2555x First impression.

[jorual]

[SC]https://soundcloud.com/sambodious/jub-test[/SC]

Here's a properly recorded clip I made of my 2555x with a Shure SM57 in an isolation room.

First you'll hear an Aerosmith riff twice. First in Rhythm Clip, then on the Lead Channel.

Then a Lead lick, same story, but on the bridge then neck pickups.

Congratulations for the clip. I can notice the separation you have done of Left and Right to get that stereo sensation as if they were 2 guitars.

I just wanted to point out few comments regarding what I read before on the posts.

1.- The amp needs volume to get the real sound. Home volumes are not good to realise if an amp sounds well or not.

2.- Clean channels normally sounds always well. OD channels need more adjust. If your amp sounds fizzy try to start with everything on 5. Marshall 2555 doesn't sound well on high gain level settings.

3.- Jubilee series has an special Character. Diodes gives the clue of the sound. It is an open and Treble sound not very compressed.

I have own several of them and I keep the JCM 2555 SL signature wich is the Slash edition and I love this amp. I have too a JCM 800, a JMP 2204 and several more and each one is different.

The 2555x should not sound in the way you describe.

 

[Felix]

I got down to my local guitar shop tomorrow to place my deposit on a 2555x. I tried the amp out last weekend and was able to find a rough setting that managed to make me shiver with anticipation, thinking about how my Strat Plus Replica or Fling V will sound being played through it. Luckily I will have the amp all paid off by the 17th Sept and will be able to take it home from the store!

 

[drivers1]

reissue marshall silver jubilee 2555x
i got mine about 2 weeks ago and used it daily since i took delivery on the amp. i was playing
the amp when all of a sudden i heard this loud hum at first i thought it might be
my guitar so i checked my volume ...nope wasn't the guitar humming, so i went over to
the amp and i could hear the humming coming from the amp i also felt the top of the amp
head and it was extremely hot also the metal plate in the back of the amp was really hot
i smelled a funny burnt oder coming from inside the amp then it was dead

i called my sales rep immediately and he said that they will ship me another new amp
i just can't believe that in less than 2 weeks my amp fried i don't really have a lot of
confidence in the new silver jubilee 2555x reissue now and really disappointed in the
performance of the amp. i will give the new amp a chance.

the 2555x just should not have failed so quickly anyways something inside got fried
I'm just glad that it failed within the 30 day return policy so i can get a new replacement
good luck jubilee owners

 

[solarburn]

reissue marshall silver jubilee 2555x
i got mine about 2 weeks ago and used it daily since i took delivery on the amp. i have a problem with the amp , all of a sudden i heard this loud hum at first i thought it might be
my guitar so i checked my volume ...nope wasn't the guitar humming, so i went over to
the amp and i could hear the humming coming from the amp i also felt the top of the amp
head and it was extremely hot also the metal plate in the back of the amp was really hot
i smelled a funny burnt oder coming from inside the amp then it was dead

i called my sales rep immediately and he said that they will ship me another new amp
i just can't believe that in less than 2 weeks my amp fried i don't really have a lot of
confidence in the new silver jubilee 2555x reissue now and really disappointed in the
performance of the amp. i will give the new amp a chance.

the 2555x just should not have failed so quickly anyways something inside got fried
I'm just glad that it failed within the 30 day return policy so i can get a new replacement
good luck jubilee owners

Could have easily been a power tube red plating and taking things out with it. Both preamp and power tubes can hum before going out. Tubes can go bad right off or later down the road. It can be a crap shoot with tube life spans even brand new.

You're getting taken care of though which is great.

 

[Masliko]

1. Bias the power valves accordingly.
With the power section biased, direct your attention to the phase inverter valve. Try a 5751 in the PI. A lower range bias should not create fizz, so don't go too crazy with the heat. I like to bias by ear, which usually ends up at the mid to top range.

2. Do the "fizzies" disappear when the amp is cranked?
If the fizz disappears (blends) when the master volume is cranked, the amp is operating exactly as it should. I would say that you may have purchased more "Marshall" than you need for a given space.

My experience has been that a 100 watt isn't that much louder than a 50 watt, but a 50 watt doesn't exhibit "fizz" to the extent of a 100 watt. I get some "fizz" from my authentic 2550 in 50 watt mode, but it blends-in beautifully when cranked. No "fizzies" in 25 watt mode.

If you must have a 50/100 Jubilee circuit, you may want to consider purchasing a hand-wired clone instead. Modify the PI with a 100pf/120pf capacitor, and use polyester film capacitors in the signal path. My 100 watt Cornford is a beast of an amp! No "fizz" at all, unless I dial it in.

From Duane Allman's Live at the Fillmore tones, to numerous ZZ Top recordings, and nearly every rock/metal composition from the 70's forward... That "fizz" is part of the beloved Marshall sound. Embrace the fizz!

Tip:
Try a quad of Celestion G12H30 55Hz drivers.

That "fizz" is part of the beloved Marshall sound. Embrace the fizz!
about time! ....take this advice,all of it.Most people want a SS in my book,not me.

 

[Felix]

I've now had my 2555x for a week. I run it through a Victory Amps 4 x 12 loaded with vintage 30's. It's actually the cab used for the Silverback sig amp they do.

It took me a while to understand how to best get the right tones I wanted. I use a Fender Strat Plus with Lace Sensor Golds and a Gibson '67 reissue Flying V with the original hot pups. When I finally started to get to grips with the amp, I finally got "that" tone I had been chasing for 18 years (when I played on my media tutors black jubilee combo).

When I was in my local shop that had the amp, I tried out a number of different Marshall models with a 4 x 12 loaded with v30's and I still came back to loving this amp best. I like an amp that is nice and basic with it's controls, as it just makes fine tuning it more natural for me. Really happy with the amp and it's a keeper for sure.

 

[John 14:6]

reissue marshall silver jubilee 2555x
i got mine about 2 weeks ago and used it daily since i took delivery on the amp. i was playing
the amp when all of a sudden i heard this loud hum at first i thought it might be
my guitar so i checked my volume ...nope wasn't the guitar humming, so i went over to
the amp and i could hear the humming coming from the amp i also felt the top of the amp
head and it was extremely hot also the metal plate in the back of the amp was really hot
i smelled a funny burnt oder coming from inside the amp then it was dead

i called my sales rep immediately and he said that they will ship me another new amp
i just can't believe that in less than 2 weeks my amp fried i don't really have a lot of
confidence in the new silver jubilee 2555x reissue now and really disappointed in the
performance of the amp. i will give the new amp a chance.

the 2555x just should not have failed so quickly anyways something inside got fried
I'm just glad that it failed within the 30 day return policy so i can get a new replacement
good luck jubilee owners

Probably a tube issue that has nothing to do with the amp itself.

 

[mickeydg5]

reissue marshall silver jubilee 2555x
i got mine about 2 weeks ago and used it daily since i took delivery on the amp. i was playing
the amp when all of a sudden i heard this loud hum at first i thought it might be
my guitar so i checked my volume ...nope wasn't the guitar humming, so i went over to
the amp and i could hear the humming coming from the amp i also felt the top of the amp
head and it was extremely hot also the metal plate in the back of the amp was really hot
i smelled a funny burnt oder coming from inside the amp then it was dead

i called my sales rep immediately and he said that they will ship me another new amp
i just can't believe that in less than 2 weeks my amp fried i don't really have a lot of
confidence in the new silver jubilee 2555x reissue now and really disappointed in the
performance of the amp. i will give the new amp a chance.

the 2555x just should not have failed so quickly anyways something inside got fried
I'm just glad that it failed within the 30 day return policy so i can get a new replacement
good luck jubilee owners

You should find out what the problem is first.

Any amplifier, pedal, effects unit, television, computer, phone or other electronics device can exhibit distraught circumstances. That is no reason to condemn all of them for the problems of one device.

Good luck to you.

 

[thegaindeli]

reissue marshall silver jubilee 2555x
i got mine about 2 weeks ago and used it daily since i took delivery on the amp. i was playing
the amp when all of a sudden i heard this loud hum at first i thought it might be
my guitar so i checked my volume ...nope wasn't the guitar humming, so i went over to
the amp and i could hear the humming coming from the amp i also felt the top of the amp
head and it was extremely hot also the metal plate in the back of the amp was really hot
i smelled a funny burnt oder coming from inside the amp then it was dead

i called my sales rep immediately and he said that they will ship me another new amp
i just can't believe that in less than 2 weeks my amp fried i don't really have a lot of
confidence in the new silver jubilee 2555x reissue now and really disappointed in the
performance of the amp. i will give the new amp a chance.

the 2555x just should not have failed so quickly anyways something inside got fried
I'm just glad that it failed within the 30 day return policy so i can get a new replacement
good luck jubilee owners

There are bound to be some duds out there.

A 100 watt tube amplifier is a f-ing oven! This being the reality, I was surprised to see Marshall went with PCB mounted power tube sockets in the 2555X. Quick assembly = lower production costs. A limited lifetime warranty is in order here.

 

[The Greek]

Ok here are some thoughts about the 2555X. Let me just say that I've also owned 2 original 1987 2555s, which I -regrettably- sold many years ago, although at a very good profit. I still own an all original 1988 2554 combo, which sounds awesome. What I'm trying to say is that I'm pretty familiar with the Jubilee amps, how they sound and what to expect from them.

Anyway, first of all you must understand that the Jubilee was actually designed to work with the then new Vintage 30s speakers. This is the reason why its EQ is so vastly different than the JCM800 series of amps. I've seen people (here too) complaining about the Jubilees not sounding good and this and that and when they get asked what their speakers are, it is Greenbacks, G12T75s and anything but V30s... As with all things gear related, some love the V30s, whereas others hate them. If you belong in the latter category, you better forget about the Jubilees as well. (Of course YMMV)

With that said, I received my 2555X about 2 weeks ago. I already have a 1960AV cab with UK made V30s, so naturally I connected the head to this cab. When I had the original 2555s, 9 out of 10 times I used the "High Output" (pentode) mode. So when I switched on the 2555X for the first time after unpacking it, I left the output switch to the "High" setting, as it originally came from the factory.

To cut a long story short, the amp sounds amazing, both in clean, crunch and lead. It is also almost completely quiet, both in low and high volume settings. Of course anyone who is pretty familiar with tube amps cannot realistically expect them to be completely quiet, especially when the volume goes up and up...

So far so good. However, the problems started when I decided to test it in the "Low Output" (triode) mode... With the amp off I turned the output switch to "low", I turned on the power switch, waited for a few minutes and then I turned on the Standby switch.

Before I could say "Silver Jubilee" a very loud low 60 cycle hum greeted me... It is not affected by any volume change or knob tweaking for that matter. Just a steady low level 60 cycle hum, which essentially renders the amp completely useless when in triode mode... When in pentode mode the amp sounds killer and completely quiet. As far as I know, this is due to not properly set bias levels of the power tubes, faulty power tube(s) and/or a faulty switch. I won't even mention faulty caps as the amp is brand new, but who knows...

I know how to set the bias, but no matter what's the case, I won't touch the amp as it is -obviously- under warranty, so tomorrow I'll just take it to the distributor and leave it there until they fix it, or they better get me a new one. At this point, I would be really interested to know if any of you experienced the same problem. It's a pity, because as I've already said the amp sounds killer when in pentode mode.

On another note, I noticed that the engraved signature of "Jim Marshall" in the right corner has an interesting feature: The letter "M" (in the "Marshall" word) is not "continuous", but it is "interrupted" for lack of another word. I'm not sure if I properly described it, but I'll take a pic and upload it later on. Can any of you confirm if that's indeed the case with your 2555s, or did I hit another "Jack-pot"...?

 

[Adrian R]

the reissue sj trannies and the total build is different than the original jubilee. but i am sure they can be tuned up to sound excellent.

Now I certainly have not tried an old or new Jube...I'd love to of course...but the problem with the DSLs is their crappy transformers...replace them, add a choke...bias correctly...good tubes...blah, blah and it's a different amp man; totally....

I suspect this *could* be the prob with the new Jube...based on what I've read thus far.

 

[renoman_89502]

I suspect that some people can pick apart any amp and find something they don't like....the reissue silver jubilee sounds fantastic ! Its that good ....this coming from a guy who has many amps and access to even more. Some people are never happy.

 

[The Greek]

the reissue silver jubilee sounds fantastic !

Yes indeed. However, mine -as I already wrote- has a problem with loud 60 cycle low hum when in triode (low output) mode, which essentially makes it useless in triode. Please could you let me know if yours is quiet when in triode mode?

 

[wardal]

Yes indeed. However, mine -as I already wrote- has a problem with loud 60 cycle low hum when in triode (low output) mode, which essentially makes it useless in triode. Please could you let me know if yours is quiet when in triode mode?

I would definitely say your amp has a problem. Mine operates quietly in triode mode. Glad to hear you like it other than this issue.

 

[renoman_89502]

I do get a little noise in the lead channel at a high gain setting....not anything crazy thought....are the any fluorescent lights ? I have mine by my TV...when the TV is on it makes that 60 cy hum ....

 

[thegaindeli]

Yes indeed. However, mine -as I already wrote- has a problem with loud 60 cycle low hum when in triode (low output) mode, which essentially makes it useless in triode. Please could you let me know if yours is quiet when in triode mode?

Can you feel any vibration from the transformer? Can you hear hum with the MV turned to 0? If yes, the hum/buzz is being caused by the the 50/60Hz of the AC mains, which is vibrating the transformer. The only way to solve this, is to replace the transformer.

If the issue is restricted to the triode mode only, you can minimize this by making sure you have a well matched set of power tubes. The 2555X shorts the screen and plate to achieve triode mode operation... Unfortunately, this results in a loss of filtering, which results in audible hum. I don't know what the plate voltage is on a 2555X? If it's above 435 volts (I'm guessing 460-ish volts), that may be a contributing factor as well.

The fact that you've said it's unusable in triode mode, yet others have not reported this, makes me think you are running a stock set of power tubes. Install a genuinely matched quad of El34's, bias (not too hot), and report back.

 

[The Greek]

Can you feel any vibration from the transformer? Can you hear hum with the MV turned to 0? If yes, the hum/buzz is being caused by the the 50/60Hz of the AC mains, which is vibrating the transformer. The only way to solve this, is to replace the transformer.

If the issue is restricted to the triode mode only, you can minimize this by making sure you have a well matched set of power tubes. The 2555X shorts the screen and plate to achieve triode mode operation... Unfortunately, this results in a loss of filtering, which results in audible hum. I don't know what the plate voltage is on a 2555X? If it's above 435 volts (I'm guessing 460-ish volts), that may be a contributing factor as well.

The fact that you've said it's unusable in triode mode, yet others have not reported this, makes me think you are running a stock set of power tubes. Install a genuinely matched quad of El34's, bias (not too hot), and report back.

Thanks for your reply. The issue is restricted only to the triode mode. The amp is dead silent when in pentode mode and sounds killer. When in triode mode the hum comes from the cab's speakers and not from the amp itself. Moreover, it isn't affected at all by the volume or any other knob for that matter and it still hums even if a guitar, or any other effect pedal isn't connected to it.

Yes it has the stock tubes. I got it about 2 weeks ago. The thing is I won't touch it, since it's under warranty. Let this be their problem and not mine. I bought a brand new amp and expected from it to be running faultlessly. If I had to bet money on it, I'd say that it's probably due to not properly matched tubes and "incorrect" biasing. Hopefully that's the case.

Moreover, I'm particularly alarmed because in this very thread we had a member whose 2555X was "fried" after only a few hours of use, probably due to a bad tube "going down" and taking everything on its way...

I would definitely say your amp has a problem. Mine operates quietly in triode mode. Glad to hear you like it other than this issue.

Thanks for your reply. It's a pity because the amp sounds killer in high output mode. it's going straight back to the dealer until they ultimately fix it, or get me another one. As a matter of fact, even if they claim to have fixed it I'm not gonna sign the delivery receipt, unless I test it at their premises.

On another note, please could you check if the letter "M" in the "Marshall" word (in the engraved signature) is "continuous" or if it is "interrupted"? I'm not sure if you understood what I mean,please forgive me if my english isn't that good, it's not my native language. Thanks in advance!

(I'm going to upload a pic to see what I mean)

 

[The Greek]

are the any fluorescent lights ? I have mine by my TV...when the TV is on it makes that 60 cy hum ....

I don't have a TV in that room where my amps are. As for the fluorescent lights, yes there is one, but the thing is that none of my other amps is affected by it. With that said, I just got back home and gave it a try and removed the light from the socket, but still that 60 cycle hum is still there...

When I had the original 2555s in that same room they were completely silent, either in pentode or in triode mode. Even my 1988 2554 combo is completely silent. Anyway, the more I think about it, the more I believe it's the power tubes that are not matched...

 

[wardal]

Thanks for your reply. The issue is restricted only to the triode mode. The amp is dead silent when in pentode mode and sounds killer. When in triode mode the hum comes from the cab's speakers and not from the amp itself. Moreover, it isn't affected at all by the volume or any other knob for that matter and it still hums even if a guitar, or any other effect pedal isn't connected to it.

Yes it has the stock tubes. I got it about 2 weeks ago. The thing is I won't touch it, since it's under warranty. Let this be their problem and not mine. I bought a brand new amp and expected from it to be running faultlessly. If I had to bet money on it, I'd say that it's probably due to not properly matched tubes and "incorrect" biasing. Hopefully that's the case.

Moreover, I'm particularly alarmed because in this very thread we had a member whose 2555X was "fried" after only a few hours of use, probably due to a bad tube "going down" and taking everything on its way...




Thanks for your reply. It's a pity because the amp sounds killer in high output mode. it's going straight back to the dealer until they ultimately fix it, or get me another one. As a matter of fact, even if they claim to have fixed it I'm not gonna sign the delivery receipt, unless I test it at their premises.

On another note, please could you check if the letter "M" in the "Marshall" word (in the engraved signature) is "continuous" or if it is "interrupted"? I'm not sure if you understood what I mean,please forgive me if my english isn't that good, it's not my native language. Thanks in advance!

(I'm going to upload a pic to see what I mean)

I checked the signature you spoke of and I see that the m in Marshall is disconnected from the rest of the Marshall name. No worries-youre English is perfectly fine.

 

[The Greek]

I checked the signature you spoke of and I see that the m in Marshall is disconnected from the rest of the Marshall name. No worries-youre English is perfectly fine.

Ok here's a pic that I took. Look at the letter "M" only. You can clearly see that it's "interrupted" (for lack of a more accurate word) and not "continuous" (again for lack of a more accurate word). Is that the case with yours too?

I clearly remember that in my original 1987 Silver Jubilee heads this letter was "continuous" as is the case with my 1988 Jubilee combo (2554) which I have in front of me right now. Obviously it doesn't matter at all whatever the case may be, just curious...