How come nobody talks about the JVM series?

[glpg80]

I don't think I've ever seen one rub against the chassis, but I've seen a bunch where that gray ribbon cable overheated/deformed/caught on fire

All of mine had the front grill see through modded for better heat management and airflow for outdoor summer gigs. Wonder if it was an overheating issue?

I never not once had a single cable problem. I didn’t even know that was an issue until hopping onto the forums. Makes total sense but I wonder if the fires were due to broken wires in the ribbon causing arcing and fire/shorting? That’s why the rubbing is an issue - can mechanically weaken the thin ribbon wire.

 

[DanTravis62]

All of mine had the front grill see through modded for better heat management and airflow for outdoor summer gigs. Wonder if it was an overheating issue?

I never not once had a single cable problem. I didn’t even know that was an issue until hopping onto the forums. Makes total sense but I wonder if the fires were due to broken wires in the ribbon causing arcing and fire/shorting? That’s why the rubbing is an issue - can mechanically weaken the thin ribbon wire.

Yeah it does make sense. It's just odd because ive never noticed it rubbing when i opened one up.

That could be because by the time I had them on my bench, the evidence was burned away though

 

[VESmedic]

Man I have never ever had a problem with any 5150/6505 I’ve owned over the years. Sure any amp can have issues I guess but for me the 5150 was never one of them. I still contend any “mod” people do to these amps, especially that garbage “bias mod” ( that does what it does to any high gain Modern amplifier: makes it shitty, midrangey, soft and looser)makes these amps sound undeniably worse to me. Never once have I heard a “modded” 5150 beat out a stock one to me. I’m all for changing my mind on that, but it hasn’t happened in over 25 years for me since owning my first one.

 

[glpg80]

Man I have never ever had a problem with any 5150/6505 I’ve owned over the years. Sure any amp can have issues I guess but for me the 5150 was never one of them. I still contend any “mod” people do to these amps, especially that garbage “bias mod” ( that does what it does to any high gain Modern amplifier: makes it shitty, midrangey, soft and looser)makes these amps sound undeniably worse to me. Never once have I heard a “modded” 5150 beat out a stock one to me. I’m all for changing my mind on that, but it hasn’t happened in over 25 years for me since owning my first one.

James Lugo who is a highly talented studio professional decided he wanted to put his stock 5150 II against mine at his amp fest in 2010. Not only did mine absolutely destroy it, but people were asking if I did mods for others and he sold his right after that ampfest. Mines a lot more than just typical bias/iron/choke.

Stock ones don’t hold a candle once you’ve fixed and tuned one up. They’re worth keeping around stock or fixed up but I cut my teeth on 5150’s and know all about their tonal shortcomings. Glad to bring you to the dark side with cookies.

 

[Techdeth]

They just won’t open up and roar like other great Marshalls

 

[angelspade]

I'll chime in real quick here...the Peavey 5150 II was my main gigging amp for a long time. I rode that amp hard and never had any issues ever. In my experience speaking with many touring musicians, the peavey 5150 series is generally considered to be very reliable.

 

[VESmedic]

James Lugo who is a highly talented studio professional decided he wanted to put his stock 5150 II against mine at his amp fest in 2010. Not only did mine absolutely destroy it, but people were asking if I did mods for others and he sold his right after that ampfest. Mines a lot more than just typical bias/iron/choke.

Stock ones don’t hold a candle once you’ve fixed and tuned one up. They’re worth keeping around stock or fixed up but I cut my teeth on 5150’s and know all about their tonal shortcomings. Glad to bring you to the dark side with cookies.

I knew James pretty well when I lived in Nashville. Even still, his style of tones are not at all what i would go for in the modern metal realm which is what most people who own a 5150 are using them for. He gets great tones for the 80s stuff though no doubt.

 

[VESmedic]

I'd really like to hear what you can do with it, as we seem to have pretty similar tastes and process as far as micing amps up



I am with GLP on this, but honestly most of the shitty parts on 5150s annoy me because of reliability; not tone. I can work around most of its tonal idiosyncrasies, I can't work around a gray ribbon belt that's on fire

I mean I can dial it in on my axe 3, I hate to use that as a reference but it’s all I have right at the moment for a JVM. For what it’s worth to me the JVM is definitely one of the most accurate models in the axe. They all are 95-98 percent there maybe higher in my opinion, but the JVM always struck me as really nailing it, in the feel too.

 

[DanTravis62]

I mean I can dial it in on my axe 3, I hate to use that as a reference but it’s all I have right at the moment for a JVM. For what it’s worth to me the JVM is definitely one of the most accurate models in the axe. They all are 95-98 percent there maybe higher in my opinion, but the JVM always struck me as really nailing it, in the feel too.

I trust your axefx model of it more than I trust most youtube videos that's for sure

With all modelers the feel is really hit or miss, even more so than the sound

 

[stratjacket]

I know this kinda turned into a 5150 conversation but back on OP, I picked up a used JVM 205H about 6 years ago and still enjoy it. With the Mythos Mjolnir (klon clone) in front it has a great depth to it, almost 3D sounding.

Haven't played it in a while though, but do try to spread the love to all my amps as much as possible and I'm sure I'll circle back to it soon.

 

[kmanick]

I had a 210H head for a while a few years back, it sounded too processed for my liking so I had a really good local amp tech (who has vanished ) do these mods for me $80.00 total

#1 Lower gain on OD1 -Gain Reduction Mod
100k metal film resistor across R128
or a 500k No load pot piggy backed across R128

negative Feedback Mod
Replace R58 with a 47k resistor or
replace R58 with a 33k resistor wired in series with a 1m log pot. -- this what I did

Plexi Mod
1Uf capacitor in parallel with R97

OD2 to OD1 mod
Change R44 from 47k to 33k
- Change C31 from 1n5 to 1n0 (.001 ufd)
- Change C32 from 1n0 to 3n3 (.0033 ufd)
after these mods the amp sounded much more open, I was playing it at a rehearsal and a guy in the next room heard it and loved it and made me an offer I couldn't refuse so I sold it to him on the spot.
I enjoy my Splawn much more

 

[VESmedic]

Quite honestly they don’t get talked about much but, many of the newest megadeth records of the last 10-15 years is a JVM For the most part and Dave’s tones are fantastic on those records to me, again for the most part. Just sounds like a well
Polished modern thick thrash tone, sounds great to me.

 

[Orvillain]

What kind of stuff do you guys wanna hear from the Satch JVM ??

The differences with the Satch version:
- No shit built in reverb. Noise gates instead. They're actually really good!
- Clean channel was inherited/inspired by the 6100 amp, and isn't the same clean channel as the regular JVM.
- OD1 and OD2 are the same topology in the amp, whereas on the the regular they're not. If you want to match the regular JVM, I believe enabling the mid cut switch will give you that - with the switch is OD1, without the switch is OD2.
- The gain pot is more usable on the crunch and OD channels. The regular gets very gainy very quickly.

I think that is pretty much the salient stuff.

 

[jabps]

I mean I haven’t been on forums in a minute but these amps aren’t ever even brought up?
WTH has Marshall been up to amp wise other than RI the jubilee? I owned a couple of jvm410 and a 210. Imo the 210 was a better amp. My only hate was the wobbling knobs

I talk about mine all the time. I think I'm the resident JVM fanboy.

The knobs were fixed when they changed the build a few year after release. I have an original release year and a later model, original release has been my main amp since they were released. Never an issue with any of the one's I have owned. Even run K77's in my backup, very nice.

Had modded ones, had the Satch model (very disappointing for me) and I prefer the straight up stock 410 head. Would love to see the amp updated with noise gates, serial loop and maybe some IR's but as a guy who grew up on old Marshalls, went through most everything through the book over the last 30 years I love the JVM.

Like any amp, not for everyone but they have been for me. I buy new amps now for fun, certainly not to replace it. Just don't see that happening.

 

[MatrixClaw]

The JVM is one of the few amps I feel like I was wrong about on first try. When they came out, I tried one and thought it sounded "synthetic" like others have said. Then I played one again last year and was pleasantly surprised. They sound badass and I really don't know why they've continued to have a bad rap, while the DSLs haven't. The DSL is an okay amp if you can find it cheap, but as their prices have gone up over the last few years into JVM territory, I don't even know why you'd remotely consider one over the JVM.

Man I have never ever had a problem with any 5150/6505 I’ve owned over the years. Sure any amp can have issues I guess but for me the 5150 was never one of them. I still contend any “mod” people do to these amps, especially that garbage “bias mod” ( that does what it does to any high gain Modern amplifier: makes it shitty, midrangey, soft and looser)makes these amps sound undeniably worse to me. Never once have I heard a “modded” 5150 beat out a stock one to me. I’m all for changing my mind on that, but it hasn’t happened in over 25 years for me since owning my first one.

I've owned 15 or so 5150s over the years. Several of them modded, many stock, some with just the bias mod. None of the heavily modded ones were even close to as good sounding as the stock amp IMO. That said, I do really like the bias mod and prefer to make the power amp a little warmer than stock, as it thickens up the low-end.

 

[romanianreaper]

Anyone remember when the JVM came out and everyone on HC was saying how it destroyed JMPs and JCM800's and people were scrambing to pre-order?

I remember that. Might have been around my Madison Divinity phase.....

 

[JMP2203]

can anyone here with a jvm try this simple mod for a shorter/punchier signal path? you need just a cable, does it work?

 

[CarlF]

My JVM410H broke within a year. Get all new tubes. It wasn't a tube issue.
Garbage pickup is every Monday, so I imagine it's in a landfill somewhere. IMO, it wasn't worth the headache of trying to find a tech and dump more $$ into it.
The time I had it, I spent more time turning knobs, searching for tones that weren't there.

The Clean (green) was cool as a pedal platform, although, on that channel, the tone controls are "before" the preamp, ala Fender. I didn't buy a Marshall for Fender sounds that were anemic compared to an actual Fender amp. I found orange and red modes usesless.

The Crunch channel had no gain. Again, anemic.
I only really liked OD 1 (orange) you could basically live on that channel if you set it up right.
OD 2, with it's altered midrange blew.

With any Gain knob past noon, you start losing the ability to turn your guitar's volume down for cleanup.

This amp needs to be revamped, IMO. I would NEVER buy another though. Marshall can shove their garbage up their collectives asses.

 

[MetalHeart]

Got my eye on a JVM410h and a 1987X or JCM800 reissue. Cant make up my mind.
Any suggestions? been driving myself crazy for the last couple weeks.

I'm all over the place in music but looking for something to do old school ACDC ,Led ,old school Def Leppard.
But ok if it can do modern stuff too. Just stuck and leaning towards the 1987X

 

[romanianreaper]

I definitely appreciated that it gave me a modern high gain sound that maintained the Marshall-y character, kudos for that, but it sounded way too synthetic, like hearing a recording in person in much the same way I got with most Engl’s

You nailed what i was going to say about the JVM. It sounds like a recorded Marshall or smooth, ideal Marshall tone. It doesn't have enough of that raw, pushed tone. I'm sure it just has more gain than Marshall owners are used to.