Marshall JCM2000 DSL 50 Hmmmmm.......

[sambencuda]

John, Let me know if you want to try out the DSL for your next gig and see if it does the trick for ya. I'd really like to get your take on it. I got it to flip, but the tone is amazing and agreeably very Marshall so I'm considering keeping two rigs going. Aside from the Alice in Chains stuff, the DSL is way more suited for Soundgarden, Nirvana and Pearl Jam that we are doing in SNAP. It does a fair job with the AIC, but nothing comes close to the Engl for that stuff. Let me know.

[roodyrocker]

Last Friday night my band played at a bar with very limited stage space. So we decided not to use any guitar cabs or bass amps. The bass went right into a DI box then into the PA. The guitar amps were run by using the heads with a THD Hot Plate just to place a load on the head and a Palmer DI box to the PA. Our other guitar player used his Blackstar head and I used one of my Marshall JCM 2000 heads (DSL 50). With no cabs being used everything ran through the stage monitors for us to hear what we're playing. My monitors were my Sennheiser In Ear Monitors. My effects were simply a tuner, Wah, and MXR/CAE boost. Anything as far as delay or chorus was added as needed by our sound man from the Behringer X32 rack mounted digital mixer which he controls through a Surface Pro tablet. Here are some pix of the setup
DSL 50 with Hot Plate set on load. The IEM ear buds and receiver are sitting on top of the amp as well as an older Hush pedal through the loop. As it ended up, I didn't need the Hush unit that night and ended up shutting it off:



Sitting behind the amp head is the Palmer DI box to go right to the PA:


And here as the pedal setup used in front of the amp:

[sambencuda]

Sounds like an interesting setup for a small venue. How did you like it vs using cabs? For low volumes, I can see this working well.

[jgcable]

Sounds like an interesting setup for a small venue. How did you like it vs using cabs? For low volumes, I can see this working well.

I am interested in this too.

[darrellm]

My DSL 50 is in bits on the floor waiting to be repaired One of the PA tubes is glowing like a fireball and, upon checking the bias, the bias voltage is well out of spec and can't be brought back in range by the pots on the back, so guess a component has failed somewhere, possibly a capacitor drying out. To be fair, I've had it since new and it's been thru some very hot gigs, but kinda thought they would be designed for that. So no, not ultra-reliable, and I'm currently playing through an Engl.

[jgcable]

My DSL 50 is in bits on the floor waiting to be repaired One of the PA tubes is glowing like a fireball and, upon checking the bias, the bias voltage is well out of spec and can't be brought back in range by the pots on the back, so guess a component has failed somewhere, possibly a capacitor drying out. To be fair, I've had it since new and it's been thru some very hot gigs, but kinda thought they would be designed for that. So no, not ultra-reliable, and I'm currently playing through an Engl.

My single Rectifier has been out in the rain, snow, beach, 100 degree gigs outside in the sun for 6 hours and everything else you could think of and it has never even hiccup'd. One thing Mesa has over stock production Marshall and thats build quality.

[roodyrocker]

Sounds like an interesting setup for a small venue. How did you like it vs using cabs? For low volumes, I can see this working well.

Actually, this works well is small or large venues. For small venues or tight stage spaces you're not killing valuable real estate with a big 4x12 cab or in my band's case, 2 4x12 cabs. Also, the audience up front isn't being laser beamed by a screaming amp. For large venues, when you go see a pro concert you're not really hearing the guitarists' cab directly. What you're hearing is their mic'd cab through the PA. Alex Lifeson from Rush has been using the rack mount version of the Palmer with no live cabs on stage whatsoever. The small Palmers we used, the PDI-09, has the cab sims in it as well as a pad switch to help with the volume sent to the PA. The rack mount version of the Palmer, the PDI-03, can also provide a load for the head as well as has a switch to pick between a more Marshall type cab vs. Mesa type cab. Of course the rack version is more expensive. If you have a wireless guitar setup try running through a Palmer to the PA and step out front where the audience would be as you play. It sounds fantastic! Another advantage to using these Palmers live is without traditional mics on the guitar cabs we eliminated bleed through from drums and other instruments in close proximity. In a small club with small stage space your traditional mic picks up not only your guitar sound but also the drums and even vocals coming back from the monitors and the audience talking/ yelling. These Palmers flat out work!

[jgcable]

Actually, this works well is small or large venues. For small venues or tight stage spaces you're not killing valuable real estate with a big 4x12 cab or in my band's case, 2 4x12 cabs. Also, the audience up front isn't being laser beamed by a screaming amp. For large venues, when you go see a pro concert you're not really hearing the guitarists' cab directly. What you're hearing is their mic'd cab through the PA. Alex Lifeson from Rush has been using the rack mount version of the Palmer with no live cabs on stage whatsoever. The small Palmers we used, the PDI-09, has the cab sims in it as well as a pad switch to help with the volume sent to the PA. The rack mount version of the Palmer, the PDI-03, can also provide a load for the head as well as has a switch to pick between a more Marshall type cab vs. Mesa type cab. Of course the rack version is more expensive. If you have a wireless guitar setup try running through a Palmer to the PA and step out front where the audience would be as you play. It sounds fantastic! Another advantage to using these Palmers live is without traditional mics on the guitar cabs we eliminated bleed through from drums and other instruments in close proximity. In a small club with small stage space your traditional mic picks up not only your guitar sound but also the drums and even vocals coming back from the monitors and the audience talking/ yelling. These Palmers flat out work!

Very interesting. I need to look into the PDI-09. Most of the time when I play live I can barely hear my stage amp because its at such a low volume. All my live guitar volume comes from my speaker being mic'd through the PA. All my stage volume comes from the PA monitors.

[roodyrocker]

Very interesting. I need to look into the PDI-09. Most of the time when I play live I can barely hear my stage amp because its at such a low volume. All my live guitar volume comes from my speaker being mic'd through the PA. All my stage volume comes from the PA monitors.

I think the Palmer would come in handy for you then John

[sambencuda]

This Marshall is an amazing amp. It's surprised the hell outa me. I got it with the intention of flipping it, but every time I decide to put it up, I play through it and change my mind. The only one thing that I've noticed that I don't particularly like is that while it has a ton of mid punch and plenty of gain, the lows seem a little sloppy. I would love it if I could tighten up the bottom end a bit. I'd even give up some gain for it. Any thoughts? Tubes suggestions? I really dig Mike Orlando from Adrenaline Mob's tone on Omertà. This amp is close, but he has a way tighter bottom end. I'm pretty sure he's using a JCM800, but he's using it with another head. Can't remember what though.

[jgcable]

BBE Sonic Stomp in the loop. Problem solved. If you want to try mine just swing by and I will let you borrow it. Its amazing. You can just dial in how much thump you want and it REALLY tightens up the bottom end.

[sambencuda]

Shit! I never thought of that. I have a rack mount BBE 482. I'll try that, but I might take you up on that. I'd like to here the difference between the sonic stomp and the 482. Here is my ideal Marshall tone. Right at the 16 sec mark. That is pure Marshall bliss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cwUZ1rzerg

[jgcable]

Shit! I never thought of that. I have a rack mount BBE 482. I'll try that, but I might take you up on that. I'd like to here the difference between the sonic stomp and the 482. Here is my ideal Marshall tone. Right at the 16 sec mark. That is pure Marshall bliss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cwUZ1rzerg

Me too bro. I have never been able to get a tone like that. Its clear, punchy, articulate and Marshall all the way.

[Bert]

Sounds like it's (at least) double tracked, which makes it doubly marshall good.

[roodyrocker]

Last week we played a tiny stage and I posted shots of my setup. This week it was the complete opposite! Big stage, big outdoor venue. So here are shots of that setup. First, the stage:



I used my white JCM 2000 (DSL 50) with my Rhoads 4x12 cab and a couple USA Soloists



Again, we ran the head into the Palmer and out to the big PA, no mic on the cab, and I ran a Hush pedal through the loop to take care of any noise. The black JCM 2000 head behind the amp is a spare in case one goes down mid show:


Here is the Palmer and then the Hush pedal:



And my pedal board for the set:


The JCM 2000 has been serving well in small and big venues although my friend who is a tech did take care of a few minor details for reliability: