Anyone run an old Marshall like this?

[Ventura]

It's just too opportune a moment to NOT have this in here:

 

[Shawn Lutz]

I never tried that. I do slam the front end with a SD-1. On my 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's the sweet spot was between 5-7 on the master volume and 6-8 on pre-amp, so loud it kills kittens a mile away. I don't gig anymore and I doubt you can play that loud on the club circuit these days. For me during the mid to late 80's volume wars it was not uncommon having a few 2203/04's and a few 4x12's in a small venue. Everything was excessive back then and a lot of fun. Clubs rarely told you to turn down but if you weren't the main act for the night the headliner band would try to dictate your volume and # of cabs so you wouldn't show them up I miss those days when you not only had to be a tight band you had to put on a show and blow peoples eardrums...

 

[killertone]

Yeah I haven't tried it yet. I have a '77 2203. I doubt I could get the preamp above 2 doing it like this.

Used a '77 2203 for a long time as my main rig. Back then I used a Sexdrive to boost it and that's it. Never ran it past 4 though...it was unbelievably loud.

 

[Schaf]

I never tried that. I do slam the front end with a SD-1. On my 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's the sweet spot was between 5-7 on the master volume and 6-8 on pre-amp, so loud it kills kittens a mile away. I don't gig anymore and I doubt you can play that loud on the club circuit these days. For me during the mid to late 80's volume wars it was not uncommon having a few 2203/04's and a few 4x12's in a small venue. Everything was excessive back then and a lot of fun. Clubs rarely told you to turn down but if you weren't the main act for the night the headliner band would try to dictate your volume and # of cabs so you wouldn't show them up I miss those days when you not only had to be a tight band you had to put on a show and blow peoples eardrums...

No way you could even hear a loud drummer if I had my 2204 cranked like this. Anything past 2 on the MV is just deadly.

 

[jerrydyer]

everyone who has one of these MV should definately try this in some or another. it doesnt have to be extreme one way or the other. you can get a lot of tones and different levels of real power tube drive this way... try 2/3 way up master and preamp gain as volume, half master and preamp as volume etc etc. get them el34's working better. they like it like that .

 

[Shawn Lutz]

I never tried that. I do slam the front end with a SD-1. On my 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's the sweet spot was between 5-7 on the master volume and 6-8 on pre-amp, so loud it kills kittens a mile away. I don't gig anymore and I doubt you can play that loud on the club circuit these days. For me during the mid to late 80's volume wars it was not uncommon having a few 2203/04's and a few 4x12's in a small venue. Everything was excessive back then and a lot of fun. Clubs rarely told you to turn down but if you weren't the main act for the night the headliner band would try to dictate your volume and # of cabs so you wouldn't show them up I miss those days when you not only had to be a tight band you had to put on a show and blow peoples eardrums...

No way you could even hear a loud drummer if I had my 2204 cranked like this. Anything past 2 on the MV is just deadly.

sure you could, mic'd and only thing I had in my monitors was a mix of bass and drums.

Even w/o being mic's and in the monitors if you can't hear your drummer with the MV on 2 with a 2204 you really need different drummer

 

[stefvorcide]

Anybody ever tried to dim their marshall W/D/W with a mesa strategy ... or a sick (in a good way) setup like that???

 

[ibenhad]

77 fifty watt vert input, 76 fifty watt 4 holer ( PPIMV installed ) and 8X JCM 800 and is there any other way to use them than dimed?

 

[Shawn Lutz]

some Marshall goodness right there ibenhad.....

 

[carlygtr]

On those early MV Marshalls, 1975-1979 I had one setting. Preamp dimed, Master Volume wherever I needed it. A Jap Boss DS-1 for distortion.

 

[Schaf]

I never tried that. I do slam the front end with a SD-1. On my 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's the sweet spot was between 5-7 on the master volume and 6-8 on pre-amp, so loud it kills kittens a mile away. I don't gig anymore and I doubt you can play that loud on the club circuit these days. For me during the mid to late 80's volume wars it was not uncommon having a few 2203/04's and a few 4x12's in a small venue. Everything was excessive back then and a lot of fun. Clubs rarely told you to turn down but if you weren't the main act for the night the headliner band would try to dictate your volume and # of cabs so you wouldn't show them up I miss those days when you not only had to be a tight band you had to put on a show and blow peoples eardrums...

No way you could even hear a loud drummer if I had my 2204 cranked like this. Anything past 2 on the MV is just deadly.

sure you could, mic'd and only thing I had in my monitors was a mix of bass and drums.

Even w/o being mic's and in the monitors if you can't hear your drummer with the MV on 2 with a 2204 you really need different drummer

Riiiight

 

[Shawn Lutz]

I never tried that. I do slam the front end with a SD-1. On my 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's the sweet spot was between 5-7 on the master volume and 6-8 on pre-amp, so loud it kills kittens a mile away. I don't gig anymore and I doubt you can play that loud on the club circuit these days. For me during the mid to late 80's volume wars it was not uncommon having a few 2203/04's and a few 4x12's in a small venue. Everything was excessive back then and a lot of fun. Clubs rarely told you to turn down but if you weren't the main act for the night the headliner band would try to dictate your volume and # of cabs so you wouldn't show them up I miss those days when you not only had to be a tight band you had to put on a show and blow peoples eardrums...

No way you could even hear a loud drummer if I had my 2204 cranked like this. Anything past 2 on the MV is just deadly.

sure you could, mic'd and only thing I had in my monitors was a mix of bass and drums.

Even w/o being mic's and in the monitors if you can't hear your drummer with the MV on 2 with a 2204 you really need different drummer

Riiiight

right...

 

[rupe]

I never tried that. I do slam the front end with a SD-1. On my 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's the sweet spot was between 5-7 on the master volume and 6-8 on pre-amp, so loud it kills kittens a mile away. I don't gig anymore and I doubt you can play that loud on the club circuit these days. For me during the mid to late 80's volume wars it was not uncommon having a few 2203/04's and a few 4x12's in a small venue. Everything was excessive back then and a lot of fun. Clubs rarely told you to turn down but if you weren't the main act for the night the headliner band would try to dictate your volume and # of cabs so you wouldn't show them up I miss those days when you not only had to be a tight band you had to put on a show and blow peoples eardrums...

No way you could even hear a loud drummer if I had my 2204 cranked like this. Anything past 2 on the MV is just deadly.

sure you could, mic'd and only thing I had in my monitors was a mix of bass and drums.

Even w/o being mic's and in the monitors if you can't hear your drummer with the MV on 2 with a 2204 you really need different drummer

Riiiight

right...

Seriously, wtf kind of pussy drummers do you play with that you can't hear them when you're past 2 on your mv? Or do you play with your head up against your speakers? I play regularly with a dimed 50 watter (only about 3db difference) and can hear the drums just fine...and my hearing sucks (probably from diming amps).

 

[Schaf]

I never tried that. I do slam the front end with a SD-1. On my 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's the sweet spot was between 5-7 on the master volume and 6-8 on pre-amp, so loud it kills kittens a mile away. I don't gig anymore and I doubt you can play that loud on the club circuit these days. For me during the mid to late 80's volume wars it was not uncommon having a few 2203/04's and a few 4x12's in a small venue. Everything was excessive back then and a lot of fun. Clubs rarely told you to turn down but if you weren't the main act for the night the headliner band would try to dictate your volume and # of cabs so you wouldn't show them up I miss those days when you not only had to be a tight band you had to put on a show and blow peoples eardrums...

No way you could even hear a loud drummer if I had my 2204 cranked like this. Anything past 2 on the MV is just deadly.

sure you could, mic'd and only thing I had in my monitors was a mix of bass and drums.

Even w/o being mic's and in the monitors if you can't hear your drummer with the MV on 2 with a 2204 you really need different drummer

Riiiight

right...

Seriously, wtf kind of pussy drummers do you play with that you can't hear them when you're past 2 on your mv? Or do you play with your head up against your speakers? I play regularly with a dimed 50 watter (only about 3db difference) and can hear the drums just fine...and my hearing sucks (probably from diming amps).

Dude, it's fucking stupid loud at 2. Like practically ear bleeding As a matter of fact, as you turn it up it really doesn't get that much louder than it is at 2 on MV with the preamp dimed. There not a bar around that would let you play even close to that loud. You're welcome to come check it out, but I've played a few and they were the same. Fucking stupid loud.

 

[rupe]

I never tried that. I do slam the front end with a SD-1. On my 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's the sweet spot was between 5-7 on the master volume and 6-8 on pre-amp, so loud it kills kittens a mile away. I don't gig anymore and I doubt you can play that loud on the club circuit these days. For me during the mid to late 80's volume wars it was not uncommon having a few 2203/04's and a few 4x12's in a small venue. Everything was excessive back then and a lot of fun. Clubs rarely told you to turn down but if you weren't the main act for the night the headliner band would try to dictate your volume and # of cabs so you wouldn't show them up I miss those days when you not only had to be a tight band you had to put on a show and blow peoples eardrums...

No way you could even hear a loud drummer if I had my 2204 cranked like this. Anything past 2 on the MV is just deadly.

sure you could, mic'd and only thing I had in my monitors was a mix of bass and drums.

Even w/o being mic's and in the monitors if you can't hear your drummer with the MV on 2 with a 2204 you really need different drummer

Riiiight

right...

Seriously, wtf kind of pussy drummers do you play with that you can't hear them when you're past 2 on your mv? Or do you play with your head up against your speakers? I play regularly with a dimed 50 watter (only about 3db difference) and can hear the drums just fine...and my hearing sucks (probably from diming amps).

What kind of 50 watt are you talking? I've played 50 wat amps that are not even on the same level of loudness as my Marshall. Seriously, have you ever played a 2204 with a stock master volume? After 2 they don't get too much louder just fuller. And, that will rip your face off. And, I'm not sure why you would want to subject the people in the bar to something like that. Maybe there's something wrong with mine but it is extremely loud at 2 with the preamp dimed. And even from 5 to 7 on the preamp and with the master at 5 is ungodly loud. There's not a bar in Illinois that will let you play that loud. Maybe if you have a jose or some other kind of MV but not the stock one. I've been playing in bars for over 30 years and with some loud drummers.

I used to do it regularly with a 1987 reissue but I've had a bunch of 2203s and 2204s and did the same thing with those occassionally (typically outdoor gigs with the 2203). Yeah, it was probably too loud but its how I got my tone and I was young/stubborn enough to not care about the soundguy (or the people in front). I know what you mean about the volume not increasing much after 2...my 1959RR is like that.
These days I dime a Chieftain and an Express together (or a Marsha on about 5 master and 7 gain) but I use plexiglass panels...they make a huge difference. I can use an attenuator if I have to but for the most part I don't like them.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

For me on 2203's with 6550's there is a decent difference from 2-6 but very little amplitude difference from 6-7 to dimed. As I said 5-7 was the sweet spot for me. I've always played with drummers who pound the skins hard and in the 80's the phrase too loud didn't exist I'm surprised I actually have hearing left. I also worked on the ramp at Detroit Metro while in college and didnt use ear protection while loading planes.

 

[mchn13]

For me on 2203's with 6550's there is a decent difference from 2-6 but very little amplitude difference from 6-7 to dimed. As I said 5-7 was the sweet spot for me. I've always played with drummers who pound the skins hard and in the 80's the phrase too loud didn't exist I'm surprised I actually have hearing left. I also worked on the ramp at Detroit Metro while in college and didnt use ear protection while loading planes.

Jesus and mary jo jo man. In my early forties now, and my marshalls are still painful loud at about 3 on the master. Thinking about getting some baffles to pit in fro t of them at shows before the mic and the cab so i can crank them to that at a club

 

[fek]

To the volume concerns - Yes, it is pant leg flapping loud in a small room once you get the volume over 1.5. For live use I either turned the cab around or across the stage to reduce the kill zone out front. At home rehearsals I kept the volume at 1 or under.

The tone benefit was drastic when running the amp this way. IMHO.

 

[JTyson]

I cant run 'em dimed anymore without an attenuator I love loud high gain as much as anyone, but my ears just cant take that kind of sheer foundation-cracking volume anymore, as they are already paying a price for the decisions of my earlier years. The modded plexi sweet spot seems to be around 3-5 into an SE100, anymore than that in my W/D/W setup is too much of a handful to keep control of in the room we play in Normally its around 3 into the SE100
A roaring, pissed off Marshall is a thing of great beauty, no doubt about it

 

[Schaf]

I never tried that. I do slam the front end with a SD-1. On my 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's the sweet spot was between 5-7 on the master volume and 6-8 on pre-amp, so loud it kills kittens a mile away. I don't gig anymore and I doubt you can play that loud on the club circuit these days. For me during the mid to late 80's volume wars it was not uncommon having a few 2203/04's and a few 4x12's in a small venue. Everything was excessive back then and a lot of fun. Clubs rarely told you to turn down but if you weren't the main act for the night the headliner band would try to dictate your volume and # of cabs so you wouldn't show them up I miss those days when you not only had to be a tight band you had to put on a show and blow peoples eardrums...

No way you could even hear a loud drummer if I had my 2204 cranked like this. Anything past 2 on the MV is just deadly.

sure you could, mic'd and only thing I had in my monitors was a mix of bass and drums.

Even w/o being mic's and in the monitors if you can't hear your drummer with the MV on 2 with a 2204 you really need different drummer

Riiiight

right...

Seriously, wtf kind of pussy drummers do you play with that you can't hear them when you're past 2 on your mv? Or do you play with your head up against your speakers? I play regularly with a dimed 50 watter (only about 3db difference) and can hear the drums just fine...and my hearing sucks (probably from diming amps).

What kind of 50 watt are you talking? I've played 50 wat amps that are not even on the same level of loudness as my Marshall. Seriously, have you ever played a 2204 with a stock master volume? After 2 they don't get too much louder just fuller. And, that will rip your face off. And, I'm not sure why you would want to subject the people in the bar to something like that. Maybe there's something wrong with mine but it is extremely loud at 2 with the preamp dimed. And even from 5 to 7 on the preamp and with the master at 5 is ungodly loud. There's not a bar in Illinois that will let you play that loud. Maybe if you have a jose or some other kind of MV but not the stock one. I've been playing in bars for over 30 years and with some loud drummers.

I used to do it regularly with a 1987 reissue but I've had a bunch of 2203s and 2204s and did the same thing with those occassionally (typically outdoor gigs with the 2203). Yeah, it was probably too loud but its how I got my tone and I was young/stubborn enough to not care about the soundguy (or the people in front). I know what you mean about the volume not increasing much after 2...my 1959RR is like that.
These days I dime a Chieftain and an Express together (or a Marsha on about 5 master and 7 gain) but I use plexiglass panels...they make a huge difference. I can use an attenuator if I have to but for the most part I don't like them.

I'm wondering if there's a differnce in the 2204's because I have an 83 and 87 2204's? The voltage on the 83 is somewhere around 375 but my 87 is about 460. The 87 has a much more sensitive master. Like on or blasting In the 80's I had a mesa mark III simulclass (100 watt) and would turn the cab backwards and run a bit in the monitors. That thing was the loudest amp I ever played through but sounded killer cranked like that. You could get away with a lot more then. I try to play at a volume that I can easily hear myself over the drummer. He a moderately loud one not crazy loud like the previous one in our band. Gave me a good excuse to crank it though. lol.

Sorry to you and Shawn if I came off as an asshole. Didn't mean it that way.