Just did a head to head of all my amps.

[marshallmel]

And it was very eye opening. First off, I think they all sound great and are all fantastic amps. That being said....here's the list and what I think. Guitar used was a Les Paul Standard with Seymour Duncan Hot Rod Humbucker Set and the cab is an old 1960A with G12T-75's.

1. Golub Modded Marshall 1959 Super Lead. (SE Lead Mod)
2. Voodoo Modded Marshall 1987x. (HG Jose Mod)
3. CAA OD100 SE. (Modded to SE+ by John Suhr)
4. EVH 5150iii 50 Watt
5. Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100
6. Marshall JCM 800 2204

Started off with the the order listed with the Golub being first. This amp has more gain than anything I've experienced and most of it is usable. I settled on 4 on the dial. Very angry sounding Marshall tone. Pretty much nails the Aldrich tone but was a little more bitey. Would probably be even better through a cab with different speakers. Nothing that can't be taken care of with the EQ. Very well balanced across the tonal spectrum, not being to thin and not getting flubby on lower strings.

Next was the Voodoo HG Jose. I immediately knew that I went from 100 watts to 50. The gain structure was better than the Golub but it didn't make up for the lack of oomph that I felt with the Golub. Still a fantastic sounding amp and in a small, light package. Cleans up great with the volume knob, as did the Golub. The Voodoo was my main amp for a while and it's the amp I've owned the longest. Very fun to play on and is very inspiring to play.

CAA OD 100 SE+. Wow is all I can say. Beats both of the Marshalls and let me tell you, not just by a little. Two channels plus a boost also make it way more versatile too. EQ section works better and the whomp switch and feedback knob really lets you tailor your sound. Super chewy modded Marshall goodness. Can't see why this isn't a way more popular amp than it is.

EVH 5150iii 50 watt. Better than the 50 watt Voodoo for power and oomph. Blue channel is amazing as you already know. Small light package, three channels, and it's price point can't be beat. Compromise on the clean to blue channel but who cares. We all know it, we all love it.

JCM 2000 DSL. I ran this amp and the JCM 800 with a Suhr Shiba Reloaded in the front. Very surprising that it sounded every bit as good as the modded Marshalls. I always liked a DSL and now I know why. Good enough for Bonamassa, Moore, and many others.

JCM 800 2204. Loudest most powerful amp of the bunch. Boosted was the second best sounding amp
of them all, only surpassed by the CAA. I'm probably going to install a metro loop on this amp and use it live. There's a reason why they're a classic and this is the best sounding one that I've owned.

There you have it. A lengthy read that's useless without clips.

 

[lester]

Nice! Yeah man, the SE+ is a beast. I would've dug a video of this action too.

Always wondered - how close the Golub mob is to the SE+?

 

[sleewell2]

seriously killer collection of amps, would love to play them.

congrats and cool write up.

 

[marshallmel]

A boosted 800 is no joke either.

 

[marshallmel]

Nice! Yeah man, the SE+ is a beast. I would've dug a video of this action too.

Always wondered - how close the Golub mob is to the SE+?

They're very similar in tone but the CAA just has "more" everything. The EQ is better, the whomp switch and feedback knob are great. Between them you can really fine tune the amp. Like I stated, the Golub would probably sound better through a cab with different speakers.

 

[midnightlaundry]

Thanks for sharing.
Do you think a G12T-75 is the goto Marshall speaker? Have you ever tried a H30 cab with these amps?

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

So essentially all that cash in modded amps and el Stocko beats out everyone and comes in only second to a 4k amp. This is probably why I don't read too much into all the BE and Bogner drool fest posts on here. Whenever a JCM800 is in an amp shootout, the minute it is boosted it is in my top 3. So why bother playing anything else. I love mine. As for this " yeah but you have to play a good one" bullshit, it is precisely that. 4-5 part swaps and any one of these can become a "good one" .... Oh and VOLUME. This isn't a play it light bedroom amp, it can be brittle , gotta open it up to 6.

 

[Racerxrated]

So essentially all that cash in modded amps and el Stocko beats out everyone and comes in only second to a 4k amp. This is probably why I don't read too much into all the BE and Bogner drool fest posts on here. Whenever a JCM800 is in an amp shootout, the minute it is boosted it is in my top 3. So why bother playing anything else. I love mine. As for this " yeah but you have to play a good one" bullshit, it is precisely that. 4-5 part swaps and any one of these can become a "good one" .... Oh and VOLUME. This isn't a play it light bedroom amp, it can be brittle , gotta open it up to 6.

I've had the same amps as the OP, with the exception of the CAA. Plus Friedmans, Cameron's, FJA, Lee Jackson, Fortin, Gower, etc. My 2204 + a boost is as good as any of them, and in most cases better. Classic, tried and true for a reason.

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

It would be cool if you had a way to record test clips for comparison. Mic up a cab and record audio to post. Maybe even record a video and lay the audio over it in editing. People like that more for head-to-head shootouts with gear (whether it is guitars, pickups, pedals, amps, etc.) Just a suggestion. Modern technology and times, man.

Marshall power killin' it though. Nice to see a quick mention on the EVH 5150 III 50-watt which has become a very popular amp head lately.

 

[4406cuda]

I think in these type of comparisons, versatility is an important factor.

 

[marshallmel]

I think in these type of comparisons, versatility is an important factor.

Exactly. That's why the 5150 is so popular. And at that price point, it's even more attractive.

I used to record clips and I need to get back to it soon. I'm not the best at recording and I'm not as good a player as most of the guys on here.

 

[yngzaklynch]

Mel if you still want to try my Friedman let me know.

 

[marshallmel]

Mel if you still want to try my Friedman let me know.

I do. I'm going to move the two modded Marshalls and get something else. Not because they suck or anything, I just have that ground covered with the CAA and it's more versatile. More than likely it's going to be 50 watts or less. Wizard MC25, Soldano HR25, or Bogner Atma. The Smallbox is also on the short list.

 

[yngzaklynch]

If memory serves... It is like your Voodoo modded 1987x but more gain

 

[braintheory]

So essentially all that cash in modded amps and el Stocko beats out everyone and comes in only second to a 4k amp. This is probably why I don't read too much into all the BE and Bogner drool fest posts on here. Whenever a JCM800 is in an amp shootout, the minute it is boosted it is in my top 3. So why bother playing anything else. I love mine. As for this " yeah but you have to play a good one" bullshit, it is precisely that. 4-5 part swaps and any one of these can become a "good one" .... Oh and VOLUME. This isn't a play it light bedroom amp, it can be brittle , gotta open it up to 6.

I've had the same amps as the OP, with the exception of the CAA. Plus Friedmans, Cameron's, FJA, Lee Jackson, Fortin, Gower, etc. My 2204 + a boost is as good as any of them, and in most cases better. Classic, tried and true for a reason.

Out of curiosity which model gower, Cameron and Friedmans were they?

 

[Racerxrated]

So essentially all that cash in modded amps and el Stocko beats out everyone and comes in only second to a 4k amp. This is probably why I don't read too much into all the BE and Bogner drool fest posts on here. Whenever a JCM800 is in an amp shootout, the minute it is boosted it is in my top 3. So why bother playing anything else. I love mine. As for this " yeah but you have to play a good one" bullshit, it is precisely that. 4-5 part swaps and any one of these can become a "good one" .... Oh and VOLUME. This isn't a play it light bedroom amp, it can be brittle , gotta open it up to 6.

I've had the same amps as the OP, with the exception of the CAA. Plus Friedmans, Cameron's, FJA, Lee Jackson, Fortin, Gower, etc. My 2204 + a boost is as good as any of them, and in most cases better. Classic, tried and true for a reason.

Out of curiosity which model gower, Cameron and Friedmans were they?

I've had 4 Cameron's, 3 Aldrich and a one-off that was similar to a modern mod. They were at the top for me..2 plexi reissues(Aldrich) and a JMP 2203(Aldrich) and the Modern was an 800 RI. The Golub was a lead mod, great amp second to the Cameron's. Then 2 Gower Cali mods, a 74 Superbass and an 800 2203. Not as organic as the previous but still nice. Then 2 Friedman BE modded 800s with Sat switch, no kitchen sink or clean. They were OK, no different to me than putting an SD1 in front of an 800. Nothing wrong with that. But the 2204 I have now, with an OD1X in front just gives me an organic/3D feel that was present with the Cameron's, and I like it better than the rest of the modded Marshalls I've had. So I would put it right there with the Cameron's and better than the others IMO.