Modded Marshall vs using an OD pedal

[JTyson]

Its a great pedal, I dont use the 2nd boost on it, the first one is plenty. The voicing switch works well, I like the 2nd position, its a bit more open sounding with better mids. Sounds good for lead or rhythm work. Its a bit overpriced, the OCD at 18v is right up there close to it for a lot less. The MBRF stays tight under heavy gain, works well as a boost with no gain used also
When I first got it, I thought it was the best pedal I'd heard, but 2 years later the gap has closed somewhat. I guess the honeymoon wore off

 

[ratter]

Some of the greatest recorded tones of all time have been pedals into amp. And some have been stock or modded amps. It's all good. Pedals sure as hell are more fun to ship than amps! And easier to swap than speakers, pickups, or tubes.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

Some of the greatest recorded tones of all time have been pedals into amp. And some have been stock or modded amps. It's all good. Pedals sure as hell are more fun to ship than amps! And easier to swap than speakers, pickups, or tubes.

Bingo!

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I could go either way on this... right now for me the best way to get modded Marshalls is with the Randall MTS system. The Judge once tinkered with is great, the brahma is orgasmic, Hilligan modded SL+, my own modded brahma. Great marshall tones at the cost of a fraction of a pro mod.. and i can revert back to other modules any time. That said, when i need that gain, i am with the boosting community... i like a touch of boost from an OD to push me over the top. I find an OD pedal is less fizzy and keeps everything tighter. I stopped chasing that perfect tone ages ago because i noticed even these guys with their modded Marshalls were using boosts! The argument for modded marshalls is where voicing is concerned. Some people don't just want the gain, they want the voicing that is unique to that amp. Jose and Caswell mods come to mind. Live though, does it really matter when it comes through the PA? Hardly anyone will notice if you are boosting a JCM800 or if you are using a Cameron. They'll just say it sounded wicked..

My next adventure is going to be with a treble booster. Never really tried one and i am thinking that mad professor treble and clean boost in one would be perfect for some of those old Blackmore tones.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

The Crispy Cream is a great treble booster.

 

[xntrick]

+1 for using a treble boost, a byoc tri-boost sounds great with the 2nd channel of my 3120. Still looking for the right OD pedal, may have to try the zakk wylde pedal as i do like his tone.

 

[daver101]

I've had a bunch of both. Some of the best sounds I ever got were with a JCM800 and an OD820, or my Budda SD45 with a BB. But the Friedman and Cameron stuff seriously rules too.

Whatever floats your boat. I think they can peacefully coexist together!

 

[garbagetruckdriver]

and then there is the context of it all... Does it sound better in your room at home, or on stage with a band?

One of the things that made the old TS808 such a big hit was the fact that it had limited bandwidth and wound up shelving off some lower frequencies. This made your sound sit better with the bass player.
Nowadays you have pedal manufacturers making clean boosts and OverDrives with 18v to 40v supplies so that they can run their OP amps with more head room. The result, when compared to the humble 808 is lots of low end energy. It certainly gives you a thunderous driven sound, but in the context of playing with your band, that could make the bottom end sound like mush while you compete with the bass player for low end spectrum.

I'm still a big fan of slamming a 12AX7 based tube amp with a Suhr Koko boost. Don't really need more gain than that for my tastes.

 

[joepete77]

I have done both ways at various times but in my view it's hard to get a pedal out front to sound and feel as organic as a jacked up modded Marshall. In the bedroom a stock Marshall with a peal can sound great but when gigging at high volumes the same setup will often be noisy and harsh. There's a lot of modders charging big bucks these days and doing real shoddy work and it gives modded amps a bad wrap but when u hear a well thought out pro done mod it can be worth it. What pedals are u guys using ?

 

[thiswaythatway]

Ok...serious question. I've tried a few pedals with my JH100 over the past week and it sounds as good if not better than most moded Marshall's and Marshally clones that I've owned....and I've owned a metric ton of them. Both feel and tone...it's all there. I had a JCM 800 about 1 1/2 years ago that also sounded killer on it's own with a good boost. Most of the tones back in the 80's where done with a low gain Marshall and a boost. Call me a convert, but trying different pedals to find your tone is easier and cheaper than sending an amp to be moded. Shipping your amp to an amp modded is both risky and expensive.

Plus, delay sounds great out front after the OD pedal(s)...no need for an FX loop (for me anyway...all I use in the loop is delay).


Go ahead...flame away

It's all good! Part of all this madness is to find something that works for you. If a good boost in front of a stock Marshall works for you then that's KILLER. No need for anyone to flame you

I could write a 10 page post right now about my findings on this subject and the amount of years I've dicked around experimenting with this stuff, but that would just bore everyone hahahaha!

I talked to him earlier today and I think I dared him to make this thread.


On another note, I do like the way a good stock Marshall sounds with a boost but volume can be an issue, that's where IMHO the modded amps have a positive. But up loud or medium levels, some of the best sounding amps are stock Marshalls, IMHO.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Stock Marshall and an old Boss SD or OD-1.

 

[Shiny_Surface]

Ok...serious question. I've tried a few pedals with my JH100 over the past week and it sounds as good if not better than most moded Marshall's and Marshally clones that I've owned....and I've owned a metric ton of them. Both feel and tone...it's all there. I had a JCM 800 about 1 1/2 years ago that also sounded killer on it's own with a good boost. Most of the tones back in the 80's where done with a low gain Marshall and a boost. Call me a convert, but trying different pedals to find your tone is easier and cheaper than sending an amp to be moded. Shipping your amp to an amp modded is both risky and expensive.

Plus, delay sounds great out front after the OD pedal(s)...no need for an FX loop (for me anyway...all I use in the loop is delay).


Go ahead...flame away

I love a stock 800 with a boost, but try taking it a step further (if you haven't already yet). Stack a graphic/parametric EQ as a secondary boost after your primary boost.

I'm convinced alot of modded and boutique tones you hear are based on building that type of sound into the amp chassis.

Some sound as good but some worse than just using the pedals imo.

Another thing I like to do is use pedals in front of a modded Marshall using medium 800-ish gain settings. Hybrid tone.

 

[Digital Jams]

Ok...serious question. I've tried a few pedals with my JH100 over the past week and it sounds as good if not better than most moded Marshall's and Marshally clones that I've owned....and I've owned a metric ton of them. Both feel and tone...it's all there. I had a JCM 800 about 1 1/2 years ago that also sounded killer on it's own with a good boost. Most of the tones back in the 80's where done with a low gain Marshall and a boost. Call me a convert, but trying different pedals to find your tone is easier and cheaper than sending an amp to be moded. Shipping your amp to an amp modded is both risky and expensive.

Plus, delay sounds great out front after the OD pedal(s)...no need for an FX loop (for me anyway...all I use in the loop is delay).


Go ahead...flame away

I love a stock 800 with a boost, but try taking it a step further (if you haven't already yet). Stack a graphic/parametric EQ as a secondary boost after your primary boost.

I'm convinced alot of modded and boutique tones you hear are based on building that type of sound into the amp chassis.

Some sound as good but some worse than just using the pedals imo.

Another thing I like to do is use pedals in front of a modded Marshall using medium 800-ish gain settings. Hybrid tone.

Noise imo and volume starts to be a problem once you start stacking.

I have both and they both have their place in the basement and sometimes a gig Unmodded marshall I do not like the feel as much but yeah the raw sound is awesome. Modded amps are quieter if done right with dc heaters and feel better to me. Serious diode clipping and you can fall into the mesa trap of awesome basement tone but lost in the mix.

This can be debated for a week and nobody will win, in the end it is the user that makes the amp, not the amp alone.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Most guys in the 80's had the answer for noise. It was called the guitars volume knob. You had to be quick with it.

 

[VoodooChild24]

I would definitely want try modded Marshalls specifically Fortin Cali and Friedman KS. But right now, boosting does it
for me. I have a Keeley modded TS9 and Lovepedal eternity that does the job and I'm happy with it. I guess i'm being
cheap.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

The incredible JTM 45/100 Metropoulos amplifier, takes pedals the best of any of the NMV, or regular amps as we called them back in the day.
This is similar to your JH-100, but with the most respect, George's amp is built with cost as not an object. The aluminum chassis, with the reinforcing end blocks. Premium NOS components, specially designed transformers, plus he offers the option of NOS glass.
The JH-100 when new was pretty damn close to what George charges for his hand built amplifier.
The model for the JH-100 was supposedly the Dickinson amp which was alleged to have been one of Jimi's, if I'm not correct. Not to hijack this thread but I have played both amps and the Metro is just awesome.

http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=29377

http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=9786
http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=34559
http://plexireplicas.com/amplifier-arch ... 100/66007/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4qprDkSSyo&lr=1
http://plexireplicas.com/amplifier-arch ... 100/66008/
http://plexireplicas.com/metropoulos-am ... block-end/
http://www.marshallamps.com/product.asp ... er%20100JH
http://www.marshallamps.com/product.asp ... Type=SEEIT
Very cool review:
http://www.marshallamps.com/downloads/f ... review.pdf
So my dream Marshall isn't a Marshall at all. I wanted one of these Metro's since they were first announced.
There never has been an amp that is built for front end pedals, yet has amazing out of the box tones. Congratulations on your JH-100, I understand you got it for a good price..
Atomic Playboy

 

[Axe-Man]

I've gotten great tones from boosting with boosts, OD, dist pedals etc but they always seem to add something I don't gel with.

Whether it's a Carl Martin Plexitone, Suhr Shiba or a KOT (or many others), they can all sound extremely good but they are not the same as running into the amp by itself...IMHO.

The best way I've found for pushing the amp naturally with all the feel and dynamics is using an actual tube preamp pedal to push proceedings...it just feels like playing an amp to me personally, but everyone to their own. It's also much easier to adjust on the fly too.

I have found I just don't need a boost now but if I'm playing in non Jose mode, the tube preamp pedals work a treat...I've now sold off all my SS dirt.

 

[Digital Jams]

METRO NOT A MARSHALL?!?!?!?!?!?!


ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS?!?!?!?!

PLEASE NIGGA SHUT THE FUCK UP...........................................

 

[steve_k]

Ok...serious question. I've tried a few pedals with my JH100 over the past week and it sounds as good if not better than most moded Marshall's and Marshally clones that I've owned....and I've owned a metric ton of them. Both feel and tone...it's all there. I had a JCM 800 about 1 1/2 years ago that also sounded killer on it's own with a good boost. Most of the tones back in the 80's where done with a low gain Marshall and a boost. Call me a convert, but trying different pedals to find your tone is easier and cheaper than sending an amp to be moded. Shipping your amp to an amp modded is both risky and expensive.

Plus, delay sounds great out front after the OD pedal(s)...no need for an FX loop (for me anyway...all I use in the loop is delay).


Go ahead...flame away

Boring....

 

[AndyK]

Depends who is doing the modding, which pedal you are using, the tone/sound you want, the volume you want that sound at. Too many variables.

A great modded Marshall beats a stock Marshall with pedals.
A great stock Marshall with pedals beats a lame mod any day.

Great tone is all in the ear of the beholder! You can check youtube all day and listen to what someone lables "best Marshall tone ever", and wind up scratching your head in disbelief.