Nevermind, stock 2204 it is!

[UpInSmoke]

EDIT: With much great advice here, and really great offers to mod it as well, I've decided to stick stock (with the loop that was added before I got it).

Where's the best place to get an 84 2204 modded for a reasonable price? I'm on the east coast. Dave Friedman quoted me a fair price but it's on the other side of the states.

I'm looking for something like the JEL mod or something higher gain, switchable, 6550 tubes, things like that. I kept seeing people say they did the JEL mod and it was easy but I've never done it, kind of figure I shouldn't dive in without experience.

Might I be better off just getting a scary mod or something?

 

[FourT6and2]

Any decent tech can do a JEL mod. Just bring your amp to someone local with the schematic. I can do it, but I'm in California.

 

[matttornado]

FWIW- I did the JEL mods on my 2203 and turned IT back to stock. Why? Well, even though the mods are easy and sounded cool at bedroom levels, it was very noisy - noise that comes with the mods. When I used it at rehearsal and at gigs, the JEL mod, was too much. Too much hiss and gain. Stock is the way for me and has plenty of distortion with the stock 10k cold clipper.

Good luck! I hope you like it!

 

[UpInSmoke]

There's one single tech/repair shop near me. I may ask them how much they'd charge out of curiosity.

I definitely don't want to add noise though, so I might go the scary mod route since I myself can reverse that.

 

[FourT6and2]

If the tech knows what he's doing you won't have any problems. But it's hard to find good people out there.

 

[UpInSmoke]

Dave said he would make the mod switchable and add a depth and sat switch as well. It's not cheap with shipping coast to coast but feels like it may be worth it.

 

[FourT6and2]

Dave said he would make the mod switchable and add a depth and sat switch as well. It's not cheap with shipping coast to coast but feels like it may be worth it.

go for it

 

[Geo]

Sell it and buy a Friedman.

 

[skoora]

Yeah, Just buy a JEL50 and keep the Marshall stock. Or just use a pedal on the 2204. I bet one of the Friedman pedals like the Smallbox, into the Lo input would sound pretty damn good or a Buxom Boost in to the high input set milder on the amp.

 

[UpInSmoke]

I got a JEL 50 recently. Financially, was thinking turning the JCM into a similar thing would be nice but I have been playing them both and I really like the differences. Not that they're vast at all.

 

[Techdeth]

FWIW- I did the JEL mods on my 2203 and turned IT back to stock. Why? Well, even though the mods are easy and sounded cool at bedroom levels, it was very noisy - noise that comes with the mods. When I used it at rehearsal and at gigs, the JEL mod, was too much. Too much hiss and gain. Stock is the way for me and has plenty of distortion with the stock 10k cold clipper.

Good luck! I hope you like it!

Did you use a gate ? I know some do some don’t .just wondering

 

[griff10672]

where on the East coast are you ?

 

[UpInSmoke]

@griff10672 Not quite coast but east Tennessee

 

[griff10672]

@griff10672 Not quite coast but east Tennessee

Ahhhhh ...... I'm in Rhode Island ..... a little closer than the Cali guys ...... but still not exactly around the corner .

 

[matttornado]

Did you use a gate ? I know some do some don’t .just wondering

No, I don't use noise gates. If had too, just plugged into the amp with no added gain, then that would tell me that the mod is not for me.

The work itself is really easy for a good tech to do. I'm sure they would be happy to do it. lol $$$
Your basically just adding a few caps and couple resistors. Making it switchable, of course, would take more time and cost more.

I temporarily put all the changes on mini switches so I could hear them in action ON and OFF while playing to see how they effected the sound. I would never do that permanently. I don't like the look of added switches, knobs and stuff to my amps.

What I will say is this: The JEL mods that make the most difference are the changes to the cold clipper. (These mods been around forever. )The other added caps at V2 and the added resistor and cap to the neg feedback are a waste IMHO. The other thing too is the added 220K at the master volume really does make the volume more usable at lower settings. That mod I kept!

 

[Twilt]

Might want to give Scott Splawn a call. I'm not sure if he still does mods, but if he does, he's not too far from you in NC.

There is also Monomyth in Indiana (i think?).

~Troy

 

[japetus]

Sd-1 and an EQ

 

[232cap]

Better yet go find a vfe standout pedal and that 800 will be killer.

 

[jdel77]

The only mod a 2203 or 2204 needs is a MetroAmp or Headfirst FX Loop.
Boss SD-1 into the preamp and Graphic EQ in the Loop.

 

[PDC]

I know when it comes to the sound in our heads, we want what we want. But knowing that you have a JEL 50 and knowing want an incredible blank canvas the 2204 can be with any one of the killer front end pedals out there, I'd personally leave the 2204 alone. If it does not have a loop, I would go that route as jdel77 suggested. Boost out front and EQ in the loop and the tonal palette is endless. I'm sure you could closely duplicate whatever it is the JEL brings to the table that you dig - and then have options of a wider spectrum of sounds as well.