Marshall TSL601 - A tube amp novice's journey into tone ....

[Scotty477]

Edit ....


***** Fender HRDX deal fell through. Thread title changed accordingly *****

Following hot on the heels of the purchase of my Marshall TSL601, I've just got hold of a pristine condition Fender Hot Rod Deluxe on ebay for a very decent price.

I don't plan to keep both. I'll be putting them side by side in a 'sound off' and will keep the one that sounds best to my ears.

The test will be interesting and hopefully a bit of fun as well.

I'll let you all know how I get on.

***** Fender HRDX deal fell through. Thread title changed accordingly *****

[TwilightOdyssey]

Sounds like a fun shootout!

Let us know what happens.

[ailean]

I'd be very interested to hear the results. Clips would be good too if you can.

[Scotty477]

I'll try and get some clips up for the weekend, both miked and direct, using just the amp, with no effects (other than the amp reverb).

I have a sneaky suspicion as to what amp I'll like best but I'm trying to keep an open mind  :D

[Ratrod]

Two totally different amps. However a HRDLX can kick some serious butt with an extra cab and a good pedal.

[Scotty477]

Two totally different amps. However a HRDLX can kick some serious butt with an extra cab and a good pedal.

I completely agree. They are very different amps.

I only have room for 1 amp at the moment though and as I want a tube amp that is suited for home use (practise and recording) I've bought 2 amps that fit that criteria.

I'll be keeping the one that sounds best to me and fits my needs.

The TSL601 arrived today and I've just been playing it for an hour with my LP (straight in - amp reverb only). First impressions are favourable. After tweaking the settings for 5-10 minutes I settled on a tone (on the OD1 channel) that is trademark Marshall crunch, which was very pleasing to the ears.

The OD2 channel (lead) was easy to set up and also very pleasing to hear.

Reverb was ok but nothing special. I'll be using either a multi effect processor or individual pedals for effects anyway, so it's not an issue.

I didn't spend enough time on the clean channel to evaluate it properly but it seems to be as I remember it, which was rather plain. That will probably change with the addition of a decent reverb and chorus.

So .. Overall I'm happy with the TSL601 as it stands. It does the 'Marshall sound' as you would expect. It doesn't sound tight or compressed to my ears - as some reviews report and the amp is rock solid in construction.

Perhaps the most pleasing aspect I found with the TSL601 is that the OD1 and OD2 channels have seperate gain and volume controls. This means that I was able to crank the gains and the master volume up and get a low volume with very good saturation by turning down the individual channel volume.

I didn't realise this amp had that facility and as such it suits my needs very well

I haven't got my Fender HRDX yet I'm still waiting on the seller responding .....  I have a feeling that he/she may be unwilling to complete the deal as it was a rather low price, but we'll see.

A sudden thought. If the HRDX sounds as good as I think it's going to ... I'm screwed.

[Ratrod]

Don't expect much of the Hot Rod's OD channel. Good for blues if you keep the gain low, though.

Recommended settings:

Bass: 10 o' clock;
mids: 12 o'clock;
treble: 2 to 3 o' clock:
presence: 2 o'clock.

[Scotty477]

I don't think I'm going to be able to find out anytime soon regarding the HRDX.

The seller of the amp hasn't responded since I won it. Possibly it was too low a price - £227.

On the plus side the TSL601 is showing real promise. With my LP straight in - no effects - it growls and snaps away on the lead channel (OD2) when I'm playing riffs and licks. Solo's on the same channel nail that creamy Marshall tone.

The OD1 has less bite but I think once I fully explore it I'll find that it's perfect for rhythm.

The clean channel is basically a blank canvas for me to use in other ways ...  :twisted:

I experimented with using my Tonelab LE with the TSL.

First I put it through the front of the amp - using reverb and delay with the OD1 and OD2 channels. As expected it didn't perform well. The effects themselves were distorted and didn't sound good.

I then put the Tonelab through the FX loop and the results were much, much better. After tweaking the levels, gains, EQ etc on both the TSL and LE I setteled on a balance of good tone and crystal effects.

If I'm noodling I'll probably use this setup. When I'm recording I'll just use the raw amp miked up and add the desired effects later in the mix.

I bought myself an SM57, XLR cable and boom stand today, so I'm all set to go ...  :D

A pity about the HRDX but that's the way it goes sometimes, I suppose.

I'll just have to make do with the Marshall instead  

[Crazy_Joe]

That's a pity, it's the sellers fault, if they didn't want it to go for that much then there should have been a reserve.

[Scotty477]

I've had zero communication from the seller. To be honest, I'm not too bothered about it, because the TSL601 is turning out to be so good.

It was a journey into stormy waters, buying that amp but I was swayed into buying it because I got a general feel from reviews of the amp that if you had a good guitar (and pups), then the amp would respond.

At the moment this seems to be the case. I'm not getting the over compressed tone that I saw many people claim they got. I'm getting a rich, saturated sound that is ideal for my needs. With my LP and Emerald pups it sounds more like a high gain 70's tone than a modern one.

Time will tell but I can see this amp being with me for a long time yet.

[viking]

That sounds really nice  8) !Could you describe the Emerald's ?Versus the Mule's,for exemple?

[Crazy_Joe]

I've had zero communication from the seller. To be honest, I'm not too bothered about it, because the TSL601 is turning out to be so good.

It was a journey into stormy waters, buying that amp but I was swayed into buying it because I got a general feel from reviews of the amp that if you had a good guitar (and pups), then the amp would respond.

At the moment this seems to be the case. I'm not getting the over compressed tone that I saw many people claim they got. I'm getting a rich, saturated sound that is ideal for my needs. With my LP and Emerald pups it sounds more like a high gain 70's tone than a modern one.

Time will tell but I can see this amp being with me for a long time yet.

Nice :D

[JJretroTONEGOD]

Do you not find the TSL601 to sound extremley harsh? I found it sounded extremley bad from my experience. I have also owned the LTD edition Fender Deluxe in cream colour w/Jensen C12N and that was by far the best one.

[JJretroTONEGOD]

After tweaking the levels, gains, EQ etc on both the TSL and LE I setteled on a balance of good tone and crystal effects.

what does this mean? what is a crystal effect?

[Scotty477]

That should read crystal clear - as opposed to how muddy it sounded with the delay/reverb through the front.

I'm not finding the TSL harsh at all. Quite the reverse really. It sounds rich and warm to my ears. You'll have to bear in mind that I'm basing this on my experiences of non tube amps. This is the first time I've had a non solid state amp, so the difference in tone is very marked indeed. Even at that, I'm not hearing it to be anything like harsh.

I plan to do some miked up and direct in recording this weekend. I'll just be using the amp reverb with no other effects, so what will be on the recordings should be accurate.