What kind of tubes are you running and what cab? They don't like Groove Tubes and they don't like the vintage style drivers. Try a really nice set of E34L's or KT88, and you'll probably change our mind. I used to play in an Alice Cooper coverband where we had the main focus on the later years - Hey Stupid era etc. The TSL is great, just don't think of it as a 2203, that's the mistake I see most make. If you ever get the chance, try and pair up your TSL with the high watt Mode Four 4x12 cab. It sounds insanely good.
I’ve gigged mine since 2008 and I love it. I do need a noise suppression pedal, but it adds some compression so I don’t mind. Very versatile, has never let me down...not sure why these get a bad rap but it’s my go-to head.
This was a much better demo. I've played through DSL's and they are really good for plug in and play. But TSL's have much more, just gotta play with it. Vintage 30's also help, but all subjective. Love the channel!
I've owned and gigged with one since around 2003 or 4 I can't remember. It's a fantastic amp and really can be like having 6 channels in one . I like how subdued the channels are they really lend for pedals to have room for boost etc. The clean I use a treble boost and a chorus and it sounds phenomenal with coil splits especially so and you can add a mild OD for semi dirty tones. The crunch channel channel is just a step above the clean without an OD but with can do rock and classic metal spot on. The lead channel can handle everything leads and heavier metal tones. Really versatile amp and they've become super cheap since the DSL is so popular this gem is overlooked
Dude you are one of the best out there doing reviews , you actually are listen the feedback from us and thats bad ass. way better review and more accurate, with better tube that amp kicks ass keep going man and maybe one of this days you do a review on the Horizon devices pre amp there is a lot of mix feeling about that pedal.
I gigged in a modern metal band with one of these regularly and it always sounded solid! I tried the dsl and it sounded buzzy and muffled in comparison
Gotta disagree with the JVM, it’s got a shit Ton of sweet tones with little tweaking. But the TSL does take more time. These settings Leon had going on are spot on though
JCM 2000TSL100 .... best Marshall I've ever had ! It does it all with class . Had 2 DSL 100's ... very good also , but I prefer my TSL . Great demo . Great Marshall amp .
I used to own one of these. I found the problem is (like a ton of Marshalls) you really need to hit a certain volume to have it sparkle. And until it hits that volume it sounds really dull. Or at least my combo did. And those VPR switches might as well be a "make this sound dark" switch. By the time I had enough volume to make it sound good it was just too crazy loud for most uses.
Seems versatile and usable to me. RU-vid is a tough way to analyze sound. Does seem a bit brittle up top and I like a nice round sound. I use my Marshall with the clean channel maxed and a bit of boost added. Somewhat clean when played lightly and really honks when you hit it.
If I were strictly a blues/classic rock guy, Marshall would be a no brainer, but I’m not. I really don’t like relying on pedals for the High gain sound.
Hey man, I'm trying to choose between this, DSL 100 and a Bugera 1990 to play progressive metal and stuff like that (casually pop, hard rock, etc). It seems that Marshall is too "fuzzy" to play metal, could you give me any recommendations?
I don’t have much experience with Bugera actually. If you run an overdrive pedal through that DSL 100 you’ll definitely get enough gain for metal. I had good results with the Peavey 6505 as well if you don’t want to spend as much money.
This amp does everything. Try the clean channel with mid boost in, bass 4-5, treble around 8, and your favorite distortion pedal. It really takes distortion pedals to a rich mid focused lead sound.
I have this amp and I barely used it once I started buying high end vintage amps. The other day, I just thought I’d try it, so I ran it through a 59 Bassman Cab - HOLY EXPLETIVE - this amps rocks, it’s just the Marshall cab that goes with it is a pile of crap!! Tried numerous other heads with the Marshall cab and it made them all sound thin and horrible. Hope that helps anyone looking 👍
The only person I’ve known who consistently used this amp ran it through an orange cab. That wouldn’t surprise me at all what you’re saying about the cabs that came with these amps.
I've owned quite a few DSL's, and got my first TSL yesterday. I don't understand the hate, and you definitely do this amp justice. Nope, it's not an 800. But it's not meant to be.
I don't understand why you still still need overdrive pedals with a triple channel amp. After shelling out all that $$$ it should have all the gain you could need and then some. I'd rather have a cleaner amp and use it as a pedal platform.
It’s not necessarily because of the need of more gain, the biggest reason why people like to use a boost is to tighten up the bass frequencies, boost the midrange, and provide more attack to each note you pick. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I use it with my Orange Crush Pro 120, as well as my Bugera 6262 Infinium.
Pedals change the sound. An OG Tube Screasmer is awesome with most amps. It's just a sound signature. Also, while they have gain, you might need more. What about solos? You need a lead boost. Does your TSL have delay, flanger, whawha, or phaser built in? Mine does not. What about Fuzz? Can't find that knob either. But hey, mine does go to 11 though.
This was my gig amp back in the 2000's and wow did it cut through the mix easy. People often raved about my tone back then, it was mostly strait amp with a wah and delay. I think it was the lead tone on that lead channel people really liked. But the whole amp really sliced through the mix live. I still love that lead channel.
From personal gigging experience with this amp...cost cutting construction, leading to failures/PITA to bias. Crunch and modern High gain Tones are just ok, but benefits from eq in fx loop...the 6100LM anniversary series is MUCH better!
I giggled with a TSL for years. I always thought the cleans were really nice and the Orange channel really shined with a TS9 boosting it. The red channel was always a muddy mess imo.
IMO the lead channel is made for solo's. It has much more compression and a ton of sustain and gain and really slices through the mix in a live setting. I used it for years and always got complimented on my tone, particularity the lead tone. Everyone always said my leads were clean, crisp and sparkly with a load of sustain.
I own the TSL60 and with a good and fat OD run into the front with the volume and tone around middle and the highs rolled off I stopped really wanting any other amp despite being a gear nerd. I’ve played through DSLs and own the 40 watt combo and never liked them as much as my TSL
Just rewatching this, I think the TSL does best when it just plays to its strengths. I don’t think it’s supposed to sound like a classic Marshall - The DSL handles that better, and kind of evolves it a bit further. There is something distinct about the TSL, for classic tones it’s shrill and kind of overly upfront. I also associate the sound of that Tony Hawk era Skate Punk sound with this amp.
I am a old man this is a great amp I own one my vintage modern is my favorite but this amp when the mother board is replaced with version 20 is Awesome I have a large collection of amps
Great amp. Unlike the jcm2000 dsl that’s more limited to more 80’s sound, the tsl100 can get you there as well as to modern territory along with independent eq to each channel. Especially great for death metal on the lead channel. I like having an eq in the effects loop for additional tone sculpting, an od boost and noise gate in the front basically like you would with a Mesa dual rectifier and of course, deep switch always on and eq’s set to personal taste.
Completely different amps. Marshall have much more midrange sizzle. Friedmans lack that they are darker amps. The midrange sizzle is what cuts through when playing live. It depends on what you like.
@@guitarexpert2245 Friedman's are basically modded Plexis for high gain, that's why they sound "dark". There's no way around it unfortunately. The more gain you have, less brightness you will get.
This is an "ok" amp for the price esp on used market..gets you that Marshally grit for the most part, but it needs a lot of help. Definitly sounds alot better with an EQ in the loop. Prob even better with a nice 4x12 loaded w V 30s. Is mainly tailored for metal, punk etc. Not my first choice for rock nroll, classic rock etc.
To be honest, all this intellectual hand-wringing and obsession over what sounds better, the TSL or DSL, comes down to a very small tonal difference. The truth is, one could buy EITHER amp, get a Friedman BE-OD Pedal, and get INSTANT, Rhoads, Lynch, Schenker Crunch tones, while at the same time tightening up the usual, sloppy Marshall Bass, dial in the Presence and Mids to make it cut through and be in complete Tone Heaven.
Tried one of these out in the store around .......02 maybe? Thought it was a gutless pile of shit just like the Gothic SG I was gonna buy with it. Took around $400 of the $2000 I saved up for what I'd been told were legends and bought a metal zone and a fender frontman 15 to plug my l.t.d.Viper into. I was wrong of course but I never went back to Marshall. Just not my thing. Spent the rest on pot. Goddamn teenagers.
I have had mine since they 1st came out & have loved it,although for the last few years I have been using my jcm slash 2555SL as I thought it sounded better but used the tsl today for shits & giggles at practice today & I could not believe the amount off balls this has & bottom end - blew me away & have a new appreciation for this amp especially with the VPR (power reduction) that drops it to 25watt with all 4 EL34’S Still cranking & singing away almost had a nice fuzz face sound to it as I pushed it to the max & didn’t kill myself or band mates due to the lower volume output either,definitely had more thump than the slash amp & all have same valves (mullards) in both - I will be using it more than ever now - can’t rate this amp enough fo all out rock sound
A Maxon od808 on the lead channel playing rhythm sounds better than a Boss SD1, more full sounding less harsh. Also why do people say Oclock when talking about amp settings, there numbered 0 to 10 ?.
When you engaged the SD-1 and the Deep switch with the Lead channel, THAT was the sound!!! I also liked the crunch channel when you played "Fool For Your Loving" but the clean channel is a little flat. Did you had the guitar on the neck pickup all the time?
Had one at rehearsal, played quite a few times...not super bad, plenty of amps out there sound far worse, but wasn't a fan either. Not the best Marshall around ime
@@LeonTodd Have you ever gigged with a TSL 100 at a loud volume level? It becomes a completely other amp. Not that it sounds bad here. But I own one since 1998 and prefer it over the 2203, 2204, KK Sig, SL-X, JVM 410 and a ton of other amps I owned. The difference is that most amps that sound good at bedroom volume don't really sound that ballsy at high levels. The TSL 100 really shines there. Too bad they aren't very reliable, that's why I bought a spare one.. 😉
The Marshall TSL had more of a midrange bloom to it which was good for 80's Rock/Rhoads/GNR type tone. The DSL 100 has less midrange than the TSL and more of a mushier gain tone which is great for harder metal like Slayer.
This was my experience as well. The TSL fit my style and sound much better, and it has a killer lead tone when you play those solo's. From 70's to 90's classic rock it was killer. Its not made for those mushy gains or a mesa sound.
I love mine. Bought it used for $700, but after 3 or 4 years, a tube blew. I knew about the bias drift issues early models of these had (mine was made in 2000) so I had the whole mainboard replaced in 2018. After it re-broke in, sounds as good as ever. Also, I use JJ tubes in it, the stock tubes are bleh and some others like Tung Sol are reportedly too bright and harsh for this amp. And if sounds like a Marshall, but a little different than other Marshall's, all the better, I want a unique tone. Also, as a lead player I really like the gain the lead channel affords.
@@InGrindWeCrust2010 No, I took it to a shop, they ordered a brand new mainboard from Marshall, and installed that. New tubes too. It took about 6 months or more though for it all to break in and sound like it's old self, but now she roars!
@@Nymblz Cool. It sounds like they solved some of the issues with the newer boards. Check this out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RtFhvYcI6x4.html
I had one back in 2001 or so, but bought it used and had it sent straight to be modded before it got to my house. Amazing how totally ok they are stock, but completely flat.
If you roll the tubes right and find the proper cab, a TSL is a badass and great amp. Most people just don't know what the hell they are doing. People seem to think that you only need to learn how to play guitar, and then amps and sound is just "free". Ask about any of the big names how much time they spend finding a tone and refining it. Most spend as much time as the have spent learning to play. That's the harsh reality of music. Find me a singer who knows to adjust the eq of his or her mic. Too many are too dumb or too lazy to care.
If you want to clean up a distorted sound add some delay with the shortest amount of delay time you can dial in. You don't want to hear the same tone twice. You want to hear one tone slightly overlapped / stretched out.
I'm sorry, I guess I'm going to be the bad guy here. Bought one in 98 when they first came out, and never vibed with it. Cranked up at stage volume, it always sounded like it had a wet blanket over it. Used to rehearse with a guy that had a rackmount Rocktron Gainiac pre with a Mesa power amp, and I could never keep up. Great clean channel for a Marshall though. Loved the dual parallel fx loops. Chorus and a little delay on the clean, dry on dirty w/o doing the pedal dance was nice. Sold it after a couple years for a 5150, then bought a Mesa and never looked back. In all fairness, it's a great studio amp. The speaker emulated DI is good, and overall it's really versatile at lower volume.
The TSL is kind of in between great and garbage. I played a TSL602 (the 60W 2X12 combo) extensively and never had a problem with the quality of the sounds it produced, but the foot controller was very poorly made. The cable was non-detachable and was prone to failure. I wen through two foot controllers in the time I used that amp and I was not in a hard use scenario.
Another great video. Thanks. I love it when you use / discuss conventional tube amps. One thing you didn’t mention was what cabinet and speakers you are playing through. While at one point I had both the JCM2000 DSL100 and TSL100 heads, the TSL many times needed Vintage 30s or Greenbacks, whereas the DSL100 (which I still have) seems to work with many cab and speaker configurations.
@@alankotler9971 It does make a difference which cab you use. Even if the specs are the same. It sounds great through my favorite eighties 1960 cab but much more treble and fizz through my 2015 cab (also 1960 model with the same Celestion G12T-75 speakers in it).
I toured with one of these everywhere from small bars to a small arena. The clean channel takes pedals well but the TSL's suffer from a fizzy overdrive that sounds poor compared to the DSL or an 800. The lead channel is unusable and messy. I would stay away from this model; it's usable but not recommended.
Depends on what you play, my band did a lot of classic rock and people loved my tone on that lead channel when I would solo. I got one of the first year TSL's, I remember playing on a few later models and they did not sound quite the same as my early model.
I love my tsl100. I’ve always played in heavier bands the play with clean parts and Distorted parts, and this amp has a killer distortion tone with a tube screamer and Gorgeous clean sound. I will always love an amp with the capability to make beautiful cleans and disgusting dirty tones
Great review mate!. How do you think she'll hold up in the lower register for a 7 or 8?. I saw a review of the 2000 DSL with low tuned 7's, one wasn't boosted and I was impressed. I know what Marshalls are known for, but if she can handle those lower tunings, I'd go down this road.
Thank you for the review! Now it sounds much closer to the one I have at home. I also have the JCN800 2205. And for some reasom it much more exciting to play the 2205...
@@jeffreymorreale7223 That seems to make more sense. There was a 100 watt tsl online for 580 yesterday, and it was gone in a few hours. Glad your are enjoying yours. I just ordered one, and am excited. Hopefully we both avoid the notorious bias drift I've heard about!
Tried a TSL combo amp years ago in a music store, sounded great. I was flabbergasted, pure Marshall rawness with extra beef thanks to the deep switch engaged. In this video though, it sounded thin and brittle. Too bad, great amp, great player but eq settings could have been much better. My 2 cents.
The nail on the head! Anytime I use my TSL those "deep" switches are always on. I've been using the TSL since 1998. Before that I used 2 JCM 800's (2203 and 2204). I bought another TSL cause it's not a reliable amp but I love the sound. I prefer it over the JVM (which I also have). That is a tin sounding amp...Thinking about selling that one
My current TSL100 rocks. Although I did have one previously that had the bias drift and it took out the tubes, main board, and the output transformer. But I liked the amp. Fast forward more than a decade and I wanted to get another one. This time, there is a ton of information out there on how to make these TSLs bullet proof. So I bought one for cheap and decided to put a little bit of money into it. I had a JCM800 2204 post 85 back in the day and I can get those tones out of this TSL easily. I pushed the front end of the 2204 with a TS9 and I push the front end of this with a TS9 or SD-1 depending on the tone I want. If you can , get a model year 2005 or up and they come with the latest "Issue 20" main board. Early amps had incorrect resistor types and values in them. Anything below an "Issue 5" board was suspect. My amp came with an Issue 7 board and it had all of the correct resistor types and values but it was still susceptible to the bias drift problem. That is easily corrected with a Dr. Tube bias board modification. Since I got the amp cheap, I did the Dr. Tube bias board mod (if you are handy, it is pretty straight forward). The bias board mod was cheaper than getting an Issue 20 main board. Then I put a Classic Tone output transformer and replaced the R31 resistor with a Classic Tone choke. JJ ECC803s gold pins in all 4 sockets and 4 JJ EL32II tubes in the output biased at 85mv. Basically, it is setup like it should have been in the first place. Marshall was cutting corners with ho hum transformers and the grand lack of a choke. This amp has some serious balls now! Not a bit of flub or mud anywhere. I have it driving a 1960A with T1221 1973 greenbacks and it is oh so sweet! I do use a reactive attenuator instead of the VPR switch to tame the beast. It also keeps me from exceeding the 100w capacity of the greenbacks. The amp really comes alive at about the #4 position on the volume knob. Without an attenuator, we are already talking ear bleed SPLs. It is not a bedroom volume amplifier without an attenuator, even if you use the VPR switch. The VPR switch does takes some tone away but you can compensate on the EQ for it if you just have to. Add a QUALITY reactive attenuator and yes, it can do bedroom volumes and still sound good! I don't gig anymore, so this amp is ONLY used at home for my own enjoyment. I wouldn't have it if it sounded like crap at what I consider "studio" volume levels. I can turn it down to bedroom volume levels and still get good tones from it. But you gotta have the attenuator! I believe the differences in the main board components between when the amp was first released until say the Issue 5 main board and up is what is responsible for the inconsistent reviews of this amp, tone/sound wise. I have played on some of the earlier ones and they sounded flat and just didn't have any punch even if you pushed the front end. But if you get a fixer-upper and do your research, you can have one awesome amp. I was looking for another JCM800 2204 when I got this TSL. Let's just say I'm no longer looking for the 2004. The TSL is far more versatile. And a crap load cheaper than the JCM800 too! Oh, BTW, the early JCM2000 DSL100s suffered the same component and bias drift problem as the TSL100s and TSL122s. Do your research on what ever used amp you are contemplating.
The JCM 2000 DSL series introduced in 1997 were Marshall's answer to the Mesa Dual Rectifier (original 2 channel), however, Marshall rushed these to market without doing the proper R&D on them, and these early amps had problems, notably sub-standard PC boards for the motherboard, which caused them to be conductive, causing all kinds of issues, like blowing mains fuses, runaway bias, etc. Steve Grinrod the main designer of the DSL/TSL series had told his superiors at Marshall that he wanted more time to work out any bugs in the design of these amps- which is standard Research and Development protocol... however Marshall wanted these amps out the door ASAP. Steve Grinrod designed the 2203 and 2204 two-input Master Volume series amps in 1976 for those who aren't aware. The DSL/TSL series are in my humble opinion, some of the most inconsistent Marshall's on the market, I've heard some that sound killer (like my 1998 JCM 2000 DSL 100)... but I've heard some that sound like absolute dogshit, and I think the newer DSL 100's made in China are junk IMO. If you have one of these older amps, I would definitely swap out the motherboard for a newer one, even if the amp isn't giving you problems now, the motherboard WILL become conductive at some point. Best Regards.
@Metal Slayer I'm talking about the made in China/Vietnam or whatever DSL 100, not the British version... and I stand by my observation... if you're saying they sound like a JCM 800... then you must be comparing them to the crappy sounding post-1985 JCM's. Those new DSL 100's are flubby and fizzy, with no definition or clarity, primarily because they use Chinese made output transformers (the biggest factor in the tone of a tube amp) and not the British made Dagnall transformers the English version of the JCM 2000 DSL 100 uses. If you think the new ones sound good, then great, more power to you, but, to my ears, that have scrutinized Marshall's for close to 40 years... they sound like shit. Best Regards.
congratulations!!! I own this amp and i totally love it !!! Somehow YOU manged to puit a lespaul in front of it and get the worst ever tone i ve heard !!!
Good review! I had mine modified. It has a choke and some things are done to get rid of some of the high annoying frequency's it sometimes has. Also the tone knobs work much better now. At the beginning, when I just bought it, I didn't liked it at all and I was thinking of selling it. But after a while I started to understand the amp. It is an incredible versatile amp, with great sounds. Especially when you use a tubescreamer with it. You can also use the gain knob on the clean channel to get a really cool old-school sound. One of my favorite amps!
@Tim Vesper Yes exactly! I tried it with a TS 808, Maxon OD, a MXR EQ, a vintage EH big muff and much more. With the scooped mids it sounds really brutal. I have a 4x12 straight cabinet with 4 matched Greenbacks from '71. Sounds amazing!
@Tim Vesper sounds good. I am very curious about the results. Maybe I am gonna upload a demo about mine one day. The cabinet is an original Marshall 1960b. From 1992 made in the UK. I swapped the G12T-75's for the Greenbacks.
@Tim Vesper unfortunately I never played creambacks. And I also like V30's, but only for a modern metal sound. Good combination with a 5150 for example. I recorded my guitar once in a studio with that combination. Really brutal, but to modern for my taste. Are the 30W Greenbacks in the Marshall 1960 BX basket wave cabinets? If that is the case, I did play my TSL thrue it. It was really good. Very nice low end, but not annoying if you know what I mean :)
@Tim Vesper Yes, the Friedman 4x12 has Greenbacks and V30's. I'll bet it sounds really great. And it looks nice too. Yes, I had some components upgraded. But to be honest I have no idea which ones. It was done by an amp technician from the Netherlands. We took a Marshall TSL/DSL mod schedule from some website like 9 years ago. If I remember correctly FJA mods. And I guess the guy knew what he was doing. He installed the choke, replaced some resistors, did something with the bias and put EL 34 tubes in it. I can not really tell you exactly what he replaced. I know more about playing than electronics. I also saw the voodoo mod that I really liked. What mod did you do to your amp?
