Throughout the 90’s the JCM900 was king until the launch of its successor, the JCM2000 DSL in the summer of 1997. Combining the high gain of the JCM900 with the raw punch of the 1959SLP, the JCM2000 DSL became known for being equally adept at providing classic crunch, monster high-octane overdrive and shimmering clean tones.
Originally launched as a 100W and 50W head, as the name suggests the Dual Super Lead (DSL) contains two foot-switchable channels; called Classic Gain and Ultra Gain. The Classic Gain has two modes capable of providing classic Marshall tone and high gain modern tones, taking the player from a 1959 style clean right through to the snarl of a JCM800 2203. The Ultra Gain channel on the other hand also features two modes, mimicking the vibe of a hot-rodded 2203 or providing even higher gain and a gut-twisting mid-boost, all at the switch of a button.
Powered by EL34s and housing ECC83s, the remarkable versatility marked the DSL out as the first Marshall amp truly capable of playing any style of music, and upon its release was particularly lauded for its clean tones. On top of this the DSL also featured an effects loop and reverb to add even more adaptability.
