The amp sounded impressive even with the budget stock 10” driver, producing that distinctive Marshall tube amp tone. But running the line out to 1X12, 2X12, and 4X12 cabinets loaded with quality Celestions revealed that there was serious untapped potential here. I realized that with a speaker upgrade this could be much more than just a practice amp. Of all the speakers I tried the DSL5CR sounded best pushing a Greenback. As I had got such a killer deal on the amp even the additional cost of ordering a 12” Celestion Greenback from Sweetwater still brought me in below the average used selling price of this model. A special shout out to Perry at Sweetwater for getting this speaker out to me so expeditiously.
12" Greenback to Celestion TEN 30: "Where's the beef?"
From research on the gear forums I learned that a few modifications had to be made to shoehorn a 12” speaker into the cabinet.
1) A groove had to be cut on the cab floor to accommodate the bottom of the speaker.
2) The hole in the front panel needed to opened up wider.
3) The speaker needed to be rotated so the tubes wouldn’t make contact with the basket.
I spent a good amount of time making all the measurements and slowly, carefully making the cuts in both the cabinet floor and front panel. I used both a Dremel and a jigsaw. It was pretty dusty using the Dremel, and I probably should have worn a mask, but with the amount of cat litter dust I inhale on a daily basis, plus the recent alarming uptick in my consumption of these cheap Black & Mild pipe tobacco cigars, I figure I’m pretty much a goner anyways.
Measure twice, cut once. Follow that simple rule and you'll avoid lots of headaches. Removing all the staples from the edges of the front panel so I could remove the grill cloth while making the cuts was time consuming, but I didn't want to risk damaging the fabric.
With the Greenback finally installed not only was the amp’s tone improved immensely, but it also made it significantly louder and deeper. I believe I could now get over the top of a restrained drummer, and most certainly if it was mic’d. it. The 10” speaker just couldn’t produce that powerful rumble and roar I was looking for, whereas the 12” Greenback literally shakes the floor when I play something like the beginning of “Bring it On Home.” But best of all, and you people who are familiar with the Greenback will know what I’m talking about, is that roundness, warmth, bite, and throaty bark that it imparts. That’s tonal bliss to me. I couldn’t be happier with this upgrade.
A word on the two channels: The “Classic Gain” is really the clean channel. The “Ultra Gain” is simply the dirt channel. There is no real breakup on the “Classic Gain” channel. When both the pre and main volumes are pushed to the max it simply gets mushy and fuzzy, not crispy and crunchy. That being said, when backed off from max the cleans are really nice for a Marshall, with very musical overtones and surprising glassiness. As for the vintage Marshall break up, your Bluesbreaker, Plexi, all the way to hot rodded JCM800 tones, they all live to the left of the dial on the “Ultra Gain” channel. To the right of the dial is all that chugga chugga stuff I don’t do. It’s there if you need it though. The amp responds splendidly to alterations in the guitars volume knob, which is generally how I like to clean up my tone while performing. I don’t see myself having to use any overdrive pedals with this amp, which cuts my already sparse pedal board in half. Heck, when using this amp I’ll be down to just three boxes, my BOSS tuner, MXR Phase 90, and CHASE TONE Secret Preamp. I love the simplicity of that!
My main criticism of the channels is the notable volume difference between the two. There is a significant drop in db going from “Ultra Gain” to “Classic Gain,” even with the latter maxed and the former held back. This wouldn’t be a problem when using the amp for practice or recording, but it could be a serious issue if one tried to use it as a two channel amp for live performance. As I don’t require crystal clear, pristine clean tones, it doesn’t bother me to stay on the “Ultra Gain” channel and use the guitar’s volume knob to clean up when required. It will however be a real issue for those who require a clean platform with good headroom. But I suspect that people in that category aren’t looking at low watt Marshall tube amps to begin with.
One of the new features of this latest version of the DSL5 is the inclusion of digital reverb. It sounds perfectly fine to my ears, and comes on gradually as the knob is turned. Again, like pristine clean tones at volume with headroom, reverb is not one of my main priorities. It’s nice to have it though if I want add a touch of that quality without having to use a pedal.
As I’m aware that the size of a combos cabinet in relation to the speaker(s) has a profound effect on the amps tone, and I suspected that the oversized 12” driver was likely being choked by the restrictive enclosure, I removed the back panel to see what would result. As good as the amp sounded with the rear panel installed, it sounded notably better with it removed, as in more open, airy, organic, and articulate, and even a little more volume too. As a future project I’m thinking about attaching the rear panel with velcro in lieu of the screws so that I can easily remove it when needed.
A word on the build quality: The Marshall DSL5 is made in Vietnam. For sake of comparison, about a year ago I bought a made in China Blackstar Studio 10 6L6, which retails for the same price as this Marshall. The build quality on the Blackstar is notably superior, with everything being sturdier, more robust, and just feeling all around less cheap and “toy-like.” I’m making this observation strictly as a commentary on the construction, because the two models can’t really be compared as amps per se, being totally different animals.
That being said, over the last year I have worked that Blackstar like a rented mule; it has fell over many times, been slammed into walls and door, lugged over half of this State, exposed to heat and cold, had beer spilled on it, powered up continuously for four hours at a time, and not infrequently been pushed hard. Though it has some superficial scars, it still operates flawlessly. I’m not sure how the Marshall DSL5CR would fare with such treatment. When I made the cuts in the box to fit the speaker I discovered that the “wood” of the front panel is MDF, and the outer box itself looks to be a type of chipboard. Compared to the DSL5CR my 1986 made in England Marshall Master Lead 30 combo is built like a bank safe. I suppose this is the trade off for Marshall being able to offer a tube amp with their name on it at this price point. While the Blackstar is most likely constructed of the same materials as the DSL5CR, it just feels much more solid.
Anyways, I’m exited about gigging this amp tonight!
Cat included for size reference. That's Smokey, the newest resident of our household. If you think you're having a bad day, just remember that he had his balls cut off yesterday.
