Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

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theodie

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I am wondering if anyone has played one of these amps and what they thought about it? I am considering of ploping down some $$$ on ebay for one.
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

I think they're great amps. It's a one trick pony and there are better amps IMHO, but if you love Guns 'N' Roses, it's in there. It has to be cranked to give up the goods like any other Marshall, but from your sig. I'm guessing you already knew that.

One bit of a warning though, you'll definitely want to sell off your JCM 900 and XXL after purchasing it ;)
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

the_Chris said:
I think they're great amps. It's a one trick pony and there are better amps IMHO, but if you love Guns 'N' Roses, it's in there. It has to be cranked to give up the goods like any other Marshall, but from your sig. I'm guessing you already knew that.

One bit of a warning though, you'll definitely want to sell off your JCM 900 and XXL after purchasing it ;)
That was sort of the plan. Will I want to sell them because the amp sounds that good?
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

If Gearjonser doesn't chime in here before long send him a PM. He own's an original Silver Jubilee.

It has a unique gain structure that sounds really really nice. An attenuator will be in order to be able to get that tone at reasonable volumes, but a nice Weber mass will do the trick for under $200. Jonsey says that the Silver Jubilee is one of the best amps built by Marshall. I'd love to have one someday, but don't really have the need. I love Slash's tone, from the early days especially. My local guitar center has a used Jubilee for sale....$1999, that's a tad steep for just the head.
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

Guns N' Roses... :32:

GO BUY IT!!! NOW!!! DON'T BE A FOOL!!!
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

HEY GEARHO!!!! GET IN HERE!!!! :laugh:
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

Jeff_H said:
Jonsey says that the Silver Jubilee is one of the best amps built by Marshall.
and i say, "the Silver Jubilee is the best amp built" :D
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

I have a 2553 (50w) Jubilee and the other guitarist in my currently-falling-apart band has a 100w 2555.

The Jubilee Series are excellent amps. I wouldn't say they were one trick ponies at all. Yes, there are more versatile amps on the market these days, but with a little experimentation and use of your guitar volume knob you can coax a wide range of rock, blues and clean tones from these amps. You probably wouldn't use one for country though. :)

They have two channels, clean and lead (dirty), but the clean channel has a "rhythm clip" switch that engages diode clipping to turn it into a dirty rhythm channel. So you can set the amp up for clean/dirty or rhythm/lead. The EQ is shared between the channels, which isn't really an issue if you're using it for rhythm/lead (or if you're playing through the lead channel only), but if you're using it clean/dirty it's tricky to find an optimum shared EQ setting.

As with most Marshalls the clean channel isn't exactly sparkling, but it is very useable nevertheless. I tend to use mine in rhythm/lead mode and use the guitar volume to clean up when required.

The lead channel is where these amps really excel. That's where you'll find the Slash tone, if your chops are up to it! ;)

They also have a high/low power switch that (when on low) runs the output tubes in triode (instead of pentode) mode. This effectively halves the output power, but it also changes the tone - personally I've always preferred the High setting.

Killer amps, and they seem to be becoming investment material these days, though that's not why I bought mine. It's a great gigging amp! :approve:
 
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Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

I have been gigging with a jubilee 2554, which is the 1x12 combo version (i use an extra cab with it), for the best part of 2 years, and have a total love/ hate relationship with that amp.
To me there are definitely disadvantages. The first is that both channels share eq, and the clean sounds sooo much better with little or no mids and the gain channel needs the mids on pretty high. This is fine for Slash, who uses two of them with different settings to compensate, but a bit of an arse for us with slightly less money. The second problem is that they share the same input gain, so again compromises have to be made.

But on the other hand the eq is very sensitive and dynamic compared to other marshalls, and the gain channel (though i disagree with others and think it does have only one sound) is very nice - lots of aggression, sustain, warmth and fairly touch sensitive.

I notice you have a jcm 900. I use one of those at band practice, and would say that you will probably find the clean fairly similar, but the gain a bit warmer, cruncher, less bright, thicker and more aggressive - but only when you really turn the amp up. And if anything, the gain channel on the jubilee is less versatile than the 900 (at least the 900 i use)

The really strange thing to me is that while I think the gain channel is sooo much better than the clean, i keep getting compliments at the end of gigs about how lovely my clean sound is, but people keep saying that the gain lacked definition. My ears appear to hear my amp completely differently to everyone else.
 
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Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

We borrowed a 2553 for recording. It is most definitely one of the best amps I'v ever played and the best 50W Marshall head I've ever met. The sound is not only for G'n'R.
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

The first good amp I bought with every penny I saved as a teenager was a silver 2555, back in 1987. I was so proud of that amp, but always wanted the matching cabs. I played every club in Hollywood from 87 to 93 with that amp, and everyone who heard it, wanted it. I used to use a Boss OD-1 in front of it, and to be quite honest, I never heard a tone as BAD as Slash's coming out of it. LOL
Like a MORON, I sold it in 94 for $600. I paid $882 for it new. I'd always regretted selling it. Fast forward to 2001. I saw an ad in a local paper for a mint Jubilee
2550 50W fullsize fullstack with original covers and paperwork for $1500, but he lived in the middle of the Mojave desert. I drove way out into the middle of nowhere, with a chance of being robbed by a biker gang, just to buy that stack. This old hippie, who bought it new in 87, dragged it out of his closet, still with the covers on!!!
We turned it on and it was apparent that the tubes were shot, so I handed him $1400 for it, and took it. Right now, I have 2 Tesla E-34L's and 3 GT 12AX7M's (Mullard), and there's no lack of gain at any volume. The 50 watters give up the great power tube gain early, and the highgain preamp gives you that Z.Wylde tone straight outta the box. As a matter of fact, Zakk's first amp lineup with Ozzy was Jubilees. Rich Robinson mostly used the clean/edgy clean channels. For rock/metal players, the Jubilees and DSL's are the best Marshalls, unless you want to tinker with modding JMP's and 800's
I've A/B'd mine with a DSL50, and while both were good, the Jubilee has the tonal edge. The cleans on the DSL are fatter and more JTM45-like, while the Jubilee's clean is glassier and more Vox-like or like an edgier Peavey Classic 50.
Similar to a Peavey Classic 50, the Jubilee has a gain, and pre AND post volumes, so you can really tailor the gain and boldness of the notes. That's where it has the edge on the DSL.
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

One more thing. Some accuse the Jubilees of sounding TOO buzzy, mostly due to the diode clipping circuit inside. That circuit is similar to putting a tube screamer in front of a JCM800. One thing to note is that you can always get good midgain tones out of the amp, simply by keeping the gain low, the prevolume high, and then use the mastervolume to control it's volume. The only quirk with the Jubilee, is that the gain effects both the clean and gain channels, so you've got to adjust it as a happy medium between them. If the gain is too high, your cleans are gainy. If the gain is low enough for great cleans, your distortion channel will be at AC/DC gain.
That's the #1 complaint about Jubilees, although the you can deal with it by finding that happy medium.
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

zak said:
I have been gigging with a jubilee 2554, which is the 1x12 combo version (i use an extra cab with it), for the best part of 2 years, and have a total love/ hate relationship with that amp.
To me there are definitely disadvantages. The first is that both channels share eq, and the clean sounds sooo much better with little or no mids and the gain channel needs the mids on pretty high. This is fine for Slash, who uses two of them with different settings to compensate, but a bit of an arse for us with slightly less money. The second problem is that they share the same input gain, so again compromises have to be made.

But on the other hand the eq is very sensitive and dynamic compared to other marshalls, and the gain channel (though i disagree with others and think it does have only one sound) is very nice - lots of aggression, sustain, warmth and fairly touch sensitive.

I notice you have a jcm 900. I use one of those at band practice, and would say that you will probably find the clean fairly similar, but the gain a bit warmer, cruncher, less bright, thicker and more aggressive - but only when you really turn the amp up. And if anything, the gain channel on the jubilee is less versatile than the 900 (at least the 900 i use)

The really strange thing to me is that while I think the gain channel is sooo much better than the clean, i keep getting compliments at the end of gigs about how lovely my clean sound is, but people keep saying that the gain lacked definition. My ears appear to hear my amp completely differently to everyone else.
Thank you for the comments. I play through a JCM 900 100watt high gain master volume MKIII. By any chance is that what you have a practice?
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

Gearjoneser said:
One more thing. Some accuse the Jubilees of sounding TOO buzzy, mostly due to the diode clipping circuit inside. That circuit is similar to putting a tube screamer in front of a JCM800. One thing to note is that you can always get good midgain tones out of the amp, simply by keeping the gain low, the prevolume high, and then use the mastervolume to control it's volume. The only quirk with the Jubilee, is that the gain effects both the clean and gain channels, so you've got to adjust it as a happy medium between them. If the gain is too high, your cleans are gainy. If the gain is low enough for great cleans, your distortion channel will be at AC/DC gain.
That's the #1 complaint about Jubilees, although the you can deal with it by finding that happy medium.
Thank you Joneser. Will it make any difference in tone If I got a 100w versus a 50w or a 2x12 versus a 4x12
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

Theodie
I will check on tuesday when i am next there. All I know it it has reverb, has two channels, and i think it has only a single set of eq. I actually quite like it, and to me the jubilee only sounds better when it can be turned right up (ie output gain, and lead master both above 7.
 
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Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

theodie said:
Thank you Joneser. Will it make any difference in tone If I got a 100w versus a 50w or a 2x12 versus a 4x12

Get whichever wattage is appropriate for your situation. If it's parked in a bedroom DO NOT get the 100 watter. :smack: I think since Jubilees are considered highgain amps and have a narrower sound than say a Plexi, I'd opt for a 4-12. I've got mine on a Jubilee 4-12 w/Vin 30 in the top 2 and G-75's in the bottom 2.
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

100W ones are oly really appropriate if you need a lot of headroom or are playing LARGE venues w/out a house PA. My 50w Rectoverb will rattle windows on 4.
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

I'm actually critical to many fine all tube Marshall amplifiers and I find some of the amplifiers (like the Slash Sig) to be flabby in the bottom end and unfocused. I wouldn't buy it, that's for sure. As much as I try to like it, I just can't...it's just not my tone.
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

B2D said:
100W ones are oly really appropriate if you need a lot of headroom or are playing LARGE venues w/out a house PA. My 50w Rectoverb will rattle windows on 4.

Listen to this man, he KNOWS! :)

I can tell you that unless you're a touring professional in a large venue without any PA, 100w is useless. 50w is enough for anything to be honest. I won't buy anything above 50w anymore. My 30w is viciously loud, but I can get it just loud enough to get some good tube saturation. I can rattle windows at 3.5... so I can't imagine a venue that I'd be playing that it couldn't completely dominate without a PA. I just don't understand why amp companies make such loud amps when they know that most buyers are guys either in the bedroom or playing small / moderate sized venues.
 
Re: Has anyone ever played a Marshall 2555 jubilee or a slash signature?

my 100 watt JCM800 doesn't really seem too loud. once you get up to like. 4-5..you can crank it and there's not much audible volume difference to me. and it doesn't sound good cranked. that worries me. i think it's just my speakers, cause i have all 25 watt speakers and they're all ripped or something in some way. doesn't make for good tone.


ok carry on.
 
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