I just wanted to add this: this amp gets very hot. All Marshall tube combos do; because they are generally versions of the Marshall heads flipped over. This puts the hot valves/tubes below the circuits making, sometimes, for loose connections and trips to the shop for repairs. Simple run a little fan ($10 from Walmart) pointed at the back of the amp to cool it down. It will not affect the tone. I played this amp for three years with no problems, it kicks for a 1 X 12 combo. I needed to step up to a Plexi half stack when I began playing out again, otherwise I would still have this bad boy. If you use a Marshall combo, try the fan idea, it works.

This was my first tube combo amp, and last Marshall I'll ever buy. It sounds great, but who cares when it breaks down constantly. Due to the incredible heat this thing produces, it will blow fuses, tubes, and transformers. Not what you expect from a premium amp. If you want a good amp for about the same price, get a Samamp handwired job. If you want something cheaper, buy a Peavey.

To make a long story short, I don't care for this amp. It has it's good sides as far as tone goes, but that about it. The amp is built with particleboard to begin with. For the price, it could be at least plywood. Not that this is important, but it should be known. Next, the soldering job is terrible. Been to the shop twice and going back for a third time. I have re-tubed the amp twice and had it serviced in the 5 months that I've owned it. The clean channel has a scratchy sound that won't go away, but the overdrive channel works perfectly and sounds wonderful. Go figure. Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend this amp for reliability or quality. If your looking for that Marshall tone, look for a different amp.

I have owned this amp for about 4-5 years now and it sounds good but gets very hot. I have had to get it repaired two times due to the tube sockets getting too hot. In one case the solder around some of the circuitry actually began to melt resulting in a loose connection! If you do purchase this amp, I would suggest that you immediately replace the stock tubes with a set of Groove Tubes matched to your music playing style. When this amp is working, it sounds great with the Groove Tubes...I get great sounding crunch and distortion even at low volumes. If you're looking for a good low-wattage tube amp for home or small gigs, I'd suggest looking at Fender or VOX.

I'd always wanted a tube amp, and the Marshall DSL-401 combo was a great choice. I compared this amp to a few other cheaper combos from other companies (Peavey in particular), but they didn't hold up against this baby. The tone (clean and distorted) of this thing is just awesome! The amp is built solid. Controls are simple and straightforward (mids, highs, lows for each channel, master volume etc.). The spring reverb is a nice addition. It has two channels. The clean channel is shimmering and the distortion has a boost. So with a strat you can get the Hendrix tone, but with a tap of your foot on the gain boost you're in modern rock land. Awesome amp that should last a lifetime if taken care of. One word of advice: fan it! I did from day one and have had no overheating problems (Marshalls are prone to this.).