Marshall JCM800 - Will 50W be enough ??

MorbidDream · #1 04-04-2002, 05:51 AM

I'm going to buy 50W JCM800 and modify it. People talk that 50W from tubes is equal with 100W from solid state. I've build 2 tube amps by myself and I know Tube has wider dynamic range than solid state, but I haven't ever tried that will 50W from tubes do enough for me in rehearsals. We have line-up where's 2 guitars, vocals, drums and bass.

I have allready this feeling that 50W JCM800 will kick my 100W valvestate's ass ?

Do any of you use 50W JCM800 in rehearsals ?

Please share your experiences with me !

Janne

7 Dying Trees · #2 04-04-2002, 09:24 AM

Lets put it this way: Power tube saturation sounds very nice. 100watt power tube saturation makes your ears bleed. 50w will give you power tube saturation at a nicer volume level without killing any small children or old ladies within a mile of your rig

Trust me, it'll be good enough. If you want more spread of your sound you can always get yourself two cabs.

goldboy · #3 04-04-2002, 10:38 AM

YES it's enough.

I'll most always use a HotPlate to attenuate the volume when I rehearse in a smaller room, but now that I'm in a much larger room I don't use it as much. *The 50Watt has some serious gain and I personally prefer it because it does break up faster....

You won't regret it at all..(switch the 6550 tubes out for KT88s and stand back!).

wallopwallop · #4 04-04-2002, 12:24 PM

My main amp is a JCM 800 50w 2x12 combo. The driven sound is really quite nice and saturation does occur at reasonable volumes. If you tip it over the edge a bit more using a tube screamer or something similar then it rawks! It goes without saying though that the clean tones aren't really up to much when you go past a certain volume. This is especially the case if you are using hot pups like evolutions. The tone will definitely kick the valvestate's ass and it will certainly be loud enough for most rehearsal situations.

Matt

lgascoig · #5 04-04-2002, 12:31 PM

A 50W 800 head is LOUD.

Gabe Nickelson · #6 04-04-2002, 04:26 PM

I have a 50W JCM 800 and a Valvestate VS100 amp.

The Valvestate 100W is much louder in my opinion, but it sounds to raw. *The JCM 800 is far superior in sound though, and is my prime choice. *And I do CRANK these amps too.

Gabe

nuno · #7 04-05-2002, 06:07 AM

hi pizza-cook, hehe...

MorbidDream · #8 04-05-2002, 06:30 AM

Thanks dudes ! I feel very sure about this now. JCM 800 will be mine next week. Thanks alot !

NUNO ! is there problems in our servers again ? Did you got my mail. I sent it about 4 hours ago...
Gotta start usin hotmail or something :-(

MorbidDream · #9 04-08-2002, 05:20 AM

Okay, let's move to the next section and build some kind of a sounf from JCM800.

*What preamps do you use ? I'm gonna buy JMP-1 from Marshall, but before that (before I'm able to buy one) I'm going to test my Marshall/Shred Master with it. Any of you tested this configure ? I've drived some Fenders with Shred Master succesfully ! And of course, I have to tell you the tone I'm searching for, it's very very heavy !

Janne

lgascoig · #10 04-09-2002, 01:28 AM

Try out an ADA MP1. *I heard Alex Skolnick (sp) used that combo on some of the older Testament stuff.

RSVampire · #11 04-09-2002, 01:59 AM

if your going to buy a modded JSM800 I'd check out Zakk Wyldes new sig amp comin out. It's got 6L6 tubes, a tube for the FX Loop and a true bypass for the fx loop.

welshpete · #12 04-09-2002, 07:40 AM

As people have stated, you can get a fab sound from a 50W head without having to give yourself tinitis in a week.

With my sound engineers hat on; I hate anyone with 100W or more backline....If I had a pound for every time I hear "but I've got to have it that loud to get the right sound"....

Pete

7 Dying Trees · #13 04-09-2002, 07:41 AM

...but I do need 100w, honest!

(do I owe you 1£ now?)

goldboy · #14 04-09-2002, 10:14 AM

I just use the 'boost' channel on the JCM-800 for the 'lead' sound. To make it stand out more I use a Boss DS-1 (for those seriously heavy chord riffs) or a Boss GE-7 as a solo boost to scoop the mid and highs out to stand out in the mix. *A pre-amp in front of this thing my kill the beauty of what this amp is capable of (pedals aside). *You should be able to dial in one monstrous sound out of the controls present already...if you want a pre-amp for different type (or types of distortion) I can see that....the JMP may work with it..then the JCM800 should be used as your power source which in effect could be the Marshall power amps (tubes of course) that are available. *If that is the case, get one of those instead of the JCM-800 and get the JMP-1 and you're set. *

It's good enough for Dave Mustaine!