I seriously tried other amps...lots of them.
PLEIXI IN A CAN
- Thread starter eSGEe
- Start date
I seriously tried other amps...lots of them.
Clockworkmike
Ambassador of STACKS in WV SHACKS
I can understand lol
Ive owned various Peaveys ( favorite being a 5150) and I've played lots of others such as a few Mesa/Boogies, different Fenders, a couple Laneys, even an Orange, Trace Elliot and Vox or two. Admittedly, never played something like a Engl, Bogner, Diezel, Soldano HiWatt or the millions of other lesser seen amps.
But the one that grabbed my attention from the onset was a Marshall, from the very first time playing one ( was a Jcm900 4500 Dual Reverb). There are many Marshalls I have never played ( such as the older original Plexis, JVMs, Vintage Moderns or a Jubilee) but the ones I have, I've enjoyed them all.
It's the amp I'm probably content with the most because it has the sound I like from the get go: lots of mids in a hard crunch tone. That's not to say I dont enjoy any of the other amps I've named and I'd gladly play or own any of them really.
But if you asked me to just accept one brand overall? Gonna say Marshall every time lol
Same here!!!!
My very first Marshall experience was a JTM30. At the time, I was playing a Traynor Bass Head through an Ampeg 8x10 cabinet.
It was awesome.. still is.
StrumerJoe
Well-Known Member
That's great for you. Most of us will never even get close to those amps.I quit playing Marshall's in the late nineties then switched to a Express and a Rocket with a amp switcher no effects
next ODS amps I was in my amp room and dug out my old amps the Express with the ODS is next level
View attachment 82629
A Marshall is much more realistic for most of us.
I've played the boutique amps. Nothing remarkable. Ask @Sp8ctre about his Dumble experience.
Nothing wrong with having whatever you like and can afford, but Marshall sends the bill, Man.
It's plenty good enough.
Randy Rhoads thought so too.
Marshall for this blue collar high school dropout....
StrumerJoe
Well-Known Member
I like Marshalls. I especially also like a good old Fender Tweed Deluxe.
That said, I will never part with my Rivera Jake Studio Combo.
And I've tried the whole Marshall in a box route. It's a dead end, so I agree with you - save yourself time, money, and the aggravation and just go buy a Marshall!
ninjaking67
Ambassador of Good Will
I, too, tried to get the Marshall sound by trying many MIAB pedals. Nothing ever matched the sound I had in my head. (the sound, not the voices
)
It was a Marshall SC20C JCM800 that did it for me!
)It was a Marshall SC20C JCM800 that did it for me!
SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
Did the whole "This sounds like a Marshall" thing in the '80s. Had Randalls, Carvins, and others. After not being able to find a Jubilee head in '87 or '88, I bought a brand new JTM45 reissue in '89. Glad I never found the Jubilee, as this is a much better amp. Not a one trick pony like the Jubilee, even though it does that trick very well.
SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
I've read in a few different magazines when they've done comparison tests between an original JTM45, the '89 Reissue, Germinos, Metro Amps, and a few others, the '89 Re-issue always comes up sounding closest to the original. It is always commented that the amps is also a complete monster with EL-34 power tubes in it. Many people have commented on how awesome mine sounds over the years. It is one of those purchases that I have never, ever regretted.
Interesting!!!!!!
On the 50 watt Master Volume clone that @syscokid is building for me, we opted for 6550 power tubes and CV4004 pre-amp tubes. Greg also re-purposed the voltage selector to add a resonance control and we fitted a Metro FX Loop for added versatility.
Marshall used 6550's in many amps that were sent to the USA because they felt the tube was more robust and resistant to damage in transit. But they also have a sonic benefit over the EL34. The 6550s seem to have bigger, tighter lows and more defined mids. They stay very crisp. You can turn your bass up on the amp and you won't get any mush.
Greg's work is absolutely phenomenal...
SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
I like Greg's work and following his posts, but a JTM45 is a non-master volume amp, and completely different. Mine had 5881 Sovtechs in it when it left the factory. The tech I brought it to the first time it was serviced said this was to get the amp through the warranty phase. When I put EL34s in it, it came alive. Right now, it has German EL34 power tubes and English ECC83s in it. There is no mushy low end to this amp. I've used it with many different speakers, and they all sound very open. I love it with the 10" Celestions in my '70 8x10, as well as the 55Hz 25 watt greenbacks in my '72 Lead Bass cab, and the 12H-75s in my Jubilee cab. Even with my '71 Hiwatt cab with original purple Fanes, it sounds great. It definitely has multiple personalities, and they are all quite pleasant.
Clockworkmike
Ambassador of STACKS in WV SHACKS
5881 ( namely the 5881WXT) is a tube that didnt seem to go over as well as hoped it seems. It was Britain's military tube and answer to the American 6L6GB but it's not a really popular valve. Most folks like yourself, made the leap over to EL34 and scrapped them. Lots of folks today think the tube is an exact swap for the 6L6GC, but a 5881 is actually lesser rated than the 6L6GC ( 23w vs 30w). So its an upgrade to go to 6L6GC and a downgrade going over to 5881.
Marshall reluctantly began using them exclusively from around late-1994 to early-1997 in the wake of a global EL34 shortage, primarily in the 900 series ( Dual Reverb and SLXs) and some of the 6100 30th Anniversaries, but had been using them in the 80s too on a lot of non-master volume amps for some reason. I've heard that was because they weren't selling as many NMV amps and reserved the EL34s for the 800 and Jubilees, but that's hearsay.
I have a 1993 SLX 2500 and the chassis is stamped for 5881 US model, however the board is the EL34 version. This was an anomaly as it was right at the time when Marshall was beginning the transition, going ahead and stamping the frames but still had the EL34 boards left over and were using the last available stock.
It was Svetlana that helped Marshall bring back the EL34 in the JCM2000 series, who had secretly been working together as early as 1995 to begin production and stockpiling enough to tubes to bring their newest line out, effectively retiring the 900 series shortly thereafter.
SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
They (5881) were anemic in my amp. But, by their nature, they were lower in wattage and set a bit cooler for the bias. This made it where Marshall did not have to worry about warranty work. Once the owners of the amps got wise (like me), and swapped everything over to a more classic set up, they came alive. It was always a great sounding amp, but the switch to EL34s made a huge improvement. Like I mentioned earlier, it has far more personality than a 2555 (Silver Jubilee 100) which is what I was was originally looking for at the time. The JTM45 is not a one trick pony. It has a very dynamic sound to it.
Last edited:
Clockworkmike
Ambassador of STACKS in WV SHACKS
I personally love the JTM45. Its not the iconic Marshall for nothing. Every non master volume Marshall can trace its origins back to it, from the JTM50/100, 1959 JMP, 1987, Major and Superbass in some way or another.
Last edited:
You are correct about the JTM-45.
I have never - personally - been able to make a non master volume amp work for me and I avoid them.
The FX loop is critical for me in controlling the amp with a Boss FV30L.
Interesting that when we swapped in 6CA7'S for EL-34's in the Marshall Origin, it was a night and day difference. Much fuller, rounder sounding with a more refined gain structure.
But I'm looking for headroom, and I'm driving two Celestion Copperback Neodymium 250 Watters individually, each with its own speaker cable.
SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
Every amp has their preferred way in which they like to function. My home built JTM45 with KT66 power tubes sounds different that my '89 Reissue. They each sound great, and I don't use enough effects to warrant an effects loop. It's also why I like Hiwatts and my DST amps. I love punching the front end of my amps with a treble booster and a KTR. It's what makes the guitar world fun. Different strokes for different folks.
