This is THE tone

  • Thread starter Thread starter LP Freak
  • Start date Start date
I had one of these horizontal input 100 watters back in the 90's and traded it in at Thoroughbred music for a 2555. Zakk Wylde did a clinic there a few days later and guess what amp he was using ? my old 100 watter I traded in...lol he sounded better than me through it of course!
 
The sound of Rock! Like it or not, Stock with a pedal or modded, Marshalls just have IT. Everyone should have at least one.
 
Insane tone man. There is this bouncy percussiveness that no other amp can imitate. That amp with the SD-1 sounds glorious. I would love to hear what the VFE DRAGON sounds like with that badboy.
 
I’ve always felt a boosted 2203 beats most high gainers out there except for just a few special ones like the IIc+’s, Wizard MTL, Cameron’s, Blueface VH4 and Hiwatt

I like the late 70’s ones even better since they have more growl and complexity like this one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eh8Rso9nE ... ex=17&t=0s

Or also this one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-7XPQzWfhcU

IMO no need to think about amps like the Friedman’s, Helios, or Splawn’s when you can have this better tone at also a better price

Maybe a little nit picky of me, but I find the JCM800’s (in that clip as well) to sound thinner, less complex and a little brittle compared to the late 70’s JMP2203’s, but both still great sounding amps that beat the majority of amps made today
 
braintheory":3ikzfpur said:
I’ve always felt a boosted 2203 beats most high gainers out there except for just a few special ones like the IIc+’s, Wizard MTL, Cameron’s, Blueface VH4 and Hiwatt

I like the late 70’s ones even better since they have more growl and complexity like this one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eh8Rso9nE ... ex=17&t=0s

Or also this one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-7XPQzWfhcU

IMO no need to think about amps like the Friedman’s, Helios, or Splawn’s when you can have this better tone at also a better price

Maybe a little nit picky of me, but I find the JCM800’s (in that clip as well) to sound thinner, less complex and a little brittle compared to the late 70’s JMP2203’s, but both still great sounding amps that beat the majority of amps made today
Click to expand...
I agree with the JMP assertion with one exception...the 1982 2203/4s. I've had a few from that yr, and they all destroyed every other MV Marshall I've owned.
 
lespaul6":1iyl9vcr said:
I had one of these horizontal input 100 watters back in the 90's and traded it in at Thoroughbred music for a 2555. Zakk Wylde did a clinic there a few days later and guess what amp he was using ? my old 100 watter I traded in...lol he sounded better than me through it of course!
Click to expand...

Hah...I remember Thoroughbred! Spent MANY Saturdays in there in my younger days. Dreaming..Drooling.. I remember buying a brand new Marshall Valvestate VS100, and thought it was the shit!
 
Hell yes.

A lot of the time, the brightness of the 800 vs the jmp is the 6550 tubes instead of old el34 too.
 
napalmdeath":23nkx8z3 said:
lespaul6":23nkx8z3 said:
I had one of these horizontal input 100 watters back in the 90's and traded it in at Thoroughbred music for a 2555. Zakk Wylde did a clinic there a few days later and guess what amp he was using ? my old 100 watter I traded in...lol he sounded better than me through it of course!
Click to expand...

Hah...I remember Thoroughbred! Spent MANY Saturdays in there in my younger days. Dreaming..Drooling.. I remember buying a brand new Marshall Valvestate VS100, and thought it was the shit!
Click to expand...

Awesome... pre internet times!
 
Love the damn things. Wish they had a loop. May have to install one.

20191114-195117.jpg
 
Racerxrated":2skhpdbo said:
braintheory":2skhpdbo said:
I’ve always felt a boosted 2203 beats most high gainers out there except for just a few special ones like the IIc+’s, Wizard MTL, Cameron’s, Blueface VH4 and Hiwatt

I like the late 70’s ones even better since they have more growl and complexity like this one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eh8Rso9nE ... ex=17&t=0s

Or also this one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-7XPQzWfhcU

IMO no need to think about amps like the Friedman’s, Helios, or Splawn’s when you can have this better tone at also a better price

Maybe a little nit picky of me, but I find the JCM800’s (in that clip as well) to sound thinner, less complex and a little brittle compared to the late 70’s JMP2203’s, but both still great sounding amps that beat the majority of amps made today
Click to expand...
I agree with the JMP assertion with one exception...the 1982 2203/4s. I've had a few from that yr, and they all destroyed every other MV Marshall I've owned.
Click to expand...
Interesting, maybe I’ll have to try to more early JCM800’s. I had an ‘83 JCM800 2203 recently and it sounded like what I was describing and like the OP’s clip. Don’t get me wrong, I still think they’re great sounding amps (way better than any Friedman or Splawn), but didn’t like any of the ones I’ve tried yet as much as the late ‘70’s 2203, but perhaps I still need to try more out. I’ve tried lots of late ‘70’s ones over the years and have yet to try one that didn’t sound great to me. It would surprise me to find a JCM800 that destroy a late ‘70’s 2203, but maybe it’s possible. I’ll keep it in mind
 
Horizontal JCM800s to me were the best sounding ones, especially when modded like my Bogner JCM800:

 
I just got the new JCM800 20 watt studio classic and it sounds just like this! With my Waza SD-1 I couldn’t put my guitar down, it sounded so good.

Thing I don’t understand is that my 2203X does not quite sound like this in terms of the gain/saturation available. A lot of people are comparing this new 20 watt version to the 2204 and now I see why.

Every clip I hear of a 2204 or Studio Classic sounds like this. How can they be different from the 2203 if the preamp is the same? I’m sure the 2203 catches up at volume, but I’ve seen enough clips to see a trend that the 2204 always sounds to have that little more gain/saturation to make it perfect.
 
If I remember correctly the 2204 has lower plate voltage than the 2203. That is a big part of the difference.
 
I think there are differences in the filtering and plate voltages between the 2203 and 2204. JMP 2204s often had plate voltages around 370 or so and then increased in the early '80s JCM 800 versions to the low 400s I think. But the 2203 I think often had plate voltages closer to 500. If I understand things correctly, that lower plate voltage impacts a lot of things, including the gain saturation particularly at lower volumes.
 
I've owned a bunch of JMP's and JCM 800's from the 70's/80's. Never played one that blew me away, honestly. I'm sure they all needed some sort of servicing. But even the voodoo 2204 I had I didn't care much for. They all seemed to have a saggy, sloppy feel to them. Like the caps needed changing or something.

I recently picked up 2 2203x reissues, and both sound absolutely killer. I bought both at great prices to flip, but I have decided to keep one because it sounds so damn good.

Marshall really did this one right as far as reissues go. Would never buy at their new prices, but used, they're where it's at.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top