Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

[rrudy]

Has anyone tried the reissue or own one? How do they compare to the originals?

Rudy

[Fragle]

Re: Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

people around here will tell you that they are crapfully built. i cant comment on this but to me the original ones sound better. those reissues tend to have too much highend for my taste, and furthermore they seem to lack that signature marshall growl (or thats just my ears [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] )

but nevertheless, i would say you're better off if you buy an orignial used (ebay). i dont know how much they are on ebay.com , but on ebay.de they usually go for ~500€....the reissues are about 1800€. so 1300€ for a crappier sound...no jim, forget it [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]


greets
fragle

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

Crapfully built!! Sounds like something I'd say.

And yes, I truly feel that they are. Get an old one, as early a unit as you can.

[Twisteramps]

Re: Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

I think they have an fx loop and the older ones don't... but it's been awhile. I'd prefer having an old one vs the reissue, personally.

Pete

[DJROBA]

Re: Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

The new one's do lack the growl and warmth. The 84's are the best i've found.

[rrudy]

Re: Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

Thanks for the info so far. What is better about earlier models?

Rudy

[Twisteramps]

Re: Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

Even the dual channel JCM800s and the hated/feared 900s can get a really good tone if you back off on the preamp gain and crank the master. Like most marshalls, the louder the better. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I recently had a 2203 and a 2210, and the 2210 sounded fine to me, but I'm not a real marshall fiend either. If I needed a high gain amp, I'd just get a VHT again and be done with it - the one I had smoked every marshall I've ever owned, played or heard.

Pete

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

Between this board lately and my Bouncing Souls dvd I'm aching to try an old JMP head...

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

The older units had stronger boards with thicker traces, better power supplies and transformers and generally better components.

If you want an 800, find an old 2203 (100watt) 2204 (50watt) vertical input jack, single channel 1981-1983 master volume one with 6550 tubes etc if you can (getting rare).

After that, towards the mid 80s, they changed power supply design in the 2204 (the 2203 followed later),increasing noise and changing the tone to a slightly thinner sound and also eventually went to PCB mounted controls (Horizontal input) and began EL34 tubes.

The later dual channel 800s 2210 (100watt) 2205 (50 watt) had a bit more gain somewhat, but retain the bogus power supply design and the clean (if you can call it that) channel crosstalked a lot with the gain channel and those amps just didn't sound as good as the older single channel ones at high volumes.

[markD]

Re: Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

my JCM800 is a 50 watt 2204 with the vertical inputs (w/EL34 tubes, not 6550's), and it crushes. the reissue 100 watter (watt diferences aside) sounds NOTHING like my old 800. my buddy owns a used guitar shop and we did a "Marshall shoot-out". we tested a new reissue 2203, my old 2204, a 70's master volume JMP 50 watt, a JCM900 100 watt, a JCM600 and a newer JTM45 head. we used a Marshall TV 4x12 with 25 watt greenbacks, a monster speaker cable, a George L's 15 foot guitar cord. for guitars we used a 1974 Les Paul, a 1970 Firebird, a 1971 strat, and my jackson soloist (all the cool old guitars belong to my buddy). my 2204 and the old JMP sounded fat and didn't have the buzzy prescence of the 2203 or the JCM900. the JCM600 sounded really good also, but still rather thin. the JTM45 was okay, but really only sounded good with the Les Paul.

this data is pointless, but i thought i'd share.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Marshall JCM800 Vintage Series Reissue

This data, is excellent... Cool to hear.