Mmmarshall JMP MK II

[buzzy]

Mmmmulling some fund raising and the choice for a final item was between the PRS JA-15 or the Marshall 1987. A modded 4104 has spoiled me for convenience - I can flip a couple of switches and get either crazy good Marshall loud or immensely satisfying low volume tones. This JMP head needs to be plugged into a cab and, if I want to keep my name off of the police report, an attenuator - too much trouble. In addition, years ago, I sold the 8x10 and 4x12. I never realized how long I could put off rehousing the head and building a couple of cabs; (I have a Scumback 12" M75LDC, a couple Celestion G10S-50's and the 13 ply birch). The net, net of all this is a first world problem of playing it through the combo.

So much for the boring backstory.

 

I can't sell this amp. I've had it for +30 years. Sure, I have too many amps; yes, nvm 50 watts is more than I need; I even admit that I'll be too lazy to use it regularly until the cabs are built. But, I can't sell this amp.

Same story told many times. I needed to know it worked before I sold it. H157LE, curly cord, jumpered channels, volumes at 12 & 1 o'clock, attenuator at -9db and the 2 old T-100's in the combo. Mmmmmm! Chewy. Nothing else sounds like it. Nothing else feels like it. I know that the tunes in my head from my youth were probably made with Fender amps - it doesn't matter. Montrose, Foghat, Rory Gallagher, Nugent, FUN.

 

Blending the AlNico V staple in the middle position was surprisingly subpar. It was a muted crunch almost 'blanket over the amp' type of tone that I suppose might work well for supportive rhythms held back in the mix. I'd like to sort it out though. Can there be 'bloom' with a solid state rectifier? I swear I heard it with the staple at 10 on a low note single string turnaround and again with a similar pedal tone passage. I had never noticed it with this amp before - although I might not have been paying attention since I used to play like I was being paid per note.

The bridge P90? Hell yeah. Much better than I remembered. Raw aggression tamed by a little touch, a little knob twisting. Maybe the attenuator or the speakers took some off the top, i don't know. I had ear splitting highs when I used my Flying V & hot ceramics through the 8x10 or the 4x12. This was a bite, but a nicer bite than I remember. I got definition by backing off the volume and a thickening from 7 to 10. The articulation went away, but my oh my those power chords and that singing sustain! Marshall, Marshall, Marshall.

I got carried away; can you tell? Time to quit? Naw, time for some Blue Oyster Cult.

 

A much too short hour before the wife and kid arrived. I should've measured the wall voltage.

 

Every so many years I go through this exercise. It probably hasn't been on a stage since '93. Still, I need to reject the idea of ever letting it go. Anyone else break out an old non master volume a couple of times a year just to smell the burning dust and vibrate the walls? The phrase "youth is wasted on the young" keeps going through my head.

 

[buzzy]

Gotta show some guts

 

[buzzy]

Heyboer trannies; I remember the night the smoke curled out. It changed my attitude toward amp maintenance. I actually think it sounds better now than with the paper clads.

 

[bolero]

ooh, that is nice!!

 

what kind of attenuator have you got?

 

I tried a couple and sold them, found they made the amp sound too constipated. A Swart, and before that another one, that I can't recall.

 

 

just using a pedal in front of the amp sounds better to my ears, than attenuating. and you can get good sound at a low volume.

 

it is fun to crank them up though!!

 

here is my old NMV marshall.

 

the 4x12 has Scumback's in it, love those speakers. I flew to LA and picked them up in person from Jim, great guy!

 

 

[buzzy]

I've lived with Wisconsin cheese on the table all my life and constipation comes with the territory.

 

The attenuator is a Tom Scholz that I bought in '82 to use this amp in a six piece dance rock band. I would like to buy an updated design, but it has never been a priority.

[davesultra]

With the little lady and the kid out X-Mas shopping yesterday, I was able to pull out my 157LE,& 170LW, and crank the amp(s). Keeping in mind that all my good tube stuff has been sold off, I was able to crank the 1/4 watt plexi clone. By itself in combo form it's not too inspiring. However, putting it through a cabinet brings a big smile to my face! Other than that, I got to turn up the Tech 21 Trademark. Hey, if it was good enough for Les Paul himself, it's beyond good enough for my "hack-*ss"! The only attenuator that I've used that didn't color the sound too much was a Swart Night Light.

[buzzy]

The only attenuator that I've used that didn't color the sound too much was a Swart Night Light.

I was really tempted when it was up for sale - there's 15 watt combo that I drag around begging for a db solution.

 

Your 1/4 watt amp must be the right size for learning new stuff. My family revolts when I stumble through the same song over and over. With that amp, their complaints would be louder than my mistakes.

[buzzy]

Blending the AlNico V staple in the middle position was surprisingly subpar. It was a muted crunch almost 'blanket over the amp' type of tone that I suppose might work well for supportive rhythms held back in the mix. I'd like to sort it out though.

I thought I'd post an update:

Using the H157LE, the step back in presence (middle position) confused me because the tone was very forward in either the bridge or neck positions. I hadn't had the same middle position results with a Tone King or Glaswerks (yep, I know that comparing Fender based circuits to a Marshall is apples to oranges). Maybe I just wasn't paying attention to the knobs on the guitar; this pickup combination in this guitar has the greatest variety of middle position tones that I've experienced.

 

And so, a couple of weeks ago, I saw a used Brake Lite at GC and couldn't resist. Paired with my Savage Rohr, it is more transparent than the Tom Scholz with the Marshall 1987. GREAT staple pickup tone and the middle position stayed crisp.

 

It could be the attenuator or it could be a more effective tone stack (or it could be some knob twisting on the guitar). There's definitely less compression - which I like, but it's still no substitute for pants flapping volume. Anyway, this has convinced me to upgrade from the Tom Scholz to a Rockcrusher or Scumback DBL for the Marshall (when funds allow).