Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: Marshall Jubilee
They are two channel, or simply a JCM800 2204 MV with a built in high gain boost and a more effective tone stack, depending on how you look at it.
They only have a single input gain control for both modes/channels. This makes it difficult to set the clean mode for pure cleans and still have enough gain in the distortion mode, or to set the low gain mode with a clean but beefy tone, and not have too much gain in the distortion mode. Regardless, I like mine best with the master volume above 6, no matter what. Any MV volume setting less than 6 and the amp sounds lazy and flat.
You do have options to use higher MV setting, as the power amp can be run in either pentode (50 watts) or triode (25watts). This does make a difference on these amps, unlike other amps. It's a noticable tonal change as well as volume. In pentode it's a aggressive rocker, but in triode it's much mellower. The lead master allows you to balance the boosted mode volume against the low gain volume, but it changes constantly, depending on how much compression is happening at the front end of the amp. There's also a pull rythim clip mode that gives a light buzzy overdrive at low volumes, but I find this feature useless. It's much better to just push the EL34 power amp into a more organic overdrive.
As was stated, tubes, and the bias setting, make a huge difference, as do speakers. I really don't like this amp through G12T75's, but with V30's or G12H30's, it's one of the best Marshalls.
They are two channel, or simply a JCM800 2204 MV with a built in high gain boost and a more effective tone stack, depending on how you look at it.
They only have a single input gain control for both modes/channels. This makes it difficult to set the clean mode for pure cleans and still have enough gain in the distortion mode, or to set the low gain mode with a clean but beefy tone, and not have too much gain in the distortion mode. Regardless, I like mine best with the master volume above 6, no matter what. Any MV volume setting less than 6 and the amp sounds lazy and flat.
You do have options to use higher MV setting, as the power amp can be run in either pentode (50 watts) or triode (25watts). This does make a difference on these amps, unlike other amps. It's a noticable tonal change as well as volume. In pentode it's a aggressive rocker, but in triode it's much mellower. The lead master allows you to balance the boosted mode volume against the low gain volume, but it changes constantly, depending on how much compression is happening at the front end of the amp. There's also a pull rythim clip mode that gives a light buzzy overdrive at low volumes, but I find this feature useless. It's much better to just push the EL34 power amp into a more organic overdrive.
As was stated, tubes, and the bias setting, make a huge difference, as do speakers. I really don't like this amp through G12T75's, but with V30's or G12H30's, it's one of the best Marshalls.
