EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

xxxplorer

xxxplorer

New member
Ok... I have spent a lot of years trying out various tube screamer clones, different 'transparant ODs' and all that boutique jazz. I honestly don't care anymore what it is or how it works or is put together.

I just sold off an Addrock ol' yeller as I can get VERY close with a POS eq in front of my Marshall JCM800 2204... but the plus is with the eq I can still get SOME volume knob dynamics... SSSOOO... is there a wicked graphic eq type pedal that can boost marshall with just a hair more balls?

I don't care bout true bypass or caps and shinanigans... just something to make it sound like Scott Ian is destroying my Garage... and yes I have the right hand!

P.S... I know he used some T.C. boost thing... but I'm open to other options.
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

fat boost is good.....bass and treb controls, more than enough poke, and just a little grit if you want it.
Ive never got along with graphics as a boost for my marshall.
 
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Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

Have you ever tried using a treble booster with your Marshall? I love 1 with mine :D
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

Boss GE-7. Gives you lots of control over tone, and plenty of overall level. I used one for years as my only boost/dirt pedal, driving JMP and JCM Marshalls.

I think there's a nice one in the Trading Post right now, JeffB IIRC.
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

Rich_S said:
Boss GE-7.
Click to expand...

I use one, but not for boost because it's just too noisy. With no boost set, there's a slight increase in noise with the pedal on, but as you increase boost that noise grows.... a lot.

I keep it because I got it used dirt cheap, but it will be replaced one day with a quieter EQ.

Although POS was mentioned, so maybe the noise isn't an issue.
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

Y'know... I never had a complaint about noise with mine, even though it was an '80s model that was supposedly noisy. Of course, i didn't run a lot of boost on the high end, where noise would be most noticable. I ran a broad, slightly off-center "hump" with the highest boost in the 800-1200 Hz range, with only a few dB of overall gain.

I believe the modern ones are quieter, simply because modern opamps are better. The pedal-modding crowd have plenty of GE-7 mods to make them quieter, but I never saw it as a problem that needed fixing.
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

Rich_S said:
I believe the modern ones are quieter, simply because modern opamps are better. The pedal-modding crowd have plenty of GE-7 mods to make them quieter, but I never saw it as a problem that needed fixing.
Click to expand...

Funny you bring that up. I googled it after my post and found noise is common, that it's less on newer units due to the opamps you mentioned, and mods exist to fix it.

No clue what year mine is. Perfect condition, so I assume newer, but who knows.

I'm going to try to mod it.....like everything else in my life.
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

It's an old ibanez l series eq. No noise. Just wish a tad more oomph. I'm going to give the fat boost a look. I have tried sd-1 the ts stuff. All ok but not great for me. What I like about the eq is the cleanup. Very nice. Didn't expect it either. I like the control too.

I thougt about a mxr 10 band but it seems only 12 db in boost and my present unit does 15.

Oddly enough, my bass player has the behringer copy and it's ok too. Almost more high fi.
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

Not joking. Get a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone, turn the distortion all the way down, the level at 1:00, the Bass and Treble at noon, then mess with the mid and mid freq. knobs. If you wanna hear how badass that sounds, check out Kingdom of Sorrow's "Behind the Blackest Tears" cd. He uses a Randall for an amp but 100% sure he has a Metal Zone in front. I've used one as a boost also and it is WAAAAYY more quiet than any tubescreamer I have ever heard and will boost that amp enough to melt faces at 1,000 yards. $.02. :headbang:
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

Hmmmm.... I like this approach... Different and evil... Touche sir. Virtual beer for you.
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

Way Huge Green Rhino. It's got the biggest bottom end and low mids of any OD pedal I've owned or tried, because of the 100Hz knob, which is like a fatness control. It'll make your Marshall sound more like a Diezel or Recto.

And it's got killer sustain. You can hold notes into feedback, rather than how they drop off with the dry JCM 800 crunch.
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

This Green Rhino thingee has given my curiosity an erection! Is it really that cool? How quiet is it? Sorry, don't mean to be a thread sniper.
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

xxxplorer said:
I thougt about a mxr 10 band but it seems only 12 db in boost and my present unit does 15.
Click to expand...

The MXR also has volume (input) and gain (output) sliders for more boost, I wouldn't write it off. That said, the GE-7 is cool too and it sounds like you are looking for a clean boost instead of an OD.

My <$0.02
 
Re: EVIL boost for a Marshall JCM800?

There used to be a JCM800 in the my rehearsal studio, and I used it every week for a few years (damn that studio owner for not selling it to me!). I didn't really need more gain than that amp had on tap, but I tried boosting it with all sorts of stuff. To name a couple, a tubescreamer had a nice and very familiar sound to it (as in metal albums), and an SD-1 was similar but a little fuzzier. Both are pretty affordable and easy to find.

I have a feeling that a Timmy might float your boat on this one too, if you can get your hands on one. It's very flexible and very clear sounding, with lots of whatever you need on tap. There's one on my board now, and while that 800 was long gone when I finally got it, that pedal makes the rehearsal studio's JCM900 tolerable to my ears.
 
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