Boosting a JCM 800

  • Thread starter Thread starter nevusofota
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My favorite one for boosting a Marshall for that 80's metal(from Poison to Slayer) it's the SD-1. There are a lot of boost/overdrive pedals that I like more for other applications, but for the classic metal Marshall tone, the SD-1 is the ticket.
The fact it looses some of the low end it's what makes it so special. It almost act as a high pass, cutting all the lows I don't need, tighten up the low mids making it cut through the mix and boost the mids giving the amp more gain and making the pinched harmonics jump out of the speakers very easy.
With and without the pedal the difference is like: Pedal off, Marshall sound. Pedal On, Slayer sound!!!
It's just how I want my Marshalls to sound like after recorded, mixed and mastered.
Now, if I want just a clean boost that won't change the tone, but just make it bigger, I look somewhere else.
 
I've tried many, in several price-ranges, but keep going back to the MXR Wylde OD. It doesn't color as much as the SD-1, and less compressed. With my DSL's, and JVM, it kicked ass. Real aggressive, and punchy. For a little more cash, the Maxon OD808 is a great pedal as well.
 
My stock MIJ SD-1 was always my favorite with my 1959SLP. I tried a lot of other boosts but I always came back to that one. The SD-1 is perfectly matched with Marshalls.
 
neilrocks25":3fye06os said:
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.
Click to expand...
I picked up an SD-1 with the GT mod and.....Hell yeah!! Thanks for the recommendations. I'm really enjoying this head with this pedal.

I also REALLY like the Maxon OD9 Pro+ that I had lying around in front of this amp. It really helps the bottom end, makes the 800 sound a bit more modern but may not cut as well in a band setting. The combo of these two pedals with this amp really gives me a a wide spectrum of tones. :rock:
 
My top 3:

Xotic BB Preamp
Whiteface Rat Reissue (insanely brutal sounding!)
MXR GT-OD

I also have a stock SD-1, but I prefer the aforementioned.
 
I picked up a free SD-1 a while back, and it always worked fine with my 2203. I remember reading about the differences between pedals on this page (includes circuit diagrams) - quite informative, and the page rates the SD-1 pretty well.

http://www.gmarts.org/index.php?go=217
 
The SD-1 is always a good choice for that application, as are any of a variety of tube screamers and their clones. That said, I've recently been blown away by the Timmy pedal...it's really the perfect lead boost IMO and the secret is in the treble and bass controls. They are actually cut controls...they remove treble/bass as the knob values increase. This allows you to simply boost the signal with the tone controls at "0" or dial out treble and bass to create a stronger mid-focus...perfect for a singing lead tone.
 
I have a boss gt-10 and decided to try boosting my savage on the crunch channels for the hell of it...the only model I liked was the blues-driver.....but thats a pedal sim on a different amp so not sure how relevant to your case!
 
EyesOfTheSouth":3jpw8pb1 said:
My top 3:

Xotic BB Preamp
Whiteface Rat Reissue (insanely brutal sounding!)
MXR GT-OD

I also have a stock SD-1, but I prefer the aforementioned.
Click to expand...

Ive seen the rat a couple times for boosting marshalls. I thought they were more of a fuzz/ distortion? How do you boost with them?
 
rupe":1q82jyzw said:
The SD-1 is always a good choice for that application, as are any of a variety of tube screamers and their clones. That said, I've recently been blown away by the Timmy pedal...it's really the perfect lead boost IMO and the secret is in the treble and bass controls. They are actually cut controls...they remove treble/bass as the knob values increase. This allows you to simply boost the signal with the tone controls at "0" or dial out treble and bass to create a stronger mid-focus...perfect for a singing lead tone.
Click to expand...
The Koko Boost has been my fav for a while, but I'm really wanting to try out a Tim or Timmy in front of a plexi.
 
Rogue":2yaqaru9 said:
rupe":2yaqaru9 said:
The SD-1 is always a good choice for that application, as are any of a variety of tube screamers and their clones. That said, I've recently been blown away by the Timmy pedal...it's really the perfect lead boost IMO and the secret is in the treble and bass controls. They are actually cut controls...they remove treble/bass as the knob values increase. This allows you to simply boost the signal with the tone controls at "0" or dial out treble and bass to create a stronger mid-focus...perfect for a singing lead tone.
Click to expand...
The Koko Boost has been my fav for a while, but I'm really wanting to try out a Tim or Timmy in front of a plexi.
Click to expand...
So far I've tried the Timmy into a 1959RR, Friedman Marsha (it doesn't need a boost at higher gain settings), Matchless Chieftain, '68 Deluxe Reverb, and an early 60's Epiphone Pacemaker...it sounded fantastic as a lead boost on all of them. I haven't used it as an overdrive in general (I didn't cut much of the high or low end) but I did try it with a few of the amps in that manner and it seemed like it would work well in that capacity too.
 
I've used SD-1's and TS9's in front of my 2203, I prefer the SD-1. I also sometimes use a GE-7 with the level bumped up a bit hot and tweak the EQ depending what I'm getting after.
 
Rogue":1optmc68 said:
rupe":1optmc68 said:
The SD-1 is always a good choice for that application, as are any of a variety of tube screamers and their clones. That said, I've recently been blown away by the Timmy pedal...it's really the perfect lead boost IMO and the secret is in the treble and bass controls. They are actually cut controls...they remove treble/bass as the knob values increase. This allows you to simply boost the signal with the tone controls at "0" or dial out treble and bass to create a stronger mid-focus...perfect for a singing lead tone.
Click to expand...
The Koko Boost has been my fav for a while, but I'm really wanting to try out a Tim or Timmy in front of a plexi.
Click to expand...
Marshalls love Timmys. :rock:
 
LP Freak":16etxbnd said:
Marshalls love Timmys. :rock:
Click to expand...
That's what I hear. I heard that is what Paul designed them for. But it sure is hard to find clips demonstrating that. It's on my to try out list. I do really like the koko though.
 
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