Old People: How did you feel about the JCM800 at the time of its release?

[67mike]

Interesting. So was the 800 not as popular at the time as folklore would have you believe? I remember hearing far more about rack gear than Marshall amps at the time, but I was a kid who couldn't afford either.

Not sure where some of these folks lived???!?

Basically ever single bar band and major act ( with exception of Pink Floyd) that I saw in the mid to late 80s played Marshall amps...jmp or jcm or plexi.

They are the fucking sound of the 80s. Period. Yes they got into the faggoty rack effects, but, still majority used Marshall amps.

Edit.....Lynch with Dokken in 1985....I believe he was using Marshall? Not 100% on that...could have been a SLO?

 

[SonVolt]

 

[67mike]

My buddy bought a brand new JCM-800 1/2 stack in 82. Was a beast of major porportion.
To look down inside that head and see all that glass gave me a boner.
Early 800's came with either RFT or old Tesla's or whatever Marshall had at the time.
I bought an 82 800 2203 head with original glass that had RFT's.

Think my 2204 came with mullards. Still have those original el34s in the amp. Sounds simply incredible.

 

[rstites]

Edit.....Lynch with Dokken in 1985....I believe he was using Marshall? Not 100% on that...could have been a SLO?

I thought Lynch was using Randall's at that time, or was he just endorsing them? (I think those were tube amps, not the later ss ones that are also famous.)

I feel like that's a bit early for the SLO too. It's Lynch Mob era.

 

[jabps]

I thought Lynch was using Randall's at that time, or was he just endorsing them? (I think those were tube amps, not the later ss ones that are also famous.)

I feel like that's a bit early for the SLO too. It's Lynch Mob era.

GL used the Randalls on Tooth, pretty much everything else Dokken is a Marshall of some sort. SLO didn't hit until '87.

 

[67mike]

I was just blown away by George Lynch's playing......honestly didn't care what he was playing through...just fuckin ripping heads off!

 

[rallyfingers]

Beside the "JCM" cosmetic change that happened in early 80's - most of my guitar player buddies kind of where familiar with the 2203 (master) & 1959 (non-master) models already, the 2203 was already around since '75-'76. The 2203 didn't solve the issue of getting a good sound at a low volume level (master had to be past noon before it sounded good - not thin & buzzy). So for a while it was putting a blanket over your cab (or turning it around) & slamming the front end with a Lpb-2. Scholz came out with the "Power Soak" attenuator & volume got more manageable. What I can remember is the JCM 2203 got a bit of the too thin sounding wrap associated with it (like '81-'82) & most people where using 1959's with Power Soaks.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

I first heard one in 1981, the year they were introduced IIRC. Our guitar player bought one and it blew our minds. Everyone in the band loved the sounds that came out of that amp. It had its own thing goin' on. Killer amp.

 

[VonBonfire]

Around that time I got a Mint ‘78 2203 for $500 and a Plexi reissue (a ‘93) for $400. I

I had the same year Plexi RI, a 100 watt 1993. I saved all summer for that amp brand new, $950. i got it and was like "where is teh Jimi gain?" LOL. Gigged it for years. Reliable like a stone. Killer build quality. I traded it in a deal for a Twin Reverb at a FL shop in '15 and the dude gave me a grand for it towards a 1200 dollar '69 Twin that I use now. I was pretty happy about getting more for a used amp on trade in than I paid. So yeah, I have owned like four real legit amps in my whole life, haha.

 

[67mike]

The 2203 didn't solve the issue of getting a good sound at a low volume level (master had to be past noon before it sounded good - not thin & buzzy).

My 1983 2203 is slightly modded for gain and tone......so maybe the stock ones are different, because ain't no one going to call mine thin at any volume.

My 2204 is 100% stock right down to the tubes (except v1). It sounds best with mv on 4.....BUT......it still is not thin as soon as you hit 1.5 on mv it is sounding good.....2 and it is fricken loud but great...4 and it's blow your head off but spectacular......lol

 

[Racerxrated]

My 1983 2203 is slightly modded for gain and tone......so maybe the stock ones are different, because ain't no one going to call mine thin at any volume.

My 2204 is 100% stock right down to the tubes (except v1). It sounds best with mv on 4.....BUT......it still is not thin as soon as you hit 1.5 on mv it is sounding good.....2 and it is fricken loud but great...4 and it's blow your head off but spectacular......lol

Man, I've had SOOO many Marshalls at this point that I'd like to think I've got a good take on them. This 'thin' tone thing is stupid at best. Why?
EVERY FRIGGIN AMP SOUNDS THIN at lower volumes. Or, not at their best UNTIL you turn up to say, 1-2. Mesas/Diezel/Bogner/SLO/Wizards it doesn't matter. THEY ALL SOUND BETTER LOUD. Duh.

A JCM 800, whether it's a 2203/4 or 2205/10 will sound better on 2 than 0.5 on the master. Same with EVERY OTHER AMP KNOWN TO MAN.
Sorry. Rant over.

 

[mooncobra]

Well, this old guy had a 1981 JCM 800 50w that was played for 3 years plus 5 sets per night, 5 nights per week. Never let me down. I stupidly sold it for my offshore pharmaceutical habit in 1984...sheesh.

Offshore pharmaceutical habit in 84 is super advanced. Hats off to you sir. If there was a joke in there, it flew right over my head.

 

[Smash]

Man, I've had SOOO many Marshalls at this point that I'd like to think I've got a good take on them. This 'thin' tone thing is stupid at best. Why?
EVERY FRIGGIN AMP SOUNDS THIN at lower volumes. Or, not at their best UNTIL you turn up to say, 1-2. Mesas/Diezel/Bogner/SLO/Wizards it doesn't matter. THEY ALL SOUND BETTER LOUD. Duh.

A JCM 800, whether it's a 2203/4 or 2205/10 will sound better on 2 than 0.5 on the master. Same with EVERY OTHER AMP KNOWN TO MAN.
Sorry. Rant over.

Like your rant and agree. Tube amps were made for volume. For me, it just needs enough to get the power tubes cookin'

Honestly, i sometimes fuck myself adjusting eq at lower volumes searching for the fullness that you have to play at volume to get. But it is majestic when you have it

 

[jharpersj]

I hated them, thin and bright and buzzy to my ears at that time. I also did not realize 1-pedals into this amp work great and make a huge difference and 2-get the master past 7 on a marshall and thats the magic.

 

[rstites]

Man, I've had SOOO many Marshalls at this point that I'd like to think I've got a good take on them. This 'thin' tone thing is stupid at best. Why?
EVERY FRIGGIN AMP SOUNDS THIN at lower volumes. Or, not at their best UNTIL you turn up to say, 1-2. Mesas/Diezel/Bogner/SLO/Wizards it doesn't matter. THEY ALL SOUND BETTER LOUD. Duh.

A JCM 800, whether it's a 2203/4 or 2205/10 will sound better on 2 than 0.5 on the master. Same with EVERY OTHER AMP KNOWN TO MAN.
Sorry. Rant over.

Yep. The 2203 is thin at low volume, but it sure as hell doesn't need to be cranked way up to get great sound. It'll get there by ~3 on the master which is about as low as you can run one with live drums. I'd run the pre up around 7 on mine. Boost the hell out of the front end. Take the boost off, roll back guitar volume and get a very passable live clean. They're very responsive amps, so can get a lot of sounds out of basic settings.

 

[Dave L]

I would argue the 2203/2204 needs to be turned up more than most of the later, higher gain MV amps that get more of their sound from the preamp and less from the PI, but yes, all tube amps sound better LOUD.

I used Riveras for years and years, and they all needed to hit precisely 3,5 on the masters before waking up - they have a well-earned reputation for being a bad design for low volume use in comparison to many similar amps but a great sound for loud use. Just like the 2203/2204, horses for courses.

 

[Racerxrated]

The only amp IMO that is REALLY good at low vol is a Naylor. Which has a rep for the best master vol in the business. I've never noticed a difference though, in ANY amp other than the 2 Naylors I owned, in low vol playing. They all respond the same whether it's a Marshall or a Mesa or anything in between.

 

[SonVolt]

Mesa Marks sound basically the same at mouse fart volumes.

 

[SQUAREHEAD]

Well in 1982 we all liked them but nobody could afford them.
There was one Marshall dealer in town and we all went there to drool which we all do now from home with computers.
Later in 82' i bought a 1979' JMP 2204 from the same guy for $375.

It makes me sick to think of all the early ‘70’s Superleads in beautiful stock condition I bought for $3-400 …
Sold most of ‘em, thinking I was a big shot for making a couple hundred profit

It scares me to think of how many I let go, back in those days, for peanuts.

 

[jabps]

I would argue the 2203/2204 needs to be turned up more than most of the later, higher gain MV amps that get more of their sound from the preamp and less from the PI, but yes, all tube amps sound better LOUD.

I used Riveras for years and years, and they all needed to hit precisely 3,5 on the masters before waking up - they have a well-earned reputation for being a bad design for low volume use in comparison to many similar amps but a great sound for loud use. Just like the 2203/2204, horses for courses.

Absolutely.

The 2203/2204 whether JMP's or JCM's have to move some volume and none are thin at that point. They were just your typical master volume design of the time where it needed to move some air, at low volumes yeah they were thin. Same with the 5150's, at low volumes they are thin and buzzy, crank 'em a bit and they open up. To bad Peavey didn't fix that with the reissue 6505 1992 Reissue.

Most of today's master volume designs are fantastic, good tones at low volumes. My JVM sounds the same at low levels as it does the louder you crank.