3 whole days with the JCM800!

[DonP]

I always had my Marshall's modded for 6L6s, takes some of the mids out and adds a little more bottom end. Usually I would only boost it with a OD pedal and use as much as the amp as possible for tone and gain. Set up the pedal so that you can barely tell when it's on then add gain or output from the pedal. And if your using the pedal for the tone 2 different ways. Set the tone controls as low as possible, so you can use more of the power amp section or dime the EQ to let everything thru and use the pedal to shape the tone. Been a long time since a had a Marshall....almost miss me 50watt MKii

LOL! My first Marshall came from a pawn shop with 6L6's in it. They weren't too happy, sort of scorched. The amp was a (year) 1979 100w combo. When I put the correct 6550s in there, it was pounding out 120 watts clean. It was scary loud.

[Newc]

I've had jangly Fendery cleans before (from my Fender head), and while it's great for strumming or sparse arpeggiated half-chords (Spiral Architect, etc) it was usually too brittle and piercing for me. With the 800, I like that the clean and driven tones are tonally similar. It's about like having a guitar that sounds the same acoustically as it does amplified.

If you listen closely to You've Got Another Thing Comin', just before the solo the guitars are actually clean, and they're strumming a DMaj-Am-EMaj. It's not as easy to spot since the two tones are EQd so similarly.

[leftykingv2]

I've had jangly Fendery cleans before (from my Fender head), and while it's great for strumming or sparse arpeggiated half-chords (Spiral Architect, etc) it was usually too brittle and piercing for me. With the 800, I like that the clean and driven tones are tonally similar. It's about like having a guitar that sounds the same acoustically as it does amplified.

If you listen closely to You've Got Another Thing Comin', just before the solo the guitars are actually clean, and they're strumming a DMaj-Am-EMaj. It's not as easy to spot since the two tones are EQd so similarly.

+1 I thought they were clean there too and my friends told me I was hearing things.

[Frigo89]

I think part of the problem with "Low end" with those amps is that Marshall cabs aren't that solid, and are definitely not designed to pump out that much low end.

I ran an 800 through a Mesa cab loaded with V-30s and a Hughes & Kettner cab loaded with Greenbacks, depending on how I was feeling, and both of them kicked ass, in particular the H&K cab.

Marshall cabs can be significantly improved with some caulking and a little bit of time, atleast for handling low end better.