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Marshall JCM 800 Questions/Old School Marshall Sound

HeavyAxe

HeavyAxe

Jul 16, 2013
420
222
Alberta, Canada
#1
Hey there! My buddy is getting out of the music scene and unloading his stuff. He has his JCM 800 Lead Series head from 1984 for sale. Pretty cheap too since we live out in the country. Now, before you guys crucify me, I did a search of the other threads about the JCM's potential as a bass amp. I'll add its a 100-watter. The consensus seemed to be sounds good; not enough power for a full band. Now this may be an incredibly silly question and all, but I want to ask anyways. Currently, I have a SUNN Concert Slave. 200-watts I believe. Any chance I could use the SUNN with the Marshall or would I ruin the amp? Sound like crap? Not work? I'd probably run it through an Ampeg 8x10 (with the 4x10 split option) or two 4x10s. Again, I'm just throwing this out there because he's selling it for cheap and I'm a gear hound. But I don't really want it if I can't rock it in a jam sesh or whatever. Anyways, any help is appreciated.
Thanks


P.S. I'm really looking for that classic Marshall bass tone. Punchy, distorted, and deep. My band is going in a bluesy, acid/fuzz rock, psychedelic direction. Bass wise, I'm lookin' Blue Cheer, Cream, etc. In other words...LOUD! So if anyone has recommendations on other amps that could help me achieve that late 60s/early 70s Marshall bass tone, that would be rad.
 
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#2
It'll sound awesome if you're looking for distortion/grind/mid-range punch (think Lemmy from Motorhead or Rob Wright from NoMeansNo). Volume might be an issue, but with the concert slave and extra cabs I think you could make up the difference.

Bass > JCM800 > 8x10
JCM800 Effects Send > Concert Slave > 2 4x10s

It's a lot of gear to haul around but it would sound killer and the 16x10 wall of drivers would be PLENTY loud.
 
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#4
As long as the 800 is seeing a speaker load, run its FX send to your Concert Lead. It's a lot of work to use all that gear though. You'd also be surprised with proper use of the EQ and gain staging a 100 watt bass amp, with the right cab (like an 8x10 or high efficiency boutique design) a 100 watt *tube* amp can kill an entire band. Apples to oranges but my old V-4B on my 8x10 could compete with two 100 watt full stacks, lots of distortion but it could hang no sweat. Marshalls are weird some have lots of low end, some don't. Just depends on the era I guess. Early Super Leads had tons of bass, later Super Leads didn't, early 800s were rather bassy, later 800s weren't and pretty much every amp after the later model of 800 has been shrill and weak on the low end since.
 
#5
Well I'll clarify. I'm not looking to do the 16x10 setup. I have 3 options the way I see it:
1. Use a single 8x10 with the Marshall
2. Use an Ampeg 8x10 with the Marshall going to one half (4x10) and the Slave going to the other.
3. Use two 4x10s, one amp going to each
 
#6
waltdogg said:
As long as the 800 is seeing a speaker load, run its FX send to your Concert Lead. It's a lot of work to use all that gear though. You'd also be surprised with proper use of the EQ and gain staging a 100 watt bass amp, with the right cab (like an 8x10 or high efficiency boutique design) a 100 watt *tube* amp can kill an entire band. Apples to oranges but my old V-4B on my 8x10 could compete with two 100 watt full stacks, lots of distortion but it could hang no sweat. Marshalls are weird some have lots of low end, some don't. Just depends on the era I guess. Early Super Leads had tons of bass, later Super Leads didn't, early 800s were rather bassy, later 800s weren't and pretty much every amp after the later model of 800 has been shrill and weak on the low end since.
Click to expand...
Also, just for fun... Say I wanted an amp with decent warm tone, but could be "LOUDER THAN GOD" through an 8x10. Solid state or not, I don't care. I think I have to put my tube fetish aside to satisfy my lust for volume. All I'd like is to have that Blue Cheer kinda fat, slightly broken up tone. But loud as all hell. Thanks buds
 
#9
Genz Benz Shuttle would do that tidy.
I use a 9.2 and a 4x10 focus cab at rehearsal and could quite comfortably drown out the drums & guitar if I wanted to.
The only rig I've had that is pretty much unable to feedback, standing next to it, really loud. What a machine.
 
#11
Marshall naming conventions are weird, 'JCM 800' could be one of several different amps.

The classic bassman-derived 100 watt Marshall is either the model 1959(non master volume) or 2203(master volume). Those amps are awesome for aggressive old school bass sounds, especially if you are supplementing with something for the lowest octave or so.

If it's the 80's split channel (model 2210) I would avoid. It's whole different amp than the classic Marshall circuit.
 
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#12
Don't take offense. but I find "based on the Bassman" funny. The Bassman circuit copied from the RCA tube manual (better loved by guitarists), then reworked for a different output tube (so no longer close to the original). That circuit? I actually found the Bassman lacking in low end without reworking the circuit, I even did some modifications to my Showman to make it better for bass use. So to claim it was "based on the Bassman" only proves out my opinion.

I will have to take your word for the VBA 400 110s lover, it may be a untypical Marshall. The only one I have been around could have been the Bassist's choice of instrument and/or voicing.
 
#14
B-string said:
Don't take offense. but I find "based on the Bassman" funny. The Bassman circuit copied from the RCA tube manual (better loved by guitarists), then reworked for a different output tube (so no longer close to the original). That circuit? I actually found the Bassman lacking in low end without reworking the circuit, I even did some modifications to my Showman to make it better for bass use. So to claim it was "based on the Bassman" only proves out my opinion.

I will have to take your word for the VBA 400 110s lover, it may be a untypical Marshall. The only one I have been around could have been the Bassist's choice of instrument and/or voicing.
Click to expand...

By Bassman derived I mean: triode gain stage (or two) -> cathode follower -> tone stack -> long tail phase inverter with a presence control -> power amp

That basic amp has been made by dozens of manufacturers over the years, starting with the tweed bassman in the 50's. The Marshall 2203, 2204, 1987, and 1959 are variations on this circuit. So is a Traynor YBA-1, a Peavey Butcher, and a bunch of other amps.

The split channel Marshalls (2205 and 2210) are a whole different thing, as is a Showman or blackface Bassman.
 
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#15
A+
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That's all I meant as well.
 

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