Marshall JCM-2000 TSL 100

You can read it here. This amp is very flexible. I have rated this amp before. You can't ask for much more from a tube amp.

This is an excellent sounding amp covering a variety of tones. I agree with another posting, you want that true vintage tone go buy it. But those people will complain about other things with those amps like a lack of channel switching or something else.

People who claim to have 20 or 30 years experience then say this is a bad sounding amp??? Get real!!! Are you using a shitty guitar or cabinet?

This amp sounds great.

Have had it for a year no problems. I have repaired my share of amps for other people. For those who bought this amp then went to the repair shop, well you should read the instructions first. Use speaker cable to connect the cab. Check the speaker and amp impedances. Don't handle it like a monkey!. From what I have seen, most people that buy an amp like this then shortly after have it in the repair shop have done something supid.

The only issue may be the foot switch but don't be an idot in how you handle it. Don't tightly wrap the cord!. Use care in connecting it to the amp!.

This is actually better built than alot of other amps and modern electronic stuff like TVs, computers ... etc.

Want point to point? THEN GO BUY IT.

Asked for schematics and got them. No problems so far with support. No answer here because I have had no problems.

An outstanding amp. It is pricey but so are other similar amps. I think alot of the complainers are angry about paying alot for a new amp and not getting a JCM800, Plexi or other sound. I agree. If you want it BUY IT. But unless you have the guitar and cabinet and especially, if you don't have the skill you won't find the true vintage sound. How many Jimi Hendrix, Clapton, Van Halen ... etc guitarists are there? I you are rambling on this web site you probably arn't one of those.

Plenty.

Guys, realize something: IF you want a JCM 800 tone, buy a fucking JCM 800. don't get a JCM 2000 thinking one of the channels is going to sound like a JCM 800. Stop it. Get realistic. Vintage brown tone is the hardest tone to replicate. It's even hard to get from most old amps!

I don't own one of these. Just play it at Guitar Center all the time. It is a solid amp. It sounds very good, but I won't rate it until I buy it and own it. Very versatile. I've heard negative things about the craftsmanship.

But again: I've gone through most reviews and people complain about "buzzy" distortion. Oh friggin wah! Listen, the AMP was manufactured from 1999 on. Not 1969. 1969 was thirty years ago. If you want that sound get an amp from that era.

That being said, it is a great amp, it does vintage tones pretty well, but not like a JCM 800. AGAIN, because it isn't one. Thank you for listening to my diatribe.

heard they're built like turd/.

playing for 15+ years. Had some Marshalls, now play a Rocktron Prophesy through a Marshall 9100 dual monobloc. Sounds great.

You should know 'em by now. Three channel amp, can cover a wide variety of music. Its difficult to ask for more unless you want a digital amp.

Awesome tone over a wide range of styles. If you want a 10 you will only get it for one type of music. Note, I tried different tubes with poor luck. I tried several tube substitutions but they were noisy. Now I am of the openion to stick with the Marshall tubes which are really Russian tubes. Definaetly better built that many others. Don't mess with the tubes. I learned a somewhat expensive lesson.

I use a Les Paul Studio (1990 version)and do not need a distortion pedal. The lead channel has enough gain that, except for heavey metal with a fuzz sound (vice crunch or high gain) you shouldn't need one. If you want that fuzzy buzzy metal tone, save yourself alot of money and get a solid state amp and some pedals. Also, a good tone is more than just the amp, like the speaker cabinet, guitar, pickups... etc. You will have to learn to adjust the controls on this amp also.

This amp sounds great with a 1960 AV loaded with V-30s. This is not for beginners or metal kids.

Have not had a problem. I don't wear heavy black boots or big shoes. I don't slam the pedal switches. Be careful and gentle plugging in the footswitch because the connector is soldered directly to the circuit board. It definately should be more sturdy. Also, all the channel switching and associated circuitry makes me nervous. But I have cranked this amp multiple times and no problems so far. I do baby it. I'm sure it cant take alot of physical abuse so be very careful. Don't wrap the connector cable around the footswitch. Take care of the amp like you should a nice expensive sports car and you should be ok.

Also, my amp was manufactured in the UK but I understand they will be built in other places, possibly China or other. What the hell though that may be better than Mexico ( Fender amps).

Bottom line, baby this amp and it will take care of you. Road worthiness in Mack trucks ... etc.? Good luck.

Margional. Support is thru KORG USA. I don't like that. Probably similar to Fender and definately better than Line6 (terrible support).

Overall I give it a 9. You won't find a tube amp as flexible as this one that gives a great tube tone across multiple music types. You can buy an amp that is a 10 for Blues, Jazz, Rock... etc. But it won't have the flexibility you may want.

Alot of un-happy people think the amp alone is a "catch all end all". They will give a bad review for an amp but don't mention the speaker cab, guitar, control settings...etc. The amp alone will not give the desired tone. That "tone" is comprisied of multiple components.

Don't need to repeat it 323 times!

Don't need to repeat it 323 times! but let me just say this, if you want to have a sound similar to the 80s, forget about it! you'll need to buy seperate distortion pedal and a reverb.

changed pedal twice. after 10 months of careful usage with stock everything, it died on me. At the moment it's in the shop, and it will take about 2-3 weeks to fix.

headquarter of marshall for americans is in NEW YORK! i'm in california. The shop is over an hour away! I just wish if marshall would cover the cost for the tubes! Don't even know how much i'll have to pay yet.

doesn't exist. you'll have to deal with independent shops that have techs who are certified with marshall. LAME!

too much money, not satisfied with the tone, poor customer service/satisfaction

Fantastic features. Pretty much all you need for a broad spectrum of tone. Versatile enough to manipulate each channel to hone in on your sound. Channel switching? FOOTPEDAL IS JUNK. I'm not going to harp on about it. There are hundreds if not thousands who feel the same. When it works its great, straight forward and no nonsense; however, the pedal breaks. Not a matter of if, rather when. Just be prepared. I would have expected Marshall to have a pedal that compliments the phenom of the TSL head. Cleans are great, really good. Crunch is mean... don't let if fool you, theres more crunch in there than you could imagine. Lead... out of control... hot is such an understatement. Headroom for days... go ahead crank it up... 10 easily if the pedal was better quality...

Cleans are awesome. Super crisp, and throw in the reverb and its amazing. Cruch, with the drive at about 8/9 and mids at about 2/3 the treble max'd with bass about 5/6, and it's metal mayhem. The lead channel is HOT!!!! mess with the setting all you want. I use a MXR 10 channel EQ, and it brings the sound out like you wouldn't believe. Tons of headroom. My band pratice in a pretty small space with another Marshall full stack, Bass stack, a gagillion piece drum set (my drummer would like that comment) and a ball park PA, and yet I'm at 4 or 5 and it's too loud. Mic this amp if you're playing in a stadium or are afraid of deafening the folks in the small club.

The amp head is solid as a rock... has worked for me all the time everytime! Give it time to heat up and cool down, keep it covered when not in use and try not to bang it around too much (case it if you can). Simple. the footpedal is a different story... NOTE: I'M RATING THE AMP HEAD ON THIS ONE... THE PEDAL GETS A -2 BECAUSE IT IS JUNK!

I really haven't needed it. I live about an hour from the Marshall factory and the one time I did call, they were nice as could be and invited me down for a day at the factory while they fixed my amp. I didin't need it fixed, just had to stop being a dummy with it. Same with the pedal; however, I think I'll just buy another one and try and modify it to be more reliable

I've been playing for about 10 years now. I'm a serious hobbyist, as I'm a full time military member; however, involved as much with bands, guitar playing and music as I can possible muster. I can tell you with my limited knowledge of amp quality that this amp is awesome. I've played a few different types of amps, i.e. mesa-boogie, crate, line 6 and for the money this amp is tops. I wish the footswitch was better quality, but small beans overall. The only thing I would suggest is to run an EQ in line with the head. Man, it's amazing... takes an amazing amp to perfect... in my opinion

It's about as versatile as anyone would ever need. I had a 6100 anniversary before which has similar sounds but I never used half the switches/compensation/damping etc. and it was hassle just checking that they were all where I'd left them and my sound was still intact! This amp is simpler and just gets it right. 2 effects loops could come in handy and the 25W switch is quite useful for a bedroom sound but does lose some clarity. I'd like a voicing switch on the crunch channel though to dial out some of that JCM800 bark and get closer to plexi territory now and then. That's that one feature of my 6100 I miss. You can use the FX footswitch as a solo booster which is nice.

I play in three originals bands across the whole spectrum of rock and do loads of covers work in all styles and eras. I mainly use a standard Strat with Duncan JB jnr. in the bridge and alnico II pro single coils, Gibson SG with Duncan JB and Jazz, and a Peavey Wolfgang for heavier things and as an all-rounder. I play it through a 1936 2x12 which is warm and smooth, and a 1960 4x12 which is more aggressive and has more bass and treble. I actually prefer the 2x12. A 4x12 with 25W Greenbacks would probably be even better.

Clean: Never outstanding. With humbuckers it can get that Guns n Roses clean sound which isn't a bad place to be. If you turn the amp right up and put the gain on 4 (mid boost on) with a Strat it gives a stunning SRV tone but you'll need a Powerbrake/Hotplate to actually use this sound (I use a Hotplate and I think its quite good). I've had compliments on this sound but the clean channel as a whole is just adequate. Really good for a Marshall but lacks compression and chime. Will try a compressor in the fx loop at some point but my setup is complicated already...

Crunch: Again needs to be turned up. At bedroom levels it's muddy. Turned up beyond 3 it starts to come alive. This is the classic rock sound - halfway between a plexi at full tilt and the bark of a JCM800. You can move it closer to either camp with the mid control. Too much treble though - it sounds thin above halfway which means you have to turn the amp up to get any clarity. Sometimes I miss the chimey sound of my 6100's crunch channel but this has more balls and grunt. The louder you go, the better it gets. All the way up and the power stage gets nice and creamy like Parisienne Walkways or 70s Jeff Beck. Use an attentuator with this amp and you won't have to buy a plexi!

Lead: I play some heavy stuff and this is perfect. It's halfway between Marshall and Boogie which is perfect for me. Very similar to the anniversary lead channel but with a but more sizzle (almost like a Soldano). Loads of treble though - even for metal I wouldn't go above halfway, and for a Van Halen or Slash sound, more like a quarter, and gain on 3 or 4. On most amps for these sounds I would want to boost the treble a bit. On this amp too much treble transforms it into a thin, buzzy monster and masks all the bottom end grunt. You have to turn up the volume to make the treble sing though, and some of the juice comes from the speakers working hard too - so even the hotplate is a compromise. I use this channel as a modern/heavy rhythm channel and use an eq pedal in the fx loop for solos. Set up right with just enough mids this is the best heavy sound I've had. Much warmer and more singing than my old 5150 but with 90% of the grunt. Bigger and more aggressive than my Anniversary but just as toneful. Not as fat as a Boogie but minus the mush and much more responsive and dynamic. I think for modern sounds and metal only a Soldano would beat this but I can't afford one! Maybe an ENGL for metal?

It is easy to make this amp sound bad, but with some work it's great. If you're not gonna be able to turn it up, buy a 50W combo or you'll be disappointed.

It seems well made and doesn't produce any strange noises or do anything unusual. It blows a lot of fuses though - perhaps I should retube it? I take spare fuses everywhere. The footswitch is a bad design. The lead is only held to the pedal by the six solder connections inside. I solved this problem by wrapping a huge wad of gaffa tape around the cable, just inside the hole at the back of the pedal.

Never used Marshall customer support but I was able to download a manual easily from their site.

I've been playing fifteen years and I am a professional teacher and guitarist. I have had three different Marshalls and a 5150, and if this was lost or stolen I would get the same again, or possibly another anniversary (but this time an el34 version for that creamy power stage). I do a lot of different things, and this gets me most of the way to all the sounds I need. I'd love a plexi for classic rock, a 2555 jubilee for heavy rock, a Fender for clean, and I'd like to try a Bogner. But this does everything I need for a really good price. Even if I could afford the Soldano I'd still want the TSL.

I've owned three TSL100s in my lifetime, so this is a combined review - same amp!

The first amp was produced in 1999 bought from new. The second was a 2003 model bought new and the third was a second hand one witha 2004 serial.

I love this amp, I really do, I just wish it loved me back! Three seperate channels, clean crunch and lead, the latter being my favourite channel! EL34 power section and 12ax7 preamps, and in english that basically means nice natural saturation and sag and a host of flexible options all in! 100watts! I used these amps at various times through a Marshall 2x12, a 4x12 and for the 2003 and 2004 models, both were used on full stacks with an engl powerball full stack.

I play metal in a fairly big name band and do a lot of venues. The first amp I used with a punk band I used to be in - hey I was young! It sounded good enough for that and had plenty options. It does like to hum at louder volumes so a noise suppressor is an absolute must! I used the Boss NS-2, not the best pedal in the world but at least it got rid of the hum.

The distortion is quite brutal, however this amp really does come alive with JJ preamp tubes! They offer the gain and saturation. A NOS tube is also a good option in the PI slot. I used an old Jan/Phils and its a really really good option!

Stock the amp still does the business! The clean is really chimey and dare I say fender-alike. It takes pedals very well, I couldn't find a pedal it didn't take to. High volumes with the noise suppressor and it still had that good old marshall roar.

However, a mate's DSL50 with a full compliment of Groove Tubes sounded a good bit better! If you want really brutal distortion on a budget, go for the DSL50. The TSL100 is still very good though. I used my own brand of boost with this amplifier!

In the UK, marshall are great with service. OK so we have the advantage of Marshall being a UK company anyway but their service has always been excellent!

I've had three TSL100s and they've all had issues at some point or another. Here's a run down:

TSL #1:

- Crackles and hisses and squeeks coming from the cab: turned out to be a dodgy set of tubes. Retubed for free!

- Intermittent signal, rather like what you're describing: bad HT fuses resultant of bad tubes which was caused by a fault in the cathode follower circuit (Marshall's words, not idea what that means)

- The amp would play fine for two minutes and then cut out totally dead: The DC heaters on the first two tubes had shorted out

Sold the amp after a marshall service


TSL #2:

- Nothing, nowt, zip out of the speakers, not even a hiss: Bad HT fuse due to power valves failure (at three weeks old) caused by a fault with the rectifier circuit

- Smoking heavily at band practise: was first thought to be the power amp tube setting alight some dust on the chassis due to heat. Cleaned chassis, replaced the tubes and off we go

- Two weeks later at gig, same problem and amp cut out almost instantly: mains transformer had developped a fault which was shorting out the amp. Replaced lots of caps, tubes, tranny and various other bits

- Got it to band practise same day I got it back from marshall. Same problem... was told the cabinet must be causing the problem. Drove the lot up there, cab tested fine AOK. They replaced a PCB to deal with the cabinet output section and all tubes and all tested OK

- Amp finally died three weeks later. Strange sound to it, Marshall refunded me the price I paid for the amp as it was only about 4-5 months old... just a bad one I guess


Not deterred, I went for amp #3:

Tsl#3:

- Perfect! Bought it off a guy here and all went really well. Supplied 2 footswitches with it as he said the first developped a fault.

- About a month or 2 later, developped problems with noises and crackles. Repalced the preamp tubes myself, problem solved.
- A week later, amp was making no noise at all and wouldn't switch channels. Marshall said it was a grounding problem with the amp and they replaced both footswitches and the power tubes

- Sold the amp anticipating more problems and happy with my Engl.

The reliability of the TSL just got me in the end, and the fact that marshall are moving production to china which means that there is no more going to the factory to get your problems sorted out easily... time to sell up.

Shame, its a really good amp but just the reliability kills ya! I guess if you are playing in your bedroom for most of your life like I did with my first TSL100, it will serve you well but if you gig regularly, then fuggedaboudit!

Marshall has always been really good with their support! They were always willing to take my amp in at the drop of a hat!

I've been playing since I were a nipper - 8 years old. This was my first tube amp at 15. I'm 24 now so about 9 years of playing various tube amps.

I sold it down to the reliability! That's the only issue I had with the amp - otherwise it would definately have been a keeper!

1999 TSL 1000 Marshall head. 3 channels. Used for live performance, large clubs, outdoor stages

Les Paul standard, Stat Texas Special with humbucker. I play classic rock/pop/blues, I am in my 40's, so everything from Beatles/Badfinger to Journey, Boston, Eagles, ZZ Top in a traveling cover band. Amp is great for live covers, very versatile...

Never a problem except the damn footswitch. ALWAYS have a spare...

Great. They sent me footswitch parts for free, and I installed...

I wanted to add some comments to my earlier reveiw....Played for 35 years, would buy this again, but there are some tricks, and tweaks needed to get "the sound". I explained these in another review, but wanted to add to it...THIS IS A GREAT, VERSATILE, LIVE AMP. That being said, there are many other Marshalls, or smaller tube amps that sound prettier in a living room situation. But live, with vintage 30's or G12H's, these cut through the mix, mic well, and have plenty of clean headroom and punch. And the tone is rather nice, too. Plenty of harmonics and growl at your fingertips.
I need to mention that the treble on both of our TSL's in the band is only up to about 9 o'clock, and the same for the presence. the mid is flat, and the bass is at 2 o'clock....these can be overly bright on the gain channels, especially when using the stock celestion G12 75's, or low output, bright pickups....however, the clean channel treble is full on, with flat mids or the mid boost on(my preference). With JJ tubes, and a hotter bias than factory, you will be very pleased, indeed...Gibson Classic '57 Plus or Seymour duncan Custom pickups work quite well, overall....
Again, there are sweeter, nicer sounding "living room amps" out there....but for live, I have found nothing that compares overall, for classic, fat, harmonically sweet, crunchy rock sounds. A 50 watter won't do it, and we really don't play that deafeningly loud, either.
Without the tube upgrade and re bias, vintage speakers, etc, I am not surprised at some people's less than thrilling reaction to this amp. It is a "made for live" rock and roll amp, in my opinion. Many smaller, sweeter amps get lost on stage, and sound like a big warm fuzzy bumble bee....with less than distinct notes...this one doesn't...

made in 1999, bought it new. Use it for live shows, from medium size clubs to outdoor festivals. Plenty of power. 3 channels. Reverb.

I use a les Paul Standard, with 57 classic and classic plus pickups, and a Fender Texas Special strat with a seymour custom humbucker, and 2 ssl-5 single coils. I only use a boss chorus, a tuner, and an acoustic simulator run to the board. I like it simple. For me, the clean channel is perfect with the mid boost engaged. Nice, warm, chimey. Really nice. The lead channel is also my cup of tea. I play with a lot of vibrato and this thing has balls and tone.
The rythm, or crunch channel is just "ok". Not bad, but a little thin and fuzzy, unless you crank it up. Unfortunately, in a club, that's tough to do. Outdoors, at bigger shows, it's killer.

I have used it for numerous shows for 5 years, never a break down.
Wait a minute. The floor pedal has had the led's and footswitches fixed more than once. I keep it in a SKB suitcase....and the last 3 years no problems. If you play out a lot....have an extra footswitch. We do....you will need it someday. My other guitarist has one of these, too. He loves it. But, is still playing with a burnt led on one of the footpedal switches....someday, I will fix it, too....

Korg was great. They sent me replacement parts for the footpedal right away. Fixed it myself. Worked ever since. 5 year warranty.

First of all, out of the box, this thing was a little dissappointing. Kind of cold and one dimensional, with little feel. I have played Marshalls for 30 years, played since age 10, I am 47, and play mostly classic rock, pop, and heavy blues style riffs. For me, it's always been Marshalls. I travel and play out on weekends. YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THIS AMP UNTIL YOU PUT JJ TUBES IN IT, AND BIAS IT AROUND 40MV (It was 35mv factory) Then, you have a great live rig that has fat, soaring, singing leads, chimey clean channel(with mid boost on), and a reasonable crunch channel. YOU CANNOT GET CLASSIC ROCK TONES OUT OF THIS AMP WITH THE STANDARD 75 WATT CELESTIONS. Been there, tried that. I have a Marshall 4X12 vintage cab (vintage 30's), with the bottom two speakers swapped for Celestion G12H 30's. Yes....it sounds pretty damn good on just about everything "classic rock". We mic the vintage 30's with Audix i5's. Great stuff...
Greenbacks, blackbacks, whatever...the 25 watters are nicer than the 75's, for sure...but for live, nothing sings like the the "30's" G12H, and Vintage, I mean...
I miss having an in between crunch and clean channel. The crunch is a bit much on some things, and the clean is too clean sometimes....you know what I mean..... Wish they made a 35 watt crunch section, and a 100 watt lead section....:)
Overall, it's not everything, but instead of 3 heads, and 3 cabs....this works quite well, has tons of sustain and fatness...and is fun to play if you are a player that likes to dig in and make your vibrato sing! I have thoroughly enjoyed this amp.
If it was stolen, I couldn't replace it...the back is signed by both origonal April Wine guitarists...they used it when we opened a show for them, and their rented dual reverb went south. Brian Greenway loved it, by the way. But I made Myles Goodwin sign it too, as payment for the "backline rental".
Yes, I would buy the same amp again, no question.

Well this the amp with the most knobs i've ever seen. It's got three chanels, clean, crunch and lead, each one with seperate gain master volume and equalizer. It has got a spring reverb and even two fx loops. They are adjustable seperately for the clean channel while the crunch and the lead share share one reverb and fx level knob.
The 4 power amp tubes definately provide an 'acceptable' amount of power! ^^ I can't stand the sound any longer when i turn the volume up to 12 o clock. But for home purpose it has got a virtual power reduce switch, which throttles the power amp down to 25W and i use it very often. At last i have to mention the few other functions i don't use, eg. the mid boost in the clean channel as well as the mid shift in crunch and lead

Mostly I use my Gibson Les Paul Studio on this amp and it really sounds great! This is THE amp for this guitar. Lead channel + bridge pickup provides a great Heavy Metal rythm sound just like BOOOM. I like it. When you play muted powerchords and unmuted chords in turns the it feels just like a little man turns on and of a bass boost switch inside the amp. Great. The Neckpickup + Leadchannel provides a really creamy-screamy lead guitar sound, exacly like the guitar intro of Rainmaker by Iron Maiden. If you play this amp and then switch over to an ordinary transistor amp you will even recognise that your guitar feels different! Suddenly it will get sticky and your brains scream to use the jcm 2000 again!

I used it at 3 gigs yet and i never had a problem with it. I thruthfully trust in this head but i think it is to early to give a comment about it yet.

No experiences yet.

Yip, Great, provides, if adjusted carefully every sound a guitarrist needs, no matter what he plays. At least I experienced a great compartibility to heavy metal, hardrock, crunch, grunge, rock & roll etc. If it were stolen i would definately buy it again, if i had the money :-)

The amp was made in the last quarter of 2004.
This amp is very versatile and can be adjusted to get nice sounds for most types of music. Probably best suited for Rock,Metal and Alternative. Three channels is perfect 1)clean 2) cruch 3) Lead
The marshall website lists all of the features this head has to offer.
I am happy with the features this amp has. I will be using this amp in the studio for recording and possibly an occasional gig. The amp has plenty of power. I was quite suprised with the balls this thing has. I like the deep feature, it might be nice have a deep and reverb for both the cruch and lead channels, but this is no problem.

I am using this amp with a fender USA strat plus with a hotrail in the standard tuning and a Les Paul Gothic tuned to B. This amp works well for Rock, Metal and alternative. The guys playing the Nu-Metal should be very happy with this amp. The amp is fairly quiet compared with other tube amps, a few clicks n pops to be expected. This should cover most styles of electric guitar playing. I am quite pleased with the clean channel, seems to be better than the JCM 800/900 from what I remember?
I think this JCM 2000 can cover the sounds of the JCM 900/800 and beyond, I have no desire for either of those older units when this head covers those two plus even more. This marshall head is being used with a Mesa oversized recto w/ vintage 30's. This setup ROARS in the lead channel with my gothic (les paul) everything on 10 except volume which is a nuclear melt down at about 5. Plenty of distortion for all types of metal.

Seems reliable. I would not do a serious gig without a backup, but that is with any tube amp unless maybe I had a full set of tubes and fuses possibly. I did blow one fuse (1Amp) not sure why it blew?
I would not be happy if this thing breaks down, I do not really want to send it to NY. I give this an 8 because of quality which seems that is a bit less than a few other competitors in the same price range.

Warranty is 5 years! Very nice, I thing the unit should be reliable considering a warranty of 5 years(I hope) I am afraid of service centers and hope I never have to send it to one. I also do not like shipping stuff like this. UPS claim waiting to happen. I have not dealt with Marshall and hope I never have to. If I do I hope I have a pleasant experience.

I have been playing for 17 years. I have a Bogner Ecstacy and a Mesa RoadKing each with the respective cabinet loaded w/ V 30's. I tell you what; those two amps are killer, but I am very happy to say that the TSL 100 is right up there with them. I am not marshall mesa or bogner advocate. I love all 3 amps, just the same as having 3 children they each have there own special qualitys. Well if it came down to it and I had to choose, it would be the Bogner hands down (Duh !!) I am diggin this Marshall and for so many years I wasnt all that excited about them.
I am finally convinced marshall amps kick ass!
Now I gotta save for the next 5 years and check out a Diezel.
If it were stolen (RIP) I would buy another for sure.
I love the way the unit smells when it gets hot, burning Tubes an Iron! I do like the reverb, it is an added bonus. I think Marshall (and some others) has gotten a little greedy on the price increases.
I would give it a 10 , but the price on this thing is going up a bit too fast. Slow down on the price increases, none of us have gotten any decent raises since all the jobs are going to china (no offense) etc. and 9-11 happend.

MARSHALL LAW !

You have seen them. Very flexible for a tube amp.

This amp sounds great!!!. If you are so picky that you are looking for some tone that "exactly" fits your tastes then good luck. I play both a Led Paul and a Strat thru the amp and they are drastically different (surprise!). The Les Paul has alot of gain itself and combined with the amp can sound a bit harsh unless the amp gain is reduced. I use a 1960 AV slant cab. The speakers also affect the final sound so mix and match.

I did replace the marshall tubes with some GT mullard copies for the preamp and a different set of EL34s in the power amp. It definately made a difference. Its still all Marshall but a bit tamer. Of course the most noticable difference was when I replaced the first pre-amp tube. There seem to be more harmonics now very sweet.

The clean channel chimes if you work with the amplifier settings.

The crunch channel can be set from a nice smooth tone to a growl.

The lead channel has high gain. Many seem to associate this with metal sounds but you can get really nice blues leads also. This channel is very responsive and dosn't seem to hide bad playing.

The bottom line for the tone is a combination of guitar, guitar vol and tone settings, amp, amp settings and speaker config. If you want classic Marshall at its finest, go buy it. If you like the "Recto" sound get a Mesa Boogie (excellent amps). Get Fender if clean is your preference. However this amp has incredible flexibility for playing all aspects of Rock and Roll.

With respect to some of the other comments, yes it does sound like a Marshall !!!

Have had no problems myself but baby the amp. With all the channel switching circuitry and other features, be careful!!!. This isn't a classic tube amp that is simple and built like a brick shit house. Anytime you get an amp that is flexible and loaded with features theres more to break.

A tube amp, flexible and alot of features (for a tube amp). Sounds great if you think about the whole rig and not just the amp. It would be nice if it were built for punishment but would probably cost alot more. The price as is should be about $250 less (IMO). But overall a great TUBE amp.

Very good for a 100w valve amp, 3 channels all with EQ - and heaps of other stuff as mentioned below

One incredible amp if you can set it up right!

It can be a bit of a pain (coming from being used to an SL) but after i spent some time with it i've come up with some very savy results.

The clean on this amp is pretty much the only other Marshall i have liked since my SL, it's very clear & with the mid boost engaged your able to conjur up some nice sparkle. turn the volume up otherwise it wont sound that good.

With the crunch i found myself using the volume on 3 o'clock and the gain on very low (say 9 o'clock) - it's quite loud & still quite clean when you back off your guitars volume, but strum harder & it overdrives easy, if you run an SD-1 it's heaven!

Lead channel was probably the least versatile of the three. It's got a fair amount of gain which sounds buzzy unless you have the gain set low. I thought crap until i turned up the volume again on this channel & it came to life! I never thought to turn gain lower before but it just worked so well here. It's not Mesa heavy, it's hot rodded Marshall sound.

Reverb is ok, but one thing i learnt is that unless you can turn this amp up, your not going to get what it can offer.

No probs with mine, service it & it will be fine

Never needed em, but it's got a warranty

Great amp that really shine if you use it well.

Don't use the regular G12T-75 speakers (i.e standard Marshall cab) with this amp cause it'l sound bad. This amp needs V30's , G12H30's or Greenbacks!

Volume is everything with this amp & if it's turned down your not getting anything compared to what it can do at full tilt.

This amp is picky & offers allot of features which means it's not a 'plug in and play' amp. Everything you do will effect the tone from Guitars to tubes used (and esspecially speakers!!)

See below - thre channels, separte EQ, loops, etc. Very versatile.

I was disappointed with this amp. I AM really scared to post things like that about a 1.5K Marshall amp, which wa sprobably designed as Marshall's own reply to Rectifiers, but.. We rented the amp with a 1960A cab for a whole month in the studio as the second / double track amp. Now, step by step:

1. clean channel. It was not bad. Cranking master and gain would turn it into a rather dynamic sounding ACDC crunch, quite nice. with gain low, it's your standard Marshall clean, a bit chimey, with even low end, but, GENERIC. Very generic. I mean, it doesn't distort on high volume settings, and it gets chimey enough for you phunkers, but it is generic. Like electric guitar in Britney's early recordings.

2. Crunch. That was probably the amp's highlight. Goes from clean to early metal, though you can get into the new metal area, too. Generic sounding, Marshall-esque and "cold" overdrive.

3. Lead. Use it for one thing - SLIPKNOT. Not that SK are a bad band. But this channel is made for one thing only - buzz. You get enough gain with the dial on 10 o'clock. I did the overdubs with gain on "2" and master cranked, which helped a little, but it was still too "gainy" because of the channel's voicing.

Deep switches help add some tightness to this otherwise bassless and flabby amp (Mesa Mark IV and Recto Dual are my benchmarks in this comparison)

Well, it's tough. Built well.

It is a very versatile amp, if you want fizzy metal. The overdrive section is cold, the Lead channel is cold and incapable of smooth tones, so it is only okay if you play extreme metal. It is probably a decent amp, why would Marshall put out crtap, but it is for sure cold and generic sounding.

I tried with a Les Paul and EMG equipped fender, and this amp NEVER sounded fat, even with master on 10. Sorry, I did my best to like it, but I couldn't.

The amp comes fully equipped with three channels: A clean, a crunchy, and a power lead. I've been recording and gigging with this amp since I first bought it 3 years ago. I am a typical Van Halen, Rush, Journey, Ozzy, etc. kind of a guitar player. I seek sounds more closer to the rocks of the 70s, 80s, and early part of the 90s. Don't care much for the later 90s and modern sound. I think Marshall designed this model to target those with the same likes as myself. For all those who have negative comments...well, it could be that they're seeking for the type of sound you commonly hear on the radio or perhaps even something along The Beattles(cleaner). A really super cool feature on the amp is, it has a direct simulated lineout to a PA or recorder and it is fantastic. I have always been against connecting my amps direct. As some of you know, this causes your sound quality to drop or change dramatically. I mean, it adds alot of buzzy sounds and takes away its natural roar produced by the cab. But this amp...well, by plugging direct, its sound is transformed directly onto your PA, etc. Ilove this amp dearly. No more micing headaches. Yaa hoo!!! I understand some people say that this amp requires some modification before it can sound like a marshall tube. I think that's just bullony. I love the deep bottom ends, the clearity, the definition, the roar, the sweet sustains, and the full mid section this monster produces with its stocked transformers & tubes. I use a Steve vai Jem guitar and a Gibson Les Paul double cut-away for my setup. The Jem guitar brings out the sweet tones of the 80s with strong sustains, whereas, my Les Paul defines the thick chunky rhythm that of AC/DC or the earlier 70s etc. If the sound appears muddy, it's because it responds to every touch of each fingers on the strings. What this means is that, if you tend to be a rather sloppy player, you're gonna have dirty, muddy-like tones. Not to insult anyone, but if you're good and have good hand controls, the amp will actually work in your favor. This amp is an all-in-one unit. Perfect for playing real solid rock & Blues. Complete Clean players may want to consider other amps.

At low volume, the amp sounds kinda buzzy. At higher vol., like +3 to 5, the amp roars its true sound. There's increased bottom ends and sweet mids with nice sustains. Because I'm a very versatile player...I go from soft, med, hard, to occasionally heavy, I just wish, this amp can produce more reverb. I occasionally need this for songs from Journey & stuff. "A great guitar player can only sound as good as the amp", a great guitarist once told me.

My guitars houses, Dimarzio Evolution & Gibson 489/490T pickups. Two different entities sharing one common amp. Both sets sound awsome.

Great amp. Rocks everytime. I've gone through 3 footswitches though. Terrible design on the wire connections. After a few months, the wires in the footswitch will start to lose contact, etc. and then cause you to have a nightmare during the middle of a set. My third footswitch can no long switch me to the clean channel. In addition, there's always a price to pay for choosing tube amps over a valstate while on stage. You'll never know when one of the tube is gonna give-in, so always remember to bring extras during every performance.

I've gotten so upset about the footswitch ordeal that I emailed a two page complaint over to someone at Marshall and, by surprise, received an apologitic response within the next business day. Other than this, I have yet to call them.

I am 33 years old and have been actively playing for over 24 years. I own quite a few things. I have a marshall accoutic amp, a fender ultimate chorus 2x12, 6 string - 12 string accoustic guitars, an ibanez 560, Ibanez Jem, Gibson Les Paul, Gibson Epiphone Les Paul, Marshall TSL100 stack, full 32 channel PA system with state-of-the-art effects, JBL speakers, McCaully Subs, various guitar pedals, an 8 piece Sonor 2003 fusion drumset, casio keyboard, Roland RS-70 keyboard, Roland VS-1824cd workstation,,..and too many other items to list. Though I have more than one amp, I am tied to the TSL100 sound. My other amps just can't give me all the things I've described. Before making this commitment, I've tried other Marshall amps, Johnsons, LINE 6, Crate (terrible), Ibanez, Fender, Peavy, Randall... I actually liked the Johnson amp (forgot the model) that was going for $1799.99. It had alot alot of different setups to choose from. But ultimately, I didn't buy it because, there's too many things I'm paying for that I probably would never use. Because of the many digital features, I fear of having add-on problems. Besides, it just doesn't rock like the TSL100 (clean,groovy,yet hard).

This is an Extremely versatile amp, if you want to spend some time and work with it. It has 3 separate channels, 3 and a half if you count the gain and the mid-boost on the clean channel. You can get almost any sound out of this amp except for maybe nu-metal (but who wants to play that crap anyway?!).

The sounds I get out of this amp are as follows: Ac/Dc, Zeppelin, Clapton, Hendrix, SRV, Van Halen. The Crunch has the ability to sound close to vintage plexi marshalls,but when cranked sounds like a jcm 800 or 900. About the Mesa vs. Marshall thing I would like to add I tried the mesa and found it was to bassy and It was very muddy and no clear properties at all. I think all the negative reviews on this site are from people that like way over-the-top distortion to hide their really bad playing and I think they should play with no distortion and see how badly they sound.

Seems very reliable, but I've heard the footswitch is bad, but this should be covered by the waranty.

Have not had for long but the customer service cant be worse than, Fender!!!

It is an awesome amp well worth the money,but I'd like to see it a couple hundred dollars cheaper just for all the not so rich people like me! If you have any more questions or unsure of something email me.

You can read all the features. Very flexible for a tube amp. If you want clean, crunch and lead channels, independent eq for each channel, channel, reverb and effects switching its here.

Why not a 10 you say! Well the perfect sound is very subjective. Have I found it yet? No but I am getting very close with this amp. However, having your ultimate tone and the flexibility to play different types of music is not practical unless you have a custom designed and built amp. If you are a brain surgen or sue happy lawyer, go for it. For the rest of us this does the job if you like different types of Marshall sound. I use a 1960 AV cabinet with a Les Paul and Strat copy. The Les Paul roars. I don't use effects anymore, don't need to. Have to work the eq on guitar and amp as well as gain and volume. It takes time. If you need to "plug and chug" good luck with a tube amp. Try a "computer amp" with the proper presets.

To vary the tones you also need to adjust the Gain and Master Vol controls. You can get a nice blues type tone (Clapton, Hendrix.. etc) if you go low on the gain and crank the volume.

Remember, guitar and speakers matter as much to tone as the amp. Also tone is subjective to the individual hearing it.

No problems yet. I have read about the problems others have had. I have seen many amps and Marshall is no worse then Fender, Crate or others. Mesa has quality workmanship but they also can have problems. I take good care of my rig and so far so good. I can't give it a high score because of other problems and I have only owned it for about six months. But I have cranked it and wailed away on the guitar an no problems. Remember to use speaker, not guitar, chord between amp and speaker.

I bought this amp new and have not had problems and have not tried them. If I do have problems Korg better help out. This makes me a bit nervous. Bottom line, with any piece of music gear, buy at your own risk.

This is a great tube amp. Its not cheap but provides all the tones I need. If you want a Marshall amp that can closely "resemble" a vintage or newer Marshall amp this may be for you. You have to play the guitar and tweek the amp for your settings. I have found this to be true of almost all guitar amps.

This is my third review for this amp. This will probably be the final one, because I kept on changing my mind before but this is the final review. The amp has a bunch of features, they're all in other reviews and on the website, etc. Sure, it's versatile. By the way, this amp is not worth $1,400. I'd say it's worth about $500 with the stock sounds that it gives.

Rating of 3 when the amp was stock, Rating of 7-8 if you get the mods. I'm using a Strat and Tele, both with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails. Here's the downfall for this amp and why I would reccommend not buying one ever. When this amp came stock it sounded terrible, high-end that could kill you, even with the presence and treble at 0. The overdrive was thin and bland, boomy undefined low end, really muddy chords. The clean channel was really bland and lifeless, basically what I'm saying here is that is sounded like a joke. Here's where the amp really comes out. If you are willing to spend about $250 extra, here's what you need to do, you need to get rid of the stock Dagnall output transformer and get a better one, you also are going to want to have some circuitry mods/pre-am revoicing if you know any amp technicians who can do this. I had a Mercury Magnetics Axiom output transformer installed for $200. I had some other various circuitry mods which re-voiced the pre-amp etc. And the amp sounds very nice now, it actually sounds like a Marshall and not a solid state amp, which is what a TSL sounds like if you get one stock. I went through 2 full sets of tubes before I got the mods. I just got the mods and a set of JJ E34Ls and Electro Harmonix 12AX7s. Completely different amp. The FX loop makes noise, it's kind of quiet but it's enough to make me not want to use it. It's loud, definitely loud enough. so here's the bottom line with the Marshall TSL 100 head: IF YOU ARENT WILLING TO SPEND $200-$300 ON MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS HEAD THEN DO NOT BUY IT..YOU WILL BE MASSIVELY DISSAPPOINTED WITH IT.

Never broke down on me once. I know they're making these with cheaper parts now but it has been with me for over a year and I haven't had a problem with it. Here's the bad part. The footswitch is junk, an absolute joke. Broke after about a month of light use. They'll send you a new one when it breaks but you shouldn't need to get a new one, you should get all quality parts if you are blowing $1,400 on a head. They sent me a new one and that hasn't broken yet and I've had that one for about 10 months now. Rating of 5 because the amp is reliable but the footswitch is a joke.

Very good, helpful with the footswitch, sent me a new one in 2 days.

The amp is a joke if you don't modify it, bottom line. Even after the mods I'd still like something with a bit more flavour. I don't know what all of these people giving it a rating of 10 for sound quality are thinking, unless they heavily modified it and forgot to mention it.

This amp sounds AWESOME.

When you try this one, make sure of:

- Having the bias set correctly for the power tubes: 80 to 90mv matching each couple of power tubes (the bias is very simple to adjust from the back of the amp).

- Change preamp tubes to Electro Harmonix 12AX7's and power amp tubes to Electro Harmonix EL34's. More tightness, absolutely clear, musical and harmonically rich.

Stock power tubes are nice, but stock preamp tubes are too harsh and brittle (cheap sounding), not a good choice for this amp i think.

I spent 109? changing tubes and now i have a BEAST.

Remember (very important), for solos, use the lead channel with gain NOT ABOVE 5. With the gain at 5 i can NAIL Van Halen tone (think eruption, also the tapping part, very sweet and harmonically full). Keep the mids at least at 7 without the tone shift, the treble at 4-5, bass at 10 is perfectly tight and punchy without loosing definition. If you have not enough bass still, use the deep switch on.

For the crunch, use the gain at 5. For mild overdrive keep the gain at 5 and lower the guitar volume a tad. WONDERFUL crunch. JCM800's sound really good at tremendous volume, this amp can nail their sound at the volume of 2->3 which is quieter than normal band volume even for practising.

With new tubes, it sounds good even with the vpr on, which is awesome for practice by your own or if you are using a greenback cabinet (crank the amp to 7 with the vpr with your band and tell me if it sounds bad).

So, keep fresh tubes and check the bias setting constantly (once a week at least), it's very quick to do.

This amp is AWESOME, the clean is fender twinish, the mid boost make it like a fender twin cranked.

I tried TONS of amp, this is the REAL tone machine. Don't worry about spending 100$ on new tubes and 5 minutes a week to adjust bias settings... you'll be rewarded.

If after doing all these you still think this amp is crap, well, learn to play guitar man!

Feel free to send me any e-mail for any advice about it (settings and any other problem).


Bye and HAVE FUN!

Take care of it, its a tube amp, it's not true it is not reliable if you know how a tube amp must be treated ;-)

3 years, everything perfect, change tubes every 6 months / 1 year maximum. It is worth it. BTW, it depends on use.

Plug and unplug your guitar with the standby on.

All covered previously. I have bought this to replace the combo version which I had all sorts of rattle and resonance problems with.

TSL-100 with 1936 2x12 Cab. Great sounds as covered in my review of the combo. Clean with Rickenbacker 12 is a joy to behold. Crunch with Les Paul (Burstbuckers) is my main sound but this channel also takes my strat tuned to open G for slide. A magnificent sound. Lead has got it nailed for "Still Got the Blues" and Santana type sounds. A versatile rig covering country, blues and rock. It can even handle Fairport type of folk rock. Clean is as good (better) than Fender. The whole rig with 1936 Cab is portable and works well. What else could anybody want?

See my review of the TSL 122. No problems yet but I am glad of the 3 year warranty!!!!

Not great

It's got 3 channels, and a lot of knobs, and a 5 switch pedal.

I'm using my Ibanez Talman TC-420 on this thing and I really like the sound it gives me.

I'm still tweaking around to find the right setting for me, and it definately helps when the amp is turned up.

The clean channel is decent. Not really something to be excited about in my opinion. It's not bad but not good either. I'm also having some dificulty finding the right clean volume to match the crunch channel.

The crunch channel can make anything from a light crunch to a serious overdrive. I play rock music so I have the gain at 10, which some people might frown upon, but I like it like that. It gives a nice Slash type of overdrive. It's ideal for rythm parts. If you punch in the Tone Shift button it gives you added bottom end which is great for metal overdrive.

The lead channel is basically identical to the crunch channel. It's a way to have another channel for different parts. The obvious way to use it is as a boost for solo work. I use it for that and have a higher volume as well as the tone shift button in.

You can also use it as an alternative channel. I sometimes use it as a lo-fi overdrive channel. Just turn the middle up, and treble and bass down and there you have it.

I haven't had any problems with the amp yet.

I like this amp a lot. I don't know if it's "my" amp, I still have a lot of amps to try out before being able to make such a statement. I'd love to compare it to an Engl or Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier head, but I haven't been able to do so.

But so far I enjoy this amp. It has some pretty good sounds for what it's worth.

plenty of power for any gig. only missing feature is a direct slave out, will have to use effect in loop with stereo out to get right levels. xlr out is too hot. also a small fan on the power transformer would be a good idea for those of us who actually turn the vol up for extended use.

strat is ok but lp classic sounds much better, gain does not need to be turned up as much and amp sounds more natural. this tsl 100 will easily cover jazz, classic rock and hard 80's rock with ease. first step is to use mullard pre-amp tubes. 2nd step is new nos el-34 made in germany, biased with o-scope i found the true m volt reading varies alot from quad to quad so if you are not using o-scope to bias and just using the 80-90 ballpark m volt you are compromising sound and tube life. power tranformer also runs cooler when bias is properly set, which is rarely the case with cheap bastards not willing to give their amp the "presidential treatment". with $250 of nos tubes this amp sounds alot better, if you put these crappy stock tubes in a vintage plexi it too would sound stiff and brittle. a/b testing with restored 1974 4-input 100 watt hiwatt vs. tsl 100 on clean channel : tsl 100 sounds warmer and less harsh than my prized hiwatt so i sold the hiwatt for twice what i paid for my tsl 100. this amp also sounds warmer than jcm 800 2203 and 2204 on the yellow channel. kills my 72 jmp 50, once again warmer with more detail. before the extra $250 in nos tubes and o-scope bias i did this amp WAS LACKING smooth tone and i'd give it a 6 with cheap tubes. this amp sounds better than my hiwatt custom 100 i sold and i also sold my 72 marshall for a nice profit. $peakers and cab are critical as is everything, i believe most people are not willing to tweek this amp to near it's potential. marshall 1960a 4x12 cab is required to to achieve rockstar tone. i tried stock 75 watt, greenbacks, vin 30, 70th anniv g1230 celestions as well as weber blue,silver, 1230 ceramics and silver and blue alnicos and they all have their own distinctive tone(none of these do it all for me ). i'm not saying what speakers i have loaded in my marshall 1960a 4x12 cab, this is a trade secret. all the pros say they use what they endorse$$$ the yellow channel will clean up better than a jcm 800 with my lp vol control and has much more range and needs no distortion,od or booster pedals to "help" it along. the red channel is one more reason i sold several pedals, i get better sounds straight in amp than i did with those pricey pedals. reverb is ok, not spectacular. i believe the reverb is all solid state. i'm giving this rating an 8 here. the only way to further improve this great sounding amp would be output transformer r/r and upgraded components which i may do in the future since this is my main amp and i want it to sound better than everyone else's. to give an amp a 9 requires a lap dance feeling and a 10 would require an orgasm. so an 8 is not a low score since 10 is the perfect situation i do not think any amp will ever be "perfect".

i bought used and noticed the reverb on yellow and red channel is %100 no matter where the knob is turned, if i gently pull up on knob it once again works correctly. probably a dry solder joint. there is way too much stuff packed in this chassis to rely on it without a backup. this is the price we pay for having 3 independant channels. i will not do a gig without a backup, that's just for gamblers. i'd like to see a small fan installed on power transformer but i'll have to do that mod myself. ever heard of a reliable 3 channel amp with 8 tubes and stacked circuit boards? there is a trade off here.

korg usa does not have toll-free #, they put you on hold indefinately and they charge an egyptian fortune for parts. this is not customer support it is customer rape pure & simple.

this tsl 100 allowed me to sell 2 vintage amps and put some cash back into my empty wallet. if this amp was made in the 80's it would be a classic today. this amp sounds alot better than 2205 2210 jcm 800 channel switchers and it uses cheap looking undersize transformers. aint technonogy something ? no amp can do it all but this one does alot and it is great for live (real) use where all you have is one take and need spankin' clean and then blast into cutting overdrive with the push of the marshall 5-button footswitch. this amp fails to sound exactly like a vintage amp and thats fine with me since i need a flexable studio quiet amp that i can rely on to take me where ever i feel like going to. my replex delay never sounded better than in it's new home, my tsl 100's effects loop.

Lots of features. Very well thought out it my view. EQ as well as volume and gain for each of the three channels. VPR power reduction button (makes it less noisy also for low volumes, that is good). You can put one set of pedals in the effects loop for the clean channel and another set in for the effects loop for the dirty channnels, and use those pedals when on those channels. OR you can put all your pedals in the main effects loop, not use the dirty channels effects loop, and the pedals will be there for all three channels. Very clever. Pedals in the effects loop let you run just a guitar cable to the amp, and when pedals not in use there is nothing between your guitar and the amp! Nice. Three channels, reverb for the channel you are on, and effects all controllable with the supplied 5 button footswitch, which I swear people, won't break if you don't break it. Just go easy on it.

With all the features, I give it a 10, not much left out that I would use. Has other features I haven't addressed, read the other reviews or look at Marshalls website. All the features seem usable to me.

Clean channel sounds great with both my Gibsons and my Strat. A little darker and not quite as bright as the DSL. I think the clean outshines most of the older Marshall heads. Clean is very good. Has its own volume gain and EQ.

The Crunch channel is classic Marshall overdrive. Sounds best with Humbuckers. Has its own volume and gain as well as EQ.

The Lead channel is more modern sounding, but usable for even a classic rocker like me. Has it's own volume and gain and EQ.

Roll your tone knobs back to 0, and turn the gain up and it makes nice chuncky sounding chords on both the crunch and lead channels.

Reverb sounds good, though not quite as good as the DSL. Footswitch it on and off as you desire.

Push the VPR button and you get almost no noise, nice amp for practice as well as for a large room

I have the 1960 slant cab with the Celestions. A 4x12 cab is mandatory for these big Marshall heads. It sounds so FULL. Even at low volumes the big cab makes it sound better. Small cabs and combos sound boxy to me after playing my Marshall through a Marshall cab. Get a 4x12 Marshall cab!

Most of the music is in the hands, heart and head anyway. Give some of these guys a stick and rubberband and they'd make music. But if you want a great amp, this is one.

Marshall 100 watt head is LOUD AS HELL!

I dunno. No problems so far, but I haven't owned it long. Sort of a complex amp for a tube amp. Has circuit boards. The signal path is ALL TUBE though. Don't let anyone tell you any different. The transistors and diodes on the board are for the channel switching, muting and direct out functions. The 8 tubes handle the main tone signal.

Since if it does break, the techs aren't going to be able to repair much except probably replace the circuit board and such, I'll knock it down to a 9. Its a Marshall so parts will be available. If they can see an obvious burned out resistor or something, they might be able to solder in a new one. The techs are complaining about the difficulty servicing this thing, but I think after a while, they will learn how. It doesn't break often.

If you want ease of repairability get point to point amp, but you wont find them with channel switching. As soon as you get channels, things get too complex for point to point. Anyone can repair a point to point amp. Just take it apart and look for the bad joint or burned component. All generic parts, no proprietary circuit boards.

Easy to set the bias, there are test points. All you need is an ampere meter.

Like any equipment related to gigging, if you start moving it around, you will beat it up more. If you leave it in one place it will last forever.

I don't know. I'm in the USA. I called Marshall USA (korg) and everyone was in LA for NAMM. They sent me a free catalog though. I think Marshall uses local techs for their warranty work. Hope I don't need it.

I've actually been playing quite a while, since I was young, but only seriously in the last year. I'm no rock star, just a yuppie with a guitar really. But I can play. I have some nice equipment, Strat, SG, Johnny A., Fender amp. It sounds good with all my guitars. I think Marshall and Humbuckers go together but my Strat sounds great on the clean channel. I'm not into the Mesa Recto sound, or metal. Other than that, it will cover most stuff. It might cover the metal and Mesa, I dunno. Do your own research elsewhere if you want it for metal or Mesa chunk.

I have a pretty good ear for sound and am an EE.

If you are trying to decide whether to get this or the DSL, I'll tell you , if you want footswitchable channels, this is the one to get. The DSL has good, and maybe even slightly better tone though. It is a "go up to the amp and tweak" channel switcher, not a footswitcher.

I give it a 10. Sounds like a Marshall because it is a Marshall. It is so good it boggles the mind. If you want a Marshall, you have to get a Marshall. They make great amps. I could have afforded a Bogner or a Hughes and Kettner, but frankly, they are a bit much. I show up with one of those and everyone will think I'm a snob. I guess if you're REALLY good, get one of those. I played through a Bogner and it sounded great. Hard to find, expensive, and a bit over the top image wise. Marshall is good enough for me. I've only read about the Hughs and Kettner triamp. It is good too I am sure. Consider one of those, but no one has one for me to demo anywhere I looked.

The other Marshalls are good too, but if you want the footswitchable channels this is one. It may have the best clean sound of all the Marshalls as well, though I hear the JTM has good cleans. Another one I couldn't find to demo. Seems like they just carry these Marshall heads. They have to order everything else.

The small handwired Marshalls look great, but they aren't really available (undetermined delivery time, just go on the waiting list). No demoing those anywhere. How can I order an amp I've never even heard? Whole idea to me is go into the store, play it and then you know.

So, I bought a Marshall JCM-2000 TSL 100. It ROCKS!

The features have been explained, here are what I think are the highlights and drawbacks. Highlights are the crunch channel, reverbs, FX loops, clean channel tone, mid and bass switches. Bummer is the VPR, DI output and clean channel volume level.

I use it with 1980 Les Paul standards, both stock and with SD's. I play americana roots rock and classic rock. Songs with solos and melody where tone is holy. I primarily use the crunch channel set with the power amp sizzling and the preamp not much over 2 or 3. Ends up being a nice cleanish crunch with excellent harmonics, lively and dynamic. I know it cooks tubes, but if you want the tone, you can't be afraid of retubing regularly.

Here's my chain. Les Paul-->Shure wireless-->Cry Baby Wah-->Boss GE7 EQ-->Zinky True Grit Overdrive-->Carl Martin Compressor-->Ernie Ball Volume Pedal-->amp.

In my FX loop (I use one for all channels)I have a 31 band eq, EH deluxe memory man, BBE-332.

I have a Power Brake, but it too is a tone sucker. I don't use it or recommend it.

I have a 1960A cab with the 75 watters and a 1960TV with 25w greenbacks. I typically use the TV.

The crunch channel freakin' sounds beautiful when set as described and eq'd to taste. I usually use my volume knob to clean things up if needed. Think Aerosmith, AC/DC, CCR, Thin Lizzy, Beatles, The Refreshments, etc. With a decent overdrive pedal and prudent use, this channel covers alot of sonic ground. The Zinky True Grit is incredible with this amp.

The clean channel is beautiful sounding, I love it, but my music rarely calls for pure clean. If so, the rhythm player straps on an acoustic. If you are a jazzer or surf guy, you'll love the clean tone and preamp characteristics. Drawback to the clean is that it seriously lacks power amp headroom. (NOTE: Lacks headroom in comparison to the lead and crunch channels, for most any gig, it would usually be more than ample.) Seriously thought it was a problem specific to my amp, surprised Marshall let that slip by.

The lead channel is to gainy for my personal tastes. It can competently cover hi-gain 80's hair metal to the new low-tuned metal. (Note: Use the 1960A for low-tuned stuff. The 1960TV doesn't have the bottom or tightness for this style.) I played a brief stint in a new metal band useing the 1960A cab. The other guitar player had a Mesa dual Recto. After the second rehearsal and some experimenting with the tone switches, I finally had a tone dialed in for that music. Hands down, the marshall smoked the boogie. The boogie guy was stunned, thought Marshalls were only capable of classic tones and textures. Kept insisiting it must have been modded.

If more of the reviewers here had a firmer grip on gain structures, I think they'd be more satisfied with the output and options available on this amp.

On all channels the built in compression installed by Marshall as compensation circuits for both volume and tone is excessive. I prefer to control compression (other than natural tube) myself, so that the amp breathes better. The end result can be an "overly tight" feeling while playing. This usually occurs at low volumes or when the tone switching is deployed. It'd be great if some techy comes up with a mod to bypass this.

Power transformer is generic and weak also. Will be geting this mod performed soon.

I've gigged with it solid for 2 or 3 years with zero problems. Haven't experienced the dreaded footswitch issue here that many have. I'm ordering a spare per the 73 billion recommendations here! I change my tubes regularly and don't usually bring a back-up head. I play a stereo rig (other amp is a JTM 60 2x12 combo), so I inherently have a backup of sorts anyhow.

Run the power amp (volume)hot, 7-10 on the crunch channel. Use the gain knob to adjust your actual listening volume. change your tubes every few months. You'll be surprised, it sings and makes you want to play better. I play so much better and enjoy playing so much better with sweet tone.

Never have and I don't want to from the looks of Marshalls (korgs) support. That's quite a shame, that'll catch up to 'em. Poor business practice. I value customer service and response highly in this field where a hobby can easily cost a person 5k for a decent set-up. So I'm gonna support my fellow musicians who have dealt with Marshall and give 'em a nick for that.

I've been playing 20+ years. I got too much gear to list. Mainly a Marshall/Les Paul player.

If it were stolen or lost, I'd try a Zinky amp. This amp has more features than I need, thought I'd use channel switching more, but the crunch channel is so sweet, it's hard to step on the other 2. Bruce Zinky makes a couple pedals and handmade amps. Never tried his amps but I do use his pedals. The few issues I had with them resulted in a phone call and Bruce himself on the line explaining things and then fixing the pedal for free. Fenders old engineer and a gem of a person. As I said, customer service is everything when it comes to earning my brand loyalty.

So my low rating isn't a reflection of the amp, more of the fact that I bought more amp than I needed.

Bought in March 2005. Amp was built in 2005 also.

The knobs and buttons have been described many times in previous postings. However, after owning this amp for 2 months and experimenting with the controls I have found that the features allow you to adjust to a wide variety of tones. One feature that is not mentioned often is flexibility. Marshall has improved the clean channel. The crunch channel can provide tones from singing vintage to high gain tones sometimes described as "fizzy". You have to work with this amp. If you want a "plug and chug" then look elsewere. Maybe a modeling (ie. "digital") amp. Otherwise work the controls. The amp is part of the instrument. All settings really affect the tone. I am not using any effects right now. All previously used effects were used to obtain a "Marshall" sound, however you wish to define it (Page, Clapton, Hendrix ... etc).

If you are looking for the "heavy mid-crunch" sound of many "modern" bands you may want to try a Mesa Boogie or other for that "recto" sound. This amp is about Rock and Roll. I use a Les Paul Studio and 4x12 1969 A Vintage with V-30s. I really like the very blusey sound I can get with the crunch channel volume at 3-7 with the gain set low. You can bring the gain up to get more pre-amp distortion, referred to by some as the "fizzy" sound. This is a good observation and the tone can be controlled by backing off the treble to low levels.

I backoff the bridge pickup tone control to 5 or 6 to mellow the otherwise punishing high frequency output of the rig when in crunch mode. Again, high volume low gain can provide some great sounds and working with the eq settings you can tame the amp for practice. However, this is not a bedroom amplifier even when using the VPR unless you have a relatively sub-dued 1X12 (or less) cab. However, I intend to try a THD hotplate or power brake at some point. (any openions?).

The sound you get depends on the amp, guitar, speaker and effects. I don't use effects other than the built in reverb at this point. The TSL100 with the 1960 AV cab gives me all the tones I am looking for.

I bought this amp for several reasons:

1. I wanted an all tube guitar amp.

2. Has an excellent clean channel, crunch channel and I really like the gain channel. For me, the sound of the gain channel really provided a third tone to work with. Again, all controls should be dialed in for all channels and this takes time.

3. The reverb often gets compared to those with Fender amps but it sounds fine and has enough depth for my tastes.

I have had fun so far finding different tones from this amp. There maybe many approaches to finding your tone. A couple of examples are:

1. Modeling amps.

2. Use of a solid state or tube amp with effects pedals or processors.

3. Use amplifier control sound.

4. A mix.

The TSL100 with a good cab provides alot of tone flexibility. I have not needed effects other than the spring reverb.

I don't use the effects loop, at least yet, and can't comment on that.

Not sure yet. If you are using this amp in a professional band then I suggest you baby it. Use a case for transport. Be extremely careful with the footswitch, cable and input jack on the amp. Make sure the amp is properly ventilated. Don't place anything on top of it. Use high quality speaker cable.

All tube amps are less reliable than thier solid state counterparts. Also, they are more difficult to repair than, say, a modeling amp in which you can just "shotgun" another circuit board out.

You will have to baby this amp. Its not Military Spec by any means but non of them are.

This is one sour point so far. I called Korg USA to hopefully get a schematic. They promised one but I never got it. However I believe they will honor the 5 year warrenty and perform repairs if necessary. There are several Marshall repair centers here in Arizona.

I have heard good stories and horror stories of customer support from all the mainstream amp makers. So I can't say they would be any better or worse than say Fender.

But they should have sent the schematic because I can work on amps. I think its more a problem with Korg than Marshall.

Biasing the amp is very very easy though, which shows some forethough. You really don't have to pay an amp tech to re-bias if you want to change tubes. You can do it in about 10 minuets total.

I could give the amp a 10 but the footswitch and other problems other people have experienced worries me a bit. However I baby may amp and understand that you have to worry about such details as the type of cable between amp and speaker, coolin the amp, biasing... etc.

My biggest gripe is the cost of this amp. You have to want that Marshall sound or the price isn't worth it. Put this with a suitable 2X12 or 4X12 and you need to have a good job or work alot of hours to but this beast. The price is a real turn-off but I really wanted the tone.

However, this amp does deliver if you work with it as part of your instrument.

This amplifier head was made in March 2005 at the Marshall factory in England. The amplifier as you probably already know is an all tube head which runs on four Svetlana EL34 power tubes, and four ECC83 (12AX7) Preamp Tubes and has three channels aptly labeled Clean, Crunch, and Lead respectively. Total power output is 120 watts.

This amp has some really nifty features that other amps in its price range do not offer, and if those other amps do offer these options I have found them to be rather lackluster in many respects.

Some of these features are things like the Mid Boost on the Clean channel. It works so well and just does not play with the overall tone of the amp by way of degrading it, the tone shift buttons on both gain channels do the exact opposite of the Mid Boost on the clean channel as they scoop the mids BUT, unlike some of these other amps out there I have played where you have the ability to scoop the mids or even if you try doing it with an external EQ, the end result is that your sound just gets too fizzy like a buzz saw and won't cut through your bands overall sound mix. The folks at Marshall got it "JUST RIGHT" to the point where the scoop is tailored perfect. It's right where it needs to be on this amplifier and not overdone or minimal at all. I have no need to use any external EQ with this amplifier and that's a real positive thing in my book.
Another major plus is the fact that the amp has not one but two discreet effect loops with loop gain boost buttons on each loop. If you use loop A, it is only for the Clean Channel only and if you use Loop B it is for all three channels. You can also use all three which is nice. Like, lets say you have a Delay that you own that you think sounds really pristine for your clean tones but just plain awful on your gain channels, and also the same with respect to modulation effects. Well, you can actually configure two seperate effect situations on this amp, one for clean tones and one for gain tones.
Although I probably won't use this feature as extensively as this I think it adds a real special touch. I personally like to run my Modulation effects off my wireless to the front of the amp and any delay or reverb through the loop as the time based effects just sound smoother in the loop.
You also have another button out front of the amp call V.P.R. which is Virtual Power Reduction and when you push it in, it reduces the power of your amp from 120 watts to 25 watts without killing your tubes or the output transformer. Now you can get that cranked tube tone at bedroom levels and not disturb anyone within earshot.
Another great feature is the Output Mute. When used with the direct out option on the back of the amp, you can kill all sound levels EXCEPT what you record directly to a mixing consloe or recording apparatus in a recording studio or home studio. The emulated line out which makes this happen I have used and sounds nothing short of stellar. In fact it sounds just like what you hear from the amp normally.
Each channel has an effects mix knob on the front panel of the amp and not the back so that you can adjust the mix on the fly without putting your guitar down in the middle of a show or having to live with an unstellar effects mix through any particular song. I could never understand why other amp companies put things like this on the rear of the amplifier as in my opinion it just does not make sense.

On each channel, another great option is the Deep buttons. These buttons when pushed on to active status give a really resonant tone by interacting with the low frequencies of the speakers you use. It gives you a great helping of bottom end at low volumes and a more resonant and controlled growl at higher volumes.
There is discreet Reverb for both channels as well with the ability to have two different Reverb mixes.
Each channel has its own EQ section and dedicated Presence knob as well.
On the back of the amp you have the ability to use cabinets rated at

Right now I am using the followeing guitars with this amplifier....

* ESP Eclipse II Standard with EMG Zakk Wylde Pickups
* Ernie Ball Music Man Axis Premium Custom Shop Custom Made
* Ibanez SZ 520 with PRS Mark Tremonti Signature Pickups
* (On Order) Ibanez AT 300 Andy Timmons Signature Model
* Ibanez Proline 1550 with EMG Pickups
* Custom Kramer/Charvel Style Eddie Van Halen 5150 Replica with a Duncan EVH pickup

My Speaker Cabinet is a 2005 Marshall 1960 A Lead 4/12 with Stereo Option loaded with Celestion G12T-75 Drivers

Effect wise, I am using a Boss DD6 Digital Delay and a Hughes & Kettner Replex in the effects loop, and from my Sennheiser G2 Evolution Wireless into the front of the amplifier I am running in no particular order a VHT Valvulator I Tube Buffer, an old 1978 MXR 117 Flanger, an MXR EVH Phase 90, a T.C. Electronics Chorus/Flanger pedal, a Boss PS3 Pitch Shifter for Chorus on gain channels only, a Dunlop Zakk Wylde Crybaby Wah Wah and two MXR Zakk Wylde Overdrive pedals which give me another drive option and solo drive option I can use in the clean channel, an MXR Micro Amp, and an MXR Dyna Comp, a Morley Little Alligator Volume Pedal, a BBE Sonic Maximizer Mono pedal, a Boss NS2 Noise Supressor, and a Peterson Strobo Stomp tuner.

This amplifer suits my musical style to perfection which is Rock and sometimes the harder edged rock. If I need more than what the actual amplifier provides regarding gain and I doubt I ever will, then that is why I use the Zakk Wylde Overdrive Pedals in the Clean Channel but really it just gives me more options with gain.

The amp can be a bit noisy on the lead channel when you really push the gain up or when I use my analog pedals and that is why I have to use the Noise Supressor. This amp can help you produce any sound imaginable and has as much variety with its options as anything I have ever tried out on the market today. The gain on this amp is unparalleled as far as I am concerned because when it comes right down to reality, this is an amplifier that gives you "USEABLE GAIN" from zero to ten on the gain knob whereas on other amps such as a Triple Rectifier which I just returned, anything past 12 o' clock on the gain knob results in nothing more than compressed mush that sounds like a buzzsaw.

Something that really surprised me on this amplifier was how incredible the clean channel sounds. Unlike any Marshall I have ever tried and honestly probably one of the most if not the most pristine clean tone I have heard in any non boutique amp period.

Also I feel this is an amplifier which can actually produce the tones of the different guitars you use. Once my amplifier is setup, every guitar I own sounds completely different once I plug in. The tone shows off the guitar and is not a one trick pony.

When it comes right down to it, I bought this amp for its features and its sound and I can honestly say that I now have finally got my personal holy grail and am very happy. People who purchase a Marshall usually do so from a strict tonal point and this amp delivers in spades! It is just too difficult to shy away from a perfect 10 in this category based soley on the wide tonal pallate I am provided.

I am quite sure I can depend on it without a backup. I have an old Marshall Combo amp that is 21 years old and has not lost a beat! Reliability is in the Marshall name. I cannot say that about alot of other amps out there. The only thing that concerns me as I said earlier is the footswitch plug in the back of the amp. I have only owned mine for two weeks but I am generally at ease knowing in the past as well as the history of Marshall amps their reliability is unprecidented.

Because it is this new it would not be fair to offer a number rating on its reliability. I will do this in six months to a year with a follow up.

I have never had to deal with Marshall at any time I have owned their products.

Because it is new it works just fine but my dealer gave me all the information at the time of purchase without my asking as to where the nearest Authorised Service Center is in case something dare go wrong with it. I know the service center (Triple S) very well and they do great work.

The warranty is for 5 years and is fully transferrable. That tells you something right there. That Marshall stands fully behind their products.

Because I cannot rate this category fully and only can do so on my opinions of the warranty I can only be fair and rate here a score of "6" respectively.

I am 35 years old and have been playing since I was 6 years old (29 years). Other than everything I have listed I currently only own a Taylor Acoustic guitar, and an E-MU 1820m DAW for home recording, a bunch of microphones for live and recording use and that is it.

If it were stolen or lost I would buy it again in a heartbeat without question.

This is an amplifier that I love everything about and find it hard to hate nothing except the footswitch solder on the rear of the amp.

This amp has everything and I cannot think of anything it needs. The fine folks at Marshall really used their heads developing this one.

When asked if I have compared it to other products, my answer is yes I have, and I have done so buy bringing competitor products home for 30 days and using them extensively under Guitar Centers 30 day exchange policy testing them in all knids of situations until I knew which amp would be my personal holy grail and this amplifier was it without question. I am very very picky when it comes to guitar tone overall so you all know.

I also used a Framus Cobra extensively and recently got rid of a Hughes & Kettner Triamp Mk II Head that I just bought used two months ago but it kept blowing up on me and was unreliable. The Framus was great but if anything happens to it it has to go overseas to get repaired to stay under warranty. I don't trust UPS that much!

The last amp I had for 30 days was a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier, prior to that for 30 days a Dual Rectifier and although they are great amps in their own right, they are not in my honest opinion FULLY USEABLE and just had options that were not thought out too carefully and correctly in my opinion. I like an amp that sounds great from zero to ten on the knob and really this amp is the only one that accomplishes that. But be forewarned, if you are a sloppy player, it will also bring out your playing flaws as well as it responds to every little nuance of your playing.

Also you really have to sit down and say to yourself, "Geez I am about to spend roughly $1,800 dollars on a new amp." For that kind of money wouldn't you want an amp that has all its features carefully and intuitively thought out and that gives you a wide range of useable options and a great overall sound? I had to stop buying gear because my favorite players used it and bought this amp solely on my persoanl tastes and needs. I cannot tell you how much money I wasted over the years listening to other people tell me what sounded great and what was the new "IT" thing to have. And above and beyond all this consider the fact that outside of a Marshall, if you don't keep the amp forever, you will no doubt be selling a piece of gear off in the future that you no longer care for and will probably be lucky to only get 25 percent back on your inital investment when you purchased it new. Not the case with Marshall gear as it holds its value and most of the time increases in value as it gets older.
Not only does this then become a great sounding investment, but a smart investment overall!

And finally, I guess what they say over at Marshall is true. That those who usually start out on a Marshall and who stray away eventually end up back on a Marshall. This is indeed the case with me.

I got my first amp in 1984, a Marshall Model 5002 Lead 20 Combo which I still have to this day. I went from that amp to a Metaltronix Lee Jackson Head and Cabinet in 1989 then a Peavey 5150 half stack in 1991. From there I went to a Peavey 5150 II head with the cabinet in 2000 and then sold that off and went digital to Line 6 owning several of their products from their inception in 2000 to just this year... an AX2 combo amp, a POD PRO / Mesa Power Amp combination rack setup, a Vetta Combo, a Vetta Head, another Vetta combo and just recently a POD XT PRO, Mesa Stereo Rectifier Power Amp, BBE Sonic Maximizer rack system etc...

I just sold that off to go back to a tube / pedal setup and tried the Mesa Dual and

i didnt buy this amp, but 4000 CAD was the price tag.
i tried this amp out for the longest time, at the guitar shop.

pretty good features, and fairly standard trims and pots. nice 3 channel, which is just plain ideal. clean, rhythm, and lead. played through a MF400 (the mode four cabinet) 100watts. hybrid preamp tubes inside. general stuff you ought to know already.

i tried out many guitars with this amp. gibson standard les paul, gibson les paul studio, ibanez js1000 sig, jackson rr1, fender 50th anniv, fender deluxe strat.
the amp is a bit hissy, but that is expected. most amps are the same (circuit noise)
i played this amp at my local guitar shop for about 2 and a half hours in total through many different guitars.
the clean is pretty good. depends on your settings, it can get very transparent, or a good warm, round, jazzy and bassy tone. i didnt try the trebly twangy country tone though, so im not gonna give it any merits for that. the distortion is brutal. by brutal. i mean in a really..really bad way.

here is where it's downfall is. the amp sounded very sterile to me, unfocused, very muddy, and the tone was bleeding all over the place. i even cut the scooped mids setting, using bridge pickups, and i still got the same results. melted tone that was far too spread out, and unfocused. this thing takes the prize for the most overpriced guitar head you can get, for such a poor quality lead tone. likewise for the rhythm tone. it was also the same result. believe me, i am not someone who just gives up on an amp immediately like that. i had a small lineup of people behind me, and i insisted to stand my ground and continue playing through that amp, hoping i could get a good distortion tone. i was disappointed to say the least. i told all my friends about it. they all laughed, and didnt believe me. one of them went to the shop with me the following week, and i proved it to him. he spent about 40 minutes in there, and he came out speechless. "wow, this thing totally blows". this is supposed to be a high prize item in the marshall lineup. i've heard that the JCM800/900 are supposed to be one of the best amps in their production. if they are anything like the JCM2000, i will laugh so hard, and boycott marshall forever.
dont tell me it was because i was playing too quietly. i had the volume up pretty damned high. the power amp is where the ballsy part of the tone comes from, and being a hybrid, this amp seriously lacked that. maybe if it had a really really cheap price tag, i'd pick this thing up....USED, and if i had never tried it.

i suppose though, it's because i believe there is such thing where you think something is top notch, until you've had a taste of something better.
i play through a marshall 20/20, and a triaxis 2.0 w/o fat mod, through a dbx266 compressor, hooked up to my rp8 power conditioner. i have 2 guitars, and both ibanez. RG570(stock), and a UV777BK loaded with air norton and tone zone 7 string pickups.

the jcm2000 is ridiculously overpriced, and overrated. poor tones, features are pretty standard, and i think you are definately paying much much more for the name, than the sound you're getting.

dont take my word for it. go ahead and buy it if you want, but i must urge you to at least play through the amp for a minimal of 1 hour to make your decision on whether this thing is worth it or not. i'd stay away from this thing. you can get SO much more for what this thing costs.

im being generous when i give it a 2. it deserves a 1, or even a 0, especially because of the purchase value. this thing is as sterile as it gets.

i've been playing guitar for about 6 years now. my gear has been around and about. i've tried many many guitars, and amps. if this was stolen, i'd collect my insurance, and point & laugh at this amp if i ever see it again. i hate the sound, almost completely..except cleans are pretty good. i compared it to a marshall MG100HDFX, and a well completed rack setup. overall, it is very very poor quality, and i would never even come near playing through this amp, ever again. if you ever think about buying this thing, i must highly recommend you pull for a rack setup (used), that im very happy with, instead. a mesa triaxis, mesa 20/20, and perhaps an avatar cab.

bought new in US, 2003.

i mostly use this amp for recording, i haven't gigged with it, so to me the breadth of features this amp offers means limitless possibilites. of course you're not going to make it sound like a fender or something, but within the high-gain marshall context, you can pull a huge array of tones out of it. the bottom line -- tons of useful features.

well you probably already know what to expect with a high-gain all tube head. what is surprising is that i've found many satisfying clean and mild-overdrive tones that are great for jazz-related guitar playing. because of all the channels and features, this is not just a rock/metal amp.

the amp is very reliable, very solid. the footswitch is also built like a tank, BUT the cable will absolutely definately eventually break. mine's had first class, only-used-in-a-studio treatment and the cable for the footswitch looks like it's ready to fall off. the amp itself is very reliable.

n/a

overall, i love marshall and other high-gain amps. since my style has changed dramatically from metal to jazz, i still can't say i'd trade or sell this amp. the features allow you to do so much that i can't imagine going back. if it were stolen i'd buy another one (maybe the 50 watt version instead). if you want an amp that can confortably handle a high-gain solo or riff followed by a sparkly jazz progression, this is it.

This is an update on my earlier review. I'm the guy who had a TSL-60, then bought a TSL-100. So I have experience of both.

I think the 3 channels being independant has let me get a wider array of tones.

My only real issue is the FX loop. The TSL60 seems to have a much more transparent loop. When I switch this in it does'nt sound quite as good.

Other than that having a bigger powerstage has been fine. VPR is a godsend & I have found myself backing off the prescence controls compared to the TSL-60. But I am getting great tones.

Again I'm using a Gibson Les Paul Classic/SG standard/ Yamaha SG's

Not gigged yet, but have gigged the TSL-60 without problems for 3 Years.

The footswitch issue is one I can live with as I said before I keep 1 spare & they are cheap enough to buy in the UK

Marshalls UK customer service has always been spot on. No idea about rest of the world.

I've been playing 23 years.

If it were stolen I'd buy another one

My only niggles are the footswitch & FX loop, other than that its perfect for my needs.

I notice this strange conspiracy that the only good Marshalls are old ones which is a load of bollocks. In my 23 years of playing I've played.....

Various Plexis ( Great, but you need powersoak or maximum volume to get tone)
JCM800 ( as above)
Jubilee 25/50 ( amazing, but limited features, FX loop crap)
Artiste Combo ( Incredible headroom, good with pedals but no low end)
JMP-1 preamp ( great, but rest of rack system was'nt)
JCM900SLX, like a DSL but preamp was fizzy.

As someone who's best mate & brother both own DSL-50. I've a fair experience with the JCM2000 range & I don't get why people slag them off....Its like you 'purists out there will accept a modern amp from Peavey or Boogie, but not Marshall. Weird eh?

Brand new, fresh, out of the box 2005 Marshall TSL 100. As much diversity as you can get from a tube head. 3 channel- Seperate EQ's/Reverb, 2 effects loops, etc. One area improvement- Would love to see this head midi compatible as I run a TC Electronics G-Major thru the effects loop of this amp. To avoid tap dancing on stage (hitting midi then channel switching)- I had to purchase a CFX4 from Axess Electronics to combine the head's channel switching with the midi controlled G-Major- This will allow the entire setup to be run by one midi foot controller.

I use two Gibson V's and a Jackson KE1. The Gibsons are stock, and the KE1 has an SD (just one humbucker). I am a recording artist in a metal band and this amp, combined with the V's give me the dark, evil punchy tone needed for complex metal. We have 2 guitarists- both using full stack TSL's and I can't begin to tell you how much tighter the whole band sound with these. The amp can cut through any mix and with the right EQ (IMPORTANT!), the mix is incredible.This amp is for those who can actually play their instruments and not hide behind a ton of mushy distortion. Yes, the head can give you that gain, even with just the crunch channel (I did have to swap out the stock preamp tubes to some Boogie 12AX7R's. Made a big difference and gave me more attack)- but is all of that gain useable in live setting? Not if you are playing complex passages or leads. - If you are looking for accurate, ballsy, articulation of your notes....This is your amp. Period.......

If you want to play new style Metal, with lots of grainy distortion, down tuning and open chords, it can do that too- Just not my style.

As far as noise goes- No more noise than any other amp. I use the noise gate in the G-Major so it's a mute point. Killer clean channel with a great "mid boost" feature that cuts through the mix real nice.... Reverb is ok but does not even compare to the G-Major's reverbs.

Can't comment- Only in use approx 6 weeks. So far, so good.

Heard a lot crap about the footswitch but since I have the CFX4, I don't even use it. The whole rig is controlled via midi.

n/a

I've been playing for 20 years- Always been in Metal and I think this head can actually cover many more styles besides ours. I would say this is an amp that could cover most anything- Even though it seems well made, I do always keep a backup (currently a Peavey XXX) because these are tube amps and well....things just happen. If it were stolen or lost, I'd kick someone's ass.........

i believe my amp is a 2001 (and has the old angled on/off switchs, as opposed to my other guitarists tsl100 head with curved buttons, like a valvestate, his is a 2003), and IT MAY OR MAY NOT be like a first issue and his may be a second, as were both convinced they do not sound IDENTICAL.

We play rock/metal, and we use a tsl each. this is just to clear something up. If youre one of these people that reckon you cannot get enough gain with this amp, youre a dork. gain aplenty. versatile enough to be YOUR ONLY amp live, and the fact that i lend my amp 4 times a month to a band that i also do live sound for, is a testiment to that.

features include 3 seperate footswitching channels, each with their own gain, volume and eq section (including mid scoops on the dirty channels, and a mid boost on the clean), then the rest is split up for the clean channel with its own settings, and both the dirty channels sharing. these setting as described above include a presnce knob, and deep switch(for extended low end), also a seperate clean/dirty reverb volumes, and 2 parallel fx loops that can be set up in a number of ways(so you can isolate what is in the fx loop for clean or dirty, if you only have 1 loop going). reverb and and fx loop is also footswitchable.

other features included, 16ohm, as well as 4 and 8, outputs, for a wider range of speaker options, and an xlr out that they call an emulated line out, which appears to be a line out with a high frequency rolloff at AROUND 8k. this does a particularly effective job of replicating a standard marshall 4x12 sound, as their 12 inch speakers do not output anything above the 8k frequency. this is a common cabnet emulation technique employed my line 6 on their pod units most prominently. and as a sound guy i can also tell you that it is VERY effective when used in a live sound environment, it not only allows the enginerr to get a di of the guitar to the desk without a dibox, it SOUNDS better. it also has an output mute (like standby, but doesnt cut the signal to the tubes, just cuts the signal to the power amp. and it also has a nifty litte feature called VPR, or virtual power reduction, a system of the signal bypassing 2 of the 4 power tubes (or someshit, im pretty rusty on how this one works but ive read someting that says it splits the load up anyway, so that tubes dont die quicker from using it.) this is a very useful feature, it really takes it down to a level that could be deemed... acceptable... (in terms of both tone and volume) and thats saying something for a 100w tube head.

i think thats it on the features. if i could wish for features, i would wish for a seperate deep and presence contolper channel, cause im like that, and like heaps of variation in my tones. a solo level button on the footswitch ala rectofier, VERY VERY useful, but you can just buy a boost pedal, and a bright switch on the clean channel to help reach its full potential (given how simple the wiring is for this, a switch, some wire and a capasitor, between the volume knob and said button, this is pretty disapointing, however a local amp doctor will install one for $50 australian.)

there are NO features on this amp that go unused, the least used feature personaly is mid scoops on dirty channels, i only use them to get a slightly more recto sound. and i usually use it WITH the deep switch.

This amp is actually too loud as all 100w TUBE heads are(solid state amps require about 3x as many watt to equal the decibel output due to the fact that you are not OVERDRIVING the amp to get distortion, like in a tube amp). i suggest a powerbrake if you are not as asshole. if you are, happy guitaring. youll see the fuzz pretty shortly. i WOULD suggest the jcm 2000 tsl60, but it doesnt have all the features, total let down. but hey play before you buy, always turn a product up to at least 7 in a store. and youll already know what youre getting into. mine doesnt crawl past 3. and thats cause the police regularly turn up at abou

right now im using a 97 sg special with a burstbucker pro in bridge and a p94 in neck, and a gibbo u2 (strat shaped thing from the 80s, long story) with ceramic dimarzios (dsonic, protracks).

suit any type of music you can throw at it. i shit you not. may not be "brutal" enough for 5150/death metal fans, only conecession. but then again, i think youre a dork. right now its handleing rock and metal(remember i play metal), and emo/rock/hardcore. ive seen it handle jazz on the clean channel with its eq shaping options. seen it do country, (would do better with a bright switch, but it does it fine with treble and presence), in respect to musical flexability i think it beats a recto(and every other amp i can think of bar a road king, and you can buy 4 of these or 1 of them, hahaha). where as a recto has more options ON AMP.

the amp has some noise, ill admit it. the hiss is present. i no longer even notice it, or my single coil pickup buzz. a recto has a sizzle instead of a hiss, who gives a ....

the sound it makes is a hot rodded jcm 800 inspired on the lead channel. IT IS essentially a jcm 800 on the crunch channel. and clean channel id liken to that of a fender... without quite as much treble bight. tough call that last one. but seriously, you gotta hear it, presence opens it right up. you can make ANY marshall sound youve ever heard on a recording in the last 20 years 99% faithfully (givin the right guitar and the knowhow), and older ones about 90 - 95% faithfully being completely realistic. and its great for the other stuff too. i would go as far as to say this is marshalls first metal amp. but its also their first all in 1 touring amp. amazing package.

NO COMPLAINTS

i have had this amp since may 2001, it is the end of march 2005. not a SINGLE problem with the HEAD to date. my mates needed a new fuse after 18 months or so, with no explaination. the footswitch however is another story, and if you are going to take this amp on the road, DO TAKE A 2nd Footswitch. and dont say i didnt warn you. im on my 3rd. good news is they always break within warranty :)

footswitch is propriaty, and no other footswitch or cable will work. this is the weak knee in the whole amp, and by far the most disapointing thing. this said, the footswitch itself is extremely well built, feels good to use, doesnt fall over or jump when you stamp it, will take a giant beating. HOWEVER the cable WILL NOT.

take care. have a space waiting. they are not expencive.

otherwise not a single problem. nothing, im even on my original tubes and fuses, remember this amp 4 times a month gigs in pubs and in between is played at my house.

footswitch return was no problem within the warranty.
think the warranty was 1 year.-

gets a 7. they did what they were meant to do. nothing more...

been playing for 7 years. own too much misc gear to list, but a few bits include a tech 21 nyc sansamp, and a randall rh100 (that inst mine, but lives here, gt6. etc.

definatly worth replacing. but i am currently looking for a 2nd amp. i want a soldano. for its differnt sounding distortion.

love everything about the head, hate the footswitch.

i compared this product to a dual rectofier, as it has the closet matching features(ie heaps). they are about 1.8x as expencive, and i still think the tsl is more musically versatile. - THE 3 channel amp.

PLEASE DO NOT HESISTATE TO EMAIL ME AND PESTER ME ABOUT THIS HEAD OR ANYTIHNG ELSE. i love talking about gear.

The amp was made in 2003, I purchased it in Koln.
It's versatile enough for me and me styles which go from Blues over Rock to Hardrock, so I actually need 3 sounds: Clean, Crunch and Lead and that's why this amp does the job for me perfectly.
I don't want to tell you the features for the thousands time, it's a 3channel tube amp with 4 x EL 34 in the power amplifier.

I own an American Stratocaster and a Les Paul Standard, the most different guitars I could test the amp with.

At first the amp isn't noisier than other tube amps I've tested.
The versatility is great although you can't expect the Tsl100 to sound like a Mesa or a Fender (and Marshall) in one amp. It will always sound like marshall, the clean channel may be excluded of this because it's new for a Marshall tube amp to be undistortable like this.

My amp has not ever broken yet but I consider changing the tubes to prevent myself from the embarrassing situation of a broken amp on stage O.o .
The footswitch is said to be very very cheaply made but it hasn't happen anything to it, this may be due to my very careful treatment.

I've been playing guitar for 7 years now, I own two basses, and two acoustic guitars.
If it were stolen I would knock the bastard in his face and purchase a new one.
I love the amp's ability to stay clean at high volumes, that's why I didn't buy the tsl60, although I would have had more of this tube saturation then.
I wish its xlr output would be a little more balanced but I I'm gonna mike it so I actually don't care.

You know the features, 3 channels, clean, crunch and lead, deep boost switch, mid scoop... etc.

This amp sound awesome. I have played many different amps over the years. If you want that perfect JCM800 or Plexi sound, go buy one and dont waste our time in this group dribbling about how this amp dosn't sound this way or that way.

This amp can produce a very wide variety of tones. Marshall has really improved the clean channel over previous amps. The crunch and lead channels will yield that signature Marshall sound.

I use a Les Paul and a 1960 AV 4x12. The rig roars!!! I have no negative statements about the sound.

I agree that placing the footswitch jack on the circuit board was a really stupid move on Marshalls part. The footswitch gets so many connects and disconnects it is easy to see how the solder joints would crack or worse, the board traces could pull off. I am not personnally too worried because I can fix guitar amps. I suggest being very careful when connecting and dis-connecting the footswitch. I also suggest some sort of strain relief on the cable behind the amp to reduce tension on the jack.

So far I have had no problems though. I baby this rig but a touring band cannot do that to all thier equipment. Don't let any amp techs sell you a bias adjustment as this is very easy for anyone to do. Cudos to Marshall for that.

My amp dosn't seem to over heat either. Its a 2005 model so maybe some of the other issues have been corrected.

Since I have no problems but because of the stupid decision by some manager or engineers at Marshall to place the jack on the circuit board, I will give it an 8.

There are several Marshall amp repair houses in my area that I can take it to if broken. Havn't had to deal with customer support but the fact we have to go thru Korg USA for anything makes me a bit un-comfortable.

I am very happy with this amp. IT ROCKS!!! It produces a wide variety of great tones. The cleans are outstanding and don't break up as early as previous amp models. The crunch and lead channels are awesome. Lots of sustain and harmonic content with the right eq settings.

Don't expect an exact JCM800 or Plexi tone. Its not a JCM800 or Plexi (Duh). If you want to nail those tones exactly then go buy one with the cab and effect pedals that your favorite musicians use. Thats how you get thier sound. But then don't complain about not having reverb, channel switching and the other goodies that this amp has.

Because of the stupid footswitch mounting and the lousy manual I can't give it a 10. For the money they charge they could at least provide a professional manual (Mesa does). Marshall, when you charge so much money you could at least provide a more professional manual in English.

However because of the tone and versitility and because I have not had problems, I give it a 9 overall.

I believe mine was a couple years old. 2 effects loops-but really cut the signal down. 100 el-34 watts - but it didnt feel like 100 watts.

I use my stock 81 Les Paul standard to test ALL my amps. The clean was ok... Not crystal clear but alot better than I got out of my JCM 900 4100 series. the 2nd channel (where I kept it the most) would get good and distorted but didnt have alot of punch. And the 3rd channel (I used for leads) had all the sizzle you could ever want but lost even MORE punch than number 2. Overall I was disappointed with what I was lead to believe was the "BIG DAWG" of Marshall amps. Wasnt a real noisey amp but I got ALOT better tones out of a little solid state fender I had in the corner.

Heres where it REALLY sucked. Had the footswitch problem that alot of them seem to have. Cost me over 100 bucks just to get the HEAD itself repaired PLUS the cost of a new footswitch which caused the internal switching components of the head to short out when the cheap made cable on the switch went bad. Its not a matter of IF.... its a matter of when. Plus you have to be easy plugging it in because of the crappy board mounted ONLY jack that it has. And then there is the HEAT issue... this is the HOTTEST amp I have EVER seen. Ive played for over 20 years so I know ohm loads and the importance of GREAT cables but this sucker was running temps that would scare you.

Didnt deal with them because I bought it used.

I have been playing for over 20 years. I like to rock hard and I thought that this was the amp for the future. But it wasnt. I have had 7 or 8 Marshalls over the years and never really liked any of them. So maybe I just aint a Marshall guy. I used a Carvin X100B for over 10 years and thought I needed a change. I Think the Carvin SMOKES it. I have moved on to a Mesa combo (Maverick 2-12) And I am FINALLY happy.

3 channel all valve 100 watts etc.

I already own a TSL60 & that impressed me to go the whole hog & buy the TSL100.

Its versatile & my only let down is the FX loop. The TSL60 has one loop that works fine. The TSL100 has 2, one for clean one for dirty.You can use loop 1 for both, but When you use delay on the dirty sound. It seems to sound less organic & more artificial. Did'nt like that & can't imagine anyone would use it.

Ideally I would have liked a TSL60 with the seperate EQ for each channel, but they don't make one. So we've got the 100.

Channel one is fuller bodied than the TSL60 & the mid boost really livened up my sound.

Channel 2 was similar to the TSL-60, basically a JCM800 high gain sound.

Channel 3 was a bit Fizzy. But on my TSL60 I would run the master volume on 10 & control the sound with the gains/channel volumes. So really I was driving the power amp to get my distortion. I think channel 3 is probably fine, but I may need a powerbreak so I can drive the amp harder to Get the tone I want. VPR is Ok for the bedroom.

Features wise this is as complex as I'd ever get.

I'm playing Gibson Les Pauls, SG Standards & Yamaha SG's. so basically 2 humbuckers on a mahogany neck/body.

Musically I play in a modern alternative Rock band, so I need crystalline Clean to heavy Bollocks. I find by using an overdrive like the Boss SD-1 with the 2 Crunch/lead channels I can go from trad blues to Deftones style Gain with ease.An amp like this is always about compromise. Sure a Jubilee 25/50 may have a lovely pure tone, but it aint footswitchable & the FX loop is pants.

On the 60 I would back off the gain to 6, keep the channel volume on 5 & the master on 10. This amp needs a powerbreak so you can run it hard. On big stages you'll probably be Ok. Keep the midrange up.

If you wanna be in Slipknot maybe this is'nt for you. But I'm quite happy with the JCM2000's tonal range.

I've had footswitch issues with my TSL60, so I know its a design issue with the switch. However the 5 way switch is really cheap in the Uk, about #30.00 a pop. So its a small irritation.

I gig my TSL60 regulaly without backup. So I shall do the same here.

The amp itself is solid & well made.

The warranty is 3 years excluding Valves/ Fuses.

I've had footswitch issues, but Marshall have always been fine.They've arranged local dealers to handle me wherever I've been so I'm pretty happy.

I've been playing 23 years. I've owned lots of Marshalls & the only other amps I've owned were a Crate & a Laney both awful.

I have already owned a TSL-60 & in some ways thats a better amp regarding the FX loop. But this delivers the goods.

I'm pretty sold on the Marshall Sound & want 3 channels. The only other amp I would have considered is the Hughes & Kettner Triamp. But there like #500 more in the UK. So this will do for the future.

1999 model w/1960 cab

First off, let me say that for those giving a bad review, I can only conclude 1 of the following;

(a) you dont like the modern or vintage Marshall tone
(b) your bias is off / bad speaker(cab) matching
(c) your an idiot

now, lets move on.......

For a Marshall, this puppy is loaded with cool features. Everyone seems to be opting for the 3 channel head and Marshall has outdone therselves here. I've owned this amp for 6 years and I cant imagine life without it. I dig the VPR switch for warm-ups and bedroom volume practice(I can acually crank past 1.5). With this & the deep switch engaged, it really sounds more like a full cranked Marshall at low volumes. Yes, I hear you morons; its not perfect but still a huge step forward for Marshall. I also like the dual effect loops as it makes life much simpler. The whole thing really does sound like 3 seperate amps instead of 3 different gain stages. The seperate eq's are also a must for me as I like a mid boost for my solos (take note here, you will cut through better live without over cranking & mudding up the mix!).

Simply put, if you dig the Marshall tone this amp will fulfill you every tonal desire. It gives you every vintage Marshall sound w/ new modern tones as well. I play a Gibson LP standard (stock pickups) into a 535q wah strait into the Marshall. My sound is a mixture of Metallica, Slash, Hendrix and grunge. I also play a lot of blues ranging from BB King to ZZ Top. With minimal tweakage, you will have killer tones of Zepplin, AC/DC, Randy Rhodes, Pearl Jam and pretty much any rock sounds from 60's to modern day rock/metal. (Papa Roach, Stained, ect.) Dont beleive the crap about this amp not being heavy enough; most of these tone deaf morons are stomp box queens.(or even worse a korn-slipnot wanna be/never will be guitarist)

Ok, lets break it down:

The clean channel really is a big step forward for Marshall. Cranking the gain brings you to thedge of breakup. With the mid boost active, it really does sound more like a fender (with a slight gain boost). the eq seems more pronunced than older Marshalls I have heard. Try removing all the mids then sweeping the highs from 5-8 and it sounds like a wah. Nice job guys :)

The crunch channel is where I pump out most of my rythm stuff. This channel has growl, crunch & more bass than the lead channel (perfect for distorted rythems). A bit more gain would be nice but you only notice this with the mids scooped for true metal. With the mids, the distortion seems plentiful. This is also a great channel for blues work as well. Lower gain settings produce nice gritty/ bluesy overdrive witch really sweetens up with the volume cranked.

The lead channel is where things truly become majical. Being mostly a lead player, this channel has no peer (at least in this price range). The distortion is SOOOOOOOOOOO completly saturated but yet retaines total clarity on every note. No matter how fast you play there is no blurr whatsoever; each note cuts through with ease. Mesa & 5150s seem to get buzzy when you crank the gain,but not here!! There's more distortion than you would ever need. With mid-scoop & deep switch engaged, you can get killer metal tones as well.(Dimebag, ect.)

I hate to beat a dead horse but FUCK the footswitch. Come on guys, you charge me 1400 then give out this cheap piece of shit?!!! Not only is the switch crap but its input jack is not bolted down to the chassis!!! Its simply soldered on to the board with no bracing at all!!! Each time you unplug the switch, your pulling it off the board and loosing the already shitty connection. I find it hard to beleive that this is accidental (fuck u too Jim). My advice is to find a tech who will fix this problem as soon as possible. Oh, by the way, biasing this amp is a breeze. Dont let techs lie to you about this; all you need is a $30 multimeter from radio shack. Just hook it up to the 3 prongs under the power tubes (middle is ground :)) and tune each side to 90mv. Again, dont let techs lie to you about this: a 3 year old could do this and the amp will need check often (even fresh out of the box). Outside of the footswich problems the amp has not given me any trouble. P.S. if you need help biasing, e-mail me at ecmccane@ yahoo.com (your welcome)

If u dont live in England, your fucked.

My sound and tone has really developed with this amp (as well as my ear). Right now I cant see myself ever playing on somethig else. The footswich crap is worth the killer tone!! For the price, you cant get a better, more versitile tube amp. No disrespect Mesa, but this amp makes me sound like my guitar heros.

100watts, 3 channels (2 sounding the same) a crappy vpr switch which makes the sound even worse that it already is.

i use a eminar 100w tube head with a marshall cab and a prs tremonti. the distortions on it really didnt have any balls to it or versatility, all it could cover is blues or turn the gain up and crappy blues. i did like the reverb however. my korg "digital" ax1500g can create a better sounds for rock/metal, which is quite sad. it says it's 100w but damn its quiet - the marshall avt150h (solid state ooooh) was way louder in a gig. you really would have to mic the tsl if your gunna play live, unless you dont want to hear it's crap! (good choice)And as for it's 'tubeness', it's nothing compared to an old tube amp, like for say an old marshall mmm so nice. my eminar head tonally rips the tsl to shreds. i think people are getting sucked in coz of it's looks, rather purchasing it for tone.

dunno, i wouldnt rely on it coz ive heard countless ppl complain about the tsl in this department. disgrace to the marshall name. if i were to be silly enough to gig with this, i'd definetly bring a better backup amp, perhaps an ashton..

overall it sounds very thin and sterile, the distortions are pathetic. so what are you paying for? reverb and some shiny knobs? pure crap, not worth it at all. perhaps if it was 1 grand cheaper... and i lost my hearing maybe id think about using it. actually, nah. its a total let down to the marshall name, dont recommend it all.

This thing has every feature you would ever want-
Coolest feature is the VPR switch which allows you to get a great tone at lower volumes.

3 channels with independant vol/tone/gain controls
mid boost on clean, tone shift on crunch/lead channes
presence, fx mix, and reverb controls for clean and lead/crunch
power amp output mute and V.P.R. switches.
FX loops A/B various outs for cabs and cab emulated out.
4 el34 power tubes
4 ecc83 preamp tubes.
100 watt tube power

I use Gibson Les Pauls, with Duncan Alnico II's. I purchased this amp after returning the JSX. This thing can do everything. The Lead channel has a ton of gain, great for any type of metal. The deep switch is a fantastic feature-which gives you a more full sound. This amp has as much gain as a Mesa, and can go from classic rock to nu-metal. The crunch channel is like the lead channel just with less gain. The clean channel sounds great, reminded me of a Fedner, but fuller, and brighter. You can really crank up this amp and it only sounds better, and fatter, and with the VPR (GREAT FEATURE) it sounds just as good at lower levels.
This amp is great for any type of music from blues to nu-metal. I checked out alot of different amps, going back and forth between Mesa, JSX, ect.--I always was coming back to the TSL you just can't find that signature Marshall sound anywhere else.

I have had the amp for a few weeks and have not had any problems. This is my only amp-no backup, even at shows.
It seems very dependable.

5 year warranty. It was very easy to find an authorized service tech.

I have been searching for a great versatile amp for as long as I have been playing. I looked at Mesa, JSX, etc, all of them and I kept coming back to Marshall-its a great amp for the price. If you like the Marshall sound this is the amp for you. It will cover all types of music and personally for me gives me that great 80's metal sound which I was unable to duplicate with any other amp. If the amp was lost/stolen I would be right back at the store picking up another one.

If you love the classic Marshall sound, this is the amp for you-spend the money, you wont be sorry!

Three independent channels provide Fender-like clean, classic Marshall "crunch" or bluesy overdrive and a high gain channel that sounds like a highly driven tube amp rather than a buzzy solidstate amp or digital pedal.

Specific features have been covered many times over. If you like Marshall sound this amp provides all flavors.

Excellent sound for all modes. Each of the three channels also has several tonal features such as a mid-boost and presence control. It is fun to try various amp settings. This is a "hot rod" amp.

Cant say so far.

Havn't had to speak with customer support ... yet

An excellent amp, if you like Marshall tones. This is a very flexible amp also. Can provide very clean to insane overdrive. The crunch channel is especially noteworthy. However, this is a pricy amp.

Unbelievable featured for a tube amp!

All of the features are listed below so i wont go into them

One of the best amps i've ever owned! Remember this is 100 watts & wont be used to it's potential until you turn the thing UP!

I use this & an old JCM800 50w. For my style of music i play the TSL fits my bill perfectly. The clean is very clean & with the boost button engaged gets very fender like. The crunch channel sounds great when you have the volume up & the gain down - then slam the front end with a booster! love that stuff :)
The lead channel is like a hot-rodded Marshall, tonnes of gain - i found that i have to have the gain set quite low on this channel & turn the volume up to get the best out of this one

Make sure the one your trying out has the bias set correctly (Marshall amps tend to have them all over the place)

5 years old, no problems!

Never needed them, but the ones i know who look after the Marshall amps are very knowledgable people

Top amp!!

-3 channels with independant vol/tone/gain controls
-mid boost on clean, tone shift on crunch/lead channes
-presence, fx mix, and reverb controls for clean and lead/crunch
-power amp output mute and V.P.R. switches.
-FX loops A/B various outs for cabs and cab emulated out.
-4 el34 power tubes
-4 ecc83 preamp tubes.
-100 watt tube power

This belongs to a friend that I tech for and that brought the amp to me for repair/maintnence. He plays in a modern christian rock band that covers more sounds than anybody else I can think of. Maximum tonal versatility is a large concern to my frined and he uses every bit of it. I have lots of experience with this amp inside and out. The primary reason my friend bought this amp was the tonal versatility available with a 3 channel amp, and the price is $1000 less than anything else comparable. The only feature that we wish this amp had for live playing was a line level FX loop to run stomp box style FX. This amp offers tremendous bang for the buck.

We are using primarily a Gibson SG Supreme with 57 Classic pickups, Other frequent flyers are a '70s Antigua Tele with Vintage Noisless pickups, and a Jackson NTB Rhoads with Duncans.
This amp tends to sound a little thin and gravely comapred to other things. Alot of different sounds here, but they mostly are noticable in gain variations. There is often little tonal difference between channels and settings, just more or less gain. Covers lots of ground in this manner.
Mostly has your normal variety of modern marshall tones. Crunch and Slightly more Crunch. As a high gain amp this does not compete with others like: Mesa, Soldano, Bogner, Krank, H&k, ect. Does not have the tonal varitey of any of these other 3 channel amps either. If I was in a Maiden cover band this would be my amp.
The clean channel is decent, witch is a major shock coming from a Marshall.

Here's the fun part. As I said earlier the main reason that I am reviewing this amp is that I have spent a good deal of time with it, and as a pro tech specializing in tube amp repairs. That said this is the absolute worst amp I have ever had in the shop. I am the very fist person to preform any type of service to this amp at all. I pulled it apart because it was acting like it had a power capacitor failure. Typical, but not for a one year old amp. The first thing I noticed was that none of the wires connecting the circuit boards were soldered, but were plugged in. The plugs used here are very low quality and can easily be pulled out. This is where I found my problum, one of these plugs was disconnected. This type of modular construction tells me that Marshall built the cheaply expecting them to break and made it really easy to change out a complete circuit board. Even the wiring to the power transformers was not soldered. All of the wiring was of very small guage and is far smaller than anything I have used in even a cheap low power amp. The reverb tank is hooked up using one of the cheap RCA type cables that come standard with every piece of home stereo equipment that you have ever bought. We all know how long those last. The quality of the components on the curcuit boards was mid grade at best and the solder work on the circuit boards was very sloppy. Uses generic low quality tubes with the Marshall name on them. None of the part #s on the preamp tubes matched and looking at them I doubt that they all came from the same supplier. A fully matched set of JJ Audio tubes from Eurotubes fixed this descrepancy. One of the preamp tubes had a protector on it and the other three had little rubber edges around the chassis leaving the tube exposed. The plastic grilles above the tubes, yes I said plastic, show signe of heat damage, so I'm assuming that the protectors were left off at the factory cause these 3 tubes have a heat problum and that rather than remedy the issue Marshall left off some protectors and installed some budget grilles. The rear grille may have lots of little holes in it, but it does not have alot of open space for air to circualte. Speaking of cheap plastic parts the cabinet corners are all plastic and are riveted in place. I have students with $50 crates with metal corners. The Marshall logo on the face of the amp is very soft plastic and not very well attached. That explains why we see so many of them broken. I would not expect the gold caps on the knobs to last very long. Rather than use proper swutches for channel switching and various functions they have used cheaper push buttons that all feel very flimsy. The entire chassis is anodised aluminum. Aluminum is a soft metal and this chassis will warp over time from the weight of transformers. I know this is nit-picking, but the rought grained vinyl covering on the amp seemed to take me forever to get all the gunk out of the crevices. Very hard to clean. After having this amp apart I would not use is for a doorstop. If you have been using one of these amps without failure, continue to use it very, very carefully. If you disagree with my evaluation, take a really good look at one of these up close and personal and compare it with a Bogner Extacy or Soldano Decatone, or have a pro tech that isn't trying to sell you a Marshall read this and tell you what he thinks. We have been using this amp for only one year and have already had one major failure. I just had a '78 Fender 100 tube head in the shop for a new set of filter caps, tube sockets, and tubes. This amp was used and abused full-time through the 80's and this is the FIRST time anyone has done more than change the tubes. The Fender 100 is not consided to be one of the greatest amps on the planet. What does this tell you?

There is no customer support. The only way to contact Marshall is either long distnace phone call to England, or by mail to England. There is NO USA contact. Marshall is distributed by Korg. Korg will tell you to contact a Marshall dealer or repair cneter. How many Guitar Centers do you know of with a truely qualified tech to direct questions or comments about a Marshall product do you know of. This product might as well not have any warranty or manner of customer service at all.

I have been playing 12 years and in the tech and amp repair buisness for approx. 5 years. I also teach guitar. I have owned Mesa, Marshall, Fender, Carvin, Line 6. I have experienced and worked on many others including Bogner and Soldano. I play Line 6 and will probably never go back over to the tube side. I recomend these to all of my customers and students, although if people keep buying amps made like this I am going to be in buisness for a very long time. I used to think that the worst tube amp on the market was either Mesa, or Peavey. You can modify a Mesa or Peavey and make them a reliable piece of gear, but there is no salvation for the TSL 100. If you must buy tubes, buy them in something that is made by a comapny that still has a shread of pride in their work.

The features have been mentioned many times over. There are enough features that make it difficult not to find your special tone. The two independent EQ sections are great. It really has everything I need to create the tones I like to play.

Its a Marshall. Most people are very familar with that sound and this amp nails it. I use a Les Paul Studio and a Marshall 1960 AV 4X12 cab. I can get many sounds from this amp. It nicely presents the different sounds you can get just from how you pick and attack the strings. The clean channel is very clear at lower volumes and nicely breaks up a bit at higher volumes. The crunch channel is great for bluesy sounds, southern rock ... etc. The lead channel has additional gain and can create some of the more modern sounds you hear. I returned a Mesa Boogie F-50 which was an excellent amp. It just didn't have that Marshall sound which is what I like. Its a pricy amp but by the time you try various digital amps and effects you will have spent more for that Brit tone. If you really like that sound you will probably end up with a Marshall, eventually.

I am just getting started with this amp and cant provide legitimate advice on this yet. It seems sturdy and well built. I do not tour and take good care of my gear. I do not abuse my gear. I think that, in general, if you use common sense your equipment should last. However, it is a tube amp and with that comes more maintenance and care than a solid state.

I have not delt directly with the company. Have only had the amp one day so I cannot really comment. However if you do buy on of these try your local Guitar Center. The guys in Tempe AZ were great. They let me try several other amps at home and were very good when I took them back because I hadn't found my tone. The return policy alone makes it worthwhile.

I am giving it a 10 right now because it nails my tone. It will remain a 10 if I have no problems other than maybe having to replace tubes at some point. Its an expensive amp but if you like "that sound" it will produce. It takes time learning a new amp, finding EQ settings that you like ... etc. If you really want the true sound of the bands you like you should get the equipment they use, if you can. Some great work has been done with the digital modeling amps but non of them really give you that all tube Marshall sound.

Why do people keep typing the same thing over and over and over!?

This is the sound that i've been wanting to own for years now. My first marshall was a mg100hdfx. it sounded ok, but was for a beginner and on a low budget. i call it the fake marshall. eventually i got fed up with it, and went for an avt150. i loved the accoustic on that baby! but then again, i still was no where near the top of the line product of marshall. i suppose avt would be somewhere below the half point mark. In no time at all, i went for the TSL 100. life has been good since! except guitar center gave me a crappy ass pedal. i've traded the first one i got for a new one, and now it's broken again. in the process of talking to korg's people.

pedal is crap. amp is fine. all stock tubes! sounds great.

will call them tomorrow about the pedal. sometime it works sometimes it doesn't! i was just practicing earlier, and the damn pedal worked just fine, and last week, it didnt' work at all. can't have this during a gig!!!!

i love this amp. my 1960b straight cab will be coming in in about 4 or 5 days from now. i just got it used off of ebay. can't wait to see my very own full stack marshall!!!! :)

i play a cheap $400 ibanez rg220b, and it sounds so sweet! i'm currently looking for a special fender with a floyd rose that goes for about $1,100. waiting for it to show up on ebay!!!


anyways....this amp is as good as it gets! i love the vpr button. i usually practice in my room and it helps alot. man oh man is this amp loud!!!!!!! turn this bad boy to 5 and it's SCARY!!!!! wow!!!! i'm not kidding you! it's just frightening! everytime i'm home alone, i crank this baby up to 5 and that's enough for me to keep looking back to see if some evil creature to jump at me!


i dont know about you guys but, fender and marshall is a match made in heaven. the hell with gibson! the sound is ok, but the appearance of a gibson guitar reminds me of old blues men and teenie bopper mtv bands.

Here are the features taken from Marshall?s website:

The TSL100's three completely independent, footswitchable channels (Clean, Crunch and Lead) effectively give you three different classic amps in one casing. Each channel has its own controls for Gain, Volume, Treble, Middle and Bass. The Clean channel also has a Mid Boost switch, while the Crunch and Lead channels each have their own Tone Shift switches which 'scoop' out the mids.
- 4x EL34 output valves and 4x ECC83 preamp valves
- Footswitchable Accutronics Spring Reverb with Dual controls (one for Clean, one for Crunch/Lead)
- Individual Presence controls and Deep switches for Clean and Crunch/Lead channels
- Two Parallel FX loops (footswitchable)
- XLR DI output featuring Marshall's acclaimed speaker emulation, allowing direct connection to recording or PA mixing desks without the need for microphones or DI boxes
- A Power Amp Mute facility for silent recording via the built-in DI
- A ruggedly built, 5-way LED footcontroller which gives you the ability to switch between the three individual channels, plus switch the Reverb and the two FX Loops on/off
- An innovative Virtual Power Reduction (VPR) switch which, when engaged, emulates the sound and feel of a 25 Watt valve power amp

They pretty much have it all covered with this amp. It is, afterall their top of the line full tube amp.

I?m using a Gibson Les Paul, A Fender Strat with a Gibson 490 in the bridge and a Steinberger USA (circa 1988) with EMG 81 & 85 combo. I have the head attached to a JCM800 1960b cab with Celestion g75's. I purchased this amp to replace my two channel JCM800 2210 head from 1989. This thing can do everything my JCM800 could do and much, much more. The Lead channel has gobs of gain (and it pretty much responds just like the JCM800 in the eq area). With the gain at about 2 o?clock it sounds the same as the JCM800 gain maxed. The deep switch is a fantastic feature. I?ve used other deep switches on other amps and none have ever beefed up the sound as much as this one. Anyone who says that this amp doesn?t have as much gain as a Mesa or that you can?t do nu-metal with this amp is nuts. The crunch channel is very similar to the lead channel but it doesn?t have quite as much gain. I set the crunch channel for overdriven plexi type sounds and it kicks ass as well. It sounds almost clean with single coils and AC/DC grind-ish with humbuckers. The clean channel is amazing. It is jangly clean with single coils and fat and full of character with humbuckers. The clean channel sounds better than a Fender Twin. It has the full-bodied character, the brightness (you have a separate presence control for the clean channel) and best of all, none of the shitty harsh breakup of a Twin. You can crank the hell out of the clean channel even with humbuckers with no distortion what so ever. The coolest part about all of this is that when you crank this amp it just gets fatter (unlike Peavey?s XXX or JSX heads). Also, if you want to achieve that cranked sound at low levels, the VPR switch will allow you to do just that. An extremely cool feature! The coolest part about all of this is the Emulated Balanced direct out. You can get all of the sounds you?re hearing direct to a console without mic?s! I tried the emulated out last week at rehearsal without expecting much or even checking the sound before hand. It blew me away. It follows all of the channel changes flawlessly and sounds like I miked the amp in a sound room with bitchin? mics.

I had my JCM800 2210 for over 15 years without one single problem. I trust Marshall.

5 year warranty. Marshall customer service is great. I have e-mailed them several times and have received prompt, courteous and thotough responses.

I've been playing for 20 years. This is my dream amp. I can do anything in any situation with it. It really has everything I could ever need. Oh, by the way, the power tubes it comes with are Svetlana's (the best IMO) but the preamp tubes (it has 4) are shit. You should change them out as soon as you get the amp. I've been looking to replace my JCM800 for a while now. I first thought that the Peavey JSX was the amp to do it. I bought the JSX and used it for about a month. The thing just became wimpy and thin when I cranked it. Not to mention it had major feedback problems so I returned it. This head rules!

This amp has more features than I will ever use. I really like the VPR for rehearsal, the independent EQ's for each channel.

My primary guitar is a PRS Custom 24 and this amp just makes that guitar sing. I play in a blues-rock band, and it was the Crunch channel tht sold me. Classic Marxhall tone, with gorgeous, snarling midrange. Clean channel was a surprise - with the mid-boost button engaged it is almost Fender sweet, with lots of chime and shimmer.

Footswitch prolems like a lot of other people, but the amp itself is bullet-proof.

I've been playing for 40 years and I've owned more amps than I can count, including an old Marshall Plexi (with the 8x10 cabinet) back in the late '60s. This is the best amplifier that Marshall has ever made, and that is saying something.

The amp was made in the USA.It has 3 channels(Clean, Crunch, Lead).Every channel has its own Bass, Mid, Trebble, Vulome, Gain controls and the Presenc, FX mix, Reverb controls are separated between the Clean and OverDrive channels.The Clean channel has a MID-BOOST button, and the ODs has their own DEEP SWITCHes.Like every tube amps the TSL100 sounds the best when, the volume is on 10, but it might be too loud so there is a buttom called V.P.R. This is very usefull if you don't want to destroy the house.On the rear panel you can find 2 EFFECTS LOOP.3 OUTPUTs - one 16Ohm and two 4/8Ohm.The name says it's a 100 Watt amp but in fact (or as the owner's manual says) IT HAS 120 WATTS for ground breaking music.I can tell you it's more then enough.You can play any type of music through this amp, but if wanna' play Heavy Metal you'll need a distorsion pedal(eg Boos MeTal-Zone 2) cause the amps distorsion is not so wild.

I use this amp with a Yamaha RGX220DZ and some effects and the amp sounds great.The amps noise is the minimal youn can imagine, the clean is clean the crunch is dirty the lead is loud.It has 4xECC83 (also know as 12AX7) preamp and 4xEL34 output tubes/valves.They do their job - they make the sound of the 80s & 90s rock-bands.You know like Guns N Roses.

Oh yeah.That's the question i can't answer.I got only a month before.It has not broken down yet.When they delivered it everithing was okay, the tubes were all right.The packeg hadn't been oped on the way from the factory to my house.I think Slash and Jimi Hendrix wouldn't use Marshalls if they were crap so i give a 10.

I 've never delt with them, but the delivery guy was friendly

I' ve been playin for 2,5 years.I have Yamaha RGX220DZ, Crybaby, Boss DD2, Fender practice amp, 4x12 Celestion Cab.I'd buy it again.Bla bla bla

Now im sure youve all heard all of this from the other bajillion reviews on here so just keep it simple. 3 channel 100 watt amplifier head with reverb...everything you'll ever need out of a all tube amp. But i wont give it a 10 just because of that, those stupid modeling amps out there are like WHOAAA!!! crazy to understand but once you get the hang of them they can entertain you for hours, which kinda sucks if you REALLY REALLY wanna concentrate on YOUR music, not some funny ass sound. The direct line out is kinda iffy. I went into the recording studio recently to try it out and it was kinda fucked haha, the amp cabinet simulator thingy is all messed and REALLY digital. I ended up having to record with a digital thing that sounded LESS digital then the amp simulator on the TSL...but i did get a marshall 1960A 4X12 cabinet which will KILL on the next recording we do...shibby.

Im using a custom made les paul to gibson standards (blueprints bought at my local shop). All premium woods (koa, brazillian rosewood, mahogony back and neck, AAA grade maple quilt top). THIS THING SHINES!. Ive only had it for like...a week of straight playing too and holy crap. Stock tubes and still the clean channels bright without the mid boost, and with the clean channel "gain" knob turned up the sound gets so round and beefy, that true humbucker sound y'know?. But as for the Rhythm channel goes, this things got CLASSIC written ALLLLLL OVER IT! ACDC, Zepplin, Stones you name it, this channels got all that shit down PACT! with the gain up to about 5 you can get a good overdrive/distortion sound, but after about 6 you get into that high gain amp type stuff which is awesome for the stuff im doing right now. The Lead channel is wat i base my sound off of (a mix of melodic music with SCREAMO!)...which includes the band types of "Taking Back Sunday", "Alexisonfire", "Something Corporate". It's got balls and clarity mixed into one. I play really wierd and complex chords in some of the stuff i do in the high gain area and wow, this amp picks all the notes up perfectly and doesnt get TOO TOO muddy, only when you turn down the amp is that it gets kinda muddy...SO TURN THAT MOTHER UP! The only thing that will happen is more clarity and more basssssss...this thing wails soooo sweet. Holy shit i write to much, but yea if you want some kick ass tone, get a les paul (even some epiphones sound nice through this amp cause i own one and its got lotsa treble but still pretty nice if you want that high cut solo sound) and the hollowbody i got (cheap ibanez artcore) really has that low end mixed with some of the dialed in high cut sounds makes it oh but so much sweeter.

uh i really cant say, it was obviously shipped from england to canada and there was no broken tubes so kudo's guy's!. It's heavy as a mother trucker, so im guessing this bastards sturdy considering that its got a metal grill thing on the back of it thats gotta be able to take a beating...i mean, people friggin tour all the time with these amps (maybe they are modded, maybe they are not) but shit man, i think some of those arent modded to be "sturdy". All i can say is, now ive got my rig and im gonna go touring soon, i plan on beating the shit out of this thing, not on purpose but from the road so ill update this one after all of that!

never dealt with but its mos def shitty from all the stuff ive heard...just get a local amp tech to deal with it.

ive been playing about...maybe 3 years, this MAY be my first tube amp, but i know wat im fucking talking about cause ive been looking at tube amps for over 2 and a half years now. Ive tried nearly ALL the amps that are "popular" including mesa's, peavey's, crates, fender (niceeeeee cleans), matchless, bad cat, and ton's of other wierd amps that i cant think of right now.All i know is if it were stolen i probably couldnt do much cause im only 15 but ide call the police on that bastard! i love everything about it...cant say i hate anything about it just yet.if you wanna hear the stuff my band play's then go to www.purevolume.com/deadbeatromeo and thats pretty much all i have to say. Except tooooo...BUY AN ALL TUBE MARSHALL! YOU WONT REGRET IT IN THE LONG RUN!.

1998 Marshall JCM 2000 TSL 100, First Year Made. Extremely Versatile. 3 Channels....blah blah...(see other reviews)

I use a REAL 1959 Gibson Les Paul through this and let me say,,, UNBELIEVABLE! On every channel this beast roars. Great for any kind of sound. What I like is that YOU really come out of this amp. And that tone from a Marshall, you can't beat that man.

This has been great...so far so good... I replaced my speaker cable with a Planet Waves one... Sounds even better than the original cord I recieved with the amp.

been playing since 1987, own '59 Paul, '73 Stratocaster, '82 Charvel,
'83 BC Rich Bich, mainly play the les paul. I run only a vintage Ibanez AD 202 Analog Delay through effects loop 1. And use a vintage sovtek phaser pedal, as well as a 73 Crybaby. Less is more for me. I don't like cutting the true sound of the amp. But the Marshall efx loops are great, no loss in tone. Compared this to the DSL, but kept coming back to the TSL, more candy in the machine. People are always raving about other amps, like Mesa's Orange...yeah whatever, my heroes play Marshall's, and thats the sound in my head. Ya gotta go for that sound inside you hear, let me tell ya this amp will bring that to life.

Ya prob know what it has by now, im not going to go through it again if thats ok! What i will say is that its very versatile amp, that feels very sturdy and robust. I have thought about changing the tubes to groove tubes, maybe changing them to 6550's, but to be honest, the amp sounds soo good right now with the stock marshall el34's, im in no rush like!

Ok, i use a number of guitars the main ones im using right now are an ibanez rgt 42, and an esp viper 400, (in all my guitars i use emg pickups, most of which are esp, and 1 ibanez and jackson) The clean channel is really exelent, very warm full and clear! I leave the mid boost on , which is an awsome feature! smooth nice tone! The crunch channel is the one i dont use all that much, its really just a toned down version of the lead channel, brighter with not so much bass! The sound is nice, got like a maiden tone to it! Thats all have to say about that, because i dont really use it...
Now the lead channel is why i bought the amp. I think when people try this amp they must scoop the mids, and still press the mid scoop button? I dont understand that, by doing that you are just playing with mud! Keep my mids on 6 and press the mid scoop button, and the tone is awsome! the great thing is the presence knob, you can put the gain all the way up and keep the treble down on like 7, and by using the presence knob, you still have complete controll over your sound! I tune to drop c and drop b, and my tone never gets muddy! sheer gain with tone!! The amp is truly awsome! If ya want a quich idea of the tone of this amp, go and listen to any hatebreed or static-x album! I really do recomend it to every one! what ever your style!

ive owned marshall valve amps in the past, this being the best one, but i have never had any reliability problems with them at all! That is one of the reason why i came back to marshall, theyre very consistant and trustworthy! I am now a marshall lifer!

I live in the uk so calling marshall is easy! Theyre always very helpfull, and are appreciative of all the marshall players. Warrenty is of 3 years! (damn i gota send that off!)

Benn playing for 4 years, i know that dont seem much compared to some, but ive been through a suprising amount of amps, 4 to be exact, marshall dsl 100, randall cyclone, peavey 5150, and this one. i cant see me selling this amp, because it really is very good! And its a marshall, what more is there to say? Dont take my word for it, go try one, they are truely awsome. Im also gona buy a mode four.
R.I.P Dimebag. You will be greatly missed.

Alot has already been said about this in previous reviews. So il keep it brief. 3 Indpendant channels provide excellent flexibility
and tone variation at the switch of a button. Tone shifts on the crunch and lead channels and a mid boost option on the clean channel. Best feature by far is the VPR (virtual power reduction) which allows you to produce better sounds at low volumes. This amp isnt as flexible as modern day modelling amps but it makes up for this in the sound department. Handy output mute for changing guitars over, standard FX loops at back of amp

First time playing through this amp was in a music store- not the best place to get to grips with an amp. with the VPR off and the volume on a mighty 1 this amp sounded nothing special (not understanding that all vale amps need to be cranked up at the time). I later returned with my Standard mexican strat (with hot rails) put the VPR on and put the volume up to 4. Playing through a 1600s Angled Cab - the Walls shuck , polar ice caps melted ........ .and i smiled. The Power from this thing is incredible - full of clarity yet tons of bass, not even a hint of mudd. I cant even begin to tell you about the tone - apart from authentic marshall roar. The Lead channel provides an incredible amount of sustain which can be feeded back into a classic hendrix echo. Never heard such a sparkling clean channel from a marshall - dare i say its nearly on a par as a fender 65 series amp. This amp is capable of very nearly any kind of sound - might not be the best for shred heads or any korn wannabee's, although im not really sure if detuned players would be looking at a marsahll in the first place. One word of warning though - this amp is loud , very loud. I wish now i had gone for the 60Watt version - however an attenuator (powerbrake)should help you acheive the tone this amp is capable of at a comfortable volume

I heard of numerous complaints about the foot switch breaking, although it is to my understanding that this problem was corrected a few years back now. Ive had the amp a year now with no problems at all. As far as im concerned its as solid as a rock. Although i wouldnt really recommend doing any gig without a type of backup now matter how reliable an amp is. (be wary of buying this and similar amp from cheaper online dealers - they often send them with poor and heavily used valves)

authorized service center is about 40mins drive from were i live.
Amp comes with 3 year warrenty (if you send off the form that is).
Cant comment on the customer support because ive never had to deal with marshall or my dealer........hope i never have to.

I have been playing through this amp for a year now so i know its in's and outs.
Fantastic value ,cant really fault this amp at all - maybe a few more features....but hey thats me just been greedy.

From Blues to hi-gain sadism and all the stops in between- this amp does them all. Is this amp perfect? Nope. But no amp ever will be- so when i give the amp a "10" rating - its means its as near as perfect for the classic rock sytle that i play, other styles might be suited better to different amps. But if you are looking for the Classic tones in both clean and gain departments - then this amp is for you. If your gigs are smaller than stadium size then look into the 60watt version first or try the powerbrake.You need to have this amp above the 3 mark with the VPR on to even start to touch what this amp is made of.