Buying a new amp head

[danrawkz]

Oh and What kind of metal are you playing??
If you're after scooped mids, death metal kind of sound, then an old Marshall is not what you are after. (unless you want to put a distortion in front)
If your looking for 5150 kind of mid heavy sound, then a Marshall may be what you are looking for.
A JCM800 with a SD1 or a TS9 in front = Awesome metal sound. Add a Depth control circuit, and you're away laughing.

Metalcore/post-hardcore stuff mainly.
From say a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y86vOjYZsNQ&fmt=18 type guitar sound to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzAXKdNYuUE&fmt=18 kinda sound

How are these Randalls? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =201881800 I realise they are a hybrid amp, but I've heard good word about the distortion channels in them.

Ah just realised that models a 300W jobby, probably not for me then.

[war-wolf]

the one randall i've heard(pure ss)has a great thrash tone but not huge amounts of gain.

[AmpShop]

Funny thing about the diode-clipping concern - if you put a pedal such as a TS808/TS9 in front of a JCM800 ....

That always made me laugh too. People have 30 pedals on their pedal board and then claim all tube signal path.
Even worse others won't buy an amp with a SS FX loop, when the SS loops are usually superior as far as transparency is concerned.

I talked with Scott Splawn about that once - he's very pro-SS loop - he tried several versions of a tube loop design, and said that he always came back to an SS loop, they seemed to work a lot better his amps and the kinds of uses that his customer base had.

[Bg]

My JCM800 head had the clipping diodes - lovely tone I will get another oh yes it will be mine... mwuahahahahaha

[Aquila Rossa]

My JCM800 head had the clipping diodes - lovely tone I will get another oh yes it will be mine... mwuahahahahaha

Funny thing about this forum is that one person gassing for a new piece of equipment esculates into several people gassing for the same.
Compounding GAS.

[thehenderson]

It's like a handjob in the prison showers. Sure at first it's just one...

[AmpShop]

Funnily enough, I have 3 JCM800 head here at the moment. #1 I'm modifying, #2 I'm repairing then modifying, and 3# is for reference. After a cap job and a few component changes, #1 is starting to sound pretty damn awesome.

[thehenderson]

You upping the gain?

[AmpShop]

Yeah, a bit here and a bit there rather than a massive upping in any one spot/stage. Removing the excess brightness/fizz to the gain structure (it's a late-80's model with the extra bright caps) and fattening/re-voicing the midrange.

Did the Fischer PPI Master Volume mod last night, it does what it's supposed to but I'm going to try a few different pot types/values before committing.

[the_haunted]

Funnily enough, I have 3 JCM800 head here at the moment. #1 I'm modifying, #2 I'm repairing then modifying, and 3# is for reference. After a cap job and a few component changes, #1 is starting to sound pretty damn awesome.

Best mod to start with is drop the B+ for the Pre tubes. Makes a huge amount of difference, smooths out he pre and takes away that hard / brittle character. give it a go: Somewhere around 320v (usually ~400) on the PI nodes and 250-300v (usually ~350) on the pre's nodes. I just change the resistors from 10K to 22k.

- and then, add a depth/resonance mod

I'm talking about the 2203/4 model here, but I'm sure it's a similar arrangement.

[AmpShop]

Thanks fella! I'll give that a go over the weekend. "Brown it out" a bit huh? (Don't you love that term?)

I did notice how high the B+ was on the first preamp stages. I'll replace the 10K carbon films on there with some 22K metal oxides.

Oh, it's the 2x12 combo version of the 2204 that I'm working on.

If it's not too much trouble, have you got a schematic or a link for a depth mod? Connects to the NFB loop?

[thehenderson]

"Just gonna spend the weekend browning out eh"

Sounds like a good weekend

[AmpShop]

You know it. Terrific room for all sorts of innuendo. Speaking of which ...

[AmpShop]

And that's as off-topic as I'll let myself get Sorry BG!

Dan, I'd pickup a 2nd-hand 5150/6505 over a new Bugera. Better re-sale too.

There, back on track ... for a few posts ...

[Bg]

And that's as off-topic as I'll let myself get Sorry BG!

Dan, I'd pickup a 2nd-hand 5150/6505 over a new Bugera. Better re-sale too.

There, back on track ... for a few posts ...

I don't think we've yet hit the 20% off topic ration in this thread