How popular opinion of each series evolves

[jimmyo]

Have you noticed how folks opinions of various Marshall’s has changed over the years? Just my observations and gross generalizations but to me seems like some of the various opinions I’d hear/read evolved over time since I started playing in the early 90’s:

1990’s - Man the new JCM900’s suck, solid state is fizzy and for practice amps blah blah. JCM800’s are so loud and not enough gain. Pretty bright too. They don’t make ‘em how they used to, what you really need is a nice vintage Plexi

2000’s - Man the new DSLs suck. They don’t sound identical to 2203. Probably better than JCM900 though, isn’t that the bad one? Probably best to get a JCM800 and boost it and use an attenuator.
They don’t make ‘em how they used to, what you really need is a nice vintage Plexi

2010s - Man the new JVMs suck. No way near as classic Marshally as my DSL. Wow, those plexis and JCM800s sure are getting expensive.
They don’t make ‘em how they used to do try and find a nice JCM800 2203 or Plexi.

Today - er……I guess the JCM900s and DSL are actually pretty good. Wow JVMs have been selling well for a while now, guess they maybe good also.
They don’t make ‘em how they used to….of course. But wow those JCM800s sure are expensive. Are there any original condition Plexis left? Perhaps I should get myself a nice condition used JCM900

Tomorrow - I wish people still played real amps live……..man those JCM900’s are expensive…….

 

[StrummerJoe]

Nostalgia can cloud the memory.

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

Nostalgia can cloud the memory.

That it can. I am glad I have my Dsl40c’s and Origins, and the 3210’s aren’t bad either..
Because I can’t afford the older cool amps !!
Cheers

 

[Tatzmann]

I only attest with my word for
amps that i owned personally
and tested against tried and proofed
worthy amps... most amps that had a bad
reputation had it for a reason, either
technical or soundwise or both.

 

[Tatzmann]

That it can. I am glad I have my Dsl40c’s and Origins, and the 3210’s aren’t bad either..
Because I can’t afford the older cool amps !!
Cheers

Hi Mitch, get a 3203 next, still affordable and does
old Marshall and modded Marshall...this one
they got right, just turn it up a bit

 

[DreamerDeceiver]

Depending on what type of music you play.
Being bias to the 900, I think its very versatile for metal,...and the clean channel suprises me, especially loud !
Dial the 900 in , and turn up ! > Its in there !
Duuuuude, JCM doesnt mean " Just country music"

Some think , the Plexi is like the Beatles for Marshall. A cult following that nothing else in the past present and future could compare to. Thats close minded. Im sure any real player could dial in EVERY marshall to nail a wicked tone.

Though Id really like to have a 80s jcm800 100 w. Isnt that claimed to be like the almighty plexi with a MV.....also with more low end punch. Dont get me wrong.....Plexis wail, especially with a wicked player leaning into it hard. Different tone for nostalgic genres. I think they all have their place in toneville. Not to mention , Ive been quite surprised over the years with some players jamming on combos. Htf are they getting all that sound / tone from that combo ?

 

[Tatzmann]

Funny thing i had one of the best fckn
guitar sounds i ever heard with my stock
900DR.

This sound will never come back, it was like
a silky smooth distorted rhythm angel through
a greenback cab...it lasted about 10 minutes
and went away ..i exactly know the settings,
could never get it back...it was SILK, fckn SILK.

B chnl Gain 10ocl. Telecaster 1960 Greenbacks
bass 13ocl mids 14ocl treb 11ocl pres 12ocl
Mastervol. abot 10 oclock.

Maybe it was the drinks

 

[jimmyo]

Funny thing i had one of the best fckn
guitar sounds i ever heard with my stock
900DR.

This sound will never come back, it was like
a silky smooth distorted rhythm angel through
a greenback cab...it lasted about 10 minutes
and went away ..i exactly know the settings,
could never get it back...it was SILK, fckn SILK.

B chnl Gain 10ocl. Telecaster 1960 Greenbacks
bass 13ocl mids 14ocl treb 11ocl pres 12ocl
Mastervol. abot 10 oclock.

Maybe it was the drinks

It was that magic 10 mins between 13 and 14 o’clock where supernatural guitar tone is gifted to those deemed worthy

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

Hi Mitch, get a 3203 next, still affordable and does
old Marshall and modded Marshall...this one
they got right, just turn it up a bit

I will keep an eye out for sure..
Thanks for the heads up.
Mitch

 

[FennRx]

See 1970s Fenders

 

[ricksdisconnected]

Have you noticed how folks opinions of various Marshall’s has changed over the years? Just my observations and gross generalizations but to me seems like some of the various opinions I’d hear/read evolved over time since I started playing in the early 90’s:

1990’s - Man the new JCM900’s suck, solid state is fizzy and for practice amps blah blah. JCM800’s are so loud and not enough gain. Pretty bright too. They don’t make ‘em how they used to, what you really need is a nice vintage Plexi

2000’s - Man the new DSLs suck. They don’t sound identical to 2203. Probably better than JCM900 though, isn’t that the bad one? Probably best to get a JCM800 and boost it and use an attenuator.
They don’t make ‘em how they used to, what you really need is a nice vintage Plexi

2010s - Man the new JVMs suck. No way near as classic Marshally as my DSL. Wow, those plexis and JCM800s sure are getting expensive.
They don’t make ‘em how they used to do try and find a nice JCM800 2203 or Plexi.

Today - er……I guess the JCM900s and DSL are actually pretty good. Wow JVMs have been selling well for a while now, guess they maybe good also.
They don’t make ‘em how they used to….of course. But wow those JCM800s sure are expensive. Are there any original condition Plexis left? Perhaps I should get myself a nice condition used JCM900

Tomorrow - I wish people still played real amps live……..man those JCM900’s are expensive…….

you see ALOT of that on here lol.
2025- damn i should have bought a Friedman. roflmao.

 

[scozz]

Funny thing i had one of the best fckn
guitar sounds i ever heard with my stock
900DR.

This sound will never come back, it was like
a silky smooth distorted rhythm angel through
a greenback cab...it lasted about 10 minutes
and went away ..i exactly know the settings,
could never get it back...it was SILK, fckn SILK.

I’ve had similar experiences like that happen, it’s the best!

I think it’s more likely my ears though.

 

[Neptical]

Hi Mitch, get a 3203 next, still affordable and does
old Marshall and modded Marshall...this one
they got right, just turn it up a bit

@Mitchell Pearrow Already having two 3210s, the 3203 isn't a Marshall tone you/we don't have. Had this conversation recently with some dudes and it appears we have the upper (tone?) hand in owning our 3210s. Also, price today is out of hand on these amps. Glad we all got them when we did!

 

[Neptical]

@jimmyo Yeah, and this doesn't include the ole SS amps which (IMHO) are the true classics. Everyone has already battled it out over 800,900,2000 models several times over but no one will discuss how advanced the older Marshall SS were very close to their classic relatives.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

My generalizations are:

First era (JTM prior to JMP): Primitive, bass heavy, rough tone. Seems to work best with single coil guitars.
JMP era: The amps that sound right. Birth of the high gain mods that brought heavy metal to life in the late 70s and early 80s.
JCM800 era: Cheapened versions of JMPs but similar models still sound about the same.
JCM900 era: Even cheaper than JCM800s, fewer models have an attractive tone to them.
Newer than JCM900 era: With the exception of some vintage type models, and vintage reissues, there's really nothing in the
world of "modern" Marshalls that appeals to me.

I'll buy a JMP without hesitation if the price is right. Anything else has to be auditioned carefully.

 

[jimmyo]

@jimmyo Yeah, and this doesn't include the ole SS amps which (IMHO) are the true classics. Everyone has already battled it out over 800,900,2000 models several times over but no one will discuss how advanced the older Marshall SS were very close to their classic relatives.

Yeah I hear you. One of my regrets was seeing a mint Marshall Lead combo a few years back, either a 20 or 30 watt, at my local guitar store. I didn’t know what they were as the first SS Marshall’s I grew up with were the valvestates. Went home and that night I googled it to read ‘best amp to get you a great Randy Rhoads tone without blowing your windows out’
Drove back the next day and it had already sold………

 

[Silverdome]

Vintage Moderns have popped up on my radar recently, and I actually went through youtube to hear them. Kind of a trip down memory lane and I recalled the ProGuitarshop demo with Andy. Funny how primitive those demos look now and back in the day they were the cats meow. At any rate I do recall now how much those amps got trashed on the forums and now they are sought after. I kind of came to the conclusion some years back you really just gotta play through what excites your imagination and helps you create. When I lived in Brooklyn I had friends that played through borderline junk equipment in the artsy fartsy scene and got a lot of critical acclaim. They actually sounded good believe it or not and it's because they were sincere and passionate.

Another thought about the stuff that is sought after now that was thought of as bad back then...the vintage market prices have skyrocketed so I guess a lot of us are just left to make do with what we can get our hands on. A new JCM 800 is over 3k and a used one is over 2k. Back when I started I could get a JCM800 for a lot less than that! I won't even look at the price of a 60's or 70's plexi but the last couple of times I could hear the refrain to Aerosmiths 'Dream On' in my head.

 

[jimmyo]

Vintage Moderns have popped up on my radar recently, and I actually went through youtube to hear them. Kind of a trip down memory lane and I recalled the ProGuitarshop demo with Andy. Funny how primitive those demos look now and back in the day they were the cats meow. At any rate I do recall now how much those amps got trashed on the forums and now they are sought after. I kind of came to the conclusion some years back you really just gotta play through what excites your imagination and helps you create. When I lived in Brooklyn I had friends that played through borderline junk equipment in the artsy fartsy scene and got a lot of critical acclaim. They actually sounded good believe it or not and it's because they were sincere and passionate.

Another thought about the stuff that is sought after now that was thought of as bad back then...the vintage market prices have skyrocketed so I guess a lot of us are just left to make do with what we can get our hands on. A new JCM 800 is over 3k and a used one is over 2k. Back when I started I could get a JCM800 for a lot less than that! I won't even look at the price of a 60's or 70's plexi but the last couple of times I could hear the refrain to Aerosmiths 'Dream On' in my head.

I agree. I think those Vintage Moderns came and went before the majority of folks realized what an awesome amp Marshall had produced. In effect a Plexi that could cover a range of styles with the modern conveniences and flexibility live musicians got used to. They released the same year as the JVM and between the two amps they cover pretty much most tones folks would need from a Marshall. Would love if Marshall reissued the Vintage Moderns.

 

[jeffb]

Nostalgia and rose colored glasses are powerful stuff. I'm a nostalgic person by nature.

However, it's not nostalgia if all the stuff is still available, and you still like the old stuff better. Like Plexi style amps.

Furthermore- I'd rather have the '68 428 Mustang or '78 Bronco of my youth than either new one. I know the work involved in maintaining them and that they require the upkeep and don't handle as nice or have all the creature comforts of today's models. But for all their advanced tech, no new Bronco or Mustang is a pimple on their ass AFAIC.

Same goes for old Marshalls.

Additionally, Age brings experience and (hopefully) wisdom. My opinions on a great many things have changed- especially once I grew up and had a family of my own.

Also, things I used to like, I can longer get along with- 80's Hair Metal. Shred and Guitar virtuoso instrumentalists. Fast Food burgers. Women with no brains. Tubescreamers.


But no matter what.... the 900 Dual Reverb will always suck

 

[jeffb]

See 1970s Fenders

That goes for Norlin era Les Pauls too.

There are good cases for both sides of the argument for late CBS/Norlin era guitars. There were drastic changes being made that significantly affected the "end user experience"- tone changes, quality changes, construction changes, materials changes. It all boils down to finding a good one that beats the odds that already against it.

I've owned great and horrendous examples of each (Norlin/late CBS Gibsons and Fenders).

That said, I grew up playing a 1954 Gibson, I've handled around a dozen Holy Grail Gibsons and a handful of vintage Fenders (50s-mid 60s), and though the sample size is low, I can see why people hated those 70s guitars. Even today's best reissues don't come all that close to those old guitars. Mojo, magic, materials/handling (biggest factor, IMO) ..whatever...it is not a nostalgia thing- they sound and feel different. Whether that different is better or worse is a personal thing.