Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

SlowGroove

New member
Do you guys know of anyone who has done this before ?

CAN IT BE DONE ???

Using a Marshall JCM800 Super Bass (BASS rig, not the Super Bass Lead guitar rig) head and dedicated Bass 4x12 cab for guitar ?

I know there is a Super Bass guitar amp out there, but i am refurring to the early 80's JCM800 BASS amp.
All info very welcome !


Thank Guys
James
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

Heck yeah, and considering your influences, I can safely assume you'd love it!

I'm assuming, you're talking about the JCM 800 Bass amp that looks just like all Marshall heads, right......not the SS amp that LOOKS like a bass amp?

They made those types of amps in the 1959 Superlead form, and also the JCM 800 version, and basically it's just a guitar amp with the EQ shifted bassier, with some of that screamy treble shaved off. They tend to break up later too, since headroom was a goal. But the fat tone!!!

One of my favorite amps I've ever owned was a 71 Superbass, modded for more gain.
It was a loud monster of an amp, but it sounded like a brick wall. I wish I had it back, sitting next to my Bogner. I could shatter the whole planet with that stereo setup!
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

Heck yeah, and considering your influences, I can safely assume you'd love it!

I'm assuming, you're talking about the JCM 800 Bass amp that looks just like all Marshall heads, right......not the SS amp that LOOKS like a bass amp?

They made those types of amps in the 1959 Superlead form, and also the JCM 800 version, and basically it's just a guitar amp with the EQ shifted bassier, with some of that screamy treble shaved off. They tend to break up later too, since headroom was a goal. But the fat tone!!!

One of my favorite amps I've ever owned was a 71 Superbass, modded for more gain.
It was a loud monster of an amp, but it sounded like a brick wall. I wish I had it back, sitting next to my Bogner. I could shatter the whole planet with that stereo setup!


Thanks for the info !
Do you know if this is a Master, or Non-Master Vol amp ?
How is the Low End on this amp with guitar ? (seeing that you owned one !)



James
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

Almost of my vintage amps are bass amps, that I use for guitar.

Traynor Bassmasters, Bassmate, two Gibson Atlas bass heads, Garnet Bass combo, Stramp ( german clone of a Plexi SuperB) I tweaked my RI Plexi to mostly bass specs. 68 Bassman.

The warmth and sing that a bass spec offers, has much more appeal to my ears. I LOVE IT!!
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

Almost of my vintage amps are bass amps, that I use for guitar.

Traynor Bassmasters, Bassmate, two Gibson Atlas bass heads, Garnet Bass combo, Stramp ( german clone of a Plexi SuperB) I tweaked my RI Plexi to mostly bass specs. 68 Bassman.

The warmth and sing that a bass spec offers, has much more appeal to my ears. I LOVE IT!!

Thanks Man!
Any of your Soundclick clips done with a bass amp ?



James
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

a few minor circuit changes (rversible) is all it takes to make that a regulkar Superlead circuit. Yeah, thats one of the best amps of all time.
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

They tended to be popular candidates for modders during the 80's. Since they were considered bass amps they could be had for a little less money.
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

There is NO difference between a SuperLead and a SuperBass. The SuperBass amps have the EQ shifted down a little...there is a little more bottom but mostly the difference is that that upper midrange punch is gone...

Superbass's are cool amps...Adam Jones uses one all the time as do many other guitar players...
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

There is NO difference between a SuperLead and a SuperBass. The SuperBass amps have the EQ shifted down a little...there is a little more bottom but mostly the difference is that that upper midrange punch is gone...

Superbass's are cool amps...Adam Jones uses one all the time as do many other guitar players...

Yeah. I think I should mention I talked to one of the original Marshall dudes just by dumb luck once..and he told me that those wre designed purely for Hendrix and those guys then to be coleseum amplifiers.
His suggestion? Get a Master volume Marshall.
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

Yeah. I think I should mention I talked to one of the original Marshall dudes just by dumb luck once..and he told me that those wre designed purely for Hendrix and those guys then to be coleseum amplifiers.
His suggestion? Get a Master volume Marshall.

Which "Marshall dude"?

I ask because the Superbass amps had nothing to do with Hendrix at all...

Im being serious Jerry...where do you get all this crap??
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

There is NO difference between a SuperLead and a SuperBass. The SuperBass amps have the EQ shifted down a little...there is a little more bottom but mostly the difference is that that upper midrange punch is gone...

Superbass's are cool amps...Adam Jones uses one all the time as do many other guitar players...

Thanks . . . that is really good news, as i always thought that Marshall amps is too treble'y for my taste even with the treb rolled off to about 3 or 4 !



James
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

Yeah. I think I should mention I talked to one of the original Marshall dudes just by dumb luck once..and he told me that those wre designed purely for Hendrix and those guys then to be coleseum amplifiers.
His suggestion? Get a Master volume Marshall.


BUGGER . . . is it a non-master vol amp then ?
The seller say it is a 1982 model -i thought all big Marshall's came with a master vol knob after 1975/6 !!!


:(
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

Which "Marshall dude"?

I ask because the Superbass amps had nothing to do with Hendrix at all...

Im being serious Jerry...where do you get all this crap??

dude for heaveans sake , you operate on a extremely literal basis.I was only saying that i talked to..hang on..Well, I cant find his last name.. but he is called "stringking"on the web and he worked with Jim Marshall for along time.His name is Roger. I was implying that the Superbass is a Plexi style amp, and when I asked Roger about doing a Plexi conversion on my Traynor bassman, he advised me to get a Master volume Marshall cause in his words, the Plexi and Superleads werre made for Jimi and Eric ( guess i better say" etc". here, so its not taken quite literally) and meant to be used in stadiums .
I noticed we don't connect on things lke when I said my Traynor YSr-1a Custom reverb is a Blackface Bassman style amp and sounds alot like it, you said they wre also nothing alike. Well, Ive been a memeber of the Trayne forums for 2 years now, and we hae discused hat amp before there , and its acknowledeged that the Custom Reverb was voiced to be a Bassman style amp- and it is .
Then you said my Sunn 100S was nothing like a Bassman, and immidatly someone came and supported my statement after you also said taht there were zero similarities there also .
Its okay not to know everything, and Ive said some way tangeantial and wrong stuff, but I am not wrong and pulling stuff outta my azz ALL the time. Thats Emty pockets sctick about me , some of it dobtless well desreved, but to be honest Ive been playing 35 years and have been involved with alot of differebnt stuff that Empty, with all due respect , couldnt possibly have had the time to find out yet .
I think where we run into trouble , you and I, is that you have a very broad encyclopedic database of gear knowledge which covers both new production stuff as well as Older stuff and therefore try to be as precise and exact as possible to avoid obfuscateing the facts whereas I have a more generalistic approach to cover the stuff Ive used personally, which is alot of 35 years, or I just like to throw out suppositions about stuff that i have heard or read about just foir the hell of it ; its a great way to learn as people are usually pretty quick to correct inaccuracies here.IDK.
 
Last edited:
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

That is a variation of the 2203 and looks almost identicle to my 1984 JCM.



<~~~~~ Its a master volume amp and not a superlead.
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

There is NO difference between a SuperLead and a SuperBass. The SuperBass amps have the EQ shifted down a little...there is a little more bottom but mostly the difference is that that upper midrange punch is gone...

Superbass's are cool amps...Adam Jones uses one all the time as do many other guitar players...
, There are a good bit of circuit differences. Shared vs split cathode. No V2 bypass cap on a SB, different o.c caps, SB are typically lower gain, the super bass has quite a bit more on the bottom esp if your talkin .1 vs .022 o.c caps, and the Superlead .0022 snizzle maker cap. My Stramp ( Super B clone) vs my Plexi SL RI, in stock form, were completely different sounding monsters. I kinda ended up with a superbass super lead hybrid on my RI. I went shared cathode, but tossed .068 o.c caps in it, which keeps it a lil less murky than a SB. I also tossed a bright cap on the bass channel volume, which makes both channels completely useable. I also tossed a .68 presence cap, on both amps actually, which gives a nice bit of lower mid grind.

My RISSON head was like an exaggerated SL. Off the charts in upper mid aggression, too bright, too much snizzly grind. I fattened that thing up, relaxed the gain, and it to is a wonderful SB hybrid. I kept it as a split cathode, which keeps it a bit more aggressive. I didn't want it to lose all of its LA metal vibe.


Teles and Strats LOVE a bass spec!!
 
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

That is a variation of the 2203 and looks almost identicle to my 1984 JCM.



<~~~~~ Its a master volume amp and not a superlead.

Hi Robert !

Do you have any close up pic's ? ...and maybe one of the back of the head !

I would love to see if yours are the same as the one in the link that i posted in post #6 !


Thanks
James
 
Last edited:
Re: Marshall Super Bass for guitar ?

Thanks Man!
Any of your Soundclick clips done with a bass amp ?



James

Off the top of my head,

6 $$$ Trick is with a Traynor Bassmate.
The 3 Beez, Gibson Atlas.
The Funk of the Ocean. Traynor Bassmaster .
Another Street Scene Junkie, Ampeg B25b
Hot Thang Fantasy, Stramp
Big 18, 68 Bassman into a 1-18 EV loaded bass cab.
Atomic Arrival, Risson that I tweaked to SB hybrid specs.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top