Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

[BluesGuyJ]

I've been listening to more and more guitarists using hot rodded marshalls, like Warren Haynes, Lynch and others... I've also been digging Joe DOn from Rascall flats and some of his Bogner tones.

I'm interested in getting my hands on a hot rodded marshall kind of amp, but does not lean too much towards a super tight metal type of tone... I'm thinking modern and hard rock, but not a very metal tone like FJA modded marshalls.

The SPlawn 50 waters have my attention as well as used Soldano Hot ROd 50 heads...

I'm also thinking of getting my hands on a preamp and plugging that into the power section of my two other amps, which are custom made Dumble style amps, but they run at a +4 in the effects loop....

Any thoughts?

 

[NjuiMusic]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

JCM900 SLX model is pretty nice, slightly higher gain JCM tones, JCM2000s lean a bit more to the modern side but it seems like you don't want a marshall.. sooo Splawn is pretty cool! some of my fav bands use Splawns and you can't go wrong with Soldano.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

Before we can recommend amps for you, we need to know how much wattage you're looking for as well as how many channels you want and how much you're willing to spend. A Bogner Ecstasy is an amazing and versatile amp, but they're also REALLY expensive. A Soldano SLO is pretty simple in comparison; only two channels with shared EQ, but it has this amazing cutting midrange that I've never heard in another amp. Both of those may be out of your budget. Bogner Shivas are cool without being too spendy, and Soldano Hot Rods get probably 80-90% of the SLO tone, though they lack that signature midrange. Splawns aren't my thing, but a lot of guys like them; I've heard great things about Friedman as well.

Regarding a preamp into the effects return, I'd be more concerned over where the EQ and master volume (if any) are in relation to the FX loop. If the master is pre-loop (like the Marshall DSL for example), you'll have to control overall volume from the preamp. A much bigger problem is an amp where the EQ is after the effects return like all of the Soldano amps and my Marshall Jubilee. Any amp with post-loop EQ makes a particularly poor power amp as the two sets of tone controls frequently tend to fight each other.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

I wish I had a Hot Rod Marshall. I got the original Marshall JCM800 / with TS pedal deal, and then skipped to the high Gain 5150, but have always wanted a proper hot rod Marshall -cum high gain amp -like the SlO or Ecstacy.

 

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

I'm looking at no more than 50 watts for sure...

Bogner XTC is too much power for me and what I do... I've spent a lot on my current amps, which are the Allston Dumbalina MKII and Allston Overdrive COmbo (which has a Dumble and HRM mode in one amp).

I'd be looking at 1500 used for this amp.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

50w Splawn Super Sport $1500 new, or for a more modern sound a 50w Nitro SS is the same price. Or $1400 for either of those amps w/ a 22w 6V6 power amp.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

Blackstar Series One.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

David Bray
Friedman Small Box

 

[Aceman]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

Lickliter

 

[Leon Of Late]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

I also think that Spawn makes the best Hotrodded Marshall sound today, as well as the most versatile. With many of their models, you get 2 distinct channels and the drive channel typically has 3 gears....1st gear is a modded Plexi sound. 2nd gear is a hot rodded JCM 800 sound and 3rd gear is a super hot rodded JCM 800. Their clean channel also sounds very decent.

 

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

The Blackstar Series 1 50 waters have caught my attention as well. I believe Splawn also makes a 50 watt version of the QR, which might be good.

Does anyone here have experience with the Mesa Stileto? I think those are based on 70s era JMPs, no?

 

[DKSEARS]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

Lickliter

+1 on this. Mike is an old school mate of mine. He makes a great amp from everything I've seen and heard. Hoping to get my hands on one when I can afford it.

I'd always liked to have an JCM900 SLX, too. I thought they were cool back when they came out.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

I'd pull Soldano off the list, just because it doesn't sound like a hotrodded Marshall, being it's own circuit using 6L6's. When it came out, people called it a hotrodded Marshall, but when you hear the two side by side, the Soldano is closer to a 5150 in actual tone.

Even after trying and owning many variations on the Marshall theme, I still think a good Marshall amp like a 50W 2204 with an OD in front of it has the authentic sound. It's got more touch sensitivity, and the throaty roar that a lot of clones seem to fall short on.

I love Bogners, and the XTC has been my favorite amp for 15 years, but even they don't totally nail the exact highgain Marshall tone I hear in really killer Marshalls. However, there's many companies doing what you're looking for, not to mention pedals you could run into your current amps.

For more authenticity, collectibility, and real hotrodded Marshall tone, just keep searching Craigslist, Reverb, and Ebay for clean 6 knob JCM 800's, Jubilees, and 900's. I still think single channel 6 knob Marshalls have the best fundamental tone. Run an OD in front of them for solos, just like everyone did back in the day......except now there's far more to choose from.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

I still stand by the idea of well maintained older Marshalls, since so few were dialed in, and it's a sad fact that opinions were built on good amps often biased poorly with crappy cold war era tubes. It's a great thing that many of those old Marshalls are now owned by afficionados who take the time to dial them in.

I will say that one of my favorite high gain EL-34 amps is the Bad Cat Cougar 50, which was designed by James Brown, who created the 5150. For highgain Marshall tone, the Cougar is amazing. It's an amp that was discontinued because the new owners of Bad Cat USA didn't want a Chinese line tarnishing their brand anymore. The Cougar line was great though. Inexpensive too.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

I'd pull Soldano off the list, just because it doesn't sound like a hotrodded Marshall, being it's own circuit using 6L6's. When it came out, people called it a hotrodded Marshall, but when you hear the two side by side, the Soldano is closer to a 5150 in actual tone.

Even after trying and owning many variations on the Marshall theme, I still think a good Marshall amp like a 50W 2204 with an OD in front of it has the authentic sound. It's got more touch sensitivity, and the throaty roar that a lot of clones seem to fall short on.

I agree with both of these points. The 5150 came about from Soldano's. Eddie used a SLO on For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge and when it came to design his own amp, the SLO was the starting point. Very very similar preamps.

BITD, Lee Jackson did some mods to Marshalls that had a really good sound yet still retained the Marshall character.

While a hot-rodded Marshall is nice, and I like them too, there's just something about playing through a bone stock amp and kicking it hard with an OD out front. Heck, my JCM 900 MkIII is pretty much a hot-rodded Marshall but I still like to run it with the gain sensitivity dialed back and use an OD with it. I feel the amp more.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

Every time I see...like...a Premier Guitar youtube video with a famous guitarist who uses these types of amps (Billy Duffy comes to mind) they all say..."This is amp just a really good Marshall and I wish Marshall would just make amps this way."

Why DOESN'T Marshall just make amps this way!?!

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

+1 on this. Mike is an old school mate of mine. He makes a great amp from everything I've seen and heard. Hoping to get my hands on one when I can afford it.

I'd always liked to have an JCM900 SLX, too. I thought they were cool back when they came out.

I had Mike's Lickliter Rage prototype (was a modded plexi) and it was an awesome amp. It recently came back to the shop that I frequent and if I didn't already have a Splawn QuickRod and Friedman Smallbox... the Lickliter would have come back home with me and stayed. I'm just trying to keep things simple and stop collecting. Anyways... I corresponded with Mike and he was very helpful and friendly. Great guy who builds great amps.

And I gotta +1 the Splawn and Friedman suggestions. Also, I really liked my Ceriatone Chupacabra. And their Yeti and Kong amps are supposed to be awesome hot-rod Marshalls in a similar vein.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

Every time I see...like...a Premier Guitar youtube video with a famous guitarist who uses these types of amps (Billy Duffy comes to mind) they all say..."This is amp just a really good Marshall and I wish Marshall would just make amps this way."

Why DOESN'T Marshall just make amps this way!?!

I think it's gotta be some prideful hangup with them or something. Cause they certainly COULD make great amps like these. But they'd charge $5K for 'em I'm sure.

I almost bought an open box 2555X at Musician's Friend on their 36 months no interest plan a couple of weeks ago. But I just didn't think it'd get played enough to be worth it, sitting next to my Splawn and Friedman. Having said that... some of the clips that I heard of the 2555X sounded pretty dang good.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

Every time I see...like...a Premier Guitar youtube video with a famous guitarist who uses these types of amps (Billy Duffy comes to mind) they all say..."This is amp just a really good Marshall and I wish Marshall would just make amps this way."

Why DOESN'T Marshall just make amps this way!?!

Have you had a chance to play a 2203X? I've only ever played them with factory tubes, but they sound like a pretty typical early 80s 800 to me. I'm sure they could be improved significantly with better tubes and a proper bias. The biggest issue IMO is that they're so expensive. Why should I pay in the neighborhood of double what an original 800 costs? They also haven't reissued the 2204.

I think it's gotta be some prideful hangup with them or something. Cause they certainly COULD make great amps like these. But they'd charge $5K for 'em I'm sure.

I almost bought an open box 2555X at Musician's Friend on their 36 months no interest plan a couple of weeks ago. But I just didn't think it'd get played enough to be worth it, sitting next to my Splawn and Friedman. Having said that... some of the clips that I heard of the 2555X sounded pretty dang good.

I've owned a 2555 since 2001 and I've played Splawns; they're pretty different beasts. The reissue clips I've heard don't sound quite as good as mine, but that could be different tubes or bias. Marshall at least seems to have gotten into the ballpark and the prices aren't completely insane.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Really digging hot rodded Marshall tones... Soldano, SPlawn, others?

Scott Spawn is an AWESOME human being and makes killer amps. I loved the sound of my Spawn it just turned into the wrong amp for me over time, tonally. I wish I had it round just for the occasional bit now, but I will never have another 100W head again lol.

This is my Spawn Quick Rod from my namesake band a few years ago. My amp is the guitar on the right, the harmony parts, and the solo from 2:50-3:15. Rhythm guitar is a Fender Strat with a Bareknuckle Cold Sweat in the bridge and the solo is an ESP Kamikaze 4 with a Bareknuckle Miracle Man.