Best recorded 2203 tone

[Deleted member 77333]

Priest was using JCM800 4-holers on the SFV tours.

50 WATTERS.

 

[7704A]

I'm no absolute expert on those, but about Zakk I remember interviews where he was talking about "discovering" 6550 and EV after having been using his 2203 for some time, and that he was initially using EL34 and Celestion "70w" with his Marshall. Don't know the exact time frame for the switch though.

I think it was a Jake E Lee interview where Jake said that Zakk discovered EVs because of Jake's old Ozzy cabs. But again, don't know when that happened.

 

[Anje]

On my side I remember Vintage Guitar interviews, where Zakk stated they had to replace damaged Celestion in his cabs while on tour in Europe and only found EVs locally; before that up until "Pride & Glory" it was "70w Celestion".
Same kind of story for the switch from EL34 to 6550, when a "dropped" 2203 had to be re-tubed and the local shop only had 6550 (in the US I guess). No clear timeframe for that one I can remember.

But again anyway, either version would sound great; and blending such different Marshall setup would actually make things very interesting for recording to me.
As another example, I have in mind the great videos from Michael Nielsen; he loves this early Zakk era and he's been getting great tone with several different setups/gear, from guitar/pickups, amps, cabs & speakers.

 

[ChurchHill]

I'm no absolute expert on those, but about Zakk I remember interviews where he was talking about "discovering" 6550 and EV after having been using his 2203 for some time, and that he was initially using EL34 and Celestion "70w" with his Marshall. Don't know the exact time frame for the switch though.

OG Judas Priest post 82 I have little ideas to be honest, again only remember Glen talking about making the switch to "JCM800" after the Screaming for Vengeance era.
Prior to that I mainly associate them with older 4 input NMV Marshall + different kinds of boosts in front.

For Slash, I'm pretty sure the Silver Jubilees were mainly for touring in the G'n'R era; Appetite indeed was the infamous Caswell/Levi modded ST/SL 4 input Marshalls, but I remember Use Your Illusion to be the Levi #34 2203. I think that's the one Slash still has and they looked at when designing the AFD signature model.

But anyway, yes I'd agree the 2204/2203 are some of the very best amps of all time; they managed to build on the older classic NMV amps and make it one of the main bases for a lot (most?) of rock amps that have come ever since.

Well, like I said, I could be wrong about all of that. Marshall made the switch to 6550 for the U.S. market in the early '70s, somewhere around then, apparently because they were having too many EL34 failures. I think Canadian models still came with EL34s, though. IIRC, the 2203 was introduced in 1976. Marshall switched back to EL34s sometime in the mid-'80s. So, chances are that any 2203 in the U.S. market that had EL34s had been converted from 6550s or imported from Canada or Europe. I remember that there was a lot of debate at the time as to which was better. So, it's entirely possible that Zakk experimented with both. In any case, the resulting tone he achieved starting with NRFTW became a benchmark for metal that continues today and one of the best 2203 tones.

You're right, it's hard to say about Priest. I do remember them using JCM800 Super Leads with various boosts. Their tone seemed to change after SFV, and no matter what they were using on DOTF, Defenders was a pivotal point in my youth. I still think that's one of the most perfect metal albums for me, not just the tone, but all the twin guitar parts. Right up there with Piece of Mind, Powerslave, and Master of Puppets. So many great albums came out during that period of a few years between around 1984-1987.

I'm sure you're right about Slash, too. I forgot about #34. Just curious, what do you think about the rumor that S.I.R. #39 being the same amp that Lynch used on Under Lock and Key? Personally, I don't really care. Those are both great sounds, great albums, and great players, and different sounds, as to be expected. Still, though, I can kind of hear how they could have been the same amp.

I'd have to really think to come up with a modern amp that doesn't have at least some 2203 DNA in it. What Marshall did building on their original sound really was ahead of its time.

 

[ChurchHill]

I have in mind the great videos from Michael Nielsen; he loves this early Zakk era and he's been getting great tone with several different setups/gear, from guitar/pickups, amps, cabs & speakers.

Is it this one? Nielson's done a couple of videos on Zakk's tone, all worth watching, I think.



Here's another one I found interesting from Segeborn. Not using a 2203, but does show the effect of EVMs.

 

[napalmdeath]

I always loved Dino tone on Demanufacture

No doubt.

 

[stephen sawall]

Could be just best Marshall sound recorded.

Hard to beat Zack

 

[Anje]

I'm sure you're right about Slash, too. I forgot about #34. Just curious, what do you think about the rumor that S.I.R. #39 being the same amp that Lynch used on Under Lock and Key? Personally, I don't really care. Those are both great sounds, great albums, and great players, and different sounds, as to be expected. Still, though, I can kind of hear how they could have been the same amp.

I recall different sources mentioning Lynch rented that famous #39 back then yes, no reason not to believe it IMHO.

I love the old Priest albums, they are among the giants to me.
Fully agree with so many great bands and albums back then in such a concentrated period, with what looked like an exponentially accelerated creativity and transformations.

Is it this one? Nielson's done a couple of videos on Zakk's tone, all worth watching, I think.



Here's another one I found interesting from Segeborn. Not using a 2203, but does show the effect of EVMs.

Yes I think that’s one of the first videos Michael made in Zakk; he’s done a few more since then, each with different gear / setups that show there’s no absolute “one” gear choice to reach a goal IMHO.

Johan has done some cool stuff also, but I recall thinking on some of those recent videos he was using “eq matching tricks” a little too much to my taste; I mean what’s the point if goal is to demonstrate how particular gear sound?

 

[Greazygeo]

Huge net you are throwing here. Most other amps you can probably define. A 2203 can be used and has been used in so many different ways. For example two vastly different that I love, Angus Back in Black vs Mastodon.

Is Back In Black a master volume Marshall for sure though?

No…Back in Black was a NMV1959 and JTM50

 

[Greazygeo]

I believe Vivian Campbell was using 2203s for the early Dio stuff, and I want to say thats what all the Dio guys were running from him through Rowan Robertson. (Though I also recall Rowan was using some Lee Jackson stuff)

Pretty sure only Holy Diver…then he went to Mesa and Randall. He hated the Marshall acoording to the old guitar mag interviews in the day.

 

[Greazygeo]

Priest was using JCM800 4-holers on the SFV tours.

The album was Gallien Krueger…prior to that was nmv Marshalls using the bass channel with treble boosters. The interviews were in Guitar Player magazine.

 

[chumbucket]

The album was Gallien Krueger…prior to that was nmv Marshalls using the bass channel with treble boosters. The interviews were in Guitar Player magazine.

If you mean the GK 250 ML, I don't believe those were on the market before they recorded SFV.

 

[Greazygeo]

If you mean the GK 250 ML, I don't believe those were on the market before they recorded SFV.

View attachment 450798

The article didn’t give any specific models that I can remember.

 

[Eazy-ESP]

No…Back in Black was a NMV1959 and JTM50

Confirmed? A lot of Acca Dacca sounds very 2203. I watched a video once, I think it was that Solo Dallas guy, that reckons 2203. But I am also susceptible to conspiracy theories.

 

[Deleted member 77333]

Mine.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

What tone WASN'T with an 800 in the 80's?? Warren Demartinni's tone is among the best 800's ever and he has essentially jad his good plexis wired with 800 preamp. Angus did the same. Too many tones to list

 

[eero]

Warrant

 

[shredi knight]

Best 2203 tone? Probably anyone who ordered a L*rry amp in 2025.

What the Hell, one more...

 

[harddriver]

What tone WASN'T with an 800 in the 80's?? Warren Demartinni's tone is among the best 800's ever and he has essentially jad his good plexis wired with 800 preamp. Angus did the same. Too many tones to list

I have some pics of a Marshall modded SLP that was purported to be Warren Demartinni's amp. Now when he owned this amp I don't know. I remember interviews from the 80's where Warren, Jake and George Lynch were borrowing and renting the same plexi's and superleads in the early days. I guess George borrowed SL from Warren alot to try out for bands.

 

[harddriver]

Confirmed? A lot of Acca Dacca sounds very 2203. I watched a video once, I think it was that Solo Dallas guy, that reckons 2203. But I am also susceptible to conspiracy theories.

I wouldn't doubt he used them but I've always heard they were 100 Watt Plexi's, SLP's and JTM45's in the studio. I mean Angus and Malcolm went back to using Marshall's live after using Wizards for years. I guess sometimes ya gotta change things up.