NAD - Silver Jubilee mini head

[Marshall Freak]

I'd say tweak. I went 2 rounds with that amp. First time, hated it. Second time, I took a different approach, and absolutely loved it!

As mentioned, output master has to be high, lead master is your volume. Gain quite high, (I ran mine at about 2-3 o'clock), NO RHYTHM CLIP, and a boost pedal.

Many have their opinions/preference, but I found that the rhythm clip was the enemy. It adds instant fizz, and unpleasantness. It's funny, my first time owning one, I thought it was loose, flabby and hideous sounding. Second go around, and dialing it in, it was tight and focused. And, I never found it bright. I found it to be a JCM800 flavor, but warmer and darker. Mine sounded plenty beefy. It's a small amp, but you still need some volume, it just has an earlier sweet spot.

That's exactly how I'd describe what I was hearing and feeling last night. Loose and flabby. I'll have to try a boost into it.

If I were someone who hated boosts, and refused to use one I'd own no Stock Marshalls whatsoever. The rhythm clip is ok IF you run it loud, lower volumes bring the fizz. But run the gain higher or it's thin city. This is the only Marshall IMO that sounds killer with V30s. In fact the first V30 made, the Marshall Vintage, was designed FOR the Jubilee.

I agree that it pairs well, but the vintage 30 came out in 1985 for the Marshall studio 15.

Also agree a boost, and volume are really helpful. The low wattage setting of the standby was kinda useless to me.

 

[lespaul6]

My guess is that the op was hoping for more gain? If your looking for a 5150 type thing then this is not your amp... period.

 

[Racerxrated]

I'd say tweak. I went 2 rounds with that amp. First time, hated it. Second time, I took a different approach, and absolutely loved it!

As mentioned, output master has to be high, lead master is your volume. Gain quite high, (I ran mine at about 2-3 o'clock), NO RHYTHM CLIP, and a boost pedal.

Many have their opinions/preference, but I found that the rhythm clip was the enemy. It adds instant fizz, and unpleasantness. It's funny, my first time owning one, I thought it was loose, flabby and hideous sounding. Second go around, and dialing it in, it was tight and focused. And, I never found it bright. I found it to be a JCM800 flavor, but warmer and darker. Mine sounded plenty beefy. It's a small amp, but you still need some volume, it just has an earlier sweet spot.

That's exactly how I'd describe what I was hearing and feeling last night. Loose and flabby. I'll have to try a boost into it.

If I were someone who hated boosts, and refused to use one I'd own no Stock Marshalls whatsoever. The rhythm clip is ok IF you run it loud, lower volumes bring the fizz. But run the gain higher or it's thin city. This is the only Marshall IMO that sounds killer with V30s. In fact the first V30 made, the Marshall Vintage, was designed FOR the Jubilee.

I agree that it pairs well, but the vintage 30 came out in 1985 for the Marshall studio 15.

Also agree a boost, and volume are really helpful. The low wattage setting of the standby was kinda useless to me.

1985? I did not know that. Although I think I had a 4203 combo, from 86 that had one...Thought someone put it in later.

 

[napalmdeath]

I just opened it up. It has Marshall branded Tungsol EL34's. A Marshall branded 12ax7 in v1, and 2 non-marked 12ax7's in v2 and v3.

JJ in V1, Chinese in V2 & V3. Got any better preamp tubes laying around?

Yeah, I have a bunch. JJ, Tungsol, Sovtek, Mullard, Ruby...

Put a Tungsol in V1, and JJ in V2, and the Mullard in V3.

 

[ledvedder]

I just opened it up. It has Marshall branded Tungsol EL34's. A Marshall branded 12ax7 in v1, and 2 non-marked 12ax7's in v2 and v3.

JJ in V1, Chinese in V2 & V3. Got any better preamp tubes laying around?

Yeah, I have a bunch. JJ, Tungsol, Sovtek, Mullard, Ruby...

Put a Tungsol in V1, and JJ in V2, and the Mullard in V3.

Can you explain why those specific tubes in those particular spots?

 

[napalmdeath]

I just opened it up. It has Marshall branded Tungsol EL34's. A Marshall branded 12ax7 in v1, and 2 non-marked 12ax7's in v2 and v3.

JJ in V1, Chinese in V2 & V3. Got any better preamp tubes laying around?

Yeah, I have a bunch. JJ, Tungsol, Sovtek, Mullard, Ruby...

Put a Tungsol in V1, and JJ in V2, and the Mullard in V3.

Can you explain why those specific tubes in those particular spots?

The Tungsol in V1 will add a sweetness to the tone, smooth out, and make it less flubby. The JJ in V2 will add warmth, and the Mullard is a short plate and works great as a phase inverter.

Do you have a good boost pedal? I actually ran 2. An Exotic EP just slightly cracked open into a GT-OD,
(level dimed, gain on zero) it sounded HUGE.

Do this.. Set all the EQ knobs at noon, except for bass. Crank it to about 3 o'clock.

Then dial the treble back to about 11 o'clock, and same for presence. I kept my mids at about 1 o'clock.

Disengage the diodes/rhythm clip, but run the dirty channel. Crank the output master to about 2 o'clock, (you can bump it more to taste later, but that knob is key to huge tone).

On the gain, I ran mine anywhere between 2 and 4 o'clock. Closer to 2 when using both boosts, closer to 3 or 4 with just the GT-OD. Start bumping it up with the lead master.

THIS IS KEY. You will find your tone balancing the two volumes. If it's too fat, lower the output, bump up the lead. But, use the output master pretty high. It's a loud little fucker, so yes, it'll get your attention. But, if you can play it loud, you'll find your reward.

IF you are a genuine Marshall fan, and dedicate some time, you'll get the goods. I'm telling you, it's in there. It is NOT a gain monster. And I will say it again, the rhythm clipping adds instant garbage. Find your balance with the two volumes, crank the gain, and use it like an 800.

If you need a boost pedal, let me know. I have a beat up Zakk Wylde OD I'll send you. It'll goose it nicely.

 

[ledvedder]

I just opened it up. It has Marshall branded Tungsol EL34's. A Marshall branded 12ax7 in v1, and 2 non-marked 12ax7's in v2 and v3.

JJ in V1, Chinese in V2 & V3. Got any better preamp tubes laying around?

Yeah, I have a bunch. JJ, Tungsol, Sovtek, Mullard, Ruby...

Put a Tungsol in V1, and JJ in V2, and the Mullard in V3.

Can you explain why those specific tubes in those particular spots?

The Tungsol in V1 will add a sweetness to the tone, smooth out, and make it less flubby. The JJ in V2 will add warmth, and the Mullard is a short plate and works great as a phase inverter.

Do you have a good boost pedal? I actually ran 2. An Exotic EP just slightly cracked open into a GT-OD,
(level dimed, gain on zero) it sounded HUGE.

Do this.. Set all the EQ knobs at noon, except for bass. Crank it to about 3 o'clock.

Then dial the treble back to about 11 o'clock, and same for presence. I kept my mids at about 1 o'clock.

Disengage the diodes/rhythm clip, but run the dirty channel. Crank the output master to about 2 o'clock, (you can bump it more to taste later, but that knob is key to huge tone).

On the gain, I ran mine anywhere between 2 and 4 o'clock. Closer to 2 when using both boosts, closer to 3 or 4 with just the GT-OD. Start bumping it up with the lead master.

THIS IS KEY. You will find your tone balancing the two volumes. If it's too fat, lower the output, bump up the lead. But, use the output master pretty high. It's a loud little fucker, so yes, it'll get your attention. But, if you can play it loud, you'll find your reward.

IF you are a genuine Marshall fan, and dedicate some time, you'll get the goods. I'm telling you, it's in there. It is NOT a gain monster. And I will say it again, the rhythm clipping adds instant garbage. Find your balance with the two volumes, crank the gain, and use it like an 800.

If you need a boost pedal, let me know. I have a beat up Zakk Wylde OD I'll send you. It'll goose it nicely.

I have an SD1 and a Bad Monkey. I guess I could give those a shot. Is the ZW OD different?

 

[napalmdeath]

I just opened it up. It has Marshall branded Tungsol EL34's. A Marshall branded 12ax7 in v1, and 2 non-marked 12ax7's in v2 and v3.

JJ in V1, Chinese in V2 & V3. Got any better preamp tubes laying around?

Yeah, I have a bunch. JJ, Tungsol, Sovtek, Mullard, Ruby...

Put a Tungsol in V1, and JJ in V2, and the Mullard in V3.

Can you explain why those specific tubes in those particular spots?

The Tungsol in V1 will add a sweetness to the tone, smooth out, and make it less flubby. The JJ in V2 will add warmth, and the Mullard is a short plate and works great as a phase inverter.

Do you have a good boost pedal? I actually ran 2. An Exotic EP just slightly cracked open into a GT-OD,
(level dimed, gain on zero) it sounded HUGE.

Do this.. Set all the EQ knobs at noon, except for bass. Crank it to about 3 o'clock.

Then dial the treble back to about 11 o'clock, and same for presence. I kept my mids at about 1 o'clock.

Disengage the diodes/rhythm clip, but run the dirty channel. Crank the output master to about 2 o'clock, (you can bump it more to taste later, but that knob is key to huge tone).

On the gain, I ran mine anywhere between 2 and 4 o'clock. Closer to 2 when using both boosts, closer to 3 or 4 with just the GT-OD. Start bumping it up with the lead master.

THIS IS KEY. You will find your tone balancing the two volumes. If it's too fat, lower the output, bump up the lead. But, use the output master pretty high. It's a loud little fucker, so yes, it'll get your attention. But, if you can play it loud, you'll find your reward.

IF you are a genuine Marshall fan, and dedicate some time, you'll get the goods. I'm telling you, it's in there. It is NOT a gain monster. And I will say it again, the rhythm clipping adds instant garbage. Find your balance with the two volumes, crank the gain, and use it like an 800.

If you need a boost pedal, let me know. I have a beat up Zakk Wylde OD I'll send you. It'll goose it nicely.

I have an SD1 and a Bad Monkey. I guess I could give those a shot. Is the ZW OD different?

The SD-1 should work. The ZW is like an SD-1, with less bass loss, and a little more angrier sounding.

 

[ledvedder]

I just opened it up. It has Marshall branded Tungsol EL34's. A Marshall branded 12ax7 in v1, and 2 non-marked 12ax7's in v2 and v3.

JJ in V1, Chinese in V2 & V3. Got any better preamp tubes laying around?

Yeah, I have a bunch. JJ, Tungsol, Sovtek, Mullard, Ruby...

Put a Tungsol in V1, and JJ in V2, and the Mullard in V3.

Can you explain why those specific tubes in those particular spots?

The Tungsol in V1 will add a sweetness to the tone, smooth out, and make it less flubby. The JJ in V2 will add warmth, and the Mullard is a short plate and works great as a phase inverter.

Do you have a good boost pedal? I actually ran 2. An Exotic EP just slightly cracked open into a GT-OD,
(level dimed, gain on zero) it sounded HUGE.

Do this.. Set all the EQ knobs at noon, except for bass. Crank it to about 3 o'clock.

Then dial the treble back to about 11 o'clock, and same for presence. I kept my mids at about 1 o'clock.

Disengage the diodes/rhythm clip, but run the dirty channel. Crank the output master to about 2 o'clock, (you can bump it more to taste later, but that knob is key to huge tone).

On the gain, I ran mine anywhere between 2 and 4 o'clock. Closer to 2 when using both boosts, closer to 3 or 4 with just the GT-OD. Start bumping it up with the lead master.

THIS IS KEY. You will find your tone balancing the two volumes. If it's too fat, lower the output, bump up the lead. But, use the output master pretty high. It's a loud little fucker, so yes, it'll get your attention. But, if you can play it loud, you'll find your reward.

IF you are a genuine Marshall fan, and dedicate some time, you'll get the goods. I'm telling you, it's in there. It is NOT a gain monster. And I will say it again, the rhythm clipping adds instant garbage. Find your balance with the two volumes, crank the gain, and use it like an 800.

If you need a boost pedal, let me know. I have a beat up Zakk Wylde OD I'll send you. It'll goose it nicely.

I have an SD1 and a Bad Monkey. I guess I could give those a shot. Is the ZW OD different?

The SD-1 should work. The ZW is like an SD-1, with less bass loss, and a little more angrier sounding.

I tried it with the SD-1. It did start to sound better, but the bass got squashed and it had this irritating high end. I tried backing off with the presence and table knobs, but I couldn't clear it up. Also, the fx loop seems very noisy. I tried my Hall of Fame reverb and Flashback delay in it and it was very noisy.

 

[napalmdeath]

I just opened it up. It has Marshall branded Tungsol EL34's. A Marshall branded 12ax7 in v1, and 2 non-marked 12ax7's in v2 and v3.

JJ in V1, Chinese in V2 & V3. Got any better preamp tubes laying around?

Yeah, I have a bunch. JJ, Tungsol, Sovtek, Mullard, Ruby...

Put a Tungsol in V1, and JJ in V2, and the Mullard in V3.

Can you explain why those specific tubes in those particular spots?

The Tungsol in V1 will add a sweetness to the tone, smooth out, and make it less flubby. The JJ in V2 will add warmth, and the Mullard is a short plate and works great as a phase inverter.

Do you have a good boost pedal? I actually ran 2. An Exotic EP just slightly cracked open into a GT-OD,
(level dimed, gain on zero) it sounded HUGE.

Do this.. Set all the EQ knobs at noon, except for bass. Crank it to about 3 o'clock.

Then dial the treble back to about 11 o'clock, and same for presence. I kept my mids at about 1 o'clock.

Disengage the diodes/rhythm clip, but run the dirty channel. Crank the output master to about 2 o'clock, (you can bump it more to taste later, but that knob is key to huge tone).

On the gain, I ran mine anywhere between 2 and 4 o'clock. Closer to 2 when using both boosts, closer to 3 or 4 with just the GT-OD. Start bumping it up with the lead master.

THIS IS KEY. You will find your tone balancing the two volumes. If it's too fat, lower the output, bump up the lead. But, use the output master pretty high. It's a loud little fucker, so yes, it'll get your attention. But, if you can play it loud, you'll find your reward.

IF you are a genuine Marshall fan, and dedicate some time, you'll get the goods. I'm telling you, it's in there. It is NOT a gain monster. And I will say it again, the rhythm clipping adds instant garbage. Find your balance with the two volumes, crank the gain, and use it like an 800.

If you need a boost pedal, let me know. I have a beat up Zakk Wylde OD I'll send you. It'll goose it nicely.

I have an SD1 and a Bad Monkey. I guess I could give those a shot. Is the ZW OD different?

The SD-1 should work. The ZW is like an SD-1, with less bass loss, and a little more angrier sounding.

I tried it with the SD-1. It did start to sound better, but the bass got squashed and it had this irritating high end. I tried backing off with the presence and table knobs, but I couldn't clear it up. Also, the fx loop seems very noisy. I tried my Hall of Fame reverb and Flashback delay in it and it was very noisy.

I never had that issue with the loop. My guess is, it's the TC. I ditched a TC delay pedal for that reason. Went back to a Boss DD-3, problem went away.

I never found that amp overly bright. At the time, I had V30's/T75's in my 4x12, and it was pretty warm sounding. I could almost max out the bass, with absolutely no flub.

The SD-1 is kinda grainy. Try something warmer, like a GT-OD, TS-9, or OD808. I used a GT-OD, with an EP Booster in front of that, just barely cracked open, and it sounded absolutely huge. Still regret selling that amp..

 

[acidvoodoo]

I tried it with the SD-1. It did start to sound better, but the bass got squashed and it had this irritating high end. I tried backing off with the presence and table knobs, but I couldn't clear it up. Also, the fx loop seems very noisy. I tried my Hall of Fame reverb and Flashback delay in it and it was very noisy.

I bought a mini jub two weeks ago, have the same exact pedals in the loop and they sound great. Transparent and quiet.

This seems like user error or a problem with your amp.

 

[napalmdeath]

I bought a mini jub two weeks ago, have the same exact pedals in the loop and they sound great. Transparent and quiet. This seems like user error or a problem with your amp.

I found the loop very transparent. I have to agree here, OP just needs to spend more time with it, or move on. Great tones are in there, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.