opinions on Marshall JCM900 and JCM 2000 TSL??

[tonemonster]

opinions on Marshall JCM900 and JCM 2000?? I am looking at a few of them used.

I have some GAS. I am also looking at a new VHT special 6 ultra. Yes, I know.....apples and oranges. but I am just looking for something cool.

What are your opinions of the JCM900 and JCM2000??? I am interested in what you folks have to say about them.

good experiences or bad experiences, flaws, or anything you can think of. talk to me. I have a line on a used JCM900 that I think I can get a good price on. just curious what you guys think is a good price on a head.... $500? $600? $700??

Thanks in advance!

[Twitch]

900a are excellent for the money. At GC theyre over priced, but check out MGR, CL, pawnshops etc and you can pick em up all day long for $600-$700. I dont have experience with the DSL, but the TSL is ok, and not much more used than the 900s plus they have more gain available stock.

[SixstringKing]

Never tried the 2000 but I did have the 900(4100). It was "OK" just not what I wanted looking for sound wise. Perfect amp if you want to get the "Airbourne" sound. I found I needed to crank the gains all the way to get close to the saturation I was looking for, suppose I could have tried an overdrive pedal but all in all just wasn't the tone I wanted. Up here they can be had in the $600 to $700 dollar range on kijiji, any higher and they seem to linger around for quite a while.

[horns666]

900>TSL

DSL-TSL whatever gain on tap is mushy, farty especially for a Marshall..not good. Requires a stomp in front.

[Ward]

I've got a TSL100 that I bought new in 2002. I really like it, and I like the sounds I get out of all three channels. Distinct character to each channel. It also has a switch to reduce it to about 25watts if you need to quiet it down but still overdrive it. I don't use one, but I have heard a lot of people say what Bill said, that it's better with a pedal pushing it up front.

In ten years I've only had a single $50 repair and it gets used almost daily. I'm just a home player now, so it doesn't get moved or carted around, but it's been bulletproof for me.

[ulijdavid]

I have a TSL60 head going into OLD-OLD-OLD ADA 2x12 cabinets. I actually like the distortion at all volumes. The biggest problem my ears have has to do with the gain. I find the distortion to get very buzzy after about 6 or 7 o'clock. For me not a problem - only looking for old UFO and MSG tones. Perfectly good hard rock tones. If you are looking for the new heavier metal gain, you will probably need the pedals or move on. I have tried pedals in front and other stuff in the effects loop, but always go back to just a cord into the amp.

[zeegler]

I personally prefer the 900 because it's tighter and punchier. I have a 50 watt JCM900 4500 converted to EL34s, and I had a friends DSL100 here for a while (I was installing a MM output tranny for him). I honestly wanted to like the DSL, but it was very flubby and loose. I'm sure with a boost, and a little messing around (maybe with an EQ in the loop) I could have gotten something good out of it, but since the 900 gets there so easy, what's the point really? The funny thing is, the DSL didn't sound any different after I swapped the output tranny. My friend wasted $150 for nothing.

[chrisolson]

900. Never liked the TSL. Buzzy mess. The 900 does GREAT with boosts.

[tonemonster]

I tried a TSL once, but only briefly. I only got to play on it for about 10 minutes or so. and I did think it was buzzy. I have never tried a 900.

[jgcable]

I have owned several TSL's and DSL's and several 900's. I currently own a sweet practically mint 4502.
900's rock and rock BIG. Especially the SLX.

[DonP]

I prefer the DSL100, but each amp can sound great or sound like shit.

Any 900's I've played I've never liked. But quite a few used DSL's and TSL's I've played have sounded like shit too.

Most used tube amps in general have crappy tubes (the good ones been pulled) and come with crappy cabs.

[tonemonster]

yea its funny how somtimes you get an amp that just "aint got it". I have a Mesa Road king, and a buddy of mine does too. he always complains his sounds like shit and mine sounds great. I have sat down and set his amp up identical to mine, and I have to admit, there is a difference. same tubes too. factory mesa tubes. I dont know, its weird, but they do not sound the same when set up with the exact same settings.

[ulijdavid]

That's the drawback to tube amps. I have had a number of amps and know many people that have had incredible amps. And then when the need for a re-tube happens, you get a totally different amp. Even with the exact same tubes you never know what will happen. I guess it's the same with guitars. Same guitar made out of the same piece of wood and no two sound the same.

[horns666]

This was true with whatever tube amps I've had. I went thru many 800s to find a couple "sweet" ones. Oddly, There was one "sweet" 5150 outta five. They all sounds similiar..but one had a certain mojo.

This happened with SS amps too tho. I accumulated a collection of 7-8 Randall RG 80 heads. Again, all sounded similiar but there was two that really kicked ass. for what they were.