SO
a while ago i started messing around with my JCM 800 2205. It'd had some stuff done to it in the past so I decided to get stuck in. This was my back up amp after my Soldano Avenger and my Uberschall. Most people who used it other than me complained about it a little. So i decided I'd learn a bit more about amps by getting stuck into this one, with the help of HTH and JPF. (Cheers guys!) there is a huge thread in the tech pages about this amp...
so, starting with hardware...
#its got a new Hammond OT and PT.
the OT helped the tone a bit. these are much better than the original iron in terms of construction and really good for the money. you're not paying for add campaigns with these, unlike Mercury Magnetics, which im sure are good, but cost a hell of a lot more than Hammond. Bang for Buck these seem pretty decent!! thanks for recommending them guys.
# Replaced filter caps
Took out the old LCR big blue filter caps and put in some stubby Mundorf 50+50 caps. Half the height. you can see in the pic. This made a very noticeable difference in tone. more than i thought it would! it made the whole amp smoother.
# I removed the KT88 modifications that had previously been made and went back to EL34's
# Disconnected and removed most of the reverb circuit and the tank. I never used it.
# Took out the clean channel. (this could be put back, but i never used that either)
# bright blue LED
# Controls are now...
Presence, PPIMV, Depth, Bass, Middle, Treble, Volume, Gain
The circuit inside is pretty much exactly the same as my Avenger, apart from this amp has a 39K slope resister in the Tone Stack, giving more low mids. it also has a 500pf treble cap which increases the highs very slightly. It has the classic cold biased tube gain stage that is the signature of the SLO100 and a BUNCH of other amps use this, but it also has a parallel triode input stage... like a matchless lightning.
i like what i have here! im debating giving it to a friend as a gift... one day... not right now...hahaha.
below are some pics, and im gonna try and get a sound clip done tonight/this week.
camera on my phone sucks.
apologies for the blurred images
