Marshall JCM-2000 TSL 100

Anyone who has looked at this amp will understand the complexity of the many knobs and buttons on the TSL 100. I count 21 knobs and 9 switches on the front panel alone.

It has 3 channels, clean, crunch and lead, which is plenty for me, I rarely use the crunch channel. There are loads of small useful features like a 25% power mode and an output mute for recording through the DI on the back.

This was sold to me from a guy who rented amps like this, and he said it was too complicated for someone to use only once, so he had to sell if for something simpler, so this does make me think; are there too many features?

First of all, I noticed even in power attenuated mode that this amp is LOUD. I've had this amp for about 4 months now and I have never turned off the power attenuation switch. Even for gigs in medium sized venues it's got plenty of volume at 25%, so maybe if you're just playing at home I would go for a TSL60.

I really like the clean channel on this amp, you have to push it quite hard to get it to break up, but it's beautiful when it does. I like to take a bit off bass out of my clean channel because it can be overly bassy and this can ruin the nice high end of this channel.

The crunch channel does what is says on the tin; it has a nice crunch to it. I don't use this channel as much as the other two but it's the easiest to work with. It doesn't take much tweaking to sound great.

I use the lead channel the most and this is the most disappointing for me. I've spent so long tweaking it to a good sound, it should be easier than that. The gain has a nasal frequency to it that immediately made me take away the high end. After a few weeks I realised that this wasn't the way to go and understood the distortion works well in a mix, but not always on it's own.

However, when you crank up this amp this channel begins to sing and all plastic nasalness begins to fade away.

Overall this amp is very versatile and I could almost guarantee you that you'd be happy with this amp whatever genre of music you play.

I have only had this amp for 4 months, and of course there have been no real problems, but there have been a few small ones.

The footswitch:
The footswitch itself is built like a brick s*ithouse and will NEVER break, but the cheap plastic cable that comes with it will. The footswitch stopped working on me mid-gig which was incredibly frustrating, however it seems to work fine if I loop it through the handle of the amp before plugging it in, the pins may not be aligned properly or something?

Also, there is a loose spring in the reverb unit, and this rattles whenever you move the amp. There is nothing actually wrong with the reverb unit, it's just a bit annoying rattling away while driving to a gig, and was quite an alarming sound at first.

But as I said above, these are both minor problems and overall this amp has been rock solid, even second hand.

For a while I owned this amp without a speaker cabinet, and decided to try and plug it into the inbuilt speaker on my AVT combo. I wasn't sure if the impedances would match up so I emailed the Marshall Customer Suport, and they came back with an answer 3 weeks later that was barely related to my question and didn't help in the slightest.

I emailed another two times and got similair answers (one being "you should not connect the outputs of the AVT or TSL to anything other than a speaker"), so I emailed the guy I bought it off and he gave me the all clear.

So this rather long and strange story is to say that from my experiences with Marshall customer support they haqve not been helpful at all.

However, saying this I've had friends who've sent amps off to receive them a week later fixed.

Overall I do love this amp, I believe I got a great deal out of it for ??320, and I play on it a lot. The small disadvantages don't outweigh the advantages of this amp at all and it is great for me.

However, if it were lost or stolen I think I would look at purchasing a DSL100 as I don't use the crunch channel that much.

I think this amp would be better if the gain was a bit more toned on the lead channel. I am planning to buy a graphic EQ to put in front of it, and I shouldn't have to do that. I still adore this amp though, and would reccomend it.

I bought this amp used and it's a 2003. I believe the guy before me had it in a head case so it looks like it's brand new. I play alternative and heavy rock music and I find the amp versatile enough to get all the tones I need. I like the independent reverb per channel feature since I only like a lot of reverb on the clean sounds. The FX A and B I haven't really found a use for yet ... maybe I'll play around with it and see what I can come up with. I love the VPR switch but It defiantly deadens tone but at least you don't deaden your ears while practicing because it is pretty loud. Why is the actual cabinet so huge though? Ow well ....

I use a Gibson BFG and a BC Rich platinum mockingbird. The FX I use are a EB jr volume pedal and an EB wah in line. Through the send I used a Boss CE-5, PH-3 and a DD-7. I can make very small adjustments with the FX level on the amp which isn't possible with other amps ... It's usually on or off. Im running the amp through an Orange PPc412 so the vintage 30's RIP! at first I found this amp a little muddy but I turned down the bass and hit the deep switch which seems to be a frequency below the bass in this amp probably at the 150 HZ range. Im not overly fond of the clean tones in this amp but I've tweaked it enough that I've gotten the sound I'm used to. Overall I like it

Haven't had it long enough for it to die. I know the foot switch midi thing is crap because Peavey already showed the world how much they suck. My only complaint is why the hell does a $1500 amp have plastic jacks? ... what ever

Marshall in my neck of the woods is hard to deal with directly. I guess I would have to deal with grant rustle of Ericson Music. He's a cool dude ... Marshalls don't break down very often so I think customer service is gonna be ok

I love it

A three channel Marshall. Each with its own voicing. Spring reverb is great. Has a power reduction feature that works well for low volume situations. Separate tone sections for each channel. Quite a few other features you can read about on HC or elsewhere.

Sound quality is excellent. Use a Les Paul, the TSL 100 and a 1960 AV 4x12 cab with V-30s. With proper setting of guitar and amp settings the rig chimes. With the Les Paul volume not on max and the crunch channel gain not too high it chimes. The clean channel is awesome also. For each of the three channels the sound quality depends on amp and guitar settings.

With a Stratocaster the rig sound awesome with guitar vol maxed out. Again, time was spent finding the best (IMHO) amp/guitar settings for the tone I am looking for.

I'll give it a 9 if you spend time tweeking in the tone. You can get that Marshall roar and not destroy your ear drums if you work the guitar & amp controls for best tone. Especially on the crunch channel when strumming chords can make the distortion somewhat brutal if using a Les Paul and all guitar controls are maxed out.

Using either a Les Paul or Strat, the amp has very sweet harmonics, a signature of a good tube amp.

Yea, the footswitch and cable could be a bit more robust. Treat the footswitch gently as you should the amp. I have had no problems with the amp since buying it in 2005 but I take good care of my gear.

Took it in for a checkup at a certified Marshall amp shop. They were great but be careful about who you let work on you gear, just like a car. Don't like that you can't get a service manual for those of us who know how to work on guitar amps. Seems like a justification to get you to take it in for service like a car.

Awesome amp. You will have to spend time to tweek in the tones you like for each channel.

Many reviews list the features.

I have had this amp for 5 years now. I changed over from a Mesa Dual Rectifier. The mid range frequency response was the #1 reason...this amp punches through and sits in the mix very well. No competing with the bass for frequencies when you tune standard.

Using a cab with V30's is the ticket for the tone I like. responsive and thick. I bought and sold a 1960A cab quickly. Used it for a couple gigs, and the tone was just too thin and bright. While this could work in a 2 guitar band, I play and sing for a 3-piece and need that thickness.

I don't use the effects loop or the tone / deep switches. I run this amp into a Mesa Rectifier Traditional 4x12 cab with V30's. I ALWAYS keep a THD Hot Plate betweent he amp and the cab. This enables me to lower the stage volume when the venue requires it...without miffing my tone too much. At rehaearsal I always keep it at 4db of attenuation. And it's still LOUD.

The amp itself has performed thorugh at least 200+ gigs. With regular tube replacements (JJ's), I have had 0 problems with the amp itself.

But, the cord for the footswitch sucks. I cut it at both ends and ocnverted it to use a Cat5 jack (computer network cable). This has worked like a champ, with not problems afterwards. It's too bad they didn't set it up this way in the first place. AND...unfortunately there's not really any room in the chassis to add a jack cleanly.

I'm writing this review because this amp fricken ROCKS. You can get just about any tone you want out of it without pedals, tons more with.

The only thing I wish was a bit different would have been the ability to use a regular footswitch, instead of their proprietary switch with a daughter board and crapola cable.

I occasionally play with other bands that have guitar players that live on the internet, and all that it is. You have to play out to really understand how tone and all this stuff works. One time a guy saw my TSL and scoffed at it. Said I should have a Mesa head on the cab. I just smiled and said the TSL sounds great for me. After the show, he said he had no idea a TSl could sound so good. Doh!

I have been playing for 16 years, live for the last 8. I play a Les Paul into a Fulltone Wah, and that's it for the guitar rig.

Mine is an early production, 1998. These had some incorrect parts installed, and although I used and enjoyed it, the bias feed resistors on these early amps are 220K, instead of 5.6K!!!. My bandmates TSL always sounded better, until I discovered and corrected this anomaly. So that is MY FIRST TIP on these wonderful, versatile amps.
The second is to lower the value of the treble bleed capacitors on the crunch and lead channels. Yes, you may need a tech to do this, but you want classic bluesy rock tones, don't you? These are bright beasts out of the box. With the gain at about 6-7, a value of 100-220pf is a wonder to behold, compared to the stock value of 470pf. WAY too bright. Of course, if this cap is totally removed, it is the same as diming the gain...it is out of the circuit on 10. My bandmate plays a strat, and his are simply removed.
The clean channel has only a 100pf cap...and it sounds great from the factory.
I never use the reverb, or the effects sections. Although they are both more than decent.

Sound quality for my amp is rated AFTER the following simple upgrades. Without these upgrades, they can sound fuzzy, indistinct, and have a lack of "feel".
1. Upgrade ALL of the tubes. I prefer JJ tubes. Was a huge improvement over showroom stock. This is a MUST.
2. Put a Mercury Magnetics output transformer in. THIS IS NIGHT AND DAY. The stock unit sounds lifeless and two dimensional in comparison.
More chime, clarity, warmth, balls, crunch with growl, etc.
3.Put a Mercury Magnetics choke in the power supply. Not as huge as the tranny, but noticeable, with more feel and smoothness of tone.
4. Make sure that the treble bleed capacitors across the gain pots on the crunch and lead channels are lowered. They have 100pf on the clean(perfect)...but 470pf on the others. I ended up with 220pf. Way nicer and less biting with gain settings of 6/7.
5. Make sure, if you have an early production model, that the bias feed resistors are the correct value of 5.6K. I am not the only one to have discovered this....do a google search...
I use Marshall 1960A Vintage cabs, with two G12H anniversaries in an X pattern, and usually mic the G12H...
I also have a mint pair of older JCM800 2X12 1936 cabs with G1265's in them for rehearsals....
Both of these cabs types and speakers are hands down better (in every way) than the standard G12T75 cabs, especially with these heads, for classic rock tones. I am not a greenback fan with these higher gain amps.
These amps have all the gain you could ever need for any type of rock, other than modern metal...however vintage Judas Priest is metal, and these can nail that easily and more...
These aren't a "living room" amp. They sound great live, whether in a club or on a large stage outdoors.
My crunch/lead settings are Bass 12 o'clock, mids 12 o'clock, treble 9 o'clock, presence 9 o'clock. No mid scoop...ever...

I have played mine for over 8 years, with never a single problem....I do have an extra footswitch, but haven't had a problem with the footswitch in over 6 years of gigs....but then, I take care of it, and pack it well.

Never needed.

I am 50 years old. Have played over 35 years. I play a 1993 Les Paul Standard with classic 57 pickups. I also play a 1997 Lonestar strat with upgraded seymour duncans in all three positions.
I have played on stages with national acts, as well as casinos, private shows, and many, many clubs, like all of us old timers. I have owned the old school 50 watters back in the day, and they were great, unless you needed to play clean, or wanted to hear any of your solos.
I am still lucky enough to play in a busy (twice a month) traveling classic rock cover band. This amp makes it a joy to play. My bandmate also has one, and is thrilled, especially with the upgraded tubes and Mercury transformer. He plays a strat, and both treble bleed caps on the crunch and lead are clipped on his. Sounds better than great.
Considering the prices on these on ebay lately (some under $800)...spending another $300 on tubes and tranny would get you an unbeatable amp for classic rock and blues.
Nothing touches the lead channel on the ones I have...
Hope I helped someone to get the sound they are looking for....I love these amps, can you tell?

Has everything. 3 independently eq's channels, reverb, effects loop.

I can't say enough about the sound for this amp. I bought mine about 7 years ago and loved it. Well, I kinda grew tired of it and did not think it was a heavy enough amp for me. I bought a Peavey XXX and a Line 6 Spider III to try to get a heavier, more saturated tone. When it was all said and done, I sold those amps...and kept this. Sure, you can't get the heaviest tone out of this thing, but you can get a heavy enough tone and a great tone. This amp really is a great amp. The clean channel is really the best clean I have every heard. It is very warm and doesn't break up that much. The crunch channel is great for the classic sound and blues. And the lead channel has just enough punch to play any type of music. This amp is extremely versatile. If you don't think it's heavy or bassy enough, I learned a lesson a long time ago. A guitar and amp may sound good by itself, but it's how it sounds with a bass guitar, drums etc that really determines how useful it is and how good it sounds. In other words, if it's not heavy enough for ya, just take it to band practice.. You will be pleasantly surprised. This amp is very articulate and will be easily be heard and will not get mixed out. Trust me...this amp is the real deal.

I've had this amp for 6 years....never had a single problem. I haven't even replaced the tubes and it still sounds amazing.

N/A Never had to deal with them.

I can't say enough about this amp. I will never get rid of it. If it were stolen, I might consider getting the JVM 400, because it's more of the same just with another channel, but I love this amp. It sounds good for every time of music.

3 channels, presence and reverb controls are shared between crunch and gain channel, clean has its own set of controls. 2 FX loops with level switch so you can get pro rack gear or some foot pedal in there. deep boost button, mid scoop button on gain channels, mid boost button on the clean, 25-watt button

I've had it for like 3 months now, initially I bought a 1960A cab with it. I wish I hadn't done that. Last week I got a 1960AV cab with the vintage 30's and the difference in sound is unreal. It's like having a new amp. It didn't sound all that bad with the 1960A cab to start with, but I definetly recommend everyone to use v30's with this amp.

I'm running a gibson les paul standard faded through this thing.

All 3 channels are pretty awesome and extremely versatile. Clean channel doesn't stay clean if you don't want it to, does so if you want it. The gain channels provide pretty much every rock sound I tried to get out of it, ranging from slightly gainy to completely mid-scooped metal (I don't primarily play this genre so metal purists better try it first I guess). All the knobs are very sensitive and considering the tube nature of the thing, the amp is also very sensitive to your guitar settings, by which I mean you can almost get a perfect clean on the high gain channel if you turn down your guitar a lot.

The amp will sound quite different with different guitars. It didn't sound as good with a Jackson professional with hot rail pickups as it does with the bigson 'zebra' burstbucker pro's. It also will very clearly make you hear any mistake you make in a very defined way.

I could go on and on because I absolutely adore the versatile sonoric qualities of this amp.
Playing in a hardcore band and a rock/ska band this amp gives me all I need and then some.

I got it used and there was a buzz on the clean channel. After taking it out for a gig, this buzz disappeared and hasn't been back for over 2 months now (I own it 3). I can see what other people say, the foot switch is going to fall apart at some time, but mine is still in prime condition. Everyone who has bumped into this thing knows it... TANK! Take out the tubes and I'd be surprised if you can break it without resorting to tools.

no clue

Very versatile, very analog/organic, superb clean channel (not just for marshall imo), only thing I can really say is that this thing is the sh*t when attached to a Vintage 30 cab.

It took me a few months to get to know how it would behave when turning the buttons, so don't judge it after 5 minutes of yanking in the store and don't buy one with celestion speakers!!

TSL 100 has many features that other amps do not have. 3 independent channels, separate eqs for each channel, 2 different fx loops switchable by the footswitch, reverb, power reduction button, direct out for recording.
Certainly takes some tweaking, but once set it sounds incredible. Very versatile with 3 different channels that go from F*nder clean to over the top gain. Channel 1 is clean and can get old Marshall push or Fender cleans.
Channel 2 is JCM 800 and 900 crunch. Many different sounds can be achieved with this channel.
Channel 3 is gain drenched, I actually use this as a solo channel to get a little bit more drive, but boost the volume significantly.
TOO much amp for smaller clubs, but perfect for 500+ capacity venues.

Channel 1- Clean is very un-Marshallesque. Very impressive. Takes away from having to A/B Fender Twin and Marshall amps. Stays clean even when pushed.
Channel 2- Classic drive and crunch ala 800 and 900. Put about 6 on gain and crank. SOUNDS GREAT!
Channel 3- Searing gain and solos. AWESOME!!!

Unfortunately, this amp did not sound its best until I purchased a THD HotPlate for my rig. That made all the difference. This amp MUST be pushed to sound its best.

I play everything from classice rock to new pop and top 40 in a popular cover band. I use it with my Gibson Les Paul Classic, and Fender American Fat Strat Texas Special. Both guitars get THE rock and roll sound I need. I run the head with a 1960AV cabinet. THE MARSHALL SOUND that defined rock and roll.

I have not had any problems. I usually have my Line 6 Pod XT as a backup because I play at some of the top clubs in the country. You can't take a chance.

N/A No warranty as I bought it used. I've replaced the preamp and power tubes, helped warm up the sounds.

Great amp for my needs. Love the versatility. Does take some tweaking and needs a power soak to get the best sounds. Wish I had a 1960AC cab, sounds very warm when paired with this amp. But, my 1960AV sounds incredible as well. Would definately replace this head if something happened.

Same specs as listed in other reviews. This amp has more than enough features to dial in the marshall tone you are looking for. The XLR out for recording is great for scratch tracks and capturing your ideas, but if you are making a record, stick with a 57 you like and drop the power down to 25 watts.

Not only is this amp very versatile, it sounds amazing. Marshalls tend to have dirty clean channels, esp at louder volumes. This amp keeps the cleans clean. The crunch/lead channels avoid the brown sound and work very nicely with rack gear. In fact, you can run your clean channel through it's own FX loop, and the leads through another. This amp produces superior Marshall tones - if you are looking for a Mesa sound, buy a Mesa. If you are looking for a plexi sound, buy a plexi. This amp will give you a great overall marshall tone, and ample opportunity to let you make it your own.

I've had mine for half a year now, and it's been through at least a dozen big stage gigs. I hear bad things about the foot switches, but as long as you don't wind the cord around the footswitch (cord is VERY long), you should be OK. Typical reliable Marshall amp - it can fall off your cab during a show and nobody would know the difference.

I haven't had the need yet. I hear Korg is the US CS middle man.

I've played though a lot of amps. I hit up the music stores in my region weekly to play around a get a good feel for what different companies and different amps bring to the table. This is a great rock amp for guitar players that like the marshall sound. The three channels give you a natural clean / chunk / lead setup that reduces the number of pedals in front of you. The independent FX loops let you decide how to integrate your effects and your rack gear. The XLR out gives you an easy way to record your ideas w/o bleed in live jam sessions. The FX mix pots let you decide how much of your FX loop signal bleeds into your final output. This amp was though out very well. You get what you paid for.

Very versitile amp. 3 Channels. Its been discussed many times over so no need. 3 Channel ROCK amp.

Excellent sounding amp. I have had the amp for 2.5 years with no problem. Like other Marshall Tube amps, sounds best with the master volume cranked up a bit like 12 O'Clock. I use a Hot Plate attenuator for more flexibiltiy in driving the power amps EL34s and adjusting the gain. This amp can blow your ears out and needs to be worked with unless you have a barn or concert hall. I thought about selling my TSL100 and 1960 AV cab. After trying out other amps I decided to keep my rig. I like the "growl" of Marshall amps. Also using a Black Finger Compression pedal. It sounds great into the crunch channel.

You really have to work the guitar controls as well as those of the amp. It may take time but thats part of the fun. I use a Les Paul and a Strat. Working on the best settings for each. It takes time. It seems easier with a Strat but using a Les Paul, means "business".

The clean channel is great with lots of headroom in my openion. With the volume and gain setting set properly it chimes.

The footswitch mechanical design is a bit weak. But go easy on it. Don't slam it when you switch. Be smart about it. Don't wind the cable tightly and it should be ok. Tube amps do not stand up to the abuse that a solid state amp can. Tubes are much more "mechanical" than transistors or FETs. Treat the amp well or buy a back up ($$$).

My amp was made in the UK. Look at where they're built now. In China? Better than Mexico.

Don't like the fact that KORG is in the middle. However I had some work done on my amp due to neeeding new tubes and with good results. Your Marshall amp repair shop is important. I had a micorphonic tube but didn't know it. The repair shop fixed that at no cost to me.

This amp has tome from Marshall rock and roll growel to very clean. In between these two the amp can be set for long sustain with alot of harmonics. But you hve to work with it, spend time working the controls. Remember to work the guitar controls also. The tone cannot be better than what the guitar is supplying.