Jcm800

[some_dude]

A few questions from someone who's never used one....

How are the current issue JCM 800 (the 2203x or whatever it's called)?

Will they get a decent sound at reasonable levels, or only at 'louder than the soundman will ever allow' levels?

Why does everyone feel the need to boost/mod them? Do they lack gain or something?

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Jcm800

I've got a JMP 2203. There isn't much gain by modern standards. But it has serious dynamics and headroom. Not Fender twin headroom, a dirtier, grittier type. It holds together up to the highest volumes. But it doesn't have to be turned up to stupid levels to get the best from it. I run it between 4 and 6 usually, unless i'm playing somewhere that allows louder of course. I push it with either a Rat or a Fulltone Fulldrive 2.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Jcm800

The JMP 2203 is non-master volume, correct?

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Jcm800

The JMP 2203 is non-master volume, correct?

Nah, all the 2203 and 2204 circuits have master volumes, it's basically the JCM 800 in a different box.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Jcm800

Dynamics are pretty important to me, and I want something that'll thump people hard in the chest.

I'm not really looking for something that's high gain.... just something that's high enough to take on that metallic edge you get when the distortion reaches a certain point on the knob. As long as I can pull off some good chugga chugga stuff with the amps natural gain I'll be happy.

Basically.... I already have an Orange, and I'm in the middle of getting another Rectifier again, but I want something that'll fill that middle ground. I'm looking at either a JCM800 or an Electric Amp EL34 model.

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Jcm800

Well, you just described the JCM 800/JMP 2203. Enough Britishness to give you the thump and the girth, and enough metal to give you the chunk and the sizzle.

What an odd collection of words...

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Jcm800

I think that Electric might be a bit too close to your Orange to make it worth it.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Jcm800

Not enough gain to get you to where you need to go. if you want an 800 with plenty of gain out of the box, go Splawn.

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Jcm800

Yeah, fair comment, you will need a boost of some kind to get it into hard rock/metal territory, I should have been more explicit.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Jcm800

I have a JCM800 2210 (actually the combo version with 2 GT75 celestion speakers), and I bought a Carvin V3 to get better tone at bedroom volumes. By the time you get a good tone, the Marshall is like a nuclear warhead in your house

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Jcm800

It's a great amp with a dirtbox infront of it!
It reaches easily the chugga chugga stage ,but it's not "hot" enough.
But the kerry king version might be filling your needs!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Jcm800

Have you tried out the new Marshall JVM head yet? It's a pretty worthy offering from Marshall, as a versatile rock/metal amp. You'd find that head less limiting than a 1 channel JCM 800.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Jcm800

I think that Electric might be a bit too close to your Orange to make it worth it.

Orange has two 12AX7s where the Electric has three. That's where my thought process is going, though you may be right.

Yeah, fair comment, you will need a boost of some kind to get it into hard rock/metal territory, I should have been more explicit.

I don't suppose you'd know were I could find a clip of an un-boosted JCM800 playing rhythm, do you?

 

[some_dude]

Re: Jcm800

It's a great amp with a dirtbox infront of it!
It reaches easily the chugga chugga stage ,but it's not "hot" enough.
But the kerry king version might be filling your needs!

I was looking at that one too... I'm just trying to figure out why it's cheaper than the regular JCM800.

The thing is that I can hit the level of gain saturation I want using the Orange and it really doesn't have that much gain to begin with (though it won't do metallic crossover distortion), so I figure the Marshall will probably have as much as I'd need. I generally don't want Kerry King/Zakk Wylde levels of distortion.... and for the times that I do, well, I'll have a Rectifier for that.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Jcm800

Have you tried out the new Marshall JVM head yet? It's a pretty worthy offering from Marshall, as a versatile rock/metal amp. You'd find that head less limiting than a 1 channel JCM 800.

Here's my thoughts on the JVM....

Up until this point Marshall has failed to produce a truly outstanding multi-channel amp.... and I don't see any reason to further test that theory with my hard earned cash when the JCM800 is a tried and proven amplifier.

Plus, every amp I use winds up being a single channel amp, regardless of how many channels it has on it. Even my old Dual Rectifier was cleaned up using the volume on my guitar.... call me strange, but things just seem more natural to me that way.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Jcm800

I'm not about to trust any Marshall that has more than one channel in it.

I get the feeling that the JVM should be handled carefully and taken care of, just because of the complexity of it's parts and easily broken knobs. But it's still one of the best amps Marshall has made in years. It seems like a fun amp to own. It nails most of the British tones from super clean to ultra highgain.

At least turn one up at a store sometime, and you'll know right away if it's your sound or not. The funny thing is....back when JCM 800's were popular, everyone was screaming for something more like the JVM. Now, that they've finally made a versatile 4 channel amp, after decades of NOT doing it, everyone wants a JCM 800 again!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Jcm800

Also, since you used to use Mesa Recs and preamp, what do you think of some of Mesa's best offerings now. A lot of money, but maybe you'd dig the Roadking, Roadster, or Stiletto II.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Jcm800

A few questions from someone who's never used one....
How are the current issue JCM 800 (the 2203x or whatever it's called)?
Will they get a decent sound at reasonable levels, or only at 'louder than the soundman will ever allow' levels?
Why does everyone feel the need to boost/mod them? Do they lack gain or something?

-IMO the reissue JCM800's are just as good as the originals, and they more than likely need less working being newer...

-IMO, even though they do have a master volume they do sound their best when cranked, and thewy are loud amps, even the 50 watter...as for the soundman question, that depends on your sound man!

-They get modded and or boosted because by todays standard they lack gain...barefoot you'll get a nice blues/rock tone out of them but you'll never get into hard rock without some kind of pedal or without modding the amp, however most (if not all) JCM800's I've heard that were modded simply don;t sounds like 800's to me anymore.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Jcm800

At least turn one up at a store sometime, and you'll know right away if it's your sound or not. The funny thing is....back when JCM 800's were popular, everyone was screaming for something more like the JVM. Now, that they've finally made a versatile 4 channel amp, after decades of NOT doing it, everyone wants a JCM 800 again!

True... but if I buy a Marshall it'll be for it's ability to give me the Marshall sound. I'm not really interested in any Marshall's ability to sound like anything other than a Marshall.

Also, since you used to use Mesa Recs and preamp, what do you think of some of Mesa's best offerings now. A lot of money, but maybe you'd dig the Roadking, Roadster, or Stiletto II.

The Roadking II will be my next amplifier. I want a really versatile 'do everything' amp for gigging, and the Roadking more or less does everything.... including surviving a nuclear holocaust.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Jcm800

On the Roadking front....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deGgCuS7tJ4

Aside from the horribly out of tune guitar, starting at 1:40 in this clip is a tone I never thought I'd ever hear out of a Rectifier....



EDIT: And this clean tone is what sold me on the RK II;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7R1GXlN_X8