That Texas Heat Speaker completely took out the Marshalls characteristic sound. Perhaps you might like it as is, but I think it should've been made clearer throughout the video that the amp has been modded in a way that totally decharacterized as a classic Marshall sound.
Jaime Nôro I’d like to hear a like for like comparison - I have the Texas Heat in my Blues Jr and like what it does - but if the V Type in the Bassbreaker is the reason why it sounds so alive, I’m getting one.
Depends on the amp. In general, Eminence are darker speakers than Celestions. If you want to add clarity to your tone (some would say brighten), give the Celestion a shot. The Texas Heat is much darker (some would say sweeter) than the V-Type.
@@dantrag2890 keep in mind he had a lot of demands to go into the making of his amp. Fender is just the manufacturer of the amp, they didnt necessarily design it. Eddie took what he knew from Peavey, and the rest of his experience that he developed on his own over to Fender. He had some extremely high demands for the amp.
Thanks for this comparison Shane. I've owned and gigged the Marshall (I am a marshall fan) and now own and gig the bb30r. The dsl was always lacking that special midrange place that a good marshall finds in the mix. Ultimately I had to sell it. The bassbreaker hits that spot and I believe fender were aiming for just that. It is the best bang for buck lightweight 1x12 combo out there. Lovely voxy/fender cleans and the perfect overdrive channel. I am hugely impressed.
I've been a Marshall guy for as long as I've been playing, but, to me, the Bassbreaker was sweet. I'm seriously considering one of these myself. One of the nicest sounding amps I've heard.
Let me know which one you prefer in the comments or you can also vote in the cards. Details in the description! 😀 Edit - The Marshall usually comes stock with the same speaker but I found it way too bright in the amp so I replaced it. That said, I like the Texas Heat speaker more. :-) ►Sky Music - alnk.to/gVFgmY1 ►Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/5bnXBL ►Thomann - bit.ly/2RhZlLH (affiliate links)
@@SuperBatiskaf I still have the stock speaker somewhere (or in another amp). If I end up buying the Bassbreaker I will do a second shootout with the same speakers but after over a year of gigging the Marshall, I prefer the Eminence Texas heat. :-)
The crunchy blues tone on the Texas Heat is pretty nice, but it *really* does a disservice to the Ultra Gain channel on the DSL which needs the tightness of the V-Type.
Hands down the Fender Bassbreaker. Perhaps the best sounding amp Fender has produced since Pre-CBS amps. As for sustain, both were excellent. But if one needs more than that, there are plenty of good pedals to choose from.
Both sound great in their own respects. Marshall more compressed, Fender more open in your face. Lovely tones on both! Nice to see Fender stepping up their gain game!
I've actually A/Bed them in the music store and I've heard them both used on stage. In the store, from a distance, the Bassbreaker has a really nice character (I didn't hear someone else playing the Marshall from a distance). When playing myself, I found the Marshall to have a much more musical 'feel'. A lot of that is probably the sustain that Shane is talking about - but the Marshall really seemed to react better to my playing and was more enjoyable to play overall. On stage, the Bassbreaker didn't really cut through the way the Marshall did - but that could have been the player's settings. For me, that musical feel the Marshall had is the kicker and I would purchase the Marshall.
All the comments seem related to the darker sounding speaker swapped in the DSL.. Kind of a bummer.... without the stock speaker (which is the same for both amps, other than the ohm rating), it is kind of impossible to really compare them in any fair way. .and, indeed, the DSL sounds like it has an Eminence speaker in it :)... I enjoy all of your vids and the passion you put in to this. You are a great guitarist, as well :) Please put the vintage speaker back in the Marshall, and let them both rip if you get a chance. Best to you and your music.
Really good demo, they seem like amps that some would scratch their heads over wondering which to get. I preferred the chord work on the Bassbreaker. It sounded more ‘present’ to me, I thought the Marshall sounded a bit like it was in the next room. But I preferred the ‘fuller’ sound of the single note work on the Marshall. Different types of feedback, the Marshall seemed to swell into octaves above the root note, whereas the Fender took off in more directions. I think the wilder sound of the Fender won the day for me, there.
Wow! There is quite some difference there! I love the DSL but it does not cut it against that Bassbreaker! The Bassbreaker has far more clarity and makes the DSL sound ´muddy´... I´m surprised!
That Marshall has served me well and sounds ballz to the wall great at any volume. Takes some dialing in but easy enough. My only gripe with the DSL40cr is how the channel switching (w/ Marshall 6 button pedal) has an useable delay in between. Cant punch in mid-riff without a drop/delay in sound. Fortunately, I only use mine as a pedal platform anyway and only change channels in between songs, if at all. Almost always lives in ch2-OD1 with lowish gain and I use a JHS Angry Charlie to evoke an old JCM800 for clean and dirty sound duty. My guitar volume pot does the rest. Very pleased. Thanks for a great demo!
I preferred the focused midrange of the Marshall. The BB flubbed out in the bass frequencies but it may just be that it doesn't handle humbuckers as well.
Marshall is still Marshall, and I think I prefer it over the Fender just for the sound of it. The Fender is still damn good, and will cut through the mix better than the Marshall. What about clean channel on the BassBreaker? As good as Fender usually is on clean?
@@smokepeddler I find the clean not as "glassy" on the BB models as a traditional Fender, however, I still find it sounds cleaning and better than the Marshall clean channel.
Fender sounded brighter at this end but, as you mentioned, that could've been from the fresh V12. Glad you approve of the old BB15, that's the one I got back in 2017 ...
Happy I got rid of my DSL40. Onitss own and in recording, this guy sounds amazing! but on a live setti,ng the scooped mids forces you to keep pushing volume up. It's a wall of sounds, but you can't really define it. I currently play a 22 Watt DRRI and it cuts so well I play live at a quarter of the volume.
It *loves* the pedals as well. I never heard a Big Muff sound like a Muff *should* sound until I played one (Ram's Head, Violet clone) through the Bassbreaker. My jaw actually dropped a little.
I was really surprised. I hadn't heard a demo of these Bassbreakers that I thought was too good. Must be in getting them dialed in. This one sounded great. It had a little clearer sound to me. Probably cut better. The vid you made when you first got your Marshall was my all time fave, so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Thanks for the shootout! I did my own comparison at my local shop over the weekend. Both amps side by side with the stock V speaker. The Marshall wins by far. The Fender sounded like there was a blanket over it, very bassy. The Marshall just ripped 👍
Exactly, Marshall sounds much better live than Fender !!! In the video they obviously can't set up the Marshall properly, it's not an equal comparison.
Different tones from different amps. Both tones are great, l like them both a lot. Maybe a Strat would have make the Marshall shine even more. I do think that it would be a fairer comparison, if the Marshall had his stock speaker. The V30 would give the Marshall the most of the high end the Fender has right now. The main problem for a comparison like this is the RUclips compression - and personal preferences. My last word: I would take both. Both are great amps with great tones.
Nice Vid Shane! I Loved the Fender Bassbreaker 30R over the Marshall. I play a lot of Blues and Classic Rock and for me the Bassbreaker takes it! I get the BEST of both worlds with the 30R and at only 38lbs. opposed to 50lbs. a lot easier to carry around. Plus the Bassbreaker comes with the Footswitch and Cover included, Big Savings there also!! Please keep up the Good Work Mate, LOVE your Channel!! And as always your Performance!!! Have a Great Day! Cheers from the US!!
The Texas Heat in the Marshall seemed to darken things up a bit. It would be good top hear a comparison with original speakers in those amps. The Bassbreaker was surprisingly good though. Great review Shane.
That bass breaker reminds me of my old hot rod Deville, but that Deville was loud man. Almost unusable loud. Might a I recommend the WGS USA et65 speaker in either of these amps. Has more crackle at the top and tighter lows. You can also try the reaper that "flatter" sounding but smooth and punchy
I liked them both. Would be hard pressed to pick a favourite. To be honest, I was really surprised how well the Fender sounded.
5 лет назад+1
Played your audio through 3 different playback sources. In this shootout I give the Fender Bassbreaker the slight nod. It just has more punch and just damn good tight and defined punch. The Marshall is no slouch a great amp but in this comparison, Fender Rules!!
Thanks Shane. On my system (quite loud listening with Rogers speakers not headphones) there seemed to be a bit more clarity in the Fender Bassbreaker, which I enjoyed, but as you said, they both sounded great. Next up the BB vs your Blues Deluxe.
Given that both have decent drive channels, for a channel switcher, the Fender may have the edge because it has separate tone controls for each channel.
Great! I would love that Bassbreaker (yes, the Bassbreaker 15 is good - but if you buy one in Australia you're rolling the dice on the notorious problems that Shane has mentioned in the past, and that I've ranted about in the comments section before), I think it wins over the Marshall. Maybe it's the EL84s, maybe it's the speaker, maybe it's the cab - whatever. Great demo, Shane. I'd love to hear a comparison between the BB30, the DSL, and maybe the Artist Tweedtone on 1) Clean 2) Gain channel 3) Pedals. I realize that's asking a bit much, but even just a couple of those amps A/B'd with a few common OD/Fuzz, etc pedals would be great and I reckon other folks would get a lot out of it.
As someone who owns a DSL100HR that i love so much ive made it my main amp i have to say they both sound good. But i still would prefer my Marshall but would love a Fender Bassman for "that" tone. EDIT: Yeah i always use the classic channels clean or crunch for most stuff and the ultra channels for lead if im not going to just boost the classic channel for the lead. The clean setting is designed around a plexi, the crunch around a JCM800 and the OD1 is a hot rodded JCM800 and the OD2 is also a hot rodded type of JCM800 tone with a different mids feel. I prefer the Marshalls btw cause they work better in a full band setting. But the Fenders like Orange amps sounds "better" on their own but they all work just fine in any of those applications.
Wow!!!! I didn’t think I would like the Bassbreaker compared to the DSL, but man for a Fender, the Bassbreaker can hold its own!!!!! I hear a bit brighter on the highs as well as a tad more clarity with the Fender when going between amps. Don’t get me wrong, I really love the Marshall tone, however compared to the Bassbreaker , the DSL sounds a bit cloudy. Thanks for the comparison!!! Cheers!!🎸🎸🎸🎸🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
Of note, the cloudiness comes from the fact he did a speaker swap - they normally both come with nice, tight-sounding Celestion V-Type speakers, but he put an Eminence Texas Heat in the Marshall. The Texas Heat does better at crunchy blues tones than tight lead-guitar tones, and that's affecting this video a lot as it's all about the lead tones.
Nice comparison Shane. Both sounded great and I can understand why others might find the marshall sounding muddy compared to the fender. The fender definitely has more top end to it, but the marshall just has THAT sound. I don't think you could go wrong with either.
I'm telling you, man, for straight up rock and blues, the Bassbreaker is the king of the hill atm. Put a high gain pedal in front of it like the 5150 OD, and it'll do metal like nobody's business. One thing, though, it needs some volume. You can't really play at bedroom volume with the 30R. It wants to open up and breathe. Nice shootout, Shane!
Listening to this on one of my favorite pairs of headphones, and so far, what I've gathered is that either of these sound pretty darn SWEET... especially compared to my small solid state practice amp.... when our house is ready for a nice amp, these two are definitely on the top of the short list to check out in person.... any recommendation of other similar size/price units to look into?
Tried and liked theBass breaker. But no footswitchable channels. Not good for my needs. Actually ended up with Orange Crush pro 120. Best solid state amp I’ve ever used.
Corey Macmillan right that’s the $900 dollar one. But can you get a clean since both are drive channel? I’m gonna stick with my orange crush pro 120 anyways. Closest tube sound with solid state amp.
@@jasonhuckaby8969 It is $900 although can be found for less. But it's the one discussed in the video. Also it does have a clean channel - the left switch selects clean or drive and the right switch goes to drive/more drive.
I've done quite a few gigs with the Marshall DSL40CR, and the best thing you can do is drop a Celestion NEO Creamback in the amp- it just sounds great clean or dirty. The BB sounds very very good, but I don't dig the apparent bottomy emphasis- probably might be a bit mushy on stage with a band? Both top amps.
Marshall for me. The Fender sounds really nice. But that little bit darker tone of the Marshall is just amazing. Also i Think it distorts better, keeps more Clarity in the notes, without starts getting messy...
They both sound pretty good to my ears . I'd go for the Fender because I haven't owned a Fender amp before . The only thing I'm not keen on is the Fenders' looks but that wouldn't put me off buying a used one later down the line 👍
Marshall 's Rectified sound is far cleaner with more sustained especially in the mid range. Fenders are notorious for mid range sound. Some players call tone. Which app you use. Is based on whether you want people to hear the notes you're picking individually. Or if you want some noise to smooth out your transitions.
You probably dont care but if you guys are bored like me during the covid times you can watch pretty much all the latest movies and series on instaflixxer. I've been binge watching with my brother for the last couple of days =)
A lot of folks don’t realize that the brightness of the Fender will cut through on a gig, and break out of the mix better. Who are you playing for, your bedroom or studio, or a live audience in a dense mix?
I like the Fender, but....the things we like with it going full range by itself in a room aren’t the same as when the sound guy/enigneer has rolled off all the low end so it’s out of the way of the bass, drums, vocals, and everybody’s going hard. I think under those circumstances, the Marshall would shine. It seems to have more mids. Less to have to dial out. My 2 bits.
Exactly. Listen to old led zeppelin soundboard recordings. There is no bass in pages guitar tone to speak off especially on the latter tours like 77. You you get all upper mids and treble and its a very twangy thin brittle tone but then when you listen to audience tapes of the same gig his tone sounds way different . It's fuller and fatter and you can actually hear the bass and lower mids as the audience recording is picking up some of his straight amplifier tone coming off the stage
I think the main difference is the speaker. The 40CR has a Celestion V-Type, the old C had a 70/80 if I remember it right. The DSL20 still has the 70/80, so maybe you'd like that one more now? EDIT: Also this video is not representative of what a DSL40CR sounds like, intheblues put an Eminence Texas Heat in there - which is a much darker-sounding speaker and kind of does a disservice to the drive sound of the amplifier.
Both are very nice. I am partial to the placement of the higher mid hump the Fender has. Marshall tends to have their mid hump lower in the band and i like the pop of the Fender top. This is a thing that will likely define both of these brands until they cease to exist.
I subscribed for the great information on offer and for the fantastic facial expressions that I find both informative and entertaining, keep up the good work and once again thank you for sharing. Sincerely yours Stu From OZ ( Melton really}
The stock speaker for both of these amps is the Celestion V-Type, so.... looks like we need to ditch that Texas Heat! -- Or put it in the Bassbreaker and see what happens!
I like em both. The marshall's ultra gain sounded fuzz-like almost. I write with alot of gainy metal rhythm sections and that was pretty intense, even for me.
I think I could add something in front of the Marshall to “fuzz” smooth it close to the fender sound but I’m not sure I could get the fender as tight as the Marshall
Like you Shane, I like my Marshall DSL 40 im using the Cream back 12 in mine as Sweetwater sent the amp with the Creamback in it.. I bought the Fender Bassbreaker 15 with the Celestion V12 and feel sounds much better than that DSL.. The DSL sounds compressed in your video as well as when I use it.. Probably need to take into acct the guitar being used as well.. FYI another rig I use is a Boss GT100 with a Carvin TS100 Tube Amp into 2 1x12 cabs with Carvin G12s.. Its incredible how well it sounds.. Im dumb founded brother.. Thanks for what you do for us.. Love your demos.. Keep it up... Danny USA
Probably the best sounding Fender amp gain I have heard, but still prefer the Marshall, which is why I have one. The stock V-Type seems to greatly benefit from some break in, and keep the presence very low, the treble somewhat low, bass and mids somewhere past noon to taste, and I think it sounds awesome. But, I am also more into hard rock and classic metal than blues. But, I would take the Marshall for that too lol.
I had a Bassbreaker 15 limited edition with a creamback m65 and it sounded really nice but I was surprised at how warm and dark it was for a fender. It didn't quite sound like a fender and it did sound exactly like a Marshall either even though it sounded more Marshall like then any other fender I have heard but I will say it only sounded good with bright Humbuckers with darker pickups it sounded too warm too dark and kind of flat sounding not muddy at all but just too warm and dull . It's very surprising to hear an el84 amp sound that dark . All that said I thought the Bassbreaker with the creamback sounded killer with the right pickups but I decided to return it because it was very noisy and had that motor boating sound and I really tried to live with it as I loved the tone using my brighter pickups like Burstbickers 2 and 3 and my custombuckers but after 3 weeks I returned the amp because of the noise . I still want one with a creamback m65 so I hoping I can find one that is a little less noisy even if have to buy one with the stock speaker and swap in A creamback . They come in several different limited edition forms with different speakers . They come stock with the V type but their are some that come with the creamback m 65 some come with a G12H30 anniversary and others with a reissue greenback G12M25. I think the G12H30 anniversary would sound great in the BB15 or any of the others as it's a very bright speaker and the bassbreakers are very warm and dark . It could be the perfect match. Hopefully I can find one a little less noisy. I am willing to put up with some noise to own a bassbeaker 15 with a creamback just not overly excessive noise . I would love to have one and swap around some the speakers I have in my existing amps and cabs
Can’t do the Ball Breaker. Marshall suits my tonal area of interest. Tighter. The sustain would have gone on for all long time with no degradation. The BB quickly fizzled out. Both great amps. Would like to play both in stereo. Had to choose one? Today: this time: the Marshall. Pretty damned good show mate.
Hey Shane, have you bought a Bassbreaker 30R yet 😂 I got mine today, I’ve owned a few amps, and heard many more, but the sound of this Fender just blew me away. Can’t see me ever changing it. Go on, you KNOW you want to👹
Speaker choice makes a HUGE difference here. The Texas Heat is a great speaker. I absolutely loved it in my old blues jr and DeVille. Big round bass response, smooth top end. But I wouldn’t (personally) use it with a Marshall circuit. And this video is a perfect example of how it smooths, flattens, and darkens the frequency response of the amp. Makes the Marshall sound lifeless in comparison in a studio environment. In a live setting (well aware that Shane gigs his Marshall) the Texas Heat probably sounds fine, probably makes the Marshall a little more bluesy.
I personally chose the Marshall DSL20 head (through my Traynor cab with Celestion Greenbacks) over the Bassbreaker series. I liked the Fenders more than the old DSL line, but this "new" line is far improved. Marshall still makes the best rock/blues distortion in the business in my humble opinion.
DSL for mine. The Bassbreaker sounded better with higher gain. The Marshall sounded great everywhere. Might be the speaker. I really like the darker tone with the Texas Heat. Great for bright guitars like SGs and Strats. Well played Shane
The Marshall is, well, Marshally.. Very dark and awesome with lots of low end grunt. But my god that Fender did funny things to my ears 👂, I like it A LOT!! sign me up, man!! It’s the first time ever I would chose a Fender amp over a Marshall!
I just bought a marshall dsl40cr and if I want that lighter fender gain sound, I just play my MXR EVH 5150 pedal through the clean channel. I wanted the Fender bass breaker originally, but couldn't resist the Marshall.
Completely agree. It's lost the marshall growl with a Texas heat (yuck). Also, the v type has a massive but tight sounding low end that I couldn't replicate even with a v30 I tried in that amp. I like the bassbreaker amps, but the stock DSL40CR is one of my favorite newer amps on the market right now. It's so dynamic and IMO eats the fender up especially at full 40watts and pushing the master volume. EL34 > EL84 all day
I played a DSL the other day the clean and classic gain sound good anything higher turned into over compressed mush might be different if I could turn it up louder
Welp I'm returning my dsl40c, and picking up a fender! I'm a die hard Marshall fan but my God. Biggest grip with the dsl40c (old version) no master volume, lead 2 or ultra gain is pretty much usable at lower volumes
Could tell you were really having fun playing at those volumes without annoying the neighbors LOL! I agree with others the Fender sounded great, BUT your Marshall doesn’t have the stock speaker. Makes me if gig-quality amps aren’t like really good cars...manufacturers set them up to perform well at the factory, but when you start adding after market “high performance parts” it doesn’t necessarily add value or the performance you thought it should, it just makes it different. 🤙🏻🤔🎸
Shane I have the DSL40 and Bassbreaker 15 and 30.. the Bassbreaker 30 has a stopping point for gain as it sounds to much at a certain level to my taste.. BUT I use the BB30 way more now at gigs than the Marshall DSL40 .. that Bassbreaker 30 is a freaking animal
I've owned Fenders for years. Recently been wanting to get a jcm800 or Plexi. Haven't really paid much attention to the Bassbreaker series until now. Wow! With that speaker I've got to vote for the fender. In a perfect world I would have both. But although I have the perfect wife there's no way I'm getting a Bassbreaker and a Marshall. It's always good to have a dream tho. Something to shoot for.
That Texas Heat Speaker completely took out the Marshalls characteristic sound. Perhaps you might like it as is, but I think it should've been made clearer throughout the video that the amp has been modded in a way that totally decharacterized as a classic Marshall sound.
Spot on if he had a celestion vintage 30 in the marshall it would have been closer
The Texas heat on that Marshall is the reason why it sounds so dark compared to the Fender.
Jaime Nôro I’d like to hear a like for like comparison - I have the Texas Heat in my Blues Jr and like what it does - but if the V Type in the Bassbreaker is the reason why it sounds so alive, I’m getting one.
Depends on the amp. In general, Eminence are darker speakers than Celestions. If you want to add clarity to your tone (some would say brighten), give the Celestion a shot. The Texas Heat is much darker (some would say sweeter) than the V-Type.
What is a Texas Heat?
@R Gerard I see! I do like Celestion speakers and I'm thinking about upgrading my Vox AC-30 speaker! To what? I'm not sure yet. Cheers.
@R Gerard Really! Might look into that sounds like a bargain. So there real Celesions in it?
I can't believe I'm about to say this but I like the gain channels better on the Fender.
Keep in mind, EVH is made by Fender.
@@dantrag2890 keep in mind he had a lot of demands to go into the making of his amp. Fender is just the manufacturer of the amp, they didnt necessarily design it. Eddie took what he knew from Peavey, and the rest of his experience that he developed on his own over to Fender.
He had some extremely high demands for the amp.
@@ericwilliams538 it's worth it, because I love mine.
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Thanks for this comparison Shane. I've owned and gigged the Marshall (I am a marshall fan) and now own and gig the bb30r. The dsl was always lacking that special midrange place that a good marshall finds in the mix. Ultimately I had to sell it. The bassbreaker hits that spot and I believe fender were aiming for just that. It is the best bang for buck lightweight 1x12 combo out there. Lovely voxy/fender cleans and the perfect overdrive channel. I am hugely impressed.
you still playing it? how does it sound at low volumes? Wish it had a master volume.
@@skylarcarlson7745 Ive got the bb30r. Epic amp. I use a JHS little black box amp in the fx loop. Perfect for taming it for late night practice
I've got the DSL40c and love it. You got me intrigued on the Fender Bassbreaker! May have to get it now. Great video!
I've been a Marshall guy for as long as I've been playing, but, to me, the Bassbreaker was sweet. I'm seriously considering one of these myself. One of the nicest sounding amps I've heard.
Let me know which one you prefer in the comments or you can also vote in the cards. Details in the description! 😀 Edit - The Marshall usually comes stock with the same speaker but I found it way too bright in the amp so I replaced it. That said, I like the Texas Heat speaker more. :-)
►Sky Music - alnk.to/gVFgmY1
►Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/5bnXBL
►Thomann - bit.ly/2RhZlLH
(affiliate links)
Replace speaker on your DSL, and compare again.
@@SuperBatiskaf I still have the stock speaker somewhere (or in another amp). If I end up buying the Bassbreaker I will do a second shootout with the same speakers but after over a year of gigging the Marshall, I prefer the Eminence Texas heat. :-)
The crunchy blues tone on the Texas Heat is pretty nice, but it *really* does a disservice to the Ultra Gain channel on the DSL which needs the tightness of the V-Type.
@@JohnvanCapel Shane hardly ever uses the ultra gain channel.
Dude,I just purchased a dsl 40 bout a month ago and I am enjoying it but now hearing that bb i must admit to experiencing second thoughts.
Both are the best! But seriously, the Fender had some clearer cut tones to my ears
This is The Best ™ comment 😉
Yes!!! This is the amp shootout ive been waiting for. Thanks Brutha. Fender had blown my mind with this amp
Hands down the Fender Bassbreaker. Perhaps the best sounding amp Fender has produced since Pre-CBS amps. As for sustain, both were excellent. But if one needs more than that, there are plenty of good pedals to choose from.
Both sound great in their own respects. Marshall more compressed, Fender more open in your face. Lovely tones on both! Nice to see Fender stepping up their gain game!
I own both. Both are great amps. In a studio situation variety is paramount.
I've actually A/Bed them in the music store and I've heard them both used on stage. In the store, from a distance, the Bassbreaker has a really nice character (I didn't hear someone else playing the Marshall from a distance). When playing myself, I found the Marshall to have a much more musical 'feel'. A lot of that is probably the sustain that Shane is talking about - but the Marshall really seemed to react better to my playing and was more enjoyable to play overall. On stage, the Bassbreaker didn't really cut through the way the Marshall did - but that could have been the player's settings. For me, that musical feel the Marshall had is the kicker and I would purchase the Marshall.
Marshalls and Fenders play very differently… Personally I prefer Fenders as they are more dynamic to me
That's the point about Marshall amps they cut throw the mix very well. They're made to be play on stage.
All the comments seem related to the darker sounding speaker swapped in the DSL.. Kind of a bummer.... without the stock speaker (which is the same for both amps, other than the ohm rating), it is kind of impossible to really compare them in any fair way. .and, indeed, the DSL sounds like it has an Eminence speaker in it :)... I enjoy all of your vids and the passion you put in to this. You are a great guitarist, as well :) Please put the vintage speaker back in the Marshall, and let them both rip if you get a chance. Best to you and your music.
Really good demo, they seem like amps that some would scratch their heads over wondering which to get. I preferred the chord work on the Bassbreaker. It sounded more ‘present’ to me, I thought the Marshall sounded a bit like it was in the next room. But I preferred the ‘fuller’ sound of the single note work on the Marshall. Different types of feedback, the Marshall seemed to swell into octaves above the root note, whereas the Fender took off in more directions. I think the wilder sound of the Fender won the day for me, there.
Wow! There is quite some difference there! I love the DSL but it does not cut it against that Bassbreaker! The Bassbreaker has far more clarity and makes the DSL sound ´muddy´... I´m surprised!
Both a great, but different enough you’ll want to keep both. I prefer the Marshall and with the 6 button footswitch it’s a slam dunk.
Fender cuts a little more, Marshall is a little smoother. I reckon with some tweaking to the treble and presence they could sound pretty similar!
indeed.
That Marshall has served me well and sounds ballz to the wall great at any volume. Takes some dialing in but easy enough. My only gripe with the DSL40cr is how the channel switching (w/ Marshall 6 button pedal) has an useable delay in between. Cant punch in mid-riff without a drop/delay in sound. Fortunately, I only use mine as a pedal platform anyway and only change channels in between songs, if at all. Almost always lives in ch2-OD1 with lowish gain and I use a JHS Angry Charlie to evoke an old JCM800 for clean and dirty sound duty. My guitar volume pot does the rest. Very pleased. Thanks for a great demo!
That Fender sounds awesome and so full.
I have a Marshall 40 combo! I would love to hear a mix of the two together! I hope you can make it happen! Great video!
I preferred the focused midrange of the Marshall. The BB flubbed out in the bass frequencies but it may just be that it doesn't handle humbuckers as well.
Marshall is still Marshall, and I think I prefer it over the Fender just for the sound of it. The Fender is still damn good, and will cut through the mix better than the Marshall. What about clean channel on the BassBreaker? As good as Fender usually is on clean?
The clean channel on the Fender is not that great.
Does not sound like a Fender. The clean channel is very mid focused lacking bottom end.
@@smokepeddler I find the clean not as "glassy" on the BB models as a traditional Fender, however, I still find it sounds cleaning and better than the Marshall clean channel.
For me I love the sound of fender bass breaker.
Fender sounded brighter at this end but, as you mentioned, that could've been from the fresh V12.
Glad you approve of the old BB15, that's the one I got back in 2017 ...
I love my BB15!
Happy I got rid of my DSL40. Onitss own and in recording, this guy sounds amazing! but on a live setti,ng the scooped mids forces you to keep pushing volume up. It's a wall of sounds, but you can't really define it. I currently play a 22 Watt DRRI and it cuts so well I play live at a quarter of the volume.
Fender Bassbreaker 30R just sounds better to my ears. It's more lively and has better presence.
It *loves* the pedals as well. I never heard a Big Muff sound like a Muff *should* sound until I played one (Ram's Head, Violet clone) through the Bassbreaker. My jaw actually dropped a little.
I know that the fender circuit
I was really surprised. I hadn't heard a demo of these Bassbreakers that I thought was too good. Must be in getting them dialed in. This one sounded great. It had a little clearer sound to me. Probably cut better. The vid you made when you first got your Marshall was my all time fave, so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Thanks for the shootout! I did my own comparison at my local shop over the weekend. Both amps side by side with the stock V speaker. The Marshall wins by far. The Fender sounded like there was a blanket over it, very bassy. The Marshall just ripped 👍
Exactly, Marshall sounds much better live than Fender !!! In the video they obviously can't set up the Marshall properly, it's not an equal comparison.
At high gain the Marshall seems smoother while the Fender is more gritty. Both great tones. I could go with either. Fun demo Shane!
9
Different tones from different amps. Both tones are great, l like them both a lot. Maybe a Strat would have make the Marshall shine even more.
I do think that it would be a fairer comparison, if the Marshall had his stock speaker. The V30 would give the Marshall the most of the high end the Fender has right now.
The main problem for a comparison like this is the RUclips compression - and personal preferences.
My last word: I would take both. Both are great amps with great tones.
Thanks for the comparison. Very useful. I prefer the Fender. A more open and multidimensional sound
Nice Vid Shane! I Loved the Fender Bassbreaker 30R over the Marshall. I play a lot of Blues and Classic Rock and for me the Bassbreaker takes it! I get the BEST of both worlds with the 30R and at only 38lbs. opposed to 50lbs. a lot easier to carry around. Plus the Bassbreaker comes with the Footswitch and Cover included, Big Savings there also!! Please keep up the Good Work Mate, LOVE your Channel!! And as always your Performance!!! Have a Great Day! Cheers from the US!!
The Texas Heat in the Marshall seemed to darken things up a bit. It would be good top hear a comparison with original speakers in those amps. The Bassbreaker was surprisingly good though. Great review Shane.
IMO - the Bassbreaker is one of the finest sounding amps I have heard (for the tone I am looking for). Looking at the 45.
You do outstanding demos, rock on!
That bass breaker reminds me of my old hot rod Deville, but that Deville was loud man. Almost unusable loud.
Might a I recommend the WGS USA et65 speaker in either of these amps. Has more crackle at the top and tighter lows. You can also try the reaper that "flatter" sounding but smooth and punchy
I was just thinking yesterday that it would be interesting to see this very comparison!! Cool!!
I liked them both. Would be hard pressed to pick a favourite. To be honest, I was really surprised how well the Fender sounded.
Played your audio through 3 different playback sources. In this shootout I give the Fender Bassbreaker the slight nod. It just has more punch and just damn good tight and defined punch. The Marshall is no slouch a great amp but in this comparison, Fender Rules!!
Thanks Shane. On my system (quite loud listening with Rogers speakers not headphones) there seemed to be a bit more clarity in the Fender Bassbreaker, which I enjoyed, but as you said, they both sounded great. Next up the BB vs your Blues Deluxe.
Given that both have decent drive channels, for a channel switcher, the Fender may have the edge because it has separate tone controls for each channel.
Great! I would love that Bassbreaker (yes, the Bassbreaker 15 is good - but if you buy one in Australia you're rolling the dice on the notorious problems that Shane has mentioned in the past, and that I've ranted about in the comments section before), I think it wins over the Marshall. Maybe it's the EL84s, maybe it's the speaker, maybe it's the cab - whatever.
Great demo, Shane. I'd love to hear a comparison between the BB30, the DSL, and maybe the Artist Tweedtone on 1) Clean 2) Gain channel 3) Pedals. I realize that's asking a bit much, but even just a couple of those amps A/B'd with a few common OD/Fuzz, etc pedals would be great and I reckon other folks would get a lot out of it.
Nice pickups & chops, bro! Looks like my room. I have a HotRod Deluxe & DSL40-CR. - Cheers! 👍🏻
As someone who owns a DSL100HR that i love so much ive made it my main amp i have to say they both sound good. But i still would prefer my Marshall but would love a Fender Bassman for "that" tone. EDIT: Yeah i always use the classic channels clean or crunch for most stuff and the ultra channels for lead if im not going to just boost the classic channel for the lead. The clean setting is designed around a plexi, the crunch around a JCM800 and the OD1 is a hot rodded JCM800 and the OD2 is also a hot rodded type of JCM800 tone with a different mids feel. I prefer the Marshalls btw cause they work better in a full band setting. But the Fenders like Orange amps sounds "better" on their own but they all work just fine in any of those applications.
Wow!!!! I didn’t think I would like the Bassbreaker compared to the DSL, but man for a Fender, the Bassbreaker can hold its own!!!!! I hear a bit brighter on the highs as well as a tad more clarity with the Fender when going between amps. Don’t get me wrong, I really love the Marshall tone, however compared to the Bassbreaker , the DSL sounds a bit cloudy. Thanks for the comparison!!! Cheers!!🎸🎸🎸🎸🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
Jamal Kareem
A different speaker would change that.
Of note, the cloudiness comes from the fact he did a speaker swap - they normally both come with nice, tight-sounding Celestion V-Type speakers, but he put an Eminence Texas Heat in the Marshall.
The Texas Heat does better at crunchy blues tones than tight lead-guitar tones, and that's affecting this video a lot as it's all about the lead tones.
I like both. I think that the Fender has a more ""balanced" sound, but the Marshall sounds like it would sit in a live mix better.
Nice comparison Shane. Both sounded great and I can understand why others might find the marshall sounding muddy compared to the fender. The fender definitely has more top end to it, but the marshall just has THAT sound. I don't think you could go wrong with either.
I'm telling you, man, for straight up rock and blues, the Bassbreaker is the king of the hill atm. Put a high gain pedal in front of it like the 5150 OD, and it'll do metal like nobody's business. One thing, though, it needs some volume. You can't really play at bedroom volume with the 30R. It wants to open up and breathe. Nice shootout, Shane!
Well, that was pretty impressive ! I like them both but, the Fender is better to my ears . Thanks for the comparison and demo mate !
i have to echo some of the same comments. The clarity in the Fender is crazy side by side. Its like going from cassette tape to newly recorded HD.
Damn you! I have a DSL40CR and love it. But damn I have to admit the fender sounds better 😢…….. But doesn’t look as cool! 🤘😆🤘
Listening to this on one of my favorite pairs of headphones, and so far, what I've gathered is that either of these sound pretty darn SWEET... especially compared to my small solid state practice amp.... when our house is ready for a nice amp, these two are definitely on the top of the short list to check out in person.... any recommendation of other similar size/price units to look into?
Tried and liked theBass breaker. But no footswitchable channels. Not good for my needs. Actually ended up with Orange Crush pro 120. Best solid state amp I’ve ever used.
What..... You can't and a foot switch to it.
The 30R comes with a two button footswitch to put it into drive and more drive modes.
Corey Macmillan right that’s the $900 dollar one. But can you get a clean since both are drive channel? I’m gonna stick with my orange crush pro 120 anyways. Closest tube sound with solid state amp.
@@jasonhuckaby8969 It is $900 although can be found for less. But it's the one discussed in the video. Also it does have a clean channel - the left switch selects clean or drive and the right switch goes to drive/more drive.
I've done quite a few gigs with the Marshall DSL40CR, and the best thing you can do is drop a Celestion NEO Creamback in the amp- it just sounds great clean or dirty. The BB sounds very very good, but I don't dig the apparent bottomy emphasis- probably might be a bit mushy on stage with a band? Both top amps.
Marshall for me.
The Fender sounds really nice. But that little bit darker tone of the Marshall is just amazing. Also i Think it distorts better, keeps more Clarity in the notes, without starts getting messy...
Yeah, I think I liked where the Fender EQ sits, but there's extra "junky noise" sitting on top of the notes. Sorta loose and "messy" like you said.
They both sound pretty good to my ears . I'd go for the Fender because I haven't owned a Fender amp before . The only thing I'm not keen on is the Fenders' looks but that wouldn't put me off buying a used one later down the line 👍
Marshall 's Rectified sound is far cleaner with more sustained especially in the mid range. Fenders are notorious for mid range sound. Some players call tone. Which app you use. Is based on whether you want people to hear the notes you're picking individually. Or if you want some noise to smooth out your transitions.
The only reason I haven't sold my bb15 combo is I'm waiting to see if Fender will make the BB30r in a head.
You probably dont care but if you guys are bored like me during the covid times you can watch pretty much all the latest movies and series on instaflixxer. I've been binge watching with my brother for the last couple of days =)
@Lance Karsyn Yea, have been using InstaFlixxer for years myself =)
I could bear it in my head. 🎸🎶
I’m going to have someone make me a head cabinet to put the chasis in
A lot of folks don’t realize that the brightness of the Fender will cut through on a gig, and break out of the mix better. Who are you playing for, your bedroom or studio, or a live audience in a dense mix?
Interesting mic placement. I'd like to hear this with the mics about 4-5 inches to the side.
I like the Fender, but....the things we like with it going full range by itself in a room aren’t the same as when the sound guy/enigneer has rolled off all the low end so it’s out of the way of the bass, drums, vocals, and everybody’s going hard. I think under those circumstances, the Marshall would shine. It seems to have more mids. Less to have to dial out. My 2 bits.
Exactly. Listen to old led zeppelin soundboard recordings. There is no bass in pages guitar tone to speak off especially on the latter tours like 77. You you get all upper mids and treble and its a very twangy thin brittle tone but then when you listen to audience tapes of the same gig his tone sounds way different . It's fuller and fatter and you can actually hear the bass and lower mids as the audience recording is picking up some of his straight amplifier tone coming off the stage
I have no idea what Marshall did with the DSL 40CR but I like the tone from the older DSL 40C better but that's just me.
I think the main difference is the speaker. The 40CR has a Celestion V-Type, the old C had a 70/80 if I remember it right. The DSL20 still has the 70/80, so maybe you'd like that one more now?
EDIT: Also this video is not representative of what a DSL40CR sounds like, intheblues put an Eminence Texas Heat in there - which is a much darker-sounding speaker and kind of does a disservice to the drive sound of the amplifier.
Both are very nice. I am partial to the placement of the higher mid hump the Fender has. Marshall tends to have their mid hump lower in the band and i like the pop of the Fender top. This is a thing that will likely define both of these brands until they cease to exist.
I subscribed for the great information on offer and for the fantastic facial expressions that I find both informative and entertaining, keep up the good work and once again thank you for sharing.
Sincerely yours Stu From OZ ( Melton really}
The Fender sounds way more yum with a lot more bottom end, BUT I wonder what that does in a mix, would the pokey mids of the Marshall sit better?
The Fender has much better mids and would sit in a mix better!
The stock speaker for both of these amps is the Celestion V-Type, so.... looks like we need to ditch that Texas Heat! -- Or put it in the Bassbreaker and see what happens!
You were in the zone completely with that Jimmy riff! You should have let it roll. I was like yeah! Here it comes... Then, nothing.
I just got the DSL40CR. love it!!
Marshall is clear and is more even across the range, Fender is more mid focused. I would still pick the Marshall over the Fender.
I like em both. The marshall's ultra gain sounded fuzz-like almost. I write with alot of gainy metal rhythm sections and that was pretty intense, even for me.
Wow.... the Fender by far. Great sounding amp.
I own the bass breaker and love it,but that ultra gain channel on the marshall sounded great.
I think I could add something in front of the Marshall to “fuzz” smooth it close to the fender sound but I’m not sure I could get the fender as tight as the Marshall
Like you Shane, I like my Marshall DSL 40 im using the Cream back 12 in mine as Sweetwater sent the amp with the Creamback in it.. I bought the Fender Bassbreaker 15 with the Celestion V12 and feel sounds much better than that DSL.. The DSL sounds compressed in your video as well as when I use it.. Probably need to take into acct the guitar being used as well.. FYI another rig I use is a Boss GT100 with a Carvin TS100 Tube Amp into 2 1x12 cabs with Carvin G12s.. Its incredible how well it sounds.. Im dumb founded brother.. Thanks for what you do for us.. Love your demos.. Keep it up... Danny USA
Probably the best sounding Fender amp gain I have heard, but still prefer the Marshall, which is why I have one.
The stock V-Type seems to greatly benefit from some break in, and keep the presence very low, the treble somewhat low, bass and mids somewhere past noon to taste, and I think it sounds awesome. But, I am also more into hard rock and classic metal than blues. But, I would take the Marshall for that too lol.
I had a Bassbreaker 15 limited edition with a creamback m65 and it sounded really nice but I was surprised at how warm and dark it was for a fender. It didn't quite sound like a fender and it did sound exactly like a Marshall either even though it sounded more Marshall like then any other fender I have heard but I will say it only sounded good with bright Humbuckers with darker pickups it sounded too warm too dark and kind of flat sounding not muddy at all but just too warm and dull . It's very surprising to hear an el84 amp sound that dark . All that said I thought the Bassbreaker with the creamback sounded killer with the right pickups but I decided to return it because it was very noisy and had that motor boating sound and I really tried to live with it as I loved the tone using my brighter pickups like Burstbickers 2 and 3 and my custombuckers but after 3 weeks I returned the amp because of the noise . I still want one with a creamback m65 so I hoping I can find one that is a little less noisy even if have to buy one with the stock speaker and swap in
A creamback . They come in several different limited edition forms with different speakers . They come stock with the V type but their are some that come with the creamback m 65 some come with a G12H30 anniversary and others with a reissue greenback G12M25. I think the G12H30 anniversary would sound great in the BB15 or any of the others as it's a very bright speaker and the bassbreakers are very warm and dark . It could be the perfect match. Hopefully I can find one a little less noisy. I am willing to put up with some noise to own a bassbeaker 15 with a creamback just not overly excessive noise . I would love to have one and swap around some the speakers I have in my existing amps and cabs
Fender smokes it, time for a trade in Shane 😬
Now I want both!
Be interesting to hear them out of the same cab, or even the fender into the eminence speaker in the Marshall combo.🎸🎸🎸
Can’t do the Ball Breaker. Marshall suits my tonal area of interest. Tighter. The sustain would have gone on for all long time with no degradation. The BB quickly fizzled out. Both great amps. Would like to play both in stereo. Had to choose one? Today: this time: the Marshall. Pretty damned good show mate.
Hey Shane, have you bought a Bassbreaker 30R yet 😂 I got mine today, I’ve owned a few amps, and heard many more, but the sound of this Fender just blew me away. Can’t see me ever changing it. Go on, you KNOW you want to👹
Speaker choice makes a HUGE difference here. The Texas Heat is a great speaker. I absolutely loved it in my old blues jr and DeVille. Big round bass response, smooth top end. But I wouldn’t (personally) use it with a Marshall circuit. And this video is a perfect example of how it smooths, flattens, and darkens the frequency response of the amp. Makes the Marshall sound lifeless in comparison in a studio environment. In a live setting (well aware that Shane gigs his Marshall) the Texas Heat probably sounds fine, probably makes the Marshall a little more bluesy.
I personally chose the Marshall DSL20 head (through my Traynor cab with Celestion Greenbacks) over the Bassbreaker series. I liked the Fenders more than the old DSL line, but this "new" line is far improved. Marshall still makes the best rock/blues distortion in the business in my humble opinion.
I have the 30r and love it..was temped by the DSL-40 vintage...looks so cool...but after hearing this side by side, glad I made the choice I did
Hi John, Do you still have the 30r if so,have you had any issues with it? Thank you
@@daniellaudman8580 yes I do and I gig with it regularly..no issues
DSL for mine. The Bassbreaker sounded better with higher gain. The Marshall sounded great everywhere. Might be the speaker. I really like the darker tone with the Texas Heat. Great for bright guitars like SGs and Strats. Well played Shane
The Marshall is, well, Marshally.. Very dark and awesome with lots of low end grunt. But my god that Fender did funny things to my ears 👂, I like it A LOT!! sign me up, man!! It’s the first time ever I would chose a Fender amp over a Marshall!
I definitely could hear the Marshall sounds tighter on the higher gain.
Its like a Marshall with sparkle! Dang yuh, Shane! Checking the used market now.
I just bought a marshall dsl40cr and if I want that lighter fender gain sound, I just play my MXR EVH 5150 pedal through the clean channel. I wanted the Fender bass breaker originally, but couldn't resist the Marshall.
Nah mate that Fender eats the Marshall for breakfast! Still, like my VOX AC-30TB better but overall any will sound great they are all great amps!
Never thought I'd hear a Fender absolutely smoking a DSL but... hey... here we are.
The bassbreaker is an awesome amp.
Thinking the same thing
A dimmed fender can rip... Unfortunately it requires ear splitting volume... 🤣
I played them both at GC today and you're right. That Fender is a beast
I love Fender, Vox and Marshall. This particular comparison is poorly done.
Shane, unfair comparison. Put the stock V-Type back in the Marshall! It kills with that speaker. Don't like your replacement. Sorry.
Completely agree. It's lost the marshall growl with a Texas heat (yuck). Also, the v type has a massive but tight sounding low end that I couldn't replicate even with a v30 I tried in that amp. I like the bassbreaker amps, but the stock DSL40CR is one of my favorite newer amps on the market right now. It's so dynamic and IMO eats the fender up especially at full 40watts and pushing the master volume. EL34 > EL84 all day
Yep!!
Would like to hear the Fender through the speaker in the Marshall.
I played a DSL the other day the clean and classic gain sound good anything higher turned into over compressed mush might be different if I could turn it up louder
Welp I'm returning my dsl40c, and picking up a fender! I'm a die hard Marshall fan but my God. Biggest grip with the dsl40c (old version) no master volume, lead 2 or ultra gain is pretty much usable at lower volumes
Could tell you were really having fun playing at those volumes without annoying the neighbors LOL! I agree with others the Fender sounded great, BUT your Marshall doesn’t have the stock speaker. Makes me if gig-quality amps aren’t like really good cars...manufacturers set them up to perform well at the factory, but when you start adding after market “high performance parts” it doesn’t necessarily add value or the performance you thought it should, it just makes it different. 🤙🏻🤔🎸
Shane I have the DSL40 and Bassbreaker 15 and 30.. the Bassbreaker 30 has a stopping point for gain as it sounds to much at a certain level to my taste.. BUT I use the BB30 way more now at gigs than the Marshall DSL40 .. that Bassbreaker 30 is a freaking animal
Both sound really good!
I've owned Fenders for years. Recently been wanting to get a jcm800 or Plexi. Haven't really paid much attention to the Bassbreaker series until now. Wow! With that speaker I've got to vote for the fender. In a perfect world I would have both. But although I have the perfect wife there's no way I'm getting a Bassbreaker and a Marshall. It's always good to have a dream tho. Something to shoot for.
Man the DSL is Fizzy on the top End. Had the 20cr - Only miss the clean channels for pedals the amp is underrated on the clean end - it smokes!