DG335
New member
I got my JJ about 3 weeks ago. After much discussion and help from LPMojoGL making my decision to pull the trigger on the most expensive amp I've ever bought, I grabbed one of the last few signed ones from the Amp House. It's pretty much everything I need and want in an amp and it's the exact sound that has always been in my head. As soon as I heard the demos, I knew it was the amp for me, but because of the price I needed a push over the edge. After getting it I have absolutely no regrets.
My drug of choice has always been the Marshall 2203/2204. While I recognize that the JMP had better tone, the JCM had the gain and MV I needed and the crunch I wanted. Well to my ears, the BE was JCM meets JMP with a modern voice. It's everything I like about Marshall tone, but with all the right improvements for my taste. It's tighter, it doesn't flub in the low end, it's darker without being muddy, and you can hear all the notes you are playing.. and that's just BE mode. JBE takes it to the next level. The JBE is why I bought this amp. It's just meaner and faster and angrier than the BE and fits the darker music I prefer. The BE mode fills my cover band needs perfectly while the JBE is the tone that I've wanted for my personal taste in music (From Black Sabbath and Kiss to Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer to Mastadon and Red Fang).
With all of that you would think the clean channel would be an after thought. No freakin way. This is the BEST clean channel I've ever heard in a high gain amp. The 3 position bright switch takes you from Fendery to Voxy and it's got TONS of headroom. I would consider buying this clean channel alone in a separate amp. But let's save that for another time. This is all about the dirt channel.
I'm running through a Stagecraft Blackjack 1x12 now with a Scumback M75. I'm a big Greenback fan, but I can tell this amp needs a V30 so I plan to buy the matching Friedman 2x12 in the near future.
As great as the JJ100 sounds, I can never leave good enough alone... so I recently started NOS tube rolling.
The amp shipped stock with
V1 = ARS 7025
V2 = ARS 12AX7
V3 = ARS 7025
V4/PI = ARS 7025
I assume Dave is using those 7025's to keep the noise down, but since new 7025's really don't have the same design aspects of the NOS version that actually were built for noise reduction, it's entirely possible he just likes the way those particular tubes sound in those spots. Modern 7025's are just standard tubes tested as low noise tubes labeled as such. I think he probably used the 12AX7 in V2 since low noise usually equals low gain and V2 is usually (I think) where the amp gets it's gain. I'm far from an expert.
I pulled the whole preamp tube set and carefully labeled them just in case. After some fiddling around I ended up with:
V1 = Mullard 7025 I63 (ANOS)
V2 = Mullard 12AX7/ECC83 f91 (NOS)
V3 = Mullard 7025 I63 (ANOS)
V4 = RCA 7025 (NOS)
I chose the 60's short plate 7025 in V1 for low noise since the amp shipped with a 7025 there. I put the 50's long plate f91 in V2 since there was a 12AX7 in there stock and I'm guessing this where you get the most gain. Then again a 60's short plate 7025 in V3 since it shipped with a 7025 there. I chose the RCA for V4 since it was the only other 7025 I had and there was a 7025 in there stock. I may change this up to another Mullard.
Immediately noticed an improvement. This smoothed out any of thin, harshness or ice picky highs that were there. Not that the amp sounds thin, harsh or ice picky. This is of course all relative. But immediately the sound was smoother or, for lack of a better term, "rounder". I could hear that signature Mullard syrupy mid focus and it was glorious. Harmonics were more present and effortless.
I spent the most time testing in BE mode since that takes the diodes out of the picture. It's the hod rodded plexi sound, but with Friedmans own character. Adding the Mullard made it sound even more classic Marshall to my ears and less modern (but still modern levels of gain). It makes me wonder if the "modern" sound of most amps is more a function of the newer tubes than the circuit. It had more of that crunch sound from the classic rock recordings. This was all especially noticeable at low gain where the amp seems to sometimes struggle. Added sustain and articulation and less harshness were very apparent at low gain that was a little bland before. Before the Mullards I was struggling a bit to play lower gain blues. Now it sounds great for that. I had previously tried a I63 in v2 and the f92 was even more of a good thing. I may try the f92 in V1 just for comparison.
All my testing was done in BE mode. Initially I didn't try JBE mode because I figured the diodes were in the path there and I wanted to stick to all tube. Also, these older tubes don't seem to have as much positive effect on modern high gain amps. But, I did switch into JBE at the end and WOW. Despite the higher gain and diodes, the difference was still very apparent there as well. Fuller, thicker more mid focused tone even at max gain, but what surprised me the most was it was even MORE clarity and articulate in note separation than before and slightly more Marshally crunch.
Unfortunately there was no apparent reduction in noise. With the gain cranked there is still the same prevalent hiss. Nothing more than a normal amp of course, but I had hoped the NOS tubes might be a touch quieter.
I've a got a few more Mullards to try in there I'll give my 7025 I61 and F91 a try. And I still need to play with the clean channel to hear the differences there.
If you've got some NOS or ANOS tubes, I'd definitely recommend giving them a try. I think it takes a great amp and makes it a phenomenal amp. I may have found the last amp I ever need.
My drug of choice has always been the Marshall 2203/2204. While I recognize that the JMP had better tone, the JCM had the gain and MV I needed and the crunch I wanted. Well to my ears, the BE was JCM meets JMP with a modern voice. It's everything I like about Marshall tone, but with all the right improvements for my taste. It's tighter, it doesn't flub in the low end, it's darker without being muddy, and you can hear all the notes you are playing.. and that's just BE mode. JBE takes it to the next level. The JBE is why I bought this amp. It's just meaner and faster and angrier than the BE and fits the darker music I prefer. The BE mode fills my cover band needs perfectly while the JBE is the tone that I've wanted for my personal taste in music (From Black Sabbath and Kiss to Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer to Mastadon and Red Fang).
With all of that you would think the clean channel would be an after thought. No freakin way. This is the BEST clean channel I've ever heard in a high gain amp. The 3 position bright switch takes you from Fendery to Voxy and it's got TONS of headroom. I would consider buying this clean channel alone in a separate amp. But let's save that for another time. This is all about the dirt channel.
I'm running through a Stagecraft Blackjack 1x12 now with a Scumback M75. I'm a big Greenback fan, but I can tell this amp needs a V30 so I plan to buy the matching Friedman 2x12 in the near future.
As great as the JJ100 sounds, I can never leave good enough alone... so I recently started NOS tube rolling.
The amp shipped stock with
V1 = ARS 7025
V2 = ARS 12AX7
V3 = ARS 7025
V4/PI = ARS 7025
I assume Dave is using those 7025's to keep the noise down, but since new 7025's really don't have the same design aspects of the NOS version that actually were built for noise reduction, it's entirely possible he just likes the way those particular tubes sound in those spots. Modern 7025's are just standard tubes tested as low noise tubes labeled as such. I think he probably used the 12AX7 in V2 since low noise usually equals low gain and V2 is usually (I think) where the amp gets it's gain. I'm far from an expert.
I pulled the whole preamp tube set and carefully labeled them just in case. After some fiddling around I ended up with:
V1 = Mullard 7025 I63 (ANOS)
V2 = Mullard 12AX7/ECC83 f91 (NOS)
V3 = Mullard 7025 I63 (ANOS)
V4 = RCA 7025 (NOS)
I chose the 60's short plate 7025 in V1 for low noise since the amp shipped with a 7025 there. I put the 50's long plate f91 in V2 since there was a 12AX7 in there stock and I'm guessing this where you get the most gain. Then again a 60's short plate 7025 in V3 since it shipped with a 7025 there. I chose the RCA for V4 since it was the only other 7025 I had and there was a 7025 in there stock. I may change this up to another Mullard.
Immediately noticed an improvement. This smoothed out any of thin, harshness or ice picky highs that were there. Not that the amp sounds thin, harsh or ice picky. This is of course all relative. But immediately the sound was smoother or, for lack of a better term, "rounder". I could hear that signature Mullard syrupy mid focus and it was glorious. Harmonics were more present and effortless.
I spent the most time testing in BE mode since that takes the diodes out of the picture. It's the hod rodded plexi sound, but with Friedmans own character. Adding the Mullard made it sound even more classic Marshall to my ears and less modern (but still modern levels of gain). It makes me wonder if the "modern" sound of most amps is more a function of the newer tubes than the circuit. It had more of that crunch sound from the classic rock recordings. This was all especially noticeable at low gain where the amp seems to sometimes struggle. Added sustain and articulation and less harshness were very apparent at low gain that was a little bland before. Before the Mullards I was struggling a bit to play lower gain blues. Now it sounds great for that. I had previously tried a I63 in v2 and the f92 was even more of a good thing. I may try the f92 in V1 just for comparison.
All my testing was done in BE mode. Initially I didn't try JBE mode because I figured the diodes were in the path there and I wanted to stick to all tube. Also, these older tubes don't seem to have as much positive effect on modern high gain amps. But, I did switch into JBE at the end and WOW. Despite the higher gain and diodes, the difference was still very apparent there as well. Fuller, thicker more mid focused tone even at max gain, but what surprised me the most was it was even MORE clarity and articulate in note separation than before and slightly more Marshally crunch.
Unfortunately there was no apparent reduction in noise. With the gain cranked there is still the same prevalent hiss. Nothing more than a normal amp of course, but I had hoped the NOS tubes might be a touch quieter.
I've a got a few more Mullards to try in there I'll give my 7025 I61 and F91 a try. And I still need to play with the clean channel to hear the differences there.
If you've got some NOS or ANOS tubes, I'd definitely recommend giving them a try. I think it takes a great amp and makes it a phenomenal amp. I may have found the last amp I ever need.
