DSL 100H or DSL 100HR?

[Neptical]

Looking for new adventures.

I don't have any experience with either of these Marshall siblings. Do you? Let me know what your experience and expectations are/were.

Hopefully enough difference from my JCM 2000 DSL 50 & 100 heads.

I pretty much know I could get these amps to sit where I want, but just want to get some input first. My JCM 2000s are looking for a new playmate. Lol

Thank you in advance Marshall famiglia!

 

[marshallmellowed]

I'd say neither, because I just sold my 100H. Lots of people like them, I'm just not a DSL fan, and for what I play (classic & 80's rock) I can better sounds from a JMD:1, which is a much more versatile amp (IMO).

 

[Kuga]

Hopefully enough difference from my JCM 2000 DSL 50 & 100 heads.

I think they are better. More reability. Also they have resonance pot witch is a good feature. I would love a new reissue TSL like Marshall did with the DSL100.

 

[rocker68]

If you're ok with the jcm 2000, you'll get along with the H and HR. Might be overkill though. HR is slightly darker than the H. HR is midi and much more versatile of the three. H is brighter than jcm 2000. Opinions are plus and minus for all three. H is bullet proof. Not much wrong with HR but some don't tolerate the hesitation/delay in mode/channel switching. If your bored, get the HR and put an eq in the loop. See what happens.
Good luck.

 

[don550]

I’ve had my DSL 100H since 2014 and have gigged with it a lot.. I’ve changed the tubes and kept the amp biased. I also have other vintage Marshall and Fender amps.. The DSL 100H has been my workhorse. In terms of sounds, I think it sounds great and have been told so by other guitarists that hit me up at venues I play. Does it rival my JCM 800 yes and no. Yes in that it can be a fire breather and cop some serious Rock tones. No in that it’s not a vintage Marshall but can live in that territory it’s just a different flavor of a great Marshall Amp. If you’re playing with great pedals in front or in the loop it’s a great amp and add a 4x12 with it and it will chug like a train pulling uphill.

The Red Channel is too gainy but who says you have play with the gain on 10.. Twist the damn knobs! I just recently had a opportunity to play my amp at a outdoor popup jam session on the fly as I was just hanging out with some friends and another friend called me and said his normal guitar player had just got in car accident on the dreaded 405 and could I rush over as the band was starting in a hour.. in my rush to get out the door I totally forgot my pedalboard and had to play just guitar and cable.. The gig called for a variety of stuff from 70s to Current Pop and Rock songs since I most live on the Green Crunch channel with a pedalboard for more drive for Solos and dont use the Red Channel normally I found that when barely had the gain on the red channel and playing my Les Paul I had enough gain that when it was my turn to solo I had what I needed to stand out in the mix very well..

Ive had the opportunity to gig with a friend‘s DSL 100HR and it was good but I like my 100H better as I thought the HR just had a different vibe for me but my still A good amp. Would I buy the HR? Probably if I got an insane deal on a Head that was too good to pass on. And I would use it to really learn what it does well but Im really happy with my 100H and my other Marshall.

For me amps can be a tangental rabbit hole and I have to keep myself in check not buy another amp and end up just going back to what I already own and like anyway and used for the last 40 years

 

[maggotspawn]

I like both the H and HR. I had both at the same time, was able to dial them in to sound pretty much the same.
I have the optional 6 way footswitch for the HR, no delay in switching channels or modes.

 

[MaskingApathy]

HR hands down. If you can't get good tones out of it then the problem isn't the amp.

 

[guitarbilly74]

I’ve had my DSL 100H since 2014 and have gigged with it a lot.. I’ve changed the tubes and kept the amp biased. I also have other vintage Marshall and Fender amps.. The DSL 100H has been my workhorse. In terms of sounds, I think it sounds great and have been told so by other guitarists that hit me up at venues I play. Does it rival my JCM 800 yes and no. Yes in that it can be a fire breather and cop some serious Rock tones. No in that it’s not a vintage Marshall but can live in that territory it’s just a different flavor of a great Marshall Amp. If you’re playing with great pedals in front or in the loop it’s a great amp and add a 4x12 with it and it will chug like a train pulling uphill.

The Red Channel is too gainy but who says you have play with the gain on 10.. Twist the damn knobs! I just recently had a opportunity to play my amp at a outdoor popup jam session on the fly as I was just hanging out with some friends and another friend called me and said his normal guitar player had just got in car accident on the dreaded 405 and could I rush over as the band was starting in a hour.. in my rush to get out the door I totally forgot my pedalboard and had to play just guitar and cable.. The gig called for a variety of stuff from 70s to Current Pop and Rock songs since I most live on the Green Crunch channel with a pedalboard for more drive for Solos and dont use the Red Channel normally I found that when barely had the gain on the red channel and playing my Les Paul I had enough gain that when it was my turn to solo I had what I needed to stand out in the mix very well..

Ive had the opportunity to gig with a friend‘s DSL 100HR and it was good but I like my 100H better as I thought the HR just had a different vibe for me but my still A good amp. Would I buy the HR? Probably if I got an insane deal on a Head that was too good to pass on. And I would use it to really learn what it does well but Im really happy with my 100H and my other Marshall.

For me amps can be a tangential rabbit hole and I have to keep myself in check not buy another amp and end up just going back to what I already own and like anyway and used for the last 40 years

I agree with this post on its entirety. Same exact experience for me.

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

I personally don’t own either one, but from my time playing through them, I like the H better, because of the bite it has.

Cheers

 

[GIBSON67]

I've never tried an HR, but I am loving my DSL100H that I got earlier this year. It is much better than the previous DSL15C that I had owned, much better.

 

[Neptical]

General consensus from this post is the HR...and my brain had initially wanted the H. Lovely.

I was really trying not to have two more Marshall amps.

 

[fitz]

I was really trying not to have two more Marshall amps.

 

[Neptical]

LOL. @fitz is like "get outta here, you already had this planned before your post".

 

[scozz]

The only Dsl I own is a little Dsl1, but I’ve played through most of the Dsl-c amps and Dsl-cr amp.

From those experiences I prefer the 2012 C series DSL’s more than the 2018 CR DSL’s.

Like my buddy @Mitchell Pearrow said, the C series has more bite, imo.

 

[Leonard Neemoil]

H all the way for the reasons don550 said. Also that good bite Mitch and Scozz mentioned.

That said, I don't think there's enough difference between the 3 to warrant purchasing either of the other two. Ymmv.

 

[Neptical]

H all the way for the reasons don550 said. Also that good bite Mitch and Scozz mentioned.

That said, I don't think there's enough difference between the 3 to warrant purchasing either of the other two. Ymmv.

Thank you! I think I was waiting for this kind of response. If there tends to be a lot of overlap with my JCM 2000s, I should probably hang tight. I also have a JCM 900 SL-X 2500 in now which that's a drastic difference to my 2000s. Maybe these would be more appealing to someone who doesn't already own a DSL 50 & DSL 100. 🤔

 

[TheKman76]

I haven't commented on this thread because I'm not a 'H' owner, however, MIDI alone is a reason for me to go for the HR.