Just got a JCM2000!

[ZoSo58LP]

wooooo my first REAL guitar amp! hell, half stack! i'll keep my little valvestate 12 incher though for practice obviously. but i love the JCM. my buddy cut me a GREAAAT deal on it, so I couldnt pass it up. so i've just got some general questions....hows mantinence on these? he got it re-tubed/biased and whatnot a few years back i believe. it sounds great as it is...and whats with the 4/8/16 ohm things on the back? i know I use 4 and the mono plug of the 4 ohm on the back of the cab....but what exactly do the rest MEAN? heres some shots of her! i love lol

 

[CoolCat]

very nice ! congrats!

the speaker rating. My Celestion stock Black Gold was a 16ohm...I switched to a 8ohm Vintage 30 and flipped the switch. Mines a single 12" all tube Marshall.

as far as maint/upkeep I don't know...I got a 401 Marshal combo all tube and it was used. Apparently the original tubes of a few years in it, so soon after I started playing it the power tubes went out (glowing orange and constant distortion was the clue.No clean was available!)

and the gang said to replace all the power tubes at the same time...so this was done.

Then I set the bias per the Marshal schematic which is a small potentiometer and DVM/voltmeter was all. But probably didn't have to, but I like to tinker.

now my preamp tubes are getting weird, or something is....it sounds like hell again. I'll probably replace the tubes this weekend and that should be it for a few years. I'm not gigging so its pretty lite use imo...microphonic is the word I guess. So I'll update later.

in short maybe $100 or so every couple years in tubes, depending on the usage rate. not sure about maint. I only have one amp so maybe someone with a bunch can give a better "average".

I have a friend who has a bunch of tube amps and he doesn't change tubes but every several years but then he never plays much as he's more of a collector. numerous hi end classic tube amps but never turned up past 1.
so usage has a big part in this.

 

[Tadpui]

Lookin' good!

It's good to see another Boss stomp box fan

My advice: start looking into power attenuators now, and put some of the money you saved on the amp bargain towards a HotPlate or a Weber Mass or something similar. Your bandmates, your ears, and your neighbors will thank you .

But most importantly, you'll be able to crank that puppy up, get the good tone, and fall even more deeply in love with that beast.

 

[ZoSo58LP]

thanks guys! yes i do loves my dd3 delay, chorus, and flanger! oh heres a question for anyone with a jcm2000. what does the "effects loop level" button on the back acutally do? i hear no difference. i figured it would be a knob so you could actually set the level lol but its a BUTTON. wtf?

 

[TelePaul]

thanks guys! yes i do loves my dd3 delay, chorus, and flanger! oh heres a question for anyone with a jcm2000. what does the "effects loop level" button on the back acutally do? i hear no difference. i figured it would be a knob so you could actually set the level lol but its a BUTTON. wtf?

FX boost or cut, I think in is something like +4Db, out is like -10Db, possibly. That's how it is on my TSL601.

 

[ZoSo58LP]

i see. ill keep mine out i think then, becuase whenever i turn the whammy on, even in both modes, the volume gets significantly louder..hmm wish where was a knob instead..

 

[TelePaul]

i see. ill keep mine out i think then, becuase whenever i turn the whammy on, even in both modes, the volume gets significantly louder..hmm wish where was a knob instead..

Your whammy shouldn't be in the FX loop.

 

[ZoSo58LP]

totally should. when you have it before the input, the signal gets distorted and sounds liek ass. having it through the loop mkaes it sound all digital and tom morello-y

 

[TelePaul]

totally should. when you have it before the input, the signal gets distorted and sounds liek ass. having it through the loop mkaes it sound all digital and tom morello-y

Before what input? I believe Digitech recommend it comes first in your chain, just like you would a wah. Tone vs Time; Generally, Tone-based effects go in the front and Time-based effects go in the loop. But I guess whatever works for you. I know as of 2004 Morello DID put his in the loop but I gotta be honest, if you're distorting by putting it through the front, something doesn't seem right to me.

 

[ZoSo58LP]

think about it. whammy goes into INPUT. then it gets DISTORTED. here, the distortion comes first, THEN whammy effect, thereby making the tone have clarity. if you put it to say, a lower 4th, and its in FRONT of teh input, then it sounds way too deep, theres too mcuh bass on it, and its very muddy. morello always used his through his FX loop on his jcm800 since they started, and i understand why. it gives the actual harmonized note more clarity and sounds great. i also put my flange and chorus through the FX loop as well as the delay because again, if you put them in front, the chorused/flanged signal will get distorted and sound like crap on the gain channel (thats what i always mean by distorted here, im talking about playing on gain not on clean) ya kno what i mean?

 

[TelePaul]

(thats what i always mean by distorted here, im talking about playing on gain not on clean) ya kno what i mean?

Oh right, NOW I'm with ya. Thought the distortion was unsought.

 

[ZoSo58LP]

lol nah, i dont use the whammy on clean very much, only distorted to get some cool harmonies! but yeah you know whats weird though? i notice NO difference when i push the effects level button in and out. like no difference at all. i wonder if its broken lol, i do hear a click in the speakers however when i push it in and out though.

 

[TelePaul]

lol nah, i dont use the whammy on clean very much, only distorted to get some cool harmonies! but yeah you know whats weird though? i notice NO difference when i push the effects level button in and out. like no difference at all. i wonder if its broken lol, i do hear a click in the speakers however when i push it in and out though.

Hmm that's kinda weird. Personally, I use a lot of Boss effects and I find my Phaser effect to be too quiet. I was thinking of putting a clean booster (Maybe my GE7) first in my loop.

 

[ZoSo58LP]

see thats funny, because ive been reading up on boss, and theres this guy who customizes effects for such things....he gives the phaser a volume knob, same with the flanger. the flanger, when turned on, is SO MUCH LOUDER its so annoying.

 

[TelePaul]

see thats funny, because ive been reading up on boss, and theres this guy who customizes effects for such things....he gives the phaser a volume knob, same with the flanger. the flanger, when turned on, is SO MUCH LOUDER its so annoying.

That's pretty interesting. I think with things like the chorus effect, you can mess with the EQ and level settings. I'd like a delay with an EQ to tweak the sound of the repeats though. Again, this could be achieved with an EQ in the chain. And an EQ in the chain could stop your Flanger getting outta hand - although I think Flnager is a cool effect!