Small Marshall 800 combo. Any good?

[Mike M.]

Yesterday while buying strings I saw a used Marshall JCM (I think it was JCM) combo, 2 channel with 1-12 inch speaker. It caught my eye because I never saw one before. Seeing how some of you love the Marshall 800 series is it worth checking out? I would have tried it but I was pressed for time. Thanks.

[Scatterwound]

Re: Small Marshall 800 combo. Any good?

I have a Marshal JCM 800 1 X12 combo. I think it is dated from 1985. It has two channels and reverb. I have had it for about 10 years and never really considered it to be one of my favourite amps. I have other amps as well...Fender...Crate...Vox...But I would probably say that this is the one I like the least....

Why you may ask? Well it is just that this amp is too bright sounding for my liking..I tried replacing the EL34s with KT88s for a warmer rounder sound but still it is a bit too bright for me...I guess to really get the sound I want out of it I will have to get it modded....I would have loved this amp if it had a presence control but it does not and that is probably why I find it too bright........

[Jeff_H]

Re: Small Marshall 800 combo. Any good?

There is almost a love/hate relationship between Marshall users who use the 2 channel 800's and those who don't. It's a very different animal from the single chanel master volume JCM 800's.

I prefer the 2 channel models. I have the 50w 2x12 version of the JCM 800. It's model number is 4212 and is the combo version of the 2205. The clean channel is just average in it's stock form....not sparkely or super clean, like a Fender, so don't expect that. It can be modified to have near Fender Blackface cleans. I am told by Jeff Seal (speaker surgeon) that the 2 channel 800's are able to take the greatest deal of modification because they carry 5 pre-amp tubes instead of 4.

The OD channel is where this amp (as well as all Marshall amps) shines. The master volume helps get decent overdrive tone at reasonable levels, but to really hear it's true overdrive sound you've got to crank it up. This amp will handle anything from Classic Rock thru Old School metal with no pedals. AC/DC or Zeplin type crunch all the way thru Van Halen and Judas Priest type sounds. With a good boost or OD pedal, you can take it all the way. I like it so much because I don't really need an OD pedal to get close to the tone of some of my favorite artists. It's not good enough on the cleans to play country or Jazz...at least in it's stock form.

Since the circut has been around for so long, there are some easy and realatively cheap modifications that can be done to increase the performance of both the clean channel and the OD channel - without drilling holes. It could easily be put back to bone stock.

Anyhow....you can probably tell that I really like mine quite a bit. I haven't had mine modified yet...but it's on the GAS list. Improved cleans and overdrive that is smoother and available at lower volume levels are not to far away for me.

[Maggie]

Re: Small Marshall 800 combo. Any good?

I like the two-channel 800s. It's a one-sound amp (the clean channel pretty much blows), but it's a really fun sound. Many balk at that sound being derived, in part, from clipping diodes. I say "Who cares? It sounds good!"

I'd have bought one of those already, myself, but I already have an amp that can cop 90% of its sound and I couldn't justify dropping $500 to pick up that other 10%.

[strat_master]

Re: Small Marshall 800 combo. Any good?

do they still make the jcm 800 combos? i really want one it soudns liek a good amp for me,

[Jeff_H]

Re: Small Marshall 800 combo. Any good?

They are not new production models any longer. You can pick them up used on eBay and in local music stores for around $450 for 1x12's, and up to as much as 800-900 for a pristine 2x12 combo. I'd say average for a 2x12 is in the $600 range - decent shape, not modified, stock speakers, ect.

[Jeff_H]

Re: Small Marshall 800 combo. Any good?

Here's one for sale now at a very decent price.

http://www.deanguitars.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2218

Kiss item's extra I assume.

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: Small Marshall 800 combo. Any good?

I love mine. I got it modded to get the thick 80's metal sound. But i still get the original sound. It is great.