JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

[kickinsomeaxe]

a pedal? nothing at all just the amp? high output bucker?
i am looking to get a bit more drive from a older JCM 800
i got recently
I like the zakk wylde tone a lot but also guys like eric peterson(testament) and that sort.
best way to drive the JCM harder for more heat?

[markD]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

i used a a boss hyperfuzz set to clean boost when i was using my 800. most of the time i just ran it the way it was since i was looking for that old UFO/Scorpions sound anyway.

try an OD pedal in front with the gain down low but the output up. a lot of guys do that to enhance a Marshall's gain.

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

I have the 2203 100 watt JCM 800 head that has 6550's in it. The JCM is a pure balls to the walls amp but it really isn't a gain monster by any means. It has power and tone to melt your face off w/o any pedals and I usually don't use anything with it when I play rhythm. For really dirty stuff I use a Boss SD-1 (Super Overdrive) and sometimes a Boss GE-7 band EQ pedal thats it. I use medium to high output humbuckers (Super Distortion, Screamin Demon, JB, Custom Custom, Distortion etc) in mostly strat shaped Floyded guitars. I'm not a fan of overly aggressive pickup outputs types.

Since I don't gig anymore I found it to be way too loud for home recording use or to achieve sweet bedroom level tones. Even though its a master volume head I think the amp really shines when its 3/4 of the way wide open. Unfortunately the walls rumble and cops come before you really can get into it [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I recently took out all of the power tubes and installed THD Yellow Jacket power reducing tube converters in two sockets and am running only 2 EL-84's in her now . it really warmed it up for lower level playing and of course the EL-84's have their own characteristics, almost like a new amp but to my ears still retained that JCM 800 sound.

I have thought about modding it with Splawn or VooDoo but I'd hate to hack up a classic vintage amp, I'd just assumme usa a different amp for different applications and keep the JCM 800 as is as it is a cool amp in its own right.

[joe web]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

i use a Hughes&Kettner Tubefactor. this thing is the best overdrive/distorsion pedal i ever tested.
you have two stages of gain switchable, a active-tone-pot and a ECC83 tube in it. you can go from normal boost to absolutly highgain.
it is not really cheap, but it is worth every cent! if you have the chance to test it, than do it.


it is the aluminum/silver/black pedal (2nd from right)

[kickinsomeaxe]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

thanks guys! [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[skarhead]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

my buddy plays metal on his jcm 800 and he uses emg 81 + ts9 set as boost (gain at minimum , vol maxed)

[parntz145]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

I run my g force into mine and its insane tone wise.Mine was modded by Marc Cameron.If you have an extra $500 to $600 send it to him and get it modded.When you get it back all you will need is some standard effects.The amount of gain you will beable to get is unreal from what they are originally.

[horns666]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

I just used three boss pedals ...a noise supressor / a DD-3 delay and a SD-1 overdrive .....it worked for me..at the time.

If you want more of Zakk's tone ...heavy strings (at least 11s)...a boss DS-1 disortion and of course a good wah ...I use a 535Q...that's pretty much all he really used for years.

[thenine]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

Dont mod an original JCM800. Particularly if it came stock with 6550's. There just arent many of them out there. Get a Splawn or Voodoo mod on a reissue or something. Leave your orig 800 alone if you can.


9

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

Boss DS-1,best distortion pedal ever made!!

[slo100]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

Thank you 9. I hope he listens.

I am in the SD-1 camp with JCM800 amps. They give you enough juice to get the chunk you want but leave the base tone of the amp alone. Too much gain into the front end and you lose something IMHO.

A great amp for sure!

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

Sd-1, or an old tube screamer.

EMG 81s and a EMG PA-2 onboard preamp will really wake one up a lot by slamming the front end. But, that is clean gain. Unlike the pedals. But, a unique type of sound though.

[charveljunkie]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

All kinds of stuff

cae rig,line 6 pro echo,line 6 pro mod,black cat univibe
dtr tuner,boss pitch shifter,swamp thang univibe
boss acoustic sim pedal,sparkle drive and a lee jackson preamp pedal

floor boards cae rs-10,tremonti wah and a digitech whammy pedal

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

What a girlie rack, hehe

Just kidding... Very nice bro...

[charveljunkie]

Re: JCM 800 users? what do you use with your JCM?

girlie rack?
hell i had to get rid of my third wife to afford it [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]