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Vintage threads from the first ten years

Re: Marshall models ???

8/18/1999 10:59 PM
Trace	Re: Marshall models ??? Cono; The 2203/2204 is a killer head and in my silly opinion is the last good amp Marshall designed. (ouch..I feel it coming on--ha, ha) Benjamin was asking about the Plexi-era models though which is why Speed only listed those models. At least I'm pretty sure that's why Speed listed those (ha,ha) Cono, the 800's are a killer platform for mods if you don't mind working with PCB's. They can certainly scream!! Older Marshall lover; Trace

8/18/1999 10:59 PM

Trace

Re: Marshall models ???

Cono;

The 2203/2204 is a killer head and in my silly opinion is the last good amp Marshall designed. (ouch..I feel it coming on--ha, ha)

Benjamin was asking about the Plexi-era models though which is why Speed only listed those models. At least I'm pretty sure that's why Speed listed those (ha,ha)

Cono, the 800's are a killer platform for mods if you don't mind working with PCB's. They can certainly scream!!

Older Marshall lover;

Trace

8/19/1999 2:47 AM
Cono	I know, I know, I just wanted to make sure you guys include ALL the good marshalls. Trace, I've never been the lucky owner of a plexi (era) marshall, except for the opnes I built myself and they probably weren't even close! So, I've always played around with 800 series amps and I'll tell ya, you can do just about everything with those devils. The new ones are ok but, ....yeah, we all know. I'll tell ya, if Marshall were liquid, I'd drawn in it!

8/19/1999 2:47 AM

Cono

I know, I know, I just wanted to make sure you guys include ALL the good marshalls. Trace, I've never been the lucky owner of a plexi (era) marshall, except for the opnes I built myself and they probably weren't even close! So, I've always played around with 800 series amps and I'll tell ya, you can do just about everything with those devils. The new ones are ok but, ....yeah, we all know.

I'll tell ya, if Marshall were liquid, I'd drawn in it!

8/19/1999 4:04 AM
Steve A.	Trace: Maybe you and Speed could warn us about certain of the newer models to avoid... It's all a matter of opinion, but the ones that most people aren't happy with (at least until you do your "mod magic" to them...) Thanks! Steve Ahola

8/19/1999 4:30 AM
Trace	Steve; In my humble opinion Marshall's last good amp was the 800's. Not the 2205's, just the 2203/2204's. They were made rugged and were road worthy. The newer amps are built like tinker toys (sorry Marshall guys that may be lurking about) but it's true. The boards suck, the trannies are even worse, and the components are crappy. Steve I don't like to mod any of the newer Marshalls at all. The 900's sound like there's a Tube Screamer built in and you can't dial out the "buzzy" gain that the amp seems to have. The triple channel Marshalls sound more like a Boogie than a Marshall! When it comes to mods, I like to stick to the 1959, 1987, JTM45's, the JMP's or the 2203-2204's. I'm not a fan of diode clipping and I hate to take the Marshalls that use that methode and tear that stuff out. It's costly and often times I think someone is better off selling it rather than putting more money into it to make it sound "vintage" or like an 800. I'm not mod happy but I like to try and give each person what they are looking for. I don't drill holes into any vintage amp. It's just something I don't do but that's just my opinion. There's many around these parts that do drill holes into chassis' like they are building a deck for their swimming pool!! (ha, ha) Trace

8/19/1999 4:30 AM

Trace

Steve;

In my humble opinion Marshall's last good amp was the 800's. Not the 2205's, just the 2203/2204's. They were made rugged and were road worthy.

The newer amps are built like tinker toys (sorry Marshall guys that may be lurking about) but it's true. The boards suck, the trannies are even worse, and the components are crappy.

Steve I don't like to mod any of the newer Marshalls at all. The 900's sound like there's a Tube Screamer built in and you can't dial out the "buzzy" gain that the amp seems to have. The triple channel Marshalls sound more like a Boogie than a Marshall!

When it comes to mods, I like to stick to the 1959, 1987, JTM45's, the JMP's or the 2203-2204's. I'm not a fan of diode clipping and I hate to take the Marshalls that use that methode and tear that stuff out. It's costly and often times I think someone is better off selling it rather than putting more money into it to make it sound "vintage" or like an 800.

I'm not mod happy but I like to try and give each person what they are looking for. I don't drill holes into any vintage amp. It's just something I don't do but that's just my opinion. There's many around these parts that do drill holes into chassis' like they are building a deck for their swimming pool!! (ha, ha)

Trace

8/19/1999 5:02 AM
Benjamin Fargen	Re: Marshall details ??? Trace, Do you have any data that you have collected on the different vintage models you've worked on? If so, I would love to get your opinion on what were the best sounding and how it related to the B+ voltages, plate voltages(pre & power tube),bias settings and any other info you consider important. There seems to be a lack of voltage readings on any of the Marshall schematics that I own. The fact that I have never had one on my bench does not help either. Thanks, Benjamin.

8/19/1999 5:02 AM

Benjamin Fargen

Re: Marshall details ???

Trace,

Do you have any data that you have collected on the different vintage models you've worked on? If so, I would love to get your opinion on what were the best sounding and

how it related to the B+ voltages, plate voltages(pre & power tube),bias settings and any other info you consider important. There seems to be a lack of voltage readings on

any of the Marshall schematics that I own. The fact that I have never had one on my bench does not help either.

Thanks,

Benjamin.

8/19/1999 5:52 PM
SpeedRacer	fwiw I like lower plate voltages and I think Tracae does as well. My old 50W head runs at ~430V, and I bias for 35mA generally. (nice balance between high current sustain and low current punch. I'm using an old pair of Telsa EL34's btw). I've measured a couple of Trace's heads and his were running even lower B+. The early 70's models (pre-MV) seem to have been running around 390-400V which is really very nice sounding. Nice and "brown". I would speculate as well that it's good for the EVH tone, as if you guestimate his older 100W head at say 460V, running a Variac @ 90V (per legend) would drop the B+ to about 375 (assuming the PT is wound for 110V) so you're in the ballpark. Then again, there are tons of stories about those 500V+ older amps that sound great so who really knows! It all depends what you want/expect from the amp. Old AC/DC, you need big B+ and KT88's.. Lot's of nuances in the 'Marshall tone'. For me personally, you can't beat an old 1986/87. Handwired (easy to work on, mod), great sound, excellent build quality, and they'll hold their value going forward (if not appreciate). Oh yeah, and they sound like heaven.. Best bet on a Budget is to buy a beater 800 series & drop in a board from Hoffman or equiv. and some killer tubes. For <$500 you're golden. I've seen beater 800's sell in the $300 range (usually with a fan cut in them or something..) Worth looking out for IMHO. Angela Inst has also (from time to time) had empty cabs/chassis for sale..

8/19/1999 5:52 PM

SpeedRacer

fwiw I like lower plate voltages and I think Tracae does as well. My old 50W head runs at ~430V, and I bias for 35mA generally. (nice balance between high current sustain and low current punch. I'm using an old pair of Telsa EL34's btw). I've measured a couple of Trace's heads and his were running even lower B+. The early 70's models (pre-MV) seem to have been running around 390-400V which is really very nice sounding. Nice and "brown". I would speculate as well that it's good for the EVH tone, as if you guestimate his older 100W head at say 460V, running a Variac @ 90V (per legend) would drop the B+ to about 375 (assuming the PT is wound for 110V) so you're in the ballpark. Then again, there are tons of stories about those 500V+ older amps that sound great so who really knows! :-)

It all depends what you want/expect from the amp. Old AC/DC, you need big B+ and KT88's.. Lot's of nuances in the 'Marshall tone'. For me personally, you can't beat an old 1986/87. Handwired (easy to work on, mod), great sound, excellent build quality, and they'll hold their value going forward (if not appreciate). Oh yeah, and they sound like heaven.. Best bet on a Budget is to buy a beater 800 series & drop in a board from Hoffman or equiv. and some killer tubes. For <$500 you're golden. I've seen beater 800's sell in the $300 range (usually with a fan cut in them or something..) Worth looking out for IMHO. Angela Inst has also (from time to time) had empty cabs/chassis for sale..

8/20/1999 4:23 PM
Doc	Speed: For old AC/DC, did you mean KT-66s?

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