Can i has JCM800? (pics & video)

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:05 am

Yus.

[youtube][/youtube][youtube][/youtube]

1981 Marshall JCM800 2204 50W Head
It was made the same year I was born, so it was always going to happen.
Thanks again to James and Tim

► Show Spoiler

euan · Post by **euan** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:09 am

I've been waiting for this. Looks hot. Have you cracked it open yet?

Form band with Doog. Use amp in band.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:12 am

Yes! Good skills!
So glad you got it - bet it sounds great.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:13 am

I cranked it in the shop. They let me turn it all the way up. It sounds glorious, like James said to me, it seems to shout "I was made for this volume". It is a LOUD 50W. Incredibly clean. One tiny ding on the front of the tolex and that is it. It is like new.

You just don't find amps like this in this condition for Â£499. I paid the asking price because it was a small independent shop working in troubling times and the price was fair. It was run by a guy and his son, the Â£50-100 I would have tried to haggle from them if they were Sound Control I'm happy for them to have.

Post by **Hurb** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:17 am

Nice. so the question is, is the other marshall head you have for the chop? can't wait to play through it at doogfest.

euan · Post by **euan** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:19 am

Mike wrote:I cranked it in the shop.

Cracked it open, not cranked it. Had a look inside. You know I'm only interested in gut shots.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 am

euan wrote:
Mike wrote:I cranked it in the shop.
Cracked it open, not cranked it. Had a look inside. You know I'm only interested in gut shots.

It's on the agenda. No point without decent Digital camera which missus has and is out.

Nah Hurb, they're going to coexist at the expense of the 4x12" I have going to live at my folks in their Garage. I shall be bringing the new baby to Doogfest III and you can all rock it.

Here's the skinny:

Low input - with the Jaguar even with the Preamp cranked it is clean as a whistle, it has one less gain stage in the path and actually has a lovely clean sound, full bodied and with plenty of tweakability. 3-4 on the Master would be rehearsal volume I think.

High input - much brighter than the low input (there may be a bright cap I can desolder), especially over the low range of the preamp knob, but up high things thicken out (hence why I think there is a bright cap) and you can get glorious classic Marshall crunchy tones with bags of grin-making bark, thump and power. 2 on the Master would be rehearsal volume I think. I was generally rolling the tone back on the Jaguar bridge pickup (I do this anyway, it's a Jaguar) and had the treble and presence on zero, pretty standard Vintage Marshall settings. The gain wide open sounds great and is really responsive to volume control. Also with the tone control on the guitar brought up a little it sounds great on the neck and both pickup settings - I've never had an amp or pedal which sounds great for rhythm crunch on a both or neck pickup setting, but thsi one does.

It's a rock machine basically, it's a one trick pony (trouser-flapping Crunch Power) with a nice clean sound to boot, but what a trick.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:32 am

[youtube][/youtube]

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:42 am

EXCELLENT!!!

Do you get a free cat when you buy a web cam or something? How come everybody on youtube has a cat?

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:08 pm

Because, like the social retard I am, I have three of them

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:23 pm

Brilliant Mike, so glad you got it. Made the same year as yourself too... thats fate.
Love the travelling video footage.

What you was saying about it being clean and the Jag not 'pushing it', i think this was the period when everyone started dropping DiMarzios in their guitars or using Tubescreamers to get that extra ooomph. But then, i systematically forget overdrive is where the tone is at and end it piling the dirt on too much. A better guy could not have bought this, it seems it was designed with you in mind. Cant wait to hear it.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:36 pm

I've recorded a little clip with my phone, it's obviously not the best quality but it sounds great. Also from playing with my cab I think a lot of the brightness I heard at the shop was due to the fact I was playing through a full stack and that the speakers weren't broken in (guy was a collector, like) and also the angled ones were pointing at my ears. Sounds much more balanced thorugh my setup.

The Tele loves it too.

nomorebridge · Post by **nomorebridge** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:46 pm

thats a lot of amp for Â£499 - I know fuck all about Marshalls but congrats

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:56 pm

[youtube][/youtube]

Camera Clip of the 2204

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:01 pm

Awesome. It instantly recalls so many classic recordings in the back of your mind, and whats more the Tele stays a Tele, plenty of low end too and cleans up with the guitars volume knob. Great score Mike.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:02 pm

Awesome. It instantly recalls so many classic recordings in the back of your mind, and whats more the Tele stays a Tele, plenty of low end too and cleans up with the guitars volume knob. Great score Mike.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:04 pm

Sounds lovely even just through the phone clip. Classic RAWK!
That crunch is just great. Suits you Sir.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:05 pm

Thanks guys, I'm really, really happy with it.

I'm taking it to rehearsal tomorrow night. Could Mike become a single channel amp guy?

tombo · Post by **tombo** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:07 pm

that looks fantastic, looking forward to the demo

*oops nevermind, i was watching the first video while demo was posted. watching nowww

tombo · Post by **tombo** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:13 pm

that sounds near enough to orgasmic

your neighbors must hate you, either that or your cats are deaf. I wouldnt mind being either