Or if you prefer to get your gain from pedals these are also great choices. I have just tried to focus on the defining amps of each series because there is a lot of crossover.Īnyway, if you are a tube-tone purist then you will probably be best off with a 2203 or 2204 model from the original JCM800 series because the later series added more solid-state and digital technology for gain, reverb, etc. So if you decide you need some Marshall tone in your life there are tons of options. I believe the JCM2000 series is currently discontinued but JCM800 and JCM900 amps are available as tweaked re-issues of the 100-watt versions.įor example, the current JCM800 2203X comes with a series effects loop, which the originals did not have. So as far as the series numbers go, I think it is safe to associate JCM800s with styles of rock music from the 1960s to 1980s, JCM900s with rock in the 1990s, and rounding up from 1997 to 2000, JCM2000s would represent the music of the new millennium.Īnd the higher the series number, the more options, and available gain stages/channels there will likely be.īut you really have to decide based on the model number because that is what matters here. Marshall has certainly influenced music but they also follow musical trends. I actually think that Marshall has overused the name of these JCM series to the point that they have really muddied the waters.Ĭoncerning the amps in these series that I have focused on, I guess they all use E元4 or 6L6 tubes for their power, offer at least a 3-band EQ, and a master volume. So from the simplicity of the single-channel amps in the JCM800 series to the dual-channel models that evolved into JCM900s and JCM2000s, there are a lot of models to compare. Main differences between Marshall JCM800, 900, and 2000 amps Here is a link to a video with a PRS SE being played through a 4100 model from 1996: So there were a lot more options to get different sounds with this series but not everyone loved the diode clipping method that was used to raise the gain. The B channel was considered the lead channel with the preamp gain sometimes labeled from 0-20 versus 0-10 on channel A. Other differences were that the power tubes were sometimes switched to 5881 (6L6) tubes (supply problems?) and the second input jack was removed. The heavy hitters of the JCM900 series were also available in 50 watts (4500 model) and 100 watts (4100 model). The new standard (compared to the 22 models) was to have two channels with a foot switch option, an effects loop, more (solid-state) distortion on the second channel, and reverb with separate controls for each channel. So with the single-channel amps dominating the JCM800 series, in the 1990s Marshall changed the series name to JCM900 and followed the aforementioned 22 models. Here is some footage of a Gibson Les Paul being played through a 2203 model from 1988: They are simple but legendary amps that are worth checking out. And the master volume allowed you to run the preamp gain hot to get tube saturation while using the master volume to keep things from getting too loud.īut 2203s and 2204s only have one channel so if you want to vary your tone in a song you will have to rely on pedals or your guitar’s controls. These amps use ECC83 (12AX7) preamp tubes and E元4/6550 power tubes. So for the sake of keeping things somewhat simple and preserving our sanity, let’s focus on the famous 22 models. And there are even some rarer JCM800 amps without a master volume control. These two amps also feature reverb whereas the 22 do not. Now most people categorize the JCM800 series as one-channel amps since the very popular 2203 (100 watts) and 2204 (50 watts) models only have one channel.īut things get messy quickly and there are models in the JCM800 line with two channels as well: the 2205 (50 watts) and 2210 (100 watts). The JCM series was (usually) a continuation of Marshall’s previous amplifiers that used a master volume control. Marshall Amplification had been around for almost twenty years by the time they released the JCM800 series in 1981.
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