Which speaker are best with a JCM 800 2204???

[T.M.A.]

Re: Which speaker are best with a JCM 800 2204???

Side note on the bright caps...the more you turn up the volume the less that cap has any effect...at low volumes it's very much in play, on 10 it might as well not be there...

I can't stress enough how big of a difference clipping the bright cap will make if you keep the amp at say 6 or below.

Yes, right on man. I am getting that thing clipped this week. Snip! Snip! Then will report back to you and let you know how it rides with the V30's and the 65, that I should be getting in the mail this week...

 

[AudioWonderland]

Re: Which speaker are best with a JCM 800 2204???

Yes, right on man. I am getting that thing clipped this week. Snip! Snip! Then will report back to you and let you know how it rides with the V30's and the 65, that I should be getting in the mail this week...

That amp needs a vasectomy!

 

[T.M.A.]

Re: Which speaker are best with a JCM 800 2204???

Hey guys! Just wanted to let those of you who care know how things are going!

So, I went to see my tech friend today. We popped open the amp all ready to see a big, smiling bright cap waiting to be snipped and guess what... NO FRIGGIN BRITE CAP! Yeah man, the amp had no bright cap. I did get it used, so that must have been something that was already taken care of. Other than the missing bright cap, the amp is totally bone stock. Some things we did find however:

1. The power tubes were biased pretty darn high - 21 on the meter for EL34's

2. The preamp tubes I was using were exceptionally bright: Some sovtek 12 AX7 LPS and a Sovtek WA.

We switched out the sovteks in V1 and V2 for some JJ ECC83S's (we kept one of the sovteks in V3. My friend said that it was a good idea to have a large plate in V3 as far as functionality for the amp. ?...), which made the amp considerably darker. Also, we lowered the bias on the power tubes to about 16-17, which I think also helped. Once we got those sovteks out of V1 and V2 and stuck the JJ's in there, it was a lot easier to hear what was going on and where the brightness was coming from.

So far, I've experimented with two different speakers: the V30 (of course) and a K100. The V30's will NOT do in that amp for me (at least not with my current guitar and pickup selection). Too much of something I can't quite put my finger on. Some treble or mid frequency or something is being way too accentuated. I don't know, but in my opinion they are just not a good mix with this amp. The K100 IMO is a MUCH better fit. They are grindy and have a good, dark, hard rock sound. There was something missing for me in them however -which is why I am stoked to try out my G12 65 that should be coming in the mail tomorrow.

Already, the amp is MUCH more playable. My setup is still a little bright, but now I can more accurately hear what needs to change in my guitar and pickup selection. I am looking forward to ticking away at this until I get what I know is there -A righteous, serviceable rock tone... AMEN.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Which speaker are best with a JCM 800 2204???

Interesting stuff.

Sounds like you are on the way to getting things dialed in so thats a good thing.

Keep us posted on how things work out...speakers make a HUGH difference so maybe the speakers will be the last part of the puzzle.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Which speaker are best with a JCM 800 2204???

I am consider buying two G12 Heritage 65's for my JCM 800 2204 head. please, tell me the advantages and disadvantages if i run 2x12 cabinet with that head ?

WRONG APPROACH

Rola 65s are somehow not as well known/understood as v30s, greenbacks, etc., but actually cost MORE new. Hence... We have a marketful of ignorasmuses. Your best bet: A LOADED USED 4x12.... $175-350 in my area, for 8/10 or better cosmetics and big name brand first world manufacturers. (well, the $159+tax Carvin w/ vintage Rola 65s not Heritages is mine now, but I've seen $350 jcm800 marshall cabs at both local GCs, Fountain Valley AND Lake Forest in the last month...so funny considering how much awesomer than 1960A's they are)

Result: USED 4X12 AT THE PRICE OF 1-2 SPEAKERS = PURE WIN... Plus, some folk say the heritages arent quite right anyway. Get a loaded cab, save a bundle!

 

[brunogio]

Re: Which speaker are best with a JCM 800 2204???

My first reaction was also that the amp was too bright and needed a small mod to warm it up.

I had a mod done to add bass rather than remove treble and think it made the amp much nicer sounding.

I play my JMP through Greenbacks and like that sound a lot but also play with the pre amp set around 3-4. But 65s might sound good as well.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Which speaker are best with a JCM 800 2204???

I wouldn't cut the bright cap myself, and it only matters if you aren't running the preamp full out, which I've always thought was the point with an 800.

G12-65's in a 4x12, you won't find anything better for that amp (or any vintage Marshall), and nevermind Jerry's rambling about them being too bright with a 100 watter (or whatever he was trying to say).

You can try to find an 80's vintage Marshall cab with them, won't be cheap unless you're real lucky. I didn't know about the Carvins, that might be worth looking out for in other places, but around here Carvin stuff just isn't very prevalent. Mine came in some big old Kustom cabs that they were not original in.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Which speaker are best with a JCM 800 2204???

G12-65's in a 4x12, you won't find anything better for that amp (or any vintage Marshall), and nevermind Jerry's rambling about them being too bright with a 100 watter (or whatever he was trying to say).

You can try to find an 80's vintage Marshall cab with them, won't be cheap unless you're real lucky. I didn't know about the Carvins, that might be worth looking out for in other places, but around here Carvin stuff just isn't very prevalent. Mine came in some big old Kustom cabs that they were not original in.

Especially since they aint bright at all. Lol. The ONLY setting in which I'd call em even mildly bright-ish would be as a BASS GUITAR SPEAKER, when comparing em to stuff like 300w-rated 15's... And unlike the dude who said that, I own a cabful of em. And not one someone told me contained them, bought it as "unknown prolly stock carvins or eminences" (lol) cuz I loved the sound - incidentally tested with a Laney hotrod JCM clone - and popped her open when I got it home. Pleasant surprise inside! Even with "whatever sounds best" logic, getting posh expensive stuff cheap feels satisfying hehe

Im not sure theyre stock though, cuz the sticker on the back says V412M 300w - which isnt whats inside. Some 80s carvins DO come with the high wattage celestion of the day, BUT afair that quickly switched to some strange 70watter and then gt75s within just a couple years after the arrival of the 65...

Check out Marshall JCM cabs used on GCs website if you cant find em locally. Shipping could be a little nasty, but the final price will STILL likely be less than a used 1960a or about the price of 2 new Heritage 65s after tax&shipping

 

[Lux84]

Re: Which speaker are best with a JCM 800 2204???

I have a JCM 800 2204, slightly modded for more gain now for about 2-3 months. at first i got 1960 Lead Angled Cabinet with 4 G12T-75's: new ! the cabinet was actually prepared before i got that amp. and i was going an x pattern 2x Vintage 30 and 2x G12T-75. so i sell 2 x G12T-75's. the Vintage 30 was overpowering G12T-75's so i was playing with that set a little, then tried Vintage 30/G12H30 Anniversaries in x pattern. still i wasn' setisfied with heavy solos, and the harsh mids of Vintage 30 was the problem. just unbearable. so, after that i run 4x12 in stereo mode.. on the left side 2x G12H30's Annies and on the right side 2x G12T75's. since i have cut those Vintage 30's out of the cab, the solos sounds way much better, with no peaks and those annoying harsh mid frequencies. i started opening and boosting the mids way more, and it sounds are so much better, more fluid and liquid sounding.

the V30's was definatelly the negative factor while trying that amp, and i used them about month and a half in x patterns. since i cut them out of the setup the owerrall sound of that amp is much, much better ! now G12-75's have about 25 hours of loud playing, and G12H30's about 15 hours of loud playing. i cannot decide which one i liked better, i just play through them as loud as possible, because i want them to break in soon ! the G12H30's have amazing low end response and are a bit less harsh on highs than G12T75's. i am seriously thinking of getting two more to run it in my 1960 Lead 4x12. and put those two G12T75's in some oversized 2x12 cabinet later. but there is also a wish to try out two G12-65's with that amp... so i think my tone quest with different celestion speakers is not over yet. but i found out that i don't like V30's with JCM 800 2204. they were a negative factor. i just cut them out of setup because i hate the high mid harshness and that peak sounding ****. maybe they works better with some other amps, i really like one V30 with my Blackstar HT-5.. but for that particular amp... they just suck IMO:rocket:

the best souding speaker with my JCM 800 2204... are those G12H30 Annies.. i want them four in that 1960 A cabinet.