# Whats Your Favorite Marshall?



## JimiGuy7

Thought I would set up my own little poll here for all to say which Marshall they like the best. Maybe you can tell us why you liked it the best? I will start off by saying that I am a huge fan of the Marshall 1987x, my personal favorite. Just such a great filthy drive tone. If I neglect to include you favorite model, my appologies in advance.


----------



## vasthorizon

For the new production models, JVM and Vintage Modern.


----------



## SteveS

Man, tough to make a choice....


----------



## dwagar

my favorite is the JCM800 2203/2204s, the last of the great Marshalls IMO.
EL34 Canadian models preferred. :smilie_flagge17:


----------



## al3d

dwagar said:


> my favorite is the JCM800 2203/2204s, the last of the great Marshalls IMO.
> EL34 Canadian models preferred. :smilie_flagge17:


Amen to that..


----------



## keto

Owned an old JCM800 combo when I was starting out, but had 2 young kids and lived in a side by side, so it was never run up to where it sounded good. Long gone.

Had a Vintage Modern combo, liked the vintage side, great clean + crunch, the modern side was a fizzy mess. I hear the heads sound better, and the 100w sound better than the 50w. Long gone.

JVM410H - have had since new, LOVE it. Great sounding amp with multiple exxxxcellent tones, the clean is great, the low crunch is great, the high gain is...well, not my thing, but my kids uses it to play lead in a hard rock band and he loves it. I would vote for it if it was in the poll.

Would like to try out a few more models...there's an old SuperBass at a local shop but I was quoted a stupid stupid price on it  Over double ebay retail, and it's been modded.


----------



## hollowbody

No opinion here, since my only real long-term experience with a Marshall was a JCM900 that I didn't really like anyway, but I'm looking into picking up possibly a JCM800 or something of that ilk, so I'll keep an eye on this thread.


----------



## krall

JCM 800 are my faves..JMP's from the 70's are no slouches either.


----------



## tojoe

Canadian 800's they are wk horses, I also have JTM45 RI that I'm diggin, bigger bottom.


----------



## mcgriff420

tojoe said:


> Canadian 800's they are wk horses, I also have JTM45 RI that I'm diggin, bigger bottom.


+100

I wanted to vote twice!

..


----------



## bolero

man, where's the "60's jtm45/100" choice?


----------



## parkhead

jtm45/100 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pl0NI2YjIo


1992 super bass 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS2XLTa_4I0

1986 bass 50 (duane allman) 


1985 PA 50 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfCLYlzYO68

and the one that started it all 
the 1962 2-12 bluesbreakers
20 to 24 !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM7W1Mb7CLI



you missed a lot of the truly great ones 

p


----------



## JimiGuy7

parkhead said:


> jtm45/100
> 
> you missed a lot of the truly great ones
> 
> p


Oh well, you can't please everyone. Sorry, I should'nt have even put the 900 in the category, I should have thrown in the JTM.


----------



## nonreverb

Had the pleasure of servicing a '62 Marshall JTM 45 head a few years back...it was killer. It sounded different compared to later Marshalls as the output tubes were 5881 and it had a GZ34 rectifier.


----------



## JMann

keto said:


> Owned an old JCM800 combo when I was starting out, but had 2 young kids and lived in a side by side, so it was never run up to where it sounded good. Long gone.
> 
> Had a Vintage Modern combo, liked the vintage side, great clean + crunch, the modern side was a fizzy mess. I hear the heads sound better, and the 100w sound better than the 50w. Long gone.
> 
> JVM410H - have had since new, LOVE it. Great sounding amp with multiple exxxxcellent tones, the clean is great, the low crunch is great, the high gain is...well, not my thing, but my kids uses it to play lead in a hard rock band and he loves it. I would vote for it if it was in the poll.
> 
> Would like to try out a few more models...there's an old SuperBass at a local shop but I was quoted a stupid stupid price on it  Over double ebay retail, and it's been modded.


Just curious, Keto, but do you recall how much you sold the 800 combo for and when? I bought a 800 combo back in the early 90's from a guy that lived in a condo. He had a Gibson Studio LP at the time. Per chance you??


----------



## Big White Tele

I had a JCM 900 212 combo, that really kicked.


----------



## keto

JMann said:


> Just curious, Keto, but do you recall how much you sold the 800 combo for and when? I bought a 800 combo back in the early 90's from a guy that lived in a condo. He had a Gibson Studio LP at the time. Per chance you??


Nope, I traded it in on a '66 Pro Reverb at the music store at the end of the Broadway bridge, I forget the name of it now - in Saskatoon, the same place I had bought the JCM.

That Pro was absolutely the best amp of the 20 or so I've ever owned, I sold it to Avenue here in Edmonton (or rather, consigned it) in the very late 90's due to financial need. I bought another one ('66 again) from them (Ave.) in '04 or '05 but it just wasn't ever the same, after speaker changes, tube changes, tech work, etc. So I traded that one in last year, at L&M here in Edmonton. I still have the '69 Utah's that the 2nd one came with in, a box in the garage - when it left it had correct year C12N's.


----------



## MaxProphet

bottom's for bass & drums


----------



## Robert1950

Which one is the Plexi? By the voting, I'm going to guess the 1987.


----------



## Scottone

I like the JMP 2203 and 2204 models best.


----------



## Andy

Robert1950 said:


> Which one is the Plexi? By the voting, I'm going to guess the 1987.


I believe that the 1959 and 1987 are both Plexi models, 100 and 50 watts respectively. I voted for the 1987...never had the chance to play one, but love the ones I've heard.


----------



## stoptail

I had a Single twelve 2550 combo ( Canadian version with metal toggle switches ) that was a great sounding Marshall .


----------



## Drazden

My old guitar tech has a Jubilee combo that sounds unreal good... but I think the best Marshall tone I've ever really noticed comes from a vintage JCM 800, through a brand-new Traynor YCS100 cabinet. THAT sounded awesome. As much as I miss my DSL, that 800 ate it alive.


----------



## High/Deaf

keto said:


> Nope, I traded it in on a '66 Pro Reverb at the music store at the end of the Broadway bridge, I forget the name of it now - in Saskatoon, the same place I had bought the JCM.



HEL probably? They were the big Marshall dealers in town way back then. I worked in a competing music store that didn't sell Marshall. 

I'm partial to JTM's myself but I'm old enough that "Marshall" and "reliable" aren't used in the same sentence. If you can afford two of them........


----------



## Caribou_Chris

My vote is for the JCM 800. Here is a video of me playing mine (I suggest starting it at the 4 minute mark, watch in HQ for better sound):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrhqMqxYlXA


----------



## KujaSE

I use a DSL100 now, but if I didn't have that, probably a 2203 800. Vertical input CSA version


----------



## Steve_F

50 watt plexi, model 1987


----------



## Jo07

I have a JCM800 canadian edition 1988 2x12" combo 50w and I have to say it is a beast,I know it's not the parallel input but it ROCK anyway


----------



## Guest

'59 Plexi. With a tube screamer out front. Tasty.


----------



## northern1

My best Marshall experience was my 1987x white anniversary head killer amp!


----------



## stratman89

I'm loving my 1974X for gigging lately.

I seriously miss the mid seventies Mk II 50W I had!


----------



## xbolt

I really like my Bluesbreaker...loud but very rich tone across the board. :bow:


----------



## sproul07

I had an early 80's 800 that I liked but I'm using a 90's RI Plexi which is fantastic sounding


----------



## studio66

I've had a Vintage Modern head (2266) and a 425 cab for about a year now.So far so good...although I'm gassin pretty hard for a 1974x lately


----------



## Andy

Why so little love for the 1959?


----------



## hollowbody

Andy said:


> Why so little love for the 1959?


Too friggin' loud!

I had a chance to play one when I was looking for a Marshall head, and it was just way too much amp. Even for gigging, unless you're playing HUGE rooms, it's just too loud. I thought the JTM45 was a much more useful amp. 

I'd love to get my hands on a JCM800 one day too, but the 50w version, not the 100w.


----------



## Lemmy Hangslong

early canadian 800's first three years... killer amps... not a big fan of the 900 or the 2000... ok amps.


----------



## Robert1950

What Clapton used on the Beano Album --> Bluesbreaker.


----------



## BadCo73

I voted for the JTM which I think is one of the best amps they ever built, especially the 1962 bluesbreaker combo which was used on one of my favorite all time albums by one of my favorite guitarists. There is just something about the sound that comes out of a JTM 45 that I just love, I also really like the Canadian JCM 800 models which to me is one of the last great amps that they built.


----------



## Andy

I have to say, I've become a huge Marshall fan as of late. Even the newer ones still have "it" -- my DSL50 will never be a boutique tone machine, but it cuts and projects like crazy live, records great, and was cheap to boot. The JCM800s I've played, even reissue, were heavenly.


----------



## overdriven1

The sweet little DSL 201, had it for about two weeks then it died and L&M took forever to repair it, so I sold it back to them and bought a Laney AOR 3012, awesome little amp has never let me down, I'm a little gun shy with Marshall now but I like Marshall and will prolly get one some time in the future, nothing large but loud and juicy.


----------



## copperhead

kkjuw......MG15DFX...kkjuw


----------



## WCGill

The 1959 Fender Bassman, with P12Q's!


----------



## Zman

I currently have 3 Marshall amps. I have a Lead 100 mosfet, which is one of the best Solid State amps I have ever heard. 86 vintage and mint condition with everything working including the effects loop. My Marshall combo is a DSL401, which is an amazing sounding amp. It really shines through my Avatar 2/12. But my favourite of the 3 is the DSL100. Excellent tones very versatile. All the classic Marshall tones.


----------



## ThePass

I voted for the DSL......I love the tone!


----------



## Andy

ThePass said:


> I voted for the DSL......I love the tone!


It's by far my favourite modern Marshall. I don't get their bad reputation....I get some downright wicked rock tones with mine. Kicks the crap out of my old Traynor YCS, which everyone drools over (admittedly, it is a very good amp for the price itself).


----------



## smokey

I have a JCM 800 from 1982 and I love the tones I get from it.


----------



## xbolt

Well, I've had a few (900, Bluesbreaker, Artist 3203) but just picked this up and it wins.
83 Canadian 2203 and it's alot of fun.


----------



## Chopper

I voted JCM2000. I used to have a DSL50 and that amp never let me down! It's a shame I couldn't afford to keep it.


----------



## Cdn_Cracker

As sad as it is... the best marshalls nowadays are those that aren't made by marshall (like the Metropolis, Reinhardt, Germino...etc)

The Vintage Modern had a lot of promise but you gotta go pretty loud to take advantage of the tone.


----------



## Steve Adams

the one thats left in the store. i'd rather buy something good! ha ha. in all seriousness, the marshalls I have seen in the store lately and very crappy sounding. I would probably go for whatever eddie played on 1984 and do the same setup. just for the "brown sound". not my style of amp at all.


----------



## overdriven1

overdriven1 said:


> The sweet little DSL 201, had it for about two weeks then it died and L&M took forever to repair it, so I sold it back to them and bought a Laney AOR 3012, awesome little amp has never let me down, I'm a little gun shy with Marshall now but I like Marshall and will prolly get one some time in the future, nothing large but loud and juicy.


 I got another and damn I'm lovin it


----------



## hollowbody

I've already posted about what my favourite Marshall is (JTM45), but I thought I'd pop in to bitch about which Marshall I can't stand.

The last few times I've been to rehearsal spaces I've been forced to use their in-house Marshall JCM2000s, and man, do those things ever suck. The clean/crunch channel is the only usable channel for me because the higher gain channel is just ridiculous and sounds like pop rocks in a can of coke. Even the crunch channel is annoying because no matter what I do, there's just too much damned treble! I don't know why this is. Even with the treble rolled off all the way and the bass up, it's still really tinny sounding on the bridge pickup. Boooo! A whole bunch of tinkering resulted in a tone that didn't completely make me want to puke, but seriously, when I go to a space, I don't want to waste time twiddling knobs. 

I guess I should just learn my lesson and haul my JTM with me again.


----------



## 2N1305

I saw the comments about the "Canadian" versions of the Marshall Head models (at the beginnin gof this thread), what's with that? a guy was referring to the EL34 version?


----------



## jetavana

Not a big Marshall fan, I have allways been a fender man.But a lot of great music has been made that came out of marshall amps so I can't realy diss it to much.


----------



## GUInessTARS

I had a 1973 jmp 50 watt that sounded EXACTLY the way a marshall should, it had distortion with clarity, balls with top end, it had it all. On 5. It was too loud to stand in front of at 3. So I traded it, I'm famous for dumb moves.


----------



## 4345567

__________


----------



## faracaster

72' 50watt big box Marshall. Consistently a killer amp.
However.......my new fave Marshall is not a Marshall at all.
It's the PRS 25th Anniversary Rev. B
Doug Sewell reverse engineered Eric Johnson's favorite 50 watt plexi. 
OH MY GOD !!!!!


----------



## kiddjazz

Not on the list but the old super leads could be awesome. A lot of variance in any of the old ones due to the limits of components, especially in our canadian climate but as a platform to refurbish or mod....... fabulous! The old majors are beastly as well, kinda rarer and often suffered from there own righteousness but sweet angels through a proper load box.
Im old btw! When I got started the 800 wasnt even a twinkle in jims eye.


----------



## LydianGuitars

I'm supposed to choose which Marshall is best? They're all awesome!


----------



## LydianGuitars

2N1305 said:


> I saw the comments about the "Canadian" versions of the Marshall Head models (at the beginnin gof this thread), what's with that? a guy was referring to the EL34 version?


The Canadian models during the '80s had output transformers with 4 and 8 ohm taps only and metal toggle switches. There were other small differences like extra fuses.


----------



## Roryfan

In my teens I thought about buying a 1959 half stack, but decided to pass as I realized that I couldn't afford rent once my parents kicked me out of the house. I've owned 5 Marshalls over the yrs., all of them combos. The first was a 100W JMP 112 & then a 50W JCM800 212 combo, but they sounded too gainy at lower volumes. 

Now I have a pair of 18 watters that I'm really digging (though I probably don't need 2 for my bedroom). Loves a Strat as well as a humbuckers, cleans up nice when you roll back the guitar volume & not too many knobs to confuse me.


----------



## Krelf

This is the best Marshall. The one I grew up with!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqziXGOwkhA


----------



## TubeStack

Vintage Modern 2466 and JCM 800 2203/2204 (owned both, still have the 2466).


----------



## sorbz62

dwagar said:


> my favorite is the JCM800 2203/2204s, the last of the great Marshalls IMO.
> EL34 Canadian models preferred. :smilie_flagge17:


You mean the original UK model? I have a 1979 JMP, a 83 2203 and an 89 jcm900 4101 - all came with EL34s.

Jim


----------



## rwe333

Toss up between JTM45 and the master volume JMPs.


----------



## Robert1950

Which one was the Bluesbreaker?


----------



## Brennan

Robert1950 said:


> Which one as the Bluesbreaker?


I believe they were basically a combo version of the JTM45.


----------



## Intrepid

I'm with Krelf on this one.


Krelf said:


> This is the best Marshall. The one I grew up with!
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqziXGOwkhA


----------



## Steadfastly

I always liked Marshall Dillon of Gunsmoke fame. 

[video=youtube;pqziXGOwkhA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqziXGOwkhA[/video]


----------

