My modded 2204 800 head

W

WhoFan

Tommyologist
i've been sitting on a beat up 2204 for a long time... a Canadian issue 800 head... I have not been using it as the thing has been souped up and is extremely noisey! Turn the gain up past 5 and it's so noisey you'd think the ground was off your guitar....

It needs to be recovered as well....

So today i started ripping off the Army Camo cloth some metal nut covered the head in... The box itself is rough.. I must of pulled out at least 100 staples for the back area of the amp... the guy used so many staples it has split most of the wood strips that holds the back cover on... I'll have to glue those pieces of wood back and maybe use dowels for extra holding power in the Screw Holes for the Back cover plate... What a job that was taking all those staples out...

The chassy is still in the box i have not removed it yet... But i see the extra gain stage for the first time... there is a 4th 12ax7 tube... it is mounted at the front corner of the chassy near the imput jacks.... placed right ontop of, or i should say drilled thru the Marshall inspection sticker... The sticker says tested Oct 26 1982 BTW.. I guess this gain mod acts like a hard wired Overdrive before the preamp.. just a guess really because of where it is located...

The box looks like it was sprayed with black paint... I guess i'll have to sand that off before the recovering job.... Tomorrow i'll buy a cheap throw away camera and take pictures as i go...

I need new corners for it as well... and a new handle might make it look better as well... where is a good place to get that stuff? Order it thru a Marshall dealer? On Line?

When i bought this 800 head i was hopeing to run it thru some Greenbacks... but the early Canadian heads have a slightly different OT and the amp can only do 4 and 8 ohms cabs so vintage reissue Marshall cabs are out since they are 16ohm... Sure i could run it at 8 in to a 16 cab but i want to match it... any good speakers suggestions... i'm thinking a 2x12 cab of some sort?
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

Sounds like a hellava project man. Post a before and after sound clip. Along with a before and after Pic.
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

Smilemon said:
Sounds like a hellava project man. Post a before and after sound clip. Along with a before and after Pic.
Click to expand...

this will be my first recovering job.. should be interesting... i should have enough covering for 2 tries if i mess up... thinking back i wish i had bought a different colour then say standard Black.... it's not too late... maybe i could save the black for a cab or something...

I always loved the white 800's from 82.. maybe a purple 800.... red even... Or maybe just stick with black

I'm not that great with modern tech toys.. so i will not get any sound clips up.. i'll need help just getting the photos up
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

WhoFan said:
this will be my first recovering job.. should be interesting... i should have enough covering for 2 tries if i mess up... thinking back i wish i had bought a different colour then say standard Black.... it's not too late... maybe i could save the black for a cab or something...

I always loved the white 800's from 82.. maybe a purple 800.... red even... Or maybe just stick with black

I'm not that great with modern tech toys.. so i will not get any sound clips up.. i'll need help just getting the photos up
Click to expand...

Buy a tape recorder for like 10 bucks and mail the tape to me, I'll put it on soundclick for you. Same with the photos, i don't have a scanner but I bet someone here has one. This project sounds too cool not to document.
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

Good luck w/ all of that man! Those are good amps...post some pics when you are able.
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

Smilemon said:
Buy a tape recorder for like 10 bucks and mail the tape to me, I'll put it on soundclick for you. Same with the photos, i don't have a scanner but I bet someone here has one. This project sounds too cool not to document.
Click to expand...


Ok... i'll tape myself on Cassette... i have a Shure mic and a mixer... i'll tuck the tape away and add a second clip when it is fixed...
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

There are vendors on ebay who sell all the parts you need to restore that amp. ( I know Cuz' I built mine from scratch) I would also look into having the extra gain stage removed. (Unmodded) I don't understand why someone would put a extra gain stage so close to the input jacks? It's no wonder to me why it's noisey, And sound like it's mostly a unuseable mod. Good Luck:D can't wait to see pics.
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

kmcguitars said:
There are vendors on ebay who sell all the parts you need to restore that amp. ( I know Cuz' I built mine from scratch) I would also look into having the extra gain stage removed. (Unmodded) I don't understand why someone would put a extra gain stage so close to the input jacks? It's no wonder to me why it's noisey, And sound like it's mostly a unuseable mod. Good Luck:D can't wait to see pics.
Click to expand...

ya when i bought it i had them send it out to make sure the noise was not a fault..... the amp tech left a note after he looked at it saying that he tried to sheild the wires the best he could against noise... at the time i could not figure out what he meant... i think i know why now...
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

My apologies in advance for the shameless :spam:

Hey, I have G12M-70 for sale cheap. It's the speaker they paired with that chassis in the combo amps.

I had a 4010 combo for many years. 50 watts of rock in a little 1x12 box.
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

Thanks guys..... I just double checked the date stamp.. it didn't say Oct 1982... with a flash light i saw it reads Test Date 24.6.82.. saddly the rest of the sticker is gone because of the gain mod's tube hole was drilled right thru it

I assume this is one of the real early 800's? when in 1982 were these things first issued?

i'm going to try and get a buddy with a digital camera to take some shots before i send it to the tech Monday
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

I would definitely replace the filter caps, they could be on the way out and causing noise. also, the signal wire from the inputs to your added first gain stage (4th tube) and from there to the original 1st tube in the chain need to be shielded conductors to prevent noise from the added gain, It could be a very nice mod with the proper tubes, components, and wiring. (Tim Caswell mod?)
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

johnny blackwater said:
I would definitely replace the filter caps, they could be on the way out and causing noise. also, the signal wire from the inputs to your added first gain stage (4th tube) and from there to the original 1st tube in the chain need to be shielded conductors to prevent noise from the added gain, It could be a very nice mod with the proper tubes, components, and wiring. (Tim Caswell mod?)
Click to expand...

ya i was thinking about teh filter caps... my 65 Deluxe was extra noisey and it was filter caps...

The tech i want to use takes 3 months sometimes to get your amp back to ya... he is a slow worker but the best... maybe i'll bite the bullet and take it to him... he is about an hours drive away
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

disturb said:
I'd go here:

www.mojomusicalsupply.com

They have everything you need. Good luck! Post pics when done.
Click to expand...

I was looking at their contact cement at Mojo for recovering... it says it is forgiving and the covering can be removed and repostioned..... That sounds cool!!!! but by the time i get it here in Canada a small bottle would be $60!!!!! shipping, duty tax, exchange rate... hmmm
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

I may hold off removing the mod just yet.... i just played thru it and i like the results... but i could not crank it any... hmm... i need a place to make some noise....
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

i'm just packing my 800 in the car and taking to my friends work to get him to take some pictures... i'll also get him to take photos of my rare MIM Standard Strat with a highly flamed neck
 
Re: My modded 2204 800 head

Please take a close-up picture of the mod from the input to the original first tube,including resistors and caps,and where it ties in to the board, could be valuable info! thanks!
 
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