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Up to Discussions in DT 50 User's Group
950 Views 8 Replies Latest reply: Nov 4, 2011 4:49 AM by robertcrawford1 RSS
robertcrawford1 Just Startin'
robertcrawford1
5 posts since
Oct 5, 2011
Currently Being Moderated

Oct 22, 2011 5:54 AM

DT50 vs Marshall Vintage Modern

First let me say I'm not a tube snob...although I've owned some great ones including most recently a THD Bivalve.  That said, I've been gigging with "modeled" sound for years, mostly w/ the Vox Tonelab stuff, either into a Tonelab or direct to PA like in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZIrq2ctgyg

 

I just took my first plunge into Line 6 gear this month with the HD500 and, after the initial shock of a unit that was dead-on-arrival (fortunately it was just a bad power supply), I'm really starting to love it and will gig with it for the first time tonight.  My point, and I do have one, is this, I know I can use the HD500 4-cord method to a Marshall Vintage Modern and then, when I inevitably move on to another digital stompbox, I've still got a no-kidding "real" amp that will be servicable for the next 50 years (not that I'll care much when I'm 105).  I'm not so sure I can say that with the DT50.  Since both the DT50 head and Marshall 2266 are within a few $ of each other I think that "value" 10 years from now is a fair question...doe anybody else struggle with this? 

 

Sorry in advance if this has been fully explored on other threads...I did try to check cause I hate to be doubly-redundant

Tags: dt50, marshall_vintage_modern
  • Iknowathingortwo
    MerlinFL
    1,667 posts since
    Jul 17, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Oct 22, 2011 1:16 PM (in response to robertcrawford1)
    Re: DT50 vs Marshall Vintage Modern

    I have no idea if your question is redundant or not since this is the first time I've read anything posted by you on any Line 6 forum.  With that said...I think the answer to your quandry is very very simple.  Do you care what your amp might be worth 10 years from now that is basically the same as any Marshall design since Marshall started putting the "gain" knob and more than one channel on their amps.

     

    {{ I've played Marshall amps my whole rock music life since age 13 back in 1974.  But that all changed when I tried out a Vetta 1 combo bought through mail order as I now live in Nowhere, FL instead Morristown , NJ where I was born and raised and music retail stores were everywhere with TONS of stock, plus only about 45 mins from NYC if I couldn't find what I wanted locally. }}

     

    Now back to my point for replying...Marshalls will always be Marshalls and only a very very select few like the Silver Jubilee 25th Anniversary model or any of the OLD Marshalls would ever become more valuable with age.  If you're buying any music gear for it's "resale value" 10 years in the future, then I have to wonder why you bother even playing or buying any "new" brand of gear?  Do you look at your car this way, or your house, your microwave oven, toaster oven, or any of your other possessions?  Anyway - I'm digressing, though it does factor into this equasion.

     

    If you want ONE sound then buy the Marshall.  No surprises with buying a Marshall as it will always sound like a Marshall.  If you actually care, need, or want musical flexibility, then that answer is just a simple...buy the DT50.  you've already got the POD HD500 which will have NOTHING of value 10 years from now like any other piece of computer based gear down the road.  PLUS - you have the decision of ONE 3-pin DMX cable using the L6 iLink (NOT an XLR cable) to get ALL of the functions remotely from the DT50 or use FOUR cables to get just that ONE Marshall sound if something should ever go wrong with your HD500.

     

    I think your question was an easy one and I hope got all the info required to make your purchase decision.

     

    Best of luck,

    Neal

    • BMoe Just Startin'
      BMoe
      62 posts since
      Feb 7, 2010
      Currently Being Moderated
      Oct 23, 2011 6:12 AM (in response to MerlinFL)
      Re: DT50 vs Marshall Vintage Modern

      Same thing here as bartpuglise,I have a JCM 900 and tried it with the HD500 and sounded

      good, but no matter what model I tried, it still sounded like a Marshall. That's when I got

      the DT50. And am very happy with the "options" of amp sounds I get from the combo (HD and DT50)

      and more.

       

      As far as the resale goes, I don't think about it, because this is a "kickass" setup.

    • robertcrawford1 Just Startin'
      robertcrawford1
      5 posts since
      Oct 5, 2011
      Currently Being Moderated
      Oct 25, 2011 9:05 PM (in response to MerlinFL)
      Re: DT50 vs Marshall Vintage Modern

      "Do you look at your car this way, or your house, your microwave oven, toaster oven, or any of your other possessions?"  Well...yes, yes, no, no, and sometimes. 

       

      Seriously...thanks for your insights.  I thoroughly enjoyed the HD500 at the gig last weekend through a QSC K12 and a Senheiser 609 mic'd to the house.  It would be fun to A/B this setup with the DT50

      • Iknowathingortwo
        MerlinFL
        1,667 posts since
        Jul 17, 2007
        Currently Being Moderated
        Oct 25, 2011 10:02 PM (in response to robertcrawford1)
        Re: DT50 vs Marshall Vintage Modern

        Robert Crawford wrote:

         

        "Do you look at your car this way, or your house, your microwave oven, toaster oven, or any of your other possessions?"  Well...yes, yes, no, no, and sometimes. 

         

        Seriously...thanks for your insights.  I thoroughly enjoyed the HD500 at the gig last weekend through a QSC K12 and a Senheiser 609 mic'd to the house.  It would be fun to A/B this setup with the DT50

        I'm glad that what I wrote may have helped you in any way at all in making a purchasing decision whenever you cross that bridge..

         

        And I am glad you did not take my thinking as something offensive to your way of thinking or how you look at your musical investments.  I have a 1989 Toyota 4x4 with a cap on it.  So that makes my auto investment 22+ years old and I never gave the resale value a second thought.  I've looked it up before writing this reply, and interestingly enough my truck is worth almost as much as I bought it new for 22+ years later.  But, I'll never sell it!!  Just like everything else in my life I've purchased - musical or not - if I like it, then I keep it forever until it completely dies.  And yes I still buy new gear to add to my older gear, or sometimes, choose to leave that older gear home or packed up for the only purpose of making as certain as I can be, that it will still work whenever I might want to use it.

         

        I just don't buy cars/trucks for what it might be worth down the road after getting screwed by GM with a POS Chevy van I bought brand new and although I got it in a dark blue color - it should have been YELLOW!!  it was a LEMON in every sense of the word, and the local dealer, the regional HQ, and even the HQ of GM in Detroit left me to swing in the breeze while I suffered through a full year of nothing but problems with the engine, and other related parts.

         

        My house I BOUGHT - is now not worth as much, but I'm not as bad off as others since I bought back in 2001.  However, I STILL can't sell my house for more than the balance of my mortgage!!  Thanks to everyone self-centered jerk who is/or has been in the Oval office, plus the rest in the Senate, Congress, , Governors, etc. - all the way down to the local buttholes here running the backwater town I moved to.

         

        And in conclusion...I even keep all the original boxes, packing and even the shipping cartons all my gear arrives or arrived in.  I honestly have all that stuff from probably over 15 years ago.  I do not have the original packaging for my 1978 Rickenbacker 4001 bass (although I DO still have the original hardshell case).  Just in case I HAVE TO sell something, I can say I still have all the original packing and paperwork, etc.  Yep - I'm a bit weird!!  LOL

         

        Speaking of which - anyone need or want any non-Line 6 bass, guitar, or PA gear??  I'll warn ys - some of it is pretty old.  :-)

         

        Take care,

        Neal

         

        PS - thanks to anyone here who agreed with my reply.  I appreciate the kind words, and hopefully everyone honestly understood what I was trying to say in my very clumsy way of typing what is in my brain.

        • robertcrawford1 Just Startin'
          robertcrawford1
          5 posts since
          Oct 5, 2011
          Currently Being Moderated
          Oct 31, 2011 6:17 PM (in response to MerlinFL)
          Re: DT50 vs Marshall Vintage Modern

          Well Neal, I' ve taken the plunge...just bought a "demo" HD50 head w/ full manufacturer's warranty (plus 2 year extended warranty from Sweetwater) with free shipping for $250 off the "street" price for a new one.  That (sort of) soothes the cheap skate in me.  Now to locate a good 2x12 (for rehearsal space) and 4x12 for the band van...I'm probably going to pass on the line 6 cab and get a good (albeit beat up) 4x12...even if I have to replace the speakers (I like the Hellatone 60s and Classic Lead 80s) well under $400.  I used an Avatar 2x12 w/ my THD Bivalve that I really liked...maybe I'll give them a look.  Oh and thanks about the advice about DMX cable...seems like that's something Line 6 might want to mention. 

           

          Cheers!

          Rob

          • Iknowathingortwo
            MerlinFL
            1,667 posts since
            Jul 17, 2007
            Currently Being Moderated
            Oct 31, 2011 7:13 PM (in response to robertcrawford1)
            Re: DT50 vs Marshall Vintage Modern

            Robert Crawford wrote:

             

            Well Neal, I' ve taken the plunge...just bought a "demo" HD50 head w/ full manufacturer's warranty (plus 2 year extended warranty from Sweetwater) with free shipping for $250 off the "street" price for a new one.  That (sort of) soothes the cheap skate in me.  Now to locate a good 2x12 (for rehearsal space) and 4x12 for the band van...I'm probably going to pass on the line 6 cab and get a good (albeit beat up) 4x12...even if I have to replace the speakers (I like the Hellatone 60s and Classic Lead 80s) well under $400.  I used an Avatar 2x12 w/ my THD Bivalve that I really liked...maybe I'll give them a look.  Oh and thanks about the advice about DMX cable...seems like that's something Line 6 might want to mention. 

             

            Cheers!

            Rob

            Glad to read that Rob.  I hope you will like it, but you should have the option within 30 days, etc. to send it back for a full refund if it's not what you want or need.

             

            One tiny bit about the cab situation you described, I would suggest (if feasible) getting TWO 2x12 cabs loaded with different speakers.  Whatever, the brand that suits your sound best as your "main" cab with lower wattage speakers like Celestion 25s (a more rounded sound) or V30s (a more biting type sound).  Then get another 2x12 cab with higher wattage speakers for tonal expansion plus the difference in response at the higher performance volume you most likely will be playing at.  Something like a typical Marshall 2x12 cab with Celestion 75s or a Mesa/Egnater Cab with what ever speakers they use in their more powerful 2x12 cabs.

             

             

            OR even a Genz Benz/Mesa/Line 6 BASS 2x10 or 2x12 cab with a variable horn/tweeter.  Sounds really weird??  Yep - but you'll be amazed at what happens when combined using the Line 6 gear in front as well as with your lower wattage guitar cabinet.  The combination of the two extremely different designs and responses make for a very powerful yet still optimally subtle combination.  Plus if you ever do need to crank up your power section - each cab will deliver what they are designed to deliver best which covers EVERYTHING any front end Line 6 product can produce.  Especially sweet on emulated acoustic sounds/patches.

             

            I'll bet most reading this think I've completely gone bonkers or just plain have no clue of what I'm suggesting, but I say - give it a try if you are in the mood and see how it works.  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be VERY CAREFUL about your total cabinet ohm rating.  The DT amps are VERY picky when it comes to putting too low an ohm load onto the output section.  A total combination of two cabs should NOT EXCEED 4 ohms total!!  Bass cabs tend to be 4 ohms just themselves, but 8 ohm ones are not that hard to find.  Just be very aware or this no matter what cab/cabs you hook up.

             

            Enough yapping from me.  BEST OF LUCK in your search.  Please keep me and others on there posted with your results and opinons.  If Line 6 is not or can't do it all - then I guess it's up to us real life users to let others like us what does and doesn't work or give some offbeat sounding suggestions.

             

            Take care,

            Neal

            • robertcrawford1 Just Startin'
              robertcrawford1
              5 posts since
              Oct 5, 2011
              Currently Being Moderated
              Nov 4, 2011 4:49 AM (in response to MerlinFL)
              Re: DT50 vs Marshall Vintage Modern

              I know what you mean about unorthodox configurations.  One of my favorite setups is the HD to a line-in input of a Mackie 802 compact mixer, then the aux send to a FRFR (QSC K12) powered cab.  Sounds weird until I fire it up...an added benefit is that I can use the Mackie to mix vocals into the QSC (with a line out to the house) and I end up with a very simple setup that works very well on cramped bar stages. 

               

              I have a couple of hours over 2 evenings w/ the DT...jury's still out but I'm warming up to it.  Day one I hated it; this is normal for me...I hate all new gear for the first 24-48 hours.  After day 2, I've moved up to ambivalent...I'm starting to understand a little more about getting my "sound" thru the Line6 link and out of the speakers.  I don't trust my tweaking skills enough just yet to take it to the gig tomorrow night, but I'll know for sure whether the DT has a home by our next gig on the 11th.  That said, it's probably too much for that bar...I'll probably end up using the setup I described above.   

  • bartpuglise Just Startin'
    bartpuglise
    104 posts since
    Mar 16, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Oct 22, 2011 4:03 PM (in response to robertcrawford1)
    Re: DT50 vs Marshall Vintage Modern

    I  absolutely agree with Merlin I initially had my HD500 running into a JCM 800. Sounded badass but it was limited. I went to guitar center and ran the HD500 into a DT50 head and I lost my mind. The DT50 is a great investment coupled with the HD500 and I wouldn't trade my current rig for anything! Go to a retailer and check it out you won't be disappointed!

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