2203kk modding?

[sg guy]

i have had this amp for a couple years now,..and to be honest,..i love it!!,..i have sold my entire stable of marshalls (besides one jcm800 reissue i am looking to trade for a dsl) because the 2203kk covers all my needs!!,..i didnt want to like this amp,..but the more i played it..them when i paired it with an ARACOM attentuator,...i love it,..i have had alot of different marshalls,..both stock and heavily modded,...but i'm more than happy with this as is!~

BUT!!

if i could change one little thing about it,..it would be the harsh-mess ya get when pushing!!..vague i know,..but maybe someone else has one and maybe they know what i am talking about,..(definate amp thing,...not speaker thing)

-i have never seen? or heard of one of these modded,..i know there still new,..but i would be very curious what some of the skilled amp modders that visit this forum wouldnt mind chimming in with some thoughts on the 2203kk and it's potiental,...


i think this is a very under appreciated amp!!,..thou as a former (in recovering) marshall snob,..i wanna point out all of things that make it oh-so-not-marshall

 

[glpg80]

edited - had false information. see post below

 

[Tawlks]

there is a distortion solid state section in the front of the amplifier that is digital. it is not an amplifier that was made to be used like a traditional marshall with boost pedals, however if you modify it to get rid of the distortion solid state section you will loose alot of gain/compression and will have to compensate for it analog wise elsewhere in the amplifier.

i would say send it off or leave it if you like the tone.

Good advice. Seems strange to me that they'd add that componant to the KK. :S

Also, I hear the DSL and the KK are quite similar in terms of wiring and componants, I'd reccomend modding a DSL rather than the KK in light of what Glp80 said, also, I've heard great things about DSL modding.

 

[EXPcustom]

Isnt there a built in noise gate in that model amp?

 

[sg guy]

there is a distortion solid state section in the front of the amplifier that is digital. it is not an amplifier that was made to be used like a traditional marshall with boost pedals, however if you modify it to get rid of the distortion solid state section you will loose alot of gain/compression and will have to compensate for it analog wise elsewhere in the amplifier.

i would say send it off or leave it if you like the tone.

LOVE THE AMP!!...have no desire to remove the mxr graphic eq that is mocked into these beasts!,..like i mentioned,..my one any only complaint is certain mush at high volumes(that i am very well happy to put up with),.....what i would really like to hear is from some of modders who had a chance to tweak on one,...and to get some of there feedback

 

[sg guy]

Isnt there a built in noise gate in that model amp?

yup!,..and a good one too!

 

[Spaceboy]

Tell me about this amp. Someone told me it was basically a JCM 800 with more gain and KT88s, but this talk of digital preamp components doesn't sound too hot.

 

[glpg80]

its like a distortion section/noise gate from what i know. just giving recommendations - could be wrong or right. just saying from the schematics i have seen - they do not show the digital portion after the first gain stage just pinouts to lead to the board and pin-in's that return to continue the signal chain - the digital portion could be a noise gate (with a limited headroom - reason you have issues with boosting), a distortion section ala krank's dimebag model for added compression/distortion, both, or neither.

just food for thought. not a cut and dry amplifier like a JCM800 in the preamp section

FWIW the amplifier is very well designed elsewhere. very common linear designs in aftermarket amplifiers of the power supply. its bone solid, and i dont doubt the people who say they love it are not lying - it looks like it would be solid.

 

[Shask]

there is a distortion solid state section in the front of the amplifier that is digital. it is not an amplifier that was made to be used like a traditional marshall with boost pedals, however if you modify it to get rid of the distortion solid state section you will loose alot of gain/compression and will have to compensate for it analog wise elsewhere in the amplifier.

i would say send it off or leave it if you like the tone.

Good advice. Seems strange to me that they'd add that componant to the KK. :S

Also, I hear the DSL and the KK are quite similar in terms of wiring and componants, I'd reccomend modding a DSL rather than the KK in light of what Glp80 said, also, I've heard great things about DSL modding.

I dont know where he got digital. I dont think it is digital.

KK used a Boss EQ in front of his 800's for years, and that is basically what is built into the KK800. Its like a fixed EQ pedal and a noise gate. That should all be analog.

 

[glpg80]

there is a distortion solid state section in the front of the amplifier that is digital. it is not an amplifier that was made to be used like a traditional marshall with boost pedals, however if you modify it to get rid of the distortion solid state section you will loose alot of gain/compression and will have to compensate for it analog wise elsewhere in the amplifier.

i would say send it off or leave it if you like the tone.

Good advice. Seems strange to me that they'd add that componant to the KK. :S

Also, I hear the DSL and the KK are quite similar in terms of wiring and componants, I'd reccomend modding a DSL rather than the KK in light of what Glp80 said, also, I've heard great things about DSL modding.

I dont know where he got digital. I dont think it is digital.

KK used a Boss EQ in front of his 800's for years, and that is basically what is built into the KK800. Its like a fixed EQ pedal and a noise gate. That should all be analog.

you are right, its not digital at all. after posting i went back through the depths of the internet to find out what was being inserted after the first gain stage. i found the other half which is not SS distortion, its simply a potentiometer wired as a variable resistor to adjust the grid leak resistor. ill have to study it more to understand the frequencies being involved as far as operating as a noise gate, but i believe if you want to change this cause/effect of using a boost pedal i dont believe its worth the hastle if you like the shunting/introducing of frequencies in the front of the amplifier.

the DSL is not as off the wall as the KK is, and Mike Fortin was nice enough to post a few modifications he engineered to get them sounding a little better.

i have not studied the KK section anymore than 5 minutes or so, so i dont have any rock solid recommendations at all other than if you change one thing here it will effect the purpose of the circuit.

 

[sg guy]

i havent looked at the schematics,..but as far as i understand the eq & noise gate can be completely taken out of the circiut with the beast button,..and your left with a stock jcm800,.......i dont,..and dont see any reason to add any type of overdrive pedal to this amp,..there is literaly more than enough gain on tap,...it sounds pretty close to the 2 modded jcm800's i have had,...it's not quite as smooth as the one with the added preamp tube,...but the kk sounds more on the edge than either of the modded marshalls,...like i mentioned i am very well prepaired to play this thing as is and be more than happy with it,..it's that good (for me and my tastes any ways),..i was just wondering if any of the kk's have made it across some of the modders benches yet,...and what there thoughts on them are,...thanx to all who have joined in

 

[Mailman1971]

I had a Very high gain FJA modded JCM 800 the same time I had the 2203KK....
they sounded damn near identical!

 

[sg guy]

Tell me about this amp. Someone told me it was basically a JCM 800 with more gain and KT88s, but this talk of digital preamp components doesn't sound too hot.

theres a dedicated jcm800 section with a "beast" button to turn on the EQ & NOISE GATE,...and both the eq and noise gate are controlled with there own seperate knob to ramp them in or out,...i dont beilieve theres anything digital inside the kk,...if ya get the chance to try one,...check it out,...i think you'll be pleased!,..the only things i have done to mine is bias it(slightly hot),..add a quad of kt88 gold lions (the best 88's i have ever tried),...i have done some preamp swapping to get rid of the marshall branded tubes that were in there,...i believe i kept the preamp tube values the same,...

like i mentioned before i run it through an ARACOM attentuator,...and a 8x12 cab with 4 celestion greenbacks,..and 2 scumback M75's
and 2 scumback H75's,...i have tried running it with out the attentuator and a different cab,...but at very high volumes the notes get mushy,..so i usually play just below this level,...it is my one and only complaint,...and i am knit picking at best with this issue,...

 

[sg guy]

I had a Very high gain FJA modded JCM 800 the same time I had the 2203KK....
they sounded damn near identical!

mailman,..i rember very well when you had the kk,..based on your reviews, it's the reason i went out and tried one!!,..at first i wasnt to happy with it (it was plugged into a marshall cab with 75's in it),...i drug over a evh3 cab and plugged it into that,...bought it on the spot!

 

[Mailman1971]

If I ever came across another one would I buy it??
In a minute!

So yes....I think its a great amp....super hot rodded Marshall tone...
lacks a little low end...but I would like to hear it with my new set up...

wish it had an effects loop in it though...

 

[sg guy]

glpg80,..thanx for actually digging out the schematics and taking a look!,..i have a copy of the schematics i printed off kicking around here some where,..

the only oh so small...almost not even worth mentioning thing i would change about the kk is the mush that happens at pretty high volumes,..(master volume just past 8,..preamp maxxed,..and it dosent matter what value any of the other knobs are at)

my interest in a DSL is i need an amp to keep at my girlfriends house,..i have a jcm800 re issue that i would like to trade for a DSL with a couple speakers (dont need a cab,..) i had a DSL for years,...loved it!,..to me the DSL needs nothing but a guitar,cord and a cab with some sort of greenback type speaker and your set to go,..i wasnt planning on modding the DSL,..thou you have picked my interest!!,..might have to stroll over to u tube and check out some clips!


again,..thanx for taking the time to respond

 

[JerryP]

The beast switch does remove the added EQ and gate which are in front of any gain stages and leaves you with the standard 2203 preamp circuit with KT88's. The amp has no choke and much stiffer power supply filtering. It should be pretty straight forward to tighten the amp up.
Jerry

 

[rottingcorpse]

i have had mine maxed out, but it was running though an isp sub (bass on the amp turned down) and a single marshall cab. it sounds awesome, and it is one of two heads i would rescue if the house was on fire.

i have not run it balls-out in a stack format. but it didn't flab out running it though the isp in a half stack format.

the beast and noise gate functions are kick ass!! 2 years of nothing but happiness.

 

[sg guy]

The beast switch does remove the added EQ and gate which are in front of any gain stages and leaves you with the standard 2203 preamp circuit with KT88's. The amp has no choke and much stiffer power supply filtering. It should be pretty straight forward to tighten the amp up.
Jerry

thanx jerry!

so what would your thoughts be on tightening up the bottom end at high volumes/more note definition,...are ya thinking choke?

also would doing something like putting in sozos...or other old school electronics make it more musical like an old 73 jmp,..but still have all the gain i have and love!

 

[sg guy]

i have had mine maxed out, but it was running though an isp sub (bass on the amp turned down) and a single marshall cab. it sounds awesome, and it is one of two heads i would rescue if the house was on fire.

i have not run it balls-out in a stack format. but it didn't flab out running it though the isp in a half stack format.

the beast and noise gate functions are kick ass!! 2 years of nothing but happiness.

i totaly agree!!....i am enjoying that these things are still under the radar because a may pick up another around christmas time,...is yours completely stock??..tubes and all??,...mine came with a bad power tube (the heater),....the biggest improvement i made with mine was the gold lions,..and the bias,...sounds mean as hell!