Hot Rodding a DSL40C???

Ok, I got this DSL40C sounding GREAT now. The B759 was a HUGE component of the gain and the fact that the 5751 as a PI seems to break up easier/earlier really helps. The only thing I noticed now is that the tone is just better with a 2X12 over a 1x12...
 
Robert Herndon said:
"Its cap c18 47nf bypass it you can do it with small alligator clips or push on clips or soldered a wire between the legs cleans up the muddiness..."
Click to expand...
Hey Robert... If that works, that is fine with me, I wouldn't really know about attacking the circuit at that point from a technical sense. Trial N Error is how I roll. That mod ain't no cathode bypass mod, though.

DSL C-18.jpg
 
So, looking back, I have to agree with Gball. When I got rid of my (largely unreliable) JTM-30 combo and 2203 head, I was excited to get the DSL40C as it was a lightweight tube combo and priced very reasonable.

But the day I first plugged it in, I knew something was off. Of course, this industry (and often our peers) encourage us to modify things until they sound right. I too took this approach.

To be brutally honest, the DSL40C doesn't even come close to delivering the tone that the 1997 VS265 puts out - regardless of adjustments.

Now, I have been scolded privately for not running a TS-9 as a clean boost and running the amp only on the 'green channel.' However, to my mind, then why have a 2 channel amp???

I don't even own a dirt pedal and I didn't need one with my 2203 (1 wire mod IIRC) or the archaic JTM-30 (that overheated even with a cooling fan added) and I could roll up enough gain to please my picky ears with both.

Interesting that i run a GE-7 on my Valvestate VS265 to roll off some highs...with line-level output - no boost. So, yesterday, i plugged it into the DSL40C and it killed a ton of gain. I was amazed that the GE-7 would produce such an effect. It puzzled me actually.

I spent about 2 hours, before heading off to the studio, playing through the DSL40C at very high volume. I found settings that gave me a fairly decent tone, but it still didn't seem "right" to me.

I then switched over to the VS265. This turd buzzes even if nothing is plugged into it, but holy smokes, it just screams.

That almost piercing edge on the b/e that I get at high volume on the DSL40C is absent. The Les Paul sounds bigger, fuller and punchier. The speakers move enough air you can feel it and at 3/4 gain, it doesn't lose its definition and clarity, even with F# palm muted passages.

WTF???

I probably spent a good 45 minutes on the VS265 at volume settings of 1/2 to 2/3 - and brother let me tell you...that's loud...and the tone was fat and punchy with speaker movement you could feel.

At 1/2 gain, and with the Gibson 498T, you can totally nail the "Round and Round" or "Breaking The Chains" tone - no pedals required. Crank the gain to 10 and you have "Symphony of Destruction" without any loss of clarity.

Noisy as hell...but delivers such a rich, full, 'big' sound that its ridiculous. Switch on the onboard chorus and its get noisier yet, but sounds even better.

Go figure...Fugly-ass old Valvestate still puts out.

20190418_081353-864x864.jpg

So, live and learn I would say. Try before you buy and avoid being tempted to invest enough money to change an amp's characteristics...
 
Ok, here's a soundclip (about 4;30) that I recorded this morning of the 'white noise' that I get with my old beater VS265. This was recorded on a vocal mic, and it sounds 'bassier' than it does in persona, but hopefully, you can get an idea of the overall tone...

What you, unfortunately, cannot experience is the absolutely glorious air movement from the cabinet!!!! It really moves some air, but retains coplete clarity!!!!


Marshall VS265 Sound Samples 04/19/2019
 
Eh, seems like not that big a deal to me (It's rock and roll, after all). Every time I am watching a live band there's all kinds of hiss and squeal from the backline.
 
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