Ah, Marshall. The mere mention of the legendary Marshall name conjures up images of bands like Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk Railroad, BTO, AC/DC, and all of the other really LOUD classic hard-rock bands that we've all come to know and love (or hate).

As a long-time guitarist I've owned 3 Marshall Amps over the years, a JCM800, a rackmount 8080, and now the JCM2000 DSL.

WHAT IS IT?
The JCM2000 DSL (DSL Stands for "Dual Super Lead") comes in both 100w and 50w flavors, features 2 switchable channels (ultra-gain and classic gain), reverb on both channels, a 'deep-boost' swich (amplifies the low-end harmonics to beef up your sound), a 'tone-shift' switch (scoops out the mids for a heavy metal sound), and presence, high, mid, and low EQ knobs (that cover both channels). All of this enclosed in the classic Marshall-look head unit. On the inside we have 4 Svetlana EL84 power tubes (2 for the 50w version), and 4 ECC83 preamp tubes (again, 2 for the 50w version). The amp will run you about $1150 new, and it comes with one single pedal footswitch that you can use for either channel or reverb switching.

WHY BUY IT?
First off, it should be noted that Marshall amps are NOT known for their overwhelming array of high-tech features. You won't find any on-board effects, XLR connectors or LED's on this amp. What you will find, though, is that wonderfully famous Marshall sound. You know, the sound of Rock and Roll, in all of it's glorious forms. You will also find a 5-year warranty, and the admiration of all your musician friends as they gawk at your top-of-the-line purchase.

The sounds you can wrangle out of this baby are almost limitless. You can get the sweetest clean sound, or the raunchiest thrash metal sound you have ever heard. You will definitely tweak a few knobs before you find what you want, but once you find it, you will be in Nirvana. This amp is suitable for almost every sound out there including Rockabilly, Soft Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal/Thrash, Country (belch), Jazz, etc.

BUT IS IT LOUD??
I would congratulate anyone who manages to push the 100w version of this head past "5". This sucker is LOUD LOUD LOUD. It will crank to the point of physical pain and more, and sound GREAT doing it. And the louder you get, the better it sounds. Try a Marshall power brake with this amp, and hear what you've been missing.

OK, BUT IS IT DURABLE??
Well, I don't know. I haven't owned the amp long enough to tell you if it's road-worthy or not. What I can tell you is that I've owned my JCM800 for over 10 years, and thrown it in a lot of trucks and trailers, and it has never failed me. The JCM2000 uses almost an identical housing, so the 2000 should perform equally well under tough conditions.

YEAH YEAH, BUT IS IT WORTH IT???
In a word: YES. You can't go wrong with a Marshall. Sure you could go out and buy another quality brand Amp, but it's JUST NOT A MARSHALL!!! Want to earn the respect and awe of your bandmates? You ain't gonna do it with a Mesa-Boogie. Although Mesa makes some killer amps, it's just not the same. Spend the extra dough, and make an investment in your talent. This is the kind of amp that you'll keep your whole life.

ARE YOU RELATED TO JIM MARSHALL?
No, I just know quality when I see it. Go ask anybody who knows; Marshall is the name in Rock amplification.

And....
That's my two cents.

--MGB

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