barbarianbrute
New member
i questioned whether the JVM would be much better than my DSL 100. after bringing the new one home, cracking open the box, and playing non-stop for hours that day and the next, it was pretty much just better overall.
now for the results...
i've heard a couple of people say the JVM is kind of sterile, but that's so not true. it's still got a mean marshall grit. this is probably because it's much more articulate than the DSL. while the JVM is better than the DSL in sound IMO, and i guess circuitry - etc..., the DSL is still pretty ****ed good in my book. the DSL has a terrific tone and is perhaps a little fatter sounding at first, but then you realize that it's because the JVM is fat enough, just more articulate.
the JVM is smoother sounding than the DSL, but without that stretchy kind of sound you get with the DSL. it's more refined - maybe not what you would expect from a marshall with EL34s. i really wish i could afford both because they just sound different, and both are good.
the controls on the JVM seem very responsive. with 4 channels, it might seem like overkill, but there's a reason. there are three basic amp tones the JVM offers the plexi, jtm45, and jcm 800. on one side, the amp achieves (this being said by someone who's only played a plexi once or twice) a really great plexi tone. switch down to the second channel and it's more like a jtm45 (from what i was told, but i never played a jtm).
now on the 3rd and 4th channels, it's jcm 800 all the way. you can get a lot more gain though. now here's where i think people go wrong...
these are basically two kinds of jcm800 tones. one is naturally more mid heavy and the other is more mid-scooped. some people complain that the amp can get thin when you roll off the gain, but that's because you have to also adjust the eq. this amp is not easy to use, but understanding the fundamental function and build of the unit (of course you must read the owner's manual) is really key to building a great relationship with this amp.
i used a strat equipped with alnico EMGs and another with dimarzio virtual vintage solos. the EMGs screamed like never before and yielded some of the most amazing metal tones i've ever achieved. the virtual vintage pickups with moderate gain settings crunched and squealed like never before. super saturated tone even at low gain settings. i was very impressed. i also came to the conclusion once and for all that passive pickups are superior in tone and can't get any better with a great amp like this. i've noticed over time that great amps seem to expose the flaws of active pickups. active pickups get dirty easily and are perhaps too responsive at times. i find myself doing a lot more gain and eq adjustments with active pickups. then again, it may just be personal preference. anway...
i'm sure someone will be grilling me for saying this, but i venture to state that the JVM offers the classic marshall tone and then some. it's a little smoother than i expected, but i can live with that. it's very organic and let me tell you how good the sustain is. oh man, i can strike a note, have a cup of coffee, and it will still be ringing when i come back. what a great amplifier.
you may have wondered that with such a great amp, what will you do with your pedals? all i can say (i don't care who might disagree but i know first hand) is that this amp is unbelieable with pedals. it pushes so easily that you can achieve such nice round tone with an overdrive pedal or a slick crunch with a distortion pedal.
another plus to the jvm is the clean channel. i personally have never heard such a great clean channel on a marshall amp, and i normally think their cleans sound cool. the jcm 900, i thought, had a really nice clean tone but this one takes the cake. what a monumental improvement since the DSL/TSL series of amps.
like i said before, this amp is not easy to use. it's imperative that you read the owner's manual before operating the amp because it tells you how the amp was meant to function and how to dial in the controls. it's not a great manual by any means, but it does have some fundamental information you need to know to successfully operate the amp.
the eq, by the way, is much different from my DSL. with my dsl, it was pretty straight forward, but with my JVM it's not. also, each channel seems to want its own eq settings. i usually leave the eq settings the same for everything, but i realized that this amp you really have to shape the tone.
well i'm no amp expert by any stretch of the imagination, but i hope i have offered some valuable information for any of you who are considering this amp. if you are considering this amp, then you've already wasted enough time. just go out and buy it because it is everything you would expect from marshall to make up for the TSL series. personally, i prefer it over the vintage modern because it's so versatile and the gain is ultra smooth if you want it to be.
now for the results...
i've heard a couple of people say the JVM is kind of sterile, but that's so not true. it's still got a mean marshall grit. this is probably because it's much more articulate than the DSL. while the JVM is better than the DSL in sound IMO, and i guess circuitry - etc..., the DSL is still pretty ****ed good in my book. the DSL has a terrific tone and is perhaps a little fatter sounding at first, but then you realize that it's because the JVM is fat enough, just more articulate.
the JVM is smoother sounding than the DSL, but without that stretchy kind of sound you get with the DSL. it's more refined - maybe not what you would expect from a marshall with EL34s. i really wish i could afford both because they just sound different, and both are good.
the controls on the JVM seem very responsive. with 4 channels, it might seem like overkill, but there's a reason. there are three basic amp tones the JVM offers the plexi, jtm45, and jcm 800. on one side, the amp achieves (this being said by someone who's only played a plexi once or twice) a really great plexi tone. switch down to the second channel and it's more like a jtm45 (from what i was told, but i never played a jtm).
now on the 3rd and 4th channels, it's jcm 800 all the way. you can get a lot more gain though. now here's where i think people go wrong...
these are basically two kinds of jcm800 tones. one is naturally more mid heavy and the other is more mid-scooped. some people complain that the amp can get thin when you roll off the gain, but that's because you have to also adjust the eq. this amp is not easy to use, but understanding the fundamental function and build of the unit (of course you must read the owner's manual) is really key to building a great relationship with this amp.
i used a strat equipped with alnico EMGs and another with dimarzio virtual vintage solos. the EMGs screamed like never before and yielded some of the most amazing metal tones i've ever achieved. the virtual vintage pickups with moderate gain settings crunched and squealed like never before. super saturated tone even at low gain settings. i was very impressed. i also came to the conclusion once and for all that passive pickups are superior in tone and can't get any better with a great amp like this. i've noticed over time that great amps seem to expose the flaws of active pickups. active pickups get dirty easily and are perhaps too responsive at times. i find myself doing a lot more gain and eq adjustments with active pickups. then again, it may just be personal preference. anway...
i'm sure someone will be grilling me for saying this, but i venture to state that the JVM offers the classic marshall tone and then some. it's a little smoother than i expected, but i can live with that. it's very organic and let me tell you how good the sustain is. oh man, i can strike a note, have a cup of coffee, and it will still be ringing when i come back. what a great amplifier.
you may have wondered that with such a great amp, what will you do with your pedals? all i can say (i don't care who might disagree but i know first hand) is that this amp is unbelieable with pedals. it pushes so easily that you can achieve such nice round tone with an overdrive pedal or a slick crunch with a distortion pedal.
another plus to the jvm is the clean channel. i personally have never heard such a great clean channel on a marshall amp, and i normally think their cleans sound cool. the jcm 900, i thought, had a really nice clean tone but this one takes the cake. what a monumental improvement since the DSL/TSL series of amps.
like i said before, this amp is not easy to use. it's imperative that you read the owner's manual before operating the amp because it tells you how the amp was meant to function and how to dial in the controls. it's not a great manual by any means, but it does have some fundamental information you need to know to successfully operate the amp.
the eq, by the way, is much different from my DSL. with my dsl, it was pretty straight forward, but with my JVM it's not. also, each channel seems to want its own eq settings. i usually leave the eq settings the same for everything, but i realized that this amp you really have to shape the tone.
well i'm no amp expert by any stretch of the imagination, but i hope i have offered some valuable information for any of you who are considering this amp. if you are considering this amp, then you've already wasted enough time. just go out and buy it because it is everything you would expect from marshall to make up for the TSL series. personally, i prefer it over the vintage modern because it's so versatile and the gain is ultra smooth if you want it to be.
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