I’ve had my JCM 2000 since 2001,I’ve not used anything else since. I changed the power tubes to JJ EL34L as these give more compression and better gain than the original tubes which in turn gives you a much warmer tone for my liking. It’s simply a killer amplifier which I use these days with the 2 x 12 cab it came with, which now has vintage 30 celestions in it. Perfect set up 🤘🤘
Great video! I run a 2005 DSL50 through a 1936 with two Greenbacks and literally use the exact same settings that you do about 90% of the time lol. Good job touching on all of the issues that these things can have...should be somewhere in 2004 where they started revisions, with the 100 watters being the main offenders. I run 16ohm cabs only with my amp heads as a pattern due to the DSL50...I just avoid anything other than the 16ohm input to play it safe. DSLs are great at doing a modern interpretation of the various JCM800s(2203/2204 and 2205/2210), with the now funny and sort of awkward deep + tone shift additions to try and reach the late 90s/early 2000s Mesa type of thing that was so big at the time lol. I honestly love this amp and see zero need to ever really replace it with anything else like say an 800 or a JVM. It's killer for the price and it's cool to have something with the classic "JCM" branding too.
@@psychic_records Marshall screwed up...all of the JCM2000 8 and 4 ohm jacks aren't grounded properly. Technically, you can fry your gear if something goes wrong...so you either break out the soldering iron and fix Marshall's criminal mistake, or you just use the 16ohm input which is grounded properly. That's why I use 16ohm cabs, lol.
*Paul Gilbert plays one so you can't go wrong.* For a shred and sweep style player though, I'm also a totally different breed though. I love my valve amps and pedals but hands down, *solid-state is favored.* The raunch, sleaze and flat out MEANNESS to the high even order harmonics is addictive! *I would still love to have one of these or maybe an 800.*
You can switch the motherboard out for a new one to fix the Bias drift issue on the older models. JCM 2000s are underrated for Marshall’s. I have a TSL 100 and a TSL 122.
I got one of the first 2000's that came out of the production line. I had serious biasing issues. The tubes would blow after about 45 minutes. I had a tech who replaced one of the circuit boards and a few resistors. That was 25 years ago. It's been bullet proof since then. I have owned the JCM800, 900, Jubilee, JMP and the plexi. The 2000 is by far, the most versatile and best sound of them all.
I bought a DSL50 new back in '99, never had any problems with it. Run it through two 1960 cabinets with good ol' G12T-75's, with the green channel for rhythm and the red channel for leads. No OD/distortion pedals -- don't need 'em!
It was only the 100 watt JCM 2000s and the TSLs that had the bias drift and overhearing issues . The 50 watters didn't have those issues and you don't see many people complaining about the 50s . Every QC complaint if have seen had been abour the late 90s/early 2000s 100 watt DSLs and TSLs .. The 50s seem quite highly regarded. I really like the 50 wattera myself. I wanted to buy one that came up for sale locally a few months back and went to try it out it sounded killer but it was l much too loud for where I live so I reluctantly passed and put the money towards a mini Jubilee I would love to see a 20 watt Studio version of the JCM 2000 DSL although I'm not sure if Marshall would view it as lucrative enough but they have done a JCM 900 dual Reverb reissue and that amp was quite divisive for many . Except for the 401 thought all the JCM amps sounded great . They all sound like Marshall's to me .
There is a fix for the older ones its from doctor tube, if you can work on tube amps then you can do it if you can't then take it to an amp tech, i did mine myself, you basically make a new bias circuit provided by doctor tube, disable the current bias circuit then install the new one in a different cooler place in the amp and it works perfectly. The power tubes heat up the bias circuit then the bias circuit cranks up the bias heating up the power tubes and so on and so on. You'll know you have the problem when you notice the glue in the back of the amp starts melting...but its fixable.
Subbed! Great video and demonstration of this amp. I have a DSL 50 that was gifted to me after a friends passing. It's been a sentimental piece mostly, also since the Super Reverb is perfect for my music style...until now. I finally have dug into this DSL 50 and as you demonstrated here, discovered it's killer tones. This amp is so fun to play. I have serviced and played many vintage Marshalls of different era's and this amp deserves a place in the history. Yes, the construction is not comparable to vintage or boutique amps but neither is the price. I have rectified the bias issues on mine, improved a few other weak points and made a small mod that is switchable via the tone shift switch. (this switch is likely misunderstood and use improperly). Thanks!
Nice Video..I bought a 1998 model new in 2000..I didnt have it for 6 months before it started blowing the HT fuses..A few years later I replaced with the new version of the mainboard,and it was just like new,no issues..Its my best sounding amp..In 2002 I bought another brand new jcm 2000 dsl100 and didnt have any issues..But I have a replacement new version mainboard,and Im going to swap it out one day anyway..They are Great sounding amps..I use a Mark Tremonti pedal and it really drives this amp.
Been wanting one for years.... Finally got one last week. A 2005 DSL100... I was hoping for a 50w and dude knew nothing about the amp... So he brought it over and that's when I noticed the quad in there. But, it's loaded with some 6ca7's, not my tube of choice... Missing that bark the EL34's have. A little more bottom end and rounder highs. A little more like the 6L6 in some ways.
There's a head for sale locally for about $700, but I don't have a cab for it. But I found a jcm 2000 dsl 401 combo with a 1x12 speaker for $450!! Going to look at it next week when the guy gets back in town. Should be a great deal. The guy is a professional guitarist who just has tons of gear.
i think the ultra gain channel should be used as a boost for those hard rock style solos where one needs sustain. But it’s pretty much to live on the crunch channel
Thanks for sharing this Justin...great sound and playing! I own a JCM 2000 DSL 50 watt from 2003. I had it fully reconditioned when I bought it 10yrs ago and thankfully haven't experienced any issues with it. I also love the crunch setting on the classic channel and that's the only one I use as well. Great with an OD or Boost pedal, but my main issue has been that I can't get a solo boost out of the amp while keeping in on the same classic channel so it's been great in the garage but haven't gigged it much. Love the tone it puts out. Definitely under rated and a steal if you find one. 😀
as an added comment, people in my area are starting to sell this kind of gear to jump into fractals & neurals & helix for example, so you can really get discounted prices as you did
We have 4 at our rental house and i own one personally. Great amps. Thje bias drift issue is not that bad considering i have 5 2000's in my vicinity and only my personal amplifier has bias drift issues and they are all made in either 98 or 2001.
Thank you buddy! Yeah I personally think so. Just how I use it! The cleans are actually good on this but I personally like a little grit on a “clean” tone. So I just opt for the crunch mode everytime sounds so much like a Jcm 800
You can turn up the gain knob in clean channel, you can adjust them according to taste for some dirt, 4/12”” sounds way better, the reverb sounds pretty good.
The SL-X is pretty close to modded JCM800 territory. It's literally the same as the original MKIII JCM900 but with an added preamp tube for its additional gain stage as opposed to clipping diodes. Just remember that the extra dial controls that extra gain stage and that you want to keep it down for more of a stock JCM800/2203 type of vibe.
The 900s are great. More of that classic Marshall midrange. I've owned 3 different jcm2000s and while nice amps i couldn't get that classic Marshall midrange punch. Too scooped or just missing certain frequencies even with mid knob dimed. Too many gain stages? 900 is perfect.
Very close to my setting except i have the treble at 1 and presence at 5.9 and the classic gain chanel full blast.Gets much fatter sounding at 10 so therefore i have to turn the bass down to about 2.
i have a marshal gsm 800 im thinking of leaving it for this one what do you think which one is better will this one work well with a selection gold speaker?
A couple notes to add: Even the new revision boards that read 20 have the same problem. You want to be sure if you're using 8 ohm or 4 to do this mod: studio.ua-cam.com/users/videotkxFbSUj1_I & also this mod: studio.ua-cam.com/users/videopbbs5Egs0sY reason being is you are relaying on the 16 ohm spring in the jack as the ground. If that gets dirty, corroded & you lose ground you're going to have problems you don't want. If they would've used it on the positive side it wouldn't have been a problem. Keeping the back cover off is the good idea & checking the bias often is also a good idea. Bias'ing the 100 should be @ 70mV per set of tubes. That breaks down to 35mV each tube. The 50 should be bias'ed @ 35mV per tube. In spite of Marshall Service Bulletin. The reverb tanks on these are known to go & the MOD replacements are best to put in.
Make sure it has the latest "Revision 20" Motherboard... the earlier boards are flawed and conductive will cause really bad bias drift and failure in time.
I've seen this, and they are just slightly different but quite similar, I wouldn't say one is better than the other. The 2000 just has a bad rep, that's all, it's a great amp and so the 800 (ovbiosly).
Non pour te faire parler, ta rien à faire dans ta vie ? Respect les personnes ! Il a pris le temps de nous expliquer .pas mal de chose pour les personnes qui seraient intéressés par l'achat de l'un de ces ampli, alors au lieu de venir critiquer son travail, fait une vidéo et nous verrons si Monsieur sera plus pertinent. Bye le petit Et pour l'auteur de la vidéo 👍 merci pour toutes vos explications, j'ai appris beaucoup de choses
My God that sounds glorious. Whenever I hear people bad mouth these amps, I'm gonna show em this video.
Thanks so much!!
I’ve had my JCM 2000 since 2001,I’ve not used anything else since. I changed the power tubes to JJ EL34L as these give more compression and better gain than the original tubes which in turn gives you a much warmer tone for my liking. It’s simply a killer amplifier which I use these days with the 2 x 12 cab it came with, which now has vintage 30 celestions in it. Perfect set up 🤘🤘
Cool!
JJ tubes are the best.
Great video! I run a 2005 DSL50 through a 1936 with two Greenbacks and literally use the exact same settings that you do about 90% of the time lol. Good job touching on all of the issues that these things can have...should be somewhere in 2004 where they started revisions, with the 100 watters being the main offenders. I run 16ohm cabs only with my amp heads as a pattern due to the DSL50...I just avoid anything other than the 16ohm input to play it safe.
DSLs are great at doing a modern interpretation of the various JCM800s(2203/2204 and 2205/2210), with the now funny and sort of awkward deep + tone shift additions to try and reach the late 90s/early 2000s Mesa type of thing that was so big at the time lol. I honestly love this amp and see zero need to ever really replace it with anything else like say an 800 or a JVM. It's killer for the price and it's cool to have something with the classic "JCM" branding too.
Thank you so much!!
why only use the 16?
@@psychic_records Marshall screwed up...all of the JCM2000 8 and 4 ohm jacks aren't grounded properly. Technically, you can fry your gear if something goes wrong...so you either break out the soldering iron and fix Marshall's criminal mistake, or you just use the 16ohm input which is grounded properly. That's why I use 16ohm cabs, lol.
@@EJK36 I did a lot reading on them before I got my 2007 DSL50, never saw that. But thanks for the info I'll look into it.
I've got a 2005 limited edition silver model. They only made 200 worldwide.
i’ve got the orange crush one, i love it
*Paul Gilbert plays one so you can't go wrong.*
For a shred and sweep style player though, I'm also a totally different breed though. I love my valve amps and pedals but hands down, *solid-state is favored.*
The raunch, sleaze and flat out MEANNESS to the high even order harmonics is addictive!
*I would still love to have one of these or maybe an 800.*
Sick playing man! Amp sounds great. Just got me a DSL50 from 2009 off eBay for next to nothing and it sounds wicked!
Thank you so much!
You can switch the motherboard out for a new one to fix the Bias drift issue on the older models. JCM 2000s are underrated for Marshall’s. I have a TSL 100 and a TSL 122.
I have a 2006 as well. It simply rips. It’s probably the best all around amplifier I’ve ever played.
Cool!
I got one of the first 2000's that came out of the production line. I had serious biasing issues. The tubes would blow after about 45 minutes. I had a tech who replaced one of the circuit boards and a few resistors. That was 25 years ago. It's been bullet proof since then. I have owned the JCM800, 900, Jubilee, JMP and the plexi. The 2000 is by far, the most versatile and best sound of them all.
I bought a DSL50 new back in '99, never had any problems with it. Run it through two 1960 cabinets with good ol' G12T-75's, with the green channel for rhythm and the red channel for leads. No OD/distortion pedals -- don't need 'em!
Cool! Never really liked t75s
It was only the 100 watt JCM 2000s and the TSLs that had the bias drift and overhearing issues . The 50 watters didn't have those issues and you don't see many people complaining about the 50s . Every QC complaint if have seen had been abour the late 90s/early 2000s 100 watt DSLs and TSLs ..
The 50s seem quite highly regarded. I really like the 50 wattera myself. I wanted to buy one that came up for sale locally a few months back and went to try it out it sounded killer but it was l much too loud for where I live so I reluctantly passed and put the money towards a mini Jubilee
I would love to see a 20 watt Studio version of the JCM 2000 DSL although I'm not sure if Marshall would view it as lucrative enough but they have done a JCM 900 dual Reverb reissue and that amp was quite divisive for many .
Except for the 401 thought all the JCM amps sounded great . They all sound like Marshall's to me .
There is a fix for the older ones its from doctor tube, if you can work on tube amps then you can do it if you can't then take it to an amp tech, i did mine myself, you basically make a new bias circuit provided by doctor tube, disable the current bias circuit then install the new one in a different cooler place in the amp and it works perfectly. The power tubes heat up the bias circuit then the bias circuit cranks up the bias heating up the power tubes and so on and so on. You'll know you have the problem when you notice the glue in the back of the amp starts melting...but its fixable.
I have a 1997 first year batch one; and I've never had (or heard of) any bias drifting/"blow up" problems. 🤷🏻♂️
You have now
@@justinmeyersguitarist Bah! It's just a rumour spread by Fender Corporates, lad. 😉
Subbed! Great video and demonstration of this amp. I have a DSL 50 that was gifted to me after a friends passing. It's been a sentimental piece mostly, also since the Super Reverb is perfect for my music style...until now. I finally have dug into this DSL 50 and as you demonstrated here, discovered it's killer tones. This amp is so fun to play. I have serviced and played many vintage Marshalls of different era's and this amp deserves a place in the history. Yes, the construction is not comparable to vintage or boutique amps but neither is the price. I have rectified the bias issues on mine, improved a few other weak points and made a small mod that is switchable via the tone shift switch. (this switch is likely misunderstood and use improperly). Thanks!
Thanks so much!
That r9 kick ass. Nothing better than a Gibson and a Marshall. Well, maybe a tele and a twin reverb..
Nice Video..I bought a 1998 model new in 2000..I didnt have it for 6 months before it started blowing the HT fuses..A few years later I replaced with the new version of the mainboard,and it was just like new,no issues..Its my best sounding amp..In 2002 I bought another brand new jcm 2000 dsl100 and didnt have any issues..But I have a replacement new version mainboard,and Im going to swap it out one day anyway..They are Great sounding amps..I use a Mark Tremonti pedal and it really drives this amp.
Do you happen to know where to find those boards? I have the same amp and have been worrying about overheating.
I replied back.But I got flagged for some reason.I dont know why@@nickharper8145
Been wanting one for years.... Finally got one last week. A 2005 DSL100... I was hoping for a 50w and dude knew nothing about the amp... So he brought it over and that's when I noticed the quad in there. But, it's loaded with some 6ca7's, not my tube of choice... Missing that bark the EL34's have. A little more bottom end and rounder highs. A little more like the 6L6 in some ways.
There's a head for sale locally for about $700, but I don't have a cab for it. But I found a jcm 2000 dsl 401 combo with a 1x12 speaker for $450!! Going to look at it next week when the guy gets back in town. Should be a great deal. The guy is a professional guitarist who just has tons of gear.
i think the ultra gain channel should be used as a boost for those hard rock style solos where one needs sustain. But it’s pretty much to live on the crunch channel
Thanks for sharing this Justin...great sound and playing! I own a JCM 2000 DSL 50 watt from 2003. I had it fully reconditioned when I bought it 10yrs ago and thankfully haven't experienced any issues with it. I also love the crunch setting on the classic channel and that's the only one I use as well. Great with an OD or Boost pedal, but my main issue has been that I can't get a solo boost out of the amp while keeping in on the same classic channel so it's been great in the garage but haven't gigged it much. Love the tone it puts out. Definitely under rated and a steal if you find one. 😀
Thanks so much buddy! For the solo boost, you could throw a clean boost in the effects loop for the volume boost
exactly ! (at the end of the effects loop signal chain)
Crunch with a good OD pedal is heavenly
as an added comment, people in my area are starting to sell this kind of gear to jump into fractals & neurals & helix for example, so you can really get discounted prices as you did
Honestly, it's a beautiful amp.
We have 4 at our rental house and i own one personally. Great amps. Thje bias drift issue is not that bad considering i have 5 2000's in my vicinity and only my personal amplifier has bias drift issues and they are all made in either 98 or 2001.
KILLER SOUND man!! Although so near that beast with the volumes at 3 must have been fucking loud!!!!!!!!
Sounds great dude, superb playing.
Is the reverb just not good to use at all like the cleans on it?
Thank you buddy! Yeah I personally think so. Just how I use it! The cleans are actually good on this but I personally like a little grit on a “clean” tone. So I just opt for the crunch mode everytime sounds so much like a Jcm 800
You can turn up the gain knob in clean channel, you can adjust them according to taste for some dirt, 4/12”” sounds way better, the reverb sounds pretty good.
A few weeks ago, I purchased a JCM 900 SL-X. Ever Try one of them? JCM 2000 DSL 100 SOUNDS GREAT! AWSOME
Nice! I haven’t tried one! Would love to check that amp out sometime. Thanks so much!
The SL-X is pretty close to modded JCM800 territory. It's literally the same as the original MKIII JCM900 but with an added preamp tube for its additional gain stage as opposed to clipping diodes. Just remember that the extra dial controls that extra gain stage and that you want to keep it down for more of a stock JCM800/2203 type of vibe.
The 900s are great. More of that classic Marshall midrange. I've owned 3 different jcm2000s and while nice amps i couldn't get that classic Marshall midrange punch. Too scooped or just missing certain frequencies even with mid knob dimed. Too many gain stages? 900 is perfect.
Nice job, great amp to gig with. Did you try it with greenbacks yet?
For sure! No I haven’t! I’m sure it sounds great!
I like the Pulsonics like yours every time over the V30's
Great sounding Amps. I like the 50 Watter a little better than the 100. The 50 is a touch more vintage sounding but still quite modern sounding.
Cool!
Only the 100w versions had the bias drift.
Hi justin i have the jcm2000 which i love, im looking for a more portable cab any recommenations?
Very close to my setting except i have the treble at 1 and presence at 5.9 and the classic gain chanel full blast.Gets much fatter sounding at 10 so therefore i have to turn the bass down to about 2.
Mine broke two times, the tech said that a Chinese part melted.
Great tones and playing!
Thanks so much!
i have a marshal gsm 800 im thinking of leaving it for this one what do you think which one is better will this one work well with a selection gold speaker?
You can get the mainboard changed if you find an earlier one for a good price. That’s what I did.
How?
@@aheadofmetal got it done at Sickamps, they can order new pcb
A couple notes to add: Even the new revision boards that read 20 have the same problem.
You want to be sure if you're using 8 ohm or 4 to do this mod: studio.ua-cam.com/users/videotkxFbSUj1_I & also this mod: studio.ua-cam.com/users/videopbbs5Egs0sY reason being is you are relaying on the 16 ohm spring in the jack as the ground. If that gets dirty, corroded & you lose ground you're going to have problems you don't want. If they would've used it on the positive side it wouldn't have been a problem.
Keeping the back cover off is the good idea & checking the bias often is also a good idea. Bias'ing the 100 should be @ 70mV per set of tubes. That breaks down to 35mV each tube. The 50 should be bias'ed @ 35mV per tube. In spite of Marshall Service Bulletin.
The reverb tanks on these are known to go & the MOD replacements are best to put in.
Make sure it has the latest "Revision 20" Motherboard... the earlier boards are flawed and conductive will cause really bad bias drift and failure in time.
How can you tell it’s the revision 20?
@@jesusarriaga8761 If you buy a new motherboard from Antique Radio Supply, etc it will be the new Rev 20. I think it's marked on the board.
Cool thanks!
no problem buddy!
Yep …..
Well done………
You know how to play the JCM 2000 DSL ……….
Sounds fantastic……! 👍
Thank you so much!
Does that plexi sound very well!
Have you tried to DSL 100H or the HRs?
How loud was the sound in the room? Painfully loud???
It was pretty loud but what do you expect it’s 100w lol Guitar should be loud and proud! Haha
A Les Paul and a cranked Marshall the best.
The sound of rock n roll
Yeah for sure!
Your hands sound great…
Thanks so much!!
Anderson Susan Thompson Nancy Jones Linda
Play this amp next to an 800 using the controls on your guitar and you'll soon realize why people hate this amp.
Its an OK amp. Not great.
Yeah the crunch channel on these are similar to an 800. That’s all I really use on these 2000s clean up with the guitar volume
I've seen this, and they are just slightly different but quite similar, I wouldn't say one is better than the other. The 2000 just has a bad rep, that's all, it's a great amp and so the 800 (ovbiosly).
Guess you recorded this video to listen to yourself talk.
Lol
Non pour te faire parler, ta rien à faire dans ta vie ? Respect les personnes ! Il a pris le temps de nous expliquer .pas mal de chose pour les personnes qui seraient intéressés par l'achat de l'un de ces ampli, alors au lieu de venir critiquer son travail, fait une vidéo et nous verrons si Monsieur sera plus pertinent. Bye le petit
Et pour l'auteur de la vidéo 👍 merci pour toutes vos explications, j'ai appris beaucoup de choses
@@Apocaliptykwell said 👍🏼