Marshall DBS 7400 Bass Head

I reviewed my Marshall DBS 7400 with the 4x12 Marshall cabinet, way back in (if you would like to read the original review) --06/18/2003.

I love the appearance, it sounds good, very few bassists own one or one that has been modified to be gig worthy-and the 4x12 Cab looks so professional, often you get gigs by appearance.

Marshall had a full page ad running in music magazines, when the DBS 7400 first came out: Big color photos and the line: "A Marshall Guitar Players Learn to Hate."

I call the speaker cabinet "the Fridgidaire" because in a way it is iconic and just OUT there!

Fan noise is quiet and can be a problem in a small club. I WISH it had 2 channels like the Mesa Boogie Titan V-12, so you could have one channel clean and the other one, with effects for solo.

I think that would have been too much, since it would compete with their guitar line up of amps-but I do notice that new Marshalls in the compact and combo size do have 2 channels.

You really train your ears on listening to the sound from the 4x12's-what EQ and settings-the Gain, the Master volume. One trick I do, is that I have a high end Shure Wireless on my Guitar Strap-so while the band is playing-I can jog out to where the audience is, here what the bass mix really sounds like, and fix it with the guitar EQ and tone settings.
I have heard many bassist enjoy their tone ON Stage-and the other guys like it to keep time with-but 40 feet out, it sounds like "mud"--"too thin" or completely lost in the band mix. Think. If you want good SOUND QUALITY you have to fight for it, and a good wireless will help you do that.

This is the tough one. Years ago, amps were run by 'point to point wiring"....now it is all chips, solder and PC Board and the metal is not the same quality so you are going to get corrosion in the jacks from the effects loops and on....

Have a good guy-upgrade everthing. Then it is a gem.

none

very good.

Amp bought new in 1996. It looks very tatty as I have gigged it a heck of a lot.
I team it with a 1964 Vox AC 30 and have all instruments (Fender Jazz, Wal fretless, Yamaha SA 503 Troy Leeuwen guitar, mandolin, bouzouki... and banjo!!) going through both via a mixer. The Marshall works well in this situation.

The fan.... noisy, or what! Obviously not a problem when playing.
The amp has a good range, but I never shift it off the 'valve' setting; I love the warmth and it complements the Vox. The eq is normally set on flat because of the mixer, as I've found that's what works for me. I have gigged it occasionally on its own when I have just played bass and the eq is very useful... very versatile.

I play Irish/Scottish music in a loud, raw fashion with a squeezebox player and a drummer which means we have the tune and the beat and I have to do all the rest, so such a wide-ranging amp is brilliant.

I should have it serviced by now, I know: I must be on borrowed time here! The right hand input has NEVER worked from day one, but I've never fretted about it enough to have it fixed. the amp seems to switch on and make noises ok when I get to gigs.

I haven't used them... so far....

I've been playing 30 years and the only other bass amp I have owned was a small Polytone(got left somewhere after a club gig!), a Peavy keyboard amp (I was mainly playing keyboard then and put bass through it occasionally) and the home made amp which I first had when I started playing.
I have 8 basses and they've all sounded great through it, but I think the Steinberger, for example, sounds better through something like a Trace Elliot.

I think my recently aquired 7400 Amp and 7410 cab were discontinued in 2000ish and was firt produced in '94, with the following features: (copied from the previous poster - Thanks Dude)
Active / Passive, DI, Gain, Primary EQ, 9 Band Graphic, Compression, Link In/Out, Twin Speaker output, Solid state / valve preamp blend.

Rated at 400W RMS with the ability to cope with peaks upto 4000W!... well that's what the blurb says!?!
Anyway you look at it, this thing has serious 'wattage' capabilities (though I only play in clubs and bars) It's kinda novel being told to 'dial it back, man' by the lead guitarist... I use the DBS 7410 (4x10") cab designed for this head, and cannot envisage needing any more power!

I use a Birdsong Corto, with Lace and Lace Sensor pick-ups and round wounds. The other one is an Ibanez SR500 with standard bartolini Mk1 soapbars and heavy gauge, flat wounds with foam under the strings near the bridge (trying for the 60s/70s P-Bass sound)
I play blues, Rock n Roll, Southern Rock etc etc (currently learning some Latin styles for another outfit)

The thing I love about this amp is the blendable digital/valve pre-amp. This really does have a huge impact on the sound from a warm, full sound to that crisp and punchy mids sound. With this and the Primary EQ (which allows you to enhance or reduce 'Hi' or 'Low') I don't think I need anything else... although the graphic eq allows you to play with the sound even more... but I can be bothered!

Now, I have it cos the last owner said he couldn't trust it... but he fell foul of the poor Nutric cable problem... and in fairness Marshall do warn you about this.

Anyway, it's old(ish), needs a service (dust in and around the switches cause crackles and pops when operated) and looks 'less loved' than other rigs of similar age. But it hasn't let me down in 8 months.
I have found out that the previous owner had two suspect sets of leads and kept interchanging them... and it would now appear it was BOTH of them that caused the problem... cause with new leads this thing fired straight up and has continued to do so!

Now this is where this thing blew me away!
I bought the rig second-hand. It was discontinued over 7 years ago... So Marshall owe me nothing...
I e-mailed Marshall to see if they had any original leads for the system, and if they didn't, could they point me in the right direction for a set they could recommend...
I got a nice e-mail from a very helpful lady called Georgia, who said she'd check-it out.
Georgia then e-mailed me to ask how long I needed the cables and she would have some made up for me... which I thought was pretty damned good of her... THEN Georgia e-mails me saying an original set has been found and I can have them...delivered... FREE OF CHARGE!!!

Now I know Marshall kit isn't the cheapest in the world... but if so many top artistes choose Marshall it can't be mediocre stuff, can it? But to get after-sales support of such outstanding quality totally negates ANY negative side to Marshall purchase/ownership I can think of! I AM NOW A HUGE MARSHALL FAN!

Been playing about 5 years. My previous rig (now relegated to gig spare) is an Ashdown Superfly and Eden cab. I have a Roland Cube 100 (for practise). But of all the revalations I have had as I learn my instrument, and the great surprises my new purchases have provided me with... this old, un-loved looking head and Cab stand out above anything else in my experience for pure sound quality, versatility and fantastic customer support.
I would beg, steal or borrow the money to buy another Marshall rig if anything happended to this rig!

??400 for amp and cab... bargain!

If you haven't heard of the Marshall Dynamic Bass system... try and check one out (although they're not made anymore) Made from 94 to 2000 I think.
I bought this thing second hand and in poor-ish condition. The guy had lost the Nutric cab leads and and failed to read Harmony Central for tips about how important the leads are!

It has a blendable valve/digital pre-amp, 9 Channel graphic equaliser to name but a few features. Do a search to find out the full spec... it's worth the time it takes!

I use this amp with a Marshall DBS 7410 cab (designed for the head) and an Ibanez SR 500 with flatwounds and a Birdsong Corto with round wounds. I play mostly blues, classic rock, Rock'n'Roll etc. I only play in pubs and clubs so I haven't yet needed to fully explore its full power potential... but it's kind of strange to be told to turn the bass down wherever we go!

My current Ashdown Superfly has been relegated to back-up. Its a good amp.... just not a patch on the Marshall.
The power and warmth of the sound of this head an cab is incredible (rated at 400W with ability to cope with peaks of up to 4000W!). The blendable pre-amp is, for me, the most impressive feature. I have foam under the strings, near the bridge on my Ibanez to try to get that 60s/70s P-bass sound. The Superfly didn't really capture the effect I was after... but the Marshall!!!!! Leaving everything else on mid settings I tend only to use the blend switch to change my sound from that crisp clear sound full of mids to that warm fuzzy sound, but with surprising clarity.
I have been unable to push this thing to make it distort... so i don't know if the sound changes drastically when driven hard

Now this thing can be a bit temperamental when playing about with the graphic equaliser. Admittedly it needs a good servie and after what I've learned about the after sales support from Marshall, it should be an absolute pleasure (please read the comments on after sales support).
Thsi tends to be the reason I stick with the all-conquoring blend switch.

Having bought this amp & cab second hand Marshall owe me nothing... But I contacted then after reding previous comments about the problems of not using the correct cab/head leads.
This fantastic lady called Georgia (a goddess if all is said and done) said she would get onto it. She e-mailed me asking what length of lead I needed. And then this vision of loveliness (No, I've never met her... no, she's not related!) sent an e-mail saying she found some of the originals in stock and was going to send me them as a present!!!

I know Marshall kit is not the cheapest, but then would professional musicians settle for cheap??? But I have to say that on after-sales support alone, I would by Marshall everytime! Ashdown are nowhere near as helpfull!!

This kit was not cheap when new, and not cheap second-hand...but is possibly all I will need from now on. I have a Superfly as a back-up but just don't like to use it after being spoiled by the DBS 7400.
I would move heaven and earth to find another 7400, if poss, with its 7410 cab should anything happen to mine. I would entertain buying another Marshall Bass system if I could not find another DBS... but the boss would have to OK the money!!

Active / Passive, DI, Gain, Primary EQ, 9 Band Graphic, Compression, Link In/Out, Twin Speaker output, Solid state / valve preamp blend.
All the features you will ever need.

I use a SGC Nanyo Bass Collection with mine. This generates a warm tone on the valve or a punch on the solid state.
No hum from it at all, no burps or unwanted blips.
Well able to keep up with guitarist and drummer.
I use the 7115 and 7410 DBS cabs.

Sometimes get a bit of distortion on the very low end - not sure if this is just a grol or if the valve in the preamp may need replacing.

Also same problem as per other reviewer - solved by looping the effects in / out.

I always take a backup, but that could be me being overly cautious.

Whenever dealt with Marshall hey have always delivered a top service. It halps living just 1.5 hours drive away from the factory though.

I would definately reccomend this amp - shame Marshall didn't develop it further.
If lost - I'd be in the hunt for another.

Owned for around 12 years brought second hand. Active/Passive inputs, compression, graphic EQ, valve/solid state blend on preamp.

Used with Ernie Ball Stingray 4 string (active)playing rock covers/classic rock. Gave me all the headroom I needed for pub gigs, able to DI for larger gigs.

Never broken down, one small problem I encountered was an intermittent input signal which I narrowed down to the effects send/return/input loop. I overcame this by looping the effect send/return inputs if not using effects.

Not used.

Been playing for years semi professionally, would replace if available. I use it with the DBS 4x10 cabinet for portability. I have a Fender Rumble for rehearsal and the only thing it has that the Marshall doesn't is CD input/headphones.

This amp is pretty versatile: With tupe preamp and 9x equalizer you can dail-in pretty much the tone you want. DI-Out and active / passive in completes the picture. Most important: 400 Watts of big muscle (through the DBS Systems) really moves serious air.

We play rock covers (see: www.rockfever-band.de) - mostly from the 70ies and 80ies. This is the amp for this shit !

The amp produces a very loud and voluminous bass tone. However (for my taste ...) it misses a bit the aggressive mid / high tone attack I like for a little funk every now and then. Therfor I added an amp modeller to get a bit more attack - if needed.

I used this with the "small" DBS rig (1 x 15 / 2 x 10) which is a little outpowered by the 7400. Got a good deal on the "big" 2 x 15 / 4 x 10: This is the right combination to kill a loud drummer and two fullstack Marshall guitaramps.

Build like a rock - however (acc. to the guys @ Session Music) there is a bit of design flaw. There is a poorly constructed switch between preamp (valve) and the main-amp. Every 2 - 3 years this switch dies and needs replacement. Not a big thing, if you know what the problem is.

Never dealt with Marshall direct.

For Rock Music: This is T H E Amp. I played Warwick, Ampegs, SWR, Glockenklang, Hartke, Eden, Markbass ... . Almost nothing comes close in terms of VOLUME and punch.

Bought mine on ebay quite a while a go - there's a good deal available on ebay every now and then. Couple of weeks back I just bought a second one: You can couple these beasts in preparation for the stadium tour ;-) and also have a spare amp, just in case ... .

I have had my Marhsall 7400head and 7410 cab with horn for the last 10 years and have never wished to sell or trade it. I have always found the amp plentiful in features. The eq has a brilliant range but would have to agree with some of the other reviewers in relation to the compression. There is no happy medium with it.

I play a fender jazz, fender p, Ibanez BTB5 string and a warwick and find that to get the best out of each I have had to invest in a Boss GT-6B just to set up the specific sound when changing from guitar to guitar on stage. The 4x10 cab certainly pushes out enough volume but I found the addition of the GT-6b really allowed the cabinet the refinement to handle the B string on the 5 string which when played clean tended to distort. I am currently on the lookout for a 2x15 DBS cab to compliment the 7410 which should really allow for the full range to be catered for!

I was having problems with the tubes but a good search for some good quality tubes solved this. Over heating was a problem as well. They say no user serviceable parts inside, but that isn't going to stop me getting in a cleaning the crap that builds up on the fan from playing dusty atmospheres. I had to replace the Valve/solid state pot but this was simple after an awkward time getting it free. All in all if the amp blew up tomorrow, I would not be able to cry as she has served me well over the last ten years.

I have never had to use the customer support of Marshall but having a good techie on hand always helps. My techie is not even an expert in the field of amps or instruments. He just like tinkering around with pc boards and generally fixing anything that breaks!

I would rate the Marshall DBS 7400 and 7410 as simply as Marshall intended. It is a Dynamic Bass System. I have played lots of other systems and even though my system is now 12 plus years old, I would not swap it. I would love to get the 7215 to really promote my support for this product. I really think that Marshall put a lot of effor into there equipment and then just drop it. Sometimes too much investment in research and development leaves them having to justify themselves by bringing out a new version every couple of years. Just look at Marshall now trying to match the sound that Jimi got. Why not just have stopped on that model for a while! DBS could have long competed with the likes of Trace Elliott, Ampeg, SWR, Eden etc if it hadn't of been so expensive to start with.

Hybrid tube/solid state pre-amp. 400 watts with apparently a transient peak allowance for extra headroom. Sperate graphic, effects loop, tuner out di out etc. 3 u rackmount.

Geart sounding amp, with nice growl from pre amp if need be, loads of headroom, rarely ran out of volume which I have done with most amps. Used loads of babbes from a variety of Fender jazzes to steinbergers. sounded great with all.

Generally pretty good considering it did nearly 1500 hard rockin' gigs in the 10 years I had it. had to have a bit of attention every now and again. Occasional problaems with internal cooling fan rattling loose, DI working loose and front and rear panel screws getting threaded from so much use.

Marshall are the best ever for service. I live less than an hour away from their factory in Milton Keynes England, and all you have to to is book a time, turn up and in half a day they'll fix any problem. I had all the from pots renewed and all rear sockets changed, for including labour #35 ($50 approx !). Amazing!!!!!!

I bought this amp new in 1992 when it had not long been out, complete with the matching 600watt 2 x15 and 800watt 4 x10 DBS cabs. Have been well happy with it all. Sold it in 2002 and have since bought lots of other amps, and have even looked to buy anothre as a spare. I'm a pro player gigging all the time and would highly recommend this amp...

Got a deal on the 7400 DBS in '95 as a close-out item on sale at Sam Ash in NYC after reading review in Bass Player Magazine. Had it shipped to Los Angeles via truck/shipper -was not expensive to ship cross country for some reason, despite the weight. I opted for the DBS 4x12" Speaker cabinet-as I was sick of getting blown away in Power Trio situations with my existing Ampeg SVT-3 and matching 8x10 cab.

The manual was pretty lame that came with it-not at all like the kind of manual/book you get with say, an SWR unit-but hey this
was a very unique amp and I bought it more or less blind-except for the BP Review and Marshall's reputation. I also saw bassist
Will Lee, use one on the David Letterman Show as well.

This amp is billed as "Dynamic" as it had TWO amps. There is a sensor that detects when you are running out of headroom, and the second amp kicks in-thus giving you potential power spikes of 4000 watts (out of the 7400 Head) which is why to get the UL Approval they had to go with blue Nutric (sp) speaker cables, much like you see on heavy powered PA Systems. I was told the warranty would be void on the head if you matched this beast
(the 7400 head) with any other speaker cabinet other than Marshall.

Well the amp appearance is stunning. Heavy black metal grill on the cab-road ready wheels, on the bottom of the 165 lb 4x12" cabinet which I can actually joggle up and down stairs-something that cheaply carpeted Peavey 8x10 speaker cabs, with inverted wheels could never do. The birch wood cabinet construction is built solid and seems well designed for the amount of volume you may be pushing thru the cabinet.

The typical "gold" Marshall front of the 7400 amphead-does get alot of notice, appearance wise in club situations or gigs by many a curious guitarist or bassist, as this DBS System was discontinued by Marshall relatively quickly and you just don't see-
many around-especially for a bassist. Marshall seems to be fickle in maintaining its bass models around-which could point to design cost, poor sales or design flaw. Who knows.

OK...the sound and use of this amp:
Big thing for a bass player is dependability. When you hit the ON switch-at a gig-you better have it come to life on stage and NOT crap out on you. This goes for any amp. I had trouble with the crappy connections on Hartke heads before-so I expected this expensive Marshall to be work and be reliable. I am not one to abuse amps-so this is not too much to ask.
Well it did sit around, in my house not being played for awhile-but that is because-I simply could not depend on it.

The sneer of a band leader when your expensive pig bass amp does not fire up, is not fun-on a paid gig.

So, I used another amps from 1995-2000. The pre amp would fizzle then come on with a bang-and as I said-was not reliable.
Certainly suspect was the Nutric speaker cables that twist on the back of the gear-but I had two sets and would swap them without any improvement of this intermittent power problem.

I took it to one Amp shop-he moved some things around in the head chassis and said he clean some connections etc. What a bummer lugging a 165lb 4x12 cabinet and 40 lb matching head to some Amp repair shop-TWICE and each time having it toast me on live gig-or not even fire up every time in my living room.

Now you could say it got damaged in shipping from NYC to LA--or from England to the US-but I don't think so...
This is good road worthy gear. I remember reading a Mitch Mitchell book (drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience) and
how amazed he was that the Marshall gear would be thrown
bear naked in a plane cargo section-dropped down the conveyor belt and still work fine at a Hendrix show. (and Jimi abused the heck out of his stuff)

Well, I finally found another amp repair shop in Los Angeles on referral from the dude that sets up my bass. This guy, works out the garage in his house-and was working on the vintage amp gear of the Red Hot Chili Peppers when I

I play finger style bass thru an Ernie Ball Sterling 4 string bass.
I have used Alembic, Gibson and Fender as well. This amp
when working-is good for jazz, rock or R&B-be careful with the settings. A BBE Sonic Maximizer helps as well. I also use
an SWR Interstellar Overdrive tube rack unit -for abit more growl.

These 4x12's move lot of air. The sound can leap over a drum
kit. Be sensitive to vocals. This thing can clobber the PA-so
be sensitive to the singer. Remember this thing can spit out
4000 watts spikes of power with the sensor and extra headroom.

This amp almost got sold- for pennies on the dollar. Thankfully, it all worked out.

My tip: have a good guitar tech and one amazing amp tech-
because one day-you may need a miracle.
The manufacturer is in England so in the US we use our
personal guru's for service- especially if you live in LA or NYC.
AND You take a chance buying on the iternet or from out of state
music stores that ship the gear-from far away. But we are all
looking for that great price, aren't we?

I doubt if an authorized service center would have told me to use
good quality heavy duty custom speaker cables and throw the nutrick (sp) cables in the trash.

It can't be bought new-so I would buy perhaps the new Marshall
VBA 400 or check out an well reviewed new system in a medium price range. This would be in the event that was lost or stolen.

I am happy with my DBS- system because of it's unique power design-very good sound and I know alot more about of it. There is still a challenge to use that EQ system to it's full potential!

This amp has enough power to play anywhere (including stadiums), but you don't have to crank it to get good tone.
This amp is wildly popular in europe, but did not sell large quatntities in the US. The DBS stands for "dynamic bass system". This refers to the dual power supplies. Basically, it has unbelievable headroom (400 watts continuous, 4000 watt peaks).


Basically this has most everything you need.
Features include:
-Hi and Lo Inputs
-Gain Controls
-Valve/Solid State Blendable Input Pre-amp
-Hi & Lo Primary EQ Controls Rotary controls
-Deep and Bright Push Switches
-Compression with depth control (ok, not great)
-9 Band Graphic Equaliser Footswitchable
-DI Pre or Post EQ Selection Switch
-Instrument Level Buffered Tuner Output
-Effects Send and Return Jacks
-Line Output with Level Control
-DI XLR Output with Pad Switch
-Footswitch Jack For graphic EQ
-Neutrik Speakon Connectors

I give it an 8 because the compression is kind of lame. I don't use it.

I play an Alembic Essence 4-string. I also use Marshall's 7410 (4x10 with horn) cabinet. The sound is unreal. Whether you I am playing at speaking levels accompanying an acoustic guitar, or letting it rip, the bottom on this is completely tight. This is an amp that you feel more than hear. When I am playing, I go to total autopilot mode. I don't get that feeling with most other amps. The only amp that is comparable is the EDEN WT600 through a EDEN D-410XST.

We play primarily rock & roll. Sort of Phil Lesh meets Alan Woody (RIP) meets Victor Wooten (these are the guys are my gods; I do not compare myself to them).

I tried this rig when I was playing my Mesa 400+ through a Mesa 2X15 cabinet. I didn?t know I was in the market for an amp, but this blew me away. I had tried the SWR?s, but liked the Mesa better. It wasn?t until I tried this that I knew I wanted a different sound. This has at least as much depth as the Mesa, but adds so much in terms of punchiness and clarity.

The sound is thick & oozing, but always stays tight on bottom. You can voice complex bass chords without getting muddy. They glow. With the 7410 cabinet, you can play anywhere.

With the controls on this thing, you can make it do whatever you like. The footswitchable eq is nice. I use it more as a volume boost / cut than anything else.

Never a problem, hundreds of gigs. Then again, I have never had any problems with any of my stuff (I replaced tubes on the Mesa, but that is regular maintenance- like chainging the oil).

I have not needed it, and doubt I will (this is nearly indestructible), but I don't have the warm fuzzies about Marshall after the sale. They do not have the hands-on loving of Mesa.

$2100 with cabinet

I love this amp.
My only real complaint is that the cabinet is 125 lbs. This will eventually land me in the hospital.

If it were lost or stolen, I would likely buy it again.