Marshall JVM410H or JCM800 SC20h

[Exile630]

I currently have a like new jvm410h, less than a year old. It's loud and I hardly crank it, so I was offered a jcm800 SC20h to trade. I know there's huge price differences on the market for either of them. The JVM being more expensive. I don't mind taking the loss as well, if it'll save me some room.

I play mostly death metal type of music, so I never screw with the crunch or clean channels. OD1 is where I am always at honestly, amber selection. So if I traded for the JCM800, would I be disappointed? Or should I just save up and get one of my own and keep the JVM. I honestly don't hear the Marshall growl that I hear on YouTube videos from DSL or JCM, from my JVM. That's the tone I'm chasing with these Marshalls.

 

[marshallmellowed]

Tough call. The JVM is much more amp than the SC20, and tone-wise OD1 is pretty close to what you'd get from a SC20.. The SC20 is smaller and lighter, of course, but it's a low watt amp with small transformers, so will never have the fullness of a 100w. I would think, for the type of music you're playing, you'd want the extra punch from the 100w, but just a guess. I'd probably suggest doing as you said, keeping the JVM and maybe getting a SC20 later, if you think you need one.

 

[V-man]

The JVM is a JVM but it’s no 2203.

The SC-20 is neither a JVM nor a 2203.

I’d stick with the real 100w amp. If simplifying and downsizing to the MV MkII sound is what you’re after, I wouldn’t agree to a straight trade. Money would need to sit on top of that SC for the trade.

 

[gtpvfr]

I currently have a like new jvm410h, less than a year old. It's loud and I hardly crank it, so I was offered a jcm800 SC20h to trade. I know there's huge price differences on the market for either of them. The JVM being more expensive. I don't mind taking the loss as well, if it'll save me some room.

I play mostly death metal type of music, so I never screw with the crunch or clean channels. OD1 is where I am always at honestly, amber selection. So if I traded for the JCM800, would I be disappointed? Or should I just save up and get one of my own and keep the JVM. I honestly don't hear the Marshall growl that I hear on YouTube videos from DSL or JCM, from my JVM. That's the tone I'm chasing with these Marshalls.

My take on things is that you need wattage to move air, but I digress. I would just boost the JVM if you want to keep it bridled and still be able get more of the Marshall growl. I've learned that I can push the front end of the amp and back of the gain and have a better tonal palette to make use of more than just OD1/orange mode. I've tried mine with an attenuator to be able to really push things but it doesn't quite get me where I want to be sometimes, tonally. (Could just be my ears now or my tastes have evolved over the last few years but somewhere between Testament & Death Angel or Corrosion of Conformity & Down.) I picked up a TSL100 to get more of an organic growl and to compliment the JVM but obviously have to boost the TSL to get anywhere close to the saturation and compression of the JVM. The TSL is loud without the attenuator at full power but that's where part of the magic roar happens for me.

 

[spacerocker]

Keep and use the JVM! The JVM seems to do exactly what you want, as it is a very versatile amp, with extremely high gain channels (OD1 & OD2) which will do modern metal straight out of the box, with no pedals!

I haven't played the new 20W JCM800, but I would doubt whether it would sound much like a real cranked 100W 2203! Even if it did, the 2203 is a mid-gained amp, not suited to modern metal unless some sort of transistorised pedal is used!

Your main reason for wanting to change from the JVM seems to be that you "don't crank it"....You don't have to crank JVMs! Almost all of the overdrive comes from the pre-amp, so the JVM sounds pretty much the same at any volume! Of course all amps sound better loud, but that is as much to do with perception and how the ear works than anything else!

The JVM is a JVM but it’s no 2203.

The SC-20 is neither a JVM nor a 2203.

I’d stick with the real 100w amp. If simplifying and downsizing to the MV MkII sound is what you’re after, I wouldn’t agree to a straight trade. Money would need to sit on top of that SC for the trade.

The JVM is no 2203 - but it was based on one (the power section is identical to a 2203 except for 1 resistor, and the pre-amp in crunch orange is exactly the same structure...) - but it can be made to sound almost identical to one if set up correctly! I posted a clip I did comparing my 2203 to my JVM410H on Crunch ORANGE (most people use too much gain to get an authentic 2203 sound). Most people thought the JVM was the 2203 and vice versa - so it must be doing a reasonable job of sounding like a 2203!

Finally - if you want the JVM to sound more agressive, and feel more dynamic and responsive (like a 2203) there are a few simple, but very effective mods that can be done, which is a better option than swapping out one of the best marshall amps ever made!

 

[paul-e-mann]

I currently have a like new jvm410h, less than a year old. It's loud and I hardly crank it, so I was offered a jcm800 SC20h to trade. I know there's huge price differences on the market for either of them. The JVM being more expensive. I don't mind taking the loss as well, if it'll save me some room.

I play mostly death metal type of music, so I never screw with the crunch or clean channels. OD1 is where I am always at honestly, amber selection. So if I traded for the JCM800, would I be disappointed? Or should I just save up and get one of my own and keep the JVM. I honestly don't hear the Marshall growl that I hear on YouTube videos from DSL or JCM, from my JVM. That's the tone I'm chasing with these Marshalls.

The JVM has alot going on, its better to have more than less, keep the JVM and be happy. If trading for a JCM800 go for a 2204 or 2203.

 

[Exile630]

Thanks everyone for the input, I'll be keeping the JVM