Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Alright, I think I've finally finished my Marshall/Fender rig.
A couple months ago, I walked into my local GC and spotted an amp that has always been one of my favorite Marshalls - a 1984 JCM 800 4103....the 212 combo version of the popular 2103. This is the good single channel one with 5 big filter capacitors.
I was dumbfounded that I'd found one in dead MINT condition, besides the usual faded cloth and dirty tolex.....but no imperfections at all. I fired it up in the store, and everyone came to have a look at the best sounding Marshall in the store...easily. I worked out a deal at $800 out the door, although I had the horrible 30 day waiting period! Uhgghh.
A month ago, I brought it home and immediately went to work on it. I tore it completely apart and detail cleaned everything. After removing the logo and masking the badge, I dyed the grillcloth with diluted liquid shoe polish in a spray bottle. I worked the same solution into the tolex after cleaning it. It turned out perfect!
It came with well broken in G12T-75s that sounded totally authentic to the era, but more on that later.
I thought about changing the 6550's for EL-34's, but the big bottles sounded so good, I bought a new set of Tungsol 6550's, leaving the option for two running at 4ohms...half power. This power section now sounds like a brick sh1t house! So fat, so killer.
The pre section was fitted with some of my old stock Mullard ECC83's. They beat my modern 12AX7's in this amp, because I'm trying to make this the ultimate Marshall.....from creamy 60's tones to a fat and crushing 80's rock tone.
I biased the Tungsol 6550's to 39mA, which is a decent bias for them....not too pushed to heat up the chassis, and definitely not cold like I got the amp. GE 6550's with a 22mA bias is how it came to me.
Now, about the 74 Fender Pro Reverb....the best Fender amp I've ever owned....and I've owned a lot. One year ago, the owner of my favorite BBQ restaurant 'The Bear Pit' listed the amp for $700, and I jumped on it. When I went to his house, I learned that Aspen Pitman from Groove Tube was his cousin! This 74 had been completely gone through and turned into the ultimate blackface Fender by both Aspen Pitman and Greg Leon....Dokken's first guitarist, and well known LA amp tech.
It's got handpicked tubes, blackface circuit, Jensen C12N/beam blocker and Emi Swamp Thang. Aspen probably changed the cloth to old stock 70's cloth. I added a blue jewel and maybe a pre tube or so. I'd say it's in 95% cosmetic condition.
Here they are together. 1984 JCM800 4103 looking like it just got pulled out of it's carton with properly biased Mullards and Tungsols. 1974 Pro Reverb blackfaced silverface.
But this wasn't enough. I really wanted to get the most out of the Marshall, using richer sounding speakers than the G75's. I was considering a new Celestion Creamback 65 or 75, and maybe a V30 next to it. I found a Creamback 65 for $90 yesterday, and installed it today. The amp really came alive, and I was stoked!
Rich beautiful mids, big tight lows, and smooth highs. The EQ on the Marshall got better....the Creamback 65 is a thicker sound than the G75, but the G75 has nice bass and high end cut, so I think I'll keep one of them in it on the left.
The Creamback is basically a 65W Greenback with bigger tighter lows. You Marshall guys will love either of the Creambacks! This JCM800 really sings now. I think I may be done tampering with it. I'll post a pic of the Creamback in the amp later, as well as much better photos.
I'm also trying to get the engineer at the studio where I keep some of my amps to let me do some clips at high volume so I can capture them doing their thing....especially with a few OD pedals that sound best with both amps.
A couple months ago, I walked into my local GC and spotted an amp that has always been one of my favorite Marshalls - a 1984 JCM 800 4103....the 212 combo version of the popular 2103. This is the good single channel one with 5 big filter capacitors.
I was dumbfounded that I'd found one in dead MINT condition, besides the usual faded cloth and dirty tolex.....but no imperfections at all. I fired it up in the store, and everyone came to have a look at the best sounding Marshall in the store...easily. I worked out a deal at $800 out the door, although I had the horrible 30 day waiting period! Uhgghh.
A month ago, I brought it home and immediately went to work on it. I tore it completely apart and detail cleaned everything. After removing the logo and masking the badge, I dyed the grillcloth with diluted liquid shoe polish in a spray bottle. I worked the same solution into the tolex after cleaning it. It turned out perfect!
It came with well broken in G12T-75s that sounded totally authentic to the era, but more on that later.
I thought about changing the 6550's for EL-34's, but the big bottles sounded so good, I bought a new set of Tungsol 6550's, leaving the option for two running at 4ohms...half power. This power section now sounds like a brick sh1t house! So fat, so killer.
The pre section was fitted with some of my old stock Mullard ECC83's. They beat my modern 12AX7's in this amp, because I'm trying to make this the ultimate Marshall.....from creamy 60's tones to a fat and crushing 80's rock tone.
I biased the Tungsol 6550's to 39mA, which is a decent bias for them....not too pushed to heat up the chassis, and definitely not cold like I got the amp. GE 6550's with a 22mA bias is how it came to me.
Now, about the 74 Fender Pro Reverb....the best Fender amp I've ever owned....and I've owned a lot. One year ago, the owner of my favorite BBQ restaurant 'The Bear Pit' listed the amp for $700, and I jumped on it. When I went to his house, I learned that Aspen Pitman from Groove Tube was his cousin! This 74 had been completely gone through and turned into the ultimate blackface Fender by both Aspen Pitman and Greg Leon....Dokken's first guitarist, and well known LA amp tech.
It's got handpicked tubes, blackface circuit, Jensen C12N/beam blocker and Emi Swamp Thang. Aspen probably changed the cloth to old stock 70's cloth. I added a blue jewel and maybe a pre tube or so. I'd say it's in 95% cosmetic condition.
Here they are together. 1984 JCM800 4103 looking like it just got pulled out of it's carton with properly biased Mullards and Tungsols. 1974 Pro Reverb blackfaced silverface.
But this wasn't enough. I really wanted to get the most out of the Marshall, using richer sounding speakers than the G75's. I was considering a new Celestion Creamback 65 or 75, and maybe a V30 next to it. I found a Creamback 65 for $90 yesterday, and installed it today. The amp really came alive, and I was stoked!
Rich beautiful mids, big tight lows, and smooth highs. The EQ on the Marshall got better....the Creamback 65 is a thicker sound than the G75, but the G75 has nice bass and high end cut, so I think I'll keep one of them in it on the left.
The Creamback is basically a 65W Greenback with bigger tighter lows. You Marshall guys will love either of the Creambacks! This JCM800 really sings now. I think I may be done tampering with it. I'll post a pic of the Creamback in the amp later, as well as much better photos.
I'm also trying to get the engineer at the studio where I keep some of my amps to let me do some clips at high volume so I can capture them doing their thing....especially with a few OD pedals that sound best with both amps.
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