MTS3200 VS JCM800 2205

[siggy14]

So i goto guitar center, and they have both these used, the MTS was the aniversary one, not sure if it is different then the normal. Anyway I gave them both a test drive and definatly liked the MTS better, it has more gain and a better voicing in my opinion. The Used MTS was in prestine condition and they were asking $499 (kinda high if you ask me) and the JCM was in really good shape and they wanted $999. I would defintly get the MTS, although the Marshall was the typical marshall sound, i can get exactly the same sounds out of my JMP or my JCM 2204 with a pedal in front. The MTS was very marshall sounding but not as much midrange. I am thinking of going back and offering them $399 for the MTS tomorrow.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: MTS3200 VS JCM800 2205

Thats kinda what I thought of the MTS during the brief time I had one...kind of like a Marshall, but a bit deeper and fuller sounding, and with a much nicer clean channel. I wonder if Samencuda still has my old one...

[jgcable]

Re: MTS3200 VS JCM800 2205

That is a great description of the MTS3200. BTW.. they are all Anniversary models. Pick it up and retube it with E34L's. You will be very happy. To me.. it turned the MTS3200 into a very convincing Carvin Legacy.

[Jimbo]

Re: MTS3200 VS JCM800 2205

I use my MTS3200 over my Marshall 2204 exclusively for the same reasons. Ditto on the EL34 tubes.....

[siggy14]

Re: MTS3200 VS JCM800 2205

[ QUOTE ]
That is a great description of the MTS3200. BTW.. they are all Anniversary models. Pick it up and retube it with E34L's. You will be very happy. To me.. it turned the MTS3200 into a very convincing Carvin Legacy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess this is where i go against the norm, after a 6 year tone search, the one thing i have discovered is i like 6L6's and 6550's better then EL34's. The 5881's are right in the middle and also a good tube.

I really love my JCM800 and my JMP and they both have 6550's. I have owned other marshalls and still have my 6100 which is EL34's, however they just do not have enough bottem end for me.

I also find the EL34's to be kinda shrill and to much midgange for me, Both My JMP and my JCM800 have more then enough midrange to get me where i want to be. Looking back over the years alot of my favorite songs are Marshalls with the 6550's or even older music would be fenders

The carvin i tried out yesterday had the 5881's and i thought it sounded great, however i did not get to crank it. So tell me how these things sound cranked? Also any known issues with them? How is there construction? I would assume they are PCB, but are the tubes mounted on the boards or on the chasis?

[siggy14]

Re: MTS3200 VS JCM800 2205

PS just a few details.
the 2205 i tried was a 1988 model, well at least that is what it said on the tag, i didnt actually check the S/N.

My 2204 is a 1984 vertical inputs
My JMP is a 1977 Master Volume.

The JMP has less gain and a more open feel to it. I find it has more treble but this could also be because of the pre-amp tubes. The ones in my 2204 are the ones that came when i purchased it, however i have put new power tubes in, well kind of new, i purchased them from a board member who said he had like ten hours on them. The JMP powere tubes are also brand new that i purchased from the tube store with only about 3 hours on them, so this might also explain the added treble.

Both amps right now i am pumping into a 1980's JCM800 Cab that is a bottem cab, this cab is loaded with the 75's, two are original and two are 90's speakers.

I throw either a boss SD-1 in front with the gain and level cranked or a ibanez TS9 with just the level cranked, depending on how much distortion i want determines which pedal i use.

For bedroom practice i run the heads through a 16 ohm hotplate (to match the cab) set to a 12DB drop, i leave the bulbs off and both the treble and bottem switch off.

I also have a 1978 marshall cab with black backs but that is at my drummers house collectiong dust since she is in florida at massage theoropy school. However I found the Black Backs did not have enough bottem end for me and to much midrange, so i am thinking of taking them out and putting some G12H's in.

[jgcable]

Re: MTS3200 VS JCM800 2205

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That is a great description of the MTS3200. BTW.. they are all Anniversary models. Pick it up and retube it with E34L's. You will be very happy. To me.. it turned the MTS3200 into a very convincing Carvin Legacy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess this is where i go against the norm, after a 6 year tone search, the one thing i have discovered is i like 6L6's and 6550's better then EL34's. The 5881's are right in the middle and also a good tube.

I really love my JCM800 and my JMP and they both have 6550's. I have owned other marshalls and still have my 6100 which is EL34's, however they just do not have enough bottem end for me.

I also find the EL34's to be kinda shrill and to much midgange for me, Both My JMP and my JCM800 have more then enough midrange to get me where i want to be. Looking back over the years alot of my favorite songs are Marshalls with the 6550's or even older music would be fenders

The carvin i tried out yesterday had the 5881's and i thought it sounded great, however i did not get to crank it. So tell me how these things sound cranked? Also any known issues with them? How is there construction? I would assume they are PCB, but are the tubes mounted on the boards or on the chasis?

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree Siggy but I am not talking about EL34's. I am talking about E34L's which are a cross between a 6L6 and an EL34. Basically they give a Marshall tone with a Rectifier bottom.

[siggy14]

Re: MTS3200 VS JCM800 2205

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That is a great description of the MTS3200. BTW.. they are all Anniversary models. Pick it up and retube it with E34L's. You will be very happy. To me.. it turned the MTS3200 into a very convincing Carvin Legacy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess this is where i go against the norm, after a 6 year tone search, the one thing i have discovered is i like 6L6's and 6550's better then EL34's. The 5881's are right in the middle and also a good tube.

I really love my JCM800 and my JMP and they both have 6550's. I have owned other marshalls and still have my 6100 which is EL34's, however they just do not have enough bottem end for me.

I also find the EL34's to be kinda shrill and to much midgange for me, Both My JMP and my JCM800 have more then enough midrange to get me where i want to be. Looking back over the years alot of my favorite songs are Marshalls with the 6550's or even older music would be fenders

The carvin i tried out yesterday had the 5881's and i thought it sounded great, however i did not get to crank it. So tell me how these things sound cranked? Also any known issues with them? How is there construction? I would assume they are PCB, but are the tubes mounted on the boards or on the chasis?

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree Siggy but I am not talking about EL34's. I am talking about E34L's which are a cross between a 6L6 and an EL34. Basically they give a Marshall tone with a Rectifier bottom.

[/ QUOTE ]

Opps that is what happens when you speed read, yeah i have heard good things about the E34L's, however like i said i do not want that much midrange. I love the Legacys for certain styles of music, but i only get into that style every now and then. Most of the time i am playing Metal or rock with alot of cut mid's, actualy most of the time i am playing a mix between metal and Rock, basicaly i love alot of gain, alot of bottem end, a fair amount of midrange and i hate alot of treble. So basically depending on the amp i keep the treble usally between 2 and 5 (8 oclock and 12 Oclock) on the dial with no presense. My bass is usually around 6 to 8 on the dial and my midrange is usually around 2 to 4 on the dial. Gain depends on the amp, i dont like it over compressed, but like it where it just starts to compress. I am very Picky on my amps setups and of course these setting change depending on the amps, like for mesa's i usually have treble at 11, midrange at 12 and bass at 12 with no presense (rec Amps) By they way these settings are usually bedroom, when and if i hit a live stage i adjust to fit in, if i am the only guitarist i can keep my settings, however if i am playing with another i have to match his settings (usually more treble) so i dont get buried in the mix.

Occasionly i do like a treble amp if i am playing old style 80's metal, that is why i am considering getting a Laney AOR, As i loved Ratt's Invasion tone and i believe that is when they started using the Laneys.

[fr0sty]

Re: MTS3200 VS JCM800 2205

Hey Jimbo, I see an exact duplicate of my Carvin Ultra V haning on your wall. Mine is a 87. What year is your?

[Jimbo]

Re: MTS3200 VS JCM800 2205

Well, I'm not sure Fr0sty! I believe it is '89, with the Flying V headstock......