@@Disabledguitarist1985 - just use the on/off switch I guess. It’s a killer little amp. I put a 12” Greenback in mine and use either the Killing Floor or Mesa Flux Drive to push the front end and get incredible tones and lots of double takes :) th-cam.com/video/iEcaCPH3FdU/w-d-xo.html
I'm always surprised to hear people say that "it's definitely not a gigging amp" w/ something like this. Why not? Sure.. it's only 5 Watts but in my several decades of gigging, I ALWAYS stick a mic in front of the amp and send through the PA. If the sound is right.. why is it not a good gigging amp? Turn your amp up.. and anything else you need, turn it up in the PA. Great review by the way.
Well ya Dudely - if a PA is available you can gig right out of Line6 floor pod. When people say “it’s not a gigging amp” they mean to say “AS A STAND ALONE AMP you won’t be heard over a drummer, bassist, etc” And I’ll agree with you mic the acoustic, mic the little amp, even mic the big amp and then let the sound guy handle everything else. I’ve got a DSL40CR due this week, but may end up reverting to this little gem because in this case “the sound is definitely right”! Awesome little amp :) Cheers
Nowadays most gigs have PA. So my question is, if you already have a PA, would you still need a Dsl 20, or Dsl 5 can do the job decently? Nice playing by the way.
I will retract my last statement. It's not a gigging amp. :) I took mine out this weekend because it was such a small place. What I learned is that the amp sounds very harsh when the volume hits 2 o'clock or above. It sounds awesome at low levels, but even with a mic, I couldn't get enough juice without cranking it up and it just does not sound good that way. Go for the 20.
@@dudleydooright Hey Dudley. Hope you see this.. I would like to followup on this thread between you and OGJ. I too am looking for a small gigging amp. It's just me and Beat BUddy doing small bars/Restaurants. THE DSL20CR would be the right size, but everyone seems not to like it as well as the DSL40CR (which weighs toooo much) and the DSL5CR, which you say won't mic well with your PA. Can you elaborate on why it didn't do well mic'd? THanks
I finally had a chance to try the DSL1C. I liked the tone and was quite surprise. It's so tiny and it sounded good at bedroom level. But too bad, I couldn't A/B it with the 5W combo.
I’ve been a blues jr guy for over 20 years.. got this amp yeasterday and man i gotta say.. i only have a strat with texas specials and this amp wow i dont even need a drive pedal to get a delisious growl ! Love it, still trying to find a sweeter spot on my cleans but man over all the bass is so amazing compared to a blues jr.. also the sound .. i feel is just in here! Not covered with a blanket box like on the blues jr!
YES! Super nice little amp. I crammed a 12” Greenback in mine just to push more air. Fool around with an ‘always on clean boost’ for your cleans, maybe you’ll find something. Thanks for coming by!
@@oldguyjammin9732 I just got a pair of 12AY7s and it did lower my gain i lived them.. i didn’t do any bias becaus im frankly not qualified, now that i played them.. im gonna try the ones with 70 gain stage, ECC81s.
@@peterdaze1 - awesome that you’re getting into this a bit :) way to go! I find going down a gain stage or two makes a really nice difference in most my amps. Start thinking of tube storage, cause after a while (and some birthdays) you’re likely to have a nice collection, lol. The Fender GT (groove tubes) are pricier than more common tubes but have a distinct crunch tone that is sometimes perfect.
@@oldguyjammin9732 you are so right.. i just ordered a pair of ECC81s, one question.. do i have to bias with all this tube changes, or since they are all 12A, i can just swap them?
I had a chance to demo one of these today and something just seemed off. Maybe it was because it was a used one, but it sounded muddy to me, like it was underwater. Maybe it was crappy playing or not knowing how to use the amp really, I’m a noob, just didn’t sound the same irl as it seems to on TH-cam reviews.
davidletterboyz imo the 5CR with the 10” 10/30 sounds absolutely great “as is” one of those rare moments where I haven’t wanted to change something like an obvious tube swap or a spiky speaker. The 20CR sounds great when over half volume but would benefit from replacing the 12” 70/80 with a Greenback or Vintage 30. I know cause I plugged it into a Greenback and it sounded pretty darn good. The only other drawback is the goofy effects loop - because of the way its been wired up the volume of your looping phrase OR level of delay or whatever, will change when switching channels. Hopefully Marshall fixes this by Xmas :) The 5CR’s effects loop works properly, that is to say, like any other effects loop I’ve played with.
@@oldguyjammin9732 I know it's a 1 year old post, but just wanted to chime in to say that the 70-80 is completely unsuitable for dsl amps..I bought a bundle dsl1hr with the matching marshall cab with a 70-80 in it, it did not sound great to say the least..I blamed the head and sold it, then borrowed a dsl20hr off a friend and it sounded well good through an HB cab with 1x12 v30..then I tried the head through my cab with the 70-80..completely and utterly unmatchable marriage of the two..
Another great review video, unbiased and truthfully to the point, thanks. Maybe you can help me, and others, with your opinion on small amps ? First of all there are loads of guitar models out there with a great range of tonality at reasonable orice points imo. BUT imo not many amps that " sound lush iut of the box" a great comment. I play at home 95% of the time, 5% I jam with a drummer in a small hall. I have a Blackstar HT5R which can do both. But ,,,I have always found it difficult to dial in a good clean tone that doesn't sound clinical and thin. I believe the circuitry and bright speaker are the issue. Anyway to the point. Can you recommend a smallish valve amp 5 to 15 watts that can fit my needs, and maybe others? I know you like the DSL5CR what is your view on the Laney Lionheart 5 is it "lush" ? I just want to plug in and play, maybe with a pedal, comoressor or a boost if really necesary. I agree the DSL5CR is too light to jam, but maybe great for home. Many thanks, Tom. England UK
Tom Bain - my first thought was the Monoprice StageRight. It’s now being sold by HarleyB and Artist under their own brand names. Real spring reverb, fx loop, 12” Celestion, volume and master, speaker out, etc. www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_tube15_celestion.htm?sid=8eb7c401e211eaae52cd006c5c967247
ordered me one yesterday. In the main thing for home, but I hope also for small gigs, where my JVM 205 is too big and my MG 15 to bad for . I can remember last session they gave me a horrorable little 10W Transistor Amp .. first it was ok over PA and my Pedaleffects, but later my settings didn t fit to the Musik and I tried it with that pure sound of the bad amp over Mic + PA ... uuuh ;((.
At first I just notched out the bottom panel of the cabinet and it fit fine, but then ocd will bother you until you actually cur the front hole the right size for the 12” speaker
It’s really pretty easy, just carefully remove the amp from the cabinet, I think 4 screws on top and a strap on the power cable. Take the half cover off the back and you will have plenty of room. Then you can remove the speaker and the front panel, you will see all the screws. If your going to cut the hole for the speaker to the proper size you will have to remove half of the cloth screen and reattach it. If you wanna play around first, there’s enough room to mount it slightly off center without cutting the hole bigger and you can get some nice tones too. Just don’t touch anything inside the amp or damage any tubes when your removing or replacing the amp. I put a 25 watt greenback in it and it’s exactly what I want.
How do you think this little dude would do in an apartment? It's really well insulated, I never hear a thing from neighbors/outside since I've lived here. I tried the 20cr a few months back but even on low power mode it was way too loud, or just sounded horrendous once I found a level that would work. I'm sure pedals would need to be used for any dirt and that's fine. Thanks! Great review.
George Hale , guess you answered your own question then :) the little dude is really nice. It's just an opinion of course but I believe you'll absolutely love it. A pedal or two never hurts but you shouldn't need many, maybe an overdrive and delay. A looper, like a Ditto, and a delay would keep me in noodle heaven for hours.
I was tempted to upgrade the speaker and throw in a G10 Greenback but then saw this review and held off. Thanks! I’m still not clear on if putting in that speaker would have reduced the volume of what’s in there, but either way, if it’s not broke........
@@Mmike3680 - I wouldn't touch it, but of course you're free to do whatever :) it's fun to tinker sometimes. I don't think I've ever played an amp that so immediately satisfied.
There is one other thing I’d like to ask you since you reviewed the 40CR and bought one as well (I know to avoid the 20). I only play for fun in my basement at night when the family is asleep and on weekends. The size of the 5CR is nice and portable and the size of the 40 is a little bigger than I’d like. That said, if I only have one amp for a long time should it be the 40CR or 5CR that I have now? Right now I pretty much play vial pedals into the clean and sometimes dirty channel to play classic metal and modern country. The idea of 4 channels on the 40 is kind of appealing to try. Having something beyond a deep switch is interesting as well. The negative is that I’d probably never use 38 if the 40 watts......even if I can open it up a little when the family isn’t around. A lot of people seem to buy that amp and it gets amazing reviews. I’m just asking because I can get a great deal on a few month old 40 cr ($500 or a tad below) or a new one for about $625 with the warranty. I’m sure my wife would prefer the 5 watt as it can be tucked away easier (either may never leave my basement) but...... Any thoughts on whether it is crazy or not to move to the 40 when I’ll largely be a low volume player, playing solo just for fun? Or is it a waste of money? I’m not unhappy with the 5 watt at all. It’s a killer little amp. It just seems like an interesting opportunity to get more at good prices for something that I may or may not appreciate more down the road. Thanks! Mike
Seeing the background in your clips it looks like a music store. So a strange question, have you ever played through a peavey vk212? If so what were your impressions? I'm an old guy has well that likes to crank the stereo and play alo number with ZZ, poison, bto, Def lepard etc. What would you recommend? All the dsl are priced close together so it seems the 40 is best price for quality. Confused as hell
pat swayze - I have NOT played any of the Valveking combos, but did play through a ValveKing head and thought it kind of missed the mark, being voiced for neither good blues or good tight hard rock. It was half-assed for either but not real good at either, know what I mean? The Peavey Classic 30 though is real nice and it comes in a 30 watt combo or 20 watt head I believe. I remember liking it quite a bit for clean, blues or classic rock but my tendencies lean towards a bit heavier, tighter, lower tuned rock.
pat swayze - price-wise the VK combo seems like a good deal, I see them coming up for between $200 and $300 used which is nice. Tone is sooo subjective, one guy’s “it sucks!” Is another guy’s “it’s awesome!” Lol. If you like it, it’s great!
I left you a message on your DSL20CR page, and found this one. To sum it up, I would like this Marshall but with a bit more power for small gigging. The 20CR would have been the perfect amp, but Your review shot that down.. Any other Marshall recommendations... ? thanks
I responded to your other email. The 5CR with a clean boost or the 40CR is what I'd recommend. That or a Marshall prior to the DSL40C - something used. The prior DSL series was pretty harsh sounding.
R Spurgeon - getting back to you again regarding other amp options.The new Blackstar HT20 is worth checking out :) Attenuates to 2W... cranks up to 20W and sounds great.
Hi, I am interested in this amp and Origin 20c (that's the amount of money I have basically)... First off, what do you think - would dls 5cr sound good on red channel (gain set low for mild crunch) and then boosting it in the front end with a tubescreamer (for more sustain, not dirt)? I also considered origin 20c but I don't think it would cut it for me, even with the boost, the volume cranked on the low mode... it sounds like it produces almost no crunch (at least it would for me since I have single coils)
Srdjan Teofilovic - I think I did a vid of the 5CR vs Blackstar HT5 and imo the CR kicked butt! Takes pedals really well and chimey cleans on the green side. Of course I can’t say you’re guaranteed to get the tone you’re looking for but you might even put a Soul Food in front the clean channel and switch over to the red for leads, just leave the Soul Food on all the time. That might yield a better “crunch” I’m not sure I’d say Marshalls are the best at what I consider a nice crunch tone. It’s so subjective. Personally I think the Egnaters and Monoprice Stage Right have some of the best crunch tones out there. Good luck \m/
ron Hoffman - I have demoed one but for a different reason. I found the tones to be nice but the fx loop was goofy so it wouldn’t work for me. Marshall does have a tone that leans toward “fizzy” but having said that, it’s really important to keep the master volumes above 2:00 below that and the “fizz” gets more pronounced. I remember liking the tones I got from the DSL20 head... I’d stay away from the combo unless you can pop for an upgraded speaker. While the little 10” 70/80 works perfectly in the DSL5, the 12” version in the DSL20 is thin. Not sure what style of music you play or what percent of it is clean versus dirty but I’ve really been enjoying my Orange Brent Hinds lately. Amazing crunch without the fizz... good luck sir!
Oldguyjammin thank you sir. More clean these days but still some dirty like say Gary Moore thin Lizzy and some dirty slide a bit of classic rock stuff. Have not found the right amp yet
ron Hoffman - it’s awfully tough it seems to find that “tone” but the journey is sure fun. Give Orange a try if you can or perhaps a Peavey Classic 30.
@@oldguyjammin9732 ok i have been giving orange a try and i believe they have a good clean and dirty channel and i am getting one . Thank You !!! a down to earth good guy on you tube
I just got the dsl5cr and it makes a crackling noice when im on the ultra gain channel. It gets louder if i crank up the gain. Are the tubes broken or something?
Preston Garvey - the ol’ popcorn sound is more than likely one of your preamp tubes. You can do a couple of things, lightly tap the top of each one with a pencil to determine if it’s gone “microphonic” and replace it, or call the seller and tell them you suspect a bad tube - they should be happy to send you another. I suppose another thing you could do is buy two new JJ tubes and put them in. A microphonic tube produces a very noticeable “tink” like a bb landing in the bottom of coke bottle.
Juan Carlos Garcia Zambrano the loop on this combo works great, just like it should. A Marshall rep thought that the DSL 20hr was faulty and in need of a software update... Wrap your head around that one!?!?
Oldguyjammin yeah! Got in the way a mt15 but I was in need of a second one so I was looking into that one (but I was put off a bit by your vid cause I’m interested in using a looper) or a Randal rd20 that I’ve heard is also an amazing amp for the price? Have you tried one yet?
Juan Carlos Garcia Zambrano have tried the Randall but know they've been around forever and make some really aggressive heads. I'll check the little dude out! Sorry the vid out you off but didn't want someone who wanted to use a looper finding out the problem 'the hard way'. I'm gonna check out the CR20 and if I have no problems may pull the other video.
Juan Carlos Garcia Zambrano so I checked out a 20cr demo from Sweetwater and guess what? The loop doesn't work properly on it either so I'm having them check out a few more units right there in the store. The 20cr will also take some work to sound really good, the speaker is harsh, etc. but when plugged into my 2x12 greenback cab and turned up its pretty legit... Combo or Head? Hmm... Hate decisions like this.
Oldguyjammin hahahaha I say that for the back’s sake I always go for the heads. That’s a boomer cause I really wanted to go for a Marshall, but instead I found a Randall for a good price.. so I pulled the trigger, waiting for it though
David Merlin - hmm, almost apples to oranges. They are both awesome. The DSL5 is much quieter but really lush with a beautiful Marshall drive channel that when juiced with a pedal absolutely sings and the cleans are excellent; glassy, shimmery and very suited for strat and tele single coils. The Stage Right is much louder, not quite as lush but takes pedals just as well and can rock the house when the gain is turned up. Both have an excellent effects loop and decent reverb. The Stage Right also has only ONE channel so that may be a consideration, not sure and the cleans are great but more Fender-isc than the Marshall for sure. Oh, and the Stage Right is half the price of the DSL5. Hope that helps, volume strikes me as the biggy, if you want to rock loud you may be disappointed with the DSL. If you have anymore specific questions feel free to ask \m/
@@oldguyjammin9732 Thanks for the info! I just ordered this 5 watt Marshall. Sweet Water just sold me their demo model at a great deal. Their stock was sold out. He said they were super popular. I ordered a new JHS Series 3 delay with it. I’m mainly wanting it for recording and playing around the house. If I did play live, I would mic it. I would imagine it sounds great cranked up. Do you really need an overdrive pedal with it? Or just if you just used overdrive in clean channel? I do love quiet amps with low hiss. I had one of the first 5150 combos back in 1995 and that thing was way too loud and way too much noise and hiss and I hate using a noise gate.
@@davidmerlin3344 - Congratulations David! I got another one two to have under my desk at work :) I’ve got a mini pedal board with three mini pedals on it - delay and ditto in the loop, and NUX horseman as my overdrive. Of course you don’t NEED an overdrive pedal but it adds options. I use the OD with the clean and to boost a nice searing lead tone on the dirty side. Interestingly enough, this amp sounded more ‘fizzy’ than the first one I tried...? I put some lower gain Groove Tubes (12ay7) which helped A LOT. Now I run the dirty side master on full (1 Watt mode) and then bring up the gain to suit. Sounds really, really good. I’m very happy with it. Selling off some speakers and my Stageright combo to pay for it. The box will also take a 12” speaker with just a little ‘carving’. I’ve also heard that the Ragin Cajun 10” speaker does wonders over the stock 10/30... it’s that ol’ familiar rabbit hole but I’m not sure how much more I’ll do cause it sounds great as is. Take care - stay tuned
Mr. Swayze - I ended up keeping the DSL40CR. It sounds best above 90 dB, not real good down low, but still pleasant enough to enjoy.... but when cranked!!! :)
I think they’re doing pretty good still. It’s a tough market for sure and companies are having to think about ‘features’ like having everything under the sun on the back panel (which means a LOT of integrated circuitry) or simple, dependable ‘tone’ like Orange :) And so many competitors!?!? How’d you like to try and enter the guitar market right now?? Sheesh, seems like every seek another maker is offering up the goods :) good for us buyers, yes? Happy New Year!!
![🔴 ฟุตบอลแชมป์กีฬา 7HD แชมเปียน คัพ 2024 [รอบรองชนะเลิศ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zPm8ClLVhoE/mqdefault.jpg)
Came for the amp review . Stayed for the great playing.
Much appreciated \m/
@@oldguyjammin9732 how do you properly turn this tube amp on and off since there is no standby switch ?
@@Disabledguitarist1985 - just use the on/off switch I guess. It’s a killer little amp. I put a 12” Greenback in mine and use either the Killing Floor or Mesa Flux Drive to push the front end and get incredible tones and lots of double takes :) th-cam.com/video/iEcaCPH3FdU/w-d-xo.html
@@oldguyjammin9732 Thankyou dude 😎 I gotta sell some stuff and I will prob buy a 5.
I'm always surprised to hear people say that "it's definitely not a gigging amp" w/ something like this. Why not? Sure.. it's only 5 Watts but in my several decades of gigging, I ALWAYS stick a mic in front of the amp and send through the PA. If the sound is right.. why is it not a good gigging amp? Turn your amp up.. and anything else you need, turn it up in the PA.
Great review by the way.
Well ya Dudely - if a PA is available you can gig right out of Line6 floor pod. When people say “it’s not a gigging amp” they mean to say “AS A STAND ALONE AMP you won’t be heard over a drummer, bassist, etc” And I’ll agree with you mic the acoustic, mic the little amp, even mic the big amp and then let the sound guy handle everything else. I’ve got a DSL40CR due this week, but may end up reverting to this little gem because in this case “the sound is definitely right”! Awesome little amp :) Cheers
Nowadays most gigs have PA. So my question is, if you already have a PA, would you still need a Dsl 20, or Dsl 5 can do the job decently? Nice playing by the way.
I will retract my last statement. It's not a gigging amp. :) I took mine out this weekend because it was such a small place. What I learned is that the amp sounds very harsh when the volume hits 2 o'clock or above. It sounds awesome at low levels, but even with a mic, I couldn't get enough juice without cranking it up and it just does not sound good that way. Go for the 20.
Thank you very much for your insight.
@@dudleydooright Hey Dudley. Hope you see this.. I would like to followup on this thread between you and OGJ. I too am looking for a small gigging amp. It's just me and Beat BUddy doing small bars/Restaurants. THE DSL20CR would be the right size, but everyone seems not to like it as well as the DSL40CR (which weighs toooo much) and the DSL5CR, which you say won't mic well with your PA. Can you elaborate on why it didn't do well mic'd? THanks
I finally had a chance to try the DSL1C. I liked the tone and was quite surprise. It's so tiny and it sounded good at bedroom level. But too bad, I couldn't A/B it with the 5W combo.
I’ve been a blues jr guy for over 20 years.. got this amp yeasterday and man i gotta say.. i only have a strat with texas specials and this amp wow i dont even need a drive pedal to get a delisious growl ! Love it, still trying to find a sweeter spot on my cleans but man over all the bass is so amazing compared to a blues jr.. also the sound .. i feel is just in here! Not covered with a blanket box like on the blues jr!
YES! Super nice little amp. I crammed a 12” Greenback in mine just to push more air. Fool around with an ‘always on clean boost’ for your cleans, maybe you’ll find something. Thanks for coming by!
@@oldguyjammin9732 I just got a pair of 12AY7s and it did lower my gain i lived them.. i didn’t do any bias becaus im frankly not qualified, now that i played them.. im gonna try the ones with 70 gain stage, ECC81s.
@@peterdaze1 - awesome that you’re getting into this a bit :) way to go! I find going down a gain stage or two makes a really nice difference in most my amps. Start thinking of tube storage, cause after a while (and some birthdays) you’re likely to have a nice collection, lol. The Fender GT (groove tubes) are pricier than more common tubes but have a distinct crunch tone that is sometimes perfect.
@@oldguyjammin9732 you are so right.. i just ordered a pair of ECC81s, one question.. do i have to bias with all this tube changes, or since they are all 12A, i can just swap them?
hey man i also have a strat w texas specials, is this is amp good for blues style music like srv hendrix? and do the tubes breakup sound good?
I had a chance to demo one of these today and something just seemed off. Maybe it was because it was a used one, but it sounded muddy to me, like it was underwater. Maybe it was crappy playing or not knowing how to use the amp really, I’m a noob, just didn’t sound the same irl as it seems to on TH-cam reviews.
Great sound! Great review!
What's up everyone, just a heads up that the 20cr is NOT "out of the box lush" like the 5cr. For one, the 70/80 speaker will have to go... Stay tuned
Oldguyjammin You mean the 10" ten-30 is better than the 12" seventy - 80?
davidletterboyz imo the 5CR with the 10” 10/30 sounds absolutely great “as is” one of those rare moments where I haven’t wanted to change something like an obvious tube swap or a spiky speaker. The 20CR sounds great when over half volume but would benefit from replacing the 12” 70/80 with a Greenback or Vintage 30. I know cause I plugged it into a Greenback and it sounded pretty darn good. The only other drawback is the goofy effects loop - because of the way its been wired up the volume of your looping phrase OR level of delay or whatever, will change when switching channels. Hopefully Marshall fixes this by Xmas :) The 5CR’s effects loop works properly, that is to say, like any other effects loop I’ve played with.
@@oldguyjammin9732 I know it's a 1 year old post, but just wanted to chime in to say that the 70-80 is completely unsuitable for dsl amps..I bought a bundle dsl1hr with the matching marshall cab with a 70-80 in it, it did not sound great to say the least..I blamed the head and sold it, then borrowed a dsl20hr off a friend and it sounded well good through an HB cab with 1x12 v30..then I tried the head through my cab with the 70-80..completely and utterly unmatchable marriage of the two..
Sorry about the typos before. I " olay ! " a Tele and Strat if that helps. Cheers
Another great review video, unbiased and truthfully to the point, thanks. Maybe you can help me, and others, with your opinion on small amps ? First of all there are loads of guitar models out there with a great range of tonality at reasonable orice points imo. BUT imo not many amps that " sound lush iut of the box" a great comment. I play at home 95% of the time, 5% I jam with a drummer in a small hall. I have a Blackstar HT5R which can do both. But ,,,I have always found it difficult to dial in a good clean tone that doesn't sound clinical and thin. I believe the circuitry and bright speaker are the issue. Anyway to the point. Can you recommend a smallish valve amp 5 to 15 watts that can fit my needs, and maybe others? I know you like the DSL5CR what is your view on the Laney Lionheart 5 is it "lush" ? I just want to plug in and play, maybe with a pedal, comoressor or a boost if really necesary. I agree the DSL5CR is too light to jam, but maybe great for home. Many thanks, Tom. England UK
Tom Bain - my first thought was the Monoprice StageRight. It’s now being sold by HarleyB and Artist under their own brand names. Real spring reverb, fx loop, 12” Celestion, volume and master, speaker out, etc.
www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_tube15_celestion.htm?sid=8eb7c401e211eaae52cd006c5c967247
@@oldguyjammin9732 thanks very much for that advice. Will pursue the gear you recommended. Cheers
Can you add a EL34 tube into this 5CR to tighten it? My pickup is tight so maybe no need to mod this.
I would like to know the same!
Sounds nice enough to me...
Yes, Me too!
ordered me one yesterday. In the main thing for home, but I hope also for small gigs, where my JVM 205 is too big and my MG 15 to bad for . I can remember last session they gave me a horrorable little 10W Transistor Amp .. first it was ok over PA and my Pedaleffects, but later my settings didn t fit to the Musik and I tried it with that pure sound of the bad amp over Mic + PA ... uuuh ;((.
Yeah, i hope it's enough for you. Best small amp I've ever heard. I ended up with the big one :)
@@oldguyjammin9732 recived it today .. woow, so dynamic. Think I will love it.
Very nice little amp, I swapped out the 10" speaker for a 12" greenback.
Nice! It looked big enough. Did recut the hole or just screw that GB down?
At first I just notched out the bottom panel of the cabinet and it fit fine, but then ocd will bother you until you actually cur the front hole the right size for the 12” speaker
Lol, GOTCHYA!
PainterDan I was just thinking about doing this...lol. Did you need any mods other than hole cutting? How did it end up sounding?
It’s really pretty easy, just carefully remove the amp from the cabinet, I think 4 screws on top and a strap on the power cable. Take the half cover off the back and you will have plenty of room. Then you can remove the speaker and the front panel, you will see all the screws. If your going to cut the hole for the speaker to the proper size you will have to remove half of the cloth screen and reattach it. If you wanna play around first, there’s enough room to mount it slightly off center without cutting the hole bigger and you can get some nice tones too. Just don’t touch anything inside the amp or damage any tubes when your removing or replacing the amp.
I put a 25 watt greenback in it and it’s exactly what I want.
How do you think this little dude would do in an apartment? It's really well insulated, I never hear a thing from neighbors/outside since I've lived here. I tried the 20cr a few months back but even on low power mode it was way too loud, or just sounded horrendous once I found a level that would work. I'm sure pedals would need to be used for any dirt and that's fine. Thanks! Great review.
Should've waited until the very end before asking that lol. Thanks again!
George Hale , guess you answered your own question then :) the little dude is really nice. It's just an opinion of course but I believe you'll absolutely love it. A pedal or two never hurts but you shouldn't need many, maybe an overdrive and delay. A looper, like a Ditto, and a delay would keep me in noodle heaven for hours.
Oldguyjammin - are you finding that you mainly play this amp with the deep switch in or out? Very different sounds at lower levels like I play at
I find that it what I'm playing and the tones I'm looking for determine the position of that switch. For me it's not a "set it and forget it" deal.
I was tempted to upgrade the speaker and throw in a G10 Greenback but then saw this review and held off. Thanks! I’m still not clear on if putting in that speaker would have reduced the volume of what’s in there, but either way, if it’s not broke........
@@Mmike3680 - I wouldn't touch it, but of course you're free to do whatever :) it's fun to tinker sometimes. I don't think I've ever played an amp that so immediately satisfied.
Leaving it stock for sure! Thanks for the help. Love your insights!
There is one other thing I’d like to ask you since you reviewed the 40CR and bought one as well (I know to avoid the 20).
I only play for fun in my basement at night when the family is asleep and on weekends. The size of the 5CR is nice and portable and the size of the 40 is a little bigger than I’d like.
That said, if I only have one amp for a long time should it be the 40CR or 5CR that I have now? Right now I pretty much play vial pedals into the clean and sometimes dirty channel to play classic metal and modern country. The idea of 4 channels on the 40 is kind of appealing to try. Having something beyond a deep switch is interesting as well. The negative is that I’d probably never use 38 if the 40 watts......even if I can open it up a little when the family isn’t around. A lot of people seem to buy that amp and it gets amazing reviews.
I’m just asking because I can get a great deal on a few month old 40 cr ($500 or a tad below) or a new one for about $625 with the warranty. I’m sure my wife would prefer the 5 watt as it can be tucked away easier (either may never leave my basement) but......
Any thoughts on whether it is crazy or not to move to the 40 when I’ll largely be a low volume player, playing solo just for fun? Or is it a waste of money? I’m not unhappy with the 5 watt at all. It’s a killer little amp. It just seems like an interesting opportunity to get more at good prices for something that I may or may not appreciate more down the road.
Thanks!
Mike
Seeing the background in your clips it looks like a music store. So a strange question, have you ever played through a peavey vk212? If so what were your impressions? I'm an old guy has well that likes to crank the stereo and play alo number with ZZ, poison, bto, Def lepard etc. What would you recommend? All the dsl are priced close together so it seems the 40 is best price for quality. Confused as hell
pat swayze - I have NOT played any of the Valveking combos, but did play through a ValveKing head and thought it kind of missed the mark, being voiced for neither good blues or good tight hard rock. It was half-assed for either but not real good at either, know what I mean? The Peavey Classic 30 though is real nice and it comes in a 30 watt combo or 20 watt head I believe. I remember liking it quite a bit for clean, blues or classic rock but my tendencies lean towards a bit heavier, tighter, lower tuned rock.
pat swayze - price-wise the VK combo seems like a good deal, I see them coming up for between $200 and $300 used which is nice. Tone is sooo subjective, one guy’s “it sucks!” Is another guy’s “it’s awesome!” Lol. If you like it, it’s great!
I left you a message on your DSL20CR page, and found this one. To sum it up, I would like this Marshall but with a bit more power for small gigging. The 20CR would have been the perfect amp, but Your review shot that down.. Any other Marshall recommendations... ? thanks
I responded to your other email. The 5CR with a clean boost or the 40CR is what I'd recommend. That or a Marshall prior to the DSL40C - something used. The prior DSL series was pretty harsh sounding.
R Spurgeon - getting back to you again regarding other amp options.The new Blackstar HT20 is worth checking out :) Attenuates to 2W... cranks up to 20W and sounds great.
Hi, I am interested in this amp and Origin 20c (that's the amount of money I have basically)...
First off, what do you think - would dls 5cr sound good on red channel (gain set low for mild crunch) and then boosting it in the front end with a tubescreamer (for more sustain, not dirt)?
I also considered origin 20c but I don't think it would cut it for me, even with the boost, the volume cranked on the low mode... it sounds like it produces almost no crunch (at least it would for me since I have single coils)
Srdjan Teofilovic - I think I did a vid of the 5CR vs Blackstar HT5 and imo the CR kicked butt! Takes pedals really well and chimey cleans on the green side. Of course I can’t say you’re guaranteed to get the tone you’re looking for but you might even put a Soul Food in front the clean channel and switch over to the red for leads, just leave the Soul Food on all the time. That might yield a better “crunch” I’m not sure I’d say Marshalls are the best at what I consider a nice crunch tone. It’s so subjective. Personally I think the Egnaters and Monoprice Stage Right have some of the best crunch tones out there. Good luck \m/
Origin is crap. The DSL completely blows it away in tone. No contest.
you said you want to get the dsl 20, but i have seen 3 videos and it is very fizzy what do you think ? have you demoed one ?
ron Hoffman - I have demoed one but for a different reason. I found the tones to be nice but the fx loop was goofy so it wouldn’t work for me. Marshall does have a tone that leans toward “fizzy” but having said that, it’s really important to keep the master volumes above 2:00 below that and the “fizz” gets more pronounced. I remember liking the tones I got from the DSL20 head... I’d stay away from the combo unless you can pop for an upgraded speaker. While the little 10” 70/80 works perfectly in the DSL5, the 12” version in the DSL20 is thin. Not sure what style of music you play or what percent of it is clean versus dirty but I’ve really been enjoying my Orange Brent Hinds lately. Amazing crunch without the fizz... good luck sir!
Oldguyjammin thank you sir. More clean these days but still some dirty like say Gary Moore thin Lizzy and some dirty slide a bit of classic rock stuff. Have not found the right amp yet
ron Hoffman - it’s awfully tough it seems to find that “tone” but the journey is sure fun. Give Orange a try if you can or perhaps a Peavey Classic 30.
@@oldguyjammin9732 Thank you sir, any perticular orange do not know anything about them?
@@oldguyjammin9732 ok i have been giving orange a try and i believe they have a good clean and dirty channel and i am getting one . Thank You !!! a down to earth good guy on you tube
I just got the dsl5cr and it makes a crackling noice when im on the ultra gain channel. It gets louder if i crank up the gain. Are the tubes broken or something?
Maybe.. mine works just fine
Preston Garvey - the ol’ popcorn sound is more than likely one of your preamp tubes. You can do a couple of things, lightly tap the top of each one with a pencil to determine if it’s gone “microphonic” and replace it, or call the seller and tell them you suspect a bad tube - they should be happy to send you another. I suppose another thing you could do is buy two new JJ tubes and put them in. A microphonic tube produces a very noticeable “tink” like a bb landing in the bottom of coke bottle.
What happed with the dsl20hr and the effects loops? There is no way around?
Juan Carlos Garcia Zambrano the loop on this combo works great, just like it should. A Marshall rep thought that the DSL 20hr was faulty and in need of a software update... Wrap your head around that one!?!?
Oldguyjammin yeah! Got in the way a mt15 but I was in need of a second one so I was looking into that one (but I was put off a bit by your vid cause I’m interested in using a looper) or a Randal rd20 that I’ve heard is also an amazing amp for the price? Have you tried one yet?
Juan Carlos Garcia Zambrano have tried the Randall but know they've been around forever and make some really aggressive heads. I'll check the little dude out! Sorry the vid out you off but didn't want someone who wanted to use a looper finding out the problem 'the hard way'. I'm gonna check out the CR20 and if I have no problems may pull the other video.
Juan Carlos Garcia Zambrano so I checked out a 20cr demo from Sweetwater and guess what? The loop doesn't work properly on it either so I'm having them check out a few more units right there in the store. The 20cr will also take some work to sound really good, the speaker is harsh, etc. but when plugged into my 2x12 greenback cab and turned up its pretty legit... Combo or Head? Hmm... Hate decisions like this.
Oldguyjammin hahahaha I say that for the back’s sake I always go for the heads. That’s a boomer cause I really wanted to go for a Marshall, but instead I found a Randall for a good price.. so I pulled the trigger, waiting for it though
How do you rank this amp compared to the Monoprice?
David Merlin - hmm, almost apples to oranges. They are both awesome. The DSL5 is much quieter but really lush with a beautiful Marshall drive channel that when juiced with a pedal absolutely sings and the cleans are excellent; glassy, shimmery and very suited for strat and tele single coils. The Stage Right is much louder, not quite as lush but takes pedals just as well and can rock the house when the gain is turned up. Both have an excellent effects loop and decent reverb. The Stage Right also has only ONE channel so that may be a consideration, not sure and the cleans are great but more Fender-isc than the Marshall for sure. Oh, and the Stage Right is half the price of the DSL5. Hope that helps, volume strikes me as the biggy, if you want to rock loud you may be disappointed with the DSL. If you have anymore specific questions feel free to ask \m/
@@oldguyjammin9732 Thanks for the info!
I just ordered this 5 watt Marshall. Sweet Water just sold me their demo model at a great deal. Their stock was sold out. He said they were super popular.
I ordered a new JHS Series 3 delay with it. I’m mainly wanting it for recording and playing around the house. If I did play live, I would mic it. I would imagine it sounds great cranked up.
Do you really need an overdrive pedal with it? Or just if you just used overdrive in clean channel?
I do love quiet amps with low hiss. I had one of the first 5150 combos back in 1995 and that thing was way too loud and way too much noise and hiss and I hate using a noise gate.
@@davidmerlin3344 - Congratulations David! I got another one two to have under my desk at work :) I’ve got a mini pedal board with three mini pedals on it - delay and ditto in the loop, and NUX horseman as my overdrive. Of course you don’t NEED an overdrive pedal but it adds options. I use the OD with the clean and to boost a nice searing lead tone on the dirty side.
Interestingly enough, this amp sounded more ‘fizzy’ than the first one I tried...? I put some lower gain Groove Tubes (12ay7) which helped A LOT. Now I run the dirty side master on full (1 Watt mode) and then bring up the gain to suit. Sounds really, really good. I’m very happy with it. Selling off some speakers and my Stageright combo to pay for it. The box will also take a 12” speaker with just a little ‘carving’. I’ve also heard that the Ragin Cajun 10” speaker does wonders over the stock 10/30... it’s that ol’ familiar rabbit hole but I’m not sure how much more I’ll do cause it sounds great as is. Take care - stay tuned
So which dsl model did you go with? 5 or 40?
Mr. Swayze - I ended up keeping the DSL40CR. It sounds best above 90 dB, not real good down low, but still pleasant enough to enjoy.... but when cranked!!! :)
just get a 5 and a 40
MRR EEEEEE
the toe of destiny
Carl - what!?!?
@@oldguyjammin9732 I think he ment tone
Ethan Joyce - lol, let’s hope so :) The ‘Toe’ of destiny is a lot more interesting though.
Marshall just can’t keep up anymore
I think they’re doing pretty good still. It’s a tough market for sure and companies are having to think about ‘features’ like having everything under the sun on the back panel (which means a LOT of integrated circuitry) or simple, dependable ‘tone’ like Orange :) And so many competitors!?!? How’d you like to try and enter the guitar market right now?? Sheesh, seems like every seek another maker is offering up the goods :) good for us buyers, yes? Happy New Year!!
4 mins of BS, 3 minutes of sound on one setting, and another 2 minutes of more BS. This is not a review.
How long do you need to recognize GREAT tone?!?! I happen to appreciate a little verbage in my Tube Reviews \m/ Cheers!