You play all the same music I play most of the time. If you didn't like the Smallbox because it's too dark and low gain for those sounds, and you want that more metallic, bright gain sound guys like Warren Dimartini were known for, that's a journey for sure that might take you a few tries to get what you like. I'll make a few comments though:
I have a JVM410. Channel 2 "Crunch" and Overdrive 1 are great. The JVM210/205 does not have Crunch Green, Crunch Orange, or any of the OD1 modes, only OD2. I mention this because OD2, to my ear, sounds awful, and not at all like a classic Marshall. So with that said, aim for the JVM410 if shopping JVM's... but personally I wouldn't be too interested in a JVM for what you want. Yes, it can do it, and yes it sounds alright, but you're sacrificing a lot for the versatility which you may not ever use. Idk, I've had two JVM410's, and they just don't "wow" me the way other Marshalls have, and I think you'll probably feel the same way, if not at first then later on.
You really can't lose with a real JCM800, 2203 or 2204, reissue or otherwise. It's *the* sound for a reason, but you'll need either a boost, or modifications to hit those heavier 80s metal sounds, or to get the voice for VH sounds. It's not versatile like the JVM, but it sure does that definitive sound perfectly.
I have to plug the 2205 and 2210 model JCM800's. Some people don't like them, but if you get a later revision circuit - mid '84 or later - they seriously rip. I have one of each, and they do sound quite different from each other, one is brighter than the other. But they are both superb, with good effects loops, and a clean channel that is pretty decent too. They do use diodes for additional gain, and they are always on, so if you hear that telltale light "fuzz" of the diode and it just drives you crazy, you won't like these.
As an alternative, a JCM900 Mk III head is basically an extension of a 2203/2204. It shares almost the same circuit topology, but it's voiced with a little less bass, likely to keep it from getting muddy when.... you turn up the "sensitivity" knob which introduces diode clipping. The nice thing about the Mk III though, you can turn that control to zero, and the diodes are no longer having any effect on the sound, not enough voltage is going through and the signal isn't being clipped. Turn it up for flavor, or not, add a boost, or not, etc. Very nice amp, and an effects loop for the required reverb/delay and maybe chorus if you're going for certain VH sounds. Truly, fantastic amp.
Both the 2-channel 800's and the Mk III have not been reissued, you have to get the real thing.
Ok, one last plug. Ceriatone King Kong (or Yeti, or Chupacabra) does those kinds of modded Jose 80s sounds dead on. On the KK, Channel 1 is a duplicate Treble channel from a 1987/1959 NMV Marshall. Played side by side with my real 1987x's treble channel, it's extremely close, maybe even within just the tolerance of components (10-20%). Channel 2 on the KK is the same as the Yeti, which gives you two bright switches, two gain controls, and the "era" switch which is a 3-way switch that lets you do no diodes, or some type of diode A, or another arrangement of diodes B. Basically, flipping a couple of switches you can fine tune exactly how much brightness and cut you want, how much gain you want from two different stages, and how strong the diode clipping is on the amp (at the cost of volume, just like the real early modded amps). It's a seriously killer amp and for the price I can't believe more people don't have them. I like the King Kong in particular because I like the second channel, so I can do either clean-ish + high gain, or crunch + gainy solo. Highly, highly recommended amp from me specifically for 80s shred sounds.
I was not super fused over the JVMs I played over the years but I'm not a Marshall expert. You will get tons of good advice here
This is a decent guide I believe
Dammmmnnn I don't want to be a shitter lol but I hate that graphic. I know tone is subjective and all, but of these I strongly disagree with:
- JCM900 Dual Reverb gets a "great" for overall distortion. I don't hate it, I think it sounds awesome for 90s punk stuff, but a lot of people outright dislike it, the whole amp is op-amps and clipping diodes, it only has 1 tube gain stage even. I'm not crapping on JCM900DR's specifically, but that rating is just really... biased? Yeah.
- JCM900 SL-X gets a "great" for modern metal, but the Mk III gets "Mediocre." It's basically the same exact amp, swap one tube gain stage on the SLX for Diodes on the Mk III. By extension, DSL/TSL which both have far more gain than the SL-X also get "Mediocre" for modern metal? Also, SL-X gets a "mediocre" for classic rock - Ace Frehley from KISS would probably disagree lol, since he used the crap out of those for ya know, classic rock.
- JCM800 split channel and Jubilee are the same line. These are WAY different sounding amps. Like, not even close.
- TSL gets "good" while DSL gets "great" for overall distortion. Again, lead channel, same exact circuit, same sound. Had them both side by side.
- JCM900 Dual reverb gets "great" for overall features. It's got two channels and an FX loop. How does an amp like the TSL have a lower rating, which has three channels, two effects loops, XLR output, output mute, etc etc.
I could go on. I know I'm being a bit of a jerk and I'm not calling you out specifically, but as someone who owns - concurrently - almost every tube amp on that list, this comes off as a chart that someone who owned one or two of them made while "speculating" about the others based on youtube clips or hearing one in a shop somewhere. Not someone who has used the same guitar, same speaker cab, same room to actually test them out.
(Sorry)
