I may be in the market to pick up a Marshall JCM800 to replace my TSL. I am not sure which model to chase. I like a simple one channel operation preferably but if there is a version with 2 channels i wouldn't mind the extra channel. 100 watt or 50 watt? Any suggestions?
the 2203/2204 (aka JCM800 later in the 80s) is a single channel only model with the 2203 being 100W and 2204 being 50W.
Thats essentially all you can pick when it comes to that particular model. There are plenty of other knock offs tho from other brands to consider
99% of people will say the single channels and I'd agree with them but the two channels are capable of great tone but it's a single, specific sound that is hard to dial in. The cleans are terrible on the two channels and at low volume so is the lead channel but if you crank it and dial it in just it can be hard to beat.
i dont know much or have played any of the proceeding model numbers but the 2203/04 is a solid amp. You can get cleaner tones by jacking into the low input which bypasses the first gain stage giving you more headroom. In DoomRoom hcfx a couple users do this and use heavier fuzzes into it for solid tones. you can also boost the hi input stage to get the heavies 2
Best JCM800 is probably the Laney AOR.
also some sovtek i think and those red bears for clones of that amp
2203/2204 if you are looking for a single channel, the better version IMO, or 2205/2210 if you want to try the dual channel. You may hear stories about the horizontal input versions of the 2203/2204 being inferior to the more desirable vertical input versions but that's all BS.
Somewhere online it showed the 2204 never changed as far as parts go. They did on 2203's but the tonal change is minimal at best and is a case of people hearing with their eyes instead of their ears.
But, if you don't watch to drop the cash for one of those you can look into these. They are rising in prices but not near the price of Marshall's:
Laney AOR's (essentially Lee Jackson modded 2203/2204's)
Red Bear
Sovtek Mig
Would say the Sovteks are pretty dodge construction wise, from shots I've seen, the Laneys are pretty good though (PCB for components only, everything socket and pot wise is chassis mount except the bias trimmer).
sovteks probably no better or worse than any other modern commercial amp work. AORs are well built compared to a lot of stuff out there.
I had an AOR100 cross my path a few months back. It was a cool amp but I really didn't think it was very "Marshall" sounding, but a good sound regardless. I have seen the 2210s(?)around lately which( and I may be wrong) are the 800 series with 2 channels and a reverb? I really only need a single channel amp. My TSL does the trick but I have no need for the clean or lead channel. I've actually been using my Class 5 for practice purposes and running a Tubescreamer in front of it when I need it.
Sent from my iPhone
TODAY(Beta) • Powered by Yahoo!
Star wears same wild pants as Stefani
Get Yahoo Search App! • Privacy Policy
Vertical jacks, not horizontal. EL34's not 6550's.
Quote from: Hemisaurus on June 04, 2012, 07:06:50 PM
Vertical jacks, not horizontal. EL34's not 6550's.
It was many many years ago, but think I asked in the jam room of the old site about Marshall heads. Could have been dmusic as used to post there too. Anyway, the advice led to me (aged 21 then) being the proud owner of a 1982 vertical input 2204 shortly after asking the Q.
I remember being steered toward 2204 and the JCM 900 2500 model (EL34 model). Am I right in thinking the SL-X heads were 1 channel, but with an extra pre amp tube for extra gain?
They pop up for sale in the UK every now and then anyway, I am sure Mr Foxen will be able to say if it is a model worth looking at :)
Marshalls are gay and sound like AIDS. Except sometimes when I'm selling one for The Melvins' tour manager, those ones are good.
Mostly they are overrated and overpriced because of the badge, so I have nothing to do with them.
The pigs that have partridge iron, those I can get with.
I got an '81 800, an '85 AOR50, and a MIG50 in my garage right now and I can definitely say that none of them sound alike. The 800 is one of the more dynamic amps with a gain knob I've ever played, the Laney has more gain and bass (almost everything has more bass than an 800) and can get heavy quicker, and the MIG50 is more or less a bassman. One of the guitar players in my band has a MIG100 which is supposed to be their 800 but it is also bassier and gainier than the 800. Nothing quite feels like the Marshall in terms of dynamic, which is it's biggest appeal to me. My roommate owns it and he boosts the low gain with an overdrive or a fuzz he can disengage to get a cleaner sound. Most people complain about Marshall clean sound but it has a bite and edge to it I enjoy.
Quote from: Mr. Foxen on June 04, 2012, 07:34:22 PM
Marshalls are gay and sound like AIDS. Except sometimes when I'm selling one for The Melvins' tour manager, those ones are good.
Mostly they are overrated and overpriced because of the badge, so I have nothing to do with them.
The pigs that have partridge iron, those I can get with.
I just shit my pants laughing at "Marshalls are gay and sound like AIDS"! That may be the funniest damn thing i ever read! I agree that sometimes they are overpriced, though not as bad as Orange(especially the newer ones!), however their AIDS-like sound draws me in every time. I have had alot of amps but I love me some Marshall tone. So i think I'm gonna stick with them.
I guess i should rephrase my inquiry. Not necessarily wondering which is better as it really depends on the whos hearing it, but which ones to look for and which ones to avoid? It would be nice to have a store within decent driving range that carries the damn things so i could try one out.
Must agree with Mr Foxen to an extent, for he knows much more than I and sells cool shit. Marshalls are horribly overpriced over here nowadays 2nd hand. My 800 is a good amp, the guys in Flynn amps seemed to agree when I had it overhauled. I have a 900 too (4500) and have never really liked it. Could probably say I have not played a new Marshall that I have liked, DSLs, TSLs etc.
Avoid the 800's with reverb. I've heard they have problems.
Quote from: Mr. Foxen on June 04, 2012, 07:34:22 PM
Marshalls are gay and sound like AIDS. Except sometimes when I'm selling one for The Melvins' tour manager, those ones are good.
Mostly they are overrated and overpriced because of the badge, so I have nothing to do with them.
The pigs that have partridge iron, those I can get with.
Yep...nobody has ever gotten good tone out of a Marshall...especially an 800. All of those great Pexi's, JTM's and 800's we've seen over the years were all secetly Sound City's inside.
Whenever something becomes such a strong standard sometimes people will look for anything else just for the sake of being different. I'm not saying that Marshall are the be all, end all of all amps they're damn solid and damn easy to get a great tone out of aside from a few models.
Quote from: tossom on June 04, 2012, 07:50:53 PM
the guys in Flynn amps seemed to agree when I had it overhauled.
I had an amp worked on by them, that came with the receipt, I was very far from impressed. I also got a PM regarding them from another dealer warning me since the amp was advertised as having work done by them. I sort of figure its a head guy who knows what he is up to and a bunch of bodgers he farms out to.
See the posts in best solid state high gain metal amp thread, the JCM900 has a modern tone stack, where they use op-amps to shape the sounds before it hits the tubes. This active tone system doesn't behave like the earlier passive tone stacks.
My 800 sounded great, Oli is just a grump.
Quote from: Hemisaurus on June 04, 2012, 07:06:50 PM
Vertical jacks, not horizontal. EL34's not 6550's.
this
My '81 has 6550's, and it sounds great.
Real great.
Quote from: Worthless Willie on June 05, 2012, 12:00:20 PM
My '81 has 6550's, and it sounds great.
Real great.
I think it's great that you can accept your amp's gayness and the AIDS-ridden tone it produces. Who sez Texans are closed-minded?
I'm all about the Tone Rainbow.
:D
Im gay, I have AIDS. I wear big pants. I don't understand downtuning.
Quote from: SunnO))) on June 05, 2012, 01:06:56 PM
Im gay, I have AIDS. I wear big pants. I don't understand downtuning.
Good on ya! There's more of you Marshall players coming outta the closet every day.
Technically, we're the same, Al. You play a Boogie... which is a Modded Fender... so is my Marshall...
Alan, you are also gay.
I must be super gay for having 2 marshalls then :-*
Have to say I'm really happy with the way my 800 sounds after it came back from Flynn amps but will take the criticism on board, maybe I was lucky!
Im a former owner but I admit with pride that I loved my Marshall as I would Worthless Willie. We should rehouse one in a Laney case and laugh at Oli when he doesn't realize why it sounds so good.. :D
(http://rlv.zcache.com/arsehole_amplification_hat-p148224872519988488en7ph_210.jpg)
I will take the Marshall logos off mine and go with this instead.
Quote from: SunnO))) on June 05, 2012, 01:15:19 PM
Technically, we're the same, Al. You play a Boogie... which is a Modded Fender... so is my Marshall...
Alan, you are also gay.
Perhaps, but I'm in denial, so I keep my gayness hidden inside a 4-space rack case.
We can smell our kind.
I have a Park by Marshall practice bass amp and currently possess my brother's Valvestate combo on a long term loan. That must make me a little bit gay, but not as gay as those owning JCM 800s or a Plexi.
That is still pretty gay...
No, just a bit curious...
RAGER is up shits creek, he's got it a superbass. Just about as gay and AIDS as it gets.
Marshall should wordfilter to gayaids from now on.
Yep, Superbass even has the word "ass" in it.
Proof!
I got a JCM 800 4210 1x12 combo with two channels and reverb. It sounded great on either channel with tons of tones to be had. Only thing that was weird was the clean channel was quite a bit louder than the dirt channel. It was also a super damn loud amp and could drown out most other amps and or drummers.
Quote from: Worthless Willie on June 06, 2012, 01:49:39 AM
Yep, Superbass even has the word "ass" in it.
Proof!
Superb Ass
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/Incarante/charisroost.jpg)
I just bought two Marshalls. Christening them gay and AIDS respectively.
Anyone wanna buy a Marshall or two, both 100w, a 70s and an early 80s.
I really like my Krank Rev1, it's built off the Sovtek Mig100. Really good amp if you know how to dial, and cheap as hell on eBay and Guitar Center used.
Though my dream amp is a 82' JCM800 with 6550.
Quote from: dunwichamps on June 04, 2012, 03:31:52 PM
the 2203/2204 (aka JCM800 later in the 80s) is a single channel only model with the 2203 being 100W and 2204 being 50W.
Thats essentially all you can pick when it comes to that particular model. There are plenty of other knock offs tho from other brands to consider
This. Do not fear a single channel amp.
They are SUPER flexible. Run them loud and clean with a good dirt pedal, I do so and can also cheat a clean tone using my neck pickup with volume rolled back without turning off dirt pedal.
Or run them full bore and piss off the soundman, heh. But still you have a lot of room to maneuver with
I like the Sovtek MIG100H. I used to work with the guy who designed it. My favorite JCM800 is the 50 Watter with 6550 tubes. Although Mercury Magnetics transformers in a JCM2000 is no joke.
I play through a JCM 800 bass version (model 1986) of the 2204. Single channel, two vertical inputs.
Does the goddamned job. I repeat, it goddamned does the job.
"(aka JCM800 later in the 80s)"
The 800 came out in '81.
and the JMP came out late 70s so the context "later in the 80s" makes sense there
I have a 2205 and love it. It's dual channel, but forget about using more than one effectively. Also, they are known to have problems with the FX loop that essentially render your master volume useless. It sounds fucking great, but it has its quarks. I got it back in the day for ~$450 and then had some issues that required me to dump a bunch more money to fix it. It really cuts through in a band setting and can clean up well. Our other guitar player has an Orange Rockerverb 50 and I much prefer my JCM 800. His sounds smoother, but mine cuts through. In the video below, about the 3:20 mark is where I take off the tremolo (from Eventide Space), or the 6:50 mark for a more constantly dry sound. And this was all bootlegged by a chick with an iPhone about 8 feet from the stage. Sounds good considering, I think, though not as full.
I thought besides the cosmetics, the master volume JMP 2203/2204 and JCM800 2203/2204 are exactly the same.
generally speaking yes, there was a small change in the filtering I believe during later model production but the rest of the circuit was identical.
Quote from: Instant Dan on July 10, 2012, 01:42:26 PM
I thought besides the cosmetics, the master volume JMP 2203/2204 and JCM800 2203/2204 are exactly the same.
Blasphemy, The JCM800 has larger transformers and higher plate voltage than the JMP. The JCM800 has more headroom and a stiffer attack.
I may have found an 800 locally for a good price but I'm having some issues finding info on the particular model. The guy says its an 85 2204 50 watt with horizontal inputs. It is dark green with a checkered grill. All info I've found says that these were small box heads. I have yet to see it up close to know for sure.
What is the difference in the small box heads? Were the green heads a special edition? What tubes are supposed to be in it? Any info will help . Thanks
Paging Jake ^^^^ He had one
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee74/spicoli420_2007/IMG_01571_zps116e58fc.jpg)
That's cute, to bad it eats fuses like a Hummer eats gas.
it ain't et a fuse in almost a year.
My later model 800 has a circuit breaker instead of a fuse. Awesome but led me to really abuse that thing with mismatched loaner cabs at gigs and generally turning it up too loud.
Thermal auto resetting breaker :D. just give it a second
My favorite JCM800 is my Peavey VTM 60.
Quote from: BrianDamage on October 08, 2012, 11:54:46 PM
My favorite JCM800 is my Peavey VTM 60.
yep. you can get them for $250-$300 any day of the week, and they eat 800s.
Quote from: justinhedrick on October 09, 2012, 12:10:21 AM
Quote from: BrianDamage on October 08, 2012, 11:54:46 PM
My favorite JCM800 is my Peavey VTM 60.
yep. you can get them for $250-$300 any day of the week, and they eat 800s.
Yep. I got my head and matching 412m (celestion loaded) cab for 250 at a pawn shop. With enough patience retardedly good deals can be had.
I worked on a PV VTM120 awhile ago. Great amps, that DIP switch thing in the front is a great feature too. I heard that they got sued by Marshall over that one.