Re: HELP! Important rig decisions!
Slightly off topic, but is the Marshall really that bad? I've used a 9100, modded for EL34s, for quite a few years. What can I expect by 'upgrading' to something else?
(Getting to try high-end power amps without buying it just won't happen around my parts.)
TL;DR: Not really. It isn't bad, but there are definitely better power amps out there.
The full answer:
I don't know if I'd say "that bad", but they're certainly nothing special. Back in 2004 or so I was running an ADA MP-1 into a Marshall 9005 and it sounded pretty good but not exactly amazing. I first tried a 9100, but ended up passing on it because it didn't really sound significantly different than the 9005. Slightly later I tried an early 90s Mesa 50/50, and the difference was night and day. The Mesa was a lot louder and deeper than the 9005 or 9100 in addition to having more punch and a more connected feel. I passed on that one too, but mostly because the rack was no longer my primary rig at that point.
Fast forward to late 2007/2008 and I was using an MP-1 again, though modified by Voodoo Amps. I remembered how great the Mesa had sounded, so I immediately went searching in that direction. I found a great deal on a Simul 395 (essentially a mini Strategy 500), so I snapped it up mostly due to rarity and its reputation. With the stock 6L6s it was another step forward from the 50/50, but I wanted to see if it was capable of 'more'. I happened to have a spare quad of EL-34s lying around, so I installed them in the class A sockets. The overall tone wasn't quite as deep and the cleans weren't so Fender-y, but the increased harmonic richness was absolutely worth it.
The other thing I really liked was the "switch track" feature. The Simul 2:90 has modern, half-drive, and deep switches in addition to volume & presence, while the 395 has two complete sets of controls. For example you could run the A track on Simul-class and have the B track set to class A for better cleans. I used to set up my rhythm sound on the A track while I'd set 'deep' on the B track with a slight volume boost for fatter leads. If I ever built another rack, I'd have to track down a 395 for the power amp because it's just that good.
I've sold most of my rack gear and I'm looking to move the MP-1 because it never sounded as good as my Jubilee and I got tired of carrying that much hardware around.
