I finally decided to give my trusty, over ten years old, #Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 401 a review - after so many years of great service, I think the world needs to know.
The DSL 401 is an all tube 1X12 40Watt combo amp design, that has been manufactured between 1998 and 2012 as a part of the JCM 2000 series by Marshall amps. The 401 has two foot-switchable channels, with an optional 20db boost on the dirt channel, that is also foot-switchable (foot switch included).
Like most Marshalls, the two preamp channels are powered by 12AX7 tubes, one for the clean channel, two for the dirt channel and one for phase inversion. The power section is powered by a quartet of EL84s, again - typical to lower wattage Marshall amps, although at 40 Watts it could also be powered by a pair of EL34s.
Needless to say, as with all serious tube amps, the overall sound and feel of that amp can vary depending on the tubes you load it with, your guitar output and anything between your guitar and the amp.
The Clean Channel
The clean channel, as I learned to expect and respect from a good #Marshall tube amp is not super clean, especially when fed with a relatively hot signal. Any Les Paul style guitar will probably break it very early. A typical Strat or Tele however, will give you a decent amount of preamp headroom. From my experience, with a Les Paul style guitar, even with moderate output pickups, the amp will breakup anywhere above nine o'clock on the preamp gain and with a Strat style guitar it will probably be able to stay clean up until around noon. However, be aware that changing preamp tubes can significantly change the amount of headroom you get from the preamp and changing speaker can take you even further, if that's what you want.
When set slightly before breakup with the middle control set high enough, if you play hard, the overdrive sound you get from the clean channel is thick, muscular and charismatic. When that happens, you just know, because it almost makes you feel physically more powerful...
The clean channel is also an exceptional pedal platform. It takes overdrive pedals and fuzzes exceptionally well, no matter how sensitive they are.
Preamp Tubes Tip!
Mullard 12AX7s (current production)
Lower gain, headroom, warmth, depth. Great especially on the clean channel. Much softer breakup compared to JJs and Tung-Sols. My choice for the clean channel.
Tung-Sol 12AX7s
High gain, early breakup, bright, plexi tones. Great on both channels, if you like grit! My choice for the OD channel.
JJ Tesla 12AX7s
Mid gain, balanced, less character. A good starting point for both channels. Good balance of tone, price and consistency.
Sovtek
I had a bad experience with GrooveTubes branded Sovtek tubes I pulled out of a Fender Blues Junior. They were very clean compared to the others, but sounded very dull on both channels. I don't know whether or not that is a common Sovtek character, or maybe they just don't pair well with that amp.
Clean Tone Tip #1 You can significantly increase the amp clean headroom by changing preamp tubes to lower gain tubes. I felt a major increase in headroom with Mullard 12AX7s compared to Tung-Sol and JJ Tesla 12AX7s. More about preamp tubes here.
Clean Tone Tip #2
Changing the stock speaker with a 8 ohm speaker with a compatible power rating might work wonders on your headroom too. You can read about my experience with an 8 ohm Creamback G12M 65 in this amp in this post.
The Tone Stack
The tone stack responsiveness varies depending on preamp gain and master volume, the harder you push, the more noticeable the tone stack settings become. I have heard a lot of times that #Marshall tone stacks are not responsive, or barely affect the tone and I have to say that I don't agree. I find the EQ very responsive, but again, it becomes more noticeable as you push the amp harder. And of course, if your guitar pickup has no low-end, for example, the EQ won't help you, no matter what brand it is..
The Overdrive Channel
The overdrive channel in that amp is very saggy, spongy and rattly, especially at lower volumes. I tend to use that channel much less and rely more on overdrive and fuzz pedals for higher gain settings at home. However, that channel can deliver very pleasing creamy, smooth overdrive sounds at higher gain settings and powerful throaty overdrive when set to lower gain with the master pushed, which is the way I use it primarily nowadays, when I do.
The channel has two foot-switchable options labeled OD1 and OD2. OD2 is basically OD1 + 20db of gain in the front, so it has exactly the same tonal character.
I have heard many people bashing this amp for having a fizzy and unpleasant overdrive tone and I can confirm that it can indeed sound fizzy and harsh, especially when the power amp is not pushed hard enough. If you want it to sound like a Marshall, you have to drive the master volume somewhere past 12 o'clock with a nice humbucker.. this is why I rarely do it at home.
The Effects Loop
The DSL 401 has a parallel effects loop with a mix knob on the front panel. Unlike the more common serial effects loops, a parallel loop design splits the preamplified signal and sends only some of it to your effects. You can then use the mix knob to mix more or less of the processed signal back into the master section. While it sounds handy, my issue with that design is that even when the mix knob is maxed, a part of the signal still doesn't go through the loop, so you cannot alter 100% of the amp sound, and you actually lose a lot of control. I never use the effects loop on the DSL for that reason.
FX Loop Tip!
The effects loop on the DSL does not have a hard-bypass switch, and when nothing is connected to it, you evidently lose some signal strength. If you want the maximum volume out of the amp, connect the loop send to the return with a patch cable and set the mix knob to maximum.
Power & Playing Volume
Although it should be clear by now, this is a 40 Watts tube amp, which means it is very powerful. The DSL 401 sounds best with the master volume set anywhere between noon and 2 o'clock, which is way too loud for bedroom playing. If you need an amp for an apartment, and you don't have any soundproofing or simply don't want to hurt your ears, this amp might not be for you, just as any other tube amp with similar power rating would. This amp will sound lifeless and dull when played at low volumes, again, like many tube amps. If you want a tube amp you can drive hard at low volumes, look for 5 to 15 Watts amps or amps with high quality power scaling.
Recording
The DSL has been my main recording amp ever since I got it and only shared the duty with a Fender Blues Junior for a couple of years, until I sold the Junior. I must admit though, that I don't have much recording experience with many amps, but I recorded the DSL and the Junior enough times, with several different mics, combinations of mics and speakers to gain some knowledge that is worth sharing here.
Recording the DSL clean is relatively easy and straightforward. I have done it many times using an SM57, various condensers and combinations of an SM57 with a condenser, with good results. Recording a fair amount of overdrive however, is a totally different story.
I always have to apply some aggressive EQ cuts to clean up whistling frequencies...
I have tried many techniques and although I'm generally able to get close to what I want, it is never the sound that's in my head and I always have to apply some aggressive EQ cuts to clean up whistling frequencies and usually settle for less than what I was aiming for. One important observation that I have is that since I experience very similar issues when recording the dirt channel and the clean channel with high-gain overdrive pedals, I suspect that the stock 100Watts #Celestion Gold Back speaker is responsible for that and not the amp itself. When I first got the Blues Junior, it had a very unpleasant shrilling top end that made it totally unusable for me. It took me about a week to realize I have to replace the speaker and soon enough I replaced it with a #Celestion G12M Greenback and that problem was just gone! The amp itself was still not for me for various reasons, but that's for another story...
[UPDTAE 2020] If you are interested in my experience with a #Creamback G12M in that amp, check out this post. In one sentence, if you have that amp and want to keep it, you should experiment with other speakers.
DI Out Speaker Emulation
The DSL also has a DI with speaker emulation for silent recording. I have used it once or twice in the past and it was absolutely fine. I bet that some of my recordings could have been better if I used it all the time, at least as a second option to choose from, or mix with. But I never actually use it anymore. I just love fiddling with microphones and DI recording is just not as fun.
Not a Metal Amp
To many, #Marshall amps are synonymous with metal and for a good reason! Well at least when we're talking about the roots of metal and less about modern metal. However, the DSL 401 is not a metal amp, and what I mean by that is that if you are looking for an amp that can produce tight thunderous metal rhythms without any pedals or effects, that amp is not for you. I generally find EL84 loaded amps less suitable for metal, since when pushed hard into overdrive, they lack the low end tightness that is synonymous with classic metal guitars. But, if you have a good high-gain overdrive or distortion pedal, the clean channel will probably serve it very well, when the master volume is not squeezed hard. I personally use a Bogner Ecstasy Red into the clean channel and I'm able to get very convincing high-gain sounds, with a fairly tight low end.
Verdict
I love this amp, but I learned to love it only after I moved to a soundproof room, where I could experiment more at higher volumes and really let it breathe and shine... I would recommend that amp to any rocker who loves the #Marshall tone and I really think it was a very good purchase. The clean channel of that amp is extremely versatile by itself and it also takes pedals very very well. It's a simple amp to use, it has been reliable so far (about 11 years), it is well built and sounds the way I need it to sound.
Be sure to check out the sound samples below and if this post was helpful, show some love by clicking the little heart at the bottom and share.
DSL 401 Sound Samples
If audio players don't load properly below, try to click here.
Clean Channel
The right rhythm guitar is a #Duesenberg Starplayer TV in its middle position (both pickups). On the left channel is a Telecaster vintage style neck pickup.
The lead is the Duesenberg bridge pickup through a Bogner Ecstasy Red overdrive.
Both rhythm and lead tracks are played using a #Duesenberg Starplayer TV through the amp clean channel.
OD Channel
Both OD track examples are not ones that demonstrate the amps' drive channel at its best! However, it does demonstrate that channel at lower volumes, which can serve as a warning sign to those who consider that amp for bedroom level playing.
[crappy recording alert]
Rhythm (left): Fender Tele, neck pickup through OD1 channel
Lead: Gibson Les Paul, bridge and neck pickups through a Wha into OD2 channel
[crappy recording alert]
The lead here is a Les Paul through a Wha and into OD2 channel, the main rhythm guitar is the same Les Paul into the clean channel.
Dirty Fuzz
Lead: G&L Legacy HB through the MJM London Fuzz through an OCD and a Lovepedal Eternity E6 and into the clean channel.
On both rhythm tracks are played through a MJM London Fuzz and into the clean channel with the gain around 10 O'clock. On the left channel it's a Telecaster bridge and on the right a G&L Legacy HB bridge in single-coil mode pickup.
The lead guitar is the same G&L bridge in humbucking mode.