Marshall JTM 45 cab help

[Imuny]

I'm really interested in the Marshall JTM 45's, and I'm trying to get some more information on them. Specifically, a cab to go with.

Which Marshall cabinet would be most like an original cab that came with a JTM 45 in the late 60's or so? I've seen certain cabs upwards of $1000, which is just about as much as the amp itself. Would it be more cost efficient to buy a blank cab and stock it with separately bought speakers? And if so, which speakers? I know they're Celestion Greenbacks (I think) but is there anything specific I should know?

 

[SmokestackElRopo]

1960 TV 1960 AX or BX.

 

[cmcgov]

Starting with the JTM 45 with KT66 power tubes. I think they came with a 4x12 60 watt closed back cab loaded with Celestion G12-15 speakers (Celestion Blue speakers). Early ones may have possibly been with a 4x10 cab. If you're going for the combo, an open back 2x12 cab with Celestion G12-15 speakers would be the way to go. For an extension to the combo a closed back 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion G12-20 speakers(Celestion Heritage Series G12M speakers) would be period correct I believe.

When the amp's power tubes changed to EL34's and name changed to JTM50 the cab that accompanied may have been a 4x12 closed cab 75 watts loaded with Celestion G12-20 speakers. There might have been a JTM50 combo available with an open back 4x10 configuration as well.

Then this amp transformed into the JMP100, again transitioning from KT66 power tubes to EL34 power tubes. This amp was sold with what I believe you're looking for, a closed back 4x12 100 watt cab loaded with Celestion G12M-25 speakers (Celestion G12M Greenback speakers). But by now it's not really a JTM 45 is it?

I've come to like how Scumback speakers are sounding and they seem to have great reviews. http://www.scumbackspeakers.com/index.html Check em out.

Just from what I've gathered, I could be wrong. The JTM 45 amp is something I'm looking at as well. Personally, the JTM 45 with KT66 power tubes. Having trouble deciding what kind of cab to get with it too. Hope this makes sense and helps.

 

[eaglewolf]

I love how my Scumback H75/H55 speakers sound with my JTM variants - the JTM1 and the Phaez MLP-35. I haven't paired them with a JTM45, but based on what I have heard o far this is an excellent setup. Note that this isn't period correct, and I was less enamored with the sound when paired with some of my other amps. With the JTM's though it sounds great to me.

You can have a cabinet built and put speakers of your choice in it. WGS is known for great sounding speakers at a reasonable price, and their Green Beret and Reaper speakers are known to be good options if you are looking for the Geenback tone. I think they go for about $70 a piece, so that might be worth looking at if you are trying to save a few bucks.

Sourmash is one of several cabinet makers used around here. I've used them a couple of times with a third cab being built now. Great products at very competitive prices, and he will customize a cab just about any way you want. Check him out if you are interested in going that route, though he (Bob) primarily works through e-mail.

Using WGS speakers and a Sourmash cab, you should be able to save a bucketload of cash over the Marshall cabs. However, despite the cost of the Marshall cab you should keep in mind that the amp is only half of the equation. The speakers are just as important as the amp selection, and could end up costing as much as the amp itself as you stated. If that gives you the tone you are looking for and is within your budget, then it is well worth the money. If money is tight, then consider some of the other options. Just remember that speaker/cab selection should never be an after-thought. Audiophiles usually understand this, but for some reason guitarists seem to miss this point from time to time.

David

 

[roeg]

I'm running my JTM 45 through a first edition Marshall 1936 cab with first year g12 75's.Its all good.Got me to thinking since its a snow day,i'll pull the back off and check the cones.These 75's don't sound at all like later 75's.
KT66's are a must in this amp.Its the one good tube China makes IMHO,they sound amazing.Authentic Marshall Tone.I like them better than the Sylvania 6L6's i had in there.The sylvanias,while a great tube had a more Fender type sound,so i keep them for my Fenders
Finally,an original nos rectifier(gz 34).Mullard preferably,they can still be had for reasonable coin.My plate voltage jumped from 395 to 420 with the Mullard,.I rebiased to this new voltage.The amp is crisper,with more authority.The(Shuguang/Valve Arts) KT66's are a tight fit.I had to plug them in with the chassis out of the box,then finesse the chassis with the power tubes back in the box.Mine is a first year(1989) JTM 45.Maybe the later edition boxes are bigger?

 

[trmckn]

It's all a matter of preference of course, but my strong preference with JTM45s is with Alnico's (such as Celestion Blues). The originals came with Alnicos (Marshall's high end reissues come typically with T652 reissues, which sound perfect to me. A cheaper (though not cheap) way to go, if you go that route, would be to build up a 2x12 with Celestion Blues. You can probably find a shop someplace with a Vox 2x12 with Blues in it to see how it sounds.

 

[Dougie]

Found this sourmash 2x12:

New Sourmash 2061 2x12 Cab for Your Marshall Amp | eBay

Loaded with whatever speakers you choose and an ebayed "M" logo, you'd be in business just fine.

I tried the tall boy 1960TV cabinet with my 50w 1986 head and it was okay, they say the taller cabinet has more bottom end and to that extent they are correct but sometimes more bottom isn't necessarily better bottom, I thought it was a little loose and woofy sounding and sold it.

I have two 1960AX slant front reissue cabs which are pretty good, they're not birch but they are okay. One has Celestion G12H-30 Heritage speakers which are really juicy and fat on the low end, the other one has Scumback M75 that are well defined with very nice mids and highs. These things have a singing harmonic chime about them that none of the Greenback reissues come close to.

Probably the easiest way to go wrong choosing speakers for a JTM45 would be choosing too high of wattage, where you don't get any speaker breakup until you are at peeling paint volume.

The G12M-25 Greenback reissues with 6402 cones aren't bad, they are a little fizzy on beam but nothing like the H1771 cones, and if you got a reissue 1960 cabinet it will have shipped with one of those two speakers in it, 6402 cones up until about late 1997, H1771 from 1997 on.

Tonewise I think the best bet is with an empty cabinet loaded with whatever drivers you pick.