Marshall JCM 900 combo. Whats it like?

Hendrix89

Hey. I've been searching for a new marshall amp for awhile and i just recently came across an ad for a used JCM 900 combo for 400eu. Now this price is perfect for me but is the amp actually worth it? I have heard good things about the JCM 800 combos (cant find here) but ive seen a couple of negitave reviews for the 900 so i need to hear some opinions from you guys to help me come to a final decision. thanks.

Oh yeah and i play mostly (99%) Hendrix style music so i need to know if it would suit that style and get the tone closer than my MG 50DFX at least...

punchdrunk

piece of ****! we used to have one in sun 2,and it was ****in horrible,not really hendrix-ey at all either,nasty sounding pre amp distortion,sounded either like a dodgy metal covers tone when cranked or like a wasp in a tin can clean to me...

Giblet

A JCM 900 would be a big step up from a DFX anyway, but for classic marshall tone, you'd want something like a JCM 800. The 900 is more Nu-Metally and it's not an all tube circuit I believe. The 800 is the classic 80's rock tone. I wouldn't mind a MKII myself either.

Hendrix89

Okay well i wont be going for the JCM900 then. Only thing is i havnt got much to spend so im back to the beginning now... If only i could find a used JCM 800 combo (assuming they're similar in price). If i lived in the states id have a nice new one (at half the price of a used one here...) by now...

Its probably clear now that im lookin for a tube amp so if you guys have any recommendations let me know, although i am quite fussy about the brand... Its pretty much Marshall only but would be satisfied with Fender. I do however have another amp option which was my original choice and thats the Marshall AVT50x (SS/Tube). What do you think of that? I mean its nice and cheap (and new!) from the UK so its good money-wise....

It wasn't me!

You can get a JCM800 combo on eBay for about 800-850 all-told. You'd be hard pressed to get one cheaper. THe JCM900 is a nasty sounding amp, the 800 is where you'll get that classic tone, but it won't do Hendriux without a fight. You nedd to shell out a lot more cash and go for a 1959 SLP. That's the tone you're looking for, and it ain't cheap. Blame the man himself for driving up the value.

Karl Hungus

Hendrix89 wrote:

I do however have another amp option which was my original choice and thats the Marshall AVT50x (SS/Tube). What do you think of that? I mean its nice and cheap (and new!) from the UK so its good money-wise....

Sounds like a wet fart tbh, absolutely horrible.

-=al=-

marshalls are dearer over there!

but the 900 im not too impressed by its ok if u stick a few pedals in front of it, but off the bat its not the best

im not to familer with fender amps, but theres a good few nice ones that sound like what your lookin for

david

New fenders sound harsh from stock, if you really want a nice versatile tube combo i couldnt recommend a certain German built amp enough myself, think it begins with an E, wouldnt be sure though

Eoin Madsen

The jcm800 will be pretty much closer to the tonal range you want than anything but an actual 1959 superlead (the right fingers on the right guitar would probably sound more Hendrix through a JCM800 than the wrong ones through a 1959 anyway). The nice new Jcm800 isn't half the amp the original is, so I'd shop strictly second hand if vintage tone is what you're looking for.

I hate JCM900s tbh. But I'd have to admit, it'd still get you much closer than a Fender or an ENGL.

Hendrix89

Eoin Madsen wrote:

The jcm800 will be pretty much closer to the tonal range you want than anything but an actual 1959 superlead (the right fingers on the right guitar would probably sound more Hendrix through a JCM800 than the wrong ones through a 1959 anyway). The nice new Jcm800 isn't half the amp the original is, so I'd shop strictly second hand if vintage tone is what you're looking for.

I hate JCM900s tbh. But I'd have to admit, it'd still get you much closer than a Fender or an ENGL.

Ugh.. I just dont have the money for anything nice. Theres no point getting a small decent amp when its not gonna be that great anyway... Im stuck with this dam heap of junk...

fish-head

Do I have to say the obligatory ENGL plug? I've never even used them...

sei046

i think all the 900 comments were a bit uneducated to be honest now. the 900 has a lot of big name endorsers who are far from half bad. 90% of tone comes from the player as far as i am concerned. I am actually thinking of adding a 900 to my live rig. Gonna get a 50w reverb

david

fish-head wrote:

Do I have to say the obligatory ENGL plug? I've never even used them...

Got in there before ya :P

fish-head

freakonaleashx wrote:

Got in there before ya :P

Ah but you were a bit vague, werentcha?

Karl Hungus

fish-head wrote:

Do I have to say the obligatory ENGL plug? I've never even used them...

I wouldn't bother to plug ENGL if the guy's playing Hendrix style stuff.

david

Eh... I can get pretty decent Hendrix tones with neck single coil, volume rolled off on the crunch channel of my thunder

sei046

lol we have to remember here lads, everyone on boards reckons they can get everyones tone on THEIR amp. Heres where we get the "oh not me! i never!"

punchdrunk

sei046 wrote:

i think all the 900 comments were a bit uneducated to be honest now. the 900 has a lot of big name endorsers who are far from half bad. 90% of tone comes from the player as far as i am concerned. I am actually thinking of adding a 900 to my live rig. Gonna get a 50w reverb

well i only have my own two ears to judge,but of the couple of dozen "quality" valve amps i used in the 3 TBMC studios that was by far my least favourite,and it was a well maintained and serviced example of the animal,sounded nothing remotely like my mkII (which is pretty much a jcm 800)

Karl Hungus

freakonaleashx wrote:

Eh... I can get pretty decent Hendrix tones with neck single coil, volume rolled off on the crunch channel of my thunder

Yeah, I do get a fairly good bluesy tone with my Fireball by just rolling off the volume on my guitar a bit, but I don't know would the Engl sound really be what the guy's after.

sei046

punchdrunk wrote:

well i only have my own two ears to judge,but of the couple of dozen "quality" valve amps i used in the 3 TBMC studios that was by far my least favourite,and it was a well maintained and serviced example of the animal,sounded nothing remotely like my mkII (which is pretty much a jcm 800)

the question wasnt whether it sounded like your 800. The problem is too many amps are labeled crap because they dont get the sound that an individual likes. Doesnt make sense though does it? I dont like Josh Hommes tone at all but does that make it a bad amp?

-=al=-

freakonaleashx wrote:

Eh... I can get pretty decent Hendrix tones with neck single coil, volume rolled off on the crunch channel of my thunder

that works on most nicely overdriven amps for that kinda bluesy rock tone, its lovely when u get it right

david

Oh yeah, its heaven alright! I can definitely get anyones tone on my amp btw, im special! Its in the fingers.

punchdrunk

sorry think your missing my point,i only mentioned the 800 as the op mentioned that was an amp/sound he was interested in,had heard good things about etc,and for someone who hasn't used both they might think they'd be very alike

if he's after a hendrix type tone (mostly power amp distortion mixed with germanium fuzz pedals i believe) then thats probably the wrong amp for him(the 900),if he was looking for say a pumpkins tone(very much pre-amp distortion) i'd say it's in the ballpark but theres better options out there

there's exceptions to every rule,and i'm sure some country genius is out there playing through a marshall stack but nine times out of ten certain amps are going to excel at some tones,and fail at others
i've yet to find a master of all

Karl Hungus

freakonaleashx wrote:

Oh yeah, its heaven alright! I can definitely get anyones tone on my amp btw, im special! Its in the fingers.

Yeah, I got really high gain fingers.

Seriously though, I think some people are going overboard with this 'tone in the fingers' thing. It's certainly a huge factor, but it's only part of the equation, and you're not going to get an MG to sound like a Recto, no matter how much you think it's all in the fingers.

Gear plays a bit part in the tone, otherwise Freak, why don't you ditch that Engl for a Marshall MG100? Sure, it's all in the fingers, right?

SirLemonhead

Never played a JCM 900, but I think Slash used them, and based on his tone, i'd avoid one of those amps at all cost

david

Karl Hungus wrote:

Yeah, I got really high gain fingers.

Seriously though, I think some people are going overboard with this 'tone in the fingers' thing. It's certainly a huge factor, but it's only part of the equation, and you're not going to get an MG to sound like a Recto, no matter how much you think it's all in the fingers.

Gear plays a bit part in the tone, otherwise Freak, why don't you ditch that Engl for a Marshall MG100? Sure, it's all in the fingers, right?

Shhh.. Not many know it but i used to own an MG at once stage, even if you have hendrix's actual fingers it still sounds like a dry fart

david

MasterOfSolos wrote:

Never played a JCM 900, but I think Slash used them, and based on his tone, i'd avoid one of those amps at all cost

JCM800, Jubilee even?! Very sought after amps...Nothing like a 900

-=al=-

I just noticed Jimi is playing right handed in his sig pic...

SORT IT OUT!!!!

sei046

tone is defo mostly in the fingers. Jp would still have great tone through an MG. Too many people get bogged down on gear and forget to work on their chops instead of crying over amps and pedals. Dont get me wrong, i am a gear whore and suffer daily from gas, sure i prob have at least as much as any other guy here but If you go out and watch even the best in Ireland, Dec Campbell, Frankie O'Callaghan or Paky McDermot, you will see its in the fingers

fish-head

I love the way the best guitarists in Ireland have such crappy names..

Rory Gallagher just pales in comparison to a name like Slash.

Still, that said, Rory Gallagher didn't need a name. A rose by any other name etc..

SirLemonhead

ok ok, either way, Slash has terrible tone

How the man can take a Marshall and a les paul, the combination to produce the thickest distortion tone, and preduces that nasally thin mess, I dont know.