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These Go to 11 - The Guitar Amp Thread


dcbc

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If I ever buy another Marshall, it'll likely come down to a JCM800 vs a JCM900. Honestly, my 50w EL84 5150 III covers everything I need right now, and when I do wanna get loud the Marshall 1987x sounds like heaven.

That said, I haven't been playing much lately. The spark to do so just isn't there these days. Hope it comes back soon.

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10 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Mine never stood up to my buddy's JCM800.  I've been told it's the solid state rectifier.

They are both solid state rectified. The 900 has clipping diodes in preamp, which was done to satisfy everyone who was hot rodding their 800s for more gain.

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25 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

OK, that part.  Anyway, his has more of that classic Marshall tone, especially with his Les Pauls.

They can be modded out for people so inclined, the power sections are similar, but it's essentially like having a tube screamer built into the amp. The Silver Jubilees also have clipping diodes as well, and that's one of the best regarded Marshall amps of all time. I have 2 of those, that's what you hear on my recordings typically if its a Marshall.

 

Also of note is there are two different 900 series. The reverbs ( like the 4100) are the ones with diodes, the 2100 SL-X is literally a 2203 JCM 800 with a third preamp tube for more gain. In the context of the times, it was all about hotrodded Marshalls, so that was the thinking. Interestingly enough the 4100 is pretty universally recognized as having maybe the best cleans of any Marshall.

 

The other factor is the speakers and cab are 60% of the sound. If it's not a 4 x 12, none of them are going to really be "that" sound. Combos just won't have the thump.

 

Thanks for coming to my late 80s early 90s Marshall Ted Talk.

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Just reading on TGP in a thread about people wanting a smaller package Tweed Bassman and the common response is that it doesn't exist since 4x10 is part of the formula.  Someone mentioned that a 4x8 with Jupiter 8" 25 watt speakers and while I'm not spending the money, I'm kind of curious.

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16 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Just reading on TGP in a thread about people wanting a smaller package Tweed Bassman and the common response is that it doesn't exist since 4x10 is part of the formula.  Someone mentioned that a 4x8 with Jupiter 8" 25 watt speakers and while I'm not spending the money, I'm kind of curious.

 

Man, 4 x 10 is the deal, along with the cab size. And to a point, the material, the good resonant cabs are really apparent in different vintage ones vs the not so great wood.

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On 11/14/2023 at 12:00 PM, BrickHorn said:

It sounds great but I don’t play it nearly enough. Looks real purty though.

I got an AST Pro and yeah it sounds great. Looking forward to having it at practice tonight.

I also got the Night Light attenuator but I’m not sure if I’m getting it to work right. Not noticing any difference when it is engaged. Maybe I don’t have everything plugged in the right way.

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48 minutes ago, G650 said:

 

Man, 4 x 10 is the deal, along with the cab size. And to a point, the material, the good resonant cabs are really apparent in different vintage ones vs the not so great wood.

I think part of the point of the post I read was the Jupiter 8" speakers.  They apparently sound pretty big.  I'd be curious to hear them in a bassman sized cab just for grins.  But in the line of no replacement for displacement, I'm reminded of how glorious a 5 watt champ sounds through a 4 ohm 4x12.

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1 hour ago, Chad Fuck said:

I like that. 

I'll have to see if I can run down a 4x12 to plug my Vibrolux into.

It may not sound as good unless it's rated for 8 ohms like your Vibrolux.  The Champ was set up for a 4 ohm load, which is why it seems to handle the 4 ohm cabs so well. 

You can try it, but always consider . . . 

When running an 8 ohm amp into a 4 ohm load, the amp runs hotter as there is less resistance from the output (closer to a direct short). Tubes and components experience more stress, but if built well will probably be okay. 

Alternatively, for example, 8 ohm amp output 16 ohm speaker load---tubes can run cooler, but the transformers can develop flyback voltages (what happens is the transformer generates a voltage potentially up to a 1,000V or so [some other poster has] read; this can cause internal arcing and eventual transformer failure). 

 

The opposite is true for solid state amps. 

Edited by dcbc
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29 minutes ago, dcbc said:

It may not sound as good unless it's rated for 8 ohms like your Vibrolux.  The Champ was set up for a 4 ohm load, which is why it seems to handle the 4 ohm cabs so well. 

You can try it, but always consider . . . 

When running an 8 ohm amp into a 4 ohm load, the amp runs hotter as there is less resistance from the output (closer to a direct short). Tubes and components experience more stress, but if built well will probably be okay. 

Alternatively, for example, 8 ohm amp output 16 ohm speaker load---tubes can run cooler, but the transformers can develop flyback voltages (what happens is the transformer generates a voltage potentially up to a 1,000V or so [some other poster has] read; this can cause internal arcing and eventual transformer failure). 

 

The opposite is true for solid state amps. 

Come to think of it, I have an Ampeg 4x10 cab for bass that is adjustable.  Maybe I'll try that.  

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1 hour ago, Chad Fuck said:

Come to think of it, I have an Ampeg 4x10 cab for bass that is adjustable.  Maybe I'll try that.  

Nice.  I never got a chance to try it.  I had a Sunn 4x12 from the early 70s with four Emi square backs in it.  But my 77 Champ had alligator clips for a speaker out, and I always was too lazy to find an adapter. 

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2 hours ago, G650 said:

Yeah I have one 4 ohm cab I had made for my old Fenders, my Super, Deluxe and BF Bassman are all the same impedance. My other 3 cabs are 16 ohm Marshall's (two of them switchable to 8 ohm)

You could run the Bassman head into those two Marshalls set for eight ohms since the extension jack runs in parallel.  On a Blackface/Silverface  8 ohm combo like a deluxe, you can run a pair of 16 ohm cabs off the main and extension jack together.

 

@Chad Fuck When you said Vibrolux, I assumed you meant an old 1x10 Tweed.  If it's a Vibrolux Reverb, you can run the mains into 4 ohms just like the internal speakers.  I can't remember which one you have.

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6 minutes ago, dcbc said:

You could run the Bassman head into those two Marshalls set for eight ohms since the extension jack runs in parallel.  On a Blackface/Silverface  8 ohm combo like a deluxe, you can run a pair of 16 ohm cabs off the main and extension jack together.

 

@Chad Fuck When you said Vibrolux, I assumed you meant an old 1x10 Tweed.  If it's a Vibrolux Reverb, you can run the mains into 4 ohms just like the internal speakers.  I can't remember which one you have.

Not a tweed.  It's a 1x12 made for a short time in the early 60s.  Not this exact one, but one like it:

image.thumb.png.3174562ea924fd1b247638a0665a250b.png

It's posted somewhere up in this thread. 

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1 hour ago, dcbc said:

You could run the Bassman head into those two Marshalls set for eight ohms since the extension jack runs in parallel.  On a Blackface/Silverface  8 ohm combo like a deluxe, you can run a pair of 16 ohm cabs off the main and extension jack together.

 

@Chad Fuck When you said Vibrolux, I assumed you meant an old 1x10 Tweed.  If it's a Vibrolux Reverb, you can run the mains into 4 ohms just like the internal speakers.  I can't remember which one you have.

I used to. The 4 ohm cabinet sounds so much better

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1 hour ago, Chad Fuck said:

Not a tweed.  It's a 1x12 made for a short time in the early 60s.  Not this exact one, but one like it:

image.thumb.png.3174562ea924fd1b247638a0665a250b.png

It's posted somewhere up in this thread. 

Oh, that's right.  It's got that awesome, built-in, harmonic-trem on it.  

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1 hour ago, Deej said:

I'm still kicking myself on not picking up that Tony Bruno amp when they were blowing them out for around 400 bucks. 

That's how I got it.  Best amp I've ever owned.  A little finicky, depending on barometric pressure, mood, and guitar, but dialed in it's fantastic.  Not particularly loud, though.  Tough to keep up with the Marshall.  Fuck that guy (LOL)

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  • 3 months later...
21 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

Thoughts on monoprice tube amp?

They get a lot of love on the forums. They are ugly, but you get a lot for your money, allegedly.  The 15 watt seems to be the favorite. 

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56 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

Just looked those up. 15watt, spring reverb, and a Celestion for $279?

That seems pretty legit. I bet they sound fine.

Most of us probably sound just as good through it as we would a boutique amp. 

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2 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

point is, what goes into it will definitely not be another Peavey. They don't make anything that fits any more.

I thought you were asking about a speaker replacement.

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37 minutes ago, G650 said:

I thought you were asking about a speaker replacement.

I am. They don't appear to make anything that works in this any more, and I can't even find used BW's anywhere. So it'll sound different. Either way, looks like $150-$250 depending on brand, etc.

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5 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

I am. They don't appear to make anything that works in this any more, and I can't even find used BW's anywhere. So it'll sound different. Either way, looks like $150-$250 depending on brand, etc.

Peavey still makes BWs as far as I know.

 

But anyway, the amp is what makes it a Peavey, not the speaker.

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7 minutes ago, G650 said:

Peavey still makes BWs as far as I know.

 

But anyway, the amp is what makes it a Peavey, not the speaker.

They might, but not in that size/resistance combo.

And yeah, the amp's still the amp. You know, it's a 1980s Peavey... sounds pretty ok, loud as hell, basically indestructible.

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20 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

Maybe find a black widow on reverb?

I've tried. Everything went to either 12" or 8 ohms; 15" 4 ohm just ain't many, new or used.

But there's plenty of third party options.

I think the answer I'm hearing overall is... it's worth spending the money to fix it.

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