jcm800 2203 vs 1959

[darrylportelli]

Hey I am going to buy a 2203 in a few weeks time and the only 800 I can try is a 1959.....what is the difference between them please??
Thanks
Darryl

 

[PaoloJM]

Hey I am going to buy a 2203 in a few weeks time and the only 800 I can try is a 1959.....what is the difference between them please??
Thanks
Darryl

The 2203 has more gain, bite and aggression to the tone.
1959 does not have a master volume so it needs to get pretty loud to bring on the Van Haleny gain tones.

 

[Purgasound]

+1
The 1959 and 2203 are both great 800's, the 1959's being rarer of course within the 800 series. You have to crank the 1959 to get distortion as to where the 2203 can have plenty of preamp saturation at low volumes. You will be happy with it.

 

[darrylportelli]

Hey
10x for the replies....
If the 19590 jcm 800 does not have a master vol then why does it have a vol1 and vol2....isnt vol2 the preamp vol ie gain???
Thanks

 

[rockinr0ll]

It has 4 inputs and 2 channels. Treble high and low, Bass High and low. You should stick with a master volume if you didn't know that, the 1959 is really a big boy amp!

 

[Purgasound]

Hey
10x for the replies....
If the 19590 jcm 800 does not have a master vol then why does it have a vol1 and vol2....isnt vol2 the preamp vol ie gain???
Thanks

On a non-master volume amplifier there is no separation between preamp and poweramp volume. One volume knob per channel, if you want distortion you have to turn it up. These channels are non-switchable while playing and it's not a "clean/dirty" channel, it's more like "treble/bass". The 2203 is a single channel master volume amplifier, one preamp volume, one master volume.

 

[darrylportelli]

Ok 10x......That doesnt make it a big boy amp!!! it makes it loud as fu*k Id rather buy the 2203 cos I PLAY IN BANDS not on my own loool and I need a master vol amp since when playing with others you have to eq the sound you cant be loud as hell!!! + you said that the 2203 has a bit more gain which is good for me since I play mostly 70's metal with a little bit of oomph you know what I mean!!
All I needed to know is how different tone wise they are since I cant find a 2203 to try out but I found a 1959 that the owner is gonna let me try.
Thanks

 

[Trick]

The 1959 and the 2203 are two completely different amps. The 2203 is not an updated version of the timeless 1959. They both are great amps, the 2203 has the master volume and a completely different gain stage and tone stack than the 1959. If you play hard rock or metal the 2203 is the amp for you! If you play more classic sounding stuff like say Hendrix, Cream or are into heavy fuzz tones like Chris Duarte or Doyle Bramhall II or Jeff Beck (JTM 45), these guys use pedals to get great tones through these amps. Going for these tones with a 2203 or 2204 just doesn't work. You can get close but no cigar! My 2204 always works well with OverDrive pedals especially the Boss OD 1 with two knobs great pedal almost made for the 2203/2204 amps!
to put it in a nut shell a 2203 will never sound like a 1959 nor will a 1959 ever sound like a 2203. Zakke Wylde use an OD pedal in front of his 2203 as does Kerry King. Its the only way to make these amps (2203/2204) sound high gain. A distortion or fuzz pedal on a 1959 will be the only way to come close to that tone.
Hope this helps.

 

[Frankie]

Totally different animals. The 1959 has a single gain stage (or parallel gain if you channel jump) whereas the JCM 800 has gain in series. They have similar tones, but the JCM 800 has a lot more gain on tap.

 

[Jon Rambo]

I have a 2203, I love it. It's nice to have a Master Volume on it. With that, moving the preamp up will give you more gain. I generally use it with a Les Paul but I've used my strat with it too and that sounds great. You can actually get some Hendrix type tones from it. Maybe not exact, but I don't try and copy recorded tones anyways since you'll never get it exact. Even when playing covers I keep my tone and style with it. I think it's hilarious when people spend more time trying to get their gear to sound like someone else than playing. But you can get great tones out of it with any guitar. I've only used LP, strat and tele with it and all sounded great.

 

[darrylportelli]

ok Then.....Ill try a couple of different amps (in london about 5 days time YEY)....I hope I find a 2203 somewhere up there...if I cant find one Ill try the 1959 the one I found that I can try and then blind buy(rather deaf buy:Ohno the 2203......from the reviews I read Im gonna love it even the clips on you tube that I saw are very good to my ears
Thanks

 

[Doomhawk]

i think the NMV's have way more gain and punch than the MV models. they just crush, i mean you got to GO FOR IT to get there - but its worth the loss in hearing. plenty of gain to spare on the 2203 - 800's too, but a cranked up non-master is just tits. and you can a/b the channels on the NMV, keep one cranked, one backed off a bit. fucking two channel amp. lots of clean headroom.

but either way - both amazing amps - you'll love them.

 

[darrylportelli]

On monday Ill leave to London!!! CAnt fu*kin wait....Im goin mad Here trying to pass the time playing guitar and stuff but the time seems to stand still loool