My '79 JMP Friedman KS was one of the best tone machines Ive had.... as stated.. not as polished and tame as the production Friedmans, but fixed some of the short comings of stock Marshalls... be it nice added loop, better tone stack, etc... but still had that Marshall kerrang and bite. It was fun to play and sounded killer. That being said... $2600 I might bite(ive seen this amp in my searches).... $3000... I would probably grab a BE50 deluxe and have the versatility, newer build and customer support Dave is known for. but... $400 or $1000 difference... it's in the eye, ears and hands of the beholder. YMMV.. Cheers
i wouldn’t grab a BE50 deluxe. They cycle the used market quite often and arguably don’t sound as good as his JCM800 mods. I’d personally keep the JCM800 as it also retains value more than a run of the mill production amp.
Yeah but that JCM 800 is one sound, better hope the mod works out with the actual amp.
I think part of it is the NFB, part of it is snubber(s), and part of it is the iron. Also, if the amp doesn't have a Depth control it often has a "fixed depth" circuit that tends to increase lows and low mids, which makes the amp seem darker.
Because, his preference is the type of mod that sounds more like the finished recording than the raw open tone of a typical Marshall. Smooth, dark and polished vs say a Wizard which is open, raw and aggressive. Every amp in his line has that same thing going on...that is, until the Deluxe came out...since then they all have the ability to get more raw and Marshall-like.
Maybe he’s just going by what his ear likes. Some guys have very low tolerances for too much highs or brightness (not me). Some find Marshall’s too brash or abrasive (again not me all), so maybe he was trying to make it “better” for him. Also, the early Marshall’s (like the 1967 ones and earlier that I’ve played) are darker sounding amps that don’t really do that kerrang thing or toothiness that guys stereotype Marshall’s to do. Maybe that’s what he was more inspired to go after rather than the later ones that got way brighter. Who knows
I think he is going by what his ears like. I dig some of the Friedmans, and some darker amps that have that smoother top end, cause they don't cause ear fatigue like a stock marshall does, and they don't have that unmusical irritating sizzle that seems seperate from the actual tone. I fuckin hate that piercing treble that some Marshall's have. Maybe that's why I'm a Mesa guy?? The midrange is where I want to hear the aggression.
Each to their own i guess. I've listened too many records to have that kerrang when it comes to Marshalls.
They all have a similar eq structure but most of Dave’s stuff is very smooth and polished like a recorded tone that doesn’t reflect the rawness of a Marshall in person.