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matttornado
Active member
JCM 800s are very unforgiving and can be a challenge to some unexperienced players so I understand why some would not like them, think they're outdated & recommend an amp that is easier to play.
rstites
Well-known member
I get that, but at the same time I'm seeing lots of big bands going for all direct, modeling, etc. on stage and they have the space to crank things up so really not sure where/when people are getting to crank amps up anymore.
It strikes me that a 2203 might be about the perfect amount of distortion without boost for a lot of punk music. I'm a metalhead, so always boosted one out front with my trusty SD-1....and had a wah and a flanger, and that was it! Nothing too fancy, but it works great for thrash.
WizardAmpIphoneClip
Well-known member
Lol @ peeps trying to say a Jcm is surgical tight and you have to be on your game
Fact is, they can be pretty squishy and farty on the low end. Especially the louder they go. One of the most inconsistent amps from Jmp's to Jcm's
Fact is, they can be pretty squishy and farty on the low end. Especially the louder they go. One of the most inconsistent amps from Jmp's to Jcm's
skoora
Well-known member
Yeah, you need to pick with authority and have a strong left hand for sustain and vibrato but they deliver if you do. Any younger player who’s more of a shreddy, legato player is going to hate it without a good boost.
skoora
Well-known member
I wouldn’t ever buy a used 80’s one without trying it first or at least a generous return policy for this reason.
'63-Strat
Well-known member
I feel like an 800 (or mv jmp) is just a core piece of rock gear. If someone hands you a les paul and an 800 and you can’t make it work, it’s not the gear.
Sure, it’s not super versatile and you’ll need a boost for high gain but the crunch sits exactly where it needs to and they feel great IMO. Ultimately my xtc classic covers all that for me but it’s not the same either. I could just as easily use an 800 (with occasional boost) for all the tones I typically use if am being honest.
I see a lot of this kinda thing on forums where tried and true gear gets ripped on by home players (not to say always the case, or that there aren’t legit reasons to dislike things, mind). Recently got a music man Sabre for a steal it’s just a stupid nice guitar, and see posts saying the pickups suck etc lol. I just have to shake my head and laugh sometimes.
Sure, it’s not super versatile and you’ll need a boost for high gain but the crunch sits exactly where it needs to and they feel great IMO. Ultimately my xtc classic covers all that for me but it’s not the same either. I could just as easily use an 800 (with occasional boost) for all the tones I typically use if am being honest.
I see a lot of this kinda thing on forums where tried and true gear gets ripped on by home players (not to say always the case, or that there aren’t legit reasons to dislike things, mind). Recently got a music man Sabre for a steal it’s just a stupid nice guitar, and see posts saying the pickups suck etc lol. I just have to shake my head and laugh sometimes.
skoora
Well-known member
An amp will be a benchmark for 30 plus years and suddenly is shit or unusable
I actually disagree about them not being versatile. Tons of bands in the 80’s that weren’t hard rock or metal used them in the 80’s and their JMP counterpart in the late 70’s. New wave, pop, goth.
SoooRad
Well-known member
This is so true. While the internet brings together a lot of good things, it also shows people who just want something to complain about. People are chasing a perfection that doesn't actually exist, and rather than try to work with something they just say "THIS THING IS GARBAGE" , even when its proven to be a good working piece of gear for 100 years.
rstites
Well-known member
I'd agree that they're flexible enough for a lot different styles. Having said that, I just can't resist....
"Plug into the Low inputs for a great pedal platform!"
"Plug into the Low inputs for a great pedal platform!"
DanTravis62
Moderator
Moderator
The key words are "big band"
These are small, local punk shows
If you're playing guitar for Cats at your local theater, probably not going to be able to do the same stuff
This seems like it happens because younger kids cannot imagine gear that is for one specific purpose.
Every piece of gear has to be for everything. A jcm800 can't be a great gigging amp, it sucks because it sounds bad quiet for home practice. Or it sucks because it's not a fender deluxe reverb. It sucks because it doesn't have IRs or a headphone out. It's just people putting modern expectations on vintage gear that was made when the world was less gay.
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matttornado
Active member
Yea I agree 100%. I can gig plugged straight into my 2203 clone playing 90s's grunge and alternative. I have a couple times when I forgot my pedalboard. LOL All i have on it is SD-1 or a Badder Monkey, (I use the SD-1 with my DSL & BM with 2203) a tuner & a boost for leads. Sometimes a delay too if I'm the only guitarist for the night.
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Kordoba
Well-known member
DanTravis62
Moderator
Moderator
skoora
Well-known member
If the Marshall sound is your thing, a good 800, like a good non master, straight in, can give you a feeling of being at one with Universe, through your fingers, heart and balls. Pure eargasm connected with pressure waves pushing right through you. Hardly any of the newer amps tweaked off a plexi or 800 with all their sculpting ability, do it. They fall in the category of yeah, this will work. Or, that’s pretty good. It seems always in the search for versatility or tweakability, we always dilute the connection to the universe out of an Amplifier.
This is why I feel for young players who will only know guitar through digital and/or low volume, IEM’s etc. Electric guitar should be experienced, at least a few times, as a whole body experience to understand it’s dynamic power.
This is why we love playing guitar, the memory of that feeling and imagining it, even when we play in restrictive circumstances.
This is why I feel for young players who will only know guitar through digital and/or low volume, IEM’s etc. Electric guitar should be experienced, at least a few times, as a whole body experience to understand it’s dynamic power.
This is why we love playing guitar, the memory of that feeling and imagining it, even when we play in restrictive circumstances.
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Kordoba
Well-known member
The~Kid
Well-known member
Yeah same here.
Seeing some great bands, great player going through a PA system with a BOSS GT1..... Playing in a 90s rock band...
I was asked the guitar player of a cover Band what amp he was using as it sounded so damn good.... All he was using was a GT1 and a Gibson Les Paul into the PA..... maybe it was a Chibson but for sure either way dude sounded amazing and thought he was going through a JCM800/900 or some tube amp but it was just a BOSS GT1
They have some pretty nice acts there like Damage Inc (MetallicA) and Bonfire(ACDC) and EVH, Doors, Santana cover Bands playing there and it's a pretty Big outdoor venue at the Santa Fe Springs Swapmeet. These guys play all over CA and the country some of the.
Others like the Doors cover Bands and ACDC ones use real amps but yeah this other dude as said used a GT1 straight into a PA and sounded like a million dollars.
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Exo-metal
Well-known member
Maybe it wasn't what most of us call good tone either.
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MadAsAHatter
Well-known member
Wait, I thought you said a JCM800 was overrated and sounded terrible?Yeah same here.
Seeing some great bands, great playera going through a PA system with a BOSS GT1.....
I was asked the guitar player of a cover Band what amp he was using as it sounded so damn good.... All he was using was a GT1 and a Gibson Les Paul into the PA..... maybe it was a Chibson but for sure either way dude sounded amazing and thought he was going through a JCM800/900 or some tube amp but it was just a BOSS GT1
But you thought some dude playing a GT1 through a PA sounded like a JCM800 and it was amazing?
Make that make sense.
The~Kid
Well-known member
The cover Bands and dude played some Guns n Roses covers and also Even though it was 90s music threw in a Pink Floyd Song..... I think Money or Comfortably Numb..... They also did Nirvana and other 90s stuff like OffSpring and Oasis etc etc.... It was all amazing.
But when he played some Guns n Roses..... Dude just had a fantastic tone, it really was epic...... Slash used Marshalls no and a JCM800 or similar or a modded one..... I couldnt find an amp he was playing on stage and when I asked My Whole perspective changed.....
Didnt make me realize "shit I need a GT1 and PA system" but damn I need to practice more and well fancy gear and shit isnt what it's all about
I imagine the dude has a rig and stuff but yeah..... Dude Made that GT1 sound like a million dollars. Ive Heard some other great Bands like some Doors Cover Bands or ACDC ones that actually use real gear, top dollar amps and some like the Doors band used vintage gear..... They sound amazing.....
But yeah just going to Say that BOSS GT1 changed My perspective on gear, tone and playing.
