The most badass Marshall tone - JCM 800

[marshallmellowed]

I don't know about all that now...its a great amp, it really is, but there's no bottom-end...at least not from the video and yes, I've played that amp, its been a long time and I'm going from memory. The Valvestate 8100 100V IMHO smokes that 800 at least with my configuration... straight amp no pedals or FX with a JCM 900 G12-T75 loaded cabinet...Oooooh, baaby...yooooou know what I like! over driven EMG's ....GOOD GOOODD! its a face melter! It's no wonder why Chuck Schuldiner used that amp head and those speakers for the best Death albums hands down! I can't remember but I think that was the last amp he used for recording albums.

50pts to you for the Metallica riffs!

If I put the Digitech 2101 in the chain... its over! its just over!

Don't hate on me or I'll bust out the EVH Stealth 100W

That same Marshall 8100 100V through the Mesa Boogie oversized 4x12 cab I have....Awww, man! its like night an day...a whole new amp... it's all in the speakers man... just crazy the tone difference and even more bottom-end! It's SICK!

"EMG's", "Death albums", the picture has been painted. Not my kind of picture, but does explain the post.

 

[AlvisX]

I remember hearing someone claim this when the internet was new... I thought it was dumb then because the amps were 1o years old by that point and didn't suffer this. Now I really think this is dumb since these amps are all over 30 years old and this has not proved to be the case. I worked in amp repair professionally for some time, and still do it on my own for bigger clients. But I have yet to see any issues with jacks coming loose from PC boards.

Ridiculous internet drivel ,indeed
This is probably my most used Marshall (and one of the best sounding) ...more gigs ..more miles than any of the others
Only issue I ever had with this amp was a cathode lead coming loose from the tube socket

 

[J E H]

JCM800 -- really great amp. However, I used a JCM2000 TSL mostly for recording. A few gigs. LOTS of recording. After about 10-11 years it quit - needs repairs. It always got REALLy hot -- I suspect it needed a little more ' heat sink' -- possibly new motherboard. Back and listen to the recordings - that amp has the SOUND. 3 channels. Clean Hot Really hot. I need to get it fixed. MAybe in 2024. IT is a brutal amplifier.

 

[taylodl]

I no longer buy amps… I simply find things to play with my 2203 (or 1959RR).

Which is another reason why amps beyond the beginner level are so expensive - there's no economy of scale. You buy an amp every 10 years. Some even less frequently than that. Yeah, be prepared to pay some money for the things because people aren't buying them.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

IMO.

I've had 'em, I've gigged 'em, I now have an SC20H, looking for a 2203 locally, there is no other.

The only Marshall that not only rattles your balls and punches you in the chesticals, but also slaps you in the face. No other Marshall can do it like the JCM 800.

My SC20H sounds like the one above from my OP (G12T-75's). It slaps you in the face.

This home brew(?) has got the Marshall "clank" tone going on. Does this sound more like a Plexi, JMP, etc? I've heard this tone before, but I'm not very familiar with Marshalls earlier than the JCM 800's.

 

[Derrick111]

My SC20H sounds like the one above from my OP (G12T-75's). It slaps you in the face.

This home brew(?) has got the Marshall "clank" tone going on. Does this sound more like a Plexi, JMP, etc? I've heard this tone before, but I'm not very familiar with Marshalls earlier than the JCM 800's.

Definitely not like a plexi. You don't start accessing that kind of gain until the 2203/2204s came out in the mid 70s. In fact, the first year and a half or so of the 2204 didn't even have that gain because they had a goofy preamp arrangement before Marshall finally changed it to match the 2203. Plus, not all 2203s/2204s have that much gain. Some do, some don't until the 1980s when Marshalls became more consistent.

 

[79 2203]

My SC20H sounds like the one above from my OP (G12T-75's). It slaps you in the face.

This home brew(?) has got the Marshall "clank" tone going on. Does this sound more like a Plexi, JMP, etc? I've heard this tone before, but I'm not very familiar with Marshalls earlier than the JCM 800's.

Sounds killer. More like my stock 79 2203 than my 71 1987 or 70 Superbass. Maybe more low mids than my 2203(reminds me of a Ceriatone 2203 I had)so abit chunkier sounding, though to be fair my MV never goes above 2(Preamp 7 like in the video) but thats definitely the 2203/4 sound. A little more kerrang ,clang, but also smoother distortion than the 1959/87 which is wilder, rawer, but also warmer in the midrange and sweeter in the highs. Though I will acknowledge that low gain/vol NMV tones can have a rasp that can be off putting to those used to modern amps.

In any case, you can’t really judge an amp from videos. In the room, back to back, I always preferred my vintage 2203’s to even the Ceriatone, and especially to any modern, feature laden ‘Marshall killer’ boutique. The vintage amps just have a complexity and character that’s impossible to replicate.
And in the room, back to back, you’ll also hear(and especially feel) the differences between a 4 holer and 2 holer. 4 holers IMO are noticeably more responsive to picking dynamics and the guitar controls.

 

[What?]

My SC20H sounds like the one above from my OP (G12T-75's). It slaps you in the face.

This home brew(?) has got the Marshall "clank" tone going on. Does this sound more like a Plexi, JMP, etc? I've heard this tone before, but I'm not very familiar with Marshalls earlier than the JCM 800's.

Yea, I think that isn't a homebrew. Dr. Dan is pretty well known by now. He makes some nice sounding amps. That has some 1959/1987 in the sound to my ears.

 

[dro]

I played the SC20 when they first came out.
A nice little amp, for what it is.
But no, it is no JCM800.
Even though it's stamped on the front.
It's not a 2204, much less a 2203.

 

[dro]

Just as this ST20 is no JTM45

It's good for a little bang around amp. But when I want the goods. Doesn't scare venue owners as much as a full stack, or even a half stack.

 

[Musicmaniac]

 

[James Freeman]

Can't think of another single channel amp that does everything from clean to high gain (boosted).
The Hi/Lo input design that bypasses a whole gain stage, the mild cold clipper stage, the right amound of bass cut between stages, it's just brilliant.

The 2203 is closing 48 years since 1976, I hope Marshall reissues the old JMP 2203 as a collectors item for the 50th anniversary.

 

[marshallmellowed]

My SC20H sounds like the one above from my OP (G12T-75's). It slaps you in the face.

This home brew(?) has got the Marshall "clank" tone going on. Does this sound more like a Plexi, JMP, etc? I've heard this tone before, but I'm not very familiar with Marshalls earlier than the JCM 800's.

Sounds kind of like a JTM45 to me, but not exactly. Looser in the low end than a 2203.

 

[Ed Domanowski]

I have a 2203 for sale I'm located in New Jersey if you're interested please let me know.

 

[cjs42079]

Can't think of another single channel amp that does everything from clean to high gain (boosted).
The Hi/Lo input design that bypasses a whole gain stage, the mild cold clipper stage, the right amound of bass cut between stages, it's just brilliant.

The 2203 is closing 48 years since 1976, I hope Marshall reissues the old JMP 2203 as a collectors item for the 50th anniversary.

I agree! Although not an official Marshall, my Ceriatone 2204 delivers the goods. Amazing sounding amp. Short clip just because.