Typical Marshall vs High Gain

[adrenaline junkie]

I don't know about Boston, but most of the Dokken, Priest, and early Kiss stuff were done with Super Leads.

[jgcable]

I don't know about Boston, but most of the Dokken, Priest, and early Kiss stuff were done with Super Leads.

A Super Lead is very similar to a 1987x. Tom Scholtz used his Rockman stuff back then but it was all based on a Les Paul played through a cranked Marshall.

[adrenaline junkie]

A Super Lead is very similar to a 1987x. Tom Scholtz used his Rockman stuff back then but it was all based on a Les Paul played through a cranked Marshall.

I know, I was agreeing with you. They were all using the same amp, so why couldn't a person get those tones out of one amp, especially if you use a pedal or two with them?

[MBreinin]

Glad you are digging the Big D, John. I didn't need all of that stuff since I have plenty of gain with my setup. Hopefully they will put their hands on the TS-9 at my girlfriend's warehouse...where the dumb-ass UPS man ended up taking it.

Mike

[charvelguy]

Not all Marshalls are the same, just like guitars. Each tends to have their own little quicks and idiosyncrasies. I have three JMP 50 watters and they all have the same tube config but you can tell there's slightly different character when comparing one to another.

It could be a simple matter of tuning them up equally too. Bias, preamp and poweramp tubes are things Marshalls..or all tube amps for that matter are really senstive too in dialing in and getting a great tone. One plate voltage for this Marshall make may not cut it on another. Marshall used different parts over the years. Parts changed slightly to alot. Caps changed, transformers changed, different makes of resistors.. etc.

I think the newer reissues are pretty consistant to one another but even there, they have variations that become areas for tone arguments.
Effects loop or no effects loop as an example.

However, you can get alot more versatility out of JMP series Marshalls than people tend to give credit for...

Judas Priest used the normal channel with a treble boost.
Alot of guys were bridging channels in the 70's and 80's before hotrodding really started to happen.

You really don't need to mod a 'good' Marshall.

I have a reissue from the first series.. 1988, one year run, but that amp is my fav Marshall out of 4. It has so much of the classic midrange honk on tap that Marshalls are known for on tap..Kansas, Scorps, VH.. its an amp I will keep for all my life as long as its stock. It has plenty of gain.
I'll sell all others before it has to go.

As far as the whole gain thing goes.. I have a Peavey XXX which has loads of gain and I can't run it past 5 or 6 on the preamp.. it sounds way better with more headroom and responds like a champ just the same.

Older Marshalls..even on a master vol make...once you start hitting past 4 on the master.. it starts coming alive..and starts to sound best at 5,6,7..on a stock non master w/o attenuator, thats getting to be freaking loud.

I think that is true for just about any tube amp, you need to give it some room and let it breathe.

[jgcable]

Not all Marshalls are the same, just like guitars. Each tends to have their own little quicks and idiosyncrasies. I have three JMP 50 watters and they all have the same tube config but you can tell there's slightly different character when comparing one to another.

It could be a simple matter of tuning them up equally too. Bias, preamp and poweramp tubes are things Marshalls..or all tube amps for that matter are really senstive too in dialing in and getting a great tone. One plate voltate for this Marshall make not cut it on another. Marshall used different parts over the years. Parts changed slightly to alot. Caps changed, transformers changed, different makes of resistors.. etc.

I think the newer reissues are pretty consistant to one another but even there, they have variations that become areas for tone arguments.
Effects loop or no effects loop as an example.

However, you can get alot more versatility out of JMP series Marshalls than people tend to give credit for...

Judas Priest used the normal channel with a treble boost.
Alot of guys were bridging channels in the 70's and 80's before hotrodding really started to happen.

You really don't need to mod a 'good' Marshall.

I have a reissue from the first series.. 1988, one year run, but that amp is my fav Marshall out of 4. It has so much of the classic midrange honk on tap that Marshalls are known for on tap..Kansas, Scorps, VH.. its an amp I will keep for all my life as long as its stock. It has plenty of gain.
I'll sell all others before it has to go.

As far as the whole gain thing goes.. I have a Peavey XXX which has loads of gain and I can't run it past 5 or 6 on the preamp.. it sounds way better with more headroom and responds like a champ just the same.

Older Marshalls..even on a master vol make...once you start hitting past 4 on the master.. it starts coming alive..and starts to sound best at 5,6,7..on a stock non master w/o attenuator, thats getting to be freaking loud.

I think that is true for just about any tube amp, you need to give it some room and let it breathe.

You are correct. All Marshalls ( even the same exact model numbers) are not the same but the "basic, fundamental, Marshall tone is in all of them. There are of course variations between amps but they ALL sound like Marshalls.

[charvelguy]

true.. my JMP's...they still all tend to sound like a 'Marshall' in basic character. You need to spend time with different amps and find what works to optimize it.

I find Mesas of like a 5 year range can have the same tube config and even have similar character (5 band, EVl black shadow. etc) and they'll sound 'like a Mesa' but still be differing from in tonal character from one another for one reason or another with similar settings. Is it just tubes? in part.. that may play a factor but I think there's more to it.

In another analogy..just like fine wine makers.. one years vintage of a same type wine and maker may be more exceptional to a taster than another.. or even a bottling done in the same season from the same area, same type of grape & same era..but different wine makers producing a different product, one being considered more exceptional. Something in the process made one batch set itself apart from the rest.

[jwoods986]

Now that I've seen the light, does anyone have a good link or can give me a rundown on the different Marshalls with some pros/cons? i.e. JTM, JCM, JMP, DSL/TSL, etc. At first you think, "I want a Marshall" but there are so many models it can be confusing to a newb.

[charvelguy]

http://www.drtube.com/marshall.htm

[jwoods986]

Perfect, thanks! Man, that's a lot of info to sort through.

[jgcable]

Start with the basic if you don't mind a no frills 1 channel amp with no loop. Plexi.
I have had just about every Marshall amp and my 1987x has the most pure Marshall tone I have ever heard. Of course.. you need an attenuator with it too.

[Adam]

If you're into the Marshall vibe and midrange klunk, but need high gain tones that still retain the Marshall-ness, you should def. check out Splawn Amps. Specifically the Quick Rod and Competition models. They do the VH thing better than any other amp I've heard. Crank em and and pull back on the gain, and it's AC/DC city.

I've had a Pro Mod for over a year and still get goosebumps from it.

The soundclips do not lie. <---not my clips, hosted on the Splawn page.

[jgcable]

If you're into the Marshall vibe and midrange klunk, but need high gain tones that still retain the Marshall-ness, you should def. check out Splawn Amps. Specifically the Quick Rod and Competition models. They do the VH thing better than any other amp I've heard. Crank em and and pull back on the gain, and it's AC/DC city.

I've had a Pro Mod for over a year and still get goosebumps from it.

The soundclips do not lie. <---not my clips, hosted on the Splawn page.

Yep.. they sound incredible.

[Shawn Lutz]

I agree guys....at least from my experience with multiple 2203's and 2204's. They all sounded slightly different that the others regardless if they had the same tubes.

Hell even the same amp had periodic inconsistencies...one day sounding great...the other day not so great

Splawns...yup...they are the shit...at least my QR

[horns666]

I agree guys....at least from my experience with multiple 2203's and 2204's. They all sounded slightly different that the others regardless if they had the same tubes.

Hell even the same amp had periodic inconsistencies...one day sounding great...the other day not so great

Splawns...yup...they are the shit...at least my QR

BINGO!!!

Yeah, I swear they are quirky with tone..one day it'll sound awesome..the next day you pick it up and go WTF happened.

Heat, cold, humidity, ear fatigue, mood ..all factors to tone.

My Marshall rack is pretty consistant tho I must say..I know what it's going to sound like everday..