Best distortion/setup for hot-rodded Marshall tone?

[quiksilver]

I have always loved the hot rodded Marshall tone - EVH, circa Fair Warning.

I am finally ready to spend some $ to get it. I was thinking of getting a Splawn or a Marshall Vintage Modern with a PowerBrake to bring the volume down + a 2x12" enclosure, but that seems like overkill in terms of expense, weight and volume, for someone like me, who rarely gets to crank it loud and is getting lazier about lugging gear as I get older. I will go the full tube amp route if I have to, but I would prefer a much more portable, low volume solution.

I am currently using a Vox ToneLab LE, running direct into a Mackie SRM450, or alternately, a Vox AD120VTX 2x12 combo. I like both Voxes quite a bit, but I'd like to bump it up a notch. I will break this up into 3 sections. I'm interested in your opinions as to all 3:

Distortion
I'm thinking of getting a distortion to plug into the ToneLab LE. I previously had a Tech 21 SansAmp GT2, which I loved (should never have sold it), so my first thought is to go that route. I know there are tons of distortions out there with loyal followings, and I'd like to hear your favorites. My intent would be to continue to use the LE for effects.

Power Amp
Both the LE and the VTX have a tube and sound really good IMO. I could get a tube power amp and run the LE into that, and then into either a 2x12" or into the 2x12" speakers I already have in my VTX (I'd just connect the power amp directly to the amp's speakers). If I did get a power amp, I guess I'd probably get a Marshall, since that's the sound I want. I know of a 9100 for about $700. Would that be a worthwhile purchase? It is big and heavy, so there's that to consider.

Speakers
My VTX has 2 12" Celestion Neo-Dogs, which are supposed to be nice speakers. Should I just use those, or should I go for something else, like Celestion Vintage 30s or Celestion 25w Greenbacks?

Any ideas to help me reach Hot-Rodded-Marshall-topia?

[Spivonious]

Unless you're set on separate pre and power, check out the El Diablo 60 from Genz Benz. Just FYI though, it's very buzzy at low volumes in pentode mode.

[Firebird V]

Splawn. I have a Pro Mod and love it.

[quiksilver]

Thanks, guys. How is that Splawn at low volumes? Do you use an attentuator with it? I was thinking maybe the Competition, since it's only 50 watts.

I will read up on the Diablo, too!

[Spivonious]

I will read up on the Diablo, too!

Just be sure to focus on the 60W version. The 100W has a couple of different features, and I hear it doesn't sound quite as good, but I've never heard one in person. I've played both the head (through a 4x12 Genz Benz "Tribal Series" cab) and the combo of the 60W.

There are so many sounds in the amp so it might take some tweaking to get it right.

The 30W/Triode mode sounds great at low volumes but doesn't really give that hot-rodded Marshall sound; it's much more Voxy.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Splawn quickrod with a 20w celection greenback cab.

forget the diablo and the other fancy ideas. Eddies rig was simple and straight forward.

i say the quickrod because there is just something about a 100w head that just has that body to its sound that you can't get out of a 50w amp.

[toejam]

Just get a Tech 21 Sans Amp Tri-A.C. pedal and plug it into your favorite power amp. Use the British/Marshall setting for your hot-rodded Plexi tone. You can even program it for three different Marshall tones and forget about the Fender and Mesa tones.

http://www.tech21nyc.com/triac.html

[Firebird V]

I have a 100w Pro Mod. It has a 50w Power switch. Low Volume? Ummm. I put a Volume pedal (well my volume pedal is actually a jack in and out with a volume pot and a switch in between) in the loop so that I can tame it down to reasonable levels. If you are looking at a low volume amp/ Splawn then you will absolutely have to do this no matter if it is a 50w or 100w Splawn the volume knob just turned up to 2 is loud. On 4 it is insanely loud.

I also own a Diablo. Funny that this amp head is coming up. It does not sound anything like the Splawn but is very adjustable. Just not hotrodded Marshall though. It doesn't remind me of Marshall at all. More Boogie sounding to my ears/ modern metal tones.

The Splawn has a good clean channel too but the Diablo clean is spectacular.

I am more about plug in and play then tweak... The Diablo is a tweaking kind of get a tone amp. Extremely sensitive controls.

The Splawn is a set it and forget it type of amp. It has many great tones but I have found that once I found the sweet spot for me I just never turned the knobs...

I personally like the tones of the Pro Mod better than the Quick rod but it is very easy to turn a Q/R into a P/M and vice versa... Just change the tubes, a resistor and re bias. That is the only difference between the two models....


I have always been a fan of KT88 and 6550 tubes over EL34 and KT77's so the choice between the Quick Rod and Pro Mod was an easy one for me.

The Quick Rod is the more popular of the two. The difference to my ears is the mids. The mids on a Pro Mod are a bit more agressive and a tiny bit more modern. Both sound great but the pro Mod has a bit more bottom to it and also a tiny bit more of a scoop in the mids compared to the Quic Rod to my ears.

There are a ton of clips on you tube and they all really sound like the real deal.

Good luck with finding your sound.

[quiksilver]

All right, Project Hot-Rod-Marshall is underway!

Via a trade/cash deal, I am getting a Marshall 9100 power amp. I'm planning to run my ToneLab LE into it, in stereo. I will see how it sounds through my Celestion NeoDogs, though I suspect I will end up getting Vintage 30s. Still not sure whether I'll need a different distortion. But I figure it should help to have tube power.

P.S. Oh yeah, so much for my portable/quiet idea. But with the setup being modular (pre-amp, power amp, & probably 2 2x12 cabs eventually), I can take only parts of it sometimes, and since this amp is 50 watts a side, I can only run one side sometimes to cut the power down somewhat.:idea:

[horns666]

Very Nice...well, you guys heard enough times what gear I'm married to...'til death do us part!!

As much as I LOVE my Uber, my Marshall rig is MUCH more "fun" to play! The Bogner has taken a backseat in the last few weeks.

[El Chiguete]

Quicksilver I also have a TLLE and love it. I would sure love to check some of your presets, as I´m still not a pro on this... expecially on how to get some good wah tones out of it.

[jgcable]

I would ditch the Vox Tonelab and get a Marshall JMP1.
Also I am glad you aren't getting anything that will need an attenuator or power brake. They both suck the life out of an amp tone unless used very sparingly live.

[quiksilver]

John, I may just end up getting a JMP-1. From what I've read, it sounds like it would be right up my alley.

El Chiguete, I will record my settings and send them to you. I really don't get too complex with it, though. One of the things I like about the TLLE is that it has a more limited array of effects, but they mostly happen to be the ones I like. I really haven't used the wah much. I am always using the pedal for a volume, to switch guitars, etc.

I have a bank of sounds for my acoustic/electric, for church, a bank for my Strat (because it sounds so different from the rest of my shredder guitars), and a couple of banks for my humbucker-equipped guitars. I think my main sound is modeled on a JCM 900, but I will figure it out and send you the results.

I do have a few VH song-specific presets, for Women In Love, Hear About It Later and Cathedral that I will also be happy to share.

[HugoLC]

An old JCM 800 2203 boosted with and Overdrive , nothing can beat that !

[horns666]

I've owned all the above heads except the the JVM, and the JMP-1 w/ 9200 /JFX-1 is by far my favorite. I would not trade it for any other Marshall I've played or owned.

In fact, those old VH trib demo clips I've posted is nothing but the JMP-1 direct..no cab micing or poweramp at all.