Marshall DSL40c vs DSL40cr

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BigGuitars
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Just wondering if there’s a lot of difference between the tones of these two? I could probably pick up a used DSL40c cheaper than one of the DSL40cr’s.

I actually just bought a like-new Blackstar HT40 MKII, and it leaves a lot to be desired. It doesn’t sound bad, but it just doesn’t seem to have any presence. It just seems to have this dark, muddled.

I’m going for EVH and Nuno tones. I was thinking about trying a DSL40c/cr with a Boss SD1 in front to get a more hard rock/metal sound.

Advice?
 
I have a DSL40C and love it. But then I stole it when Sweetwater was blowing them out for $399 shipped. I have read a lot of folks say how the CR is so much better. But I only use the green channel, so I don't care about the other stuff. My Friedman pedals through it get amazing tone. My SD-1 gets some noise with the DSL, but not with my other amps.
 
If you use channel 2 a lot, get the CR, it is so much better. That fizz is gone. The V-type speaker is light years better than the junky 70/80 as well.
 
I own a 40c and like it a lot. I demo’d a CR in a store just out of curiosity and it took all of 2 minutes to be glad I had the 40c. Even with the extra features it comes down to tone and I was not digging the overdrive tones on the CR. I have no issue with fizziness on the lead channel on the C. It has a ton of gain available and maybe some folks are turning the gain up past what you need. As always, it sounds even better with volume. The stock speaker is, to me, not terrible at all. If it was my number one amp and didn’t have 4x12’s to run it through I would possibly change the speaker but I certainly don’t hate the stock speaker. It’s still in the amp after all and I have other Celestions around to swap if I want to. You won’t need a pedal to get a great hard rock/metal tone plugged straight in. The 40c is probably not uncommon used so only you’ll be able to decide for yourself by trying both. The feature set on the CR is superior, without question. Tone though, only you can decide.
 
There’s a certain quality to a lot of today’s high gain amps I cannot stand, and it’s the sound you get when you do pinch harmonics. They just sound so overly aggressive, and you cannot really avoid that sound no matter what you do. Not sure if that makes sense. I noticed it with my EVH 5150iii. That’s why I got rid of it quickly.

I’m looking for that medium-to-high Marshall type tone Nuno was getting in the late 80s before he was using ADAs, when he used JCM800s, and the early VH tone. So is a DSL the way to go? If so, which model, and should I use a good boost pedal in front?
 
What about a JCM 800 combo? Yeah it's a few dollars more, but I would say it's worth it.

Also I love my Splawn Supersport. Absolutely killer, does pretty well at all volumes and has footswitcable gain stages etc.

Edit: the Splawn will NOT need a boost.
 
swamptrashstompboxes":10etkagi said:
What about a JCM 800 combo? Yeah it's a few dollars more, but I would say it's worth it.

Also I love my Splawn Supersport. Absolutely killer, does pretty well at all volumes and has footswitcable gain stages etc.

Edit: the Splawn will NOT need a boost.
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I might consider those options if I get a bonus soon lol. For now I’m looking into the DSLs. Wanting to see which one of the two is better
 
Bought the DSL40c used today. Nice amp. Much better than the Blackstar HT40 mkii.

I just need a good boost pedal for it. Which pedal pairs best with this amp?
 
I would steer clear of the tube screamer, Marshall amps do not like that bullshit very much. Most of the players here swear a klon is what you need, an original one of course. Everything else is meh.
 
These amps already have a strong midrange and top end cut so I would look for a boost that is a little fuller than a TS type. Depends on what your going for. I bet an OCD or Barber drive would sound pretty good.
 
I have the DSL100HR and have used several different boosts with it. My #1 is the Koko by a long shot. But that is also my #1 with any amp.

I disagree with a TS type pedal not being a good match for Marshall's. But what the hell do I know.

After moving several pedals in and out over the past year, I still use (depending on the mood) a Koko, Eclipse, TS9, Cusack V2, Golden Pearl, or a Timmy. The tone knob on the V2 is rarely above 10:00 and on the TS9 never above noon. Those cover everything from clean to mean as all hell.
 
BigGuitars":1ov99awp said:
Bought the DSL40c used today. Nice amp. Much better than the Blackstar HT40 mkii.

I just need a good boost pedal for it. Which pedal pairs best with this amp?
Click to expand...

Friedman Buxom Boost.
 
I think I’m going to swap out the speaker in it too. This amp is just too mushy and flubby. It needs tightening up. Speaker recommendations?

As far as pedals, can’t get a reading on the community here. I’ve got a proco rat, but I can’t make it sound good no matter what I do. Sounds like a cocked wah all the time. Maybe a new speaker really is the answer?
 
For a Boost, a good Ol' SD-1 is inexpensive, and its what people actually used BITD, as opposed to a lot of this new cork stuff...
 
I agree with the sd1, but I want to try the waza one some time. But still a sd1 will deliver in spades for cheap. Personally I am going to get a waza one once they get cheaper on the used market.

My favorite go to boost for a Marshall is a MI Audio Blues Pro V1. $70 and I think it does a killer job.

But if in doubt go with the good ol trusty sd1.
 
Since owning the DSL40c, my opinion is mixed on this amp. On one hand, it’s stronger point is that it will definitely cut through any mix, as the tone is very bright and up front with this amp. It doesn’t sound dark and muffled like the Blackstar HT40 did. The tone coming from the DSL40c isn’t totally bad either, but it seems to me that the only people who would really dig this amp are, no offense, but older boomers who only play things like Clapton, Beck, and Page. Styles that involve simpler blues-rock type playing, and therefore require less compression and saturation from the amp. But I’m going for more of a tone that bridges between EVH/Nuno and heavier stuff, but I still want to keep the Marshall sound. I’m not going for a complete high-gain, scooped chug tone. I guess “modded Marshall” would be the best descriptor of what I want. I guess a speaker change would be worth trying, but I’m still trying to decide which speaker sounds like it would suit me best. The amp needs more bottom end tightness, but it also needs more compression as well. I don’t want to lose that open, saggy feel of a Marshall. The lower notes on this amp are just rounded off and just mush and flub away. On the higher strings, the notes also seem to fade away as soon as they’re plucked. Soloing is difficult, and I feel like I’m struggling and fighting my way through it. I also believe my speaker is potentially going bad in this amp because when cranked a bit it starts to cut out and break up. This also happens at low volumes when I strum hard. I know it’s not the guitar because this happens with all my guitars, and I regularly maintain my guitars and keep them up to snuff.

I’m wondering exactly what speaker is used in the DSL40cr, and if that is the speaker I’m looking for? I guess you can’t know for sure until you try them out. But I feel this amp has the potential to have exactly what I’m looking for if the right combination of speaker and gear is used.
 
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