Marshall JCM-2000 TSL 100

My TSL 100 head was made in 1999. In my opinion, this amp is TO versatile! To many gadgets to jack around with. This is an amp designed for harder music or metal. I wouldnt recommend it for "alternative" rock or anyone who needs a simple set-up. Its got 3 channels, has a 5 way footswitch(which arnt that reliable). It does have a footswitchable effects loops, which is good for doing the "boost" thing, with the "dummy" jack plugged into the "return".
I wish the amp were more trustworthy and roadworthy. It just aint like my old 70's JMP is, dont get me wrong it sounds good...

THe Lead and Crunch channels are not as loud as the clean channel. That is why I am trying to sell it. Also, you may want to have it retubed as soon as you buy it, the factory tubes suck.

I use the Gibson approach, Les Paul/SG w/490's. Sounds good through the clean channel in the TSL, but this amp is way to "metal" sounding, its just stupid. If I had it to do over again, I would buy a Vox ac-30 and an older Tube Screamer.

This amp is loud enough for a band to play on rather small stages(bars, clubs) with the cabinet miked and having a monitor infront of you. But this aint no Plexie or JMP, so forget the "volume" aspect of this amp. Especially if your drummer plays good and loud and has DW drums.This amp can go from super clean, to metal sounds easily. But the in-between is what has me bothered about it. I dont like "brutal" distortion.

I think for the most part you can rely on it. I have used mine alot. But the damn footswitch screws up every 6 months. By the way, the footswitch is about $130 through musicians friend!!!

Marshall/Roland suck as far as friendliness and such goes, but then again Im from the mid-west and Im used to people caring about other people and being helpful. EXELLENT warranty coverage, I must say.

Im 20 and have been playing around 9 years. I own other Marshall heads, and have just started getting into tube screamers and vox amps. I use to own a 60's vox cabridge reverb. I would definately buy something else if it were stolen or lost and I had the luxury of money. I love the fact that is would be a great amp for the studio-I hate that the other channels arnt as loud as the clean channel. This was an impulse buy, and I didnt know better at the time. Now I know what I want. Go for the older Marshall stuff, it is more reliable.

Three separate channels, each with own volume, gain, and tone controls, makes me feel like I've got three amps in one! Footswitchable FX and reverb a plus, too. I use a Gibson Les Paul Standard with my TSL: a match made in heaven. Between the three channels, the FX switch, and my pickup selector on the Paul, I've got more sounds than I know what to do with.

While this amp does many things well, I really has one mission: to peel every last fleck of paint of the back wall of the club. And it does it extremely well (local sound guys cringe when they see me roll my stack in, especially if they know me). Subtlety is not exactly this amps strong point (I think I'll try a powerbrake). Crystaline clean sound on clean channel with snappy, funky sound when mid-boost on. Crunch good for everything from an alternate clean sound thats more dynamic and pick-expressive, to classic rock, to punk. I call it my Guns and Roses channel. The lead channel. What can I say, it's the epitomy of marshal metal. The tone-shift switch should be called the "brutality" switch. The only reason its not a 10 is that the tubes wear out too fast in mine, could be a baising problem, but it sounds so sweet for about a month after I change tubes, then starts to lose presence fast.

Having been trained in amplifier servicing, If my TSL ever broke down, I wouldn't be too worried about it. But it's been a real trooper for quite a few gigs now. I was worried that the cold weather here would take its toll, but it hasnt yet. I was using a Mesa Tremoverb before the TSL that kept breaking down. My dealer replaced (not fixed) it FOUR TIMES and every single one broke. I finally threw in the towel and decide to give the Marshall a try and I havent looked back since. I honestly think the TSL spanks the Tremoverb sonically, also.

Havent had to deal with them yet.

I need to find a way to get that fully cranked sound at soundman friendly volume (powerbrake, etc.) but other than that, this is the only amp that makes me drool when I slam an A chord and just let it hang, blooming into beautiful feedback. Man, I could listen to that forever.

I Placed a review on this amp before saying it was great. well as soon as i tossed my jackson and bought a PRS Single cut and Replaced the tubes with NOS tubes in the pre amp and the power amp i must say that this amp now sounds 100 TIMES better, i threw back in the other tubes and rebiased them just for kicks and i was like what the hell was i thinking its much better with the new tubes and the guitar the pushes this amp makes the difference totally.

As already described in every other review

I use a gibson Les Paul custom and play live in clubs that seat up to 300 people; classic & modern rock, rythym and blues, blues styles. Stock, the clean channel is real good although not in the same chimey - round leagues as vintage Fender and various new boutique amps. With the gain backed off, the clean channel stays clean right up to the highest volume settings. The dirt channels are another story. They are simply too loud to use in live applications. You can't get them past 3 maybe 4 and as a result, these channels stay very thin with a lot of pre amp buzz happening. stock, the dirt channels don't even compare with vintage Marshalls or new boutique amps. I've AB tested the Jcm 2000 with Guytron, THD and wizard amps to which my Marshall got roasted by each one them hands down. To get some tone out of this thing, I run it with a variac on the front end to reduce the line in voltage and an attenuator on the back end. This way i can crank both channels to 10 and finally get some beef out of her. I always use four power tubes because only using two thins out the tone way too much. With these add ons, the JCM 2000 screams real good. Both dirt channels come alive and even with the amp on 10 I can play it at whatever volume I wish. You have to get a good attenuator though. I've tried many and lots of them ruin the tone all together. The Marshall powerbrake is a joke and so is the VPR switch Marshall puts in the amp itself. Don't use any of the Gizmo buttons on this amp either. I'm speaking about the deep and tone shift buttons. They are garbage and just interfere with the tone. I've also tried the THD yellow jackets as well, but they don't cut it either. My add ons are about the only way I can get any serious power tube tone out of her. Don't get me wrong though. Even the power manipulated JCM can't ride with the vintage Marshalls and boutique amps I mentioned earlier. No Way! The tone is still thinner and lacking all the midrange harmonics that pour out of these other beauties. My mods do make it tens times better however. The clean channel isn't effected that much by the mods either even though there is a big difference in the power output of the dirt channels compared to the clean. You better get good with the volume knob of your guitar for smooth switching between channels.

The amp is a workhorse. I've been gigging with it every second weekend for the past two years with the gains on 8 and the volumes on 10 a a big variac and attenuator controlling the beast. Nothing has burned out on it yet. the footswitch is another story. All the reviews that complain about the footswitch are accurate. You have to tape down the wire where it enters the footswitch or it will disconnect itself. This is real good if you want your amp to keep changing channels on you when you want it too.

Never dealt with the company & don't want to from what I've heard. Buy your amp from a good shop so they can take care of you.

Playing ten years. Used to play a strat through Fender amps and loved the Fender sweetness but nothing beats a les Paul growling through a finely tuned Marshall. Thats why the new Marshall clean is such a welcome addition. Now you can have both. If it were stolen, I would not replace the JCM 2000 Tsl 100. I would save my pennies, pay double the price and get a boutique amp such as a guytron, Gerlitz or probably a THD. These amps have both a vintage Marshall and vintage Fender circuits built into them plus a seperate amplification stage so that you can run the amp on 10 and play it at whatever volume you wish at the same time. Against these, the JCM 2000 doesn't hold a candle even with my mods on it. Against other store bought amps though, the JCM 2000 as I use it, blows the doors off them. it just needs a little help to get the most out of it.

The newest Amp by marshall. Try it and then you will buy it. Super distortion without the MESA/Boogie compression and muddiness. Three channels (clean, crunch, lead) Tone shift, deep switch, mid boost, fx mix, 2 fx loops, sweet sweet tone, 4 pre amp + 4 poweramp tubes. 5way footswitch, emulated outputs, 3 speaker outs. 100 watt head

I use a Gibson eds 1275 jimmy page custom doubleneck, with classic '57 humbuckers. I go into 2 Laney 4x12's loaded with altecs (like randy rhoads) and it sounds the best. I crank the gain on the clean channel, which gives me a good ac/dc type distortion, then I use an ab box to switch to a Fender 4x10 vibrolux for the clean. This amp can get a good clean sound though. The amp NEVER gets muddy, even with the gain up high. The best early metallica sound, ratm, acdc, and other.

It got a snowball in the ventilation holes by my fucker drummer just before a gig and still worked perfectly! What a bastard!

I asked them to send me cabinet information in the mail, and they didn't. That sucked.

I am 19, been playing for 5 years, and this thing beat everything I compare it too. Mesaboogies, yamaha, fender, peaveys. What I hate about it... The weight! but it's a small price to pay for the tone.

Another monster from Marshall, basically three amps in one. Complete versatility - 5 way footswitch controls reverb, FX loop and the three amp channels. The EQ is massive, allowing you to explore loads of different sounds within the three channels: Clean, Crunch and Lead. I use this amp live and it does the job...

I use a Les Paul Custom, enough said? My sound is pretty versatile, I sometimes use around 6 different sounds in a song and I feel this is probably the best amp for the job. I'm into really atmospheric stuff and the clean channel is awesome coupled with Boss Super Chorus, Digital Delay, Line 6 DL4 and the amp reverb turned to 10. Never have any problems with noise - the pedals are pretty dependable too. I use the crunch Channel for a slightly overdriven, edgy crisp sound (Fat with a bit of delay!) and the Lead for the out and out beef. I leave the gain setting fairly low on the lead channel and get a great Lead/Overdriven sound at volume. Oh and that's another thing, you've got to play this amp at volume for the valve tone to really kick in.

So far so good. I had an early hick up, one of the valves gave up after about a month - but that was just bad luck more than anything! I returned it to Marshall and they replaced the valve under their 90 day warranty.

See above. No problems with Marshall.

I've been playing 12 years and I've used a variety of amps. I used a JCM 900 (also a great amp) before for about 5 years and the JCM 2000 was the obvious upgrade. I use a Les Paul through it and I find the pick ups really drive the amp to it's potential. Got an old Ibanez but that doesn't really do it justice. Basically if you're going to spend this amount on an amp you really need a guitar that's going to do it justice.
Love the three channels, love the reverb on the clean, love the versatility. This is a great amp.

It's got just abou everything a modern guitarist needs, Effects Loop, Three footswitchable channels (clean, OD 1, and OD 2) and all that other fun stuff to dial in the "perfect" sound

I have a MIM Strat with Texas Specials and a stock Gibson SG, run direct through a 535 Q wah and a Tubescreamer then plugged straight into my amp, and I have a Boss Flanger, an Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phaser, and an E-H Big Muff running though my FX loop on a Valvestate 100 combo, which can give me just about any hard rockin sound I can think of. From the Smashing Pumpkins to Pantera to even some classic rock and bluesy sounds . . . well, almost. But for the purposes of testing this JCM head and an, I just plugged in my SG and started rockin. When I turned it on, I was greeted with a very warm and dynamic clean channel, reminiscent of Hendrix, especially with a strat plugged in. But then it was downhill from there. The overdrive channels were way too dense for my tase, I thought that if I backed down the gain from 10 to about 6 and raised the to about 5 it would clear up. Damn was I wrong, it only got muddier, and way too damn loud, and that was just the first OD channel, the second one was worse. Mud mud and more mud is about the only sound this amp can produce. No tone whatsoever, by no means is this overdrive transparent. At least on my valvestate I can get my guitar to sing for me. If this amp had a clean channel that sucked, this amp would have gotten a one, no doubt about it. By no means does it produce that old marshall sound that I love so well. (niether does my valvestate, but thats why I'm shopping)

I've never dealt with Marshall before, so I have no room to make a claim.

Again, never dealt with Marshall.

I've been playing for a couple years now, and my style varies from a predominantly hard rock arena, but I enjoy playing the blues and some classic rock. I guess if you're a complete metal head, this amp would be allright, but a mesa or a crate would probably serve you much better than this piece-o-crap. Honestly, I cant see the point of this amp, there are amps that have a much better sounding clean channel, and, well, the OD channels, both of them, blow. HARD! Unless you're trying to get that "neo metal/shit rock" korn-bread/limp-nuts/powerman-blowhard sound, this amp would be allright. At least with my valvestate I can approximate the old tube sound, and get a good, clean, definitive punch, or some really raunchy sounds with the Big muff and the overdrive complimenting each other. In any case, this amp, in my opinion, is utterly useless.

Has four sweet EL34s, four 12ax7s, and three channels that have independent tone and volume and gain knobs. There is a LOT more, but
I'm sure you can find that out in any ad or sales magazine.

My main guitars are an ESP (not LTD) MII deluxe with Duncan pickups,
a Gibson Les Paul Classic, and a Washburn Nuno N4. I sold a Jcm 900 head and JTM 60 combo to get this head, and to be brief, I have never
heard such an awesome, warm, crunchy, powerful tone as this. I used to use ADA preamps, then the JCM 900, ...and I've played through the Peavey 5150, Carvins, Fenders, Crates,....I've spent so much money over the years looking for the "perfect" tone for me,,,and I honestly have found it. Again, tone is different for different people, but this to me is better than ANYTHING I've ever played or imagined. If you like the Mesa sound, well this ain't it. This is a MARSHALL and sounds very "Marshall", which to me is the best sound in the world. But, compared to older models, the addition of the extra 12ax7 tube for added gain (as compared to solid state diodes like in the 900, etc)really adds so much to the tone. The clean is totally amazing, and the crunch is everything I ever wished for,,,and the Lead channel has so much gain. To tell the truth, I keep my gain knobs at about 6 or 7, and there is plenty for me. The lead channel with the gain maxed is enough to do any thrash or modern metal....if you like that.
I still live and breathe the Van Halen, Motley Crue, Ratt, ..type of music, and don't like to totally saturate my signal. But this amp has the potential for massive gain if you like. And, that is something the 900 for me couldn't do...give decent gain that was still warm and so crunchy. To me the 900 sounded more solid state..maybe due to the lack of the fourth preamp tube, and also it had 5881 power tubes. I recommend this amp to anyone who wants a very versatile and awesome sounding amp. It's just perfect to me...everthing I ever wanted and more. I play in a top 40 band, and use a Marshall powerbrake....I'm telling you...don't underestimate the
tone found in driving the power tubes hard. This is what is responsible for the gain on all the early Marshalls you hear people raving about. I only turn the volumes just over half, but what a difference!!! If I tried this without the powerbrake, I'd be deaf and would drown out our entire PA. Not to mention breaking some windows. Oh yeah, I use a Marshall 1960A slant 4x12 cab.

Well, my other Marshalls were flawless...always. I treat my stuff with extra tender care, and always carry my amps in the box to gigs with extra foam padding. Take care of things, especially tube amps!!

N/A.....but the Korg/Marshall hotline people are always very kind in
answering my questions....back when I was using the 900 head, and wanted something more.

I would buy this again.....definitely. It's like....after playing for 15 years, I finally found the tone. This thing is amazing. Marshall did it right. I love having the 4 preamp tubes!!!! Finally.
I have a Washburn N2 as a back up guitar, and definitely notice that my higher end guitars sound much better. Use a high quality guitar for best results. I was considering a JCM900 slx for the extra preamp tube gain......but that was so limiting with only two dirty channels. If I were a famous pro guitarist, I'd use this head still.......and I've played A LOT of amps in my life so far. I love Marshall amps and always will...and just feel that this is the best there is.

cOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 CHANNELS :CLEAN, CRUNCH AND ULTRA DRIVE!
GOOD FX LOOP!

I USE GIBSON EPIPHONE WITH THE ORIGINAL PICKUPS
SOUDS GREAT !!GOOD AMP
YOU GET SOUNDS LIKE :LINKIN PARK,SILVERCHAIR,NIRVANA,ALICE IN CHAINS,
SOUNDGARDEN ,GRIMSKUNK(IF YOU DON'T KNOW THEME IT IS A QUEBECKER PUNK GROUP UNDERGROUND)AND ALSO GOOD SOUNDS LIKE :LED ZEPPELIN AND DEEP PURPLE AND WITH THE CRUNCH YOU GET AN AWSOME BLUES SOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!

NEVER SEEN PROBLEMS

MARSHALL GOT A GOOD SERVICE,NOT THE BEST BUT VERY GOOD

A REALLY GOOD AMP I HAVE A VALVESTATE TOO BUT THE JCM2000TSL SOUNDS BETTER
IT IS THE BEST AMP NEVER MADE!

Everything you need, 3 Channels gives a wide range of great sounds from sparkling clean to, roaring overdrive.

Very Nice, This amp has it all and flaunts it well!! Good for every kind of style.

Iv owned a few of these and I have never had any problems ever,

Dont need it.

This amp is for pros, If there is anybody that needs a great sound that's reliable E-mail me, I will beat any price, I also sell cabs.

Everything about this amp is great! I especially love the mid-cut on the OD channels, it makes the amp sound very not wussy like other manufacturers who you always have to use some sort of external device to get a ballsy tone. The two effects loop thing is handy, but I feel it could be better designed to have one effects loop always on and anohter that's footswitchable (more on the damn footswitch later!). The three channels are very useful, too.

THIS AMP IS THE $H!T BAR NONE! The only amp I have ever played that gives you the massive amounts of distortion that everyone has to buy crappy pedals for. Straight from the tubes themselves with out any effects, plugged right into a 4x12 cab, this thing is awesome. The only mod that I have done is to put a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover pickup in my Les Paul, but that's almost a given because stock pickups blow big time.

Did I mention the clean channel is crystal clear, too? Most tube amps always have that tinge of dirty on their cleans, but with this you get crisp, pristine clean. Couldn't ask for more.

I use the clean channel for my straight up clean (mid boost off). I always use the neck HB pickup on the clean because the Seymour Duncan I have has a lot of shimmering highs. The crunch channel is my lightened out distortion. I use the mid-cut on this channel and turn the mids up to 7. This way it better matches my Full OD. Obviosly the Lead channel is my main sound. The best OD I've ever heard come straight from an amp! Pedals and stuff try, but nothing could match this tone. Some people don't understand and they buy these $1000-2000 amps and then leave them on the clean channel and use a pedal for distortion which is stupid. Anyway if you haven't already figured it out, this things OD is definetely tops in my opinion. (Really though, the clean is great!)

FOOTSWTICH SUCKS!!! THE WORST DESIGN I COULD EVER IMAGINE!
Here's Marshall's idea: Let's make a really great amp and then put this crappy cable on the foot switch that shorts constantly. At every gig I go to I always have to wiggle the damn cable on the back of the amp to get it to line up right. When I first got the amp, the footswitch broke right away. My local tech guy took it in and took tried stripping the cable and, I kid you not, it shredded right apart. The wires on the inside of the cable were literally as thin as 4 strands of hair wrapped in thin, crappy plastic. It's no wonder it shorts. The tech tried making a new cable for it and even tried cutting a whole in the back of the pedal and putting in a plug instead of having the cable go directly the pedal, but the pedal still crapped out on me. Finally after a month, Marshall sent me a new footswitch, on which the crunch switch broke after a week. That could be replaced luckily. Still I have to wiggle the cable into the jack everytime I plug it in, and then lets hope the show doesn't get too crazy and have people kicking my footswitch on accident.

Other than the footswitch (which I am very bitter about) the amp is totally reliable and well built. I give it a five, because what good is an amp that doesn't work well in live situations. Also, I know two other people who have different model Marshall's that their footswitches don't work right.

It took them almost a month to get me a new footswitch, in which time I went to Radio Shack and built my own for ten bucks.

I love this amp to death. I sounds awesome, has great features, and just plain rocks out! It's built very tough and sturdy and has with stood road trips well. I would definetely recommend it to anyone. The footswitch problem isn't enough to drive the overall rating down. In fact if it wasn't for the footswitch, I'd give it an 11! The footswitch problem isn't enough to drive me to get something else at all. This amp rocks and whoever says it sounds wussy needs to realize that their pedals might sound good at home, but the audience always thinks that straight up amp OD sounds better and doesn't hurt their ears as much either.

Amp has three channels with its own independant eqs. It has 4x Svetlana EL34s in the power amp and some 6L6s in the preamp. Each channel has its own bass, mid and treb controls, including a tone switch. Also, the presence controls towards the right of the unit are dedicated to the clean and drive channels seperately. This has a presence control which is probably the main point of interest. Also, Masrshall have very nicely included a reverb tank - a real bonus.

The supplied footswitch selects each channel, with a switch for the FX loop and the reverb. I am a death/satanic metal player (Emperor, Dimmu Borgir) with this amp. It does very well on drive 2 for this, and I wouldnt bother with any other amp for it. I use this amp at home with a 2x12 cab for low volumes and 2x 412s on stage. Your typical very loud marshall stack.

Personally, I liked this over the Mesa Single Rectifier, mainly because of price. The Mesa was too pricey (especially just for the head ringing in at #950) and the annoying pop that occured when switching channels - stupid! Dont get me wrong, the mesa sounded more crushing, but for that, I think i would go for a rack solution, something i will do later on.

This amp is very versatile. I sometimes play biohazard-esqu tracks and this does it very well. The gain is never enough though, so try and include something like a metalzone and very hot pickups.

I use an all-original BC Rich Jap warlock, a vai'd up ibanez rg470 with an evolution and paf pro and an emg loaded gibbo sg and jackson randy. It does what i want it to do, and that is on one side really middy black metal sounds for tremolo picking and realy full on biohazard sounds for, well, biohazard. It can be noisy sometimes, especially if u arrive late and dont get a good soundcheck, but thats not really the amps fault. The clean sounds are very good. I dont spend a lot of time in that channel (unless im using a distortion box), but it sounds very good with plenty of bass and reverb and the paf pro off my ibanez. The clean doesnt distort unless u want it to.

The distortion isnt very brutal, but for that i will use a rack like i said. Dont judge this amp in the store, it takes a good month of solid working it to make good judgements. It sounds a million times different from the store to your house! The sound of the crunch channel is just annoying, i never use this. Its nor for my kind of metal! Apart from that, the other channels are great!

Hasnt blown up yet... Well, its had one warranty repair already from marshall two weeks after i got it. The tubes got excessively noisy and they did it for me. I think that was more the stores fault, though, as it was probably there for quite a while as a demo unit - tho i wasnt told. Its not totally necessary to get on in a factory sealed box, just make sure you get to test out the one your buying as tubes may vary, even tho they are the same. Its just a fact.

I have to use it without a backup - im poor at the moment. But as soon as i get my rack, i can have either as a backup. The rack i am getting for the darker coal chamber/metallica sounds. I will use both setups for different gigs.

I dont exactly feel uncomfortable about relying on it, its a good amp and i have used it all over on my gigs and stuff. I think some of the other reviewers here were just plain neglecting their amps, which is silly. As long as u leave ur tubes warm up and cool off and dont move it straight after playing it - tubes are still hot and u can damage them!

The company seemed friendly and couriered my head back and forth to replace the valves. Only thing is though, they will only pickup from a business address, not a home or private address. So if unlike me, your parent(s) are not self employed, or you dont have any other access, u may have to haul ass back to the store. A pain for me.

I bought this amp at soho soundhouse - NEVER BUY FROM SOHO SOUNDHOUSE. They are all arseholes who dont know what "customer support" means.

The warranty for small shit (valves,etc) is 90 days. The full warranty is a year - way too short in my opinion.

Im not grading soho soundhouse in this, im grading marshall. In view of their business address policy, this gets a 9

I have been playing for 6 years. I did own a Peavey 5150 which i loved, but that has long since bitten the dust and i just plain couldnt afford to replace it. I got a 212 cab with this, anyhow. I think i would buy it again, or i would go full on rack and get a jmp1. This is an excellent amp and I not let it get stolen - simple as that! I compared it to a Mesa Single Rectifier. I just couldnt live with an amp that popped unnecesarily on channel switching. Plus the price was a little over my budget. I wish it had a fourth drive channel for seriously rediculously gained out distortion! Thats about it, tho. Apart from that, its cool. A little note:

If you are a black metaller, this amp will serve you well.
If you want coal chamber/slipknot sounds, buy a mesa and a 7 string.
If u like acdc and want to do his kinda thing, this is the perfect amp for you.
If you play single coil guitars, go buy a fender amp, you wuss.
If you are looking for an amp to do all things and do all sounds, keep wishing and maybe buy a rack. Or, spend tons of cash on every stack in the world, and youll get there.

Sons of satan GATHER FOR ATTACK

Three channels, two effects loops, separate eq, what else do you need.

Equipment used: Jackson soloist USA, Fender Strat, 1960AX 4X12, BBE sonic maximizer, Ibanez Tube screamer, delay and chorus. I've had this amp for three months now and it gets better every time I play it. I play in a cover band covering zeppelin to floyd to RATM and this amps does it all.
The clean channel stays clean at high volume and can get a great blues sound when the gain is turned up or driven with the an overdrive pedal.
Crunch, this is why you pay for a marshall. At lower volumes this amp is okay but with the gain at 10 and volume at 6 it peals paint off of the walls with great tone ala ACDC back off the gain and you can get Zeppelin.
Lead channel, great sustain, singing lead using the jackson. Does not come across as well with my strat. I probably use the crunch channel more often.
Using the BBE sonic maximizer improves this amp ten fold. I have not experimented much with out it.

I do not understand how marshall could make such a great head with such poor quality control. First of all the foot switch sucks. I have replaced it once already. When I bought this head the salesman told me it was new in the box. After I got it home I could tell that it had been opened before. I played it and it sounded good so I was not too concerned. When the footswitch broke I called the store and told them I wanted a new head and footswitch that had never been opened. I tried the new head and it was quite different than the first one I had. I sounded much better.
My point is there are some good TSL's and some bad ones. Marshall does not seem to be consistent in making them. I would try a few of them before I bought one.
I would definately have a backup

5 year warranty, but have never talked to them. I usually deal with Guitar Center it easier

I have been playing for 15 years. Previously I played fenders. The TSL100 is perfect for me. I always disliked marshalls because the clean channel were always dirty, however I could never get that marshall sound out of my Fender. This amp does both and more that I could ever want. I would buy it again. I rate it a 9 because of reliability issues

First off... I must say that I have been very impressed with this amp.
I've been using an old JCM-800 2204 50watt head for 15 years or so and thought it was time to buy something a little bit more powerful.(the TSL-100 is alot more powerful). I buy Marshall because I prefer the sound of Marshall... I am not looking for the Mesa sound or any other sound.... I Love the Marshall color and crunch. Compared to my previous amp wich is still kicking around, the TSL-100 has so much more power & punch. Now, when I play a low chord on my 7string you can really feel it. As far as features go... having 3 channels is awesome.

I play both a Fernandes 6string and an ESP 7string through this amp.
I use the Lead channel as my main. It has just enough distortion for me. The crunch channel has just a bit less distortion than the Lead channel and is used for chunkier chord-scapes.... both channels are quite powerful. Now, like others have said, the clean channel is the
beauty of this most amazing beast. It's very clean and clear and with a tiny bit of chourus through the effects loop has proved to be
a wonderful addition. THUMBS UP TO MARSHALL !!! If you don't like the Marshall sound... then don't buy it. This amp will not sound like a Mesa, Fender, Soldano, VHT or any others... It is a Marshall that is built to sound like a Marshall.

I have only had this amp for 2 months but seems to be built as tough
as any other Marshalls. No problems have plagued me yet.

I am extremely happy with this amp.

This is a brand new (made in 2000) amplifier. Basic features include:
-100 watt all-tube construction (4 pre-amp tubes and 4 power amp tubes)
-three channels (clean, crunch, and lead)
-equalization controls for each individual channel
-separate reverb/effects mix/presence control for the clean channel, with these controls being shared on the crunch and lead channels
-deep/mid-shift switches for clean channel, shared on crunch/lead channels
-virtual power reduction mode (runs amp at 25 watts)
-recording/line out with speaker emulation
-dual effects loops
-5-button footswitch (clean/crunch/lead channel select, reverb, and effects)
-solo gain boost (available only when not using external effects)

Almost all of the features one could ask for. But it would be nice to have the solo boost feature while using outboard effects (like the Mesa/Boogie Nomads). Also, separate presence, effect level, and reverb controls for both the crunch and the lead channels would have added a little bit.

I play a 1990 American made Fender Floyd Rose Classic Stratocaster. This guitar has a Floyd Rose Original bridge on it with a DiMarzio PAF Pro Humbucker in the bridge and the regular Fender single coils in the middle/neck positions. This is an extremely versatile and good-sounding guitar. The humbucker will create monstrous metal tones, while the single coils will play the smmothest jazz and funk. I play in a wedding/festival band on weekends. In this band I use the guitar for country, old-time rock (Chuck Berry/The Ventures), classic rock (Trooper/Creedence Clearwater Revival), and some newer stuff (Green Day/Blink 182). I play keyboards for the polkas and waltzes. However, I am a heavy metal musician at heart, and that is most of what I record and play at home. That being said, here are my thoughts on sound...

NOISE
I find this to be a very quiet amp in terms of background fuzz and noise. Even at high gain settings, when I'm not playing it remains nearly silent. Of course, at high gain settings I am using my humbucker, I imagine that a single coil would yield different results.

SOUNDS/VERSATILITY
This is the area where the TSL 100 excels. When I went amp shopping, I wanted to ensure that I found something that would cover as much of the musical spectrum as possible. I don't like the idea of carrying around two amplifiers...especially when I also have to lug a bass and keyboard along with myself. At the time I bought the head, I also purchased a JCM 900 1936 2x12 cabinet to go with it. I got a fantastic-sounding 1936. I listened to the combination in the store and bought both items together. I will talk about each channel separately.

Clean
When I plugged in my guitar in the music store, I decided to evaluate the clean channel first. Knowing that Marshall is not famous for their clean channel, I was not expecting much. Wow! Was I ever blown away by the crystalline tones that this amp produced. Using my single coils, the sound that came out was almost acoustic in nature. You can hit anything from a country twang to a beautiful, full-bodied jazz style with this amp. I was immediately sold. then, once I used it with my band a few times, my opinion was reinforced by not only my bandmates, but also by audience members who commented on my sound.

Crunch
This is an extremely versatile channel. You can get anything from blues to metal on this channel. If you keep the gain at around 3 or 4, you can get quite a clean sound while picking more delicately, but lay into the strings a little harder when you need to and you get a great bluesy distortion. Slightly higher gain will cover your AC/DC tones. Cranking the gain all the way up will give you Guns 'n Roses. You need to play with the tone controls, though. And they all work really well. I read a review on this amp where a young man was disappointed with the sound, but all he did was plug in and play (he said that he didn't know much about amplifiers). Well, what is he doing with a $1600 (Canadian) amplifier if all he does is plug in and play? You need to work with the tone controls and the mid-shift/deep switches until you find a sound that works for you. Each guitar is different and will produce a distinct tone with this amp.

Lead
Well, my goodness...this is all of the classic Marshall distortion you could ask for and then some! Again, you must be patient and work with the tone controls to get the sound you're looking for, it's not going to come in an instant. However, the end result can be very rewarding. For any of you who have just flicked the amp on in a music store and played for fifteen minutes, your opinion is null and void as far as the lead channel on this amplifier goes. As everybody knows, tube amps sound better both when they are cranked AND when the tubes have been heating up for a while. You cannot expect any tube amp to sound its best when it has just been turned on and when you are playing at music store volumes (

I have never owned a Marshall product before. So far, so good as far as the operation of the head and the footswitch go. However, there was a footswitch problem in the music store when I was testing out the amp. I noticed that the "Crunch" button on the foot controller felt kind of mush and lacked that distinctive "click" of the other four buttons on the unit (although everything worked just fine). I asked to try the footswitch from another TSL unit and all 5 buttons worked and FELT just fine. I have had no problems with the footswitch so far and have noticed no degradation in feel, either. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

Never had to deal with the country. The music store where I bought the unit takes care of all warranty/repair work themselves. I hope that I never need their services. Apparently the U.S. warranty is 5 years, but it's only 1 year in Canada (with the standard 90 days on the tubes). Why is this? Is my sales associate misinformed?

I have been playing guitar for 13 years. My main guitar is a Fender Floyd Rose Classic Stratocaster. I have owned some Peavey solid-state stuff in the past (very good for beginners on a budget). I own a Digitech RP-12 effects processor (although I don't intend to use it for much other than home recording anymore as I don't wish to mask the tone of the TSL 100). I have a Dunlop Original Crybaby Wah pedal, as well as a couple of BOSS effects.

When shopping for this amp, I also tried out a few others, these being Mesa/Boogie products. I really liked the distorted sounds prodused by the Rectifier, but could not get anything decent aside from rock tones from this amp. I played the new Nomad series heads as well, but I found them to be seriously lacking in bottom end. The Nomads are some seriously diverse amplifiers, but they sound very brittle in the "modern" modes, and I had to max out all of the lows to get a solid tone from them. The lead channel was especially thin and mush-sounding. I really wanted a Mesa/Boogie, and tried so hard to like those amps, but when it came down to it, they just did not have the full, solid tone of the Marshall.

If this amp were stolen, I would purchase another one (once I could afford it). It does it all, and it does it well! Whether you're chicken pickin', blues riffin', rock and rollin', or metal shreddin'...this amp will likely work for you (especially if you play all of the aforementioned styles). I've experienced none of the Marshall reliability horror stories, and have received many compliments on my sound. I have to give this thing a 10!

Perfect! 3 channels which I can set up individually at last!

Great clean, use the head with a 4x12 if youre serious. I do, but I use it with a 1922 Marshall 2x12 for rehearsals. TOTALLY different sounds. The TSL 100 NEEDS the 4x12 cab, honestly...
Distortion channels lack gain but nevertheless sound great, need to add deep and full bass for lead work though.

Watch out for duff valves, valve quality makes or breaks any tube amp....( I happen to know that Marshall does not test its tubes too much )The footswitch is UNRELIABLE. Just took mine back today, bad switches. Many have substandard leads (Cables) This was a mistake on the part of the footswitch company (Marshall do not make the TSL footswitch.)Watch out, the footswitch really is likely to fail you!

Most helpful company I`ve ever met. Great if you`re in the UK.
You can visit the service department at the Factory and they will fix your amp and give you a factory tour while you`re waiting.
(I have pics I took at the factory if anyone is interested, mail me...)

Lovely amp. A keeper for me....
Dont forget to get the classic Marshall sound you WILL need a 4x12 cabinet.

enough has been said about the features already - but i think the TSL is a very well thought out amp. Very versatile, a massive range of tines, and the VPR and mute switches are reallty useful for home use/recording.

It is definately a very Marshall tone, you won't get that really thick saturated 'Sad But True' tone without a little external help(compression, eq etc), and even with a pair of Duncan 'buckers maybe there's a little too much treble on the drive channels - i never set the treble above half way cos it tends to get a little fizzy. Having said that, the clean tones are amazing, i really wasn't expecting them to be this good, and there is no doubting that this amp is very versatile, and there are loads of useable, useful tones in here. I've had mine for about 5/6 months and i'm still finding new sounds to toy around with.
When it's cranked, this amp REALLY sings - there is plenty of gain, the bass becomes a lot fuller and the highs and mids tend to even out nicely. The scoop switch also helps a lot, very thrashy if you want it to be, but also works nicely in different contexts, i've found that with light distortion it really works well. The deep switch doesn't mud up the sound much either, more it just adds definition to the bass, and actually tends to tighten it up in certain instances. But bedroom levels the TSL can be a little frustrating, even with the VPR switch in. I tend to have it in the whole time, even when blasting at band practices, cos it saturates the sound that much more and really warms up the tone. Essentially i think it's probably just a bit too loud! I've never dared to crank mine above 1/3 volume, i value my hearing...
The TSL definately rewards experimentation, and while it may not be the last amp i buy, i'm more than happy with the range and quality of tones that i'm getting out of it right now.

no problems so far, even though a couple of times i briefly forgot to connect it to the load of the speakers while i had it on(doh....)

3 year warranty, loads of places to get it serviced as well, but i've never had to deal with them or the company directly.

The TSL works fairly well with my Jackson Kelly and an RP2000, very versatile, and considering that the price i bought it for was pretty damn cheap, i think i've got my money's worth. Very versatile, and a reliable, very Marshall sound.

THEY WOULD ONLY BE GOOD FEATURES IF THEY WERE GOOD SOUNDING ONES!!!! THIS AMP IS WEAK AS HELL!!!!! I Cant believe iv wasted all thid money

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR ALMSOT 10 YEARS, This Amp is a disgrace, Marshall was the best 15 years ago, Now they have gotten pathetic, the only effort they take in the 2000s are putting the big name (MARSHALL) on it, thats why they charge so much(For the name),The CLEAN CHANNEL IS GREAT, THE OTHER 2 ARE GARBAGE, I COULD THROW UP IN A MIC TO GET A BETTER SOUND THAN THIS PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!! ONLY A WEAK PANSEY WOULD SAY IT SOUNDS GREAT, BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY LISTEN TO KORN or Some Gay Alternica Band like that! If you were an unlucky one like me By a Boss METAL ZONE Pedal for grat Distortion.

I havnt had any problems, BUT WHO CARES WHEN YOU SOUND LIKE SHIT!!!!!!!!!!! DAMN THIS THING PISSES ME OFF!!!!!!!!! I could have got a MESA..... Jim MArshall is a complete moron if he had to do with any JCM2000,

You know i wouldnt know, But I bet they keep YOU ON HOLD ALL DAY WHEN YOU TELL THEM YOU BOUGHT A JCM2000 BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT KIND PIECE OF SHIT THEY MADE,I BET THEY TELL SOMTHING GAY, LIKE, "Well duuhh im sorry you must just not know what a great amp sounds like then" Yea I should go down to that company and bomb it! THE RETARDS

Its a damn waste of Money, Dont buy this Low line British Trash! Because All you will get is a good clean Channel, and 2 other worthless channels that you payd $1,000s for... I wonder what the BV120s go for

It was built in 2000
I play many style from Jazz to Death Metal; so I need an amp that can deliver the tones when I need them...
I play Guitar since 1986.
I use this head with a Marshall Cab 1960B (bottom)
This head is 100w and feature 3 distinct channels switchable via a footswitch (included). The 3 channels are: CLEAN, CRUNCH, and LEAD using their own EQ (Bas, Mid,Treble) Volume and Gain for maximum tone shaping capability. 2 Sections :CLEAN and CRUNCH/LEAD have controls
including: Presence, Deep Switch, Tone Shift, FX/MIX and Reverb. The Clean channel has got a MidBoost switch!
There is also a VPR (Virtual Power Reduction) switch that can take the power from 100w to 25w approx. without losing the Tone (a kind of Pentode thing); very useful in a practice situation.
A very cool switch is also provided: A MUTE!!!!!!!! yes you can mute the sound to the output valves! useful for a recording via the speaker simulation jack (back of the head).
I mainly use the tone shift to "scoope" the mid in order to get that Modern Metal Tone. It can be used also to get a less mid/marshall sound at low volume...
The Presence switch can be used to boost the upperMid/lowerTreble when you have to cut through cymbal but I dont use it since I dislike trebly sound. On the other side I use the Deep switch to gives the tone a more resonant texture to the low frequency in the loudspeakers cabinet. As the they say in the manual its great for filling out the Bottom end at low volume (ex: using VPR) but will also give a resonant but "controlled" growl to the tone at high volumes.
Speaking of High Volume: CAREFUL WITH THE VOLUME ITS A VERY LOUD AMP!!
But we are in marshall mainly for 2 things...TONE AND POWER!!!
The only thing missing...well may be a master volume...but with all those features...

I use a Gibson Lespaul Standard with Stock pick-ups soon to be upgraded with a 500t (bridge). This amp respond marvelously to a high output passive pick-up.
I have 2 Roland JC-120 which are great (by the way) that I use with a GT-5. I wanted a more natural, powerful less processed (more tube)sound; so the Marshall was my logic choice. I will sell one of my JC-120 and A+B the other with my JCM 2000 TSL.
I was amazed by the CLEAN channel on my JCM 2000 (I am a JC-120 user don't forget). Marshall lost his "bad clean" reputation with that baby!
The Clean is clean even at high volume but can break if you set the gain to high (but some people including myself like that...).
For the Crunch channel well,it really delivers a good punchy and thicky sound. If set properly you won't miss your old vintage amp.I like the old overdrived sound a la Robert Fripp (think of RED) but could not afford a Hiwatt...anyway much less versatile.
For the LEAD channel well just raise the gain and you will get a very razor sharp attack (depends on your pick-up) suitable for Metal and very hard rock. If you use the Tone shift and the Deep switch with high gain on this channel prepare for a real headbanging thrash/death assault. But keep in mind one thing: This is MARSHALL tone not Peavey 5150 or Boogie sound...if you want those sounds buy those amps...
For more Tone shaping (for the purist) I suggest to put a Graphic EQ in the Effects Loop like the BOSS GE-7 . I did and it can now produce EVERY sound I need. If you like the Marshall tone you will get plenty of. If you are more into Overoverdrived ultra compressed Tonedeaf 7 strings Rap/Metal stuff (personal opinion here) check somewhere else.
Keep one thing in mind, this amp will sound as good as you are...if you are not confident go to Transistor based or compressed stuff it will cover your misplaying...

Well since my amp is new (2 weeks ago) I cannot give any constrCKtive comments. It seems well built and everything looks okay.

Never deal with them!

I have tried many amps that did sound great but lacked the versatility this one's got. The only other amp I should mention is the LANEY VH100R, but this one comes with 6L6s and it wasn't exactly th Marshall Tone. Sure you can put EL34 (biasSwitch) but I got Marshalled so sorry for the Laney. If it were Stolen I would get another one for sure...may be another 1960B Cab too (it would sound Monstrous). 2 words to remember TONE and VERSATILITY!!!!

Hey all you gain heads out there want to know how to really make this amp scream? I have replace all the tubes with High gain pre amp tubes and High output power tubes that is the first thing I did and I was kinda disapointed but it did sound better! I changed to emg 81s that help quite a bit! But the biggest thing I think that will help you is a parameteric eq, I have an art tube eq......THIS THING SCREAMS NOW! Before the amp was really dark and middy unless you turned the thing up all the way which I think is super loud..Now you can have that unbelivable sad but true "metallica" sound all the time....even at louder volumes it sounds better. The clean channel sounds better too!
You guys will be amazed at the unreal heavyness you can get out of your amp!

If you guys have any questions don't be affraid to e-mail me!

I bouth this amp brand new after deciding it was time to get a half- stack. Im damn glad i did.
The versatility of the thing is possibly its strongest point; every feature it has worthwhile and useful. It can play any style i need it for, and alot more. I play in a melodi-punk band and a covers band and the amp can nail anytone i would need.
The FX loops are really really useful, opening up an absolute ton of possibilites that can make life alot easier; like having a permanant chorus on your clean sound if you wanted it.
Im running an epiphone slash LP with a Jeff beck seymour duncan at the bridge (kinda middly but real chunky) and it really sings with this amp. You need good pickups though, it sounds like sh*t with cheapo ones.
i run the head into a 4/12 jcm800 straight front cab at 16 ohms and the power is utterly awesome! the louder it gets the better it sounds, and you'll always be heard in the mix!
i guess the only feature i wish it had is a master volume, but thats a piddling little problem with this much versatiliy on offer.

the cab i use has i lovely warm sound, so pretty much anything i play around with at home sounds great. You'll need to tweak it quite abit once you start using it with a band, but that's half the fun. This amp rewards patience.
I did find that the clean channel seems to have a huge amount of bass, but this potential probem was partially eleminated by messing with the gain controls; doing this kinda left the tone a bit flat, but im not too bothered about that; on to the distortion!
it'll really take your face off in 100 watt mode, on either channel. the crunch is a little chunkier and less molten than the lead; they both sound great and you can get them to sound as similar or as different as you want. They do sound a bit skanky at low vol, but what do you expect. The amp is happiest when it's cranked. In my rehersals i dont need to go above 3 on the vol in 100 watt mode, i wish i could but its too loud for the band! driving the 25 watt mode real hard yields some great marshall tone, so you are spoilt for choice as to how you use it.
You really can accomplish anything with this amp and a 4/12; look, just buy it! your band will love you for it.

i only really got it recently. one of the valves was wonky but that was soon sorted

n/a

i have owned a jcm 900slx and a 2000 dsl. The TSL is miles better than the dsl in both sound and especially versatility. The distortion is marginally better than the 900 ( i really liked that amp)and streets ahead of any valvestate or digital amp i've tried.
the amp looks incredible and is a joy to use. Sitting down with a fourtrack and fiddling around with the amp can eat up half a day witout you noticing! There is always something to try. Highly recommended.

See other reviews.

Finally, after the diode-clipping piece of junk JCM 900 Dual-Reverb crap amps, a DSL with not enough gain, dynamics (Lead ch.), shared tone-control etc., Marshall has done it right with this amp.

First class clean, crunch and lead sound. Sounds good with both Strat or LesPaul type guitars. Finally I can stop schlepping around two heads and cabs (Plexi for clean and SLX for lead) to the gigs.

- Clean sounds really like my Plexi reissue, very hard to find a difference, and stays clean all the way up. Very good for funk, chicken picking etc.

- Crunch sounds very similar to a JCM 800, but with more gain if needed. This channel has more gain than the Lead channel of the DSL and sounds way better.

- Lead sounds more modern, similar to my SLX, mabye a bit more midrange, but rawer and wilder. Very cool. Plenty of gain, also with a single-coil guitar, but no mush, you still can hear the difference between a neck pu and neck-middle pu.

Both crunch and lead channels are very dynamic and you can work with your guitar's volume pot to get different sounds. I also do often use crunch for lead and lead for crunch.

Have it since two months, don't expect major probs.

No need, know a good tech, but the amp is under guarantee anyway.

Marhall did this one right. The sound is there, the rest is up to you.
Would definitely buy it again.

I bought the amp new from MF. The Features are more than enought even though i use all three channels for the style of music i play. I play heavy music, static X, Deadlights, Meshuggah, the list goes on. People who say that the channels sound the same are pain slow learners. Each channel has its own sep. EQ. I use all 3 Clean, Crunch, Lead as heavy rhythm channels. The clean i use a Smash box Stopbox. This gives me the "modern" heavy sounds. I sue all the features and it blends well with my other set ups live. It has more than enough power and sounds good live, Compressor? yup a must have with marshall if you ask me but nothing beats there tone. I dont use the Reverb. There are more than enough features for me.

I play ESP 7string guitars with EMG 707's Sound is great, I play very heavy guitar style. There no solos in my band all rhythm, the synth parts are mels. This amps tone follows me chop for chop. it has some noise but my gates put a stop to all that. i have never played a quiet amp at 7 on vol and 10 on gain. I play every day for aleats 3 hrs in my band and sound stays clear. The Clean channel is where i get my modern gain, i run my stomp boxes here and i get a great combo of warm and solid state tones i have never found a better sound anywhere. my combo beats Mesa, VHT, ect you name it out of the box no mods nothing is heaiver this single set up. I use the lead channel for my longer chords, they are warm but tight. the clean channel i use for faster rhythms. I use a lot of outside stuff with this amp. I think the amp by it self dosent fit the music i am playing, but if you can think for your self, this amp is the perf. backbone to the style of music i play. You have to start with a good, warm base tone in order to get something truely heavy. Solid state is heavy but thin. with the warmth of the tubes and the crispness of the solid state you get thick tight tone.

well.. yes my foot switch broke too i just had it beefed up a bit bigger cable. thats all but the head it self is holding up great i am hard as hell on my equip and it is doign fine but the footswitch is sad.

For what i do, build my own tone i did not find a better backbone. i get any tones, from ULTRA heavy tones, thru stomp boxes clean tone combos, to warm classic marshall roar my lead channel and some compression. as for great as a stand alone, depends on the style of music but for me nothing was better

The amp is from 1999. It's extremely versatile, especially the tone-eq is very good! I play metal and it gives me just the perfect sound. I like the 3 channels, which I use for clean, rhythm and lead. The fx-loop I run through a Rocktron Intellifex-LTD, which is a very nice combination. The amp has more than enough power, I'd rather buy the 60-watts-version if it also would have the same capabilities when it comes to equalizing, since this is too loud and with the VPR it cuts the power and sustain.

I use a Gibson Les Paul 20th anniversary with T-500 and R-496 ceramic humbuckers. This baby really sings on this amp, especially the lead-channel. The crunch-channel has the tendency to be a little bit muddy, but that also depends on how loud you play it (at low volumes it's not that good). CLEAN - very clean sound, almost like a Fender CRUNCH - perfect for Iron Maiden and Ozzy sounds, nice drive, but controllable. LEAD - rock the heavens! This channel makes your guitar sing like an angel, it cranks up the amp and also compresses the sound, so it's FAT!

The amp itself is very reliable, but the footswitch that comes with it SUCKS BIGTIME! So far, I had to replace the cable within 1 week. The cable is WAY TOO THIN and too short. It's about 6 meters, where I need 10 (big stages). Recently also the switches got damaged (plactic junk!!!) and I replaced them with highly reliable metal footswitches. I'm satisfied now, but I expected more quality from the flagship of Marshall tops. The amp is worth 10 points, the footswitch is worth 1 point, so an average of 5

I fixed everything myself, since in Holland we don't have customer support from Marshall.

I play about 10 years now and this is the best amp I had so far. before I used a London City 50W and 100W head, after that a JCM 900 100W with EL-34-tubes. Where the London City's were okay with pedals the JCM 900 sounded already better. I didn't use distortion pedals after that, only a small pre-amp to boost the input. With the 2000 all of that is unnecessary. It's value for money and all distortion pedals etc. become obsolete when you buy this. Too bad about the pathetic footswitch, this is really NOT what I expected from Marshall.

This amp was made in 2000. This amp is very adequate for me. I play rock, and the distortion is great. It's my first tube amp, so I can't compare it to much else. It has three channels: Clean, which puts out the best clean sound I've ever heard, Cruch which is a lighter distortion, although it could be used for another clean channel, and Lead which is rock, metal distortion. Heavy and distorted. It has so many features, I don;t use all of them. It has a couple fx loops, a VPR (great), a deep switch, 3 band eq, reverb, and gain control for each channel, lots else, too. It's also got a nice foot switch which I havn't had a problem with. This amp has more than enough power for me, it sounds nice when you crank it.

I've got a Mexi Fender Strat w/ a JB humbucker. Very good for rock, or whatever else you play. It is adequate enough for me. It has a very low hum, which is hardly noticable. It also has a very good clean channel. It stays clean at higher volumes. Very versatile. The distortion is great, there are a million possibilities that you could do with the channels. I spent three hours tweaking this thing and it sounds great. Some features that I don't really like include the Deep switch. It might as well be painted on. It would be nice if the EQ was more versatile, but I can get what I need out of it. The tone shift I don't really use, I think the amp sounds better wothout it on.

It looks like it's got solid construction, I havn't had a problem with it yet. I would only take a backup if the tubes were getting old or whatever. I trust it. I havn't had any trouble with the foot switch so far, but I've heard they could break down often.

Never had to use it. I hope that I don't have to for a long time.

I've been playing a little over three years with my Fender Strat, and this is the best amp I've ever owned, and will probably be my primary amp for the rest of my life. If this thing were stollen, I would buy another one, assuming I could collect insurance or something. If not I would wait a while before I could afford it again. It's really got all the features I could ask for. It's a very good value, I recommend it.

Lots! umm... lets see. seperate 3 band eq for all 3 channels, fx mixes, reverbs, buttons galore. its really got everything you'd ever want covered

I use the TSL w/ either my Jackson Kelly which I put decent pickups in, or an 80's fernandes dragonfly w/ the sustainer. With both guitars, the amp sounds phenominal. I play a lot of straight forward hard and heavy stuff. Its thick, its crunchy, its saturated, its responsive, its all you want, and all you need. Perfect TOOL amp.

After a lot of long gigs and hot practices it stays on. Marshall is a great company.

? never had to talk to em

Best amp I've ever owned.

You know the drill by now

I would like to update from my previous post on 2/2?/2000. I've played close to 75 gigs with this amp, practiced, and jammed with friends. It has held up well (even the footswitch). I would like to add that not everyone wants to sound like korn. The key to a marshall's tone is in the midrange and presence. I never use the tone shift switch, I sometimes use the deep switch depending on the room i'm in or which cabinet I'm using.

See above, I still have in the factory tubes. I have been using it without a backup ('cause I'm too lazy to carry any more stuff).

I've played most other amps out there. This amp, even in high gain mode still lets the nuances of your playing come through. It sounds different with each guitar, and responds to how you play. Not everyone can get a good sound with a marshall, because you have to sound good first with your guitar and your hands. If this one got stolen, I would get a limit increase on the old visa and get another one right away (and the theif better pray the cops get him before I do)

you know, this is a review of all the reviews here. please, if you like marshall products, buy this. if you need to be loud and kill people with your amp, but this. it also has a clean channel for you lady killers out there. clean? for what?

Sounds like marshall, looks like marshall, hurts like marshall, heavier than a mother! like marshall. CLEAN: very clean, nice, smooth as jazz, and creamy like butter. CRUNCH: bloody dismembered limbs. no pedals required. LEAD: good for leads. NOISY? not at all not if you have some humbuckers. try a cheap fender squire with some single coils through this thing at 6 and you'll sound like jimi feedin' way back to the 60's!! but sometimes thats good.

you know ive heard the footswitch is the most edgy thing. true. i've had problems with it. also, when switching from CRUNCH/LEAD to CLEAN, there is a little volume cut. but its just the way the thing is wired. im giving 9 cause of that stupid footswitch.

im getting that footswitch repaired. but that has nothing to do with marshall. i've heard they suck.

going on 7 years, i play a......who cares. OVERALL. God Dam Marshall! greats amps. (if you get the right ones) this is one of the right ones.

GET THIS AMP IF:
1) you are looking for a head.
2) you kinda like Marshall.
3) you have the funds. (sell that dam car!)
4) you want the people in the audience to have their fleash melt. or 5) (for you lady killers) you want them to melt in your hand and not in your mouth.
6) (most important) if you have a wide variety of muscial sounds (ie cover bands) cause this one will do em all, forget Line666. you may have to do some adjusting, but this is what you need. however, for you metal heads, like me, who just like to have like 5 distortion channels, this is kinda not for you. go buy a power amp and a processor. this head is very versitile. and to just switch between CRUCH and LEAD all the time isnt worth you money. make sure you buy this and use all the bells and whistles! i hate when people buy something and only use it for one option. like me. i hate me.



ok for the people who think i know nothing...

this review was from the heart. i came here a while back, reading and reading through all the reviews to make sure i knew what i was getting into, and its true. its a good amp. but i just had to return the favor for those youngsters out there who want this baby. this is the review you are gonna like and probably make you want to beg mommy for it.

"anything you wish it had" it says in this area.

tits.

See the Marshall home page or other reviews for specifics. Things I LIKED: 1/4 power switch, seperate FX mix/reverb/presence controls for the clean and crunch/lead channels. Things I DIDN'T like: no master volume (DOH!), flakey footswitch. Other: I found the tone shift and deep buttons were not very usable.

I don't know how to put this, but if you're not a Marshall "fan" you may be disappointed with this amp, depending on what your expectations are -- I know I was. The clean channel was just that, CLEAN. Not much else to it, it never gets dirty even on the highest gain setting, which is too bad as a lot of music I play requires a little breakup. The clean channel also has way too much bass. I have to keep the bass all the way down, just for it to be acceptable and not step all over our bassist!
The crunch channel is classic Marshall and has a nice smooth distortion until you get to about 3 o'clock on the gain, then the distortion gets very coarse. The lead channel does not offer much more in terms of gain and is voiced almost identical to the crunch channel (which is good or bad depending on what you want I guess). Again, once the gain gets past 3 o'clock the distortion becomes very unpleasant and looses all its tonal detail -- complex chords just sound like mess. You will never get a thick, modern, high-gain distortion out of this amp.
The sound from the Direct Out is thin and brittle, I would not use it in a circumstances where the guitar is prominently heard.

I only had this amp in my posession for 30 days, but if the cheesy footswitch is any indication, I'd say it's reliability is suspect. I had problems with it (the footswitch) after only a few days of use. Pretty sad for a $1200+ amp. My impression of Marshall is of a company that is more interested in quantity, not quality (like Firestone?). I have no facts to back up that statement, it's just the gut feeling I get.

Never dealt with them.

Overall I was very disappointed in this amp's sound, but that is probably because I had the wrong expectations--I expected the Lead channel to have a more modern sound. Really, none of the channels had sufficent gain for what I play. It is a Marshall and it gives Marshall tones and that's it! So if you like that you will probably like this amp, if not, look elsewhere. I was also very disturbed by the lack of a master volume -- an inexcusable deficency on any 2 or 3 channel amp. I really liked the 1/4 power switch so that was one thing it had going for it. I've used Ampegs, other Marshalls, Mesas, and H&K. This amp has a decent tone, but is just not for me. I'd have been upset if it was stolen or damaged because I wouldn't have gotten my money back for returning it!

I found the TSL-100 watt head to be extremely versatile. The clean channel is perhaps the best ever made by Marshall. I was extremely impressed. The Cunch channel provides that same incredible Marshall sound but with the added Tone Shift, it goes beyond. The Lead channel, like the Crunch channel has gobs of distortion, but with added sustain for some kick-ass lead. I am greatly impressed with this amp. You can go from Blues to Country to Limp Bizkit with this thing.

The louder the better. While this amp has the option of quarter power, I find that the louder it gets the better it feels. I prefer it around 4 or 5. Just about where you start to displace some air. It's an incredible amp. If given the choice between a Mesa and Marshall. For pure sound, I'd choose Marshall.

So far, I've had no problems with this amp....however the foot switch is bad. I've replaced it once and this one is also shorting out. I am very disappointed in that aspect...but otherwise...very nice.

Ok...Three channels each with its eq, reverb and volume controls...Enough for me. I use it 4-5 times weekly and never ran out of volume, bottom, etc... Though the lead channel is a little bit shot of gain for my tastes (and I don't play metal!!) I'll give it a 9 just in case...

I use Gibson Les Paul guitars and some Telecasters to get that sweet clean sound and I can testify that it is a noisless amp (at least mine!) I use to play from clean pop music to nasty 70's rock and some 90's stuff...it gives me all the sounds I need (with a little bit of help from some fx toys!!)

As I said before, the distortion channels are fine...but...instead I would have put more gain to the lead channel just for the versatility. Although it can be changed in the manner it is eq'd.

Well....I hope I can depend on it. It is supposed to. I mean...A company with such reputation should support each of their products. I have played it for two months and the only problem I experienced was the footcontroller. Yes my friends!! How an amp of this price could come with such a weak footcontroller. The guys at Marshall should considered to hand-wire the switches inside the controller instaea of put a circuit board inside. I mean...a circuit board is too fragile to be depressed by a foot. Don't you think?! Anyway, I'm alwyas concerned about that because I use to play 4 to 5 days a week and I have to deal with audiences as close to the point that they can spill some beer in your pedals. Then the question is...can a circuit board stand that. I'm not saying that I will spill a bottle of beer on it, but if something similiar happens...I'm sure a stomp pedal would stand it. I'll give it a 1 because the day I bought the amp, I had to return the pedal because it went dead (got to make clear that no one didn't spill nothing on it!!). The new one hasn't given me any trouble at the time.

I've never have to deal with Marshall directly. The store that sold me the amp were very fast with the replacement of the new foot controller. I'll give 'em the benefit of doubt.

I've been playing guitar for about 15 years and for my tastes it works great. I've owned everything from boogies, fenders, matchless to vox, etc... I can't say that it is better than the mentioned but definetly it has its own peculiar sound and has the versatility of three independent channels which is great for our times. I think it is nice from stock...but I'll add some gain to the lead channel, just for the versatility....and definetely a sturdy footcontroller.

OK, this amp has a control for just about everything, three channels all with their own eq, reverb, presence, fx loops, volume & gain controls for each channel .... so as far as features ar concerned its
very well done (just read the other reviews for more)

Ok this is what made me decide for the TSL 100, the clean channel is fucking awsome, and with the 100w power behind it, i could finnaly get a good clean sound at a decent volume without distorting (but wait it gets better) the gain and volume controls on the clean really help in getting a good sound at different volumes, so i was completely wrapt with it. I use the crunch channel as my main distortion channel, when its cranked you can get a great overdrive, but what i like to do is to turn the gain lower and use my Sans amp GT2 to drive it ... tone city!
and i use the lead channel for more riff type stuff than chords ... sounds great, but i dont use it halfe as much as the other two channels. So for what i use this for (Funk/rock) it works very very well.I bought this amp only recently and got it shipped to me only 1 hour before i was about to leave to play my gig, i got a good sound straight out of the box (not completely amazed, and yeh crazy to use an amp that i only just got, but i thought fuck it! buy it you damn well use it) and it sounded great at stage volumes, and it has just been getting better as i have gotten myself more used to it and played with it more at louder volumes (remember that word "LOUD" ... you wont get a fantastic sound with any 100w valve amp down low, unless you use a power brake or something)

well i have owned this amp for little over one month, and no this thing hasnt been sittin' pretty for people to gawk at, it gets used an awful lot at home and around two to three gigs a week so im realy putting it through its paces, and so far ok (but then again for the money you spend on this animal, it better!) i'll submit for reliability when i have done more than a years worth of gigs, 'till then ..touch wood !

never dealt with Marshall myself, but the supplier here in Aussie land ,"Venue Music" seem very good with the Marshall gear. so far i have only bought the amp so my only opinion would be the service i got when i bought it, which was good

i'm still getting used to this amp, but i am very stoked with the way it has been going so far so i'll give it a nine. Like i said before this amp is incredibly loud, so much so even at stage volumes, check out how much power you actually need before buying one (alot of guitarists i talk to went from a 100w down to a 50w, simply because they could crank it harder and not permamently loose their hearing).At home i use this and a Peavey Classic 30 (one awsome amp if you ever try one) with only 30w valve power, you get a great cranked sound at bedroom levels. so i alternate between the two.

I play tons of music stlyes but my main is metal, this amp rocks for it and fits my style, metallica(old), slayer, random acts of violence, ozzy, etc amp has 3 channels, 2 effects loops, xlr jack, 100w rms (all fucking tube!) el34 no solid state shit, i just wish it had more power to spare but hey MORE POWERRR!!!!! who doesnt want more power and the great tone of this amp?

i play a gibson flying v with soon to be emg81 i got a 500t in the bridge and this thing fucking shreds! it can make funky noises sometimes, let the tubes cook 4 a while b4 turing on, i have tried this amp for tons of styles and it excells in metal, the clean channel is awesome, rythum channel distorsion is awesome, slayer!!! the lead channel has tons more sustain mids and gain perfect for hanneman solos!, the famous marshall crunch and thump of the 4x12 ahhh!! this amp is the angel of death! people say marshalls suck thats saying that ozzy, slayer, raov, pantera, metallica, judas priest, jimi hendrix, santana, motley crue, yngwie malmsteen, ratm, eric clapton, srv, van halen, etc all suck! so now you are left with korn and limp biskit hahah! gee which ones are the real musicians? Why would all these guys use marshalls if marhsalls you say suck huh? This amp is for real musicains its got a lot of note defintion and sounds awesome cranked practice practice, its one of the hardest amps to play with, u have to be good to use this one

People say the marshalls have bad ratings(cough cough mesa peavey owners) hey people what kind of lame fucking idiot drops there amp out of a truck! of course this thing isnt built as stong as a metal chassis mesa but its fuckin strong as hell! hey people that say marhsalls suck, u think marshall amps are made to break and built cheaply, thats bullshit lame ones!, they have a thing called a warantee !it costs marshall money to fix thier amps!, why would marshall want to spend money on amps that dont work? think about that one, i love my amp and i wouldnt let it fall off a buildin or some gay shit like what happens to these other people, ive owned this amp for 1/2 a year now and it kicks more ass than i can take, it gets better everytime i play

Never doubt with them, has a 90 day waarantee on the tubes, 3 years on labor, 3 years on speakers, and 5 years on parts so its built to fuckin last or they fix it dummies, it doesnt cost you money! I wish marshall had those soldano lifetime fully transferable warrantees that would rule!

This amp rocks in my sense, but before you take my work for it try every amp you can--mesas are awesome peaveys are awesome,, marshall fit my taste i dont have a problem w/other brands, no amp manufacterer sucks to me, im putting emgs in my guitar, groove tube's kt88s power tubves and 7051 preamp tubes in this amp so it is even rawer im saving up for another 4x12 so ill have the most insane tsl i can get, if u try an amp in a store it sucks, ive played this amp tons of times live and in my room, if u wanna hear the bestest sounds of this amp(metal) listen to angel of death by slayer its a jcm 900 with a jmp-1 plugged in a.k.a. tsl! This thing kicks more ass with a 57 mike in front of 4x12(s) the more the better

I've been playing guitar for 15 years, and this is THE best amp I've ever owned in my life. With three channels you can easily dial in any tone, metal, blues, or straight rock.... As far as the clean channel goes, it is the best clean marshall has ever had. Three channels, two effects loops, independent eq's, a five button foot controller (wich I've never had a problem with, and it's been stompped on, on countless gigs), mid boosts, tone shifts, virtual power reduction, an emulated line out!!!! Yes this amp is very versitile.....

I own a Prs McCarty and a Fender strat... With the strat through this amp, it sounds like a Les Paul. Need I say more? I have noticed some noise from the amp, but nothing out of the ordinary as far as a tube amp goes.

I've never had a problem live, or in the studio. I have had it retubed once, wich is normal, I play out a lot and always have the amp working hard.

The only thing i don't like about the amp is that I hate lugging a 4/12 cab around.

Well, rather than rehash what others have clearly stated, I'll say that it has a great range of features for the money.

Let me tell you of my recent tribulations with some TSL's. I bought one on impulse at a Sam Ash on Monday. Took it home, plugged it in and a whole lot of nasty noises came out. Took that back and got another one.
I played this a couple of hours and while listening to it while idling to the normal background hiss, I'm hearing these snap, crackle, pop noises. I try and see if its a loose pre tube and as soon as I touch one of the tubes, I get loud crackles and pops. Both of the "hot" pre tubes do this. I switch and try other tubes...same thing. I'm thinking now its the sockets.
I take this one back and this other sales guy is bustin' my hump a little about it, because yeah it plays, but this other stuff to me
is really telling me somethings wrong with the amp in the long term. The sales guy who was with me through all this and understood wasn't there, so I finally said screw this, refund my money. Now I'm convinced that theres a whole batch of defective amps in ALL the stores and that it doesn't matter which one I get, they're all gonna be like this.
But, ya know...I gotta have it! But first before I spend the dough a second time, I'll go to a Guitar Center and give the Boogies one last try to see if I'm missin' something. I tries a Recto, Nomads and TremOverb and I'm sorry guys, I didn't care for them one wit, to be kind about it. Now that I got that out of the way, GC will match the good price I got from S.Ash but I got to go pick it up at another store.
I just played for about a half hour so far, flicked the tubes, listen for any weird noises and so far, knock on wood, its seems OK.
Now for the sound ( and this brings me to the DSL, I also purchased recently).
I finally figured how to get my Tele and Strat to sound like themselves out of these amps and I will go so far as to say that this (these) amps clean sounds are as good as the classic Fender guitar/Fender amp combination. Yes, thats right. As good or better. Considering the other crunch and lead options, they go into a class by themselves.
You think a Boogie is supposed to have gain? The gain on these amps are hellacious, to use a well worn cliche'. The trick is that with Fender guitars,for instance, you need to engage the tone shift switch and what you get is that beautiful round tone that Fender amps have.
I've taken my stock Am Standard Tele, cranked up some gain and we are talkin' heavey metal heaven if your so inclined and with plenty more gain to spare.
I'm currently giving my ES 345 a run through the amp and the sound is phenomenal...
Yes, its been a real bitch getting the right ones but I'm astounded by these amps..
I have some other instruments I have yet to give them a test drive, which will include a Gibson ES1275 and a couple of Music Man
signature guitars (you know who...and its not eddie, either ;)
I must say I have found my holy grail of sound here...

As I stated above, I had to go through a few of them to get a stable
one, but oohhh it was worth it.

I give no opinion because these are new and time will tell, but hopefully I'll never need to find out.

Everybody has there own thing in terms of what they want to get out of a piece of equipment, but when it comes down to it, we might all agree on a great tone when we hear it. These amps, the TSL and DSL have it in spades.

This is a newer TSL amp - made in early 2000 I think. I got this amp because of it's infinate tweakability and tone. Fender meets Vox meets Marshall meets Satan.

I'm a PRS junkie, with a early solidbody McCarty w/ Duncans and a more recent McCarty Hollowbody II (a DAMN fine guitar!). Both have humbuckers, but the hollowbody has much less output than my Duncans. The amp is pretty quiet, even while cranked. I've got a THD HotPlate to keep the neighbors from calling the feds, so I can really experiment with the different volume settings in the privacy of my living room.

First and foremost, I think this is the best blues amp I've ever played. At low gainsettings, it's almost like there are 3 different clean channels on this amp, and they all have a diferent EQ range and voice. The crunch and lead channels can get get very very distorted and that's a generally a good thing, but the lower gain settings are truly inspiring for blues.

Clean Channel

The clean sound is everything you've ever heard in previous reviews and more. It's the reason I got the amp. Basically, it's got a fender type of clean sound but with EL34 power tubes and oh my god is it loud. Set the gain to 2pm and your pretty much in blues heaven. The mid-boost switch only really sounds good if you have single coil pickups, but then it's awesome. With humbuckers it's just a mud switch.

Crunch Channel

This is the mystery channel to me. I just can't find a bad sound here. It's a great clean channel for blues - think Peter Green in the early 70's. It's so inspirational. On medium gain settings it nails the AC/DC style JCM800 range of tone, but with a slightly tighter low end chunk. On higher gain settings this is pretty much the Gary Moore channel and we all know that's a good thing.

There's a Tone-Shift button that basically scoops the EQ for a Randy Rhoads sort of sound, but I never use it. I use my Boogies for that type of sound. There's a Deep switch that I use a lot, and it seems to bring out a little more definition and low-end chunk on louder settings.

Lead

At low volumes this is an amazing clean channel. Very focused midrange and punch, with extremely articulate dynamics. Great for blues. At about 4oclock it start to roar and get that Marshall sound. At 12 and aboe it just rips, and full out you're in Yngwie shredhead land. The EQ works wonders here, so experiment! I generally find myself upping the mids and dropping the treble as I like a richer lead tone. It's very expressive. The harmonics are just awesome.

The amp seems good but the footswitch sucks. My footswitch has been returned twice and I'm just astounded at the lack of QA. I'm returning it for a third time tomorrow and I'm going to raise some serious hell at GC about it. I'm pissed! In addition, there is no fan and the amp gets pretty toasty when it's cranked. That means lower tube lives and potential problems if it's not periodically maintained.

Poor. I've spoken with the regional manager for Korg - he was supposed to get me the schematics to MIDI control the channel switching and he flaked. There is noone else to contact in the US as Marshall is sold under Korg's corporate nazi flag. The warranty last 5 years, which is good considering my footswitch will still be having problems then I'm sure.

I've been playing far too long (20+ years). I currently have a full MIDI touring rig with Mesa Boogie, TC Electronic, Korg, and Aphex rack units controlled through a couple of expression pedals and a MIDI ground controller. I'm adding the Marshall head to this rig via some intricate MIDI looping to round out the available sounds, and also to have handy in case a random blues gig comes up where I can just grab the head and a 2x12 cab and go. I play mostly instrumental jazz/rock fusion in the vein of Phil Keaggy and Eric Johnson, but love to just crank it up and play Peter Green/Gary Moore inspired blues stuff.
This amp is one of the best sounding amps I've ever played. The only real comparison to me would be the Hughes & Kettner TriAmp head (the Mesa Boogie Nomad doesn't sound quite right to me so I'm not counting it here. Fender hasn't made a really good sounding amp since 1959 so they're out of the running too.).

Pros: The tone and versatility are really really good. The clean and blues sounds are worldclass. Cons: The price is pretty steep for this amp, the maintenance costs will surely be higher due to lower tube life, and the footswitch is really iffy. Customer support doesn't exist.

Very versatile amp. I wont go in to much detail just look at some other reviews. Mine came with the 5-way foot controller. Has plenty of power! You can get all types of distortions and tones out of this baby. I would like to get higher quality tubes for it though.

It is the perfect amp for my eclectic style. I love to play all types of music but especially alternative like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Mr Bungle, Korn & Deftones. You can get all of these types of tones pretty well, especially with a good distortion pedal to boost it a bit. Im a distortion nut and have tons of pedals from the Grunge pedal, big muff I even have a death metal distortion pedal and when using it the amp makes that sound good! The notes really sing from this and have great definition even with the most brutal of distortion pedals which is something ive been looking for! Without the pedals you can get a really good old Van Halen type sound which is way cool! Ive always bought solid state amps but now ill never go back the tube amps are worth it! Im giving it a 9 just because I wish all amps would have more distortion (ive played just about every amp imaginable and will never be satisfied with the distortion)

Havent had any problems with it but I havent had it for too long.

Never had to deal with them.

Ive played for over 15 years and this amp is the best! I love it if I lost it I would have to kill myself! I would like to get some better tubes for it but other than cant complain really. Oh yeah everyone should go buy Mr Bungles CD's, listen to the originators and true geniouses of music today! Any one out there have any cool tricks or settings for this amp from Garth Brooks twang to Slayer death metal email me! I love to find any tone out of my amps just for the heck of it!

This amps got all the bells and whistles,more than I will use but never the less they're there.I just wish someone could make a useable distortion channel.

This is my first marshall.I've been playing through a 5150 Peavey.I am a Paul Reed Smith fan 100%.I wouldn't trade this amp for anything.I have yet to find a amp that has good distortion so I allways play the clean channel with my peddles.I play pretty heavy.I have been trying to emulate that killer crunch you hear in all the big bands and have finally gotten my sound.The other 2 channels are worthless to me which is kind of a bummer.The raw power and awesome clean are all I need.

So far so good.I do own another JCM 2000 for back up but never ever worry about my TSL

Over all the best ever.There's a reason 90% of all big bands use the JCM line.I will allways own a marshall.I've been playing for 28 years and by far Paul Reed & Marshall were a match made in heaven.

lots of bells and whistles others have already listed. LOTS of features

it's not a bad amp, but it's not nearly as fat as I expected! this has been hyped to death. It gets decent distortion at lower volumes, but my WEM dominator (and the clone I built) sound much fatter due to the power tubes being driven. Also, with my les paul, it didn't sound as fat as my JMP.

can't say, but my other marshalls (pre jcm800 with the huge iron) have been very reliable. I've heard the trannies on these can't withstand high volume playing very well. I can't verify this, but my 50 watt jmp has bigger transformers than this tsl.

I didn't buy it. I took it home for a week, and then took it back to the store. I can't justify paying that much for an amp like this. It did make me appreciate my older marshalls more, though. BTW: I played it through a marshall 4x12 slant cab with v30's. I live in an area where I can crank the amp up to 8 or 10 with no complaints. At this volume, my other amps still sound much better. to each his own I guess

3 Channels (clean, crunch, lead), built in power soak (great!!), tone shift, deep switch, etc. Everything I could want in an amp.

I just had to make a comment to some of these people who are bashing the sound quality of this amp. You people are morons!!! God, you piss me off!! I'm reading reviews by people who are just testing it out in the guitar shop or they are admitting that they know nothing about amplifiers. I've owned this amp for 6 months and it just flat out kicks ass!! I play in two bands, one of them being a Metallica tribute band, and it really delivers. I get great, full sounds cranked or at low levels. I get compliments all the time at my gigs on how great this amp sounds. One of the reviews said that it sounded thin at high levels. There must be something wrong with your head because mine sounds great on 8. The clean is great too... much better than the Mesa Boogie Rectifier. This amp suits all of my playing sounds from Metal, Classic Rock, Blues, etc. There is plenty of distortion too. And for anybody who is going to bash this amp because they tested it in a guitar shop, you are not qualified to give an opinion. Just shut the hell up!!!

I had one problem where there was a pinched wire in the head and the distortion cut out on me during a gig. (dooh!). I had it fixed and it was covered by the warranty. No big deal. Other than that, no problems.

Great amp. I can get any sound I want out of it. I've been playing guitar for 10 years and it's the best amp I've owned. I can't even think of something I would improve on it. If you have an oportunity, try this amp out for an extended period of time. There are so many features on this amp that it is impossible not to get the sound you want.

Three channel 100 watt all tube amp - purchased 3/2000. Clean, Crunch and Lead channels w/reverb and FX loops, all of which can be selected from the provided footswitch. All channels have a "deep switch" (lead/crunch are shared) which adds a low end resonance, and the clean channel also has a "mid boost" switch. The Lead/Crunch channels have a "tone shift" pushbutton that scoops the mids - great for metal, at least at bedroom volumes (more on this later) This amp does not fall short on features, and certainly did not leave me wanting. Features is a solid 10.

I tested this head with a Les Paul Custom and Marshall 1960a 4x12 cab. Now, here is where it gets tricky. For the past few months, I have been torn between this amp and a Mesa Dual Rectifier 100 watt. I love the Mesa for high gain apps, but the clean channel is horrible and regardless of how versatile some folks say it is, the different settings on the Recto are all variations on the same sound (albeit one GREAT sound). When I tested the TSL 100, I was blown away by the clean sounds. When people say its the best Marshall clean ever, they are not kidding. In fact - it could easily hang with a Fender Twin or Rivera. And its super versatile. By tweaking the Gain, Volume, mid boost and deep switch, you can easily dial in everything from fat jazz tones to Hendrix or SRV. The Crunch and Lead channels are voiced similarly, with the Lead having more gain and higher compression. When tested, it was at moderate levels, and I simply loved what I heard. Very crunchy and "live" sounding - similar to early Van Halen. Hitting the "Tone shift" button gave me a similar tone to the intro to Ozzy's "I dont know" The "deep switch" adds low end thump and the eq is very interactive - one small tweak of a button yeilded another radically different sound. I liked it so much I took it home and later took, it to band practice. Here is where the trouble started. At moderate levels, this amp sounds fabulous, but at band volumes, the whole shape of the sound changed. Gone was the tight, crunchy gain, replaced by a grating, brittle, thin sound, lacking big time in the low end dept. I tried everything from turning down the gain, to adjusting the tone controls - nothing could save it. I found I had to turn the gain down to about 12 oclock to prevent it from squeeling like a banshee - this made the sound even thinner. A total failure at loud volumes in my opinion. On the other hand, the Mesa loses nothing, and actually sounds better the louder it is. This broke my heart - tommorrow it goes back to the GC and will be exchanged for the Dual Recto. I give it a 6, mainly because of the clean channel. Perhaps this head would be great for recording - but at concert volume....no way.

Not impressed. The first TSL head I auditioned at GC was defective. After trying a working model, I took that one home while GC ordered me a new one (the one I took home originally was an opened box - customer return) I played with it for a few days, and when my new one came in - I took it home and hooked it up only to find that it sounded quite different from the last one!! This was not my imagination, there is a definite inconsitancy between TSL's, which means Marshalls QC sucks. The head most likely was not biased correctly, which may be why it sounded so crappy at band practice. But for $1300 bucks, I dont have time to screw around and test a whole bunch. Again - it actually hurts me to write such negativity, as I have been a Marshall enthusiast for 25+ years.

Never dealt with them.

Its a shame - this could have been the best amp I ever owned. Versatility is second to none, and that clean channel is simply wonderful. But due to the radical degradation of the Crunch/Lead channels at loud volumes, I am forced to give it a low rating. If it was stolen?? As long as someone steals it after I exchange it for my Dual recto - I couldn't care less!

This is a three channel amp, each channel with seperate 3-way EQ, gain and master volumes. The clean channel has it's own reverb, effects loop gain and presence settings, while these parameters are shared by the crunch and lead channels. Since the clean channel is voiced differently than the cruch and lead channels - which are voiced similarly, if not identically to each other - this is logical and not a shortcoming to me. There are two effects loops which can be used as one master for all channels, or one dedicated to the clean channel and the other to both the crunch and lead channels together. I'd be happier with the ability to run one loop for the cruch channel and the other for the lead, since I don't really use the clean channel much. I find that I can get as clean as I want by running the gain low on the crunch channel. The end result is that while the tone is clean, it seems more 3-dimensional with more sparkle and "bristle", like the old Voxes (say a good AC-50). The effects loop configuration is the ONLY reason this amp gets a 9 instead of a 10 in the versatility department. There are mid scoop switches, deep switches and a virtual power reduction switch. (This is basically a fixed master volume in addition to the variable ones) There is also a real useful 5-way foot switch for channel switching, reverb and effects loop. There IS some solid state circuitry, but it's dedicated to the channel switching and the effects loops. Not a problem as I see it, since most effects are solid state anyway. Gone is the buzzy diode clipping of the JCM 900 series as well as a few others. This amp sounds like, and IS a tube amp.

I play two main guitars which allow me to get the best of both the Fender and Gibson worlds. My main style is a blend of blues, rock and old R&B. Aside from lots of guitar influences, the most obvious to the informed listener are Jimi Hendrix and early period Clapton with some Stevie Ray and Albert King mixed in. I can get any of those sounds, to a T, and then some. There is NO guitar sound (that I'd want to hear) that I can't get from this amp. None.

I've used this amp for 8 months now, and never had a problem. But I have to say that I baby it. I observe the standy switch rules, I never move the amp while the tubes are hot, it travels in a foam padded road case and I set it down gently (as if it were glass - and the tubes are) when I move it. After all, it's a delicate instrument. I also noticed right away that those tubes throw off a tremendous amount of heat, and I mounted muffin fans (that's right, plural) on the back grate to keep it totally cool at all times. (The holes are spaced perfectly so that you can just run 4 bolts through the fan and the grate without drilling or altering anything) I do not think that this amp would stand up well to the kind of unlimited abuse that the old point to point wired amps would, since it uses PC boards and similar modern construction techniques. On the other hand, the way I pamper it, it should last for many years. And even the old amps that were built like tanks had fragile tubes. We were just too stupid to know how to treat them properly back in the old days.

Never had to find out. Hope not to.

I give this amp a 9 for all the reasons above. If it were built like the oldies and still had all the features and sound that it has, I'd give it a solid 10. If it had the effects loops as I described, it'd get an 11. This is, without a doubt, the best sounding amp as well as the most versatile amp that I have ever played through in my 34 years of playing. I've had six Marshalls over the years, including original plexis and a 200w Super Bass. This blows them all away, and I don't care who argues that - I've HAD 'em. I've also had Fenders up the ying yang. Forget it, not even comparable. I've had Voxes, and THOSE are among the best amps in the world. One AC-50 came very close for sound, but this one is WAY way more versatile. It's got the vintage as well as the modern high gain sounds AND the features and flexibility. This amp is *IT*. And if this amp were ever stolen, I think I'd sit down and cry. Yeah, I'd buy another one - if I had that kind of cash again!

Just one last thought here - a while back I was wondering if maybe I should have pickedthe combo version instead. That is, until I bent down to pick it up. Bending over to pick up almost 70 lbs from about a foot off the ground is a GUARANTEED back killer. Not me, thanks! Then there's the sound difference between the 4X12 and an open-back combo. For my money, a TSL100 head and a 1960A 4x12 cab are the way to go. You might have to make an extra trip to carry one more thing, and yeah, it's bigger.... but that's just for the 15 minutes you have to carry it. Then there's the 4 hour pay-off while you're playing, if you were bold and went for the gusto!

This is the 3 best amps I've ever owned rolled up into one. Each channel has it's own tone controls. There is also a seperate presence and reverb for the clean and crunch/lead section. 5 button footswitch takes getting used to. Instead of push-on, push-off channel switching you push a seperate button for each channel.

The clean channel goes from nashville clean (no thanks), warm jazz (getting warmer), Little Wing expressiveness (much better) to old time blues. The crunch channel is the classic Marshall. The one us metalheads wish had just a hair more gain. Can be used from clean to Guns and Roses with the gain control, very good sounding. I use this channel 80% of the time. The lead channel has the gain we all wish the JCM 800's had without sacrificing NOTE DEFINITION! The distortion does not "mush out" or compress, so dynamics are preserved. If this is not enough gain-have your sensory perception checked.

So far so good, been gigging with it for six months now. Always carry a backup (JCM800 2205),but mainly because it has the same type tubes. I've used Marshalls since I've been playing, and in 13 years of semi professional playing, the only problem I've ever had is a bad EL-34 (in another Marshall), fixed in 2 minutes.

Never dealt with them, all my other Marshalls were purchased used.

I tried out just about every other amp on the market (Boogie, Soldano, Laney, Peavey, ...) I have also owned several of the former, Nothing makes a guitar come alive like a Marshall. I play primarily a Gibon SG, and I'm able to get match tones on the cover songs we play, and I get an MY sound on our origionals. This is the second most expensive amp I've ever owned (the first was SOLD). When you think of it as 3 amps, the price isn't that high. I've seen 1 channel 30 watt "boutique" amps costing twice as much.

This is just an amendment to my previous review (see the review submitted on 01/29/00)
I have since traded my original TSL for another one, fresh out of the box, and have discovered that the lead channel is totally useable on my new amp! This either says that there is an inconsistency in the amp's manufacture, or that my 1st amp was wonked, because I bought it off the floor of the shop and who knows what had been done to it before I got it. I strongly suggest that you make sure that you are the 1st one to use your amp if you buy new, or try to compare a few side by side...I now have an amp where all 3 channels have that heart-soaring effect!

I just bought the TSL 100 JCM 2000 because I've always loved Marshalls but my playing style demands an amp that sounds great clean. This is the 1st Marshall that does eveything I need an amp to do. The footswitch is great, and I especially like the volume ramping between channel switching, which cuts down on accidental pops.
I find that every feature Marshall has put into this amp was well thought out; all the buttons and knobs are usable at some point, even if it looks like they went overboard at first. I needed an amp that had separate EQ for each channel, and didn;t want to be limited to one effects loop. Very simply, I love playing through this amp. Controls are well laid out and well thought out, and this thing is versatile without trying to be everthing to everyone.

I'm using a custom-built guitar which I can describe as a cross in feel between a Patrick Eggle Berlin, a Les Paul, and a Strat (it has a Fender scale length but a much more solid vibe). I never use a bridge position pickup so this guitar has one Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the neck position. The tone control is wired so I can tap the 2 coils and dial in exactly how much of the 2nd coil I want to hear.

My experience with this amp so far has me favouring the Crunch channel with lower gain settings. The Lead channel I immediately found had too much fizzy distortion to be usable unless I rolled off the volume pot on my guitar, which I don't like to do. I feel that the Lead Channel should be an extension of the Crunch channel, rather than a completely different voice. I am actually considering modifying the circuit to mimic the Crunch channel so I can have 2 Crunch channels with different gain settings. The Lead channel also slices through with much more high end than I like (I definitely like warm and dark over bright and saw-your-head-off high end), whereas the Crunch channel is perfectly warm and a joy to play through. The Clean channel is also extremely usable, and the transition between the Clean and Crunch channels feels much more natural than the leap from Crunch to Lead.
To my ears, this amp sounds the closest to what I want to hear. I don't like Fenders or Mesa Boogies, and prefer a rounder, more natural tone where I can hear the sound of the actual guitar. Because Marshall went back to EL34s (for a while they were using 5881s and I think 6550s for the North American market, which made them sound like crap in my opinion) this is a much warmer, more "vintage" sounding amp. The distortion curve of an EL34 is much smoother than those favoured by many American amp makers, and gives a Marshall (and a Vox, among others) that particular tone I love. So it blows away any JCM-800s or 900s from the 80's and 90's. I'm using it with a 1960a cab with 75watt Celestions and it sends me to heaven every time.
I give it an 8 here because the Lead channel needs serious UN-hotrodding for my taste.

No problems so far. I've never played a gig with a Marshall and worried about whether or not it was going to make it; I've always found them dependable. I believe a lot of other players would benefit from NOT rolling the heads in on top of the cabs, because you're jostling the hell out of the tubes, which are just about as delicate as light bulbs.

I find practically any places I deal with these days have staff that don't know anything. When I was buying the amp, the salesperson didn't know what an EL34 was, nor did he know anything about the amp. I've never dealt with Marshall directly, or the company in canada who is responsible for distributing them. So this is N/A.

I've been playing for 16 years, and my rig previous to the TSL was a Marshall JMP1 with a tube poweramp and some rack effects and 2 cabs so I could get a great stereo sound even in small clubs. The TSL quite frankly blows away my old setup. I was never happy with the JMP's sound and it all felt too contrived and stale. The TSL has rocketed me back into the great feeling of playing through a fantastic, powerful amp that can really shake the place. I'd buy this amp again in a heartbeat if they did something to the Lead channel. The Lead channel is the thing that keeps this from being everything I wanted - it's too metal for my taste, without allowing for the natural distortion that would occur at higher volumes. Even with the Gain down at 1, it doesn't give me the feel I'm after, because the lower Gain setting emasculates it but doesn't clean it up. The Crunch channel rules, having way more body and much more usable gain. If I want that way-too-distorted sound, I'll use a pedal; I don't want my amp sounding like a buzzsaw unless I'm pushing it over the top.
But it's the Clean channel that made me buy this amp, because it sounds better and is more responsive to my guitar playing than any other amp I've tried (and I've tried everything I can get my hands on over the years). The JMP setup simply didn't have a usable clean sound, Voxes don't have near enough power, and Fenders are way too brittle for my style of playing.
Basically, I love this amp, but find the Lead channel almost unusable except in very specific situations. So overall it gets an 8.

A complete disillusion. When I bought it (after of waiting a year to save enough money to afford it)I though: It's the best amp that there is out there (at least that's what they say in the stores). When I turned it on: where's the distortion???? I don't know much about amps but I do know what distortion looks like! All that I can ear (with the gain on 10 and the volume of the guitar on 10) is a little overdrive. I don't know what's wrong. The guitar is a Gibson Les Paul(no problems).
I have a good guitar cable (no problem here). With my other amp (Ibanez 5) I had really distortion. Maybe its a tube but I don't really know. I've had it for a year and it sounds the same since I bought it. Since I don't understand much about amps (I just plug the guitar and play)I thought it was normal because I only play it at home with the VPR on. But now, I've cranked it and the problem is still there (just a little overdrive on the lead chanel and a almost clean sound on the crunch chanel). But now its too late: the warranty has already gone. Sometimes I ear a strange noise (a kind of a hummm) coming from the amp. I had to buy a Zoom 505 to have good distorted sounds from it.
Well, I'm gonna take it to the store and see what's the problem (if there's any) and I know that I'm gonna have to pay to fix it (it came when I bought it but I thought it was normal).
The clean sounds are very good but I didn't bought a Marshall to play clean!

I only play at home but I wouldn't depend on it. I wouldn't even take it to a gig: I can't take the sounds I want from it so why should I take it?

I submitted the review a couple down. A week later here is my review: Punch the VPR button and then turn it up!

The Clean channel is GREAT. More Fender than a Fender and with BALLS! The Crunch channel sounds very tight and nice. Turn the gain to 11 or 12:00 then crank the master to 2 or 3:00! Turn down the treble, crank the bass, mid's about halfway, presence aound 10 and you'll get it! The lead works great with your gtr tone knob turned down. Carlos Santana lives! Gain all the way, master at 10 or 11:00.

Checking into the lag between the clean and crunch channels when footswitching. Could be a bad relay.

Great, GREAT amp! I posted my other post too soon. Typical one day disgust. Play and play with this amp. ALL knobs have a bearing on your sound, even the smallest turns. I use a 1960 slant and am going to check out the all Vintage and/or Greenbacks!

Bought new 12/1999.
For a list of features, see all the other submissions. As far as, "Does it have the features I need?", Yes it does. I started off with the DSL 100 because the salesman told me, based on my description, it was exactly what I was looking for. And it was, as far as sound. After playing with it a while(the DSL), I found myself spending way too much time tweaking the EQ when switching between Clean, Crunch and Lead. The foot pedal was very limiting(2 switches) so I took it back and got the TSL 100. I am extremely pleased with the features of the TSL. I have been looking for a verrrry long time for an amp this versatile. One that enables me to go from clean to blues to scream.

The 25 watt switch is very helpful and has no loss of sound quality.
The footswitch has Clean, Crunch, Lead, Reverb and FX loop. Some have noted the footswitch has crapped out on them. Mine seemed to sometimes want to stay in crunch. I found that by showing it who was boss, by stomping hard on it a couple of times:>, it no longer exhibits this problem.

Ok, this is where this amp shines.

For note, I play a Tele Plus(Three Gold Lace Sensors.)
My style of music ranges from Clean Surf/Rockabilly to Blues(Allman Brothers, Cream, etc.) to Santana, Mountain, Hendrix.
I am playing through a Marshall 1960A slant cab.

CLEAN
Do you want a FAT, clean, shimmery Fender sound. It's got it. It sounds more like a Fender than a Fender does. I bought the Fender Custom Shop Dual Professional trying to get this sound. While the Dual Pro sounds good in it's own right, this Marshall beats it by miles in both sound and versatility. The reverb could stand the option to let you get more of an "in your face, deep surf" boingy sound but it really is pretty darn good. If you crank it, you can get that boingy thing going. Very warm and smooth reverb.

What is so ultimately cool about this amp is it's versatility. While the clean channel can sound like a Fender, by tweaking the EQ and Gain you can get all types of sounds. For example, if you follow Marshall's suggestion and set the Mid punch to ON then flat the Treble and Bass and crank it up, and I mean crank it up, you can
get that sweet, full violin like sustain without distorted harshness.

CRUNCH
The crunch channel is superb at any volume. I like to set the crunch gain at about 12:00 and the volume a little below. This way I can play clean chords and by laying into the strings, a nice warm tube distortion follows through.

LEAD
I have read some reviews where they said the lead channel sounds like a buzzsaw. Well, there's basically two reasons for this:

1. You have the volume too low and the gain to high. While this amp does everything it can to sound good at all levels, which I think it does very good, you are NOT going to get that true Marshall sound with it turned down to bedroom levels. Crank it up and try it (Go to the bathroom before you do though.:>)

2. You have the speaker/amp ohmage mismatched. Make sure that, if you have an 8 ohm cabinet, the amp is set to 8 ohms output. Though this is not necessarily the cause it will certainly contribute.

This amp will definitely amplify anything wrong with what is put into it. If you have a crap axe, you will hear it. As a matter of fact, I didn't realize that I have an electrical problem with my Tele until I plugged into this amp.

As far as noise, it is very quiet. With gain set high you get hum and hiss but I really think this is being caused my Tele. If I unplug and crank the gain on any channel, it is very quiet relatively speaking.

I hate distortion boxes and I knew there was an amp out there that doesn't need that junk to sound good. Admit it, after all, the only reason we use a distortion box is to get that amp distortion because your amp dont got what it takes. Why do you need one if your sweet tube amp does what it's "supposed" to do.

PS: I really wanted a combo cause I didn't want to lug around a head and cabinet. I tried the TSL 100 combo. Sounds like kee-rap. The way this head and cabinet sounds make it worthwhile for toting.

I really haven't had it long enough to say how reliable it is. But I have this feeling it could be very dependable. The first one I got squealed like a pig when I turned it on. Took it back and got another one. DO NOT LET GUITAR CENTER SELL YOU ONE IN AN OPEN BOX. Those crums will sell you one that someone brought back because there was a problem. If at first it is not evident, I guarantee you that eventually you'll find something wrong somewhere. I think from here on out I'll try my stuff at guitar center or mars and then buy it online.

I am so very pleased with this amp. So much so that I finally sprung for a TC Electronic G-Force. Coupled with the second amp I added for stereo, this setup is everything I believe anyone would ever need. I can't speak for Metal type music but my brother in law played through it and he is a big Kiss fan. He loved it.

Sorry I have rated this thing so high in all categories but I have been really depressed over finding the right amp for so long, and I knew it had to be out there somewhere, that I am just very elated. I have had this amp over a month now and my feelings have not changed. I just can't stop playing it. It's kind of scary in that it's almost obsessive.:>

While this amp is very expensive, it is worth every penny. It applies perfectly to what you get is what you pay for. If you can't afford one, pawn your wife's wedding ring. She'll get over it. And if she doesn't, you'll always have this amp to keep you warm and comfy:>

As everyone has stated, it's a great amp but the footswitching between the 3 channels is NOT instant. It takes a valuable second or more to achieve the true switch. My TSL60 switches fine. I wonder what's the problem???

Also, the TSL100 is very bright and the distortions are a little to brittle compared to the TSL60. Must be the tubes???

Tech support is hard to get. Unless you want to call England, there's no place on Korg's website that even mentions Marshall!

See above.

I was shocked how different the TSL100 is from the TSL60. I really wanted it to work - as a better TSL60. But I find the TSL60, at this point, is more versitile. Please e mail me with some answers!

SEE below

Here I'll add my ten cents worth. I took this head for 3 days and intended to gig it but I A/B it with my 30th anniversary head and it didn't come close!!! The 30th head uses shit loads of preamp tubes and this has 4!!!! no wonder!!!!!
It sounded OK but like a guy said below, it uses to few tubes and s*it transformers. Why do you think marshalls up to the 800 era sound so good!! The anniversary has good transformers so why the hell have marshall changed a winning recipe.
Anyhow at the end of the day the tsl falls short on the tone stakes and you really need to give them a run out (ie gig or rehearsal) to here the short falls.
I'd recommend if you need a versitile amp and want the marshall tone get the 30th anniversary. It's the best they have ever made (they don't make them anymore though!!!)

I've never had a problem with any of my marshalls though a friend had the 30th anniversary and it developed 16 (yep 16!!) dry joints.

I've just the marshall service centre in the UK and they are really cool. I've also used there parts line and they were pretty good. Though i guess like the guys in the UK who have problems with boogie amps have shit loads of hassle getting them fixed so do guys in the US with marshalls

I'd give the TSL a miss and hunt down a 30th anniversary. Though it is horses for courses so you should really give one a try. Alot of guys like them on this site so there must be something to them.
I'm just disappointed that marshall bring out a 3 channel amp at a resonable price and find they don't match up to a model they made in the early 90's!!! Boogie seam to have it right with the nomad you would think a company like marshall would improve on a product. I think they have missed the boat on this on and instead given us a poor mans anniversary.

Marshall 100W JCM2000 TSL100 tube head made in 1999. With its 3 independent channels (clean,crunch,lead), 2 effect loops, reverb, direct out and lots of more amazing features this amp is one of the most versatile tube amps I've ever seen. For me this amp has it all.

The sound of this amp depends very much on the guitar (or pickups) you use. My main guitar is a Gibson ES135 (with Classic 57 humbuckers), but I also use an old (1972) Ibanez Custom Les Paul (with Gibson 498T and 490R) and a Charvel Model 2a (with a DiMarzio Super Distortion 3). I play in two bands modern rock and hardcore/punk, have done 3 complete albums and do a lot of studio work.
I first tried out this amp with my Gibson ES135. The clean sound was the best and most versatile of any Marshall (built past 1980) I've ever heared before. It is really rich and warm and you can even feel the notes while you're playing (even clean at high volumes).
Then I switched to the crunch channel and noticed that it was a bit muddy, like a fuzz, the same with the lead channel. That was the point I changed guitars and with my Ibanez Les Paul the crunch and lead channel just sings - this sound is pure rock, not brutal distortion (like my 5150), but great punch and a superb note definition (same with my Charvel). Well, I guess you need some pickups with hi-output to get a good sound out of the crunch and lead channel.
Before I bought this Marshall I used a Peavey 5150 for my distorted, a Peavey Classic 50 410 for the clean and a Marshall JCM800 for distorted solo sounds. Now I need only one amp in a live situation (with my modern rock band, for heavier stuff in my punk/hardcore band I still use the Peavey 5150). The TSL100 has a better clean sound than the Peavey Classic and the same big Marshall solo sound like my Marshall JCM800.
I won't sell my other amps, because it's always helpful to have some good sounding amps at the studio.
All Marshall tube heads I owned were very noisy at high gain settings, that's why I use a Behriger Guitar Denoiser in the effect loop of the crunch/lead channel - this gives you a very clear distorted sound with a lot of power, great definition and doesn't kill the sound like most noise gates do.
If you play rock/blues/hard rock and if you like this big Marshall rock sound - this is the amp for you. If you are into hardcore, speed metal, death metal,.... look for a real high gain amp (like VHT Pitbull, Peavey 5150).

Haven't had a problem, yet - but made the experience that Marshall isn't that good in building amps like a tank. I won't gig without a backup.

I never dealt with them.

I play rock and classic guitar for about 15 years now and this is my favorite amp.
I love soloing with this amp because of the soustain and the note definition. This amp is 3 amps in one, extreme versatile. You can get lots of different good sounds out of it, a real advantage compared to my Peavey 5150, which has only 1 great sound.
I tried different (versatile) amps before buying it. Bogner Ecstasy 101 - too expensive, but great, too, Engl Savage - power (!!!) but doesn't suit my style, Line 6 HD - nice try and O.K. if you do pop covers. I own a Line6 POD which is very good for studio work but in my opinion the Line6 HD (300W head) has no heart and soul for rock.
Mesa Boogie TOV - great amp, but playing the TSL100 made me feel better, Mesa Triaxis with Mesa 90/90 - maybe the best distorted sounds but I was dissapointed by the clean sounds. That's why I bought the TSL100.
If it were stolen I would buy it again in a heartbeat. I love it and playing with that thing makes me simply feel good - without using tons of effects.

1999 Marshall TSL100 100 Watt head. Made in the USA. 3 Channels: Clean, Crunch, and Lead, all footswitchable by a huge 5 button footswitch. 3 band EQ + presence/reverb for each channel. Virtual Power Reduction, which emulates a 75% cut in wattage. Output Mute to well... mute the output for direct recording without a cabinet. There is really no features that this amp is missing. Maybe a 1/4" jack instead of an XLR for the Direct Out, but still, it has just about everything. Oh yea, its all tube as well.

My main axe is a Jackson Kelly KE-3 with all new pickups (TB-12 bridge, 57 Classic neck). I play rythm/little bit of lead guitar in my band, Nameless Fear (http://namelessfear.dhs.org). After playing through terrible amps for 5 years (Sovtek MIG100H, Fender RocPro100, Fender Princeton, Fender Bullet Reverb), I finally said to myself, "Self, I think its about time you bought a Marshall TSL100". So I went out and bought one. I brought it home after showing it off to my singer and watched him drool and try to hump the amp and I hooked it up to my cab that has 4 Celestion Vintage 30's. I turned the amp on, let the tubes cook for a little while, fixed the EQ, and turned it on. I started with the clean channel. My singer/guitarist has a VS100 head, which is a great amp, but the clean is very band, so I figured clean sounds werent Marshall's forte, but lo and behold!!! The TSL100 has an AMAZING clean sound! The reverb really helped beef it up too. Im not a big fan of IN YOUR FACE clean stuff, so the Mid Shift is never touched. Then I went to the Crunch channel. GOD DAMN! You could take out the lead channel and i would survive in my metal band situation perfectly with the Crunch channel. Big, thick, and responsive distortion is all that dripped out. I cranked the reverb up and I was doing MacAlpine sweeps in a heartbeat with violin-like tone. Then BAM! I kicked in the LEAD channel. Holy hot damn! It was amazing. Tingly waves of smooth distortion rung through the house. Not a bad tone in this machine. It sounds great, and sounds better the louder you play it.

I've only had it for a little bit. I plan on doing MANY MANY MANY shows with it, since my band plays out a LOT. Steves VS100 has never failed him and Valvestates are Marshalls "budget line", so my TSL100 better withstand anything.

5 year warranty on parts. Sounds good to me.

I have been playing since I was 11 and I am 16 now. After playing all that aforementioned crap, I am very happy with the TSL100. I would recommend this amp to anyone who wants an extremely versatile, responsive head that can handle just about anything you want to play. I love the fact it has TONS of features, SO MANY BUTTONS TO PUSH AND ADJUST!! I was going to buy a DSL100 instead, but im glad i got this. Marshall flat-out beats anything. If it were stolen I would find whoever stole it and put thier head up to my speaker cab and crank the TSL to 10 and let him die slowly.

This is the first truly versatile 3-channel amp that Marshall has produced, blowing away their previous attempt with the aniversary series. The clean channel takes you anywhere from country twang, to extra dark jazz chords, to the Fender "blackface" sound. The two drive channels (crunch and lead) are pretty much classic Marshall with plenty of punch and power. This amp is "knobs and buttons galore" with 2 effects loops, 5 way footswitchable everything and "deep" and "tone-shift" butons for each respectable channel. tons of features. However, the TSL , like any Marshall, can only cover so much of the tonal spectrum, so not enough for a 10, but good enough for me.

Unlke most Marshalls, the TSL was capable of creating many sounds suitable to a lot of different varieties of music and players needs. Imagine a Marshall with a decent clean channel! Warm and punchy and more verstile tan meets he eye. Playing with the gain on the clean setting with the mid-shift activated, gives you the cool plexi sound and so much more. Between the two drive channels on this amp, you can get everything from an old plexi, to the JCM-800 crunch, to over the top distorted fury. The tone shift buttons on each distortion channel provide an aggressive "scooped mid" sound for the punk/metal thing and all the features made things easy to dial up, but the best thing about the amps sound is that, you can realy hear the sound of the guitar too. I found that as usual, humbucker equipped guitars worked best to coax out the goods with this amp, as with most from the Marshall amps throughout their history. It realy picks up the nuances of your playing style and attack, which is pleasing with any tube amp. Overall sounds greeat!

Marshall has always made road-worthy products, but obviously that declines as a manufacturer grows like this company has. But its still built really tough as expected. Ive used it at some pretty wild live shows and even let a guy in another band use it for their set too. Its never failed to deliver yet. The amp is a rock, the footswitch, however is a whole other story. So far Ive gone through one, and I'm waiting on the rapairs of the second one. The jack for it resembles that of a MIDI plug but with less pins. Its a great footswitch for features, but I've heard nothing but complaints on its durability. I unfortunatly, experienced it first hand. The amp is great, the footswitch could be better, and as with any tube amplifier, things can always go wrong, so far other than the switch, I'm doing ok.

I went through an authorized Marshall dealer to by it and for my fotswitch problem. They've been most helpful, but repairs on this type of thing just takes too long! I'm not sure what to say for this one. The story is still unfolding.

I've played a lot of amps, but this is definatly in the top 5 of all for me. It has tons of features, and just sounds good when I need it too and thats all the really needs to be said. It happens to make a geat match with the guitars I own so I've been fortunate to find some great sounds with it so far. At this point I couldn't live without my TSL and its fiery tube disortion.

Year Made: 1999 (I assume since it was shipped in May of 99)
Versatility: Amazingly versatile. Everything from clean jazz tones to "woman tone" blues with a harsh aggressive heaviness factor on the distortion channels.
Channels: 3; clean, crunch, and lead. The included 5-way footswitch (footswitchable for each of the three channels, with one for reverb, and one for effects loop) also has about twenty-six feet of chord, so you aren't bound to the amp. There are two effects loops which can be configured to have different loops for the clean and crunch/lead channels. Loop A is the master, but you can utilize LoopB to have different effects for the distortion channels which makes LoopA available to the clean channel only. The clean channel has a Mid Boost switch which disengages the Mid control from the circuit and reconfigures the way the Treble and Bass controls work. Enabling this switch and cranking the gain (Yes, the clean channel has gain) and the volume gives a really awesome blues "woman tone" especially when playing on the neck pickup with 0 or very low tone control on the guitar. There is also a separate deep switch for the clean and crunch/lead channels. The deep switch adds a little more low end resonance to either channel setting at all volumes. There are separate treble, mid, and bass controls for each individual channel. Meanwhile, the clean and crunch/lead channels have their own Presence, FX Mix, and Reverb controls. The crunch and lead channels also have their own tone shift switch which gives more of a "scooped mids" sound for heavier metal riffage, as well as some other chunkified variations of tone. Top it all off with a Virtual Power Reduction Switch (for use in smaller rooms which cuts the amp down to about 25 watts) and a n output mute switch to bypass the output tubes when using the DI output for silent recording. And it works like a champ too. The speaker emulation of the DI output works really well for those late night recording sessions when you don't want to give the neighbors a reason to call the cops on you.
With four 12AX7's for preamp tubes and 4 EL34 Svetlana's on the output end this amp has no shortage of tubeage. Throw in Accutronics Spring Reverb and you have a master-crafted powerhouse lurking in your music room. Mine has nearly knocked the dishes out of the china cabinet on several occassions. That is until the misses comes in to disturb my vicarious travel to other dimensions with demented guitar work.

Guitar: Gibson SG Special with dual Humbuckers
This amp totally suits just about any style that I choose to play. And I delve into my wanna-be jazz motifs, and then some Satriani-ish things, as well as some clapton-like ideas, not to mention the complete amount of power-riffage ala Korn, Coal Chamber, and Slipknot. Not to mention those weak Metalliqueers, it can play that kind of crap too. This amp can pretty much power any idea you have in your head.
Noise Factor: The only time I notice any noise from the amplifier is when I am working with it on Guitar Studio on my computer. I believe that the reason for this is that my computer is a little exposed at the moment due to the fact that I spend all of my time playing guitar. I haven't had the urge to remedy the situation yet since I can't put my guitar down long enough to think about it. BTW, I also have a BOSS ME-X expandable effects unit which I am currently running on LoopA. I made a patch which I currently have on Bank Two Patch Two which makes this amplifier break it chains and come off sounding 10 times heavier with an attitude. The best word I can think of to describe it is monstrous.

I haven't had a problem with this head since I got it home. And that is after several bumpy rides to various gigs, friend's abodes, and into band practice. I would definitely always have a backup, just because you never know what might happen. I just don't think the backup would be needed very often.

I haven't had need for support as of yet, and with the abuse this thing has taken, I don't plan on it.

I have been playing only for abotu 3 or 4 years now. This was my first real amplifier. I bought with the intentions of not having to buy another amp pretty much ever again. My other amps are a simple 8 inch 20 watt (or some other small wattage) Crate practice amp (which I mostly use for the headphone jack when the neighbors have finally CALLED the cops on me!). I also had an old Fender Stage Lead Solid-State Pile that my uncle was loaning me, and of course the gain knob was busted. I compared this amp to the Mesa Boogie Triple Rectofier. This thing smoked it. I think part of it was due to the salesman's lack of knowledge about the Boogie, but the Boogie has no reverb. As soon as I plugged my SG into the Marshall, I knew I was sold. I just had to battle the salesman for a more reasonable price. I currently only use it with one 1960 angled cabinet Marshall cabinet, but as soon as I move into a bigger place I am putting a 1960B under it. Overall, this amp really kicks butt. It took me some time to familarize myself with it's tonal abilities, but the learning curve is pretty short. My philosophy is just to play for hours and mess with the knobs religiously. Only then can you truly appreciate the wide range of sounds that this amplifier can bring to your fingertips. And once you get some effects going, the whole process begins again...

This amp has three independent channels, each with dedicated eq and gain controls. The clean channel has a mid boost switch, while the crunch and lead channel have tone shift switches (basically a mid scoop that adds some bass). The amp has two seperate sets of presence, fx mix, and reverb controls for the clean and dirty channels. There are also independent deep (ie bass boost) switches here as well. There is also a VPR switch. There is some confusion about this switch, basically it causes the amp to behave like a fully saturated lower wattage amp. It does not drop the power from 100 watts to 25 watts. There is also a output mute on the front as well. On the back you get two fx loops with loop level switches for the clean and dirty side of the amp. A emulated di out also resides here. The foot switch jack is here as well. Finally, you have a 16 ohm speaker jack that when plugged in shuts off the 8/4 ohm jacks. 8/4 ohm jacks are dependent on 8/4 ohm switch for the selected ohm load.

Allright, first thing if you do not like Marshall distortion forget about it. That said, this amp has a distinct voice, while clearly Marshall it is different. It has the ability to get you close to a jcm 800 or 1959 but it doesn't nail them. Personally, I feel if you want the tone an 800 produces go find a jcm 800 and shut up. The dirty sounds are super flexible and cover alot of ground. The crunch channel in my opinion is the best of the two. The lead channel is very chainsaw like. I find that I tend to turn the treble and presence way down on these channels. Then again I like it really dark. The mid shifts need to be in if you want a metal tone but otherwise keep them out. Being the bass freak I am the deep switch is always in. The distortion sounds like a Marshall (fairly mid rangey) and I think that is a good thing. The kicker to this amp though is the clean channel. Generally, Marshalls blow for clean but this not the case here. This channel is the best clean tone since the Twin. While several other amps try to fake Fender clean tone (usually with poor results) Marshall finally developed some thing new. The clean tone is not Fenderesque but much more midrangey. Typically more mid range equals breakup but not here. Kudos to Marshall for this channel. This channels sounds great, period! You can push the clean channel to break up if you run the gain up but it seems kind of pointless. The mid boost switch is the don't switch of the amp. This swicth pretty munch makes the amp really farty and nasty.

Ok, here is the deal, I work for a music shop and for those of you who think Marshall makes crap while others like Boogie don't are just wrong. I have had more Boogie heads die than Marshall by far. That said here are the potential trouble spots on a TSL 1) the footswitch sometimes has problems. First thng to do is check it when you buy it and try to get a back up. Also be kind to the footswitch jack while they have improved it. it may be a point of trouble if abused 2)I have heard that if you run the amp really hard for a really long time the transformer may go, however of the roughly thirty I have sold, mine included, no problems 3)It does eat tubes and be prepared to have change them but this is true of all high gain amps I deal with. I think that if is going to crap out it will do it right off, other wise you should be fine if you treat it with some love. Oh yeah check the reverb out , they do vary from fairly deep to kinda wimpy with it cranked. Everybody uses those acutronics tanks and they vary a whole lot. I like the ones with the deeper Reverb because you can always back it off if you chose. Finally, you will hear a slight delay when switching to the clean channel form the dirty channel. This is normal and is the nature of the relay switch that must be used to navigate three channels. If you don't like it get a single or dual channel amp.

If you buy the amp in the US forget about any support from Korg (Marshall's US distributor) They are useless! (even to me as dealer) Basically, you are going to end up relying on your dealer or qualified tech to fix problems. Good dealer or tech equals good service on your amp. As long as there is a authorized Marshall service center your warranty is good as gold which is 5 yrs and 90 days on tubes .
If your out side of the US, I can't say.

This amp is for the guy who needs flexibilty and likes the Marshall tone. This amp works for me because I need the options it has, while the tone is not perfect I think it is far beyond others. Basically at this price point your only other 3 channel amp is the Boogie nomad, which is good but I have some reservations about. The TSL definelty works for my setup which depends on a clean, dirty, and hyperdrive settings. If you hate to rely on pedals for gain sounds but need more than one from an amp check the TSL out.

The TSL is a 3-channel amp featuring clean, crunch and lead channel. All controls, which I don't wanna descripe in detail, are usefull.The only thing I'm missing is a master volume for all three channels, cause you have to adapt the distict volumes seperatly if you change the venue your playing. Especially the two FX-loops are a very intelligent feature.

Compared to the sound of older Marshalls the TSL sounds not so "brutal" as many people were used to. Fender-like cleansound, very bluesy if you use the mid-boost, good crunch sound and singing lead sounds, which tend a little bit to the Mesa/Boogie direction, thats what my ears hear. Interesstingly, if you use the lead channel with low gain settings, you'll got a strong 1959 Plexi-sound. What you have definetly to do when you use this amp is to spent some time to check different gain/volume setting in combination with the pesence controll and the deep switches. If you spend this time, you'll have definatlly a sound machine which will satisfy your requests. Nevertheless, check out for example the crunch channel on medium gain setting in combination with a good overdrive pedal, e.g. Fulltone 2.
Even with a Strat you'll get an absolutly singing lead sound.

I had so far no problems within the 4 month I own the amp, but due to the short time I'll give just a 6.

After using a Digitech GSP 2101/Poweramp combination which had, regardless what Poweramp I used (Engl, Marshall, Peavy) always Problems with sounds, when no effects were involved, the TSL is a
fine amp for the use on stage. It's powerfull and due to it's two FX-loops very versatile if you like to use pedals, 9.5" or 19" systems. Furthermore, in Germany the price of a Marshall is half the price of a Mesa/Boogie or 30% the price of a Bogner, so it's real value for money what you get when you buy a TSL.

I'm sure most of you know what the features are. 3 channels, independant eq's, 2 effects loops, 100 / 25 watt power selection, reverb, 5 button footswitch, deep switch, mid sift. The only thing I could see adding is an overall master volume.

I've had this amp for about 6 months now, so I would like to update my last post. This amp just flat out rules. It took a while to find the right settings for my playing, but now the amp sings. I have a Les Paul studio, Strat Plus and a old Ibanez Flying V ('74 - '76). Each guitar's sounds great with this amp. The amp really lets the character of each guitar stand out. The thing that I really like about this amp is that it is really clean. Notes ring out nicely even if it is just a power chord. The clean channel can be as clean as you want it or a little pushed. The crunch channel is classic marshall all the way. The lead channel is just great. Plenty of sustain and gain to let any guitar sustain for at least a day! So far I am mainly using the amp with the virtual power reduction on (25 watt setting) since the amp is really loud (even at the 25 watt setting). I've only used it with full power for a few shows. All in all, you have everything from crystal clear clean to full on metal and everything in between. With a little bit of tweaking, you can just get about any Marshall tone you've ever heard.

Had it for 6 months. It's seen many gigs of many different sorts. Bars, clubs, outdoors, etc... It hasn't let me down yet. I don't have a backup, and don't feel like I need one. As with any other tube amp, a little care goes a long way. I still won't give it higher than a 7 because I really haven't had it for that long.

Haven't had to deal with them.

I've been playing for around 16 years. This amp is the best one I've had so far. It is my second marshall. Before this I had a 100 watt SL-x. I've also had a 5150, rack units, and solid state amps. This one kicks 'em all in the ass! If it were stolen, I'd have to beat the thief to a bloody pulp with my Les Paul. It's a fairly pricey amp, but worth every penny. I've read some bad reviews about it, but I can't see where they are coming from. To each there own! Try it out and decide for yourself.

This is a FINAL ammendment to the two previous posts I'd made immediately after I bought the amp, and I'd like to say something after having actually having used the amp in several different stage and studio situations. I have been playing for 33 years. I play many different styles of old-generation rock and blues. My strong hand is with the early Clapton (Cream period) style, and even more so the style of Jimi Hendrix. Amps I have owned over the years have included several vintage Fenders (including a 1959 3X10 tweed Bandmaster, many Voxes (liked the AC-50 and the Berkeley the best), Sunns, Kustoms, Hiwatt, Tweed Gretsch, etc, etc. Oh yes, and FOUR of the Super Lead 100 watts from the early 70's - the ones Marshall fans drool over, and a very rare 200W Super Bass. Out of ALL those amps, NOTHING has come even close to this TSL100 for tone and versatility. I don't care how many negative comments you read about it in these listings - you'll find negativity and complainers everywhere you look. These guys must be cracked, or have no ears. Not even my old Super Leads sounded this good. And one thing those amps vere definately NOT was versatile because, to me, the clean sound was flat and lackluster - you had to turn everything on 10 to get tone. The TSL has a great clean channel, but it also has a better (for me) clean sound that can be gotten in the Crunch channel that absolutely BRISTLES like a good old Vox withit's top end boost. For that, I run bass at 5, mid at 10, treble on 8, presence on 2, gain 2-4, Fender Strat with Texas Specials. The Lead sounds? What do you want? This amp has anything I would ever want to hear and more. And it makes me want to PLAY PLAY PLAY!! Undoubtedly, for my money (and it WAS a lot) the best amp I've ever owned in my life. I really don't see how it could be improved, sound-wise. Feature-wise, all I could suggest would be the ability to have seperate effects loop for the Crunch and Lead channels instead of one for the clean and a shared one for the Crunch and Lead - but that's a bone to pick. I predict that in 20 years, THIS will be the amp they measure all others against. Nothing else in it's catagory comes close. Any emails from others with this amp, or others with questions about it are welcome.

I'm the guy who submitted the review below, after having had the amp for just a few days and only playing it at home. Now that I've had the chance to gig with it live, I'd like to share what I learned. At home, I played the amp with the VPR (power cut) switch on to keep the volume down. It sounded beautiful with the gains on the crunch channel and lead channel set at 12 o'clock and the volumes at about 1/4. The clean channel was set with the gain on full. BUT..... at the gig I felt it was better to play with the VPR switch OFF and the amp at it's normal power capability. Well, let me tell you, it was like playing through a totally different amp. It really threw me for the first two sets! I had to increase the gain to full for the tone I wanted, because believe it or not, the amp can be very clean (and that's a plus I think). Also, switching between the channels was very confusing and screwed me up a bit. But I did finally find the settings, and I decided that sticking with ONE channel was the best - doing it the old fashioned way, and controlling everything from the guitar. And I have to tell you, this amp sounds KILLER. It has just the right sound for me with power to spare. Using my Fender strat, here are the settings that I arrived at. Lead channel (the one I decided to stick with) Presence - OFF, Deep switch - OFF, Tone Shift - OFF, Bass - 5, Middle - 10, Treble - 5, Volume - between 4 and 5, Gain - 10, Reverb set high. This amp really sings! Aside from the enthusiastic encore, I actually did have people come up to me and compliment my sound (always good to hear!).

If you do't already know what features this amp has, go to http://www.marshallamps.com/ for the most comprehensive rundown you'll find. For my money, they have included everything I have always wished for in an amp and missed since 1965 when I started playing. There are also a couple of things that I don't use (deep switch and tone shift). For those, I wouldn't say they are bad (as some others here have said) just because they don't compliment my style(s). Maybe a jazz guitarist would be very happy for a deep switch for example. Remember, this amp was designed to be versatile.

I use an $1,800.00 American made Fender custom shop strat, a $250.00 Japanese Tokai "Strat" with Seymore Duncan vintage strat pickup in the front, same thing in the middle with reverse wrap/polarity (This is a KILLER guitar, my main one), '67 Guild Starfire VI, an Epiphone Dot which I disposed of the pickups as soon as I got it home and put in a Gibson Humbucker by the neck and a Bill Lawrence XL500 at the bridge (my second main guitar, etc. etc. My style has been influenced by a wide range of styles - from early Clapton, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, all the American as well as British blues, 60's British pop, 70's Heavy Metal, you name it. Almost everything except jazz or country. To me, an amp must have rich harmonic tone at the cleaner settings as well as the dirty settings... must have a nice natural tube compression and smooth sustain (NOT coarse or gritty)at the higher volumes without sagging out. It should also sound good for lead at the lower volumes without sounding like a freaking kazoo or wax paper on a comb. This amp sounds GREAT at low volumes! I have just bought it, so I can't speak yet about the higher volumes. But having owned Marshalls in the past, I really can't imaging a Marshall sounding anything other than BETTER as you turn it up.

Reliability?? We shall see. Too soon to say.

Again, I've been playing since 1965. (my web site htp://members.aol.com/bluesguit1/index.html) I've owned a lot of different amps (and guitars)in those 34 years, including Marshalls. I have two very fine amps in the low-watt catagory - an 18watt 1965 Vox Berkeley Super Reverb, and a (modern) 60 watt Fender Super Amp. I bought the Marshall for the same reason I bought my first Marshall back in '72 - I got tired of being buried volume-wise by the band! Plus, I'm doing the Hendrix-style thing again, and I really need a stack behind me to pull off all the subtle feedback stuff properly. I toyed around with getting another old Marshall, or even a reissue... but I remember having those back then and saying, "God, if ONLY they would do such and such . . . what a great amp it would be!" And do you want to know what kind of amp it would be? Something about like a JCM2000 TSL. The only thing I regret is that Marshall no longer has the switchable power transformer for playing in either America or Europe. I would like to end this review by saying that, no matter how great this amp is, those sonofabitches at Marshall should all be lined up and sumarily shot for having the total lack of cool to charge musicians that much money for an amp. NO amp is worth the kind of money they charge. Plus they charge you extra for the cover!(How greedy can these guys get????) So, ... the amp is GREAT, but Marshall REALLY sucks!

The features has allready been discribed in earlier reviews, however I like them all. Before this amp I used a JMP-1 with a 8008 poweramp and an alesis midiverb III but it got stolen, I think this amp sounds much better but I miss the built in midicontrol from the jmp-1. I play punkrock and the distortion of this baby is just what I need, I use the crunch and lead channels for shifting between ryth'm and solo volumes. With the deepswitch in you can almost forget to get a basist, just push it in and you have all the low end rumble you could wish for. I crank the clean channel up and push in the mid-boost so the duncans in my S-100 distorts if I play it hard and crystal clean if I play it soft, I only wish the gain would go a little further case it sounds a little unnatural with the gain all the way up. The About the reverb, I don't use it much but it sounds fine to me and it's alot better than the midiverb. I like the effects loop in wich I run a danelectro cool cat chorus, very good with a switch so I leave the pedal with the ac-adaptor by the amp and switch it on and of with the amps pedal. I tried the thing with a dummy in it but I didn't like the sound when I switched the loop on go get the lower volumes, it sounded weaker and didn't remain the punch but I really don't need more sounds than the crunch and lead so why bother?

As I said I use this amp wiith a Guild S-100 equipped with Seymore Duncan humbuckers, a Jeff Beck by the bridge and a 59' at the neck. In the store I first tried this amp with lots of different cheap guitar like fender squires, epiphones and so on, they all sounded like shit on this amp. To get the max out of this amp you need good picups, preferably humbuckers. A friend of mine brought his old strat over to try the amp out, he got a completly different sound out of the amp. Ofcourse he should get a different sound cause he uses a singlecoiled guitar with a bolton neck (the S100 has a glued) but I have never heard that big difference between two guitars trough the same amp, it truly brings out the charactistics of your guitar.
As others has stated before me, this amp is laud and that's all in the way of punkrock. Though punkrock is the base for my bands (Hellkave) music, it's mixed with lots of other styles like glam, metal, blues, psykadelia, rockabilly etc. Much like bands like Hellacopters and Backyard Babies and still not, other influenses are Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Back Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Marily Manson, Smashing Pumpkins, Guns 'n roses, Wildhearts and so on.
Some people says this amp sounds like shit, what guitars have they used? where? in what condition was the amp and the speakercab? shit compared to what?
This amp is not for everyone, it's a matter of taste if you like it or not. Pherhaps your guitar doesn't suit this amp, or amp doesn't suit yor style. The only way to find out is to try out a lot of amps and find one you like, it's up to you to decide if an amp is good or bad. Take these reviews as a guide to what amp you're gone start to look into, don't buy one cause someone tells you it's great.

Can't afford a backup so I guess I have to depend on it, it seems to be built to last tough. The only thing that worries me is the ringing sound from the tubes when I transport it to rehearsal place or gigs.

Never dealt with them, hope I wont have to.

I have to tell a story from a gig I made once. In a song where I use the clean/cranked channel I open up with a slow sensetive intro on my own, on that inte I also use the chorus and a boss tremolopedal to get a sweet, glittery sound. After the gig a guy actually came up to me and asked if I was playing an old fender twin reverb with vibrato on for that tune, he was very happy to hear that sound again and especially from a young band like mine (18-22 years old guys). I had to dissapoint him by saying that it actually was a marshall with a boss pedal, he got very suprised but he told me he would go and check one out if marshalls suddenly had started to sound that good.
For me it was simply the best amp I could buy.

Well, this baby has all the features you could ask for and MORE! But what good are they if you can't or don't want to use them? I've only had this amp a week and I STILL get a little confused on what buttons do what to the tone (after glancing through the manual like 1 minute I'm fine, but still).

This amp sounds ver mediocre. I mean, it's not a BAD amp, yet it's not a GOOD amp, I agree that it IS a good amp for rythm and crunch chords, but it's bad for slow melodic solos (i.e. Pink Floyd). Keep in mind that I haven't tried that many amps so that may distort my taste, but overall, this amp isn't THAT bad. For the price though, I doubt I'd buy another one, I doubt I'd be able to AFFORD one in the near future.

Well, only had it for a week so can't say anything. I don't like how it was cheaply made though, scroll down and read others opinions. Sorry, I don't have enough time to explain that Marshall definitly skimped out of quality here.

never needed it

Well, this isn't THAT bad, I mean it IS a Marshall, so it's got to have SOME Marshall tone (Marshall Theorum). But it just doesn't have that real distinct character that I'm looking for (Van HAlen leads, Scorpions crunch, Pink Floyd Sustain/heart and soul).

LISTEN UP!!! I'm putting this notice HERE because this is the latest head that Marshall has made, so hopefully many people will read it. Anyways, since the past decade or so, Marshall Quality has really been sucking up the place BAD! I know everyone (including myself) badmouths their tone, quality, and affordibility, but other than to warn people, what good does it do? None. So here is what you need to do. Go to www.marshallamps.com/ Then click on FEEDBACK. TELL them that they're going down the tubes. TELL them that they need to get their shit back in gear. I've already sent them a piece of my mind, hopefully you all will do the same. (And if you agree with me, tell them they need to make a new head that had the tone and angelic voicing of the JCM 800 100 W lead head!) But PLEASE tell them SOMETHING. Thank your time
~Later Steve

This 100 watt all tube amp has ALOT of features. It uses four Svetlana EL-34 for power tubes. It has Seperate 4 band EQ (pres, bass, mid and high) for all three foot-switchable channals, plus seperate reverb for the dirty, (crunch & lead share reverb) and clean. Never mind the bass-boost for clean and dirty, (again, crunch and lead share)plus a seperate mid-cut for both crunch and lead, and a mid-boost for the clean. It also features two parralel FX loops which can be run as a master FX channel for all 3 of 'em, or you can have seperate channels for dirty and clean. If you don't use any FX you can just insert a dummy into the loop to to get a lead boost in whichever channel you're switched on, or you can have a sperate boost for dirty and clean, by changing the FX mix levels, you change the vol of the boost. It also features a varity of options for outputting to a speaker which also changes the tone a little, my favorite is using the 4 ohms...gives it a tighter sound, more like what you hear live cuz they are usually using a full stack. You can just output in 16 ohms or 8 & 8 or 4 & 4 in parralel, enabling you to use speaker cabs in stereo or full stack. Last but least, the VPR (Virtual Power Reduction) lets you play at quieter vol's while driving the power tubes (or maybe pre-amp's, I am not sure) to max, allowing you to get full distortion. That covers most of the features. Now, not all of these work great for me...the mid-cut button (I hate buttons) makes it sound really thin, so I never use it. The bass-boost just does that...adds way to much bass, but it does improve the clean sometimes. The mid-boost makes it unuseble for me. I like a little mid but not alot in my clean channel. The clean channel isn't really that great, I think Marshall should've left the eq after the gain stages like in the 800 series. They left it the same i the crunch and lead, though. The clean is way too clean even turning the gain way up, just doesn't have the sound for what I need. The crunch and the lead are bassically the same but there are some slight tonal differences. The lead channel gets fuzzy sounding the higher the gain goes, blurring the sound a little. I was impressed with this amp at first but now that I have had it for about six months I don't know what to do. When I bought it, I did ALOT of reserch, but found out later that the clean is different than older Marshalls, they use a different transformer which is what really affects the amps tone. Also I was looking for that Slash, Zakk Wylde tone and also found out the 800 series used partial trasistors instead of all tubes like the 2000's. This amp just doesn't have that...the tone is ok, different, but not great. This amp is LOUD! I use ear plugs (as all musicains should. protect your ears they the most important part of your instrument), so I can turn it way up without blowing my eardrums. The tone DOES improve when you get the vol up there, like all Marshalls. The VPR does get the distortion up there, but eats the tone up cutting on the mids and highs. bassically if you want to come close (but not quite) to other Marshalls, leave the VPR alone. In all...this amp has ALOT, but does alot of it poorly. I DO like the FX loops, but wish they would add a lead boost foot-switch like the new Mesa Boggie I read about. The lead boost is very nice but I would like to be able to use fx AND have a boost at the same time. Much more practical that way... also the seperate EQ is nice but, since my veiw on amps has changed, it's not nessecary. My dream amp setup is now: Two 100watt Marshalls, one for clean and one for dirty, with an A/B switch to change amps instead of switching channels. I see myself selling this amp and buying two old 800's instead. I definetly could with how much this amp costs...they REALLY over priced this for what you get. I would give Marshall a 7 for effort in TRYING to do stuff that is good, but they overdid it with all of the buttons...and quality in sound isn't up to Mar

Right now I am using this head with a Marshall 4x12 AV slat-cab, with vintage 30 celestions. Handles 300 watts, sturdy, but needs bigger casters. I own one guitar at the moment...a EPI SG-310, which sucks, but I am getting a wine red les paul custom, which sounds absoluty wonderful in this amp. I owned a little twenty watt crate before getting this, so this was a big jump up. My music stlye is bassically 80's metal. I play very melodic solos with very hard crunchy riffs. I also play punk rock, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Motely Crue, GNR, Ozzy...
This amp would be PERFECT for a rythm guitarist! But since I play lead the tone just doesn't cut it. It has perfect tone and plenty of gain for rythym playing and I would suggest to any metal or rock rythym player to check it out. Also, it's not really noisy at all, unless your under florescent lights, or something, but all amps hum under them. This amp can make alot of sounds, but for me, not many that are useable. Even though this amp is supposed to be a 'monster gain' amp, I wouldn't call it that. Do not get this if you play death metal or the likes...it's not that 'high gain' in the first place. Only four pre-amp tubes and four power-amp tubes. And I am not looking for a ton of gain, just good tone, which this is kinda lacking "That Marshall Tone". It does sound like one, but lacks the character of older Marshalls. The reverb isn't bad...a little bright, but not bad. I would prefer to just get a good 'verb pedal and leave it out of the amp entirely, but this is just my opinion (like the rest of this review:) I give it a 7 cuz it isn't THAT bad of an amp, just laking in perfect lead tones...but would be awesome for rythym.

I have had this amp for a while now...about six months. I have played it almost three hours every day and haven't had a valve problem yet, but valves are new to me and I hear that it can vary from amp to amp. I WOULD use this amp without a backup if and often do, but it cost so much I couldn't even think about another one right now. Besides, I am thinking of selling this and getting two used 800's. This way I would have two amps that I can have seperate EQ for, AND a backup. If it works for Slash it would work for me. So I would say that the amp I have is very dependable...and I really can't say about other TSL 100's. But I got this through musicians friend and nothing came damaged or broken or missing or even scrached. And eveything worked fine the first time and has been working good ever since. So I am giving it a 10 for now...who knows about the future. But I feel good about it and feel that if I keep on treating it well, the only thig that could go is the tubes. It is built very sturdy, too...

I have been playing about 5 years and decided it was time to get a good amp. What I like: The FX loops...they are really effective for a lead boost, but like I said before, I wish the foot-switch had that PLUS the FX loops. I like the seperate EQ, but since I am planning on getting two different amps and using them with an A/B switch, it doesn't really matter to me. I would rather have and amp that does one thing well, than a whole bunch of things moderatly. kepp in mind that this might be 'THE AMP' for you rythym players, as long as you like blues, rock, and metal... What I hate: All the stupid buttons I don't use ANY of them cept the bass-boost on the clean, which tend to be either to bassy or to trebly at times. I am stll trying to get a useable clean sound after six months. Why did I buy this? you ask. Well, I blew my crates speaker when I craked it trying to get a good sound out of something that inherently doesn't have it, so I needed a new amp, and soon. So I picked up the latest catolog, and looked for all of the Marshall gear. I really didn't think about getting a used one, cuz I wanted a new Marshall. Go figure...anyway, Marshall isn't making many amps to choose from right now, and I thought I wanted an all tube amp. All tube is cool, but it doesn't quite have the sound I am looking for. So I bought it cuz I knew I wanted a Marshall, but had never tried it. Go figure... So after the glory of owning a Marshall wore off, I began to look deeper into amps and setups, became much more wiser, and came up with the double amp head as the way to go. Well, if it WAS stolen...god help the poor bastard. This cost me way too much for me not to think about taking drastic measures :) I would get it back and then sell it maybe, just because it's not that great for lead playing. But do NOT overlook this for rythym! Try this one out and see for yourself...take your guitar into a store and ask to try one out! Don't do like I did! My overall rating or this amp would be a 7 for lead and an 8 for rythym. Or...if you weren't playing 80's metal, and just good rock n roll, this amp is really worth trying out. It is also REALLY good at blues...which is cool. But this amp did cost alot and considering all that is usable on it, it just doesn't make sence for lead guitar.

Yes, yes . . . All the features one could want. The only question is, how many of them will anyone use? Let's see now, there's not only separate e.q. for all three channels, but there's the ever-famous 'deep-switch', 'tone shift', and presence and reverb. Big fucking deal for the tone shift and deep-switch, by the way.

To make a long story short, this amp is not only so overly hyped, by Guitar Player Magazine and others, that I could puke, but it also sounds frankly terrible. Yes, the Clean channel is good and unlike any previous out of a Marshall but it is hardly that good that you need to run right out and buy this amp now. As for the Overdrive channels, if uni-dimensional, ice-pick like, aggressive, and unsoulful distortion is your cup of tea, then I suppose you'll really go gagga. Personally, I think it's pathetic. Also, the only real difference I could detect between Overdrive 1 and 2 is that 2 definitely sucks worse than 1, in that it's more compressed, more fuzzy, and sucks whatever little string definition there may be out of what was Overdrive 1. This is the fabulous "flexibility" that Marshall is touting as the latest and greatest? Give me a break! By the way, no matter what preamp tubes I put in the thing, and particularly given that 3 out of 4 initial ones were so microphonic as to be nearly dead, I could never get a well-rounded, articulate overdrive sound from this piece of s**t. So, as for "brutal distortion", I would have to say yes, this amp's distortion is just pathetic enough as to be offensive and, in this way, truly "brutal". Can someone remind the great Marshall corporate thing that unidimensional distortion, that's just a shade off of solid-state and which lacks note definition and soul, isn't worth jack s**t? Finally, the 'deep' switch is perfectly worthless at even moderate volumes because it will give you so much obnoxious, boomy, and poorly focused low-end, that you will never use it. As for the 'tone shift' buttons, the bottom-line is this: 'Shift' button out equals more midrange, 'Shift' button in equals less. Wow! What a bunch of enginering geniuses, huh? What can I contrast this amp to? Well, for one, I've owned a Harry Kolbe modified Marshall JMP for quite a while and it thoroughly outpaces this amp in every respect. Yes, it is modified, I know, but as long as you were asking . . . On a more conservative and readily available side of things, I also own a Peavey Classic 100 which is a fantastic head that is vastly underrated. No, it doesn't have 'deep' or 'tone shift' switches and it's only a two-channel amp, but what it does have is superb clean and overdriven tones with body and soul, substantially better construction, a simpler layout, and it's loud as hell. I defy anyone to listen to that head and say it doesn't rock. By the way, the Peavey will set you back 1/2 of what the Marshall costs.

One thing that is certainly the case now with Marshall, if, in fact, it was not always the case, is that they are terribly unreliable amps, period. I don't know if it's all that great sunny weather and wealth in the U.K. that drives this fabulous level of quality along but it certainly is woeful. To begin with, the first TSL 100 I bought, and still packaged in the box, mind you, was dead on arrival. Just dead, unless you consider a bloated, farting sound coming from the amplifier as indicative of something worth resucitating. A quick poke around the back of the amp revealed the pre-amp tubes to be just short of completely burnt. One of them was so microphonic that just tapping it lightly let out a loud howl. I took the amp back to the dealer who, of course, apologized profusely, stating that "big corporations like Marshall" sometimes overlook things like the quality of the tubes they use. Yo, asshole, say what? The next one was tested out of the box, in the store, and at least worked. However, it's been said many times before, and you just know it's the truth: THE MUSIC STORE IS THE WORST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO TEST AN AMP. So, taking the thing home and actually playing it awhile, without the usual nudnicks (yiddish, baby!) milling about, more accurately revealed what this amp can and cannot do. Strikingly, though maybe predictably, I ultimately found the second head to be so unidimensional as to make me wonder about the quality of it's preamp tubes as well. So, off goes the back cover, yet another time, only to find those tubes microphonic as well, just not as horribly as the first ones. Well, I don't know about you, but the addage of the chain being no better than it's weakest link really seems germane. Is it really too much to expect that a company that makes their "flagship" model, and charges a commensurate amount for it, actually do something novel like test the tubes they're planning to use? I don't think that it's really asking too much. The other scary thing about this debacle is that many consumers may not know enough to test for microphonics, though this obviously takes no big skill, or want to believe that the great, big company put bullshit, inferior tubes into their brand-spanking, new equipment. If you don't think of it, and force yourself to settle for the hype or "Marshall just kinda' sounds this way, I guess . . .", you've been fucked, and at quite a price tag to boot. Finally, as I have seen written about elsewhere in this Data base, Marshall is now using Dagnall transformers which are, in short, garbage. Christ, no wonder these new heads hardly weigh anything. The transformers are so wimpy, it's a disgrace. If you would like yet another comparison, for example, go ahead and measure the difference in weight between the TSL and the Peavey Classic 100 heads. You're going to need a bit of muscle to move the latter because the transformers are actually made out of good quality, beefy metal. Featherweights, and lighter, though, will certainly enjoy the new, 'improved' lightness of Marshall JCM 2000 TSL heads. Wow, they're so groovy and compact, you know? The final problem with wimpy transformers is that you're going to be changing power tubes often, if you play with any kind of regularity, plus the heads just don't sound as good. As a sort of amusing side-note, I wrote to Marshall about the immediately defunct tubes in my amp, only to receive, you guessed it, no reply at all. Thank you, Marshall.

As you may have picked up by now, I find Marshall to be a disgusting conglomerate of schlock-meisters, still milking the almighty image of 'kings o' the stack' for all it's worth when their quality and sound stinks royally. Any company that can't even find the time to jot the tiniest note of apology for shitty tubes, in a brand new amp that they promote, needs to be killed. Plus, if you ever try to talk with them by phone, as I did in calling Korg in New York, they're a bunch of rude, disingenuous assholes.

I've been playing guitar for about 20 years and while I can really appreciate the idea of the latest and the greatest, and would truly love to see it, I also know when I'm getting sold the 'emperor's new clothes.' Maybe it's the punk in me, but I say that Marshall is resting on it's fat, lazy laurels, coasting on a reputation that has always been overblown in the least, and, in conjunction with their crappy, new products, now needs to be crushed. I would encourage anyone out there not to buy their products. There are simply too many other real, quality companies out there, for eg. VHT, Wizard, Peavey, or Bogner, to name a few, from which to chose. Oh, yes, in case you're wondering, I returned the second head for a definitive refund. The chime of cash coming back to me over the counter was a most merry, righteous sound indeed, and far better than any amp I've ever heard. Thanks, Marshall, for putting it all in perspective, you fucks!

The features for this 100 watt monster head have been covered by other reviews, so here is a quick list: 3 channels (clean, crunch, lead) seperate eq's for all channels reverb controls for clean and crunch/lead channels tone shaping switches (Deep, mid scoop (crunch/lead), mid boost (Clean) power reduction from 100watts down to about 25 watts! This amp is set up to give the player a wide range of sounds and to actually be able to use them live. The foot switch is smooth and there is no sound when switching channels.

I mainly play modern trippy rock....(Think Smashing Pumpkins, NIN, Pink Floyd). I run the head through an older Marshall 4x12 with celestion 25w "greenbacks". I play a 97 Fender strat plus with gold lace sensor pickups and a 74 Ibanez "lawsuit" Flying V with super 70's pickups. For effects I use a Digitech rp-3 (delay, chorus...etc), a crybaby wah, and a big muff. All of my equipment sounds great running through this head. The clean channel is super clean if you want it, or slightly overdriven with the gain cranked. I recently got a chance to use a VOX ac-15 in the studio. The clean channel on the TSL can nail that sound. The crunch channel is pure Marshall rock tone! It has all the classic Marshall tone and then some. The lead channel really kicks some ass. Boogie fans note: This amp will not sound like a TOV or dual recto solo head. If you like the saturated Boogie distortion don't get this or any Marshall! (Duh) The lead channel kicks into some really big tones. Great for heavy chord chunkin or soloing. The notes are clear and the pick attack just jumps out at you.

I just got the amp a few days ago. This is not my first Marshall tube amp, and in the past the only things that ever went wrong with my old ones were self indused (beer spills, etc...) so I don't beleive there will be any major problems with this one.

Haven't dealt with them yet.

I've been playing for about 16 years now and this is the best amp I've ever had. I've played through rack systems, solid state amps, various tube heads, and this one beats them all. I did try out a trem-o-verb, dual and single recto heads and combos. Those were all good, but I like the Marshall tone and feel, therefor I got the Marshall. All you Marshall stooges out there...If you can afford this head, get it! It covers all the classic marshall sounds and has many tones that are completely fresh and new. I love it.

New in 1999. The TSL is a very versatile amp in terms of mostly Marshall-type sounds (I'll get to the CLEAN channel later).
3 channels, channel switching either manually or via footswitch, dual effects loops, NEARLY complete EQ for all 3 channels (CRUNCH and LEAD share presence, loop, and reverb controls), Deep switch and "scoop" switch for CRUNCH and LEAD channels, mid-boost for CLEAN channel, impedance switch (4-8 ohms), separate output for 16 ohms, Virtual Power Reduction switch that reduces the output wattage to around 25 watts (very useful).
Wish List... To me the thing that would make this already versatile amp a real killer would be a "voicing" switch to change the overall character of all 3 channels to something very "non-Marshall". Don't get me wrong - you buy a Marshall to get the "Marshall Sound", but if they had me on the design team that'd be my suggestion. Short of that, a bias switch to allow use of different power tubes would be very cool.

I play a Heritage H-150CM (basically a Les Paul Standard) and a Tom Anderson Classic (S,S,H) through the amp with a few analog pedals.
You can get anything from a sparkling clean (ALMOST blackface) to a medium gain, warm Plexi purr to full blown, kill the children, distortion carnage. It all depends on the channel, EQ settings, and the guitar you're using (just like most amps).
I've seen a few reviews here bitching that this amp doesn't provide enough distortion - huh? I would say that only the HEAVIEST of the Metal crowd would feel that way about this amp! Turn both the volume and gain of the LEAD channel to 7, presence at 6, hit the "scoop" switch your gonna hurt somebody! But raw distortion is not the only thing the TSL will do by any means. The range of tones available on this amp is truly remarkable.
I play in a power-pop/post-punk band called Weedpuller (www.weedpuller.com). In their songs I've got to be able to start a tune with a very clean punchy intro, kick in a killer rhythm grind, then punch above the other instruments and solo. The TSL pulls this off without a hitch!
I bought a Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo Head initially for use with this band, but it just didn't cut it for me. And this is coming from a die-hard Mesa fan (I own a Mark II combo and a Mark IV head)! Comparatively, the Mesa needed far too much volume to achieve the same amount of kick (even with 2 power tubes pulled). Also (I hate to say it but) the clean channel on the Dual Recto really sucks, IMHO! I know tons of folks are using the Dual Recto's and apparently are quite happy with them, but I really tried hard to like that amp and just couldn't do it! I've heard that replacing the 6L6's with EL34's on the Recto's smooths out the distortion so it's not so buzzy and brittle, but I never tried it.

I've had the amp for about 3 months and have had no problems whatsoever - but ask me again in 2 years! I was somewhat concerned initially because during gigs I would notice an electrical smell in the vicinity of the amp. The smell eventually went away, so HOPEFULLY everythings OK. We'll see!

My dealings with Marshall (through Korg of course) have not been, shall we say, satisfactory. I wanted to build an interface between my DMC Audio Switcher and the TSL - or at least find out if it was possible. I asked for some input and a schematic of the footswitch and the amp. After several weeks of hassling them, they finally told me I'd have to go through one of their service centers for the information and that the service center would have to do all the work. Really not helpful at all! I eventuall had my drummer (who's a very sharp electrician) check it out and do the work - no problem! Works like a charm! It only required some modifications to the footswitch! Speaking of which - if any of you reading this eval are interested in controlling your TSL via MIDI, let me know! It can be done!

Been playing for 28 years (damn has it been that long?) I own several Mesa amps as well (gotta love 'em), the above mentioned guitars as well as a modded Tele, a Taylor acoustic, various effects, etc.
If the amp were stolen, I'd probably think seriously about replacing it...or maybe I'd check out one of the new Mesa Nomads coming out this Summer - they're supposed to kick major ass!
If you're looking for great tone with a definite Rock and Roll attitude, the TSL is a great choice!

The TSL is Marsahall's triple super lead 100 watt tube head( 4 x EL34 power tubes and 4 x ECC83 pre-amp tubes ). It has 3 channels, channel switching ( with a big ass switching pedal ), dual fx loops,VPR ( virtual power reduction ) switch, output mute switch ( in addition to standby switch ) and lots of knobs to tweak to your hearts content.

I'm using the TSL with a Marshall 1960B Stereo Cabinet loaded with 4 75 watt Celestion 12" speakers. I would prefer 25 watt Greenbacks or vintage 30 watters. Various Les Pauls ( 56 LP Jr, 62 LP SG Jr, 72 LP Gold Top w/P 90's, 2 1992 LP Classic+'s ), 69 335, and 2 80's dot 335's, vintage Strats and Teles and a recent Dano Baritone 6 string push this loud bitch to it's limits. The clean channel is kinda "UnMarshall" like. I guess it's Marshall's attempt to be Fender like. Well, it's an clean attempt that makes this amp versatile. When pushing the gain, the clean channel dirty's up a bit. My present clean setting is: Volume at 10 o'clock, Gain at 2 o'clock,Treble at 2 o'clock, Middle at 2 o'clock, Bass at 12 o'clock, Mid Boost out, Presence at 12 o'clock, Reverb at 11 o'clock and the Deep Switch in. By controlling the desired volume levels, I use my guitar controls. The 2nd Channel is Crunch. My settings are Volume at 10 o'clock, Gain at 3 o'clock, Treble at 11 o'clock,Middle at 10 o'clock, Bass at 3 o'clock, Presence at 3 o'clock, Reverb at 11 o'clock, Tone Shift out and Deep Switch in. With my LP volumed maxed and these channel settings, this channel resembles a modern day Plexi. Channel 3 is the lead channel. My settings are Volume at 10 o'clock, Gain at 3 o'clock, Treble at 2 o'clock, Middle at 12 o'clock, Bass at maximum, Presence and Reverb shared with the settings of Channel 2, Tone Shift in and Deep switch in. This sounds more saturated than channel 2- more gain-more like Black Sabbath meets Judas Priest. The reverb on this amp could be better.It lacks sparkle and tone. I'm spoiled by my Magnatone MP1's reverb and Fender 63 re-issue reverb tank. When using too much gain, the amp sort of gets a brittle distortion. You know, the brittle attack you hear at the music store when some annoying teenager thinks he's a virtuoso. Also when using the Virtual Power Reduction switch, the amp cuts down to 25 watts- this is an impressive feature- I turn up the volume and cut the gain- less brittle. This feature keeps me in good standing with my neighbors. Unlike some previous reviewers, I feel this amp has plenty of gain. I've been playing for over 30 years at some very high volumes- my ears can still make out tones and are sensitive to loudness- THIS AMP IS LOUD!!!!! This is a versatile Marshall. It sounds like a Marshall- not a Boogie, Fender, Hiwatt or a Matchless.

Well,I bought it 2 weeks ago. No problems. I use and not abuse my equipment. If you treat your stuff like a football, then your warranty is extra important.

Never had to call with this or any of my other Marshall amps.

I've been playing for 30 + years and have recently become a Marshall fan. I have 2 Marshall Bluesbreakers, JTM 30 and JTMC ext cab, 2 1922 cabs, Acoustic Soloist and a 1960 B Stereo Cab. Marshall makes good rock stuff. I also own a huge compliment of Gibson, Fender, Ovation, Guild, Ibanez and Parker equipment. I'm not the type to say that a Korean Epi through my Pignose is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Not to be boastful, I feel I know and recognize quality sound and quality equipment. This is a very versatile rock amp- remember ROCK AMP- not to be confused with the tones of other styled amps. I've heard other people play this amp and I was very turned off by the sound. A lot of players go to maxing the gain without noodling with the tones- by doing this you miss the whole tonal body that this amp has to offer. Max the gain and sound like a juvenille shred clone. Listen and adjust the volume, gain and tones and sound like you. It's an expensive amp-it's loud-use the tone controls- they work.

100 watt el34s 4/12ax7a 3 channel preamp with seperate eq for each

NOT ENOUGH GAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have had it for a week and put its through its paces at home for about 4 hours and then two nights of rehersals. so far so good.

havent had to use it yet!

Ive been playing for 40 years now and never liked marshall amps,at least not when im playing through them. thought i'd had a change of heart though thinking maybe they finally got it right but,but after bringing it home im sure glad i didnt get rid of my boogie stuff. the shame of it is if they wouldve put just that one more 12ax7 in there i would have been happy. i will give them a big A+ on improving the clean sound,the main reason i hated marshall in the first place. anyway its back to the store for this TSL. maybe theyll get it right next time. those modeling amps are looking better all the time!!!

This is a pretty modern amplifier. I'd date it within the last 2 years. Its fairly versatile but lacks that last bit of punch that you can only find in a Dual Rectifier. It's got 3 channels and a sh*tload of buttons. If it were up to me I'd stick another 12AX7 into this thing. It has good tonal characteristics but the extreme amounts of gain that I require are not in here. I personally never like to turn the gain all the way up on any amp. It always seems to kill certain notes. This amp is a good recording tool as is any marshall I've ever used. I tried it live once and it just doesn't have that big sound. Almosts like it is being compressed. It is however extraordinarily loud though. Much louder than a Boogie. Maybe if I plug the send of a Dual rectifier into the preamp of the TSL...

Its got a decent amount of crunch to it but its more like vinatge crunch. Some people rave about the elusive vintage sound and to those people, stop whining! Marshalls produce a genuine vintage tone. However I am a modern contemporary guitarist. I could give 2 sh*ts about vintage sounds. Would much rather be using my boogie. In the clean department it does sort of win over the boogie. Not because it sounds better but because it is easier to get to. The 3 channels really do give it a slight advantage over the boogie.

It is a Marshall. It is built like a rock (Its still not as strong as my boogie's chrome chasis!).

N/A

Been playing for...I dunno. Can't remeber. Would unfortunately for marshall not buy it again. I hate the fact that I can't push the sh*t out of it. I truthfully don't know why I picked this amp. It looked cool, and it said Marshall on it. If you want a really good vintage Metallica sound this is your amp. If you want to explore your brain to get your own sounds get a Dual Rectifier.

Amp has three channels with seperate eqs's for each. Besides this, each of the three channels has two eq configuration buttons (Tone Shift(On crunch and lead channels), mid boost(clean channel), and Deep(All channels.) It also has two effects loop, reverb, a mission control style footswitch, a direct out(for recording), and a power reduction button(Makes amp 1/4 as loud so you can push the power tubes.)

Clean Channel-With the mid boost off, the clean channel is identical to that of a DSL100. It sounds aproximately like a Twin. Clean channel-With mid boost on. This is the best sound the amp offers. I'm not really sure what to compare it to. It's definitely more fendery than marshally. I guess you could say that it sounds like a twin that's cranked. Crunch channel-With tone shift off-Sounds very much like AC/DC. Crunch channel-With tone shift on-Very punk sounding-Not really gainy Lead channel-With tone shift off-I never use it thisway Lead channel-with tone shift on-Wow----Much better sounding than a Dual Rectifier..(More personality) With the deep shift on you can make your guitar sound like basketballs bouncing on a gym floor. It also doesn't "fall apart" when you turn the gain down.(A la Dual Rectifier). It's the kinda sound that makes you smile every time you play with it.:)

All of the channels sound incredibly good. While the clean channel may not sound exactly like a twin, it does sound very good. I would say that each of the channels is a lot more like three seperate amps than "channels." The crunch channel cleans up very nicely when you roll your volume.(As does the lead channel.) I bought this amp and a Single Rectifier at the same time so I could see which one I really wanted. I would say that the clean channels are equally as good, but as far as distorted tonesgo, the Marshall wins. On the lead channel with the tone shifton and the deep switch activated, you can make the Marshall sound like the Recto, but better. (And with more personality.) Where the Mesa wins is in the fact that it is an easier amp to play. It seemed to hide my mistakes much better than the marshall. I'm tired, soI'm not going to write anymore.

Others have described the features of the amp sufficiently. Incredibly versatile. Although I'd prefer that the clean channel go a little higher on the gain scale, like the clean channel in the JCM 900 dual reverb, each of the three channels has several voices depending on the tone controls, gain settings, etc.

I've been playing the head with a standard JCM 900 1960B 4x12 cabinet with 75-watt celestions. I've played it with a Rickenbacker 650 (solid walnut body, oil finish, Rickenbacker humbuckers, gain structure in the neighborhood of P-100's), a Rickenbacker 620 (solid maple body, glossy finish, same Rickenbacker single coils that are in the 360 and 330), and an Epiphone Sheraton II (Es-335 copy) with Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickups.
Clean channel: It has the tone controls BEFORE the gain stages, like a Fender, as opposed to having them AFTER the gain stages, like a Marshall (the crunch and lead channels have standard Marshall post-gain stage tone controls). Sparkly, Fender-Twin like tones with the tone controls set with a fair amount of mid and treble. Even with the gain all the way up the tone will go into "bite" territory but won't break up at all until the amp is loud enough to get the power tubes cooking. There's a mid-boost switch which, when pushed in, adds a lot of mid to the sound and removes the midrange tone control from the circuit. It fattens the tone some, and adds a little gain. With the gain all the way up, the mid-boost on, the bass at about 7 and the treble about 4, the clean channel gets very fat with slight breakup with humbuckers- it's like Robby Krieger's tone on the Doors first album.
Crunch and lead channels: The reason I'm writing this because of the unbelievable versatility of the crunch and lead channels. With the crunch channel gain set in the low ranges(up to about 3) and the tone controls set with lots of mid and treble, the tone is almost EXACTLY like my Vox AC-30. I've got lots of Marshall heads of various eras and this is the only one that'll do that as well, though my JMP-era head will come close. At higher gain settings the crunch and lead channels go into standard Marshall territory, which I like a lot. There are slight variations in the voices of the lead and crunch channel (to my ears, the lead channel is slightly less midrangy) and the gain on 10 in the crunch channel is about like the gain on 6 in the lead channel. There's a lot of gain on tap in the lead channel, all usable to my taste. Oddly, my Fender Prosonic head has a bit more gain than this head at the highest settings, though the Prosonic has 6L6 power tubes, which have a higher "center" frequency range than the EL-34's in this Marshall, which are a little more midrangy and warm. There's also a mid-scoop switch on both the crunch and lead channels, which I don't like myself, that makes the amp sound like a fizzy metal machine.
I've only played this in my living room so far, so I'll report again after I've been able to play it loud.

This really will cover blackface Fender, Vox AC-30 and Marshall territory. I've seen other amps cover two of those ranges (the Fender Prosonic head will do AC-30 and blackface and then TOO much distortion, to the point that it's a fuzzy mess). If I was going to have only one amp this is it. It probably makes my AC-30 and my Prosonic unnecessary (except for the coolness factor and those blue speakers in the AC-30, which sound like nothing else).

Ths is the shurely one of the best versatile tube amps i played on! It has 3 seperate pre-amps which have all the features for the more blues/rock and heavy metal players. They really made a smart design at marshall, with only using 4 tubes for all these pre-amps. I only use this amp inhouse but i am convinced off it to make a good performance on stage! It shurely has enough power for that!

I am using a Fernandez Atack II guitar on the amp and i must say that the amp really gives every characteristic of it on every switching position of the pick ups. I like to play a lot of Gary Moore stuff(as good as i can get!) and i have been looking for years for a sound which comes good in his direction for a payable price and finally i have found it with this amp! With the amp switched to the lead channel, gain at 75% and volume on 40-50% its almost like i can hear THE REAL PARISIAN WALKWAYS " in my room. Another nice feature of the amp is the vpr button on which the amp plays at 25 Watts. My neighbours appriciate this and the amp stil keeps producing a good full clean, crunchy and distorted sound! The FX loop is also very good i only use a simple ibanzez chorus and boss digital delay foodpedal on it and they can be mixed very well in the right proportions through the fx loop pot. Worth mentioning is also the included speaker emulator which is activated when you push the output mute button. Finally i can play with my headphone on without using any power soaks on it , and the sound over my mixing pannel via the recording output of the amp even sounds very execptable. This amp is really the most versatile amp for its price i have ever played on! I really believe that for the blues/rock/heay metal player this is the best amp , considering its price, you can Get!

i only use the amp for a week now so i can't give you any indication!

For customer support one has to go to a distributor, in the past i have been looking for service manuals , schematics of marshall amps as an electronic engineer , but its very hard to get them. So i am not so satisfied with them!

I've been using it for some days now but i would shurely buy it again! The only thing i missed is a litlle more reverb in it , but probably all marshall amps have this lack, because i used to have a jcm 900 with the same shortage. I only can compare it with for instance a mesa boogie rectifier amp which is far more expensive , but i wouldn't change it for my tsl-100. So i really believe that for the price i have payd its one of the best you can get and that its the best Marshall Head amp ever Build!

New for 1998, this is an extremely versatile amp. I play rock, blues, fusion etc. This three channel amp has independant eq for each channel and all three are accessable via the footswitch. The clean channel can be dialed in to achieve all ranges of clean to mildly crunchy. Crunch channel voiced like the DSL 100 crunch channel. Great for blues and with the gain all the way up Good AC/DC Rock stuff. The Third Channel Smokes and is really good for rich sounding, high gain stuff. Other features include effect loops with front panel mix controls, Virtual power reduction switch which cuts volume but still uses output from all four EL34's and a direct out.

I use a Custom Shop Strat, Les Paul Custom, and 52 reissue tele. This amp sounds completely different with each guitar. The amp is really quiet as far as buzzes and sounds great at low volumes but at high volumes it sounds even better. The distortion will not get to the same death crunch as a Tremoverb but for what I play it sounds great.

Only had for two months but it works perfectly. No complaints.

Always had good experiece with Korg in the past.

I love this amp and would buy another one in a minute. When I bought it I had played the Tremoverb before the TSL and since I already own a DSL I intended to buy the Tremoverb, but when I tried the TSL I had no choice. I run both the TSL & DSL in stereo and they sound great together. I also run a few pedals and seem to have a very wide variety of tones with this setup. I know this is another one of those rave reviews that I detest on the forum but for me this is the best sounding amp I have ever owned.

This is just a quick update to my last submission. Read old submission for features and sound etc. It shouldn't be too hard to find since i'm the only one to have commented on this amp so far!

Gigged with it for the first time on Friday the 12th June 98. That's approximately three weeks after i bought it. Sounded absolutely fantastic until the footswitch decided it had had enough after about an hour of playing! Great having three channels isn't it? Not much good when you can't change between them though!

Everything you could ever need in an amp in my opinion. Three channels (clean, crunch and lead), all tube circuity, included footswitch with five switches and LEDs, two effects loops (seperate for clean and distortion channels), built in reverb, 100 Watts of power etc. etc.
There are a total of 21 knobs on the front of this amp and 9 push switches so that may give you an idea of the versatility of the thing. The FX loop can be configured to give two footswitchable volume levels if you don't use effects (like me) which gives you a seperate volume setting for rhythm playing and lead playing.
All three channels have individual volume, gain, bass, middle and treble controls. Clean channel has a mid-boost switch. Crunch and Lead channels both have tone shift switches which scoop out the mids.
Back panel includes send and return and level select switches for two effects loops. There is also a XLR output with speaker emulation - as of yet i haven't had chance to try this yet though so i don't know how authentic it sounds.
This amp would appear to have everything that i will ever want (wishful thinking i know but i really do like it) but i've only had it a week so i can't be positive about this yet. I used it for a band practice since then and i'm happy to report it sounded great.
Even sounds good at low volumes in my bedroom! (which is good for a hundred watt amp - especially using the virtual power reduction - there's another useful feature)

Every sound i was ever looking for in an amp. (but i won't really know this for sure of course until i've gigged with it). I play a fender strat plus with lace sensor single coil pickups and a handmade guitar fitted out with dimarzio humbuckers and a floyd rose trem. etc. The different characteristics of the two guitars really come through with this amp. I play a lot of different styles but mainly it's good old blues and rock and for these styles this amp really cuts it. the clean channel is great for anything (blues rhythm, country picking, jazz etc.) it all depends on the settings, the guitar and the way that you play it.
Crunch channel can be almost another darker cleaner channel at low gain settings. At mid-gain it is pure AC-DC style crunchy guitar sounds. At high gain it's got tremendous power and sustain. And this really is high gain - they call it the crunch channel but you could play in a metal band and never touch the lead channel!
The lead channel really sings straight away. Plug in a Les Paul and you will sound like Gary Moore! Of course that's a completely unfair comment to make because it won't at all but it's the closest sound i've ever got to his! My strat will give me some great heavily distorted blues/rock lead tones like Walter Trout whereas my rockier guitar provides me with instant Satriani like sounds through the lead channel.
The amp is also amazingly responsive to changes made on the guitar. The sounds of the different pickups really shine through and turning down the volume on my strat will turn a monstous high gain lead tone into a lovely, warm gently distorted cleanish sound with no problems at all.

Only had it a week so couldn't possibly comment on this. fingers crossed!

3 year warranty on the amp sounds pretty good to me. Never had to deal with them before though.

Well i know this review sounds like something you might read in a Marshall advert but i've just written my opinions on the amp. I only bought the thing a week ago but it just seems to sound better everytime i play it. I'll probably have to write an update to this review in the future when i've gigged with it a few times but i hope i'll still only have good things to say. The only bad thing i can possibly think of is that there's a small delay when switching between the channels using the footswitch but i don't forsee this being a big problem at all. So i feel i have no choice but to give it a ten!