I want the JCM800 2205 sound!

[NewReligion]

Oooops, Double Post.

Now In Stereo!

 

[papa-seano]

Thanks david. That makes good sense.
And yes you're right. Marshalls are made for the gain

 

[RickyLee]

And if you do decide to pick up a 2205 or 2210, I hope you will be able to play them loud.

I just played a kick ass show last night with my 2205. That amp has never sounded so good. Now this is the first show I have played with it since doing quite a bit of work on it. I had the total package of Tone Nirvana covered. Beautiful smooth crunch. Fluid silky leads with incredible sustain. Harmonic overtones jumping out off my fret board. Blooming controlled feedback on command. Pinch harmonics at will. And that was all just on the Clean channel.




Actually, I'm being a dumb ass now, but most of that above was using the Boost channel. But I did have two pedals set up that I was using an alternative Dirt tone by hitting the Clean channel with them. And the Clean channel was freakin' awesome as well.

But then something happened after our first set that F'ed up all my Tonal Nirvana . . . I had to turn my Master Volume down a bit.

:Ohno:


I walked out with my wireless and realized I was just a bit too loud over everybody. I am the only guitarist anyway, and I was using a lot of dynamics (by the way, this amp cleans up nicely on the Boost channel by rolling back the guitar volume) mostly hitting the hardest on solos. If was an odd gig and the Gal and myself had to travel an hour and a half for it, and the whole setup deal was strange as we were following a Frank Sinatra impersonator. Anyway, in the haste and rush we did not get a good volume check.

So, my Master Volume in the beginning was at that point of where it is OFF and it just starts to come ON - aprox. 1.5 on the knob. The amp was awesome for that first set. And that "Sound" inspired my playing like you would not imagine, which in turn had my vocalist fired up as he kept looking over at that 2205 smiling in amazement and it sparked the entire band to kick ass. And I could tell there was a table of guys with their eyes locked on to my every move, only obvious they were musicians as well. They might have been the local guys that play this place, getting a bit scared my band is here to take the place and a steady paying gig away from them? LOL Anyway, when I tried to nudge that volume knob down, it took quite a bit of my Mojo away. The main thing I noticed with the volume down a touch, was that the amp lost some clarity and some of the sparkle on the top end as well. Like their was just a bit of that good 'Ol Fizz in my tone.

SO . . . what I am trying to say to you regarding this 2205 is to be prepared for a beast of a loud amp. I could only imagine the 2210? I know that my 2205 might be a bit too loud because I added a cathode bypass cap on the very last gain stage as well.

Sorry for such a long drawn out story, but I had to share this and I am also trying to work off a bit of a HANGOVER!

To "playthesound" John, I forgot to mention that I had a DeLayla XL pedal in my 2205's FX loop for the show last night. I do not know if the FX loop is a requirement for you? But the FX loop on these amps are a bit noisy. I had a bad hum coming from mine last night, but only noticeable by me when I was up by the speaker cab and not playing my guitar.

To "NewReligion" David, do you use the FX loop in your Channel Switchers?

And also I can say that the Clean channel on these amps is very usable. Well actually more so for the later version preamp models. V2 tube position is for the Clean channel, and I found that running a lower gain tube here really helps. I have a Electro Harmonix 12AY7 in my 2205 and it helps quite a bit.