Marshall DSL20CR 2-Channel 20-Watt 1x12" Guitar Combo

Love this thing. Does everything from clean to grimd to balls to the wall. The clean side is really chimney and full. Push it and it nails acdc. The distortion side takes it from acdc to anything from the eighties to grunge to modern hi gain. It cleans up well with your vol on your guitar. Pretty pick responsive. Can be very bright but pull back on treble some. What I love is the power switched from 20 watts to 10 watts. Really helps the amp breath in size room. My daughter has the DSL 15 and these while similar are two different animals. Hers has the 6v6's and I have a peavey bravo with el84 and they all three sound different. This is has more of the Marshall stack tone if you get my meaning. Gonna swap the speaker for a neomag to lighten it up some more. Very ... MoreLove this thing. Does everything from clean to grimd to balls to the wall. The clean side is really chimney and full. Push it and it nails acdc. The distortion side takes it from acdc to anything from the eighties to grunge to modern hi gain. It cleans up well with your vol on your guitar. Pretty pick responsive. Can be very bright but pull back on treble some. What I love is the power switched from 20 watts to 10 watts. Really helps the amp breath in size room. My daughter has the DSL 15 and these while similar are two different animals. Hers has the 6v6's and I have a peavey bravo with el84 and they all three sound different. This is has more of the Marshall stack tone if you get my meaning. Gonna swap the speaker for a neomag to lighten it up some more. Very satisfied with the tone and it is relatively light but I gig a lot so any wt I can skim off the better. Its the perfect gig amp. Very quiet at idle too. Was several but this was the best deal out there.

Almost the perfect small amp

Overall:The first amp arrived with an annoying background hiss. From what I’ve read, this is a common problem with early production models. I returned the amp and promptly received its replacement, which also had the same hiss. I contemplated keeping the amp despite the noise, but ultimately decided that I couldn’t justify paying good money for a faulty amp. The tone was what almost made me keep the amp. The deciding factor was the Celestion Seventy 80 speaker. You don’t realize how much it holds back the amp until you hear it with a quality speaker. I tried a Celestion Greenback and a WGS Green Beret and the difference was remarkable. For the cost of the DSL20CR plus a much needed speaker upgrade, you can buy the DSL40CR, which has more features and does come with ... MoreOverall:The first amp arrived with an annoying background hiss. From what I’ve read, this is a common problem with early production models. I returned the amp and promptly received its replacement, which also had the same hiss. I contemplated keeping the amp despite the noise, but ultimately decided that I couldn’t justify paying good money for a faulty amp. The tone was what almost made me keep the amp. The deciding factor was the Celestion Seventy 80 speaker. You don’t realize how much it holds back the amp until you hear it with a quality speaker. I tried a Celestion Greenback and a WGS Green Beret and the difference was remarkable. For the cost of the DSL20CR plus a much needed speaker upgrade, you can buy the DSL40CR, which has more features and does come with a decent speaker. I really wanted to love the 20CR but it’s more feature-rich and powerful sibling won out. I ended up returning the second amp and am eagerly awaiting my new DSL40CR.

Best Amp Ever! Nothing beats a cranked Marshall !!

Overall:This is absolutely the greatest amp I've ever played so far! I was on the fence between this and Fender Blues Junior Tweed and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and this combo won and I have no regret. It pairs so well with my 58' Les Paul. I can get that sweet Gary Moore blues tone all the way up to some aggressive Jimmy Page early Zeppelin with a little more drive of course. And did I mention that this thing is loud. It'll rattle the walls and ceiling. And best of all it's got the power and saturation I need sound wise. Clocking in a 36lbs and being compact it sure won me over its big brother the DSL40CR which is nearly 52lbs yikes and way more bulkier. My back has already started thanking me loll.... Do yourself a favor and buy this amp and pair it with your ... MoreOverall:This is absolutely the greatest amp I've ever played so far! I was on the fence between this and Fender Blues Junior Tweed and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and this combo won and I have no regret. It pairs so well with my 58' Les Paul. I can get that sweet Gary Moore blues tone all the way up to some aggressive Jimmy Page early Zeppelin with a little more drive of course. And did I mention that this thing is loud. It'll rattle the walls and ceiling. And best of all it's got the power and saturation I need sound wise. Clocking in a 36lbs and being compact it sure won me over its big brother the DSL40CR which is nearly 52lbs yikes and way more bulkier. My back has already started thanking me loll.... Do yourself a favor and buy this amp and pair it with your favorite les paul. As far as the speaker goes, some might rag on it but it sounds great to me. Maybe it's my guitar. But my sound I'm overly satisfied with. Trust me. There is no better feeling in the world !

Buy it

I was trying to decide whether to buy the fender bassbreaker 15 or the Marshall dsl20cr. I went with the fender. Bad mistake. The amp buzzed so much I had to return it. Fortunately Rick Van Heel took care of my return and hooked me up with the Marshall. He was very helpful and understanding. Now that I got the Marshall, I am glad it happened. The Marshall is a beast. The clean channel has plenty of headroom and takes petals well. The crunch channel is amazing. You don't even need a od or distortion pedal with it. The reverb is ok and usable. The only problem I have with it is the speaker. Such a great amp with such a weak speaker. Soon I will be calling Rick to hook me up with a creamback to really bring out all the potential of this beast

Change the Speaker and Prepare to be Surprised.

Don't even judge this amp with the stock speaker. Its crap and probably put in the amp to keep costs down. My recommendation, especially if you don't want to crank the amp (where Celestions come alive) is a EM12N. Its the Eminence Neo Magnet version of the EV12L speaker. The top end roll off of that speaker is around 4.5K which really takes away the high end fizz of this amp. Its a very full bodied speaker and doesn't need to be cranked to sound good (after break in of course). My rating is based on other combo amps I've owned so I can't give it a full 5 stars. Its a good amp but Marshall really needs to tweek the overdrive a bit more. Way too much top end "sizzle". That's why most people run their Marshalls with the Treble at 9 o'clock or non at all. I would say ... MoreDon't even judge this amp with the stock speaker. Its crap and probably put in the amp to keep costs down. My recommendation, especially if you don't want to crank the amp (where Celestions come alive) is a EM12N. Its the Eminence Neo Magnet version of the EV12L speaker. The top end roll off of that speaker is around 4.5K which really takes away the high end fizz of this amp. Its a very full bodied speaker and doesn't need to be cranked to sound good (after break in of course). My rating is based on other combo amps I've owned so I can't give it a full 5 stars. Its a good amp but Marshall really needs to tweek the overdrive a bit more. Way too much top end "sizzle". That's why most people run their Marshalls with the Treble at 9 o'clock or non at all. I would say for under $ its probably the best amp out there...especially with a speaker swap.

Definitely worth the money

I got this amp today and immediately cracked the box open and had to play it. I was not disappointed. It is a killer amp! I would also like to add that it is excellent with pedals as well. This is a great all tube amp for the price and it's not killer heavy. I live in an apartment building and have to contend with 4 flights of steps. The distortion is great but if you want to play some of the harder rock like Metallica or Pantera it will require a pedal. However, it does have great distortion and for a 20 watt it sure is loud and delivers that Marshall growl that is so typical of these amps. If you want an awesome tube amp that won't drain your cash then this is the best bang for your buck! I may replace the speaker in the near future, but for now it will do. I ... MoreI got this amp today and immediately cracked the box open and had to play it. I was not disappointed. It is a killer amp! I would also like to add that it is excellent with pedals as well. This is a great all tube amp for the price and it's not killer heavy. I live in an apartment building and have to contend with 4 flights of steps. The distortion is great but if you want to play some of the harder rock like Metallica or Pantera it will require a pedal. However, it does have great distortion and for a 20 watt it sure is loud and delivers that Marshall growl that is so typical of these amps. If you want an awesome tube amp that won't drain your cash then this is the best bang for your buck! I may replace the speaker in the near future, but for now it will do. I don't have any complaints about this amp but perhaps the neighbors do. This is heavily recommended!

Great for practice and recording, okay for gigging

I've had this amp for a week now, and I am very happy with it. I was looking for an amp that was louder than a "bedroom" amp, but not necessarily loud enough for gigging. This one is perfect for me. The Classic gain channel is not super clean. With single coils, it's good for Hendrix "Hey Joe" kind of sound. It can get a little cleaner if you want to sacrifice volume, though. With humbuckers, very AC/DC. The Ultra Gain Channel is what this amp is all about. Very smooth distortion, it doesn't get fizzy unless the gain is cranked pretty much all the way up, but that's a LOT of gain. With the Tone Shift switch, along with the the presence and resonance knobs (in addition to the standard high, mid, and low knobs), you have a lot of control over tone. The reverb is a ... MoreI've had this amp for a week now, and I am very happy with it. I was looking for an amp that was louder than a "bedroom" amp, but not necessarily loud enough for gigging. This one is perfect for me. The Classic gain channel is not super clean. With single coils, it's good for Hendrix "Hey Joe" kind of sound. It can get a little cleaner if you want to sacrifice volume, though. With humbuckers, very AC/DC. The Ultra Gain Channel is what this amp is all about. Very smooth distortion, it doesn't get fizzy unless the gain is cranked pretty much all the way up, but that's a LOT of gain. With the Tone Shift switch, along with the the presence and resonance knobs (in addition to the standard high, mid, and low knobs), you have a lot of control over tone. The reverb is a little lacking, but it's usable if you're not looking for anything over the top. The option to drop to half power is great, and the tone doesn't suffer at 10w. I'm very happy with that function. My only real complaint about the amp is that I wish it had been in a bigger cab. I think it lacks some fullness, especially low end compared to other 20w amps that I have played through. I have plugged it into a 2x12 and a 4x12, and either gives it a fuller sound with a little more bottom. I am hoping to find a good size 1x12 to pair it with, I'm pretty sure that will make it the perfect home amp for me. I have played it with a full band, and had plenty of volume to be heard. I am pretty sure it would do fine in a small bar gig on it's own, but much bigger, it should do fine through the PA.

My New Marshall DSL20

The Marshall DSL20 amp is awesome if you're into that classic Marshall sound. It's compact, affordable, and perfect for gigging or jamming at home. The amp has two channels, Clean and Overdrive, that can handle anything from warm and crisp tones to heavy metal riffs. There's even a tone shift button for even more tonal options. The built-in reverb is sweet and gives your sound some depth. Just a heads up, the amp does make a popping sound when you turn it on and off, but that's normal. All in all, the Marshall DSL20 is a great choice for any guitar player who wants that signature Marshall sound in a portable and affordable package.

Nice Marshall growl

Overall:Nice amp for home recording. Has a nice mid-range heavy Marshall tone. The clean or "classic gain" channel is great for pedals. It seems to really love the Fulltone OCD and Bug Muff. One thing to note is that this amp does lack some bottom end. I ran it through a 4x10 extension cab as a test and that fully resolved the issue. I live in an apartment so having a really bottom heavy sound usually means a noise complaint. For recording, especially late at night, the lack of bottom end is an advantage rather than a problem for me. Ext cab or the 40 watt version is the solution if this is a major issue for you. Overall it sounds great, it records extremely well and the green channel is really a pedal machine.

Very Nice

I have a collection of Marshall DSL amps so i like to compare them. I really iike this newly released Marshall DSL 20C for a portable amp. If you just want the best sound, go for the Marshall DSL 40C because it sounds fuller with more bass. But the 40C weights 50lbs, and i love mine, but i dont like to move it. On the other hand, the DSL 20C is 36lbs which is okay for me to lug around. Although for 26lbs you could get the DSL5C and that is really portable. I find that for a small bedroom size room i like the DSL 5C just fine. However the 20C has more power for a band situation, has a really nice new design for the power switch which allows you to see, or change, the power setting from the front of the amp, not the back, and it has an FX loop which is important to ... MoreI have a collection of Marshall DSL amps so i like to compare them. I really iike this newly released Marshall DSL 20C for a portable amp. If you just want the best sound, go for the Marshall DSL 40C because it sounds fuller with more bass. But the 40C weights 50lbs, and i love mine, but i dont like to move it. On the other hand, the DSL 20C is 36lbs which is okay for me to lug around. Although for 26lbs you could get the DSL5C and that is really portable. I find that for a small bedroom size room i like the DSL 5C just fine. However the 20C has more power for a band situation, has a really nice new design for the power switch which allows you to see, or change, the power setting from the front of the amp, not the back, and it has an FX loop which is important to me. Also, the 20C has reverb and an Aux in for playing a backing track, and the footswitch is improved with the addition of indicator lights so you can tell what channel or FX loop you are on. The choice of two channels is great, they both sound good and have independent volume controls so you can set one higher than the other for a boost. Overall, i love it.