Which Marshall is worth more to you?

[psychodave]

Good responses, but I'm not sure I agree that stock is worth more on the market. Many here would say an early 80's 2203/2204 is worth somewhere around a grand. I usually see them for more but those do pop up. That said, I wouldn't really expect a similar yet rando modded 2203/2204 to go for much, if any, less than that.

Not sure if you threw out a random price, but I’ve been on the hunt for a late 70’s or early 80’s 2203 for months. I found one, but the prices are between $1,500 and $2000 everywhere. Yeah, you may find a bogey here and there, but that’s rare. 3-4 years ago they were $1,000 all day long. It was difficult finding one without any mods...and even the one I got had a single resistor changed for EL34’s.

 

[SpiderWars]

Want do you want to do, play it, or flip it? Getting more and more like TGP around here.

It's not complicated. If the modded one sounds better than bone-stock, it's pretty much a no-brainer. If you need a loop, and it's a good one, again, not a genius call.

It was just a general question. It's not about any specific amp/purchase.

Yes that was a random number Dave but they do pop up. I do routinely see them for $1500 asking price.

 

[psychodave]

Want do you want to do, play it, or flip it? Getting more and more like TGP around here.

It's not complicated. If the modded one sounds better than bone-stock, it's pretty much a no-brainer. If you need a loop, and it's a good one, again, not a genius call.

It was just a general question. It's not about any specific amp/purchase.

Yes that was a random number Dave but they do pop up. I do routinely see them for $1500 asking price.

Haha. Cool. I was about to punch myself in the face.

 

[Panzer917-30]

I took the "to you" part of the question to mean which would be more usable, not which I can sell/flip.

If the moded one sounds good and the mods are non-distructive, past an extra hole for a pot, I would take the mod. A stock 800 doesn't have enough gain particularly at anything below fully cranked to be usable most of the time.

 

[EXPcustom]

So many people "modding" now that have no idea what they are doing.


I've gotten some tragic cases of unknown tech's bad mods when buying Marshalls to have proper mods by people who are established put in the correct parts or fix, that I would never buy any modded amp by an unknown and just use it. I've seen shit that can kill or burn down your house in some of these "mods".

Now a days all someone needs is a few schematics off of SLOclones forums, fixed a friends amp once by changing tubes and they think they can call themselves professional amp techs.

 

[psychodave]

So many people "modding" now that have no idea what they are doing.


I've gotten some tragic cases of unknown tech's bad mods when buying Marshalls to have proper mods by people who are established put in the correct parts or fix, that I would never buy any modded amp by an unknown and just use it. I've seen shit that can kill or burn down your house in some of these "mods".

Now a days all someone needs is a few schematics off of SLOclones forums, fixed a friends amp once by changing tubes and they think they can call themselves professional amp techs.

LOL.

...and these are the same people who are now offering mods, but can’t trouble shoot an amp to save their life. They just take an amp, throw in their mods and send it out. They don’t go over the entire amp checking voltages, cleaning jacks, pots, tube sockets, bias, etc.

 

[SpiderWars]

So many people "modding" now that have no idea what they are doing.


I've gotten some tragic cases of unknown tech's bad mods when buying Marshalls to have proper mods by people who are established put in the correct parts or fix, that I would never buy any modded amp by an unknown and just use it. I've seen shit that can kill or burn down your house in some of these "mods".

Now a days all someone needs is a few schematics off of SLOclones forums, fixed a friends amp once by changing tubes and they think they can call themselves professional amp techs.

Totally agree. I just recently bought a modded amp that appears they wanted to swap two coupling caps early in the preamp...but the leads on the caps weren't long enough to reach the turrets. So one end was just laid on top of the turret and buttered in and the other end had a 'bridge' made of solder to reach the turret.

I admit I'm a hack but I've kept all the amps I molested except two that were sold as 'functional prototypes' (with Sharpie labeling and all ). And they had great iron and were sold cheap with no secrets held back (chassis was pulled/inspected and amp was tested by them).

 

[nzsteve]

Looks like a real caswell - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Marshall-100-M ... Swrl5azi2J

Id say it depends on who did the mod and what it is. I have a single channel that has multi voicings, resonance, custom bright switches that I sat with the tech and decided what I wanted and then has a 3 stage gain and a 4 stage gain input. Its been a while but I think thats the correct info on it.. So if I was looking for an amp and ran across something like that, id probably take that over a stock amp. Actually thats how this amp came about.. I bumped into Higainer at a gearfest in New Zealand... heard his modded amp and had never seen anything like that...

As far as the comments about not using a amp without a loop, id say your really missing out if you have never used a line out converter and went into your effects and then a power amp... w d w is the way to go... I have never looked back... ok and ya I dont take my amps anywhere anymore because thats just too much crap to load and unload haha... But you could use a Fryette power station and have a loop and solve it that way too.... I have non modded marshalls as well.. they sit unused... I plug them in about once every 2 years... just disappointed with them.. should sell them they are both 83? anniversary white marshalls...

 

[SpiderWars]

Looks like a real caswell - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Marshall-100-M ... Swrl5azi2J

Id say it depends on who did the mod and what it is. I have a single channel that has multi voicings, resonance, custom bright switches that I sat with the tech and decided what I wanted and then has a 3 stage gain and a 4 stage gain input. Its been a while but I think thats the correct info on it.. So if I was looking for an amp and ran across something like that, id probably take that over a stock amp. Actually thats how this amp came about.. I bumped into Higainer at a gearfest in New Zealand... heard his modded amp and had never seen anything like that...

As far as the comments about not using a amp without a loop, id say your really missing out if you have never used a line out converter and went into your effects and then a power amp... w d w is the way to go... I have never looked back... ok and ya I dont take my amps anywhere anymore because thats just too much crap to load and unload haha... But you could use a Fryette power station and have a loop and solve it that way too.... I have non modded marshalls as well.. they sit unused... I plug them in about once every 2 years... just disappointed with them.. should sell them they are both 83? anniversary white marshalls...

There are a few here that do the w/d/w thing and rarely if ever move it. I plan to do it as well. If I had to move it, forget it but just set up at home it's probably pretty glorious.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I think the market is a little out of control now on JCM800's. In Canada, I see them on the classifieds going anywhere from 1400$ and up. I bought my 82' combo over 10 years ago for 900$. That seemed reasonable to me. Unfortunately I have molested mine a bit by putting a metro loop in it (works flawless) and piggy backing a few resitors so that it takes EL34 rather than 6550 but it never is going anywhere so all good. Personally, a modded jcm800 with a switchable extra tube gain stage and a metro loop would mean more to me as long as with the flip of a switch, I got the stock circuit. Nowadays, rather than an original I would just build or buy a kit. The Laney Pro Tubes I gutted and put a PTP 2204 circuit into sounds just as good as my 82'. Used Sozo and classic tone iron and it is just as thunderous as anything.

 

[splatter]

Which would be worth more to you? An early 80s JCM800 bone stock/original or an early 80's JCM800 that has original iron/etc but has had an extra gain stage added (extra preamp tube) and Metro loop added, all by an unknown? And let's suppose you have pics of the mods and they don't look bad. I'm just curious if 'modded by Joe' is worth more than stock these days.

Resale is obvious. While I acknowledge that so many of the great amp I like are based on the Marshal Master Volume circuit, it alone is just extremely overrated. You used to be able to pick one of these up for 300-500 15 years ago. I simply dont see people using a stock JCM without some sort of help and a metroloop is a perfect match for a JCM800.

^
this.

Even then with a pedal in front I never heard a stock one I liked and you usually have to crank it to get what it does have to give . Add to that the fact that most people want around $1700 or better for a stock JCM 800 in good condition from the 80's and for my money modded is the way to go.

 

[romanianreaper]

As mentioned, I think it al depends on the buyer's intention with the amp. As an investment, gotta keep it stock in my opinion. For someone using it for gigging, recording, etc., I say do whatever works.