Im prob gonna sell the Marshall DSL20 head/MX212AR vertical cab

[Pine Apple Slim]

It looks looks cool but the speakers kinda suck, and it's really too much cab for any gig I might play.
I only got the rig because Id never played Marshalls and wanted the experience.
So I have an Orange 1x12" cab in black on the way to try with the head to hopefully get more use out of it.
If I really like the result I'll keep the head and sell the cab.
If I still aint feeling it I'm just gonna unload the whole rig.
I have a Micro Dark and an original Micro Terror with a cleaner preamp tube in it, and I'm confident both will sound great with the new cab.

 

[jrockbridge]

The Celestion Seventy 80 speakers are widely hated by many players. I have a variety of speaker cabs including a cab with Seventy 80’s. I use that cab for amp modeling gear. I like it for that purpose. Most of my tube amps sound like crap through it, save one. With one tube amp head, I really like the cab. The combination is a good match. They are the opposite of a vintage voiced speaker. I view them as niche speakers that are only going to make a player happy under specific circumstances.

By contrast, I’ve got a 212 loaded with V30’s that sounds good with all my amps. I guess that’s why they’re now used in so many cabs these days. They’re much darker than the Seventy 80’s, so there’s none of that high end fizz. The V30’s sound a bit muffled with modeling sims.

I’m very fond of Celestion Alnico Blue speakers, but they’re probably not a good match for Marshall. I have a 112 open back loaded with a Blue and it sounds great with Fender or Vox type of amps.

If I had a Marshall, I think I’d want a cab with Celestion Greenbacks, Creambacks or even V30’s. Some players swear by Marshall into Seventy 80 speakers for certain types of music, including some old school metal. Go figure.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

The Celestion Seventy 80 speakers are widely hated by many players. I have a variety of speaker cabs including a cab with Seventy 80’s. I use that cab for amp modeling gear. I like it for that purpose. Most of my tube amps sound like crap through it, save one. With one tube amp head, I really like the cab. The combination is a good match. They are the opposite of a vintage voiced speaker. I view them as niche speakers that are only going to make a player happy under specific circumstances.

By contrast, I’ve got a 212 loaded with V30’s that sounds good with all my amps. I guess that’s why they’re now used in so many cabs these days. They’re much darker than the Seventy 80’s, so there’s none of that high end fizz. The V30’s sound a bit muffled with modeling sims.

I’m very fond of Celestion Alnico Blue speakers, but they’re probably not a good match for Marshall. I have a 112 open back loaded with a Blue and it sounds great with Fender or Vox type of amps.

If I had a Marshall, I think I’d want a cab with Celestion Greenbacks, Creambacks or even V30’s. Some players swear by Marshall into Seventy 80 speakers for certain types of music, including some old school metal. Go figure.

I tried breaking in the Seventy 80s with a looper for about 8 hrs but it didn't help much.
I've thought long and hard about putting 2 Greenbacks or Greenback/V30 in it. But Idk if it's the speakers, or I just don't jive with the Marshall sound, plus in the end decided for any potential gig I might do the 2x12" is overkill. Also I'm sure either of the little Micros will sound the same thru the PPC112 as they do into the little Orange 1x8" except more bigger and better.


.

 

[jrockbridge]

I tried breaking in the Seventy 80s with a looper for about 8 hrs but it didn't help much.
I've thought long and hard about putting 2 Greenbacks or Greenback/V30 in it. But Idk if it's the speakers, or I just don't jive with the Marshall sound, plus in the end decided for any potential gig I might do the 2x12" is overkill. Also I'm sure either of the little Micros will sound the same thru the PPC112 as they do into the little Orange 1x8" except more bigger and better.


.

I have a small, closed back 112 cab made by Blackheart that I acquired with a matching 5 watt head. I bought both at a killer price during a sale many years past. I love the amp, but I never liked the speaker in the cab. I replaced the 12” speaker with a Celestion G1280, Classic Lead, 80 watt. That’s the cab I carry out of the house.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

The Orange PPC112 came late yesterday. Spent all this morning tidying up the place and getting the 2x12 cab stashed away.
Then spent the rest of the day trying to get a decent sound out of the DSL20 head and new cab.
Have to say I struggled.
Stuggled to get the clean channel working with my drives. Then when I would finaly get something I kinda liked dialed in and switched guitars/pups'.......it was back to the drawing board all over again. I found myself going straight in and using the channel switching function.
More consistent.... but still not crazy about it. Just seems like it's missing something. Warmth? Idk, it just lacks something despite the big sound coming out of the cab.
At this point I'm still kinda disappointed. Im prob just too used to big fat American 6L6 cleans. Of all the drive pedals the DOD250 and Rat seem to work best. But when I tried to get some warmer OD tones with the ODR-1 it was just... meh. Esp. when A/B'd with the Rambler.
l haven't tried a Fuzz Face yet. My only Strat is an Affinity Squier, hopefully It won't come to that.
I still haven't tried the Micro Terrors with the new cab, but I have em pulled out and sitting ready. Something about the Orange Brit sound I like. They have a nice sparkly treble but not as thin, zingy, and ear piercing as the Marshall seems to be. The Marshall is either too much sizzle or muffled and bassy, can't seem to find the sweet spot. I'm sure it would be better in a live mix but at home by myself I'm having a hard time.
It's looking like I just not a Marshall guy. But I'm gonna give it a month and see if I can grow into it.
If not, both the head and the 2x12 cab are movin' on.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

After mulling things over all night I have a plan. Cant try it today cause I have a happy hr gig at 5 but...
Im gonna relegate the Marshall and 1-12 Orange cab as a dedicated rock machine. Get it really dialed in with my SG and
use the channel switching for clean to dirt. Only add a pedal if specifically needed for the material. Other wise keep it a simple plug and play rock machine. That about the only potential use I have for it that I can see.
If I want some warmth and great cleans, I have to go with the Carr Rambler every time. It works with any guitar with minimal fuss, takes any and all pedals with aplomb, and the spring reverb and tremolo in it are to die for. Plus it's also bone simple. One channel, no master vol, bass, mid, treble, done.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

I had another go this AM with the SG straight into the DSL20/PPC112.
The hi gain channel sounds great...if you use a lot of gain which I typically don't. I tried running the high gain channel with the gain down, but the cleanest I could get it was a sorta AC/DC crunch and no cleaner, even with a light touch. It's ok, but it's one sound. I'm used to having subtle touch sensitive variations in gain from 2-3 OD pedals.
The clean channel just sucks even with some significant gain on it. No richness to it and not much touch sensitivity either. The built-in reverb kinda sucks too and Id have to run a pedal in the loop to have a decent reverb.
Its looking like my issue was the amp, not the cab/speakers.
It seems to do only one thing well and thats metal level high gain, and you can switch to the clean channel for those brief sensitive clean parts common to the genre. Any other style it just doesn't work for IMO. I still haven't tried the FF/Hendrix thing into it, it could possibly pull that off IDK, but how often am I really gonna want to do that since I can't seem to really bond with any Strat I've owned?
For the stuff I normally play it's just thin, generic, one dimensional, and boring, with a subpar digital reverb. I get way better results with my ancient 100w Hybrid Peavey Combo. Maybe I just bought the wrong Marshall head,
Should I have gotten the Origin instead?
Unless somebody can give me some pointers on how to get some more vintage tones out the DSL20H.....
Im gonna unload the whole Marshall rig. Maybe some local metal focused kid will pay me $500-$600 for it.
I'll keep the Orange cab and just play the Micro heads thru it. I know can get some good tones out of the original Micro Terror with the Tungsol AU7 in it. Might try the AU7 in the Micro Dark to clean it up a bit since it has an effects loop.