Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

[cris_hendrix]

Hey fellows!
first, thank you for letting me be part of this community, i have a serious doubt.
I'm now into more sort of prog rock music (not metal tech math core...yadda yadda progresive), think of Steven Wilson, last Opeth records (i love that guitar sounds on "eternal rains will come", last Porcupine Tree albums, or mr. Guthrie Govan's tone that i found just perfect (gainy but defined, mid oriented) and thinking about sounds i believe that what i need is a marshall jcm 800. If it's that way, it's good because my ears are working, but not my wallet. So i made a list of possible candidates:
-Jetcity jca 50h (not my favourite, too much "dirty" gain)
-Blackstar HT 20h (sounds great, i had it and worked for me, but i used with a tele knock off so i'm not sure now)
-Victory V30 (sound is perfect, but moneywise....ughh)
-
My gear is a Prs SE singlecut with a Suhr SSV on neck and Duncan Pegasus on bridge, thru bb preamp thru volume, delay and amp (currently a Peavey XXX which i'm selling, 120 watts is overkill) and a 2x12 cabinet i'm planing loading with Celestion V-type and V30 speakers. So i realized i need an amp 50 watt at max, no less than 20, avoiding EL84 tubes (when they get too loud, they sound like crap :/ ) so i've been stuck on 50 watters.
I had a Laney GH50 that was nice but had a weird honky sound when i engaged the neck PU (probably due to the eminence GB128 that i hated and sold) and traded the head for the Peavey. So i feel lost, i can't get a tone i like. I love gainy but clean solos, good note separation, but i have the money issue, so i have a budget of $650 us dollars (head only) and here in Chile my posibilities are scarse to find something else-better-bestbangforthebuck sort of amp. But i would like to know what you guys think to help me decide which to buy, know your recomendations. AH, yes, i rely on amp gain for main dirt sound.
greetings and thanks!
what i look for in tone (kind of):







your help is welcome!!!

[chadd]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

Here are the first two amps that come to mind when I hear that someone is looking for an 800.
If you get really lucky, you may find a Mesa Stiletto in that price range. I would keep an eye out for the old Sovtek amps, or the new EH mig 50 reissue.

[mjsmanahan35]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

https://youtu.be/ldjqvh67lsU

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[MetalManiac]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

https://youtu.be/ldjqvh67lsU

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[BartOfDarkness]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

I'm not sure how readily available they are in Chile, but a Peavey VTM is a fairly cheap JCM 800 clone. Out of all the options you listed, I'd go with the blackstar. I've played a few different models from the HT line and I have no doubt that it can pull off the kinds of tones you're going for.

[mjsmanahan35]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

Blackstar has marshall employees

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[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

Peavey Windsor. About 200 bucks 100 watt all valve head

[cliffenstein]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

Peavey Windsor. About 200 bucks 100 watt all valve head

I second this.

Also, here in America, JCM 2000 DSL100 and DSL50 amp heads can be found in the $400-$500 range with ease (I got my mint condition DSL100 head for $380).

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

I second this.

Also, here in America, JCM 2000 DSL100 and DSL50 amp heads can be found in the $400-$500 range with ease (I got my mint condition DSL100 head for $380).

Oh crap I forgot about the DSL aka the BEST AMP THAT MARSHALL HAS EVER MADE

[cliffenstein]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

Oh crap I forgot about the DSL aka the BEST AMP THAT MARSHALL HAS EVER MADE

Haha...yep...classy looks and killer performance. I love mine!

[cris_hendrix]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

Haha...yep...classy looks and killer performance. I love mine!

thank you all guys for your kind answers. I couldn't find a DSL 50 (they are pretty scarse here) I had a Dsl 100 i traded (now i regret) but i didn't enjoyed it's sound, and that strange delay in channel switching. I've moded it actually. But yes, if i had the chance to have a Dsl 50 i would have kept it. After months of changing the DSL 100 i've found a used Dsl50 for 1200 us dollars (the cheaper price i've found here) so it's out of reach anyway The crunch on channel 1 and the drive 1 were good, after the mod and when i had the celestion speaker sounded awesome (because i hate the sound of marshall 1960 stock g12t-75 speakers) they screw the sound of most marshalls to my ears. With v-type sounded near perfect

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

Never say "I want a JCM800 sound" and then start entertaining brands other than Marshall. Brands have differing tones unless we're talking about exact clones of Marshall circuits.

I have a 4 6550 JCM800, 2 EL-34 JCM800, and Jubilee, plus a bunch of killer amps like Bogner and Bad Cat. As great as those other amps sound, none of them sound exactly like a Marshall.

The DSL's are what most 800 seekers are looking for, because they're a higher gain version of that tone. Look for a used DSL, retube it and bias it right. I'm sure you'll be happy with it. Also, a lot of those amps have perfectly good tubes, so just bias it first. It's likely to be all the servicing it needs.

[MetalManiac]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

^ Whoa- when did you get the 4/6550 Marshall JCM800?? ( knew you had the showroom condition JCM 800 50 watt combo ( 2xEL34)

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

After seeing you've had a DSL, consider grabbing a Jubilee 2555 on sale now for $1250. It's better than the DSL and may be your last chance to own a new one at that price. I wish I had a big bank account. I'd buy several of them just for the heck of it.

[Chickenwings]

Re: Help with tone: jcm 800 on a budget??

You can get the 800 sound with a real British built marshall for less.
It is the jcm900 MKIII dual master. Not to be confused with the jcm900 hi gain dual reverb. The dual master has no reverb.
The MkIII is essentially an 800 but with an extra switchable master volume control and a separately controlled clipping circuit that can be dialed in with the stock tube sound for the higher gain more modern sounds. It is an excellent amp.