Scored an original JCM 800 2203 and need some suggestions

[Deleted member 8761]

The whole 80's metal thing is the reason why I picked up a guitar and I have been listening to the music from that era lately. Add to that the many good Marshall clips on this forum, which pop up regularly, and you can understand my search for a JCM 800. I had a JCM 800 combo and the JCM 800 KK (twice) before. A few days ago I was lucky to find an original and unmodded 2203 from around '85. This is the horizontal input model, see crappy pics below. The first owner of this amp (where do you find that in these days of gear flippers) has sold it to me today. He told me that it was serviced for the last time in '92 or so (by Koch, the Dutch amp manufacturer) as the amp sounded a bit muddy then. I suspect it was only a tube replacement. The amp was not used much since then as his band broke up immediately after that.

I have briefly fired it up today and was blown away. It is insanely loud (how could I forget that) and moves some serious air. What a punchy mofo. A clean boost from an MXR EQ pedal got me some Slayer-esque tones already. The volume pots were cracking a bit. I am going to take it to an amp tech shortly to replace the tubes and have it checked with respect to caps and such.

Could you help me out with the following.
Please give me some suggestions for the tubes (EL34).
Are there any other particular issues I should have look at for a 2203 from that era?
I'm thinking about a power scaling mod. Any thoughts on that or would you use an attenuator?

Crappy pics in the kitchen from my phone:

 

[thiswaythatway]

Those amps sound crappy until turned up. If you wanted low volumes that's the wrong amp but I'm not sure if a THD Hotplate can help it or not. When those things are LOUD with a good OD boost they're as good as any of these modded, gopped, amps.

 

[Deleted member 8761]

Those amps sound crappy until turned up. If you wanted low volumes that's the wrong amp but I'm not sure if a THD Hotplate can help it or not. When those things are LOUD with a good OD boost they're as good as any of these modded, gopped, amps.

I don't want to use it for output at TV-levels, nor low level bedroom wanking. It's just that I want to find the sweet spot without going completely deaf

 

[DoomBuggi]

JJ tubes are pretty reliable for thrash kind of music. I had the same head from 89', and I had JJ's most of the time. I am fond of the Tung-Sol tubes as well. However, I am still experimenting. I bet Gainfreak would know, or Lolzgreg, better than myself. Might want to hit those guys up.

 

[colimofsmoke]

Don't attenuate, you'll lose a lot of the tone you like. And if you do, def use an outboard rather than a mod. Just my $.02

 

[Schaf]

The whole 80's metal thing is the reason why I picked up a guitar and I have been listening to the music from that era lately. Add to that the many good Marshall clips on this forum, which pop up regularly, and you can understand my search for a JCM 800. I had a JCM 800 combo and the JCM 800 KK (twice) before. A few days ago I was lucky to find an original and unmodded 2203 from around '85. This is the horizontal input model, see crappy pics below. The first owner of this amp (where do you find that in these days of gear flippers) has sold it to me today. He told me that it was serviced for the last time in '92 or so (by Koch, the Dutch amp manufacturer) as the amp sounded a bit muddy then. I suspect it was only a tube replacement. The amp was not used much since then as his band broke up immediately after that.

I have briefly fired it up today and was blown away. It is insanely loud (how could I forget that) and moves some serious air. What a punchy mofo. A clean boost from an MXR EQ pedal got me some Slayer-esque tones already. The volume pots were cracking a bit. I am going to take it to an amp tech shortly to replace the tubes and have it checked with respect to caps and such.

Could you help me out with the following.
Please give me some suggestions for the tubes (EL34).
Are there any other particular issues I should have look at for a 2203 from that era?
I'm thinking about a power scaling mod. Any thoughts on that or would you use an attenuator?

Crappy pics in the kitchen from my phone:

I would just use a good clean boost and OD's. That's what I do. You're not going to get great bedroom levels that way but it'll sound OK. You gotta put the juice to it to sound really good. Some people even complain about getting usable band level volumes. I don't find that to be the case. As long as you can open it up a little it'll sound great with and OD or boost.

Or you could attenuate but I probably would do more than 16db. I would just get a hot plate instead of doing some major mod to the amp. If you were going to do that, there are a number of good people that will get you killer tone at a low volume.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Get you a Boss SD-1 to run in front. They are loud (I have an 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's) and the louder you go the better they get. You may want to get an attenuator. Even pulling 2 tubes and running at 50 watts is loud as shit. I even tried taming the thing with THD power reducing Yellow Jackets. It did make it a bit more manageable but changed the tone (El-84 vs 6550). I also used a Soldano HotMod in the middle pre amp location that turned the thing into ta gain monster where you didnt need to boost it.

Here is a clip if interested in hearing how the 2203 sounded with power reducing THD YJ's and the HotMod. This was recorded at fairly low levels straight from guitar to amp, I just used the guitars volume knob to to alter the gain levels while playing .

 

[Deleted member 8761]

Get you a Boss SD-1 to run in front. They are loud (I have an 83 JCM800 2203 w/6550's) and the louder you go the better they get. You may want to get an attenuator. Even pulling 2 tubes and running at 50 watts is loud as shit. I even tried taming the thing with THD power reducing Yellow Jackets. It did make it a bit more manageable but changed the tone (El-84 vs 6550). I also used a Soldano HotMod in the middle pre amp location that turned the thing into ta gain monster where you didnt need to boost it.

Here is a clip if interested in hearing how the 2203 sounded with power reducing THD YJ's and the HotMod. This was recorded at fairly low levels straight from guitar to amp, I just used the guitars volume knob to to alter the gain levels while playing .

Thanks man,that clip has a damn fine lead tone. I'm looking to tame it just enough. The 50 w combo I had was loud, but this one seems even more into the wild... Gonna try pulling 2 tubes, but I don't think it will be enough. Problem with attenuators is the tone suck. I wonder whether power scaling has the same tone suck.

 

[mniel8195]

JJ tubes el34 l's if you want to stay traditional. you can also try kt88's 6l6's etc. i think the el34's will sound the most "marshall" for sure. And if you want to keep it old school i would use the boss overdrive but nowadays there is a ton of od's on the market. you will need a hotplate for sure

 

[LP Freak]

JJ tubes el34 l's if you want to stay traditional. you can also try kt88's 6l6's etc. i think the el34's will sound the most "marshall" for sure. And if you want to keep it old school i would use the boss overdrive but nowadays there is a ton of od's on the market. you will need a hotplate for sure

This amp will not accept KT88's or 6L6's in it's stock form.

 

[Deleted member 8761]

Any suggestions for preamp tubes?

Somehow the JJ powertubes are harder to find over here. I'm also looking into other brands now.

 

[Shiny_Surface]

Growing up on 80's metal, I didn't know what I was missing out on until I picked up an original 2203 and 2204.

With a boost up front, they sounded as good or better than alot of boutique amps I used to own.

The originals sound warmer/beefier and not as trebly as the 800 2203x reissue I had.

Boosted I even think they sound pretty good at lower volumes as well.

 

[Rødskjegg]

Hey Laurens, Tonefactory has JJ tubes readily available. I buy my tubes most of the time there.
You can also check out Tubetown or Banzai music.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

JJ tubes el34 l's if you want to stay traditional. you can also try kt88's 6l6's etc. i think the el34's will sound the most "marshall" for sure. And if you want to keep it old school i would use the boss overdrive but nowadays there is a ton of od's on the market. you will need a hotplate for sure

This amp will not accept KT88's or 6L6's in it's stock form.

what? they fit in the sockets so therefore they have to work right?

 

[rabies]

eurotubes E34L every time. i have a 2205 head and I crank it loud at the studio, they sound badass with gain and pre-amp dimed and master around noon.

 

[rabies]

forget the THD hotplate, tone suckers. I use a G Major in the loop (you probably don't have a loop on yours, reissue does) and control volume that way, sounds decent at home.

 

[sparkle**]

Slave the amp to the Hotplate or "load Box" Out to any effects then to a power amp...Crank the marshall and use the power amp to control the volume...

 

[Chris6870]

Some electrical cleaner spray should clean up the scratchy pots.

 

[manicsix]

I had an '82 2203 and I never changed the valves.. they were there when I got in a trade, and I didn't play it as much as I anticipated. But.. they sounded great, they were just noname EL34s. Strange but I like the thin sound of old valves, and so does Tom Morello so go figure?

Sorry, but that doesn't help much.

I've also heard good things about JJs.

 

[rabies]

old power tubes typically sound dull, lifeless, not as loud, etc. I'm sure Morello loves that although I've heard he didn't change tubes for years. Don't believe everything you read...