Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

[LRGman]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

I would go for a pre amp of some kind since you already have a nice little amp-keep the rack set-up. If you switch to a JCM you are going to find one sound you like and thats going to be it for live performances other than rolling of the guitar volume. If you have a sound man to boost you lead volume and add effects it would be cool. Other wise all your effects(if any) go through the front of the amp-


Come on Bill fill him in on the JMP-1-never used one myself

[horns666]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

I really like it ...I know Glenn Drover would love it!

If you like that kind of sound ...then it's there BIG TIME!

Sounds like two valvestates on steroids in stereo..

I'm tuned to D like John and I can pinch more violent squeals with this thing than I can any other amp I've played including my Uber..I'm talkin' Sick squeals....it sure gets them.

It a has a clean attack that is very stiff with no sag or fart at all ...

It does lack in some bottom end authority ...like most Marshalls ...I'm talkin' very low end..

I remedy that a bit with a BBE 422a..

it's a bit noisy but I don't run a hush and I can get plenty loud with it way before it gets really out of control.

The unit does get an "authentic" Marshall tone and feel...which I like most about the unit..

DEFINITELY not worth paying the new sticker price at a $699 ..it lists for $999..which is overpriced considering there is not much really to it.

I'd say it only worth half the amount when compared to a lot more preamps that are now availuble ...like that Engl perhaps ..but I would assume those cost a bit more..

I would think you could score a JMP-1 off the bay for less tham $300 ..I think it's worth that.

Seems like people either love them or hate them ...I always liked a cool marshall tone ...so I dig it..and my wah sounds best thru it for some reason..

It's no where near as thick and heavy like an Uber and etc. , which is fine with me because they really blend nicely together...fills each others gaps I guess.

I was listening to the new Edge of Sanity the other day and I swear Mike Wead was is using a JMP-1 in the studio ...it sounds EXACTLY like it....

Drover and Wead's tone especially in Momento mori ...their sound is vey comparible and in the same ballpark of the JMP-1..if that gives you any idea...sounds like a rack mounted 8200 Valvestate..IMO.

but better with a decent preamp ...which you have.

[paddok]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

Yeah, whatever I get will be off eBay. Thanks for the advice horns. How does Soldano SP 77 stack up ?

[horns666]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

I would assume it's apples and oraganes ...I would guess you would get more organic tone with the Soldano ...

I never played the SP-77 but I played a SLO-100 and that sounded great and I owned a Soldano American Hot rod 50 and the Korean 60 watter..those were OK ...I thought the 60 was cooler....but more of a hard rock / blues amp....I always wanted to play Gary Moore stuff on those amps..

I would think the Marshall would be better for metal ...I don't know if the SP-77 is heavy enough for that ...or if it even comes close to a SLO ..which is nice but not heavy as well...

Heres my take ..if you want more of a pleasant warm "tube" tone such as Van Halen , The scorps and such I think the Soldano would get you there better than the Marshall preamp would..

The Marshall preamp can do that stuff ok but it can nail stuff like Death , Eidolon , Momento mori and Laroque , Sherman , Denner's tone or even a later Oliva...it does that stuff pretty nicely....well that's how I dial it.

I never tweak that amp ...I just plug in and play ...I don't have to fuss with the knobs ....my programs are dialed in as much as there going to be.

that's one cool thing about a rack unit ..

[horns666]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

BTW ..I'd call around to some stores or even someone you know may have a JMP-1 ...

Take your Mesa and BBE and go play it ...that would be great if you can ...I'll give you my settings if you cross that bridge.

JMP-1 are pretty common I would think , somebody in your area may have one...if so see if you can demo it....but not with a valvestate power amp or any solid stae power amp...those things are horrible with the JMP-1 for some reason ...use your Mesa ...or if it's already plugged into a Marshall monoblock that's cool , or a Peavy tube 60/60 or better.

Good luck dude [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[paddok]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

Hrm. Good advice horns. I may call arround tomorrow and see what the local stores have. The JMP seems very much like my kind of thing.

[horns666]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

I really like it ..

If the sp-77 only gives you the gain of the gain of lesser Soldanos like the SL 60 or the HR 50 ...then that would be pretty useless to me ...not enough gain and wayyy too creamy sounding...IMO.

[LRGman]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

Laroque,really? Got to be one of my all time favorite lead tones. Like I need to be looking for another piece of equipment I can't afford. You fucker Bill [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[guitar geek]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

I had a sp77. nice preamp, without the options I needed, thats why I moved it. great rock sound though.

I'd say check out the (mentioned before) Quad by Mesa. another option would be a Hughes en Kettner Access, heard some good stuff about it, but never played one.

Harrald

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

Bill, sorry to chime in, but your Marshall does not do LaRoque. The Denners and Weeds, yes, But not LaRoque.

Although LaRqoue toured a bit with Marshalls VS8100s, LaRoque classic is simple enough though. He used the Gallion Kruger 250 (GL or ML?) amps on a lot of his early King Diamond like Abigail etc, and they are quite unique sounding and are nothing too close to a JMP-1.

I had to mention that as I chase the LaRoque tone a lot.

[LRGman]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

I haven't seen those for a while-I remember trying out right after I bought my JCM(87) and I thought damn-used to see them around quite a bit-didn't they have a built in chorus.

Wasn't Schenker using GK's on some of the reformed MSG albums?

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

Yep, that's the one. Built in chorus. I remember they were popular in the 80s, and could be hopped up with a mod as well. However, most everyone I knew that had one, blew them up.

It was interesting as they made a lot of bass heads that I saw people blowing up too, but that was an mismatched impedance issue. Something about drunk bassist plugging into any old cab they could at the metal shows where ten bands would use whatever cabs were onstage.

I'd like to have one of those to play with as they were light and small. The reason I didn't like them too much then was that they were sort of thin sounding. And you can see that quite well on King Diamond releases Abigail, Them and Conspiracy. Thin, but really tasty sounding actually. Abigail especially.

Andy thanks Gallion Kruger in one of those releases album notes.

[horns666]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

Oh yeah yer right ...Andy did use that GK...just like Lifeson.

OK I guess I'm thinkin' more along the lines of his live tone..I remember hearing him and Wead at the last KD show..which I did NOT spill Beer on John.. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Amp advice needed. JCM 800 or JMP-1 Preamp?

Yeah, live Andy used the solid state marshalls the tour company provided as far as I saw. Glen Drover did too touring with Diamond (probably used his own), and he nailed the the Early Diamond stuff really well. Hard to tell much live though.