Marshall JCM2000 DSL 401 combo - is it loud enough?

[jrs2001_99]

Hi all,

So lately I've been shopping around for a new amp, something with a few balls for playing small-medium sized gigs with, and today I came across Marshall's little 40W DSL combo.

It's all tube, 40W, and sounds absolutely fantastic, the guy in the music store had to come over and drag me away cos I would have sat there all day playing it.

In terms of both sound and features, this amp has all that I need, it's perfect (and within my price range - rare for a new all-tube Marshall), but I'm just concerned that it's single speaker won't be loud enough for gigs?

The studio that we practice in has a 100W 2x12" Fender transistor amp that I use, and that thing is loud as fuck. I'm guessing that this little Marshall can deliver the volume, but I don't want to have to push it to it's absolute limit everytime to do so.

I have zero experience of owning tube amps, so I'm hoping some of you guys in the know can allay my fears... basically is a 40W all tube amp with a single 12" speaker loud enough for small-medium sized gigs? I may decide to add an extension cabinet to the setup later on if needs be.

Cheers

[the damn dog]

Hi It's loud enough trust me and kicks ass.In rehearsals I can only turn it up to about? 5-6 and when I play it's at about max 7 1/2
and you can add on a cab if ya want
Stew

[jrs2001_99]

Thanks for replying dude... the thing I like about this amp is that it's small enough to crank at home as well as at practice, and get a nice tone... I don't think a 100W stack is very practical unless you're playing Wembley stadium every weekend.

How do you find the heat output of this amp? I have read the harmony central reviews, and the biggest concern/complaint seems to be the lack of a cooling fan, meaning that the valves over heat and melt the solder joints... not good workmanship if you ask me!

I would nearly be tempted to throw an extra couple of hundred quid at it and get a full 50W JCM 200o stack, with a 2x12" cab... I just know that I HAVE to have an all-tube marshall, it's exactly the sound I'm looking for, it just flows 

[Johnny Rattlesnake]

As long as it sounds good to you; it doesn't matter if it's loud enuff for a gig, you can just mike it.  My guitarist uses a half stack and he mikes his cabinet.  75% of the time, they(the owners) want you to turn down anyway.

[MeanBone]

well the thing with tube amps is you have to crank the volume way up to get the best sound. i think it's an advantage the amp only has 40 watts. cuz 40 watts of a tube amp is great!
i use the DSL 100 halfstack and that thing is way to loud, i'd think the combo is the best. and as the guy with the brilliant peavey wolfgang said, u can always add an additional cab
and u already know it sounds killer!

[Darkburst]

There's a certain amount of thump that only a 4x12 cab can deliver. There are also a lot of master volume tube amps that sounds great at club levels even though the cab is getting mic'd. But the advantage of the smaller amps are in how easy they are to move from your practice space to a gig.

Anyway, the DSL401 should be plenty loud. Remember a 50w tube amp is only a few decibels quieter than a 100w tube amp. I also guarantee you that the DSL401 will be louder than that 100w solid state Fender amp. It's too bad they don't make a DSL401 head, it'd be nice to hook up to a 2x12 closed back cab for gigging.

[dominator]

Anyway, the DSL401 should be plenty loud. Remember a 50w tube amp is only a few decibels quieter than a 100w tube amp.

Yeah, I've always wondered about that. I mean, how much quiter is an amp really at when you bring it down to 50W as opposed to 100? I've got a 100W tube head at home... I wasn't planning on getting something so big, but, it was a wicked deal. Probably half the price of one of those combo's. Anyways, I was thinking of pulling half the tubes when I have to change them to bring it down to 50W.... how do you think that would work out? Would it be a lot quieter, or only a bit? I don't really understand how that actually works, to be honest.

Another thing I was wondering is.... do the extra speakers of say a 4x12" cabinet actually give you more volume, or do they just give the amp more "thump" or bass response, or whatever you want to call it?

[Darkburst]

Anyway, the DSL401 should be plenty loud. Remember a 50w tube amp is only a few decibels quieter than a 100w tube amp.

Yeah, I've always wondered about that. I mean, how much quiter is an amp really at when you bring it down to 50W as opposed to 100? I've got a 100W tube head at home... I wasn't planning on getting something so big, but, it was a wicked deal. Probably half the price of one of those combo's. Anyways, I was thinking of pulling half the tubes when I have to change them to bring it down to 50W.... how do you think that would work out? Would it be a lot quieter, or only a bit? I don't really understand how that actually works, to be honest.

Another thing I was wondering is.... do the extra speakers of say a 4x12" cabinet actually give you more volume, or do they just give the amp more "thump" or bass response, or whatever you want to call it?

Pulling tubes will make it lower the volume, but it also affects the tone. When I had my 2555 I didn't like the sound as much when I hit the half power switch. Like I said, 50w is not much quieter than 100w. Let's put it this way, a 5w Epiphone Valve Jr can get loud enough to damage your hearing.

Extra speakers definately give a more full sound. That's not to say that a 1x12 or 2x12 can't sound good, they just won't have that 'thump' you mentioned. A 4x12 has more lows and low mids.

[dominator]

Anyway, the DSL401 should be plenty loud. Remember a 50w tube amp is only a few decibels quieter than a 100w tube amp.

Yeah, I've always wondered about that. I mean, how much quiter is an amp really at when you bring it down to 50W as opposed to 100? I've got a 100W tube head at home... I wasn't planning on getting something so big, but, it was a wicked deal. Probably half the price of one of those combo's. Anyways, I was thinking of pulling half the tubes when I have to change them to bring it down to 50W.... how do you think that would work out? Would it be a lot quieter, or only a bit? I don't really understand how that actually works, to be honest.

Another thing I was wondering is.... do the extra speakers of say a 4x12" cabinet actually give you more volume, or do they just give the amp more "thump" or bass response, or whatever you want to call it?

Pulling tubes will make it lower the volume, but it also affects the tone. When I had my 2555 I didn't like the sound as much when I hit the half power switch. Like I said, 50w is not much quieter than 100w. Let's put it this way, a 5w Epiphone Valve Jr can get loud enough to damage your hearing.

Extra speakers definately give a more full sound. That's not to say that a 1x12 or 2x12 can't sound good, they just won't have that 'thump' you mentioned. A 4x12 has more lows and low mids.

Ah, ok. That's good to know.

It sounds like I'll need a power attenuator, as I said in my other thread.  I was looking at a Weber Standard MASS, which seems to be a well priced one. Have you heard anything about it? https://weberspeakerscom.secure.powweb.com/weber/atten.htm

I already have earplugs actually (bought them for when I play in the symphony orchestra at school right in front of the percussion    ), but I still can't comfortably turn it up that loud.

[darkmonth]

As long as it sounds good to you; it doesn't matter if it's loud enuff for a gig, you can just mike it.  My guitarist uses a half stack and he mikes his cabinet.  75% of the time, they(the owners) want you to turn down anyway.

and 100% of the time I tell them to fuck off.  My sound comes from the amp being cranked.  Fuck the engineer who blatantly knows fuck all about tube amps and insists that it's low and the PA pushes the volume up.

You use the PA to spread sound, not just to boost.  Pisses me off when they talk shit.