RaceU4her
Well-known member
15 minutes into this fucking video and I haven’t heard the thing yet
RaceU4her
Well-known member
FourT6and2
Well-known member
Clips are up on Marshall's website. The two amps sound decent. But as I thought, the 1959 Modified is just diode clipping with zeners and transistors (with a softening resistor to help, well... soften... the clipping sound a bit). Switchable bright cap, and master volume. Turret board though. But for the price they're asking, the Jose mod they're using isn't worth $1500 difference from a regular 1959HW. Any tech can install this stuff for less than that.
The 800 modified has a mid shift, cathode resistor/cap switch (I think), and a tight switch (resistor). And it looks like it might be PCB built.
The 800 modified has a mid shift, cathode resistor/cap switch (I think), and a tight switch (resistor). And it looks like it might be PCB built.
PurityS.L.G
Well-known member
I'm glad they are finally doing this but yeah...I'm more than happy with my Ceriatone KK and see no reason to even acquire one of these. I'll wait to try one at GC when the dust settles
skoora
Well-known member
You’re only saying that because that’s how much your amp is gonna cost.
skoora
Well-known member
The pricing is a complete joke and I would much rather use any one of my boost pedals on a regular 800 or plexi than pay out the ass for this crap.
Chubbs
Well-known member
They both sound fine, but boy that 1959 is lazy. $1000+ for some diodes on a switch and a master volume is retarded.
Marshall seems to have a phobia of putting 4 preamp tubes in the 2203/1959. Put it on a switch and give the people what they want.
Marshall seems to have a phobia of putting 4 preamp tubes in the 2203/1959. Put it on a switch and give the people what they want.
ZEN Amps
Well-known member
I can't deny there's no truth in this....You’re only saying that because that’s how much your amp is gonna cost.
Greazygeo
Well-known member
A couple of the pedals sound good.
RedPlated
Well-known member
Thing is, this modded Marshall appears to be extremely basic in contrast to amps done by 3rd parties. 3 option switches and a master isn't really a mod. Those are more "tweaks" more than anything. That's nowhere near $1k worth of mods. Maybe I'm wrong and the mod is more extensive, I'm interested to see what all it encompasses. Maybe there are extensive circuit changes, you never know.
I'm not knocking the Marshall and if that's what someone wants, I'm totally cool with that. Let's just put into perspective the differences in what you get for the money, the quality of the components, layout configuration, grounding schemes, the one-on-one customer support, the ability to customize each amp to your preferences, etc, etc....
I actually like the Vietnam transformers in the 1959's. They sound fantastic and have 480vdc on the plates. So no issues there. The 2203x is not as on par with the vintage transformers as the 1959, in my opinion. So you have that factor as well. OG Dagnalls or modern foreign parts, for people who care.
Bottom line, I think it's good to have new products like this come to market. It's better than no innovation at all. And I have no concerns that anyone modding amps will lose demand over them. If anything, there will probably be more amps to mod once guys get these and want added features like a NFB/ depth control, tighter bass response, FX loops etc...
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psychodave
Well-known member
I have a Metro clone 2204. I paid $700 for it right before Covid hit (it even has a metro effects loop).I have the itch to start modding it. When all is said and done, I’ll have less than $750 into it and it will sound better than these Marshalls.
Kapo_Polenton
Well-known member
Exactly.. very lazy with the least amount of effort/parts. I also don't like the modded look with the black border around the label for the switch to make it look "modded". Jose of some type was the play WITH an added tube / half tube gain stage. Reso mod, plus the other switches they have put in. I think it is a good direction to take though after the SV20 line which is more affordable but these should also have been more affordable as well. Maybe MOD 01 is first in line and MOD 02 might be added tube and Caswell/Levi mods. Who knows.
Hiwatts-n-Gibsons
New member
As long as the old in and out rule is followed, then technically he is not adding more amps so no harm, no foul.
thegame
Well-known member
Judging from the official Marshall JCM800 demo, this amp sounds like it’s been modded for LESS gain wtf? I hear this dry, sputtering clean attack weak signal horseshit seeping into the sound.
skoora
Well-known member
1K minimum….C’mon, that is complete nonsense. Less than 50 dollars in parts (especially Marshall buying wholesale or bulk) and how much labor? 1 hour? Who know’s how fast Marshall has it down on their line to drill the toggle holes and add the parts. Even a dude in their garage if they’re repeating the same thing would get very fast. Who is shipping an amp internationally to a premium modder for this basic work? No one.
I worked with an amp guy here in Atlanta on my ‘75 50 watter and not only did we spend two long sessions choosing coupling caps and other minor tweaks while I played, he pulled the board and redid all the solder connections (needed it) and also reworked the grounding scheme. Ran me about $500.
GreatRedDragon
Well-known member
A $50 SD-1 is probably a better investment.
skoora
Well-known member
Correction….a Griffin Chiron
SBlue
Well-known member
That's really cool that you got to see them live. I've seen them live three times, four if you count when they play for the American Idiot at the Kimmel concert, and they broadcasted Boulevard of broken dreams from that concert. First time I've seen them live I was still in Brazil, and it was during the Nimrod tour, I believe. They have always been an incredible great live band. I never denied that. I also don't care at all if a band I like talk politics, left or right. My disappointment with Green Day is that they didn't make a single good album after American Idiot, still, they keep throwing tantrums more often then ever. It almost look like they are trying to get peoples attention with their tantrums to compensate for the lack of good new material.
Again, it's not about their political view, it's about a cry for attention to disguise a lack of great new material.
And that's pathetic, because everything they released up to American Idiot was pretty much perfect.
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FourT6and2
Well-known member
Looking at a photo of the entire circuit of this 1959 Modified amp, I can see the following:
V1a plate: 220K
V1b plate: 220K
Zener diodes wired for symmetric clipping (sounds like 20v)
Transistors wired as zeners for more clamping option
Bright cap on a switch
Pre-tone stack MV
That's it.
For a $1500 premium on top of the regular 1959HW, that's pretty freakin' ridiculous. I couldn't see the additional coupling cap required to make the diode clipping mod work. But maybe it's hidden under the small perf. board they're using for the "mod". Not to mention they left out all the other things that a hot-rodded Marshall typically has like cathode bypass caps, tweaked cathode resistor values, NFB changes, depth, etc.
For $1500 I can take a 1959HW (or clone) and mod it to be the best diode clipping amp you've ever heard. Or install another tube to give you 4 gain stages. Or 5 gain stages. And add whatever other tweaks you want: mid shift, tone stack shift, NFB options, Depth/Resonance, Thump, bright caps, feel/tight options, etc. Marshall is smoking crack.
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RedPlated
Well-known member
Great photos. And, yeah....wow, that's SUPER basic. Not even any shielded cable in there. Just plain old wire.
220k's on first two stages is interesting. I almost never like anything higher than 100k on v1b. Just sounds undefined to me otherwise. Plus, they have an 820 ohm/ .68uF cathode for treble channel. More gain but again, that's going to lose clarity and definition. Not the values I'd use personally.
I see they're still putting the NFB on the speaker jack. So you'll have a 47k on 16ohm tap if using a 16 ohm cab. Tons of NFB.
I'd love to do these mods for a grand!
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