Incoming Marshall 2203X...

[Red_Label]

After many years of fiddling around in the boutique world (Bogner, VHT, Engl, Elmwood, H&K, etc)... I've made a deal on a mint 2203X and am excited to see what this beast is all about! I grew-up and learned to play in the 80s when the JCM800 was THE sound of rock, so I'm looking forward to assaulting my ears with this (drinking from a fire hose!). Tired of complex, multi-channel amps that try to do everything and just want a simple beast with few knobs and all tone. Right now I plan to use my OCD to hit the front end, and put some delay and verb in the loop. Last year I plugged-into a 2203X at a local shop and played it at low volume and was blown-away by how HUGE it sounded compared to the amps I had at the time. I dismissed it though, because they had full retail price on it, and that's just stoopid for a reissue, one channel, six knob amp.

Anyways... Marshall hasn't been too high on my amp radar in many years -- but that's about to change!

 

[ZTN]

If you played a 2203 at a shop at low volumes and was blown away, I think you should probably keep spare underwear whilst playing it loud...

 

[Jofipe]

this was my way "back" into Marshall also.. allot of complex crap, then finally to return where i started. MARSHALL

 

[Badronald]

Loved mine. Miss it.

Hit it with an SD-1. Perfect, classic Marshall tone.

Likely get another some day.

Congrats.

 

[fek]

Those heads really seem to like the trusty SD1 or TS type pedals. Great amps.

 

[Red_Label]

Those heads really seem to like the trusty SD1 or TS type pedals. Great amps.

Got a buddy who's got my old modded TS9. He's going to bring it back to me in the next few days. I sold it to him when I got the OCD, because the Fulltone sounded more dynamic and articulate into the XTC Classic that I had at the time. But I'm curious to see which one's going to work better into the 2203. I'd also like to try the SD-1 that everyone's been talking about into it eventually as well. I've always heard that pedal is great into Marshalls. Have never had one though.

 

[Red_Label]

If you played a 2203 at a shop at low volumes and was blown away, I think you should probably keep spare underwear whilst playing it loud...

That's what I keep hearing. That's why I call it "drinking from a fire hose"!

 

[aw9190]

You can use both the OCD & TS9 at the same time

It works incredibly well for low volume playing, i got the idea from another member Shiny Surface and have been doing it ever since

 

[Red_Label]

this was my way "back" into Marshall also.. allot of complex crap, then finally to return where i started. MARSHALL

Yup. I've got a handwired Straub 6L6 Bassman style amp with one channel and six knobs for clean work (and it sounds VERY plexi-ish with a Plexitone in the front). But I'm ready to "ride the bull" and see what all the hooplah is about the mighty 800.

 

[Red_Label]

You can use both the OCD & TS9 at the same time

It works incredibly well for low volume playing, i got the idea from another member Shiny Surface and have been doing it ever since

Nice! How do you run them? When I used to run the TS9, it was always volume high, tone middle-ish, and gain low. Same goes for how I run the OCD. Tends to pump up the signal too much on a clean amp. But will probably add some nice saturation for an amp in OD. Having said that, I'm a huge fan of big, chunky, clear, articulate plexi style tones. So I don't plan on spending a lot of time in high-gain territory on this thing. Have grown to love responsiveness, but not at the expense of clarity. Have little use for compressed, high-gain tones any more. The Engl Powerball II that I so loved for the new-rock band I was in last year (bought a 7-string for that gig as well) is completely the opposite direction from what I want to be now. I really liked that amp for that gig. But it couldn't be further from where I'm at now. I want to do everything from early-Ozzy (with Rhandy), to Dokken, to Gary Moore/Joe Bonamassa, to Damon Johnson (Brother Cane, Slave to the System, Alice Cooper, and now Thin Lizzy), to Candlebox/AIC type stuff with this head.

 

[aw9190]

You can use both the OCD & TS9 at the same time

It works incredibly well for low volume playing, i got the idea from another member Shiny Surface and have been doing it ever since

Nice! How do you run them? When I used to run the TS9, it was always volume high, tone middle-ish, and gain low. Same goes for how I run the OCD. Tends to pump up the signal too much on a clean amp. But will probably add some nice saturation for an amp in OD. Having said that, I'm a huge fan of big, chunky, clear, articulate plexi style tones. So I don't plan on spending a lot of time in high-gain territory on this thing. Have grown to love responsiveness, but not at the expense of clarity. Have little use for compressed, high-gain tones any more. The Engl Powerball II that I so loved for the new-rock band I was in last year (bought a 7-string for that gig as well) is completely the opposite direction from what I want to be now. I really liked that amp for that gig. But it couldn't be further from where I'm at now. I want to do everything from early-Ozzy (with Rhandy), to Dokken, to Gary Moore/Joe Bonamassa, to Damon Johnson (Brother Cane, Slave to the System, Alice Cooper, and now Thin Lizzy), to Candlebox/AIC type stuff with this head.

Set the gain on the amp roughly between 5-7 (out of ten), Tubescreamer vol all the way up tone 1 o clockish & gain between 1/4 way up and 1/2 way up. The OCD on LP mode has gain off tone roughly at 2 o clock and the volume is just past 12 o clock. I run the tubescreamer into the OCD. This will nail any type of 80's thing you are after. When you are able to really get the amp to some serious volume you could probably do a way with either the OCD or TS.

For a while i just could not get along with the OCD it made the bottom end murky, but using it this way it really adds a nice girth. i feel that when you engage the ocd it really starts to make the speaker cone move. Its cool check it out when you get your head worst case scenario it wont work for you

 

[ZTN]

If you played a 2203 at a shop at low volumes and was blown away, I think you should probably keep spare underwear whilst playing it loud...

That's what I keep hearing. That's why I call it "drinking from a fire hose"!

I always found them to be pretty brittle at lower volumes. I used to use a THD hotplate with my old JMP but it just didn't sound that great to me. Turning it up was pure bliss though. There's rarely an occasion I could do it without annoying people

Got myself a Orange Tiny Terror a long time ago but really want to try one of these mini Marshall heads. Don't think it would be the same though because of the valve types and just moving air with that thing was sexy

 

[Red_Label]

If you played a 2203 at a shop at low volumes and was blown away, I think you should probably keep spare underwear whilst playing it loud...

That's what I keep hearing. That's why I call it "drinking from a fire hose"!

I always found them to be pretty brittle at lower volumes. I used to use a THD hotplate with my old JMP but it just didn't sound that great to me. Turning it up was pure bliss though. There's rarely an occasion I could do it without annoying people

Got myself a Orange Tiny Terror a long time ago but really want to try one of these mini Marshall heads. Don't think it would be the same though because of the valve types and just moving air with that thing was sexy

I tried the 800 1-watter when it first came-out and just wasn't impressed. I've had several lunchboxes, as well as 5-watt combos. They get plenty loud. But there's NO bottom-end. Even my current Egnater Rebel 20 is plenty loud through my 4X12, but doesn't have any grunt or thump. I like to be hit in the face with a battering ram and know that there is just brute power turning in essence the entire room into a speaker cab. Those little amps don't move enough air for that. I want to feel "tingles up my leg" when I plug-in and play!

 

[Red_Label]

[

Set the gain on the amp roughly between 5-7 (out of ten), Tubescreamer vol all the way up tone 1 o clockish & gain between 1/4 way up and 1/2 way up. The OCD on LP mode has gain off tone roughly at 2 o clock and the volume is just past 12 o clock. I run the tubescreamer into the OCD. This will nail any type of 80's thing you are after. When you are able to really get the amp to some serious volume you could probably do a way with either the OCD or TS.

For a while i just could not get along with the OCD it made the bottom end murky, but using it this way it really adds a nice girth. i feel that when you engage the ocd it really starts to make the speaker cone move. Its cool check it out when you get your head worst case scenario it wont work for you

Good to know. Will try your settings when I get the amp.

 

[cardinal]

Congrats. I've had a few multichannel amps that people say can get the JCM 800 type tones. Then I got my hands on a JCM 2204. Great amp. So thick and big sounding. Even without much gain, it just sounds huge and meaty. Other amps are in the ballpark, but the real deal is worth it to have.

I have an SD-1 and a fancy TS. The amp loves them both. They do different things (SD-1 is the sound of '80s metal, the TS I have lets more low end through and is flatter in the mids for a more modern molten metal sound).

Have fun and crank it up. I happen to think that mine sounds pretty good at lower volumes, too. But up loud it's crunch nirvana.

 

[SLOgriff]

You'll be back to copying us "TEXAS" guys using Bogner's again soon enough!

 

[Red_Label]

You'll be back to copying us "TEXAS" guys using Bogner's again soon enough!

Ya think?

I'm never sure whether you're back in Bogner is King mode, or Soldano is King mode. I've used plenty of Bogners and now what they're about. but still need to try an SLO to find what the hubub's about with that amp.

 

[SLOgriff]

You'll be back to copying us "TEXAS" guys using Bogner's again soon enough!

Ya think?

I'm never sure whether you're back in Bogner is King mode, or Soldano is King mode. I've used plenty of Bogners and now what they're about. but still need to try an SLO to find what the hubub's about with that amp.

SLO is great, but you can't eat Filet Mignon every night. I'm a meat "n" taders guy and my Ecstasy and Uberschalls are really satisfying these days. Seriously though, I've been playing Bogner since 1995 they just feel like home to me and make me play more. I fight a lot with the SLO's...swaping tubes etc.

Hope you enjoy the 2203, they are LOUD!!

 

[Rev]

After owning a number of JCM 800's from the 80's and then playing the reissue, I actually prefer the reissue. I preferred the tonal range and the effects loop is a plus. Now I'm gassing for one!

 

[joepete77]

After owning a number of JCM 800's from the 80's and then playing the reissue, I actually prefer the reissue. I preferred the tonal range and the effects loop is a plus. Now I'm gassing for one!

It's weird u say that cause I thought same thing. The ri seemed to break up easier/ earlier then many of the stock older ones.