Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

[Jigsisme]

I was at a shop the other day and they had a couple of the jcm2000 DSL's. 1-100w and 1-50w. Not too bad on price. Didn't get to play either. If I was to get just 1, what would I get, tone wise? I've never even played a Marshall, I don't even know what to expect...other than most of the greats use the classics. As below, I play a 5150iii and an Orange dark terror.
I've been considering another amp purchase and up for anything that can cover a different part of the sound in my head.
Appreciate the advice on the Marshalls.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

IMO, marshal's last great amp was the JCM 800.
A couple of friends have DSLs.....disappointing at best.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

I'll preface this by saying that I've never played one of the older Marshalls that people go on and on about. Except for a couple of JCM 800's when I was too young and clueless to know what I was looking at.

I had a JCM 2000 TSL100, which I bought used. It covered a lot of territory for me. The red channel (lead) was kind of buzzy until I started playing it through Mesa V30's. The crunch channel (amber) always sounded good to great; when I absolutely won't shut up about how awesome my Kramer Focus 1000 was, that crunch channel was the amp.

I did have two problems with it:
(a) It developed a hum, and I had to have a bunch of the solder joints touched up.
(b) The footswitch flaked out, and I had to reterminate the cable on the captive footswitch end. The strain relief grommet was too tight; it had severed two of the wires inside the cable.

I sold it when I needed money for a down payment on a car, but I eventually bought a used JVM410H. So yeah, I like the modern amps. Maybe I don't know enough to dislike them, but it's been a fairly blissful ignorance.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

I find they sound best if you get up to about 60-65 mph before throwing them out the window.

Seriously though, I have heard people get some good tones out of them. I just never could

Go play them and see what you think.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

Marshall is like the Metallica of the amp world. Opinions vary on the last time they were good.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

I think, considering your other amps, you'll be getting something similar yet not as good as the EVH. You'd be better served with something different, like a Bassman or a Twin, in my opinion.

 

[cliffenstein]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

I have a first year (1997) JCM 2000 DSL100 that I bought used a year and a half ago for $385. I've gigged with it several times and I play through it every single day. I have it matched up with a 1960a cab loaded with x-patterned G12M70 and G12T75 speakers. I get EXCEEDINGLY good tones out of it. It has no bias drift issues whatsoever. I've got JJ EL34 power tubes and JJ 12AX7 preamp tubes in it.

I use Red Channel Lead 1
Deep button In
Presence 3
Treble 3
Middle 4
Bass 4
Tone Shift button Out
Preamp 4

Huge, wonderful tone...highly recommended!

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

Of those two amps, my choice would be the DSL 50. I use Mesa amps, but I've used DSL 50s a couple of times at festivals that provided backlines. Took a bit of getting used to it, but in the end it worked out okay. I wasn't playing really loud, but I could feel the tubes working. Don't think I'd get that with the 100-watt version.

Bill

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

The DSL's especially (and JCM2000 over the never DSLs as well) are nice. There's a few simple mods that can be done to them that really open them up imo. Good friend of mine did some minor ones and it was a beast. Be careful of the red channel as it can get a bit fizzy and alot of guys dial that in with too much gain then wonder why it sounds bad.

 

[Securb]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

I own one and love it. The high gain channel can get a bit buzzy by design. That channel is designed to sound like a 900. The other channel gives a great 800 tone and beautiful cleans. I find the amp to be very versatile.

 

[evan47]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

I had the TSL 122 combo ( 2x12, 3 channel ) for a while and the crunch channel was great, the lead a bit tizzy ( I rarely bother with clean as I rather hold my guitar volume back a bit ).
To cut a long story short I could not wait to get rid of it.
It was just too unreliable and kept needing valve replacements in the power section too often.
The amp was never gigged and never left the house.
Apparently, the 100 watt versions are notorious for over heating and el34 issues. so much so in fact I believe there was a kit where you could purchase a set of valve adapters to plug in to the el34 sockets that enabled the use of el84 valves instead, I think the adapters were called yellow jackets.
It was a shame really because as a previous jcm800 owner I had great expectations of the jcm 2000 but ended up disappointed. and out of pocket.
I traded down to a valvestate until that crapped out on me with a noisy buzzing transformer and traded down from that to a vox valvetronix which I loved.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

I'm letting the historian in me come out, so fair warning: The JCM2000 DSL was Marshall's first really successful 2 channel clean/dirty amp. It replaced the JCM900 dual reverbs that most people didn't like and that gave the 900s such a bad name. The DRs in turn had replaced the JCM800 channel switching reverb amps (2210/2205 series). The 2210/05s sounded good but there was a bleed over between the two channels, so were not really good channel switchers.

Ironically, the DSLs with good sounding separate channels, and with no bleed over issues, are probably best used as a single channel amp. Most set up the amp on what channel they need for what they are doing and leave it there. The green channel turned out to be a very good platform for pedals. The amp in green crunch mode and pushed by a pedal was spectacularly good for live rock gigging in the modern age. The way the amp is designed, is that Green clean mode runs the signal through a built in -non adjustable- tone stack that emulates a typical Fender. It is pretty glassy sounding. The crunch mode by-passes this and runs a signal path much like a JCM 800 2203. The red channel utilizes an extra preamp tube like other high gain amps in the post SLO era. Lead 1 was like a boosted gain 800, and Lead 2 was over the top gain. Marshall was keen to emphasize that the DSL signal path was all tube, with no diode clipping. They gave some of the first run to Jeff Beck and he still uses them along with his Plexis.

Marshall had by all accounts a very good sounding three channel amp, with workable channel switching, in the 30th Anniversary series. It gave a JTM45 like clean, and a Plexi through 800 crunch channel, plus modern modded Marshall high gain options on channel three. All good sounding. But it was a very complex build and a nightmare to service long term. It was expensive to build which meant that it was rather expensive to buy and probably not a big money maker. The TSL replaced the 30th in the line up as a more feasible follow on, but many familiar with both say the TSL is no 30th.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

You know - as mentioned - a ton of opinions. It all depends more on what YOU do with it, or want to do. I have played all kinds of Marshalls over the decades. Here are a few opinions:

JCM 800's - A great general Marshall. For classic classic rock, awesome: Zepp, Who, Lizzy, Aerosmith, KISS ALIVE, etc...For early Metal a good base, requires pedals in front (DS-1) Rat, etc). For later metal, thrash nasty, etc meh - requires serious modding, or boost + pedal, or rack stuff etc.

JCM 900's - Marshalls original modded Marshall. Goal was to take the Marshall 800 and turn it into a Soldano. They made a bunch of versions. Some ok, some not. I recently played a bunch (heads + combos). For those who wanted a more saturated, pre-gain type thick distortion without pedals, awesome. Other channels and various models could be buzzy etc. My personal favorite is the SL-X 50 watt head. It will do your thrash etc - but get a boost for tightness.

JCM 2000's - As mentioned these also run a range. Marshall getting more schizophrenic on trying to deliver what they think people wanted, do want, and will want. trying to please aging classic rockers, current metal and the latest in down-tuned fizzy insanity distortion. Honestly, I feel they actually cover quite a range, and you could do a lot with them. Bruce mentioned Marshall hitting some clean high points. And they can certainly 800 crunch if you want. I think a lot of dissatisfaction comes from the ultra channels on these. Still, A solid all around amp, but maybe not their best at anything.

DSL's - Love these period. Clean channels are amazing and super platform for your favorite dirt-in-a-box box straight in tone. Dirt channel does as much as you want without the buzz/fizz/etc many 900/2000 complaints generate. Or TSL if you want more.

More modern stuff - Haze, JVM's etc - can't say, don't care.

Also - before we get too focussed on the Marshall badge, don't discount the 5150...

All of that said, a comment made about my Mesa Stiletto was that it is the best Marshall amp ever made.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

Oh yeah - and like Bruce, I also love the early 8081 and VS100 valve states. Hybrids that probably do the "run the Marshall range from clean to crunch to over the top modded to distortion from hell" as well as any of their full tube intentions or better.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

DSL's - Love these period. Clean channels are amazing and super platform for your favorite dirt-in-a-box box straight in tone. Dirt channel does as much as you want without the buzz/fizz/etc many 900/2000 complaints generate. Or TSL if you want more.

Are you talking about the current DSL range, or the JCM2000 DSL amps?

All of that said, a comment made about my Mesa Stiletto was that it is the best Marshall amp ever made.

I thought the Mesa Rocket 44 was a pretty good Marshall amp.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

The TSL replaced the 30th in the line up as a more feasible follow on, but many familiar with both say the TSL is no 30th.

The TSL really isn't a 30th and the amps sound quite different. A well-maintained 30th runs circles around a TSL in terms of tone. A few years ago I nearly bought a 6100, but the amp had issues and sounded radically different from one day to the next. On a good day it was like the history of Marshall (up to that point) in a single box. On a bad day it was a muddy piece of crap with no note definition at all.

In terms of channels, the TSL's clean channel is a lot more Fender-y than the 30th which sounds like a Plexi or JTM. The crunch channels are similar with the TSL sounding more like an 800 while the 30th sounds closer to my Jubilees. The lead channels are also quite different with the TSL sounding like the DSL red channel and the 30th sounding like an idealized JCM 900.

You know - as mentioned - a ton of opinions. It all depends more on what YOU do with it, or want to do. I have played all kinds of Marshalls over the decades. Here are a few opinions:

JCM 800's - A great general Marshall. For classic classic rock, awesome: Zepp, Who, Lizzy, Aerosmith, KISS ALIVE, etc...For early Metal a good base, requires pedals in front (DS-1) Rat, etc). For later metal, thrash nasty, etc meh - requires serious modding, or boost + pedal, or rack stuff etc.

When most people think of the "classic Marshall sound" they're probably thinking of a 2203. Mostly agreed in terms of tone, except that they'll easily do thrash with a high output pickup (SD / JB / DD / EMG) and a DS-1 out front. The only real downside is that they need to be LOUD to give up the goods and they get too loud really quickly.

All of that said, a comment made about my Mesa Stiletto was that it is the best Marshall amp ever made.

Maybe it's the stock tubes, but I've never been able to get along with Mesa Stilettos. Compared to my 2555, every Stiletto I've played was bright, thin, and scooped.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

Now I have to play a bunch of classic Marshalls. Know any stores with a vintage Plexi they’ll let me crank?

 

[dystrust]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

Now I have to play a bunch of classic Marshalls. Know any stores with a vintage Plexi they’ll let me crank?

No, and most probably wouldn't let you crank it without showing serious intent to buy. Honestly an early 70s metal panel is pretty close; maybe slightly louder, brighter, and gainier.

Also be sure to remember your ear plugs. I was at a shop about 15 years ago when an employee cranked up a '73 100W Superlead just after closing one day... That amp was so loud that the guitars hanging on the wall opposite were literally swinging back and forth.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

Thanks. Fortunately I was joking. I’m not interested in Plexi behavior in an amp. Maybe morbidly curious.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Tell me about Marshall JCM2000 series...

2555 is also a personal favorite. I was within an inch of buying one when I decided to try the Mesa. Only reason was Mesa flexibility. 2555 was freaking awesome and the first amp I played my Frehley LP through.