Tone chasers ---did you ever notice you probably have everything you need...

[Meeotch]

JCM800.
Boost of your choice.
JB style humbucker.

Everything else is useless bullshit.

ymmv

I have to ask because I've never actually owned a JCM800 and I see this posted often...is this true for brutal AF metal? I do own an 800 Synergy module and don't find that it takes boosts all that well. At least not for getting into metal territory that is tight, percussive, and saturated. I've also read of people buying the 2203x and struggling to get metal tones with a boost. This has been the main reason I haven't bought a 2203X. Not sure I want to deal with buying a vintage 2203/2204 and dealing with an old amp that may or may not be stock.

 

[Arch Stanton]

I have to ask because I've never actually owned a JCM800 and I see this posted often...is this true for brutal AF metal? I do own an 800 Synergy module and don't find that it takes boosts all that well. At least not for getting into metal territory that is tight, percussive, and saturated. I've also read of people buying the 2203x and struggling to get metal tones with a boost. This has been the main reason I haven't bought a 2203X. Not sure I want to deal with buying a vintage 2203/2204 and dealing with an old amp that may or may not be stock.

I don't play brutal AF metal, so I really couldn't say.

I play VH, Nuno type stuff - that's about as brutal as I get.

Mine is a "homebrew" JCM800 circuit I built inside the chassis of an old 1989 Laney 100W

 

[midnightlaundry]

You don't know what's good until you try it. Except I never had the money to try everything like some of you amp whores..

 

[glpg80]

I have to ask because I've never actually owned a JCM800 and I see this posted often...is this true for brutal AF metal? I do own an 800 Synergy module and don't find that it takes boosts all that well. At least not for getting into metal territory that is tight, percussive, and saturated. I've also read of people buying the 2203x and struggling to get metal tones with a boost. This has been the main reason I haven't bought a 2203X. Not sure I want to deal with buying a vintage 2203/2204 and dealing with an old amp that may or may not be stock.

You won’t get brutal with a boost in a stock amp. What you’re looking for you’ll need an amp built and dedicated for that type of gain. On the cheap I recommend a Laney gh100TI. On the expensive and rare side a 90’s Bogner XTC blue channel boosted. The only reason I’d buy a 2203x is to mod the piss out of it. The ONLY reason I have a 74 completely gutted and modded was because I bought it with capacitors exploded and corrosion all over everything and wanted a covid project to bring back to life and then mod since it already had holes drilled.

 

[psychodave]

I consider all of the buying and selling as a learning experience. I’ve had a lot of fun over the years buying and trying new stuff. These days I’ve slowed down a lot. One reason is I HATE to box and ship stuff. So I’ll pass on lots of stuff if I think I may not like it and have to ship it.

 

[Meeotch]

You won’t get brutal with a boost in a stock amp. What you’re looking for you’ll need an amp built and dedicated for that type of gain. On the cheap I recommend a Laney gh100TI. On the expensive and rare side a 90’s Bogner XTC blue channel boosted. The only reason I’d buy a 2203x is to mod the piss out of it. The ONLY reason I have a 74 completely gutted and modded was because I bought it with capacitors exploded and corrosion all over everything and wanted a covid project to bring back to life and then mod since it already had holes drilled.

Thanks, that's why I was asking. I'm not saying that brutal and saturated tones are required to play metal, but sometimes the situation calls for it. Maybe people should be careful recommending a boosted 800 for everything then?

 

[DanTravis62]

Yes.

A nice humbucker guitar, a 4x12, and my Larry will basically do everything I need.

 

[PurityS.L.G]

Once I hit over a hundred pedals, yeah, I realized it became more of my hobby addiction than needing what I really need

 

[RaceU4her]

JCM800, 5150 and triple rec with a fat sugar, ts9 and sd1 with a mesa standard and 1960a is all I would need in the least amount of gear

 

[Clp45]

I’d agree that you could play almost all music with an 800. From personal experience I wished I never sold my brother my 81 2204 it was a great sounding amp. Def with a boost or eq you could mold it to whatever you wanted. I still say that for the heavies most 80’s thrash was done with a 800 and a boost. The best part is they never got buried playing live or rehearsal with a band.

 

[watson503]

I’d agree that you could play almost all music with an 800. From personal experience I wished I never sold my brother my 81 2204 it was a great sounding amp. Def with a boost or eq you could mold it to whatever you wanted. I still say that for the heavies most 80’s thrash was done with a 800 and a boost. The best part is they never got buried playing live or rehearsal with a band.

Yep, Hell Awaits and Reign In Blood come to mind immediately - that's what Kerry and Jeff were using and most of the thrash dudes were using back then.

 

[Clp45]

Yep, Hell Awaits and Reign In Blood come to mind immediately - that's what Kerry and Jeff were using

And through Anthrax in as well with Among the living and state of euphoria. Guitar wise is another example. Even currently Gary Holt is using a (even though not officially a 800 in the same linage) a boosted silver jubilee reissue.

 

[boltzthrower]

I have to ask because I've never actually owned a JCM800 and I see this posted often...is this true for brutal AF metal? I do own an 800 Synergy module and don't find that it takes boosts all that well. At least not for getting into metal territory that is tight, percussive, and saturated. I've also read of people buying the 2203x and struggling to get metal tones with a boost. This has been the main reason I haven't bought a 2203X. Not sure I want to deal with buying a vintage 2203/2204 and dealing with an old amp that may or may not be stock

I have a JCM-800 preamp clone (not Synergy but a Russian one) and all’s you need is a TS in front and it’s absolutely brutal AF. I’m using an 81-7.

 

[Racerxrated]

JCM800.
Boost of your choice.
JB style humbucker.

Everything else is useless bullshit.

ymmv

A step further would be a 70s NMV Marshall….1-2 boosts of choice, SuperStrat or LP…couple vintage Marshall cabs(so you don’t fry the first one)….
Done.

 

[Racerxrated]

Thanks, that's why I was asking. I'm not saying that brutal and saturated tones are required to play metal, but sometimes the situation calls for it. Maybe people should be careful recommending a boosted 800 for everything then?

I would disagree a bit and say that double boosting an 800 can probably get you there…just need a good noise gate.
Unless the amount of gain is unlike anything I’ve heard before…..

 

[Racerxrated]

I’d agree that you could play almost all music with an 800. From personal experience I wished I never sold my brother my 81 2204 it was a great sounding amp. Def with a boost or eq you could mold it to whatever you wanted. I still say that for the heavies most 80’s thrash was done with a 800 and a boost. The best part is they never got buried playing live or rehearsal with a band.

Some of those 800 tones came from 2210s boosted; they have a lot more gain than the ‘normal’ 800 2203.

 

[Old Guitar Player]

It all starts with a decent sounding Marshall.
The rest is up to you...

 

[braintheory]

I would disagree a bit and say that double boosting an 800 can probably get you there…just need a good noise gate.
Unless the amount of gain is unlike anything I’ve heard before…..

That would be more than enough gain for sure, but I still don’t think the voicing itself just is an ideal choice for modern metal. Imo something harder sounding with a denser quality bottom end works better (boosts don’t fix that imo)

 

[M@tt C]

I'm loving the "Fair Warning" from him.

Just put one in my EVH Wolfgang Special- KILLER pickup!

 

[Kyrpajyra]

I've been off work and going through every piece of gear I have . I can't imagine the amount of money I've spent over 40 years thinking and buying the next best thing out there. Well --- out of 20 plus guitars there's about 10 that sound great and I've had 8 them forever . Same with the amps . I have a few recent purchases but the 6 knob Marshall beauties trump them all so that's what I'm playing ---For now . I've unloaded a bunch of stuff with no regrets .

I decided if I practice more my gear will sound better LOL !!

Not sure how long with state of mind with last but I'm taking alot of GASX !!!!!

Yes, but we're retarded and delusional so can't stop the GASing.