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Just got a marshall dsl tube amp. it has buzzy nasty distortion(unwanted).Please help


pureanalog

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Hi folks.

 

 

Today I received by UPS a Marshall DSL201 20 Watt all tube amp.

 

4 12ax7 preamp tubes and 2 EL84

 

The amp sounds well when played at the clean channel with the clean channel gain control under 4-5 and master volume at moderate to quite loud levels. When gain is turned up or when I switch to the dirty channel I get this nasty distortion. Not the kind of distortion one wants but rather a buzzy and fuzzy distortion like the speaker has a problem or something. But no it is not the speaker.

 

I did this test. I hooked up the PODxt to the Effects return input and used the POD as a pre-amp. Everything sounded pretty fine.

 

So the problem must be somewhere in the pre-amp section right??

 

I swapped the pre-amp tubes positions with one another and nothing changed.

 

I emailed the guy who sold the amp to me and he claims that the amp was working fine before he sent it.

 

I also noticed that the REVERB has an effect on this problem. When turned up its nastier. But it doesnt change anything drastically though.

 

 

This buzzy distortion makes the amp unusable.

 

Any ideas or suggestions?

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Originally posted by SQUAREHEAD

Did you play one BEFORE you bought it?

Sell it and buy something else.


Kw

 

 

Yes I played one but not the particular one. It doesnt sound like this normally if that is what you are implying.

 

I bought it off ebay btw.

 

 

Kannibul,

 

I turn it up and the problem persists nothing changes. I cannot just change the tubes and spend like 60 EUROS to find out that they are not the problem. So I need to hear some suggestions ideas from past experiences first or what people think...

 

The power amp tubes have been replaced and rebiased right before i bought it supposedly.

 

And as said above the power amp section seems to work ok.

 

 

thanks guys

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Originally posted by pureanalog



Yes I played one but not the particular one. It doesnt sound like this normally if that is what you are implying.


I bought it off ebay btw.



Kannibul,


I turn it up and the problem persists nothing changes. I cannot just change the tubes and spend like 60 EUROS to find out that they are not the problem. So I need to hear some suggestions ideas from past experiences first or what people think...


The power amp tubes have been replaced and rebiased right before i bought it supposedly.


And as said above the power amp section seems to work ok.



thanks guys

 

 

The tubes could have been damaged in transit, and the guy could have lied about just changing them out.

 

How old are the preamp tubes? What brand?

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The pre-amp tubes are SOVTEK most probably the ones that it came with stock.

 

I thought that pre-amp tubes need a swap every 2-3 power amp changes or so.

 

The thing is how dow i check if the problem is due to the tubes and not the amp itself?

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I don't know if can helps, here are my settings from last evening rehearsal using my DSL50... My ears are still ringing... :D

 

Deep switch- On

Presence- 3

Treble- 6

Middle- 8

Bass- 8

Tone shift- Off

 

Reverb (Ultra)- 2.5

Reverb (classic)- not using it

 

Volume(ultra)- 5

mode switch- Lead2

Gain(ultra)- 4

 

Volume(classic)- not using it

mode switch- not using it

Gain (classic)- not using it

 

Speaker/Cab Configuration- 1960A 4x12 cab

 

Preamp tubes- JJs

Poweramp tubes- Svetlana (42.5 mV)

 

My band plays mostly RATM music with some Deftones, RHCP, Chevelle, Korn and similar shit like that. :D

 

When i need a clean sound, i simply roll back the volume of my guitar.

 

Main FX are running in front of my DSL50: Boss V-Wah and Digitech Whammy.

 

BenoA

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Originally posted by pureanalog

Hi folks.


This buzzy distortion makes the amp unusable.


Any ideas or suggestions?

 

 

Does it have reverb - have you checked eitehr the reverb driver tube or whether the reverb tank has been misplugged?

 

Try unplugging the reverb tank and see if it goes away.

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Originally posted by pureanalog

Hi folks.



Today I received by UPS a Marshall DSL201 20 Watt all tube amp.


4 12ax7 preamp tubes and 2 EL84


The amp sounds well when played at the clean channel with the clean channel gain control under 4-5 and master volume at moderate to quite loud levels. When gain is turned up or when I switch to the dirty channel I get this nasty distortion. Not the kind of distortion one wants but rather a buzzy and fuzzy distortion like the speaker has a problem or something. But no it is not the speaker.


I did this test. I hooked up the PODxt to the Effects return input and used the POD as a pre-amp. Everything sounded pretty fine.


So the problem must be somewhere in the pre-amp section right??


I swapped the pre-amp tubes positions with one another and nothing changed.


I emailed the guy who sold the amp to me and he claims that the amp was working fine before he sent it.


I also noticed that the REVERB has an effect on this problem. When turned up its nastier. But it doesnt change anything drastically though.



This buzzy distortion makes the amp unusable.


Any ideas or suggestions?

 

 

I bought the DSL 50 head yesterday and returned it today for that same reason. The clean channel was sweet Marshall clean and punchy but the lead channels suffered in my opinion at least at volumes one plays in their home/basement/garage. I got the MESA BOOGIE F-50 combo instead and its sweet!

 

P.S. I personally did not like the spring reverb it had. Sounded artificial to me. My Marshall MG HDFX100 head (soilid state) had better reverb than the DSL 50!

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the combo's tend to suck...

 

My TSL combo is a bright ill mess... *cringe*

 

 

That said, I disagree with the statement "they sound horrible at low volume.."

 

I think my TSL sounds better at low volume than it does turned up... :eek:

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Originally posted by Highgrade

I bought the DSL 50 head yesterday and returned it today for that same reason. The clean channel was sweet Marshall clean and punchy but the lead channels suffered in my opinion at least at volumes one plays in their home/basement/garage. I got the MESA BOOGIE F-50 combo instead and its sweet!


P.S. I personally did not like the spring reverb it had. Sounded artificial to me. My Marshall MG HDFX100 head (soilid state) had better reverb than the DSL 50!

 

 

I, on the other hand, liked the spring reverb a lot. Basic, but quite good sounding IMO. And the DSLs don't really sound so great when the volume control is under 3. That's where attenuators come in.

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sorry if the title of my thread confuses you. But I am not complaining about the amp's sound. I am refferring to a distortion (dont confuse this distortion with the overdrive distortion, its sort of like a buzz and not on all frequencies, it is a problem. I have listened to another amp like this one at a store without that problem.

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Be sure that you have your tone controls on "0".

 

Most Marshalls say "0" to "10".

 

*To me*...that means that you are adding EQ. Any time you ADD EQ (as opposed to subtracting...lowering), you can add noise.

 

For some reason, guitarists need to have everything 5 and dimed.

 

Go to "0" on all your tone controls. Slowly bring them up as the volume comes up....(depends on how the EQ is put in the circuit).

Keep the highs as low as possible. All this will depend on your volume and gain.

 

 

Also...I don't understand why there is such a difference in the head or combo. Can it REALLY be the elctronics? I thought they put the same guts in the combo and head. Could it just be going into the right cab?

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Originally posted by 17 Tubes

Be sure that you have your tone controls on "0".


Most Marshalls say "0" to "10".


*To me*...that means that you are adding EQ. Any time you ADD EQ (as opposed to subtracting...lowering), you can add noise.

 

Not really, unless it's an active EQ. With a passive EQ section like on most amps, the controls only subtract, not add.

 

As far as I know... :o

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Originally posted by DeadNight Warrior



Not really, unless it's an active EQ. With a passive EQ section like on most amps, the controls only subtract, not add.

 

 

Exactly. Afaik all Marshalls have passive tone controls that only cut so no extra noise will be caused by the EQ controls. And even if they had active EQs they would be setup so you can both cut and boost, therefore 5 would be the neutral position with no boost/cut.

 

The DSL combos also have a completely different circuit and different power tubes as well compared to the DSL heads. So they are not just the head stuffed into a combo (which IMO would've been a much better idea).

 

Do you have the amp connected to a grounded outlet?

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Originally posted by DeadNight Warrior



Not really, unless it's an active EQ. With a passive EQ section like on most amps, the controls only subtract, not add.


As far as I know...
:o

 

That's why I later said it depends on how the eq is installed in the circuit. Sometimes you need to add EQ for the signal to make it through the system....

 

Make sure to read the whole post. :p

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Originally posted by 17 Tubes



That's why I later said it depends on how the eq is installed in the circuit. Sometimes you need to add EQ for the signal to make it through the system....


Make sure to read the whole post.
:p

 

Sorry, but IMHO having "depends on how the EQ is put in the circuit" in brackets amidst all the other stuff does not equate to "Oh, by the way this is only really if you've got an active EQ in your amp, which chances are you don't, so this doesn't really apply".

 

:confused:

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