Need your suggestions re:Marshall set/up

[azspaceace]

If stupid novice questions offend you please stop here!
I really beleive this is one of the best forums out there and after reading many of your post's I find some truly admirable people.I've been playing for 30+ year's.No bands,no gigs,just a hobby that always seems to help maintain my sanity.I can't read or write anything other than tabs,(and have no desire to delve into anything more)and I just need some tip's on setting up some gear.I play whatever hits my mood which can be anything from Page to Demartini.I cherish that clear,clean acoustic sound and I also daydream when I have that flowing Demartini/Lynch notes enveloping my senses.My problem(or just plain ingnorance) is getting that sound at a very loud volume while maintaing no feedback or "noise".I have a PodXt and really enjoy the "Ratt" setting.Sounds fantastic on headphones but when I try to run it through the Marshall's it's dirty and hard to manage.Hear is what I have to work with:
2 Marshall JCM 900 4100's.
4 JCM 900 cab's
Jackson SL2H Bengal
Various Charvel 1980's models
PodXt
Boss: Super Chorus,Metal Zone,Compression/Sustainer,DD-6 Digital Delay,Noise Suppressor.
Crate DSP-GFX-65

I seem to get the best sounds when I just use the Pod running through the Crate?Noisy as hell but the tone's are great.When using the Marshalls I cut down to 50 Watts,keep the main volume at 2 and the gain around 10.Yuck!I can't control the feedback,it's nowhere near the Pod's preset sound and I just go back to the Crate.I even bought a Power Brake but no big difference except I can control the feedback & noise a little better.
I've tried the Boss pedal's through the Marshalls and then just with the Pod and I just can't get it right.I know everyone has their own tones but I'am just trying to get that loud/Whitesnake/Ratt sound going.
Hope I didnt offend anybody with some real stupid questions but any opinions would really be helpful.

Thanks for letting me post,
Ron.

[RacerX]

When using the Marshalls I cut down to 50 Watts,keep the main volume at 2 and the gain around 10.Yuck!I can't control the feedback,it's nowhere near the Pod's preset sound and I just go back to the Crate.

OK, you play in your home, how far is your guitar from the speakers when you're getting this feedback? Are you getting it with all your guitars? (To eliminate any possible problems w/ individual pickups). What kind of cord (cable) are you using?
Ever try a noise gate pedal? Tube Marshalls are much noisier than PODs.

[VitaminG]

you've got the gain on the Marshall at 10 while you're using gainy settings on the POD? Have you tried running the Marshall fairly clean? Back the gain on the amp right down & just use it to amplify the POD.

[Tashtego]

I use a POD with my Marshall 3203 but I run it into the effects return and skip the preamp entirely. Have you tried that? It helps to have something to control volume besides the output control of the POD. I use an EQ to do a little tone shaping and for volume control.

[Mordor]

imo if you want to use the pod sounds it's better if you hook it up to a PA or something like an atomic reactor combo. I use mine thru my stereo hifi and it works very good.

[Speiro]

I use a POD with my Marshall 3203 but I run it into the effects return and skip the preamp entirely. Have you tried that? It helps to have something to control volume besides the output control of the POD. I use an EQ to do a little tone shaping and for volume control.

+1 With all that processing going on in the POD it's definitely worth trying this route.

[jcm800x]

I have played a jcm800 strait 100 watt for 16 years and I have used it 2 different ways. One way is with a multi-floor unit into the LOW input, works great. The other, and more difficult way is a snot pedal into the high input. Hard to control but sounds awsome. I couldn't do it without a gate!

[toejam]

you've got the gain on the Marshall at 10 while you're using gainy settings on the POD? Have you tried running the Marshall fairly clean? Back the gain on the amp right down & just use it to amplify the POD.

Yeah, that seems to be the problem right there. If you're using the POD for distortion sounds, you need the Marshall to be set clean.

[charvelguy]

like above has mentioned, a pushed 900 Marshall with gain on 10 is going to give feedback problems. You have some decent gear, you just need to experiment more. A Marshall on 10 gain is going to dramatically color and distort the signal coming into your amp that is going to your speakers...which is why people are recommending a cleaner setting. I personally think using he POD to push the Marshalls.. you can't use the exact same setting you get thru headphones w/o some tweaking to the preset on the XT.
We used to try the same thing with Rockmans direct into a hi input Marshall super lead 100 ages ago...feedback galore.

I think the suggestion of running it into an effects loop would help solve your problem.

[mr426]

You could also go into the pod then into the "return" on the effects loop. This by passes the preamp stage and right into the the power amp. I did this for a lone time with my Mesa MKIII and Boss GX 700. Worked great.

[fr0sty]

I have a podt as well. I enjoy it for practice and recording. I have never been able to get a sound I liked from it amplified. I ran it into a peavey 50/50 and 2x12, Fender Blues Deville (effect return, bypassing the preamp) and a Mackie SRM 450.

The best of all those was the mackie. In the end, when I want to get loud, I play through a tube amp. For me, it's more satisfying.