Jubilee or Plexi

[Copoz]

Looking for a change. Been a non Marshall player for a while. I've been told the Plexi (which I think is also known as a 1959 or SLP??) is what I should try. I also read a lot here about the Jubilee amps and DSls. I have tried a 40 watt DSL combo and liked it, but don't think it is for me But I am looking for a head.

I've played clips of in YouTube as I can't find a Jubilee for sale locally. It sounds good but understand finding one in mint condition may be hard and expensive. So I'm down to a Plexi which I can still get new or in great shape used.

I play some clean, very little but like a reasonably good clean when I do. Mostly it's rhythm to AC/DC, OZZY, GNR, Zep, some metal and blues. Is the Plexi the way to go or search for a Jubilee?

 

[mickeydg5]

Re: 8555 or Plexi

I think your thread title is going to throw everyone.
Did you mean a 2555? I do not remember an 8555 model.

 

[Copoz]

Re: 8555 or Plexi

I think your thread title is going to throw everyone.
Did you mean a 2555? I do not remember an 8555 model.

Thank you. Not enough coffee when I posted that thread!!! Edited.

 

[sullimd]

YJM... Get the best of both.

A stock plexi isn't a heavy amp at all, and its a single channel amp. It'll nail the AC/DC and Zep world, but anything heavier you'd have to use a pedal. Also, a plexi - to get AC/DC and Zep - will have to run very loud. Plexi's do not have a master volume, so you only get overdrive by turning up louder. You may already know all of this, but the way you described your background, you may not.

So, with that being said, check out the Marshall YJM. Its a stock plexi, but with modern features on the back - gain boost, attenuator, 100w/50w switch, valve failure indicators.

 

[Copoz]

YJM... Get the best of both.

Thanks. I YouTube'd that amp too. Very nice but A tad over my budget lol

But I am looking for lots I gain. Should mention I had a JCM 800 then a 900 about 15 years back. Liked them but wouldn't go back to them.

 

[Bloodrock]

A good DSL with decent tubes can get you extremely close to a Jubilee's tone for a lot less money. If you can, you should try an older JCM2000 version, they sound better to me. If you're really looking for Jubilee tone, Ceriatone makes a great Jubilee clone for a very affordable price compared to an original. A used JVM 205/210 is also a great option if you want lots of gain.

 

[Crawford354]

Check out the Vintage Modern.

 

[sullimd]

Thanks. I YouTube'd that amp too. Very nice but A tad over my budget lol

But I am looking for lots I gain. Should mention I had a JCM 800 then a 900 about 15 years back. Liked them but wouldn't go back to them.

Yeah, good to know. If you didn't like the 800 or 900, just for your "gain" reference, a plexi has less gain than an 800.

I'd look at the DSL, TSL, or JMD. I've personally owned all 3, and own a TSL and JMD currently. You'll hear DSL a lot around here, mainly because its just the de-facto rock Marshall. It will go from plexi, to 800, to hod-rodded 800, to more gain than most of us need. The TSL will do the same, but the TSL has 3 separate channels, and the DSL has 2.


The JMD is, in a lot of our opinions, one of the best products Marshall has put out in a while. Its a "modeling" amp, but all of the preamps are of Marshall amps and the power amp is all tube (EL34s). It can do 16 different Marshall amps, from plexi all the way to the flagship JVM. And it sounds outstanding.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I think your title has thrown this off a bit, if you want higher gain a Plexi is not it. Too hard to find a 2555 or jubilee, JVM is very versatile, have a good listen to a DSL or TSL if you can find it, they go fairly cheap. YJM or vintage modern ther's a few options!

 

[Copoz]

Check out the Vintage Modern.

Actually I think I tried a 50 w version of that and liked it because it had reverb.

What about the signature amps the Malmsteen or Slash and Randy Rhoads. See a bit about them here. Maybe 100 watts isn't the way to go... But I do have a good OD pedal and a reverb pedal. Maybe a DSL or JVM would be better. Local shop doesn't carry much so I need to get whatever and probably eBay one. I like simple. Not into push buttons and multiple modes Two would be good and this and that but I guess a master volume would help. If I had bought today without joining here would have been a Plexi now I'm thinking. Thanks.

 

[dptone5]

Although it's a 3 channel amp, 6100's are not terribly expensive and can get Plexi tones.

I own a 2555 Jubilee and a Plexi Reissue. Both are great. The 2555 is more usable with two channels and a MV. It's a lot like an 800 IMHO. The Plexi is my amp for recording leads. Nothing beats it. It's just way too loud for daily use and practice.

DP

 

[stilllifer]

What about the signature amps the Malmsteen or Slash and Randy Rhoads. I like simple. Not into push buttons and multiple modes Two would be good and this and that but I guess a master volume would help. If I had bought today without joining here would have been a Plexi now I'm thinking. Thanks.

The signature amps are also very expensive - NMV Plexi means you have to crank the shit out of it to get great tone (and it's def there!). The Vintage Modern is a simple amp that will do what you want, without breaking the bank or having to crank the volume to get great tone and they sound great. I have a JCM900 SL-X but if I add another head it will be a VM.
This is my favourite demo of the Vintage Modern.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXp7wq9Euik]Marshall Vintage Modern Demo - Cabinet edition - YouTube[/ame]

 

[dreyn77]

You've been told about designs that have been changed because guys wanted, thought there was something else.
well yes there is something else.
The circuit goes one way or the other. that's it.

Do you like to hear the sound of the plucked string make the bass part first and the treble last?
or do you want to hear the treble detail first and the bass body last?

The first VH sound has the treble sound comming first. (the voltage goes round the circuit in a positive direction)
the 5150 VH sound has the bass sound sounding first. (the voltage goes round the circuit in a negative direction)

To me the 5150 sound, sounds like the notes are 'inside out' (negative 3D)
The early VH sound, sounds like the notes are the 'right way'. (full 3D positive sound)
(your SLP belongs to this area)

Then there is mixing products designed for the opposite circuit. This makes the illusion of 'more tone'.
(your Jube belongs to this area)

but there is 'supposed to be' a difference between the 1959HW and the 1959SLP. that difference appears to be in the design of the amp so the SLP is made for todays player. (whatever that means? you'd have to work it out!)

I would say that marshall has 'tweeked' the SLP so it has 'more tone'.

So if you keep your pickup selection in the 'vintage' range you should have great sound at any volume you like, but you do need to have lots of experience! to get the best performance.

if you want more gain from the amp you have to realise it's a 'sonic trick' of missmatching products designed for the other amp style.
you can purchase those products for your amp but don't forget your SLP has the other circuit built in. the low input.

All the single input amps seem to be a hybrid of the two basic circuits. you can call them 'tone machines'. Their main gaol is to produce more tone than the perfect design is suppose to make.

So the SLP is a slightly tweaked amp and the jube is a more tweaked amp.
neither is the original perfect sound. that is an old 1959 or a new 1959HW.
but that sound is very bright and thin so the SLP will give you the illusion of more tone than that sound.
the Jube will give you the illusion of more gain in the sound.

you already threw away the 2 amps that had the gain adjust feature. that's 2 big mistakes!
the 800 had the original tone and the 900 had the extra tone feature/illusion.

The 100 watt amp was designed so guys can be heard above the other guys. So that's why you are buy the big amp. But the 100 watt amp gives the illusion of 'more tone' but it's not actually happening.
SO when these big amps get recorded and that recording sound gets scaled down via a stereo/ipad we can hear that nothing special is happening to the string vibration sound.

you now have to decide how much tone illusion you want?
The JVM is awesome at making tone illusions! so too is the DSL! and the Jube! and the SLP! and the HW! etc...

 

[Copoz]

Thanks to all for the great advice. Loud won't always be an option so I may have to rethink a Plexi. In addition I do enjoy gain. I see the Slash signature has a built in antennuator. Might be worth more thought. But the DSL, VM and JVMs sound good too. I'd like to keep it simple and not have to involve a lot of pedals. Those all sound like possibilities. Does marshall still make an antenuator like the Hot Plate. Would that solve the loud issue. Never tried one but could be good for any amp when loud is to possible but tone is maintained.

 

[mickeydg5]

Man it is all over the place. Is your head spinning?

Marshall makes the PB100, Power Brake power attenuator.

 

[Copoz]

Man it is all over the place. Is your head spinning?

Marshall makes the PB100, Power Brake power attenuator.

Yes. Spinning a little. But all good. Opened my mind to the possibilities. Marshall just makes so many damn good amps. Set my sights on whichever meets immediate needs to satisfy that sound in my head and add another down the road. I've been scouring the net and if I win the lottery tonight it's a 1959 Randy Rhoads and a power brake. Then add one of everything lol

 

[dreyn77]

by a quirk of amp design and the combining of positive and negative amps, the best amp for 'maximum tone' is the JCM2000 DSL amp.
but you need lots of experience to understand how&why it works.

But if you want exactly a pro's sound and how they played the instrument, then just by all the gear they had/ sell.

How you get your tones is just as important as which amp to choose. because there's no teachers around, you have to make a few guesses.

 

[Eboy]

"You've been told about designs that have been changed because guys wanted, thought there was something else.
well yes there is something else.
The circuit goes one way or the other. that's it.

Do you like to hear the sound of the plucked string make the bass part first and the treble last?
or do you want to hear the treble detail first and the bass body last?

The first VH sound has the treble sound comming first. (the voltage goes round the circuit in a positive direction)
the 5150 VH sound has the bass sound sounding first. (the voltage goes round the circuit in a negative direction)

To me the 5150 sound, sounds like the notes are 'inside out' (negative 3D)
The early VH sound, sounds like the notes are the 'right way'. (full 3D positive sound)
(your SLP belongs to this area)

Then there is mixing products designed for the opposite circuit. This makes the illusion of 'more tone'.
(your Jube belongs to this area)

but there is 'supposed to be' a difference between the 1959HW and the 1959SLP. that difference appears to be in the design of the amp so the SLP is made for todays player. (whatever that means? you'd have to work it out!)

I would say that marshall has 'tweeked' the SLP so it has 'more tone'.

So if you keep your pickup selection in the 'vintage' range you should have great sound at any volume you like, but you do need to have lots of experience! to get the best performance.

if you want more gain from the amp you have to realise it's a 'sonic trick' of missmatching products designed for the other amp style.
you can purchase those products for your amp but don't forget your SLP has the other circuit built in. the low input.

All the single input amps seem to be a hybrid of the two basic circuits. you can call them 'tone machines'. Their main gaol is to produce more tone than the perfect design is suppose to make.

So the SLP is a slightly tweaked amp and the jube is a more tweaked amp.
neither is the original perfect sound. that is an old 1959 or a new 1959HW.
but that sound is very bright and thin so the SLP will give you the illusion of more tone than that sound.
the Jube will give you the illusion of more gain in the sound.

you already threw away the 2 amps that had the gain adjust feature. that's 2 big mistakes!
the 800 had the original tone and the 900 had the extra tone feature/illusion.

The 100 watt amp was designed so guys can be heard above the other guys. So that's why you are buy the big amp. But the 100 watt amp gives the illusion of 'more tone' but it's not actually happening.
SO when these big amps get recorded and that recording sound gets scaled down via a stereo/ipad we can hear that nothing special is happening to the string vibration sound.

you now have to decide how much tone illusion you want?
The JVM is awesome at making tone illusions! so too is the DSL! and the Jube! and the SLP! and the HW! etc... "

WTF?

 

[growboxguy]

Man I just picked up a 1987 2553 Silver Jubilee 50/25 Watt Head to my door for $1050, it sounds flipping amazing! It has the tone I have been searching for, truly epic. I would highly recommend this amp however it appears I pretty much stole mine, the prices on 1987 Silver Jubilees are waaaaay out of line!

Here is what I could find out there...

Marshall JCM 2555 Slash Signature

MARSHALL Jubilee 25th Anniversary 50 Watt Combo Amplifier Model 2558

Rare Amp - 1987 Marshall 2550 Silver Jubilee Head and Matching 4x12

Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/50 Head

Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/50 Head

 

[peterichardz]

Yes. Spinning a little. But all good. Opened my mind to the possibilities. Marshall just makes so many damn good amps. Set my sights on whichever meets immediate needs to satisfy that sound in my head and add another down the road. I've been scouring the net and if I win the lottery tonight it's a 1959 Randy Rhoads and a power brake. Then add one of everything lol

Welcome to the forum Copoz,

I will ask what no one else is.....

Where are you going to play?

Do you play in a gigging band?

Do you use a pedal board?

If you answer these questions.....It would be easier to guide you too.....

That sound in YOUR head!