JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q's!

[paddok]

So I'm in the market for a new amp right now. Right now, I'm stuck between a JCM 800, a Mesa Dual Recto, or going ALL out and getting and ENGL.

So basically, I play a little bit of everything in the realm of metal, and I'm wanting an amp that can keep up while at the same time sound very organic. I want something that I can be playing some mellow and smooth yngwie on, and then next minute be playing modern death metal ala Decapitated, or Cryptopsy.

Can the JCM 800 do modern metal type gain with a high output pup and an overdrive in front of them?

I recall hearing about a JCM 800 with an extra gain stage, should I look for one of these?

Is the JCM 800 just a bad idea for me? I have no problem running an OD pedal and I generally use hot pickups.

Any help?

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

<font color="yellow">The JCM 800 is more of a Classic Rock/80's metal kinda vibe amp IMO.

It isn't ultra-high gain by todays standards, but for what it is and does, it does it well.

I don't think it will do what you ask of it to do for massive gain even with a mod or boosting the front end of it, but that's just me.

I'm sure others will add their imput also [img]/images/graemlins/help.gif[/img] </font>

[Ozz666]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

If you play any modern high gain metal the Marshall isn't the amp to get....either the Recto (if you like the Mesa sound) or an Engl....my personal recommendation!

- Joel

[jgcable]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

Everybody has their own opinions so I will give you mine.
If you are looking at a JCM800 you should look at the:

Marshall JCM800 2210 or 2205

If you want modern metal, throw a pedal in front of it.

Malmsteen and Mesa don't mix although the Mesa will do a killer modern death metal.

BTW... you can't really get much more organic than a JCM800.

[sambencuda]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

Sam is right on the money IMO. I think it dependes on how far into the modern high gain world you want to go. IMO, you can get the rect to do a better job of classic rock/ 80's sound than the JCM 800 will do a modern high gain sound. I'm on that fence a lot myself. The easiest solution, buy one of each! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[GodOfRhythm]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s

I would go JCM800. I don't like any of the modernday bands and their disgusting tones. Or almost none... I don't get what the Uberschall, ENGL, Diezel, Cobra and whatnot hype is about.


The JCM with the extra gain circuitry has more midtones as a consequence of this added circuitry. But even then it's great.

[jgcable]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

One of each is the perfect solution. The JCM800 and the Dual Rectifier are so totally different that it is almost impossible to compare them.
If you do death metal, the Mesa is the better choice. It will be very difficult to find an amp that you could do Malmsteen and death metal on. Malmsteen is a Marshall tone and gain all the way and that ain't even close to death metal.

[jgcable]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

Another good death metal amp is a 5150.

[LRGman]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

If you play more than power chords and detuned stuff don't get the mesa-thats my complaint

You will get more of a shredder tone out of the JCM but you don't get the the low like the mesa.

I disagree somewhat with jgc-the mesa is not that far from the marshall in some respects-definition being the biggest desparity-the mesa doesn't have that bright raw tube sound -although you can get a brown sound for 5th's. Its just when you play full chords the mesa turns to mush you don't hear all the notes. just my opinion althought I do own both a 87 jcm 50watt and a 3 channel triple rec.


If you got the cash try the engl-I haven't heard one bad word about these amps-If you are choosing between a JCM800 and a Mesa play them they are everywhere-They are both pretty much a one channel amp-you will find one sound you like on both amps and thats where it will stay.

[jgcable]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

[ QUOTE ]
If you play more than power chords and detuned stuff don't get the mesa-thats my complaint

You will get more of a shredder tone out of the JCM but you don't get the the low like the mesa.

I disagree somewhat with jgc-the mesa is not that far from the marshall in some respects-definition being the biggest desparity-the mesa doesn't have that bright raw tube sound -although you can get a brown sound for 5th's. Its just when you play full chords the mesa turns to mush you don't hear all the notes. just my opinion althought I do own both a 87 jcm 50watt and a 3 channel triple rec.


If you got the cash try the engl-I haven't heard one bad word about these amps-If you are choosing between a JCM800 and a Mesa play them they are everywhere-They are both pretty much a one channel amp-you will find one sound you like on both amps and thats where it will stay.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well said and I agree.

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

The JCM 800 (and I only have experience with 2203's and 2204's) is that its a beautiful classic metal amp. Nothing cuts like it in a live band situation imho. Modern metal it isn't, you can get sort of close with some pedals in front of it. Modern metal isn't my bag. JCM800's do one thing and do it very well, that is why they are still hot items today.

Go out and try whatever amp you can get your hands on regardless of the name on the front of it.

[paddok]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

Thanks for the advice guys. This is pretty much what I was afraid of [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I've tried both, I love both. The only thing I havn't been able to do is hook up the right things to the JCM. I'd love to play it with an EQ + Super OD + High output pups.

I guess I will continue my persuit of the Dual Recto.

[jgcable]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

Or, you could always get a JCM800 #2210 and you won't need an EQ, Super OD or high output pickups. I am looking seriously at a Metallica tribute band so I am sort of in the market for a Rectifer myself although my Carvin MTS3200 might be able to handle it.

[nonamemx]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

I never thought mesas were very organic. Thats why I never liked them.

The JCM 800 is just about as organic as it gets. It has SOOO much tonal character. I run a 4010 combo, but with the speaker disconnected running through an old JCM 800 cab.

Ive used a SD-1 with it, but I recently got a Maxon OD-808 which IMO does a much better job. Any tube screamer will work great I imagine, the SD-1 is rather noisy and muddy. Thats just my opinion though. The Maxon is dead quiet and much clearer, and twice as transparent as the SD-1. Its worth looking into at least.

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: JCM 800 lovers in here please, I have some Q\'s!

<font color="yellow">Another option (though possibly more expensive) is to get 2 rack preamps...say a Mesa-Boogie Triaxis and a ADA MP-1 or something like that.

The plus would be flexibility via MIDI and MIDI mapping etc.

The minus would be the expense of the units.

I dunno...there is NO be all-end all "cover every tone" amp out there IMO.

</font>