Marshall DSL40CR Settings Guide
Dual-channel Marshall: Classic Gain (Plexi/JCM feel) and Ultra Gain (modern high-gain). The gigging standard for British rock.
The best Marshall DSL40CR settings start with: Gain 1 at 5/10, Gain 2 at 6/10, Bass at 5/10, Mid at 6/10, Treble at 6/10, Presence at 5/10, Resonance at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Classic Rock: Gain 1 6/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 7/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 5/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Gain 1 | 5/10 | Clean → Crunch |
| Gain 2 | 6/10 | Crunch → Hi-Gain |
| Bass | 5/10 | Thin → Heavy |
| Mid | 6/10 | Scooped → Present |
| Treble | 6/10 | Dark → Bright |
| Presence | 5/10 | Smooth → Aggressive |
| Resonance | 5/10 | Tight → Loose |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Classic Gain channel. Mid-forward. This is Slash, Angus Young territory.
Ultra Gain. Tight resonance to prevent loose low-end. Add noise gate.
Classic Gain on clean-crunch edge. Lower gain, higher mids.
Artist Settings
Documented settings used by professional guitarists on this unit.
Channel 1 cranked. Mid-heavy voicing with upper-mid presence.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The shared EQ affects both channels — set it for your primary channel, then adjust gain on the other.
- Resonance controls power amp bass — cut it (3-4) for tight modern metal, push it (6-7) for vintage British bloom.
- Presence is the most dramatic EQ knob on this amp — above 7 adds aggressive upper harmonics that can become harsh.
- The DSL has a Pentode/Triode switch on the back — Triode halves the wattage and sounds different (more compressed).
FAQ
Marshall DSL40CR — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Marshall DSL40CR: Gain 1 at 5/10, Gain 2 at 6/10, Bass at 5/10, Mid at 6/10, Treble at 6/10, Presence at 5/10, Resonance at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Classic Rock: Gain 1 6/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 7/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 5/10. Classic Gain channel. Mid-forward. This is Slash, Angus Young territory.
For Metal: Gain 2 8/10, Bass 6/10, Mid 5/10, Treble 5/10, Presence 6/10, Resonance 4/10. Ultra Gain. Tight resonance to prevent loose low-end. Add noise gate.
Gain 1: Classic Gain channel drive — ranges from clean to Plexi-style crunch. (Clean to Crunch). Gain 2: Ultra Gain channel — JCM800 to modern high-gain. (Crunch to Hi-Gain). Bass: Shared EQ across both channels. (Thin to Heavy). Mid: Marshall mid-forward character lives at 6-8. (Scooped to Present). Treble: Cut to 5 on Ultra Gain to prevent harshness. (Dark to Bright). Presence: High-frequency resonance in the power amp — more harmonic edge than Treble. (Smooth to Aggressive). Resonance: Low-frequency response in the power amp — controls bass tightness. (Tight to Loose). Volume 1: Classic Gain channel output. (Silent to Full). Volume 2: Ultra Gain channel output. (Silent to Full). Master: Global output — both channels. (Silent to Full)
The shared EQ affects both channels — set it for your primary channel, then adjust gain on the other. Resonance controls power amp bass — cut it (3-4) for tight modern metal, push it (6-7) for vintage British bloom. Presence is the most dramatic EQ knob on this amp — above 7 adds aggressive upper harmonics that can become harsh. The DSL has a Pentode/Triode switch on the back — Triode halves the wattage and sounds different (more compressed).
Slash settings: Gain 1 7/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 7/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 6/10. Channel 1 cranked. Mid-heavy voicing with upper-mid presence.