JCM800 vs 5150.. i'm thinking of a change

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kapo_Polenton
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Kapo_Polenton

Kapo_Polenton

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Hey gents, for some odd reason, I think I need a change.. I was actually thinking of seeing if anyone local wanted to trade their 5150 combo and some cash for my 83 4140 combo. I already have a ton of Marshall bases covered with my Randall MTS Lynchbox with the Brahma, modded Brahma, Judge, and Hilligan modded SL+. I play this thing all the time and my JCM800 4140 vertical input combo sits most of the time. It sounds great, but it sits. I 've been listening to clips of the 5150 and remember an old band mate of mine over 10 years ago had one and it sounded killer. Any of you guys have both? Is the crunch channel the ticket to more vintage sounding Marshallish tones and the lead channel more voiced to get the soldano vibe? (seeing as it was essentially a ripped off design). I like the idea of using the 5150 combo for gigs and practices so as not to lug around a 4 x 12 and a heavy ass Randall head. (that thing weighs a freakin ton)

Would I regret selling this thing I wonder? If any of you have let's hear it.. I figure the asking prices for used 5150's are about 5-600 range where the 4140's go from 800-1000. Does this sound about accurate?
 
I don't think personally that the 5150 sounds like a vintage Marshall (though I know some guys seems to be able to ape VH with them - I can' t seem to get those tones) but if you like a savage sounding combo for cheap which with casters is suprisingly portable and loud, the 5150 combo is pretty hard to beat.

I just got rid of my Sheffields for V30 and I freakin love the thing now...thankfully it didn't sell and I tried it with the Celestions!

The crunch ch with a boost is massive and my go to brutality channel.
 
The nice thing is that it doesn't have to sound like vintage marshall... just wondering if it can cover all basis. I know it does the lead and brootalz well with a screamer but does the crunch hold up convincingly for more vitange rock tones if you want to just have one amp for all occasions?
 
Just be aware that the 5150 combo is easily one of the heaviest combo's in existence. They sound great but you will need a dolley/hand truck or casters for sure.
 
As an owner of a 5150, I don't really think it gets Marshall-worthy tones on the green channel. The clean mode has a bit of a harsh crunchy distortion set back a little from the actual tone, and the crunch mode is a bit dark to be Marshall-ish. The Red channel is where it is at, everyone needs to hear a 5150 Red channel into a V30 cab, and even better to own it. I posted a mod a little while back which makes the Green channel sound a little more Marshall-ish even when plugged straight in, but I slightly favor the sound of the Red channel without the mod. I have received messages from others who have tried the mod and said they even preferred the Red channel with the mod, so it's purely anyone's preference vs. anyone elses' sort of thing.
 
The 4140 is a neat amp that you don't see every day, that was Marshall's Twin killer. But those are not in JCM 800 family. (Club and Country) or visa versa?
Is yours a a 4104?
I had a 4010 (which I think is the same amp as the 4104) that somebody turned into a head; dimed into a 2X12 it spanked. But only 5150 is a 5150!
 
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