DSL Bias Drift Years

TX6Strings

TX6Strings

Well-known member
The title says it all. I’m looking at picking up a JCM2000 DSL and have read about the bias drift problem in earlier year production but am wondering if there are specific years I should avoid? It’s a’98 and the guy says it was looked at by a known competent tech and the bias didn’t drift. Any help would be appreciated.
 
TX6Strings said:
The title says it all. I’m looking at picking up a JCM2000 DSL and have read about the bias drift problem in earlier year production but am wondering if there are specific years I should avoid? It’s a’98 and the guy says it was looked at by a known competent tech and the bias didn’t drift. Any help would be appreciated.
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I'm not sure obviously what you are paying .... but GC has these all day long fairly cheap in the used section ...

I would look to see if they have one close to the price you're paying for that one ... or cheaper ....

then you have 45 days .... to check and monitor the bias yourself ... or have someone else ... it's very simple to do on a DSL ...

worse case scenerio .... you're out 36 dollars for shipping when you bring it back . A much more wallet friendly gamble IMO ...
 
This ^^
You can check bias on the pins in the chassis and see for yourself if its drifting with a simple multimeter. I know they were supposed to have fixed that past a certain point, but Ive seen stuff on the web with the later versions that would contradict that. I have no idea if its true or not
 
I have a '98 that didn't start to drift until 2015. You really need to turn it on for 20 min and let it sit with the stand by off. Measure the bias then play for 20-30 min and measure again. If one side is way out then you have the bias drift. New board replacement does solve the issue at $225. Mine was down for 5 years before I took action. I wasn't happy but not willing to let it go. I did put it up for sale a few times but no one would touch it even priced right. What I can confirm is those older DSL's will sound much more like 800's than any of the newer models. Use Tungsgram tubes in these for the win.
 
I remember researching this extensively years ago. I had two DSL’s a long time ago that both had bias drift issues.

From what I recall, up until some point in 2004 they still had the older boards that become conductive. So anything 2005 and later should be a safe bet.
 
I appreciate the feedback guys. I guess I’m going to hold off on this DSL and as I’ve seen the way some used gear comes into GC, the way it’s treated in their possession and the way they pack and ship I’ll look at other options
 
TX6Strings said:
I appreciate the feedback guys. I guess I’m going to hold off on this DSL and as I’ve seen the way some used gear comes into GC, the way it’s treated in their possession and the way they pack and ship I’ll look at other options
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I am not a GC defender but the one good thing is their return options (if you live near a GC)
 
japetus said:
I am not a GC defender but the one good thing is their return options (if you live near a GC)
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I do literally have one 5 minutes up the road from me ..... it's a total no brainer for me when I buy used ....

I've probably bought and tried at least 20 different heads in the last 5 years ... and probably 3 or 4 of them were packed like shit ..... the rest were packed perfectly .... I still have 4 of those heads out of the 20 ...

I suppose it's a gamble .... but I look at it as it's 36 bucks to rent the amp for 45 days .... with the option to buy ..... if you can't figure out that it's shit or quality in that time ..... I can't help you
 
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