have bedroom level on hot tubes.

[@soldierbreakneck771]

Seems like lovely little amp.

[@MikeJones-jr5hb]

It sounds good! I really like my dsl 40 cr. The 12 in speaker chugs pretty good!

[@simon_patterson]

It's $950 in Australia. LOL! Looks like a good unit, but the closest I'll get to one is this video!

[@soldierbreakneck771]

12:47 that sound drives Elmo crazy)))

[@MrPolevaulter]

:D

[@cuinoz3569]

This was an excellent presentation. Thanks for sharing.

[@cygnus-studios]

FYI, it’s available online at Sweetwater for $549.99 USD… Seems to be a scaled-back version of the Marshall DSL40CR (also DSL line, duh), another excellent amp that I picked up recently. It’s $250 more, but well worth it for switchable 20w/40w output through a 12" Celestion V-Type speaker, and a bunch of other features. Not sure if you’ve tried the emulated out into an A/D interface, which supposedly mimics a Marshall 1960 speaker cabinet. To me it sounds like crap, so I’ve been recording it using a Sennheiser e609. At the risk of pissing off the wife, wouldn’t want to lose the tone from that speaker anyway. 😉 Thanks for another great review, mi Amigo!

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers Craig :)

[@MJPGuitar]

Damn. 9 months later and it’s now $799 at sweetwater and the 40CR is now $1,049

[@soofitnsexy]

it is 800 dollars at sweetwater

[@DMSProduktions]

The DSL line of amps ARE very good! Sadly the bigger models tend to have MORE features! The only thing that lets them DOWN, (as per usual) IS the sub par speaker! Budget amp, budget speaker! (Circuit however is anything BUT budget! ) It sounded ok with the internal speaker, but nowhere near as lively & 3 dimensional as your quad box did! Apart from that, you can't really fault them! Just replace the speaker OR get the HEAD version! Cheers Ely!

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@DMSProduktions]

@@MrPolevaulter YW! Rock on! \m/

[@natethompson1257]

The speaker in the DSL5CR wasn't bad at all, just a tad boxy sounding. Lot's of 10 inch speakers suffer from that, but overtime, they'll break in and the amp will sound better. The speaker in the DSL20CR however (the Seventy-80) is pure crap.

[@Maicol_1976]

I've seen (and heard) your review of the Harley Benton 15W. Well, for sure the Marshall costs a lot more but to my ears the Marshall sound is so much better than the HB!

[@knowitall1694]

In the 1980's, I had an amp called Marshall Fatty. Useless for live and useless clean sound. But THE SOUND for recording was AMAZING. Sadly, I sold it.

[@matthewgibson9485]

I was sitting here trying out the setting as you went because I just bought one and started guitar back after 10 years. I was amazed at how better my playing sounded…… until I realized with enough gain it picked you up from my phone…… ah well

[@MrPolevaulter]

Haha :D

[@quezsez3]

Hey Elmo! First I'd like to say you are a super guitarist and instructor, such a wealth of knowledge , thank you for all your postings! I wonder if you would answer a question for me, I'm looking for a small low wattage Marshall, which would you recommend to get the venerated Marshall sound in a small package? also I'd like to say that your reactions when you hit the occasional clam are hilarious, thank you and keep up the great work!

[@adamwatson6916]

It takes pedals very well and has a great clean channel and the drive channel is killer . I find pedals mush out om the drive channel but you do not need pedals with that channel it has plenty of drive on tap .

[@davidg1612]

Sounds best with the overdrive and gain cranked.

[@RJW14]

oh shit that verb gets BIG. Do these come in heads? I could use my koch as a cab.

[@bobdillon1138]

Interesting that the lower watt Marshalls the TMB seems to actually do something at higher volumes probably has something to do with the tone stack placement in the circuit .

[@davidlalremruata]

The DSL5CR is the one I mean to say. Btw, great vdo, great playing n detailed review👍👍👍

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thanks!

[@reflectormate4814]

great demo.

[@stevewhite8997]

Elmo- as usual great video. I don't have this amp however I have an alternative which is a Harley Benton Tube 15 into which I feed a Vox Valvenergy Copperhead Drive into the return of the fx loop. I use the Vox in Preamp mode. i can also feed the Vox into the front of the Amp on Standard Stompbox mode. both sound ok but the preamp is better! Have you done any reviews of such applications? I think it gets you into the Marshall ballpark.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thanks! No, I haven't.

[@chrisinkansas1362]

More.....more........MORE!!!! Lmao, awesome video Elmo! Looking for a new amp myself and this may hit the list. What's your opinions on the Orange amps similar to this Marshall?

[@MrPolevaulter]

Which one do you have in mind?

[@Siam_Thai.]

At first I thought I would buy this amp, But I changed my mind to buy Blackstar HT5R mkii becaude I got 12 inch speakers and the price is cheaper. 👍👍

[@MrPolevaulter]

Over here it's more expensive.

[@Siam_Thai.]

@@MrPolevaulter The price of the Blackstar HT5R mkii amplifier in Thailand is 16,200 Bath=487.6527 USD. and Marshall DSL5CR is 17,900 Bath=538.8258 USD.🙂

[@ssstenning]

Bought one loved it so much sold it immediately and bought a mint second hand dsl40 which is ridiculously loud so instant regret. Lack of a standby switch was a blagg though.

[@deanmccaskill5495]

I had one too. And I ended up with a 40 eventually as well. I like it lots. I stumbled onto a 15W head of this too. It’s pretty great. I forgot there’s no standby. I feel like my old one may have had one. Why I say that is I bought a Blues Jr like my next amp and it doesn’t have a standby and remember that kinda bugging me. It seemed like I had to get used to it after the DSL. Maybe not though. I’ll have to see if I can find a pic. It was a ‘13 or ‘14 I think.

[@adamwatson6916]

I have the 5 and the 40 and could not let go of either killer amps . Hated the the 20 watt version though.

[@andrewguttry6886]

I like mine a lot, but the stock Celestion isn't the best, and doesn't show the amp's potential. I swapped mine for a Celestion Sidewinder (103dB and 150W handling). The difference was night and day; all the fizz in the Ultra Gain channel smoothed out, and the extra 8dB resulted in a big hike in volume. Definitely giggable now.

[@jimmyjames7946]

I want to upgrade my speaker in my 5150 iconic combo.. I haven't heard much on the celestion sidewinder? Do they make a 12"?

[@andrewguttry6886]

@@jimmyjames7946 James, the Sidewinder is from the 1980s and is no longer made. There was indeed a 12" model, and well worth hunting one out.

[@ManuelGarcia-sb3rz]

Gracias Elmo por tus vídeos , son de gran ayuda, me gusta mucho este ampli, estaba barajando entre blues junior 4 (demasiado agudo) y black star ht5 (no tiene gain suficiente), pero el marshall dsl 5cr es el que más me gusta, tengo una strat american standar olimpic white del 2011, crees que el dsl 5cr es un buen ampli para practicar en casa y tocar en bares pequeños?, ahí suena muy bien!! como lo ves de graves?, lo digo por el parlante de 10, suena muy agudo, muy chillón? o está bien equilibrado? que tal para sonidos más blues más crunchi srv, hendrix, rory galager, john mayer mayer. gracias Elmo!!!

[@friedrudibega6384]

Sounds great! I have the dsl1 and use it at home through a 112 cab with a vintage 30. Likes pedals and the ir is usable. Not a fan of the reverb but that’s my only critique.

[@jimmyjames2022]

DSL5CR is $700 CAD in Canada. But the DSL20CR is $850 CAD, with a 12" speaker, so it seems worth it to pay the small difference to get the bigger cabinet and speaker.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Seems so.

[@natethompson1257]

Actually, if you're going to buy the DSL20, buy the head and save up for a quality 1x12 cabinet, loaded with either a V30, Greenback or a G12T-75 speaker. The speaker in the DSL20CR (the Celestion Seventy80) is utter garbage. If you must get a DSL combo, either get the DSL5CR, or the DSL40CR (you can attenuate it down to 20 watts as well. Plus, the speaker in the 40 is fantastic.) Otherwise, get the 20 watt head and a good quality 1x12 speaker cabinet.

[@adamwatson6916]

Yeah but that 12 inch speaker is awful and you will need to replace it with something better so there is another 2 to 300 dollars . I have owned every combo in the dsl range the 5cr 20cr and the 40cr I still own the 5 and the 40 and the 20 is long gone . It was the worst sounding amp of the 3 . Tried it with Multiple cab and speaker combos and guitar and pickup combos and it never sounded good . The best value for money is the 40 you get way more features than on the 20 . Like a Crunch button on the classic Gain and 2 master volumes and a much better speaker than the 20 has . It's basically a 4 channel amp . You have green and red mode om both channels essential making it a quasi 4 channel anp and if you use a drive pedal you get 5th flavor it also an be powered down to 20 watts and sounds pretty darn nice on the low power setting. The price of the 20 is less justifiable when you like at what you so not get compared to the 40. The dsl 5 through an extension cab with a good quality speaker like a G12H30 heritage blows away the 20 in terms of tone .

[@GeorgeHeil-gg6wv]

Been gigging the "20" every weekend for a year. I put a Celestion 25 - 16ohm "Greenback" in her before I even turned it on. I've yet to need anything more than the 10 watt setting, and we play some loud bars and outdoor stages. I'd love to try the 5 for weight relief . . . but cannot see paying 6 - 8 hundred bucks for a 5 watt amp. That's crayzy . . .

[@RickMichaelis63]

Cool Amp! Thanks for the review EK

[@MrPolevaulter]

Any time!

[@deanmccaskill5495]

Great Video and great playing …as usual. I had one without the reverb for a few years. I recently sold it ( I hate to sell stuff as I’m a gear hoarder I think) I liked it ok. I never used it though a cab though. I do have a DSL15 head and a DSL 40. I like them too. A Blues Jr and a Blues Deville. An Ac4 stack and an AC15C1. But you know what gets played most I almost hate to admit? Deluxe Reverb Tonemaster. Just it’s the closest to my hand to flip the switch I guess. I really like that amp. Putting a D & M drive into it now. It’s good. Have you reviewed one? I know it’s not super your thing but yeah just wondering

[@MrPolevaulter]

I haven't, no. Might be interesting though.

[@natethompson1257]

How do you like the old DSL15 head? I had the chance to buy a brand new one last year ( they ceased production of them after 2017), but I heard from friends and bandmates that the DSL15's tone is brittle and the reliability is all over the place, so I skipped on it and bought an Orange OR-15 instead.

[@deanmccaskill5495]

@@natethompson1257 I can’t give you a great opinion honestly. It’s a bit of a story. I traded an old guitar I never use for an old Blues Jr but I already had one, so one day later a guy traded me for the 15. I think I played it for 2 minutes so it’s hard to say. Sounded ok. I have lots of amps so it honestly just sits there and looks good on top of the DSL 40 ha ha.

[@redseadiver43]

Elmo about the reverb, it sounds amazing with some reverb pedal.

[@gabor222]

Unfortunately they install the cheapest available Celestions in these amps. The fizzy sound can be fixed with a better speaker. After buying this amp I swapped the stock Ten30 for a Creamback and it fixed that issue immediately (didn't even had to break it in).

[@tracypartin7408]

I love mine. For what I do it’s all I need.

[@billw8648]

I heard from 'In the Blues' (Shane) that the Reverb is a bit lacking, maybe a Reverb pedal would help? I wonder.

[@GeorgeHeil-gg6wv]

That sucker is damn near $800.00 now . . . insanity!

[@anhiirr]

even the vibro champ has gone up so high for a 10" im just looking for something decent or a would be ONE to own

[@greg6162]

I believe I had this exact Marshall amp as a 16y kid in 1996. I bought a Fender squire strat and this amp off my brothers friend for $300 cables included! I wish I wouldn’t of sold it but I know for a fact it was a Marshall about this size and I was a beginner then (still am) but I was chasing after that Nirvana sound and I bought a DOD FX69 Grunge pedal… that thing was F*****G btw! I want to try and get my old gear back (not the exact gear but same models) and start playing again. I just bought a Epiphone LP special ii player pack and it’s awesome for $220 but I the amp wasn’t great so I bought a Roland Micro Cube in white because that’s all they had in stock. Waiting for my Micro cube but this damn winter snow storm shows it’s being delayed. Should’ve had it two days ago 🤯. But the Marshall amp I had was definitely a tube amp because I remember playing and it didn’t sound right until it warmed up for a bit which I didn’t know at the time

[@algomaschannel1870]

Welcome to Inflation world :( "More expensive than yesterday but cheaper than tomorrow"

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I bought it when it was $499. It had just increased by $100 right before I bought it; I’d been planning on paying $399 for the thing, and used ones, while rare were about $300. Only a few months after I bought mine it doubled in price! With my speaker upgrade that puts it at around $1,000 so not sure it’s worth it. You can almost get something hand built for that That said, I’ve had mine for almost two years and still love playing it daily

[@GeorgeHeil-gg6wv]

@@honkytonkinson9787 . . . Indeed . . . the Celestion Green Back felt like a necessity. Been hard gigging mine for 13 months now. Only thing that has failed was the power cable. And I've got plenty of those just collecting dust.

[@Bobby_Digital37]

Omg this amp sounds insane good!!!!

[@jimmyjames7946]

Great job brotha. 🤘🤘I appreciate your honest review as always. Too many KZbinrs BS just to get free stuff. I can tell you definitely do not! Have you tried the EVH ICONIC 5150? any plans to demo that? I have the 40 watt combo and really like it, however I'd did take me a bit to dial in tone I was looking for.. keep up the Great work 🤘🎸🤘🎸

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thanks! I do have plans to check one out at some point.

[@jedd.5407]

$548 American on Amazon ... VOLUME KNOBS STOP at 10! Can't be as good as the old ones that stop at "11" as mentioned in "Spinal Tap!" movie

[@Sabre-vz9xy]

This amp is on my list, will probably be my new amp. I'm saving money for it xD Anyway, Nice review, I think you should do a review on the Vibro Champ Reverb. That amp looks very nice. It is a bit more expensive, but still looks nice.

[@danieltv123]

I have one and it makes me really happy.

[@darrynhall5953]

I have it and it’s incredible Well worth it

[@Alfonzo862]

I have the older version dsl5c the one with 3 pre amp and one power tube and I absolutely love it and I especially love the one volume knob in the classic gain/ crunch channel which this newer dsl5cr doesn't have

[@adamwatson6916]

The new one has a separate volume and gain knob in the Classic Gain channel which is better because on the older version the single knob on the first channel is not just a volume knob its a volume and Gain all in one . The new with 2 knobs on the classic Gain makes it easier to get super clean tones . There is more headroom on the classic Gian channel on the new one because of the 2 knobs . They added seperate Gain and and volume due to demand .

[@cgdv1515]

I also have the older version. As you know, it lacks the digital reverb with the solidstate circuit, so it has a "pure" valve amp sound. I have tried both and definetly the older version sounds rounded and fatter. But I would really appreciate two master volumes.

[@marlonksasman]

You got me at "more" 😂😂😂 subbed

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thanks!

[@davidstein7906]

Elmo what kind of S-style guitar are you playing with the scalloped neck? I have never seen that brand before. It sounds wonderful.

[@MrPolevaulter]

It's custom made: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpCoaaNoedSNpbs

[@davidstein7906]

Thanks for sharing this information with me Elmo. I am really enjoying your KZbin posts, keep them coming.

[@dennissutton3767]

I'm looking at-the DSL20 Head

[@jimmyx4599]

Thank you for the review Elmo do you have a favourite brand of guitar amp?.

[@kevinbradshaw1420]

Sounds like butter!

[@stjepanbilic9748]

Love the video, but can you get your hands on old t.c. electronic nova system or nova drive? They are cheap i think, but it would be interesting to see how do they holding today. :D

[@MrPolevaulter]

I've somtimes thought about that, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

[@stjepanbilic9748]

@@MrPolevaulter Thank you for response and keep up with honest reviews.

[@kmichaelp4508]

I’ll stick with the Koad thank you 😊

[@MrPolevaulter]

:D

[@pekkatorronen9201]

Some say " more is more", but personally I think that the ultragain channel has way too much gain, basically everything after 5 is unusable, bottom end gets loose and farty. It won't clean up with the guitar's volume either if gain is over 3. But guess what, I found a solution to this "problem" I had, I switched the v1 preamp tube from 12ax7(ecc83) to 12au7(ecc82), this dropped gain nicely, before the tube swap i kept gain between 1 and 3, but now I can get the same amount of gain on 4 to 6, and it cleans much nicer by using guitar's volume. Now i run my amp only on uItragain channel because i don't like to switch between the channels on this one, because of the shared eq, and now i don't need to. Everything from nice cleans to balls to the wall higain with couple of overdrives boosting infront. Now the ultragain channel work's like a "real "1channel amplifier. Ok this got a bit long, but anyway, keep up the good work Elmo! Ps. I actually like this amplifier, if it didn't come across 😅🤣

[@sorrisocdo2759]

Great video thanks for the review. Naturally Im using my own ears as well, but what would you say, in these home-practice/small gig category which combos are better, the dsl or the mg series, for the same price? So a perfect comparison would be dsl1cr and mg50fx, they are roughly at the same price, at least in my country for sure.

[@An2oine]

I have the old model and it seem to be a little meaner, more gain.

[@adamwatson6916]

I have no problem getting rid of all the fizz when I use an extension cab and humbuckers . It sounds fizzy with the 10 inch speaker and being open back but if you use it with a closed back cab the boxy sound and the fizz completely go away especially with humbuckers . The single coils contribute to the fizz . Who wants to use single coils with a Marshall anyway except if they are p90s . Anything less than a P90 is not optimal.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Hendrix and Blackmore to name just two.

[@lukas6610]

Fizz is just part of the raw hendrix tone, I learned to ignore it. You could buy pedals to fix it but I just like to keep the classic tone.

[@decadantdog4444]

Ah, a scalloped fretboard.

[@ColinAverill]

I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one to notice.

[@melodelay2484]

Must be my next lovely amp 🥰 😎

[@navigator3744]

I ended up buying one of these. You said you used an external cab but you didn't mention its configuration. How many speakers were in your cab? The quick start guide states: "A single 16 ohm speaker cabinet can be connected ..." But on the amp itself below the speaker socket, it says: "1 X 16." This is confusing. Does that mean you use one speaker cabinet with two 8 ohm speakers wired for 16 ohms? Or does that mean that any cab you use can have only ONE 16 ohm speaker?

[@MrPolevaulter]

It means the cab should be 16 ohms. That's what my 4x12 is.

[@kennethsease6761]

Hey Elmo .... You sound like u know what you're doing lol..... Good job!

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@matthewtyler-jones8317]

I’d like you to test the Hartwood interceptor from gear4music. Looks like it comes from the same factory as the HB Tube 15, but with slightly better components. I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Haven't tried that.

[@matthewtyler-jones8317]

@@MrPolevaulter well I have, I finally bought one myself and made a couple of videos. Not as good as yours of course. I am only beginning to learn guitar.

[@Vincent-Silverhand]

Thank you for your reviews! If you'd have to choose a home practice amp (quite enough for playing in apartment) for both clean sounds and high gain, what would you choose: HB Tube15 with some good (not cheap) distortion pedal or this DSL5CR?

[@pbboeye1012]

Thanks!

[@MrPolevaulter]

And thank you 😊

[@dracodante1226]

Elmo......if the price with the hb tube15 was exactly identical with one would you pick as your first and only PRACTICE amp?

[@MrPolevaulter]

HB.

[@miquelmarti6537]

I'm looking for a valve amp I can play at night and use my pedals. I'm currently using the Joyo DC15S and it sounds quiet, but the sounds are just okeyish. Would this marshall be a good option fro bedroom players not wanting to wake up the neighbours? Thank you, love your channel

[@jamiemascola6614]

I had one for a few months and swapped it for another amp. The only sound that I really liked out of it was the clean channel cranked to 6 or 7. It's cool for what it is. But I already had a 5W SL5 Marshall that's just a better amp in all regards. Given the price difference, it's not much of a surprise.

[@adamwatson6916]

I have the SL5 and the dsl 5 and I think the 5 is a far better amp . More versatile in every way . I used to have a les paul traditional with the slash seynour ducan signature pups and I played that guitar many times through both the SL5 and the DSL and with those pickups the DSL 5 sounded far more like vintage slash than the SL5 did . I sold that guitar because it was a QC nightmare. Would not intonate or stay in tune and the holes for the bridge posts were off so the string spacing was all over the place and there was a huge Gap between the d and g srtigs . Shame because the guitar sounded like a beast with those pickups. Wish I would have put the burstbuckers back in and kept the slash Duncan's With the dsl 5 I could get slash tones or classic rock or modern rock . With the SL5 it's less versatile. Using that amp dark and kind of boxy and I like that tone for some things but it's not all that versatile but I use my dsl 5 with extension cabs with 12 inch speakers so maybe that is the difference.

[@portuguesebeer5069]

Hey Elmo, can you answer this? Is that one mutch better than the Dsl 1cr? Cheers from Portugal 🤘🍺🇵🇹

[@MrPolevaulter]

They're very similar, except in power. Depends on what you need it for I guess. If you don't need much power, then the DSL1CR is probably better.

[@portuguesebeer5069]

@@MrPolevaulter yeah its for home use. Im affraid the 1 can be thinn and boxy, but if you say its fine, its less 120€ 😜. Thanks man! Cheers from Portugal 🤘🍺🇵🇹

[@MrPolevaulter]

@@portuguesebeer5069 It can sound a bit small. Can't remember exactly. It's a while since I tried it.

[@eddiegalon3714]

Elmo. Love your guitar hear. All mahogany strat? Very cool. Do they make a lefty? Lol

[@kipponi]

No niin more is always more. Äkkiä kuuntelin niin aika pirun hyvältä kuulostaa.

[@jacobbockover1628]

I've had the 10/30 its not a great speaker but its cheep. So if you put a better speaker it should open that thing up

[@ekojulianto8034]

Marshall DSL5CR or Marshall Origin 20C ? i want a green day tone and some nirvana covers ,who is better ? sorry my english bad

[@MrPolevaulter]

Haven't tried the Origin 20C, but the DSL is better than the Origin 5C for sure.

[@fodaseodinheiro]

More is more.

[@christiandietachmair5638]

sounds great! - which effect pedal do you recommend for this Amp?

[@MrPolevaulter]

Which effect do you want? Overdrive, delay etc?

[@frankzimmermann1318]

@Elmo, Elmo, which one would you suggest to somwone who has an ENGL ironball SE with a 2 x 12 cab and needs a second amp for more or less playing at low volumes? DSL CR 1 or 5??

[@MrPolevaulter]

Haven't tried the Ironball.

[@mr.d.572]

The overdrive channel with no pedal does not sound nearly as good as my Valvestate...sounds okay with the pedal though.

[@adamwatson6916]

The drive channel can be dialed in to sound much better than that. Demos don't due it justice. You have to do some knob twisting and use the right pickups and speaker can combo . This is an amp for paf style humbuckers that are a little om the brighter side . Amp also has lots of range in the pots .

[@MikeYeary]

It sounds great, but when you consider that you can get a 20 watt Orange Micro Terror or Dark Terror for about $150-200 (US), it's a little hard for me, personally, to justify. Pros (vs Orange Micro Terror)- *Doesn't NEED an ext. cab *3-band EQ *Effects loop *All tube, whereas the Orange is hybrid Cons - *Wattage - Gigability is questionable, whereas the Orange is definitely gigable *Price - It's more than double the price of the Orange

[@MrPolevaulter]

Tubes cost. That being said you can get the Harley Benton Tube15 for MUCH less than the DSL.

[@danieltv123]

Lack of fx loop is too bad for me. Also, the price of a cab would bring things closer. And tone is preference. I prefer the Marshall sound instead of orange. That being said, the Harley Benton is really a great option if you like it’s tone

[@algomaschannel1870]

I have this version and it sounds great. I don't like two things: 1) The headphone output has a constant buzz which is really bad and a true shame a shame for an amp that was build mostly for practicers. Totally unusable as it makes the sound dirty and ugly 2) The Bass level is not sufficient. We al want that heavy sound at some point in time and this amp just won't do it. Not even with the bass level at the top.

[@Ramo_Baramia]

DSL sound killer I have 100w, whish they were a bit more reliable.

[@sandorlegoza4267]

Is the .5 W quiet enough for practice in an apartment? (while still having that nice valve amp sound) Or would you recommend the DSL1CR @.1 W for that? If we take loudness (and speaker size probably as well) out of the equation is there a significant difference in tone between the DSL5CR and the DSL1CR?

[@oldguyjammin9732]

Yes, the 5CR is the perfect amp.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

The low setting can still get pretty loud but the great thing about this amp is that it still sounds good at low volume. I think you could get away with playing it during the day depending on your neighbors.

[@georgel2519]

Yes, it absolutely is

[@sandorlegoza4267]

Thanks for all the replies. Could someone comment on my second question as well? I'm still wondering if this amp worth the ~100 EUR extra or would its smaller brother, the DSL1CR, be enough for my needs. (which is practicing @bedroom volume levels while still having a nice tone)

[@rogersmith7962]

I had the 5, too loud for home use for me, got the 1, much better for my environment.

[@zakkcovers18]

Cool amp 👌

[@keithcook3883]

What's your personal choice for a tube amp for bedroom use

[@jimmyx4599]

I am a bit biased i love marshall amps i dont believe there is any amp better for the price.