The New Tone Thread

[antichef]

antichef, we live in the same damn city. Let's A/B our amps one day.

Damn straight -- you did the right thing with the 2204, btw.

I had to get outside of the back part of my house redone because it was old and rotty. I got OC 703 stuffed in the walls and even removed the windows in my practice room, but my neighbors still send me hate-email when the band practices - I think it's the floor - it's pier and beam construction and the floor is really flimsy. So next, I'll put some OC 703 under the floor and then maybe I'll be good.

But anyway, the neighbors have never complained about short bursts of amp noise, no matter how loud, so I've got that.

Or maybe we just haul everything to the Rock Center for an hour or two.

 

[Greg_L]

Damn straight -- you did the right thing with the 2204, btw.

I had to get outside of the back part of my house redone because it was old and rotty. I got OC 703 stuffed in the walls and even removed the windows in my practice room, but my neighbors still send me hate-email when the band practices - I think it's the floor - it's pier and beam construction and the floor is really flimsy. So next, I'll put some OC 703 under the floor and then maybe I'll be good.

But anyway, the neighbors have never complained about short bursts of amp noise, no matter how loud, so I've got that.

Or maybe we just haul everything to the Rock Center for an hour or two.

That sounds cool. I actually have access to a practice room there. This new band I just joined has a room there. I don't have a key yet but I will soon.

 

[Greg_L]

Mesas use Mesa Black Shadow speakers which are supposed to be V30s but with 90 watts capacity.

In the 6101 I've had 3 different speakers.
The original speaker which came with it was a special design EV that was made specifically for that amp.
EVs are usually efficient but I don't know the specs of that specific speaker.
...... then I tried a Weber Michigan (which is currently in my Mark V) ....... now it has a Mesa Black Shadow which, as I said, is supposed to be a V30 with a bit more power handling.

That's really weird that the 6100 is not as loud with a V30-type speaker. Maybe that's just how they are. That 50w Jubilee I've been goofing with isn't that loud either. Not as loud as my 50w JMP 2204 anyway.

 

[minerman]

Hey guys,
Traded some non-musical shit for a loaded S-S-S strat pickguard today, it came off a MIM strat so it should just drop right in with 2-3 solder connections. So, for about $10-15, I'll be turning my H-S-S strat into a "real" strat....The p'ups are just standard Fender single coils, but should serve the purpose for my strat tones.....

Pretty good weekend too, & it ain't over yet....gonna spend another night with the new girlfriend at her place....

 

[minerman]

Finally got back home this morning....feel like a new man....

Just checked the tracking on my new speakers, & they'll be here Tuesday, pretty stoked about 'em to be honest.....Got some shit to do around the house this afternoon, but later this evening, I'm gonna swap pickguards/pickups on my strat, may even have enough time for some clips with the "new" guitar....

Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving, I ate until I was about to bust, then ate some more....

 

[Greg_L]

Hows the new vaj?

 

[Lt. Bob]

Hows the new vaj?

we'd like to hear some clips!

 

[minerman]

Hows the new vaj?

It's great man, just the way I like 'em....I could go into more detail, but don't want you guys to know what a real fuckin' perv I really am over here.....hahahahaha!!!!

we'd like to hear some clips!

Might surprise ya dude...just kidding....

Gonna tear into the strat in a few minutes, it'll probably take longer to re-string it than it will to swap the pickguard out...To be honest, I probably won't use it much, I'm a humbucker/high gain guy, but it will be nice to have true single coil tones when I do want 'em....There's a couple songs that I'm working on the single coils will actually sound pretty good, clean-ish/semi-dirty stuff...

 

[Greg_L]

Ever since almost trading away my JMP 2204, I've been playing the hell out of it. Fuck me, I'm stupid. This thing is bad ass. So raw and ballsy.

Just dicking around.....2204

For comparison......2203

I like the crunchy grind of the 2204 better than the 2203, but the mids are kind of woofy in the 2204. I prefer the tighter smoother mids of the 2203. Both kick all kinds of ass in their own right.

Both clips - Les Paul Trad - Burstbucker 3 bridge pickup
Both amps - all tone controls - 7
Both amps -gain and master vol - 6
Both clips - 1960A - G12-65 - 57 dead center, i5 edge, both on axis, on grill. Full blend. No EQ.

 

[Lt. Bob]

wow .... totally different!


Not sure which I like best but they both rock.
If I were handed a git and 5 minutes to showtime I'd add a little presence/treble to the 2204 ..... or if I had to use the 2203 I'd almost immediately cut a bit of highs.

 

[Greg_L]

wow .... totally different!


Not sure which I like best but they both rock.
If I were handed a git and 5 minutes to showtime I'd add a little presence/treble to the 2204 ..... or if I had to use the 2203 I'd almost immediately cut a bit of highs.

Yup, and that's exactly what I do. I don't ever run the bass and mids that high on the 2204, and don't ever run the presence and treb that high on the 2203.

I've been learning about plate voltage on these amps and why some of these 2203/4 amps are bright as hell, and why some are dark as hell. And it almost lines up with the cosmetic split between the JMP models and the JCM 800 models. The circuits are the same, except Marshall pulled a transformer fast one on everybody around 1980 that roughly coincided with the birth of the new-look JCM 800. My JMP 2204's plate voltage is in the lower range which, according to my crack research, causes these amps to sound darker, woodier, creamier, browner, and whatever else dumb sound-to-word adjective people like to use. But many people with JCM 800 2204s, same circuit, complain of the amp blowing their faces off with high end. What's the difference? Plate voltage. My JMP 2204 has a plate voltage around 400 VDC, which is low-ish in Marshall world. The JCM 800s have way higher plate voltage, like in the 450 VDC range or higher, and supposedly that causes those amps to be brighter, tighter, punchier, etc.

But I tend to like that tighter brighter sound better for my kind of music, so I'm looking into a simple mod, if there is one, to raise my JMP 2204 voltage to the preamp and see if I can tighten it up a little bit to sound more like the JCM 800 versions..

I'm still doing my homework though, so I may have this all wrong.

 

[Lt. Bob]

But I tend to like that tighter brighter sound better for my kind of music, .

I actually thought that exact thing when in one part of the clip where you were doing the palm muted downstroke thing.
That was one spot where I definitely preferred the 2203 ..... it had plenty of bottom but it was super tight which was perfect for that.
Still a bit bright but pretty close to perfect for that sound.

 

[Greg_L]

Yup, and that's mainly why I like my JCM 800 2203 and the Plexi 1959 so much. They're PERFECT for me. Perfect amps. They sound gnarly and angry as hell without needing a ton of gain when I'm slamming my dumb ol powerchords through them, but change the picking and hit some palm mutes and they get super tight and precise without a bunch of mush. Roll back the guitar volume and they clean way up. I love that. Chords sound huge, things that need to be tight and dynamic can be tight and dynamic. All without having to do anything with pedals or channels or switches or anything.

If I can get this 2204 to tighten up a little and act the same way, it will be just as awesome.

 

[Sky Blue Lou]

Roll back the guitar volume and they clean way up. I love that.

lol Wasn't all that long ago you never would have said that. All dimed all the time. Amazing what those knobs will do when you're plugged into a Marshall.

 

[Greg_L]

lol Wasn't all that long ago you never would have said that. All dimed all the time. Amazing what those knobs will do when you're plugged into a Marshall.

Yup, it's true. I never had guitars or amps that responded well to vol rolling. I've had to teach myself to do it, and now I really like it. Fuck channel switching or pedals. I've got clean, crunch, and full roar with twist of a knob. I get it now.

 

[Lt. Bob]

Yup, it's true. I never had guitars or amps that responded well to vol rolling. I've had to teach myself to do it, and now I really like it. Fuck channel switching or pedals. I've got clean, crunch, and full roar with twist of a knob. I get it now.

 

[Greg_L]

Right? And maybe in 25 more years I'll finally join facebook.

 

[minerman]

Not listened yet Greg, but I will....got my speakers, mic, stand, & strings today....Of course they arrived after I left, but they're here anyway...Gonna un-box 'em & take some pics....Pretty excited, I've got 5 different Celestions now, with 4 different mic choices....Should be more than enough for me to finish up my "album"....Really, I've had enough to finish the fuckin' thing, my life has been fuckin' bat-shit crazy for a long time, but it's starting to settle down...

Might even re-wire the cab tonight, so it'll be ready for some clips in the morning....Pretty exciting day!!!!

 

[minerman]

Nice clips dude, I personally like the 2203 better...maybe if you dialed the lows back a little on the 2204 I'd like it better, but the 2203 clip just has the "bite" that I like...either would fit in a mix pretty easily, but again, the 2203 is my pick....


Check it out :









I've got enough strings to re-string all my guitars, with 2 sets left over....Pretty good day for me considering I had to go back to fuckin' work tonight....lol....

I'm gonna put the Greenback & '65 in the top, then put the V30 & G12H in the bottom....I usually sit right in front of the cab when I play/record (yes, even with the amps cranked up....), so maybe the bottom speakers won't overpower the top ones....We'll see in the morning....



Gonna hop in the shower, eat a bite, & load/re-wire the 'bastard' 4x12 for some clips in the morning....Fuckin' excited!!!!!

 

[Greg_L]

Yeah it'd be better to put the G12H and V30 on the bottom. They will cut your face off in the top of an angled cab. You wouldn't even know the other two are in there.

Congrats on the new stuff.