marshall jcm 800 help

zombie youth revolt · Post by **zombie youth revolt** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:33 am

ok

so i sold my tiny terror and right now i'm not an orange amp user ( had 3 orange amps in past 3 years - ad30r, rocker 30 head and tiny terror )

i wanted to buy some cheap tube combo with fx loop and 2 channels like peavey classic, laney lc50, marshall dsl 401, carvin nomad etc.

and then found a good deal on 1985 Marshall JCM 800 4212 - it's a 50 w, 2x12 combo - this a 2 channel model with reverb and fx loop

and my question is - how does the 2 channel jcm's 800 sound comparing them to their older single channel brothers ? and even if they don't sound as good i think they still beat the crap outof marshall dsl and tsl combos right ?

thanks for any help

Bael · Post by **Bael** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:37 am

They sound decent. They have more gain on tap in general, I think. It's the pre-amp gain, though. It's a little more buzzy. The 2 channel JCM 800s are just made alot more cheaply than the single channel ones but they still sound good. The filtering changed and that changed the tone. The lost a few of those blue can-looking things. Still probabaly better than alot of the stuff you're comparing it to and those amps are basically just shooting for the Marshall sound. In general, the later JCM 800s supposedly sounded a tad thin and lacked the punch of the earlier single channel JCMs. Ironically, they sounded worse as the volume went up; the opposite of what Marshall is tended to be known for. But if it's a good deal then go for it. Get some decent tubes and get it tuned up. There is good information on Marshall amps from the Plexi era to the DSL and TSL era on Legendarytones.com.<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by zombie youth revolt
 ok

so i sold my tiny terror and right now i'm not an orange amp user ( had 3 orange amps in past 3 years - ad30r, rocker 30 head and tiny terror )

i wanted to buy some cheap tube combo with fx loop and 2 channels like peavey classic, laney lc50, marshall dsl 401, carvin nomad etc.

and then found a good deal on 1985 Marshall JCM 800 4212 - it's a 50 w, 2x12 combo - this a 2 channel model with reverb and fx loop

and my question is - how does the 2 channel jcm's 800 sound comparing them to their older single channel brothers ? and even if they don't sound as good i think they still beat the crap outof marshall dsl and tsl combos right ?

thanks for any help

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

nguideau · Post by **nguideau** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:48 pm

Agree with Bael, I had a 2 chan 800. Still great tone, but definitely a more fragile animal... would not discourage you from getting one though. It's really more of a testament to the way the earlier Marshall's were made than a knock on how those 2 chan 800s were made.

blackcloud45 · Post by **blackcloud45** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:52 pm

Buy a RV50 combo.

zombie youth revolt · Post by **zombie youth revolt** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 5:41 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by blackcloud45
 Buy a RV50 combo.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

too expensive

i can buy the jcm 800 for like half of the price of the rockerverb

besides after having 3 orange amps i want something different

blackcloud45 · Post by **blackcloud45** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 5:47 pm

Get a Peavey Classic 30 and some sort of OD pedal and you should be happy.

Joshlespaul1952 · Post by **Joshlespaul1952** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:06 pm

I'd suggest buying a 2203/2204 clone from Ceriatone....infinitely more reliable than a Marshall, cheaper...handwired, too.
http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPage ... abinet.htm
Shipping is a tad expensive though. Still, cheaper than a new Marshall...

zombie youth revolt · Post by **zombie youth revolt** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:25 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Joshlespaul1952
 I'd suggest buying a 2203/2204 clone from Ceriatone....infinitely more reliable than a Marshall, cheaper...handwired, too.
http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPage ... abinet.htm
Shipping is a tad expensive though. Still, cheaper than a new Marshall...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

looks cool but fx loop and 2 channels is a must for me right now + in my country such amp would be very, very hard to sell if i ever get bored with it.

peavey classic is cool option and i already have great dirt box ( xotic bb preamp ) but i'm a guy that besides blues, rock and hard rock likes also metal, punk and hardcore and boosted jcm 800 is a much better option for such music imho

Joshlespaul1952 · Post by **Joshlespaul1952** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:33 pm

Oh, that's too bad. Well, good luck.

Deacon Blues · Post by **Deacon Blues** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:30 pm

is a DSL 50 out of the question? i played one a few weeks back and i was surprised at how much i liked it. when biased properly those things aren't as lame as you've probably heard they are. i mean its still not really "marshall tone" but its verstatile. you can probably get a half stack used in the states for about a grand. don't know about poland though.

look at the peavey valve kings too.

Satanic_Versus · Post by **Satanic_Versus** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:37 pm

the old JCM 800 SMOKES, hands down. just get it and go with the best, dont try to compensate for "THAT" tone.

get an old one, pre 1986, make sure it has the vertical inputs, this amp is very simple, from the circuitry to the knobs, its impossible to get bad tone out of it, trust me. you will be in heaven with this all out rock and roll classic.

Jon

zombie youth revolt · Post by **zombie youth revolt** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 8:01 pm

i know the single channel jcm800 sounds great - heard 2204 from 1983, heard 2203 from 1981 - great amps

but i absolutely need an fx loop, a loop is something i can't live without righ now ( main reason i sold my TT ) - that's why i'm thinking about dual channel version

Satanic_Versus · Post by **Satanic_Versus** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:30 pm

the dual channel sound great too. its a JCM800 you cant go wrong..

Jon

lampic · Post by **lampic** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 5:50 pm

The 2205 comes in 2 versions, one before 85 and one after. The after 85 most prefer for the boostchannel. I hade one for one year because i get it cheap (1987- verion), and yeah, its sounds marshall, but you have to boost it with an overdrive like boss sd-1 to smoothen the distortion :0. I modded mine and changed the resistor to smaller value wich made it possible to also do midgainstuff and not sound so fizzle and also something to fatten the bass. It really has to be played loud to sound good, but you can get a deasent sound also by making an volumebox and putting in the effekt-loop. Thats the only possible solution to get deasent sound and playing home...

The sound is VERY 80-metal, think early metallica and also slash. The distorion is based much on diods in the boostchannel. You can forget nice midgain growl, even on the "clean" channel.

I sold it and tried an peavey classic, wich was okej but REALy needs help of an booster or overdrive, very tame. I instead bought an new Orange Rocker 30 and thats the BEST amp I played yet. If I want to get into Marshall territory I have an Keeley modded SD-1 wich highens the trebble a bit an takes away some of the oranges big bass.

I would NOT by an 2205 again if its not deadcheap or want to play metal, try to find an 2204 instead or an old jmp. there are modded ones wich effektloop, or you can do it yourself, there are lots of descriptions out on the net on how to mod marshalls.

If you want an cheap marshall wich many swear on sound great, like old REAL marshalls, but are a low in build quallity (but can be modded to be better, fearly easy, I think its mainly changing the tubes or install a went) there are the JTM 30 and JTM 60, real marshall sound, no diods.

If you love the sound of the silver jubilee or early metallica = 2205
otherwise - look elsewere

zombie youth revolt · Post by **zombie youth revolt** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:14 pm

well - today i finally played dual channel jcm 800 and i really liked it

sounds like real marshall to me, great hard rockin' tones , honestly i liked it more than rocker 30 for rock, hard rock, metal etc. with aditional EQ pedal to add some more low end this baby will sound great imho

i think i'll buy it

thanks for any help

marshall jcm 800 help

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