Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

[J Moose]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

I was diggin' round and found this old thread which is pretty rad...

This quote brought back some memories... had to bump!

Think of "high gain" as being the signal your preamp sends to the power section. You can have a 200w Marshall Major, anyone that's played an unmodded Pig can tell you, it's not high gain, to get it to sound "good" it's got to be ear bleedingly, cabinet blowingly loud. However, an amp that really cooks the preamp (or induces distortion in the preamp stage) would be considered high gain. Think something like a Mesa Triple Rectifier.

About 10 years ago one of my friends bought a Marshall Major... it had already been modded to a JMP preamp and brought down to about 160 watts if I recall it correctly...

Man was that amp ever LOUD!!!

Blowing drummers away & tearing the roofs off small clubs was not much of a struggle. He eventually bought an attenuator & was able to run it at more modest & reasonable volumes, even by gig standards. In the meantime I think he toasted one or two GT75's in his cab... not a big deal as he replaced 'em all with V30's but still... At some point he had the amp modified again with the "Soldano" mod for more preamp gain and a bass boost like Warren Haynes head.

Overall that amp WAS a pig. Loud. Unruly. Seldom worked without "issues" too. It liked to warm up for at least 10-15 minutes before taking it off standby otherwise it'd freak out, make all kinds of popping noises & other junk. He always had a backup like a Classic 50 or a Twin... just in case.

I should note that he bought it from a reputable tech for a really reasonable price... I think the previous owner had abandoned the thing. lol

Watching him & going through the "mod" phase... I can really agree with whoever it was that said you want to find an amp that doesn't need mods to sound great. It can be a long & unforgiving road, chasing something that you might not ever get. And if you ever decide to dump the amp you'll NEVER get all the cash that went into the mods back out...

Funny enough, that Major went through a couple of friends and when I was working retail in my previous life, one of 'em traded it in on a Strat... gave him a killer deal too. The dude who bought it from the store was the original owner of that beast & identified a few distinguished marks on the amp and was WAAAAAY too happy to have it back. HAHAHA!

Different strokes for different folks.

[saladin]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

I'd take a DSL over a JCM800 any day.

[tone?]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

Funny reading stuff you posted a long time ago.

Although i still agree to some degree on what i was saying back then, i still have some bug in me edging me to put some tubes in my JCM800 and see what it can do. I know i wont be satisfied though compared to my VHT.

I do hear a Plexi here and there which i think are awesome, but every time i hear the awesome ones either they are cranked or are modded to sound that awesome.

I can play my VHT at real low levels and it is real sweet.

cant believe i am even writing more for this thread! lol! im silly

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

This has to be one of the first discussions I participated in.

Sorry for being a dick, MikeS.

[J Moose]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

This has to be one of the first discussions I participated in.

Sorry for being a dick, MikeS.

HAHAHA

I found that whole thing rather intriguing actually...

Very informative.

[jerryjg]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

Beuatiful thread. I thank everyone involved. Very informative.

[Imp]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

blimey, this predates electricity itself in forum terms

good read though!

[YJM_Rocks]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

I'd take a DSL over a JCM800 any day.

Explain.

[xxxplorer]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

what about a 5150II? Kinda marshally, kinda soldano like. Very few issues, reliable, cheap... oh I forgot... the brand thing. If you like soldano, Vht, bogner... just get the box of metal from ZVEX. Put that on your fender or vox and you have instant boutiqueness LOL!

[DesertRose]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

I've got a JCM800 1x12" combo. I just love the sound of it.
got a few other amps too like fender twin reverb(6L6) and JCM900(5881), however I think the 800 suits my ears better compared to the rest.

[Stratman]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

As you get older you realise that those 100 watt amps are too loud and that you now have problems with the ringing in your head and your back is not what it used to be...

Bars don't call you back after you played your best, even though all your friends said it was the best they ever heard (And though it was funny watching all the bottles vibrate on the bar)

BUT before then get an amp that fits your music and allow you to play in bars and clubs at realistic levels.

PLEXI's are loud and need powerbrakes to reduce the volume level.

[msaint]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

I've got a DSL50 and been playing it for 7-8 years. It is a very versatile amp and noticed that i need to find the right settings with different pickups. I've used it with C5/aph-2n combo and JB/Jazz combo and find that in a band environment, it really cuts through, especially with 500k pots in my guitar. The clean/crunch channel sounds full enough for hard rock/classic rock verses choruses... I normally use the crunch channel for my choruses and the Lead channel for soloing... which it really cuts through with the JB (simply sings).

It is a very versatile amp and have tried the 900 and the 800. I am not much of a fan of the 900 but LOVE the 800... the only thing that made me choose the DSL50 instead of the JCM800 was the lead channel on the DSL. both amps sound similar, IMO...

REMEMBER THIS: its the cab you plug the head into that makes a huge difference... the modern sound that the DSL is known for could be because they are plugged into Celestion 75s speakers instead of Vintage 30s.

I <heart> my DSL

Absolutely true. Even a stack of 800's or DSLs will sound horrible if plugged in and played through Crates and Danelectros.

[msaint]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

Personally, I have the entire Marshall and Mesa lineups with Plexies and all the Rectifiers etc., and have been playing since late 1959 (I'm one of the few people who own two original 59 Les Pauls, bought them in Laguna Beach, CA circa 1966 when you couldn't give away a Gibson unless it was an Es 335) and have discovered that the 900 has less dialable sustain and distortion than the 2000. However, the pro is the 900 sounds the best with pedals in it's loop, providing one is plugged into a 1960 4x12 lead (doesn't matter whether C-30s or 75s are in the cab, the 900 will still sound the best with pedals) cabinet. The 800 has the best "straight out the amp" tone but falls short of the 900 when used with pedals. The older Plexi is the King of Marshall heads and encompasses all the qualities of the afore mentioned, however, be ready to sell your mother to get the money (2-3K) to purchase an original (pre 1972). The RI Plexies are not of the same caliber or quality as the pre 1972s. Long story short, all the Marshall's are good heads (no pun intended), and are totally dependent upon the talent of the musician as well the external apparatuses (loops/cabinets) being utilized.

[Securb]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

I love my JCM 2000. I can pull out 800, 900 and JTM45 tones with an impressive closeness.

[NjuiMusic]

Re: Marshall JCM800 vs JCM2000 Series

the reason the JCM800 is much more expensive is because they were built with better parts, the DSLs and TSLs had many issues with overheating, melting etc. the JCM800 had drake transformers for one which are highly regarded transformers.

Also namesake, JCM800 is a much more popular name than the JCM2000, whenever you stick a large number on something it starts to sound more like a gimmic or a toy.