- Joined
- Jan 17, 2020
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Thought I would share this - It’s a lovely clean example of a more unusual Marshall JMP era 2x12 combo. I used to gig with it in a ska band believe it or not, despite weighing a ton and not being the right match for ska, but it worked well. I made sure no one ever moved it when we gigged, so it’s super clean without any rips or tears.
- it’s 50w, master volume
- it has a switchable 6db boost
- it has a switchable reverb (Accutronics)
- sounds quite different to my 2204.
- only 100 / 200 ever made (apparently) depending on who you speak to…!
- Famous UK blues player Ainsley Lister has a thing for them. I saw him at he Birmingham Guitar Show and he said he has two of them but they are quite different from each other. No idea how this compares.
- I bought it tor £400 in 2003 from Electric Ladyland a quirky guitar store like no other in Bristol UK. I was looking for a Les Paul which I tried through this amp and left with the Marshall.
Speakers
A good twenty years ago for some reason I put some 55hz G12H30 speakers into it (which I’m sure were green when I first bought them, I’m totally confused). I sold one of the 1979 Marshall logo G12-65’s when I moved home, with the intention of selling them both as I didn’t care for them at the time - then I though that was rather silly considering the Marshall logo Celestion’s are almost year specific to 1979.
So yesterday after two years of FBM / EBay searches, someone was finally selling one - same year which I got for £160. I bit expensive, but I’m happy to get the original speakers back in there for prosperity.
It’s very clean, some light staining which I have managed to remove with isopropyl alcohol.
The transformers etc are all stock (as far as I know) if a little rusty for some reason. Does anyone know if it’s possible to clean it up? Or is it not worth bothering?
It’s looks like a 2204 but everything is labelled upside down when it’s out of the cab…
You can see the controls are all running in the wrong direction… (for those who haven’t seen a combo control panel in detail)
Speakers now installed and rewired.
When I fired it up there was an awful humming from the reverb pot, so I worked out the RCA terminals were round the wrong way.
Not sure if this is the original switch? Does the job.
Sound
It’s quite different to a 2204 - it sounds smoother and more bluesy if anything. With the G12-65’s in there it has a delightful smooth bass end that’s starts to get rather Fender like but without the super detailed treble.
On full Premp gain, it’s got some roar but I have to say I prefer it more mellow. With the black backs installed, it seemed to be a bit more biting, the G12-65’s are a better match than I first thought.
I tried it with a Custom Shop 59 and a Boss SD1 - it’s not really what it wants you to do with it. It seems to prefer more laid back vibes, unlike its 2204 brother. I think it’s the reverb telling you to slow down brother.
The 6db boost seems better when it’s on all the time. I’m going to experiment with this.
I’ve put a rack of Groove Tubes in there, again not sure why but it sounds great and also quiet.
I have to say I’ve thought about selling it a few times now the gigs have stopped, but I realise as with all things, you sometimes forget there as so many ways you can play these amplifiers.
Im glad I got the speakers back in there. They new what they were doing when they built it.
Anyway thought you would like to see it. I’m not sure it’s that valuable, but it’s certainly a very different Marshall.