JCM900 - Pros and Cons here

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ido1957

ido1957

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Was reading a bunch of stuff on the internet lately complaining about the JCM900. I really like mine EXCEPT the line out of the back is really fuzzy on high gain channel and not at all crunchy. I still use line out for practicing (gotta keep the volume down), but for recording I've started using an SM57. The clean channel is fine - line out - or miced, both are nice. Plus my 4100 model has effects loop, separate gain/reverb per channel and 50/100 watt switch. I run it through a 1960A cabinet.

Just wondering if anyone has any opinions on this amp. They don't make them anymore but somebody out there might be thinking of buying one used. This would be a good place to post your pros and cons....

:):D:):D
 
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I have a 50 watter, the dual reverb model. I love it. I've heard some that were only so-so and some that sounded great. Mine has the EL34s in it which I think is desirable as far as these amps go. Some opinions may differ.

Mine is useless for clean sounds, but it does the semi-clean to moderate gain thing great. With everything dimed, it's suitable for extreme metal, it's a pretty high gain head, but even with a master volume it has to be wide open to sound good. Even on 8 or 9 it loses alot of balls. I'm thankful for the half power switch (even though it's only a 50 watt head).

I use a 5150 alot these days, but I still use the 900 most of the time when I record lead guitar because it has a really fat and smooth midrange, and I can crank it easily in the half power mode.

I know that some of these heads don't sound great, so I'd just say don't buy one unless you can play it. When I bought mine, they had two of them there and I played both of them, The one I bought shit all over the other one, and they were supposed to be the same amp!
 
I have always thought this was a pretty underrated amp. It does some decent clean sounds. The dual reverb ones always sounded better to me. Not as much of a fan of the slx models. The 900's seem to have better top end to me than the 800's did. Just a little brighter amp overall.
 
I don't have one - nor have I played one but I've listened to the recorded work of metalhead28 & ido1957. The diff between Ido's line out & mic'd recordings is justification for all folk to skip their pods'n'modellers. The guitar sounds great clean & dirty. metalheads amp sounds exactly as he describes it & he certainly gets a fabulous lead tone.
As metalhead says - PLAY before you buy but 2 out of 2 examples have excellent tone, (not at all hampered by the excellent work done in playing & recording mind) and have some versatility.
Purely as a witness of the work performed I'd say nice amp!
 
JCM 900 Combo

I owned one of these for a while and think they are great amps. I read a lot of reviews bagging these amps because of their hybrid nature, the "clean channel did'nt sound like a Fender amp" and generally because they did not sound like the 800's.
Big fucking deal. I played my Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker guitars through mine and they all sounded fantastic. I think all amps are different in some way. Same old story-try before you buy and make your own decisions.
Mike.
 
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