Some questions about my JMP 2203

[althekiller]

I've had this amp for about a year now and it is my favorite amp I've ever owned!

I have a couple of questions..

-The light on the power switch went out. How easy is this to fix?
-It seems to not be unbearably loud as many say they are. It sounds amazing but sometimes I wonder if there are issues with it since it isn't as ridiculously loud as many say these amps are until it is about 7 on the master volume...Now don't get me wrong it is plenty loud and too much for home practice but I find my little Fender Pro Jr. to be just as loud, especially early on the volume. Could it be my settings?

I typically have every knob at noon, high input, and the presence off. I'm using an old 1980 cab with the G12H80 bass cone speakers that are very broken in. I think these speakers may be the reason it doesn't seem loud. I never have issues cutting through so maybe the combo of speakers allow me to run it loud without ear piercing or harsh tone?

It had an inspection a year ago by a very respected tech and came back with a clean bill of health and new tubes were put in.

I guess my question is that everyone says these amps are so loud they are unusable but I've never had a problem running the master very high live (around 7) and having complaints of being too loud.

Is this right? Or did I get lucky with the cab and speaker combo and just get a very musical amp that doesn't cause ear fatigue at loud volumes?

Either way it sounds amazing and doesn't sound like anything is wrong with it. I was just expecting ridiculous volume from it because of all the hype about how loud 100 watt Marshalls are.

 

[stalefish]

If you're running the master volume at 7 on a 2203 and not getting complaints, then I think you could possibly have something affecting your perceived loudness. Something just doesn't seem right. I doubt it's just the cab. Compared to my own 2203 and a 2204, 7 on my master volume for either amp is way too loud for a bar or club gig and will drown out any drummer. Unless of course you're playing big outdoor festivals.

The amps are not "unusable loud" though. A healthy 2203's loudness is very real, and can very shocking, but it's largely overblown by bedroom players that can't get theirs past 1 without the wife or neighbors wanting to kill them.

Bottom line, the 2203 is a killer amp, and if you're happy with yours then please continue to jam that bitch. But I'd suggest you get a second opinion from a different tech or try a different cab or something. In my opinion, 7 on a 2203 should be really freaking loud.

 

[solarburn]

Yeah I play loud all the time and I can't get mine pass 3 at home. 7 would be suicidal in my room. My neighbors easily hear me at 3, 2 houses down.

Your pro junior should not be comparable in volume or sound field. I'd have it looked at even though you find it sounds great.

 

[solarburn]

Are all your speakers working? Have you measured the cabs ohmage to see if all is well? Plug a speaker cable into the cab and measure the other end with a multimeter touching the sleeve and tip. See what it reads. What's the impedance of your cab? Is it a 412?

 

[GIBSON67]

I have a quad of bass cone G12-80's and they are alot louder than my quad of G12-65's. I don't have a JMP, yet! But I would think it should be pretty dam loud and especially louder than a Pro Jr.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

New tubes a year ago could still be an iffy power tube. You must assume tech biased it and correctly. Check the pre tubes as well, just in case.

 

[chuckharmonjr]

I know my JMP2204 is damned loud. Thru a 4x12 you cant stand to be in a closed room with it at 7....and I like it LOUD

 

[althekiller]

Cool guys I think I'm going to check out the tubes. I should have worded it different. Volume on 7 is where my amp gets crazy loud!! There is a very noticeable jump at 7 and where the sweet spot is. I also don't always play with the volume and tone knobs on full on my guitar which makes running it that high manageable.

Maybe I'm just used to the freedom of practicing and playing loud as I live in an open area and have always been able to play loudly.

Had an ear checkup this year and I have no loss yet in my hearing, I usually use earplugs when jamming...I was jamming with a drummer earlier today and his girlfriend could hear us easily outside while she was in the car pulling up to the driveway so I guess I'm playing louder than I thought...Maybe I'm just used to that type of volume and many perceive it to be so loud because they didn't have luxury of turning up that loud when they were learning to play in the bedroom?

 

[spacerocker]

Cool guys I think I'm going to check out the tubes. I should have worded it different. Volume on 7 is where my amp gets crazy loud!! There is a very noticeable jump at 7 and where the sweet spot is. I also don't always play with the volume and tone knobs on full on my guitar which makes running it that high manageable.

Maybe I'm just used to the freedom of practicing and playing loud as I live in an open area and have always been able to play loudly.

Had an ear checkup this year and I have no loss yet in my hearing, I usually use earplugs when jamming...I was jamming with a drummer earlier today and his girlfriend could hear us easily outside while she was in the car pulling up to the driveway so I guess I'm playing louder than I thought...Maybe I'm just used to that type of volume and many perceive it to be so loud because they didn't have luxury of turning up that loud when they were learning to play in the bedroom?

Doesn't sound right - should be devastatingly loud at 2!

 

[Adrian R]

It really depends on the amp's volume taper (volume pot)...Some amps max out at 4..and others 7-8...Most 2203/04s that I have had max out around 4...

I wouldn't worry about it...

 

[california jam]

I've had this amp for about a year now and it is my favorite amp I've ever owned!

I have a couple of questions..

-The light on the power switch went out. How easy is this to fix?
-It seems to not be unbearably loud as many say they are. It sounds amazing but sometimes I wonder if there are issues with it since it isn't as ridiculously loud as many say these amps are until it is about 7 on the master volume...Now don't get me wrong it is plenty loud and too much for home practice but I find my little Fender Pro Jr. to be just as loud, especially early on the volume. Could it be my settings?

I typically have every knob at noon, high input, and the presence off. I'm using an old 1980 cab with the G12H80 bass cone speakers that are very broken in. I think these speakers may be the reason it doesn't seem loud. I never have issues cutting through so maybe the combo of speakers allow me to run it loud without ear piercing or harsh tone?

It had an inspection a year ago by a very respected tech and came back with a clean bill of health and new tubes were put in.

I guess my question is that everyone says these amps are so loud they are unusable but I've never had a problem running the master very high live (around 7) and having complaints of being too loud.

Is this right? Or did I get lucky with the cab and speaker combo and just get a very musical amp that doesn't cause ear fatigue at loud volumes?

Either way it sounds amazing and doesn't sound like anything is wrong with it. I was just expecting ridiculous volume from it because of all the hype about how loud 100 watt Marshalls are.

 

[california jam]

i love my 2203 ...i play on 4 or 5 and back on the guitar volume which makes it cleaner then crank up for a lead ...at 6 or above the distortion can be uncrollable unless your in a big venue...

 

[Marshallmadness]

I’ve got a 78 JMP2203 and I love it more than anything. Mine is a 6550 model and definitely devastating loud pretty fast. I haven’t had it up to 7 or even close because I run out of greenbacks pretty fast. It is very musical so loud volumes from it are not harsh or grating so it’s easier to play louder than many other amps. Truly the best amp I’ve ever played.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

It could be something as simple as a weak phase inverter tube (V3, the preamp tube closet to the power tubes) or maybe V2, for that matter...or a bad volume pot. Maybe even the voliume pot was replaced at some point in the past with the wrong value.

And...this may be worth a look. MOST 2203s that were bound for the US market were set up for 6550 power tubes. Have a tech who KNOWS Marshalls verify that it's using the power tube type it's actually set up for. Or...have him set it up for the power tube type you prefer.

My own 1978 2203 had a certain weakness to it when I got it, and I found that it was a 6550 amp running EL34s. I put in 6550s, set the bias, and it transformed the amp into the monster it was meant to be. The transformation was anything BUT subtle.

If properly set up for EL34s, it's just as good. I'm not saying that only 6550s will make it loud. I'm saying, make sure the amp is set up for the power tube type you are using/want to use.

I highly recommend you have a good tested full set of spare tubes for your amp. If there is ever a problem with the amp, swap in the spare set, at least starting with the preamp tubes, as a first test. ANYBODY can change out a bad preamp tube. No need to pay a tech for that!