What is similar to DSL40 but higher quality?

webrthomson

There are two Mesa Boogie DC5 revision B's in the classifieds either of those would be a good fit. Physically the dimensions are almost identical.

Sonically the DC’s sit somewhere between the Mark and Recto series, so not identical to the Marshall sound, but I’m pretty sure you could get close  

Mesa’s build quality is pretty difficult to beat as well!

fastonebaz

Is that a combo though? 

ICBM

webrthomson said:

There are two Mesa Boogie DC5 revision B's in the classifieds either of those would be a good fit. Physically the dimensions are almost identical.

Sonically the DC’s sit somewhere between the Mark and Recto series, so not identical to the Marshall sound, but I’m pretty sure you could get close  

Mesa’s build quality is pretty difficult to beat as well!

It's a great amp but it's very much not the answer to this question! Having used a DC-5 as my main amp for seven years, I would say the biggest thing it *can't* do is sound like a Marshall, at all. The clean channel is a bolder, tighter and slightly darker Fender BF-type (ie Mesa Mark) clean, and the dirty channel is an extremely middy, very Mesa Mark/Caliber series sound, unless you put the Graphic EQ on and scoop it heavily and then it gets a bit more like a Rectifier, but still very Mesa. It suited me perfectly at the time because I really didn't want anything that sounded like a Marshall or even remotely 'British' - it was at the end of the Britpop era and I was trying to avoid that sound as much as possible .

LuttiS

katana?

Voxman

Check out the latest DSL range (DSL40CR):

fastonebaz

@Voxman ; that's what I have currently. 

Voxman

fastonebaz said:

@Voxman ;;;;;; that's what I have currently. 

Sorry about that....as the OP was just headed DSL40 I thought you had the DSL40C that came out in 2012 to replace the DSL401, rather than the latest generation DSL40R that only came out last year.  I didn't twig the 'new era' bit.  Too many very similar model names! 

WiresDreamDisasters

AFAIK there isn't really anything wrong with the quality of the newer DSL's. I think they're built quite well, again AFAIK.

ICBM

WiresDreamDisasters said:

AFAIK there isn't really anything wrong with the quality of the newer DSL's. I think they're built quite well, again AFAIK.

They're certainly better than the old ones, but they do have a few shortcomings which may cause trouble in the long term - they're still not in the same league as something like a Rivera.

pintspiller

Peavey Valveking?

ICBM

pintspiller said:

Peavey Valveking?

No!

I am usually a big fan of Peavey as you probably know... but not these. Average-sounding, not especially well-made, and the MkII needs to be avoided completely due to having a failure-prone 'valve monitoring system' which fries the main PCB and will lead to writing off the amp unless you want to take on some uneconomical reworking to bypass the system. Very much the worst kind of unnecessary complexity coupled with cheapness that @jpfamps mentioned in another thread.

That said, the one I scrapped recently did provide a very convenient replacement OT for the Engl Thunder .

(And not the Classic 30 either, although the Classic 50 is a very good amp.)

WiresDreamDisasters

ICBM said:

pintspiller said:

Peavey Valveking?

No!

I am usually a big fan of Peavey as you probably know... but not these. Average-sounding, not especially well-made, and the MkII needs to be avoided completely due to having a failure-prone 'valve monitoring system' which fries the main PCB and will lead to writing off the amp unless you want to take on some uneconomical reworking to bypass the system. Very much the worst kind of unnecessary complexity coupled with cheapness that @jpfamps mentioned in another thread.

That said, the one I scrapped recently did provide a very convenient replacement OT for the Engl Thunder .

(And not the Classic 30 either, although the Classic 50 is a very good amp.)

Plus it sounds shit!  

ICBM

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Plus it sounds shit!  

Actually you're right... average was too kind. It's remarkably flat and lifeless-sounding for a fairly powerful valve amp.

fastonebaz

The dsl40cr does it all in paper.  Multiple voicing,  cleans,  crunch,  filthy,  reverb,  decent eq, dual master volume,  fx loop,  etc Good price.  Great tone especially with a neo creamback.  Nothing really wrong with mine.  Makes me sound great.   Just wondering what the next level up was. 

WiresDreamDisasters

fastonebaz said:

The dsl40cr does it all in paper.  Multiple voicing,  cleans,  crunch,  filthy,  reverb,  decent eq, dual master volume,  fx loop,  etc Good price.  Great tone especially with a neo creamback.  Nothing really wrong with mine.  Makes me sound great.   Just wondering what the next level up was. 

two amps at once!!!

Voxman

ICBM said:

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Plus it sounds shit!  

Actually you're right... average was too kind. It's remarkably flat and lifeless-sounding for a fairly powerful valve amp.

Beat me to it. One of the worst amps I've ever had the misfortune to have played. 

Lebarque

fastonebaz said:

The dsl40cr does it all in paper.  Multiple voicing,  cleans,  crunch,  filthy,  reverb,  decent eq, dual master volume,  fx loop,  etc Good price.  Great tone especially with a neo creamback.  Nothing really wrong with mine.  Makes me sound great.   Just wondering what the next level up was. 

Just get a Friedman or a Carr Mercury V and have done with it, @fastonebaz ;

fastonebaz

@Lebarque ;
Pah, I wev rrrudly in the jeneral derection of yore 16 watts .

Lebarque

fastonebaz said:

@Lebarque ;
Pah, I wev rrrudly in the jeneral derection of yore 16 watts .

Is that English?

p90fool

Funnily enough, someone offered me a fully working DSL401 yesterday for £120, so I looked at the schematic online and turned him down. 

I don't need that nonsense in my life, no wonder they keep breaking!