Marshall 6100 30th anniversary

[fenderiarhs]

I know that there are some heads (few) with EL34 tubes and some (the majority) with 5881 power amp tubes.What are the main differences to expect between the sound of these two different types of output tubes?Is there a way i can change the 5881 for the el34 tubes?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Marshall 6100 30th anniversary

In my opinion the 30th Ann Marshalls with EL-34's are the one's to get, and I don't believe you can rebias those for another tube, due to their highly technical design and transformers made specifically for that tube. Otherwise, everyone who bought the 5881 version would have changed it. Honestly, all those amps sound pretty damn good, but I've noticed that many of them break down on occasion.....maybe due to bad bias, or something. They will be collectors items, however, especially if you're lucky enough to find a blue one....even better if you can score a blue cab.
They also made the limited one's, which had brass plated chassis and brass logo.
Those go for around $1700 on the used market. The normal blue ones go for $1200, and the black ones go for $850.

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: Marshall 6100 30th anniversary

that was very informative thanks

 

[shred-dog]

Re: Marshall 6100 30th anniversary

i had a 1992 el-34 head and like gearjoneser said very technical heads midi switching and i don't think you can change them to el-34 from 5881's like is done on a lot of marshall's of that era nice clean channel vox/plexi the crunch channel is very cool 3modes i think it's like plexish in #1, jcm 800 in #2, and jcm 900 in #3, and in channel 3 it's lead tones now i didn't care for this much i played around with tubes setting it just didn't do it for me the clean and cruch were great the lead was o.k. little muddy just something :smack: the amp i traded away to make room for it was a marshall jcm 900 sl-x 2500 head now that head screamed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! crunch and lead tones were great no clean a hidden jem don't tell anybody

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Marshall 6100 30th anniversary

Yeah, if you're gonna buy a JCM 900, make sure it's the SL-X version. For some reason those one's didn't sound stale like the JCM 900 Dual Reverbs.
Shred Dog, does the SLX have reverb? I wonder if it was the reverb circuit that hurt the tone of the Dual Reverb models?

 

[shred-dog]

Re: Marshall 6100 30th anniversary

no reverb and an extra preamp tube !!!!!!!!!

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Marshall 6100 30th anniversary

I actually prefer the one with 5881's, and I found that head to be the only Marshall I've ever liked. The choice of Deicide and Satch pre-Peavey, as well.