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It's that time again... Amp intervention.


LucSulla

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Time for you all to remind me that buying a JCM 800 2204 and ESPECIALLY a 2203 is a really stupid idea because I already have a Friedman BE-50 Deluxe that I rarely ever get to really open up.  A vintage JCM 800 would be utterly useless.  

But about every two years I GAS for them so hard. 

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1 minute ago, killerteddybear said:

With shipping the way it is now, the amp will show up when your next GAS cycle hits...

 

So what you're saying is that if I'm still getting stuff on time, I should buy it. 

That's not what you're saying, is it? 😂

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1 minute ago, killerteddybear said:

How about a Power Soak for the Friedman instead?

I've thought about that and may eventually get a power soak.  The Friedman can be run down at 25 watts, and it doesn't quite do the 800 thing. 

I may pick up one of the SC20 JCM 800s used though and check it out.  I picked up a 2205 half stack when I first moved here for $800 - whole damn half stack.  I have no clue why I sold that head.   (Actually, I do - too much internet BS about how they weren't REAL 800s.)

 

1 minute ago, RobB said:

You’ll regret it! Buy my Splawn SS combo instead. 

Why oh why can't it be a head?  lol. 

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I, too, have frequent jonesing for a JCM 800 and I was *this* close to picking up an SC20 JCM 800 head right before the Budda SuperDrive 30 landed in my lap. I still look at that SC20 from time to time. 

One of the things that did turn me away from the JCM 800 was Dave Friedman himself. Listening to podcasts where he would say repeatedly that the JCM 800’s were never really that revered when they were first out because they weren’t real Plexi’s/Super Leads. And that the good JCM 800’s were all modded anyway. Seems that the spike in interest for these amps is due to looking fondly on the time period thru rose tinted glasses. 

Now, whether that’s true or just one man’s opinion, I can’t say for sure. But, being as I don’t currently have the ability to try one out before I buy it right now, it has been enough to suppress my desire for a JCM 800. Between my SuperDrive 30 and my 5150 half stack, I have all the power I’ll ever need. If it’s the sound I want, there seem to be quite a few offerings in the pedal market that can get me close. That’s the route I would go. 

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Fuck it. You only live once. Get the amp you want. The SC20 reputedly sounds exactly like what it is a JCM800. Marshall sells lots of them. If you don’t like it, you’ll not have a problem selling.

Here’s another option: Jim at Lil Dawg recently made a JCM800 head for someone. True hand wired goodness. Get it in a lunchbox and it’ll be cheaper than an SC20.... He and I are discussing a 1987/1959 SE plexi with one el34 for home and recording.

Merry Merry from Jakeboy the Enabler!

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22 minutes ago, Jakeboy said:

Fuck it. You only live once. Get the amp you want. The SC20 reputedly sounds exactly like what it is a JCM800. Marshall sells lots of them. If you don’t like it, you’ll not have a problem selling.

Here’s another option: Jim at Lil Dawg recently made a JCM800 head for someone. True hand wired goodness. Get it in a lunchbox and it’ll be cheaper than an SC20.... He and I are discussing a 1987/1959 SE plexi with one el34 for home and recording.

Merry Merry from Jakeboy the Enabler!

Oh damn....  wait...  ima have to look into this...

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I LOVE my SC20!! And it is still one loud beast - despite the 20 watts, even at the 5 watt setting. Powersoak wouldn't be a waste even with the "baby" JCM 800...

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5 hours ago, ArnieZ said:

Buy a Fractal fm3 by the time you get to sound just right you’ll be interested in another amp and you can model that as well😁

arniez

I'm not going to bag on Fractal's because that whole argument has been ridiculous for awhile now, but not my thing.  For one,  I actually do get analysis paralysis, and I HATE tweaking.  I sold my Mesa Mark V because THAT was too much to deal with.  Hell, the Keely Caverns I bought makes me nervous just because I use it for about 1/10th of what it can do, but so far, I've left it the hell alone.  Having everything in one box sounds like a nightmare to me.  

Most of the appeal with old Marshall's to me is that they really only make one noise, the EQ's don't do much, and your clean channel is your volume knob.  Dial in one tone, and all you get from there is a little to a lot of breakup.  The rest of the appeal is having an old Marshall. 

 

7 hours ago, JGale said:

Is there not a pedal that gets you close? There is a lot of exotic stuff on the market now.

It's more a romance thing than anything to be honest.  

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7 hours ago, Steve Haynie said:

You cannot have too many guitars. 

 

You cannot have too many amps, especially Marshalls and Marshall-based amps. 

I dunno, I need to build a bigger house

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Well, Jason...as much coin as you've already plunked down for boutique gear, why not just unload a couple of pieces and buy an actual JCM 800 2204 or 1987 (pretty rare)?  The 50w 2204s show up on CL or Fb Marketplace  a few times per year even in smaller southern markets.  To wit, there's an early production 2204 in good nick on Fb here in my part of central NC for a $1,400 asking price. m https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/232239448493718/?ref=search&referral_code=undefined  They don't show up every day, but they do show up.

FWIW, I cranked my four-holer 1987 today and frankly, nothing else has that Malcolm Young "clang".  Put a mild OD in front of it, and you have enough gain for any of the grail tones recorded in the '70s and early '80s.  It's righteous, and it's the real thing.  Just do it, man. 

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9 hours ago, Travis said:

Oh damn....  wait...  ima have to look into this...

Which one, @Travis?

7 hours ago, murkat said:

just find yourself a nice used JMP-1 and have all types of marshall you want :)

JMP1 50th Anny JMP amp or   the JMP1 preamp, @murkat?

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18 hours ago, Biz Prof said:

Well, Jason...as much coin as you've already plunked down for boutique gear, why not just unload a couple of pieces and buy an actual JCM 800 2204 or 1987 (pretty rare)?  The 50w 2204s show up on CL or Fb Marketplace  a few times per year even in smaller southern markets.  To wit, there's an early production 2204 in good nick on Fb here in my part of central NC for a $1,400 asking price. m https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/232239448493718/?ref=search&referral_code=undefined  They don't show up every day, but they do show up.

FWIW, I cranked my four-holer 1987 today and frankly, nothing else has that Malcolm Young "clang".  Put a mild OD in front of it, and you have enough gain for any of the grail tones recorded in the '70s and early '80s.  It's righteous, and it's the real thing.  Just do it, man. 

I saw that one last night!

The main reason I don't do as you said is because I don't wanna,  haha.

Honestly, the only boutique gear I have are that Budda SD-18 and the BE-50, which are actually the only amps I own.  I may sell the Budda to cover whatever I get, but the Friedman is staying put.  That amp does the three things I need out of an amp, which are the occasional good clean, the guitar tone on "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation," and the god awful Robin Trower meets No More Tears-era Zakk Wylde lead tone I've finally learned is just what I'm going to make everything sound like whether I like it or not.  And it will do all of that at a volume acceptable to even the daintiest of soundman's ears. 

So I kind of know I'd be spending a bunch of money on something I basically used to do what you did - crank it up at home on occasion for a smile and maybe a gig once in a blue moon if the venue was big enough.  And I'm not saying that ain't worth $1400, it just probably isn't at the moment, especially when that means I'd need to also immediately need to pick up a decent load box to actually ever gig with it. 

...also doesn't mean that "Just do it, man," isn't still a pretty damn good argument.  😂

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Some pretty awesome Marshall tone pedals out there now.  My favorites are from LPD pedals.  The seventy4 for classic rock sound and the eighty7 for that 80s rock bliss.

I’m honestly blown away how good these sound and they are very touch sensitive and react well to volume changes.  Lots of great YouTube reviews if you are interested.  
 

not cheap at 299 each but this guy hand builds these pedals.

I still want one but with these pedals I just don’t need one..,,

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Get yourself an attenuator instead. An Ironman II can handle up to 100W and shave off 30+ db without affecting the tone or feel. Well, you won't feel your innards vibrating, but other than that...  Get the sound of your amp wide open and get bedroom level volume.

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17 hours ago, LucSulla said:

For one,  I actually do get analysis paralysis, and I HATE tweaking.  I sold my Mesa Mark V because THAT was too much to deal with.  Hell, the Keely Caverns I bought makes me nervous just because I use it for about 1/10th of what it can do, but so far, I've left it the hell alone.  Having everything in one box sounds like a nightmare to me.  

I'm right there with you.  I gained amplifier peace when I went with a somewhat versatile single-channel TMB amp.  No more fiddling; just playing.

Likewise, the Keely Delay Workstation, which I used around 1/10th of what it could do, had to go last year.  I couldn't play for all of the tweaking! 

Guitars?  Give me (only) one switch; a super-switch if there's an alternate pickup / tone control combo I simply must have, but one switch.  I'm really thinking maybe I make the move to just one pickup and skip switching altogether!  A Junior or Esquire... hmmmm...

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