Katana Revisited...

Robert Herndon said:
Hmmmm....a little bit of this - Guitar begins at 0:15

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A bit scooped for my taste but yeah, not over the top with the gain.

Mark 5 has enough gain to make an Engl blush, i never go past 1:00 and that’s already Metal territory. It’s the grainy mid-gain, mid-heavy hot-rodded 800 sound that the Jubilee’s have that I am craving. I can get 90% of the way there with the green channel crunch mode, but the way a Marshall does it is different, and there is a different emphasis on the upper-mid harmonics that I’ve never heard another amp really pull off. I wouldn’t use it a lot but it would be great for when that itch needs scratchin’
 
gball said:
A bit scooped for my taste but yeah, not over the top with the gain.

Mark 5 has enough gain to make an Engl blush, i never go past 1:00 and that’s already Metal territory. It’s the grainy mid-gain, mid-heavy hot-rodded 800 sound that the Jubilee’s have that I am craving. I can get 90% of the way there with the green channel crunch mode, but the way a Marshall does it is different, and there is a different emphasis on the upper-mid harmonics that I’ve never heard another amp really pull off. I wouldn’t use it a lot but it would be great for when that itch needs scratchin’
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Sure seems like - in light of modern technology - they could produce something lightweight and portable and yet give a really great tone. I was literally blown away by how much better my Valvestate VS265 sounded on a recording when compared to my DSL40C - only probalme is it weghs 60 pounds.

Now a tube aficionado colleague of mine sent me some 50 year old Ken-Rad tubes and swears it will turn the DSL40C into a beast!!!!
 
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Okay, couldn't resist. Pulled the trigger this morning...

p1_us5vn3nrx_ss.jpg


Will report back in a week or so when it gets here.
 
I heard this Carol-Ann Texas 50 recently and want one! However it was a special release in very limited numbers and IF one can be found price is HIGH!

1st video dirt is at 1:18



 
Robert Herndon said:
Interesting! More details!
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Jubilee's were the secret sauce amp from many of the late '80's/early '90's hard rock and metal recordings (Think GnR). In essence, they were a hotrodded JCM-800, Marshall figuring they could cash in on the mod craze themselves since so many 3rd party people were modding 800's at the time. They do have a sound that's kind of unique to them and I think it's one of those things you just have to love (I do). This one is a "scaled-down" version with less power than the full-size head but you will note that importantly it still uses '34's in the power section, so it brings that same crunch that the big-boys do without having to rip open your skull with volume. Not a ton of gain by modern standards but with a dirt box out front it's the essence of that stinging-midrange, late '80's sound. There really is nothing else that is quite the same - the Friedmans come closest IME but they have too much gain.

Specs from the website:

Marshall Mini Jubilee Guitar Amp Head
Inspired by the acclaimed 2555X series, the 2525H 'small box' head combine the classic Silver Jubilee preamp features and styling in a lower power, 'mini' design. The 20 Watt 2525 Mini Jubilee is expertly crafted and is designed, engineered and constructed to the highest possible standards at the Marshall factory in Bletchley, England.

The Silver Jubilee Series was produced in 1987 to celebrate 25 years of Marshall Amplification and 50 years of Jim Marshall being in the music business.

The 2525 models also share the original Jubilee Series features, as well as High/Low output switching (20 Watts to 5 Watts) and independent 4/8/16 Ohm speaker outputs.

Features:
- Presence, Bass, Middle & Treble controls
- Output Master (pull channel)
- Lead Master
- Input Gain (pull rhythm clip)
- 20W/5W Power Output Switch
- 2 x EL34& 3 x ECC83 Valves
- Celestion G12M-25 Greenback speaker (combo only)
- 4/8/16 Ohm speaker outputs
- FX Loop
- DI Output
- Footswitch Included
- Made in the UK


 
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gball said:
Jubilee's were the secret sauce amp from many of the late '80's/early '90's hard rock and metal recordings (Think GnR). In essence, they were a hotrodded JCM-800, Marshall figuring they could cash in on the mod craze themselves since so many 3rd party people were modding 800's at the time. They do have a sound that's kind of unique to them and I think it's one of those things you just have to love (I do). This one is a "scaled-down" version with less power than the full-size head but you will note that importantly it still uses '34's in the power section, so it brings that same crunch that the big-boys do without having to rip open your skull with volume. Not a ton of gain by modern standards but with a dirt box out front it's the essence of that stinging-midrange, late '80's sound. There really is nothing else that is quite the same - the Friedmans come closest IME but they have too much gain.

Specs from the website:

Marshall Mini Jubilee Guitar Amp Head
Inspired by the acclaimed 2555X series, the 2525H 'small box' head combine the classic Silver Jubilee preamp features and styling in a lower power, 'mini' design. The 20 Watt 2525 Mini Jubilee is expertly crafted and is designed, engineered and constructed to the highest possible standards at the Marshall factory in Bletchley, England.

The Silver Jubilee Series was produced in 1987 to celebrate 25 years of Marshall Amplification and 50 years of Jim Marshall being in the music business.

The 2525 models also share the original Jubilee Series features, as well as High/Low output switching (20 Watts to 5 Watts) and independent 4/8/16 Ohm speaker outputs.

Features:
- Presence, Bass, Middle & Treble controls
- Output Master (pull channel)
- Lead Master
- Input Gain (pull rhythm clip)
- 20W/5W Power Output Switch
- 2 x EL34& 3 x ECC83 Valves
- Celestion G12M-25 Greenback speaker (combo only)
- 4/8/16 Ohm speaker outputs
- FX Loop
- DI Output
- Footswitch Included
- Made in the UK


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Does this video capture the sound you are looking for at any point? If so at what time mark? I really dig the clean sound and the slight crunch at around 4:10

 
Sp8ctre said:
Does this video capture the sound you are looking for at any point? If so at what time mark? I really dig the clean sound and the slight crunch at around 4:10

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TBH not really, but I blame the Strat for that - I have never been a Strat-->Marshall fan.

Check out the second Anderton's clip I posted: the tone of the Les Paul that Rabea is playing in the first jam is pretty much nails what I am looking for. And at 17:13 when he is just noodling.
 
83 blazer said:
This video compares a Marshall with a bunch of other amps trying to sound like a Marshall. Good for a back to back listen.

There’s even a Katana thrown in so it kind of links to the title of the thread too...

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That's a really interesting video. He nailed it all the way through, including (and going back to the thread title) the "digitalness" of the Katana. Even in that vid you can hear how mushy the Katana sounds compared to the real amps. I know for the price differential it should sound worse, just pointing out that you can hear what I heard playing mine back-to-back with my other amps in that clip. All of them sound great though, and I'd have to say the Marshall is best, but only by a slight margin over the Friedman and Vicotry.
 
gball said:
That's a really interesting video. He nailed it all the way through, including (and going back to the thread title) the "digitalness" of the Katana. Even in that vid you can hear how mushy the Katana sounds compared to the real amps. I know for the price differential it should sound worse, just pointing out that you can hear what I heard playing mine back-to-back with my other amps in that clip. All of them sound great though, and I'd have to say the Marshall is best, but only by a slight margin over the Friedman and Vicotry.
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Obviously Rob has a great ear for amps! There is no way I could pick like he did. I did hear the lesser quality of the Katana, but again we're talking a big price difference.

My ears suffer from years of hazardous noise environments having been in the Air Force. I was always around some type of loud generator, fans, aircraft...
 
Sp8ctre said:
Obviously Rob has a great ear for amps! There is no way I could pick like he did. I did hear the lesser quality of the Katana, but again we're talking a big price difference.

My ears suffer from years of hazardous noise environments having been in the Air Force. I was always around some type of loud generator, fans, aircraft...
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I'm pretty sure I have a few db of high-end attenuation in my hearing. Always maxing out the treble when I listen to music...
But I attribute it just to listening to and playing music too loud for too many years. Overall my hearing is good for my age, thankfully.

That last video really got me excited about the arrival of the Marshall. Looks like early next week.
 
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