Marshall -- Which?

[yngzaklynch]

JVM without a doubt.
It can easily cover every nuance of the VM, and take it to retardo gain and very nice cleans.

I have to respectfully disagree. The JVM just lacked in mid gain tone compared to the VM and when the VM is boosted there is no tone the JVM can produce that sounds as good... to my ears atleast.

 

[RockNRollBabyHead]

JVM without a doubt.
It can easily cover every nuance of the VM, and take it to retardo gain and very nice cleans.

I have to respectfully disagree. The JVM jujst lacked in mid gain tone comparred to the VM and when the VM is boosted there is no tone the JVM can produce than sounds as good... to my ears atleast.

No prob. I had them side by side for a long time and was able to nail every VM tone to the tee with an amp switcher to A/B at the same time with the JVM. The hardest part with the JVM is the right speakers. The OD1 orange and crunch orange/red is where the JVM nails those mid gain tones. Alot of people don't use the master/channel volumes correctly to get it smoking like a plexi/JCM

 

[amiller]

Very interesting replies. I'm surprised to see so many gravitating toward the VM and the JVM so quickly.

I'm also surprised I didn't see more about the amps below...why not?

1) Marshall JCM800 2203 Vintage Series 100W
2) Marshall 1959HW Handwired Plexi
3) Marshall 1959SLPX Vintage Series 100W
4) Marshall 2203KK Kerry King Signature JCM800

 

[RockNRollBabyHead]

Very interesting replies. I'm surprised to see so many gravitating toward the VM and the JVM so quickly.

I'm also surprised I didn't see more about the amps below...why not?

1) Marshall JCM800 2203 Vintage Series 100W
2) Marshall 1959HW Handwired Plexi
3) Marshall 1959SLPX Vintage Series 100W
4) Marshall 2203KK Kerry King Signature JCM800

As per the designer Santiago, the JVM is based exactly on a 2203. Same circuit and transformer. He also designed the 2203KK.
There will always be subtle differences JCM's and Plexi amps dependent on components. Also realize that the Plexis need to be cranked to get the goods.
I personally never realized how much thought and design went into the newer Marshalls until I started really messing with them to see their potential. I could care less about PCB vs PTP, the bottom line to me is the sound that comes out of the speakers. The JVM delivers in my opinion. Too many people try to get super high gain modern tones from the JVM and think that is all it does. While it can hang with the highest gain of any high gainer, it has a lot more under the hood if you actually look.
I currently own a JVM and other Marshalls, but they are not my main amps at all. Just great tools for getting that tone IMHO
RRBH

 

[JackBootedThug]

i have a confession-i have always been a marshall hater. the jvm to me was ok. the 2203zw that i had was a p.o.s. every dsl and tsl that i tried sounded like garbage. last week when i was in a music store-some 14y.o. asked to try out a dsl halfstack. i thought to myself-please, shoot me now. that dsl sounded fuckin great from the first e chord that the kid hit. i was totally shocked. i wish i had time to have played that thing. but anyway, after that experience-i would say go get a dsl.

 

[anomaly]

2203KK

 

[Digital Jams]

HW 1959


Did not even read the other responses, that is THE amp to have but I also enjoy my JVM.

 

[jabps]

JVM with a greenback loaded cab. I haven't had gas in 2 years and that includes letting the SigX go as I preferred the JVM over it. And the SigX is a great amp.

I grew up playing Marshalls but left them years ago...never thought for one minute I'd be back to playing Marshalls but the JVM and the GB's are a perfect match. Heck for years I despised GT75's and the JVM makes them sound good.

Drawbacks? Do not like the knobs. Slight Volume drop with the Loop. Problem for some, not me. Different pickups really sound different with this amp.

2 years, 120+ shows, EP amongst other sessions...not had one problem. Have 2. One for backup and cannot tell the difference in either. Very consistent.

In 20+ years of playing I've always had good tone and always been complimented on it but never to this degree.

But there are so many great amps out there now it's crazy...Herbert, SigX (which I loved),Splawn, the Fortin stuff sounds amazing but the JVM is right there with all of them.

 

[Code001]

If I had to go out and buy something new, I'd get a JVM. It's versatile and suits the style of music I play.

 

[killertone]

None. Im done with Marshall.. There great for classic rock crunch but thats about it (without mods or pedals).

This is the kind of ignorant spewing that ticks me off . You're so absolutely wrong on this point that I don't even know where to start. Listen to my clips in my sig, those are straight in to the amp....LPC->JVM. That's it. Far from a classic rock tone though the JVM can easily nail that as well. I am not saying that Marshalls are the best amps in the world and for everybody, but jeez...

Oh, and to the OP...JVM ftw!

 

[James Lugo]

Traditionally I hate most all new Marshalls, there's something squirrely in the overdrive, like a weird artifact that bugs me. The DSL 100 in Classic Gain mode is my favorite sound of all the new Marshalls I've heard. I'd get a 70's JMP or Super Lead and have someone go through it and either clean it up or mod it. I can't imagine anything Marshall makes now touching my Marshalls. There are a lot of really talented guys that work on Marshalls, I personally use Friedman but there's Cameron, Caswell, Fortin etc.. In my experience it never pays to settle. Get a good old 100 watter and have one of these guys trick it out and you'll have an amp for life. Most all of that crap at GC will be boat anchors in a decade or the house amp at a rehearsal spot. Buy a piece of history.

As far as Marshalls being irrelevant or just for classic rock, the management firm that sends me a lot of my work sends me young rock bands, I'm talkin' 15 y/o to 20 y/o, everything from metal to mall punk to emo to mainstream hard rock. Most of those kids play Marshalls, some Boogies and thats about it, occasionally a Bogner. And they come in with their TSL (ouch) or whatever mosfit/hybrid bizarrorama Marshall that they got at Sam Ash, then I plug them into my 71' Super Tremolo with the Friedman 'Kitchen Sink' mod and they shit their pants when they hear the fury and the TSL becomes a foot rest for the remainder of the record.

Dream big mate!

 

[Digital Jams]

None. Im done with Marshall.. There great for classic rock crunch but thats about it (without mods or pedals).

This is the kind of ignorant spewing that ticks me off . You're so absolutely wrong on this point that I don't even know where to start. Listen to my clips in my sig, those are straight in to the amp....LPC->JVM. That's it. Far from a classic rock tone though the JVM can easily nail that as well. I am not saying that Marshalls are the best amps in the world and for everybody, but jeez...

Oh, and to the OP...JVM ftw!

Yeah I found that rather funny myself, the JVM can get as modern as you want

 

[bds9487]

JVM without a doubt.
It can easily cover every nuance of the VM, and take it to retardo gain and very nice cleans.

I have to respectfully disagree. The JVM jujst lacked in mid gain tone comparred to the VM and when the VM is boosted there is no tone the JVM can produce than sounds as good... to my ears atleast.

No prob. I had them side by side for a long time and was able to nail every VM tone to the tee with an amp switcher to A/B at the same time with the JVM.

That's interesting considering they use different power tubes.

 

[rupe]

1959RR

It is hands down the best sounding 1959 that I have ever heard...and that's just the stock channel. The cascaded gain channel ups the ante a bit, but still sounds very similar to stock. It's just a great Marshall with the added bonus of a collectability factor. Plus, it's the coolest looking Marshall since the purple stack from 90's

There are still a few new ones out there...I know of a half stack near me that a person could get a killer deal on.

 

[tweed]

You get a DSL, spend 39 bucks for a 7H choke, install it and open the volume up a bit and you will be pleasantly surprised. I know I was. With a 2x12 with g12h30's or a 4x12 with weber greenbacks, this DSL50 I got from Pete freaking SMOKES!

 

[Greazygeo]

As per the designer Santiago, the JVM is based exactly on a 2203. Same circuit and transformer. He also designed the 2203KK.
There will always be subtle differences JCM's and Plexi amps dependent on components. Also realize that the Plexis need to be cranked to get the goods.

The JVM doesnt have a choke, which is a big difference in feel. I don't find the JVM able to get the VM tones. Sure you can get something close.....to me it has much more in common with the DSL.

 

[RockNRollBabyHead]

As per the designer Santiago, the JVM is based exactly on a 2203. Same circuit and transformer. He also designed the 2203KK.
There will always be subtle differences JCM's and Plexi amps dependent on components. Also realize that the Plexis need to be cranked to get the goods.

The JVM doesnt have a choke, which is a big difference in feel. I don't find the JVM able to get the VM tones. Sure you can get something close.....to me it has much more in common with the DSL.

Well I have a choke in mine. It's a simple $20-30 mod. And the difference between the 34's and 66's is not drastic. The 66's are bit more 6L6ish for lack of a better term, which I'm not fond of.
I'm actually gonna throw a set of 77's in the JVM and see how it goes. I know the bass will be way tighter. The problem is finding a good quad of 77's from JJ.LOL If not, then I'll mod it for 88's. But a good set of 34's always helps over stock. I have =C='s in mine.

 

[killertone]

As per the designer Santiago, the JVM is based exactly on a 2203. Same circuit and transformer. He also designed the 2203KK.
There will always be subtle differences JCM's and Plexi amps dependent on components. Also realize that the Plexis need to be cranked to get the goods.

The JVM doesnt have a choke, which is a big difference in feel. I don't find the JVM able to get the VM tones. Sure you can get something close.....to me it has much more in common with the DSL.

Well I have a choke in mine. It's a simple $20-30 mod. And the difference between the 34's and 66's is not drastic. The 66's are bit more 6L6ish for lack of a better term, which I'm not fond of.
I'm actually gonna throw a set of 77's in the JVM and see how it goes. I know the bass will be way tighter. The problem is finding a good quad of 77's from JJ.LOL If not, then I'll mod it for 88's. But a good set of 34's always helps over stock. I have =C='s in mine.

I did some clips comparing the 2 types of tubes if you wanna check 'em out. I used JJ KT77s and Siemens/RFT EL34s. Same guitar same exact amp settings, all I did was swap tubes and rebias in between clips.

JVM410H EL34 - http://www.mp3lizard.com/download.cfm?id=25940

JVM410H KT77 - http://www.mp3lizard.com/download.cfm?id=25941

 

[JTyson]

I've got 5 different models at this moment, really they are all slightly different. If I had to buy one, it would depend on what I had to get out of it, and how much versatility I needed. I love the JVM, it is compressed at certain settings, but I have learned to utilize that when needed, and it gets a wide range of tones, the cleans are actually very good. The JMP is way more open sounding, as is the DSL ( which I love dearly) more dynamic, and with the right boost is lethal, but not anywhere near as versatile as the JVM. my JCM800 is fantastic, but has been modded, so I guess that dosent count. My JCM 900 was my least favorite marshall of all time, until Todd Langner got his paws in it, Then I LOVED it. I like the VM's a lot boosted, but have not owned one. None of mine sound as good as Daves Cameron Dam......

 

[Hollywood]

If guys HAD to pick a NEW Marshall, NOT a mod, which one would it be? Why?

If I had to buy a new Marshall it would be a Bogner Ecstacy.