Coming back full circle

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War Admiral

War Admiral

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Played and had lot of amps in the past 10 years, Soldano, Elmwood, Modded Marshalls, Orange, Boogie,etc. but nothing sounded like my late '70's JMP 2204...so I have another chance to pick up a '77 2204. Going back to that sound that none of these new high gain amps can do...open sound...not compressed...so touch sensitive...cuts through any band mix...its just magic cant explain it. So much finger response and the amp delivers...couple of pedals and that's it. It IS the sound of rock!!!! Anyone else feel the same way? :thumbsup:
 
Can't say that I do...a stock 2203 or 2204 just doesn't deliver enough gain for me, which is why I had Bruce Egnater do the megadrive mod on mine. The Hi sensitivity jack is the high gain mod, and the low becomes the "stock" high...best of both worlds. With the tube buffered loop, low end "density" control, and the ability to bypass the high gain side it is a very flexible mod...and it sounds GREAT.
 


This is my first JMP 2204 with a SD-1 clean boost just for the solo
 
The Following has happened to me probably 5 or 6 times in the past 10 years

Play my 2203
buy another amp for the hell of it
fall in love with new amp
wait a month or so and drag out 2203
sell other amp.

I now have learned my lesson. The 2203 is just it for me. I'm done buying amps unless it's another 2203/2204
 
Love a good Marshall tone! This is a great example of a good sounding 2203/2204:

 
Most of us do it.
I've had many amps over the years but I always come back to Marshall and Mesa.
 
I agree that the pure uncompressed tone of the classic circuits is something none of the newer amps can quite touch. But once I get used to that tone I start to hear the things I don't like, graininess, bottom end farting out, etc and eventually I'm looking at a "better Marshall" or whatever amp...It's a vicious cycle.

Plus, as badass as an old JTM or JMP is, they won't hold together for modern heavy rock/metal like a newer amp that was designed for that sound will.
 
I've been majorly going through the full circle thing myself, and for that exact amp, so yeah I'm totally with you! Lots of money tied up in other cool amps, but at the end of the day that's the sound I always come back to. So much so that I really don't know what I'm going to do with my other amps at this point, I always worry about seller's remorse but I don't want nice amps gathering dust either.
 
It makes me laugh when some say that a mode, or certain setting or channel on their multi channel high gain sterile hi-fi modern amp nails an old Marshall sound.
 
War Admiral":k9zmxixx said:
even with a Klon, SD-1 or a tube screamer in front?
Click to expand...
Oh, shit no ! It's fine with a good OD, but I HATE the hiss/noise from the pedals, having to have batteries around, and needing two ODs (one for lead, one for rhythm). I like having the gain in the amp. With the Egnater, for live work I set gain between 5 and 7 and then step on either an SD1 or a TS9 for solos. For recording the Egnater mod has plenty of gain, so no pedals needed...and its quiet.
 
I've tried branching out but I keep coming back to Mesa.

I think it's because my first tube amp was a Recto, so when I play through something like a Marshall it sounds great at first, but the feel is all wrong and once I expand beyond playing AC/DC I start to notice things that are missing from the sound.

Then I play through another Mesa and BAM!, it's all there.
 
BIG difference between Mesa models though...a Recto sounds/feels A LOT different than a Mark series or even a Stilleto. I have 2 triple recs and blue stripe Mark III, and they're all cool amps, but Marshalls and Marshall type amps are just the shit, unless you do 'da brOOtz...
 
paulyc":mltwhhpa said:
BIG difference between Mesa models though...a Recto sounds/feels A LOT different than a Mark series or even a Stilleto. I have 2 triple recs and blue stripe Mark III, and they're all cool amps, but Marshalls and Marshall type amps are just the shit, unless you do 'da brOOtz...
Click to expand...

I switch it up a lot between a Recto and a Mark, not sure why but both seem to have whatever it is that I subconsciously look for even though they do it in totally different ways. The Stiletto didn't have "it", although for some reason the Electra-Dyne does.

I have no idea what "it" is... Although I suspect it has something to do with the way they dial in their power sections to respond.
 
I'm not a Marshall guy, but I can fully understand this circle of fact.

I think it's fairly typical, grass is always greener syndrome, only to realize, we got what we want right the first time.

Killer take on S.A.T.O. by the way :yes:
 
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