I'm the last man on earth to play a JVM

  • Thread starter Thread starter stratotone
  • Start date Start date
stratotone

stratotone

Active member
found one at the local GC, so I gave it a spin through a V30 loaded marshall cab.

I messed with it for about 20 minutes... loved how it would save the info for channels. Very easy to dial stuff in, even though it's frightening at first with the number of knobs.

I've owned old Marshalls (had a late 60s 100 watt when I was a kid and dumped it for a channel switching amp, kill me now) a silver jubilee 50 watt, every JCM 800 head (2203, 2204, 2205, 2210) voodoo modded 2203, a 4100 JCM900 high gain reverb, etc. Marshall is on the right track with this amp, I don't think it's 'every marshall in a box' as some people think, but it's a good sounding amp. The thing had TONS of gain with pretty good hiss levels. If you were looking for a bedroom amp where you could just get sustain at will, here it is. The amp was so freaking easy to play it was unbelievable. Anyone who thinks the JVM is hard to play hasn't encountered a VHT.

However... there were several things that bugged me. The mode switches would stick - it would go from green to red, you'd have to dick around with it to make it switch to orange. ALL of the switches did this. I gave the knobs a little pull and they wormed back and forth as mentioned in other threads. I could probably give the amp an angry look and make half the knobs shear off. I know that people are seeing this amp as a bargain, but a bargain to me would include at least average build quality. If things like this are so glaring when the amp is new, I don't want to find out the other compromises that were made.

I really was let down a little - it's a nice amp, don't get me wrong, but all the hyperbole on the amp made me think that it's the best thing on the planet. I dig my Randall RM setup right now quite a bit more, and I haven't really scratched the surface on it yet.

Glad you guys like it, but right now, it's not for me.
 
:jedi: :hang: :murder: :banhim:

I will say that the amp is not built like my old Sabre or even my MK IV, hell my Olaf pre half done is built way better, but for what I am I do not mind the knobs if that what it took to keep the price to $1600. It just has too many options and tones for me to use that as an excuse not to buy.

YOu should revisit that amp at Jeff's house and put it through some songs, I bet OD1 orange for rhythms and hit OD1 red with the 2nd master goosed a tad for your solos would fit you pretty harn good and yeah OD1 red and up is very easy to play.

Your handy with a soldering iron, just replace all 28 knobs :D
 
:|::QBB:
Digital Jams":98fed said:
YOu should revisit that amp at Jeff's house and put it through some songs, I bet OD1 orange for rhythms and hit OD1 red with the 2nd master
Click to expand...
Assuming it will switch to red. :D :eeks: :stumped:






:banhim:



:D
 
I just need something I can take to a gig and not worry about... and the JVM wouldn't be it. If I had a studio or was just a bedroom player, or could leave it at a rehearsal space, the JVM might make more sense. I just got my randall RT50/2 power amp, and my RM4 should be here early next week. I'm becoming a total egnater/randallite. :)
 
I have played the JVM on 5 different occasions now (granted, not in my environment)....first time I was kinda impressed, but the knobs bothered me and I thought it was a bit bright/harsh in general.

After that it went downhill...I can see how some folks would really like it, but for the $$, there are quite a few amps I would take in its place. ;)
 
For what it's worth, my JVM has been lugged around quite a bit with no case from rehearsal to gig to studio and I have had zero probs. My switches have never gotten stuck and my knobs are alive and well. :thumbsup:
 
As you guys already know, I love the JVM! I can get that fucker to scream like a bitch and It just works for me. That said, Im not stupid and
I know that not everyone is going to dig it and that's TOTALLY cool.
FWIW, Even though you can rock the knobs back and forth, I don't see the amp having any issues at a gig or many gigs unless you smack the fucker up against something. Hell that would also cause damage to my Mesa MKIV. So far, Thump has gigged with the amp multiple times as well as skyhigh and killertone and so did my friend Bert. No problems at all.

As far as the Mode switches sticking , I would be lying if I hadn't experianced this for myself on another JVM amp. I think that is a product of mass production. In The one I'm talking about ,the holes werent punched all the way and they didn't totally line up with the switches and caused the button to stick. You could easily fix this but you shouldn't have to. (so I understand what pete is saying)

In all reality, I still think it is a great amp for the money. yes, there are some things that could have been done with the build quality to ease peoples minds but that would also raise the price of the amp. To my knowledge there is no other amp with these features that you can buy for that price. As I have said before, You guys would probably hate me if I told you the price I could get one for ;)
 
What would you guys think of the JVM if it went for $1249 new instead of $1649(ish)? :dunno:
 
:|::QBB:
stratotone":db310 said:
I'm the last man on earth to play a JVM
Click to expand...


Nope I havent got to play one yet.....but my local GC sucks ass. And I HATE going in there.
 
Make that "third-to-last". I haven't played one, either. I'm a little afraid to. I really will get my ass kicked the next time an amp shows up in this house unannounced :gethim:
 
:|::QBB:
Everlone":6a5b7 said:
What would you guys think of the JVM if it went for $1249 new instead of $1649(ish)? :dunno:
Click to expand...

I would still say I'm going to sell / return mine and wait until they're available cheap on the used market. As much as it was a painless deal at the time and it has made it's current owner giggle orgasmically - selling my Cameron was a CLASS A FUCKUP... that was done though knowing I can likely just get another head and send it to Mark, I knew his own amps will eventually be out, and I had some bills to pay...either way you slice it, the JVM AINT no Cameron....but the Cameron will do 1/3 of what the JCM will and thats manually changing evrything. I think the JVM is great amp, just not for me at this moment. I need a clean channel,and I need a dirty channel. Period. My Aiken Intruder dialed in to clean tones is about as good as it gets in the EL34 realm. I'm just going to get an Elmwood Modena or a Cornford or a something and go back to running two heads. I do really dig the VM 425 cab though - that is a keeper.

Steve E
 
:|::QBB:
* velcro-fly *":14c23 said:
:|::QBB:

I would still say I'm going to sell / return mine and wait until they're available cheap on the used market. As much as it was a painless deal at the time and it has made it's current owner giggle orgasmically - selling my Cameron was a CLASS A FUCKUP... that was done though knowing I can likely just get another head and send it to Mark, I knew his own amps will eventually be out, and I had some bills to pay...either way you slice it, the JVM AINT no Cameron....but the Cameron will do 1/3 of what the JCM will and thats manually changing evrything. I think the JVM is great amp, just not for me at this moment. I need a clean channel,and I need a dirty channel. Period. My Aiken Intruder dialed in to clean tones is about as good as it gets in the EL34 realm. I'm just going to get an Elmwood Modena or a Cornford or a something and go back to running two heads. I do really dig the VM 425 cab though - that is a keeper.

Steve E
Click to expand...

Ouch! The regret of parting with a Cameron must hurt bad. I've played your ex and it rocks. It sounds similar to the Jose I got from Mark Y. I'd bet that you could squeeze 2/3 of the sounds of the JVM out of the Cameron...and you wouldn't miss the other 1/3. Sorry, man, that was really cruel of me! :D
 
:|::QBB:
Everlone":092ee said:
What would you guys think of the JVM if it went for $1249 new instead of $1649(ish)? :dunno:
Click to expand...

I think I would have had Cubase4 already with the extra $400 I would have saved :D
 
I have absolutely no problems with the knobs as they are. Personally, I haven't had any problems with the buttons sticking, but it would certainly concern me if it happened even once to mine.

The only thing that really pisses me off about mine is it does not take well to my wireless. It squeals like a stuck pig and that concerns me enough to not use the amp for my next show. I can buy a new wireless to try out, but why bother when my current one works perfectly and add no extra noise while playing with my EXTREMELY quiet Voodoo/DSL?!?!
 
:|::QBB:
PeteLaramee":f358b said:
I have absolutely no problems with the knobs as they are. Personally, I haven't had any problems with the buttons sticking, but it would certainly concern me if it happened even once to mine.

The only thing that really pisses me off about mine is it does not take well to my wireless. It squeals like a stuck pig and that concerns me enough to not use the amp for my next show. I can buy a new wireless to try out, but why bother when my current one works perfectly and add no extra noise while playing with my EXTREMELY quiet Voodoo/DSL?!?!
Click to expand...

I think the input is EXTREMELY sensitive. I never had any noise issues with my pedal board into my old Marshalls, Splawn, Mesas, or Bogner, but with it plugged into the JVM (No pedals on, just going through it) it sounded like a harrier taking off in the orange or modes of all the channels) I changed power supplies and it dropped about 80% of the noise.
 
:|::QBB:
argonaut4":fe76a said:
:|::QBB:

Ouch! The regret of parting with a Cameron must hurt bad. I've played your ex and it rocks. It sounds similar to the Jose I got from Mark Y. I'd bet that you could squeeze 2/3 of the sounds of the JVM out of the Cameron...and you wouldn't miss the other 1/3. Sorry, man, that was really cruel of me! :D
Click to expand...

Even funnier, I played that Jose before Mark or you had it. It was actually the first Cameron I had ever seen. Guy that got it is a friend of J Dubs and mine, we heckled him about waiting for 6 months for the amp ("It's shipping next week...") So it shows up and Tim basically couldn't figure out the right combo of bright / gain switches and turned it into a squealing pig :lol: Jason and I were chuckling, yeah great amp :confused: So Tim sent it off to Mark about 48 hours after he got it. Imagine the look on Tim's face when we showed up with ours and knew how to set them up, poor guy :lol:

Steve E
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top