Boosting a JCM 800

  • Thread starter Thread starter nevusofota
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nevusofota

nevusofota

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What do you guys use to boost an unmodded JCM 800 2204? I'm looking to get high gain saturated lead tone ala 80's hard rock/metal. I've heard some good tones with an SD-1 and plan on picking one up. Anything else I should try? Thanks in advance. :rock:
 
Hands down Boss SD-1 i had a stock JMP for a year and tried a few boost pedals and the Boss hits the 80's tones in spades.... :thumbsup:
 
splawner":1rmd6ggt said:
Hands down Boss SD-1 i had a stock JMP for a year and tried a few boost pedals and the Boss hits the 80's tones in spades.... :thumbsup:
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Thats what I figured. Definitely going to try one. Thanks for the input.

I've heard good things about an OCD for this application also. May give it a try.
 
SD-1
Tubescreamer
Can't go wrong with either of these


And lest we forget............Rat

I used to use a TS + a Rat for some searing lead tones.......
 
nevusofota":3koxhbf0 said:
splawner":3koxhbf0 said:
Hands down Boss SD-1 i had a stock JMP for a year and tried a few boost pedals and the Boss hits the 80's tones in spades.... :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Thats what I figured. Definitely going to try one. Thanks for the input.

I've heard good things about an OCD for this application also. May give it a try.
Click to expand...
Ya that's a good one also, But the SD-1 just sounded the best for me....Talking to Mark Cameron a few times about boosting he also said the Boss SD-1 was his go to boost pedal for stock Marshalls....
 
Get an SD-1 then mod it, it just makes it even better.
There are plent of mods about, I recomend monte Allums gt mod.
 
I haven't had the pleasure of playing a 2204, but a reissue 2203 only. I tried the SD-1, Bad Monkey and ZW-45 and much to my surprise liked the MXR the best. I'd say try a bunch of them and go with your ear, there's plenty of good possibilities around.
 
Michi":3w4qptb4 said:
I haven't had the pleasure of playing a 2204, but a reissue 2203 only. I tried the SD-1, Bad Monkey and ZW-45 and much to my surprise liked the MXR the best. I'd say try a bunch of them and go with your ear, there's plenty of good possibilities around.
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What did you like about the MXR over the others?
 
I think you'll get great results with just about any OD out there. Another one to mention is the MXR Classic overdrive. Guitar Center was selling them for $30. Works really well with the 800 and doesn't have the automatic mid boost that TS types tend to have. There is also a little switch on the inside of it that alters it a tad more to the aggressive side. I had mine with the switch in the hotter position and had the Output about 3 o'clock(I wanted to maintain the same volume as without), tone at noon and gain anywhere from off to 9 o'clock and it smoked with an 800 type circuit.
 
nevusofota":89ye2ely said:
What did you like about the MXR over the others?
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I had all three of them in my board separately for a while and the MXR was the one that was there the longest by far. To my ears it gave the best edge without losing much of the amp's own tone, it sounded the most "open" of the three.

Also much to my surprise there was no feedback problems at all as with the SD-1 with similar settings, level maxed and drive around 11 o'clock. For some reason the Bad Monkey sounded "the dullest" of the bunch, I never found a setting on it's eq that was quite right.

I did a few comparisons with all three side by side. The difference between them wasn't that big but still noticable. Mind you it may well have been a psychoacustic thing as well, I should've done some blind testing as well.
 
This is the age old question. :lol: :LOL: I have great luck with a Timmy. :thumbsup:
 
I use a maxon 808, or a fulldriveII on my 2203 been using the fulldrive more lately as I've been digging the flat mids switch. I tend to overdo it on mids...
 
sickwindsor":cbk4lci7 said:
Zvex Box of Rock
Fulltone ocd or Fulldrive.
You might just have great results with a boosted EQ pedal. Hitting the mids harder in front of the amp is really all an overdrive pedal does.
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Just sold my Fulldrive a few months ago. I was also thinking about the EQ pedal, especially want to try in conjunction with the SD-1 to try and regain some of the low end.
 
LP Freak":297ywtya said:
This is the age old question. :lol: :LOL: I have great luck with a Timmy. :thumbsup:
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I agree. I bet this is one of the top three thread topics ever on gear forums. I'm just getting to the party late :lol: :LOL:
I finally purchased my all time dream amp as we discussed in my previous thread :thumbsup:

Now all I need is that '79 LP silverburst :rock:
 
H&K Tube Factor sounds really good with plexi's/JMP's/800's. Beats all the others hands down imo.
Problem is finding one. I wish I would never have sold mine :doh:
 
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