Marshall JCM 2000 TSL Love?

[MetalThrasher]

I know that there's a lot of hate out there for the TSL's but I just starting playing my TSL 122 combo a few days ago and it rocks! The lead channel isn't that great but damn, I forgot how good the crunch channel sounds boosted with a TS!

 

[ghosty999]

I had the JCM2000 TSL100 for a short time, first the reverb tank in it failed after a week of ownership, got it sorted on warranty. It sounded so fizzy and lifeless, no warmth or squelchy picking sounds. Called up my friend who uses them at his budget rehearsal studio and his exact words: "nah man that's just what they sound like" hahaha

 

[Sir Crunch A Lot]

These guys seem to do pretty good with them.

 

[Chester Nimitz]

Tommy Shaw uses VooDoo modded TSL's.

They're good amps but older pre 2005 models are prone to switching & the dreaded JCM-2000 bias drift issues.

Same for pre 2005 DSL's.

 

[dfrattaroli]

I love my JCM2000 DSL. Sure the amp comes with all kinds of history regarding the bias drift on some of the early ones, but after fixing/modding mine, it sounds great. Tons of pros gig with them so I guess they can't be all that bad.

 

[Chester Nimitz]

DSL's are the Industry Standard and amazing amps. Mine has so much gain i get modded tones on LEAD1 with the gain on "4" with a light boost.

 

[acidvoodoo]

My first tube amp was a TSL60 years ago, I tried everything to like it but I just couldn't get a sound I was happy with out of it. Basically wrote off the TSL series until I played a Voodoo modded TSL100, completely different amp I couldn't believe it, I ended up buying it on the spot.

 

[nigelpkay]

TSLs are very different than the DSL, it's like the DSL's retarded cousin

Just too much fizzy pre-amp gain on the lead channel, and in general plagued with a lot of technical issues. Having said that, it's a Marshall and doesn't stray far from the tone tree.

I have a DSL 50 watter and I love it.

 

[bish0p34]

I had a TSL for a very short time about ten years ago. After playing a friend's DSL, I couldn't wait to try this.

Nah. The DSL was far better sounding. The TSL lasted maybe a month or two at most. I was gigging 2-3 times a week with it, so I gave it plenty of real chances.

 

[peterc52]

No love for the TSL here

 

[SpiderWars]

I had a TSL and never cared for the tone. Fizzy with cardboard bottom. Mine had the footswitch issues (easily fixed by resoldering the footswitch jack in the amp) but no bias drift. A friend has a DSL and it sounds really good, especially right before it shuts down from bias drift.

 

[dfrattaroli]

TSLs are very different than the DSL, it's like the DSL's retarded cousin

I literally laughed out loud.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

I couldnt afford a Dual Rec at the time. Guitar wirld had an ad for the DSL2000 and called it marshalls answer to the dual rec craze.

I went to a local dealer and ordered one three months before they landed here. I was 16-17. I had number 49 lmao.

Loved it played it for a few years until I went rackmount. Wish i neber sold it to GC for $600. Wouldnt want a new one made in nam, id look for the old ones. Mine was built in england.

 

[sixstringking713]

TSL100 was my first marshall tube amp.

I thought it sounded "decent" when pushed volume wise and with new tubes. I think tung sol 12ax7 woke up the amp w/ svetlana el34's.

I gigged with that amp for YEARS without any issue. It was a really solidly reliable amp and served it's purpose until I bought a better amp.

I sold the amp after I bought my splawn QR

 

[acidvoodoo]

Stock amp may suffer from some fizz, but not after a Voodoo mod

 

[Little B]

Whats the versatility like compared to the dsl?...worth the 3rd ch or not?..any experiences?

 

[zuel69]

Had the opposite experience, bought a new one back around 2000 and had nothing but issues...never forgot what it's like playing an amp that starts switching channels on it's own in front of a crowd. If it wasn't one thing it was another...cheap, cheap pcb and no reinforcement inside the amp where it needed it the most.

TSL100 was my first marshall tube amp.

I thought it sounded "decent" when pushed volume wise and with new tubes. I think tung sol 12ax7 woke up the amp w/ svetlana el34's.

I gigged with that amp for YEARS without any issue. It was a really solidly reliable amp and served it's purpose until I bought a better amp.

I sold the amp after I bought my splawn QR

 

[cecilbag]

I got a combo from a local music store where I bought tons of gear. They sold me the combo as a speaker cab because it had been serviced under warranty enough times that Marshall refused to work on it anymore. $150 out the door and I took the speakers out and still have them in one of my 1936 cabs. Heritage and a v30. Not sure if they were stock but the rest of the amp is in my closet with my old peavey combos I started on. It works but I just don't care for the tone. If you have to choose, always take the dsl over a tsl.

 

[thiswaythatway]

I had the JCM2000 TSL100 for a short time, first the reverb tank in it failed after a week of ownership, got it sorted on warranty. It sounded so fizzy and lifeless, no warmth or squelchy picking sounds. Called up my friend who uses them at his budget rehearsal studio and his exact words: "nah man that's just what they sound like" hahaha

I was in a band with a guy who had a TSL combo. It was a huge piece of crap because after failing time after time at shows he started borrowing stuff from me. Just on reliability alone it was a dog, I won't even get into how bad it sounded. I think the head version would sound better than the combo. I always liked the DSL better though.

 

[sixstringking713]

Had the opposite experience, bought a new one back around 2000 and had nothing but issues...never forgot what it's like playing an amp that starts switching channels on it's own in front of a crowd. If it wasn't one thing it was another...cheap, cheap pcb and no reinforcement inside the amp where it needed it the most.

TSL100 was my first marshall tube amp.

I thought it sounded "decent" when pushed volume wise and with new tubes. I think tung sol 12ax7 woke up the amp w/ svetlana el34's.

I gigged with that amp for YEARS without any issue. It was a really solidly reliable amp and served it's purpose until I bought a better amp.

I sold the amp after I bought my splawn QR

mine was from the later years... so i had no reliability issues.

My singer in my band at the time had a DSL50.. overall I preferred his amp over mine. DSL50 are good amps