How Do Youu Fellas Run Your 800 During Gigs?

[The Grim Peeper]

right now I'm using a tremoverb head for it's versatility and channel switching. But I'd really like to incorporate an 800 into the mix I have a 4104 combo. My question is do I run it on the low or input, use pedals, use volume knob???. I need instant access to gain and overdrive. My 800 has awesome overdrive tone but obviously being a single channel amp we can't switch it back-and-forth. How do you all use your 800 at gigs?

 

[el_bastardo]

right now I'm using a tremoverb head for it's versatility and channel switching. But I'd really like to incorporate an 800 into the mix I have a 4104 combo. My question is do I run it on the low or input, use pedals, use volume knob???. I need instant access to gain and overdrive. My 800 has awesome overdrive tone but obviously being a single channel amp we can't switch it back-and-forth. How do you all use your 800 at gigs?

The beauty of the 2203/2204 800s is that it takes pedals well, and also cleans up well with guitar volume rolling. It can be a very versatile amp if you play like a guitar player and haven't been dumbed down by crutches like switching channels and stomping pedals. If you can work an 800 for all of your needs, you're doing damn fine IMO.

I use the high input, set the amp pretty dirty, and roll back the guitar vol a little for cleaner sound, and hit it with a boost for full rage. The volume can be a problem sometimes. In the event that I have a crummy soundguy that can't do his job, which is often, I'll have to turn the vol down some to a level that's not great for the amp. I compensate with an attenuator or often I can get away with adding more bass and shedding some presence to get some thickness back. Fortunately for me, I play originals and my tone doesn't have to vary much. Even with it's supposed "limitations", the JCM 800 is my favorite amp ever.

 

[solarburn]

With some stank on it.

 

[charveldan]

Well they've proven this week you can't boost a single channel amp so there is no hope.
Best buy a DSL & switch between the red & green channels for boosted solos.

If its on the internet it must be true ...

 

[charveldan]

The beauty of the 2203/2204 800s is that it takes pedals well, and also cleans up well with guitar volume rolling. It can be a very versatile amp if you play like a guitar player and haven't been dumbed down by crutches like switching channels and stomping pedals. If you can work an 800 for all of your needs, you're doing damn fine IMO.

I use the high input, set the amp pretty dirty, and roll back the guitar vol a little for cleaner sound, and hit it with a boost for full rage. The volume can be a problem sometimes. In the event that I have a crummy soundguy that can't do his job, which is often, I'll have to turn the vol down some to a level that's not great for the amp. I compensate with an attenuator or often I can get away with adding more bass and shedding some presence to get some thickness back. Fortunately for me, I play originals and my tone doesn't have to vary much. Even with it's supposed "limitations", the JCM 800 is my favorite amp ever.

Thats not what you were saying yesterday ...

 

[solarburn]

Well they've proven this week you can't boost a single channel amp so there is no hope.
Best buy a DSL & switch between the red & green channels for boosted solos.

If its on the internet it must be true ...

Dan. Boost it. Boost it light...boost it hard. Either way.

If you don't rock it right now I'm gonna have a tantrum. Let's hear that boost in action...doooooooo EET!

 

[DonaldBort]

I posted a thread of my 1989 JCM 800 and some of the things I did and that I had Jens Kruse of Kruse Amplification do to it. One of the mods was to install a single input, and a foot switch jack that will switch between the Low and High inputs of the amp. Then install both a master 2 and pre-amp 2 volume knob(s). Now you have foot switchable 2 channel JCM 800, that operate independently of each other with respect to the desired volume and gain you wish to attain.

All the "beat to death" posts about JCM 800 boosting/channel switching for solo's are all moot... Plus you don't have to go out and buy a DSL (as one suggested) and mod it to get what you think is a JCM 800 tone. You'd actually be closer to a 800 sound running a cheap ass amp with a Marshall Guv'nor II pedal patched into the front of it.

However, if you're a purist and don't want to mod your sacred Marshall. Then you'll have to deal with unplugging the low and plugging into the high or finding the right boost pedal to suit you needs.
Anyhow, here's a pic of what i am talking about. The Red LED is installed where the low input was and it let's you know you're riding on the high gain side.

I know many will say I ruined the amp buy altering it and drilling for new pots, I don't see it that way at all (and i will not engage in an online argument about this). I wanted the pots on the front for ease of access.

<Insert sarcasm here> Hell if i wanted to fumble around on the back of my rig to dial in a setting, I'd just have left well enough alone with having to switch the input cable between the low/high jack, and while i was there switching the cable input, I might as well crank the volume and pre-amp to get my boost on....and then i can go into a solo.

 

[solarburn]

I posted a thread of my 1989 JCM 800 and some of the things I did and that I had Jens Kruse of Kruse Amplification do to it. One of the mods was to install a single input, and a foot switch jack that will switch between the Low and High inputs of the amp. Then install both a master 2 and pre-amp 2 volume knob(s). Now you have foot switchable 2 channel JCM 800, that operate independently of each other with respect to the desired volume and gain you wish to attain.

All the "beat to death" posts about JCM 800 boosting/channel switching for solo's are all moot... Plus you don't have to go out and buy a DSL (as one suggested) and mod it to get what you think is a JCM 800 tone. You'd actually be closer to a 800 sound running a cheap ass amp with a Marshall Guv'nor II pedal patched into the front of it.

However, if you're a purist and don't want to mod your sacred Marshall. Then you'll have to deal with unplugging the low and plugging into the high or finding the right boost pedal to suit you needs.
Anyhow, here's a pic of what i am talking about. The Red LED is installed where the low input was and it let's you know you're riding on the high gain side.

I know many will say I ruined the amp buy altering it and drilling for new pots, I don't see it that way at all (and i will not engage in an online argument about this). I wanted the pots on the front for ease of access.

<Insert sarcasm here> Hell if i wanted to fumble around on the back of my rig to dial in a setting, I'd just have left well enough alone with having to switch the input cable between the low/high jack, and while i was there switching the cable input, I might as well crank the volume and pre-amp to get my boost on....and then i can go into a solo.

View attachment 41555

You fucking ruined the amp!

I just wanted to be first.LOL

 

[el_bastardo]

Thats not what you were saying yesterday ...

You don't even know what you said yesterday, never mind what I said.

 

[Gunner64]

When I got my first 2204 there were only single channel marshalls.. If you played one you learned how to manuver the guitars volume for your needs..that was standard proceedure.

 

[solarburn]

Marshall...makes my fingers play.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I have yet to gig with the 4010 as I just got it but seems like a gain of maybe 6ish with guitar volume backed off for cleanish and "boosted" ( as in boost the front for more drive, not volume - just sayin) with an OD pedal for everything else. Not sure in the 5 piece band what to do about solo boosts becasue the front end will already be saturated. I should try and do a quick video of that.

 

[paul-e-mann]

right now I'm using a tremoverb head for it's versatility and channel switching. But I'd really like to incorporate an 800 into the mix I have a 4104 combo. My question is do I run it on the low or input, use pedals, use volume knob???. I need instant access to gain and overdrive. My 800 has awesome overdrive tone but obviously being a single channel amp we can't switch it back-and-forth. How do you all use your 800 at gigs?

I run my 2204 with the pre-amp set half way for a dirty clean and then have a few OD and eq pedals on my board to get varying types of gain. If you need to be able to do a lead boost you'll have to get into using your guitar volume knob or a pad attenuator pedal and setting your amp appropriately for that.

 

[charveldan]

You don't even know what you said yesterday, never mind what I said.

Yes but thats beside the point ... fake news.

 

[Ufoscorpion]

Having a single channel amp and bugger all pedals hasn't held Angus back too much has it !

 

[Snow and Steel]

I do it this way; I set the amp for a medium crunch with as high a master as I can get away with in the club. Then I have options; a clean boost will raise only volume, and add a touch of gain as you are "slamming" the input - which is about perfect for solo boost. A heavier boost [like an xotic AC] will give you that "liquid" sustain and gain. Running something like a TS808 in front of the amp gives you your metal tone and tightens the low end. Cleans are achieved by simply turning the guitar volume form '10' back to '7'.

JCM800's didn't have a ton of gain in them stock and there were some REAL good reasons for that. Later guys kept modding them to get more and more and more gain, and that was fine if you never needed pedal or any other tone. However, if you need more than one tone, its much better to run your pedals into a 'cooking' amp, as opposed to an amp that is as distorted as it can get.

 

[DSL 50]

If your looking for pristine cleans using a JCM 800 your using the wrong amp

Just roll that volume knob on your guitar back

 

[paul-e-mann]

If your looking for pristine cleans using a JCM 800 your using the wrong amp

Just roll that volume knob on your guitar back

Not true, you get your pristine clean in the low input if you need that and use a distortion pedal for your gain.

 

[el_bastardo]

Not true, you get your pristine clean in the low input if you need that and use a distortion pedal for your gain.

Right, the low input is quite clean on 2203/2204s.

I personally don't like the pedal/low input combo. I know lots of people do great with it. Just for me, I'd rather use the high input and the roll the guitar back for clean because I'm running dirty way more than clean. But both ways work!

 

[Anthony King]

I use my JMP Super Bass (single channel..similar to the 800) and it may not be a super versatile amp, but I love it. I set it as clean as I can, which is not very clean but I try..so I don't have muddiness or too much gain. I play a lot of single notes within chords so I can't have it dirty. The nice thing about these amps is that they're very touch-sensitive and when you need a little more gain, you can hit the strings harder. I also use a boost pedal for lead. Your guitar's volume is a great tool and I use this if I need a cleaner tone. I know the 800s are pretty gainy..if I remember correctly having a 50 watt JCM 800 back in the 80s, but your master volume and preamp knobs are adjustable so you can dial in a good tone for the majority of your needs. I hope this helps and don't worry, those amps are great and I'm sure you'll be able to utilize it to suit your needs.