What do you think of Marshall's Today ???

[BOBBO]

Hey guys ... I have much love for my early 80's Marshall JCM800 but after playing some of the newer Marshall's at a local GC , They lacked the Brown sound I associate with a Marshall !!! Just too sizzley in the gain and never clean enough ! What do you guys think of the products Marshall has been putting out in the last decade compared to Marshall's past ???

[lp59aholicDon]

Aside from the Vintage Modern, and one Superlead II Handwired I played, I am not a major fan of the TSL, DSL's and the JVM just as WAY Too much going on, Havent had the opertunity to try the handwired Hendrix Re Issue
But when I am going to go for Good OLD Marshall tone , I am going to Ceriatone Niks amps are far closer to original Marshall wiring ect
I think Fender is a bit ahead of the tube amp race between the two older competitors . Sorry I think many modern Marshalls definitly MISS the mark, which is sad to me

[LoKi]

They are catering to market demand. New players want high gain. As much as I'd love for Marshall to remain with the same time-tested forumla, I know full well that masses of people would just complain in the opposite direction.

"Why doesn't Marshall do something new already? We know its LOUD, and it sounds like GOD. Do something different."



Can't please everyone. Gotta grow with the times or get out-grown.

That being said, I wouldn't buy one. I have more respect for my guitars than that. Anything newer than a good 900 won't cut it for me. *maybe a decent DSL100 again*

[coldsteal2]

everyone loves the sound of a cranked out Plexi, except
club owners and concert promoters that carry DB meters
with the cut off at 85dbs. A plexi puts out 115dbs
The only thing keeping me from buying one again is
i would never be able to play it without renting a garage in the
country to play it hahah

[Weldaar]

Ahh Plexi. My favorite. I attenuate mine to a level I can tolerate.
It's still very loud though.

[coldsteal2]

Originally Posted by Weldaar

Ahh Plexi. My favorite. I attenuate mine to a level I can tolerate.
It's still very loud though.

Im still going to buy one, just because i want one
just run some stomp boxes through it

but no need really, im buying an Orange Rocker 50 next month

[Weldaar]

Orange amps sound great. Very old school and warm. My Plexi is actually an old Traynor modded into one. 50 watts is what it's supposed to be. It is actually rated around 70 with the mods. Nice for my basement studio, but that's about it.

[drewbertca]

My old Traynor YSR-1 Custom Reverb was modded into a plexi like state....the reverb driver circuit was turned into a post EQ boost...I loved it....but it caught fire and now it doesn't work.....

[Weldaar]

That's what I have. The reverb was used for a mid boost. I love it. Can yours be fixed? How did it catch fire?

[JW123]

U got that volume II dimed there dont ya?

Master at 7, Are your ears ringing?

My old SUNN Model T will castrate goats at that level.

What are you using for attenuation? Does it kill your tone? Just curious.

[drewbertca]

well it didn't really burst into flames....I was playing bass through my 100 W yorkville and the traynor using a home made aby box and it stopped working....so I stopped using it for the rest of the practice....after the practice was over i opened it up and there was a wisp of smoke as I powered it on....either from the primary transformer or a filter cap....I could probably get it fixed but transformers are more than I paid for the amp and I haven't gott around to getting it checked out.....

[Pwozzie]

marshalls are nice, but overpriced like crazy

[Blues Power]

i really like the new VM's. not crazy about the DSL and the TSL's have way too many knobs for me. i always the like valve state 50 and 100's

the 900's serve its prupose and im fairly happy with mine but i find theyre too geetar perticular. actually my strat brings the life out of it and its mediocre at best with my Lp's and other electrics I had over the years. the reverb is the su**

[hedzeppelin]

I think the original Marshall amps were designed after Fender amps, weren't they?

I like my little 15w Marshall practice amp, but most Marshalls are just to verbose for me. I'm a Fender kinda guy.

[Weldaar]

U got that volume II dimed there dont ya?

Master at 7, Are your ears ringing?

You say something?

What are you using for attenuation? Does it kill your tone?

I use a DR Z Airbrake. As long as I keep it down only two clicks, the tone doesn't change. If I go lower, the tone changes somewhat, but still good. Any lower and it thins out.

[plexipaul]

If i had to pick one up it`s gonna be the VintageModern. Good looks and good tone. However, since i`m set with Marshalls my interest this year goes to the Orange Rockerverb 50.

[tiedstick]

Originally Posted by hedzeppelin

I think the original Marshall amps were designed after Fender amps, weren't they?

Yah, from what I hear the very first Marshall's were practically identical to the Fender's at the time.

I don't have too much experience with Marshalls. My dual-channel JCM800 works great for me, and as many pedals that I buy for it, I ALWAYS end up using none of them. The only modern-day Marshalls that I've played are the MG's. I guess they're good for todays rock/metal music, which isn't exactly tone-conscience.

[plexipaul]

Originally Posted by hedzeppelin

I think the original Marshall amps were designed after Fender amps, weren't they?

Designed after `59 Bassman circuit.

[coldsteal2]

Originally Posted by Weldaar

That's what I have. The reverb was used for a mid boost. I love it. Can yours be fixed? How did it catch fire?

hey thats cool, it is setup like a Plexi

[coldsteal2]

Originally Posted by JW123

U got that volume II dimed there dont ya?

Master at 7, Are your ears ringing?

My old SUNN Model T will castrate goats at that level.

What are you using for attenuation? Does it kill your tone? Just curious.

Model T's are one of the loudest amps ive ever heard
I had one, but i used it for bass!

[coldsteal2]

Originally Posted by plexipaul

If i had to pick one up it`s gonna be the VintageModern. Good looks and good tone. However, since i`m set with Marshalls my interest this year goes to the Orange Rockerverb 50.

me to, if i can make it to payday, ill have enough to pick
up a new Orange 50 head. Ill be selling my 401 when i do.

[coldsteal2]

Originally Posted by plexipaul

Designed after `59 Bassman circuit.

I guess thats why a fender bassman blackface sounds great
through a marshall cab

[lp59aholicDon]

There is Tone, or tones so sweet in both the Plexi and the 59 Bassman circuts that just cant be rivaled, they are timeless and untiring, The Circuts are similar but their tubes and transformers are dis similar which gives a good variation to both, The only Marshall I have found lately I really like is the Vintage Modern, in that they captured some old good Marshall like tones I am still thinking of aquiring the 50 watt combo model

[plexipaul]

Originally Posted by coldsteal2

me to, if i can make it to payday, ill have enough to pick
up a new Orange 50 head. Ill be selling my 401 when i do.

Yeah, those Rockerverb50s are great gigging amps. I guess the TT infected me with the Orange virus.

[GeeJay]

Interesting that some of you like the JCM 900, but say that the DSL's are too harsh. I have a DSL 401 and when I've compared them, it's not as high gain and gritty as a JCM900.

I could be wrong, but doesn't the JCM 900 have a tube-screamer built in to the input stage?

Also, I was given to understand that some of the best tone happens when the distortion/overdrive comes from the power amp.

I know from experience, that diming the preamp on my 401 gives poor tone, but diming the master volume with the preamp on about half and the gains on about half, gives pretty decent tone.

I also sat in a smallish venue and listened to Geoff Whitehorn play a DSL50 stack and it sounded awesome. Certainly not lacking anything that I could tell.

my 02c...

[coldsteal2]

I use channel A on my 900 instead of the highgain channel, with
a Govnr boost in the loop pretty close to the sound of a cranked plexi

[lp59aholicDon]

I used both, rarely did my gain knob ever go past half way on either channel, on channel B the higher gain I liked between five and six , the clean on four with the master cranked out for a nice clean tone, at six there it begain to sound " pushed"

[coldsteal2]

I love my 900, my 401 has the best Clean channel ive ever
used but i think the high gain on it blows

[Harpozep]

The way we talk about Marshalls is quite confusing. The 900 series has a 401 in it? I guess. But even after reading this:
THE MARSHALLFORUM GUIDE TO MARSHALL AMPS - Marshall Amp Forum

I still get confused.
All I know is I have owned a TSL combo from around '98 and liked the sounds it put out quite a bit. It was quite loud even at its 50 watt setting, and had old style tone compared to the grunge stuff one heard on the radio etc. Best combo amp I've ever owned and way different than my Mesa 20/20 x 4 stereo 12's that I also ran.

You folks seem to mostly say current Marshalls appeal to high gain fanatics and that the only good tone is from obsolete out of production gear or maybe their Vintage/modern line? Do I have that right?

I know I cannot play at loud volumes much and want a decent British tone with reverb. SO perhaps I should look into the Orange Rockerverb 50 and a power brake ( I do own an original Power soak though so I may try it )There is an Orange dealer near me , so I may have a mission today..

The Tiny Terror looks good, but I'm a reverb fanatic, so it is out. Though if it has an effects loop I could get a free standing Fender Reverb unit for one. I'm just not that much of a tone snob that I rule out reverb. I love reverb and will deal with any "tone robbing" consequences there of. It's only Rock and Roll, so anything goes

[coldsteal2]

The TT is great amp but its too limited for me
thats why im going to get the Orange 50, the
30's are also great but for about $100 more on ebay
you can usualy find a 50 also