Author Topic: More gain from JCM 800?? (Read 11315 times)

Andy RV · « **Reply #15 on:** May 24, 2006, 12:34:57 PM »

Get the Zakk Wylde overdrive from MXR pedals, from what i've heard, the trick is to leave the gain at 0 on the pedal then boost the volume up to full on the pedal, then it will really drive the front end of the amp.

Twinfan · « **Reply #16 on:** May 24, 2006, 01:09:09 PM »

Err, why buy the ZW OD for that? Just get a volume pedal or Marshall BB2...

JakeLeigh1986 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 24, 2006, 01:18:29 PM »

Quote from: Bainzy

Although you can get a fantastic sound with an extra preamp tube, it shouldn't be necessary to get John Sykes style gain with a JCM800. If you can't get it by driving the amp hard with the preamp on 10 and using the hotplate, you still can mod the existing components in the preamp to squeeze more gain out of the amp.

Brainzy, where do I find out about this? Would it be hard to do myself?

Also a question about the cold sweats. I'm not looking for his 80s tone or recorded stuff, its mainly for his live sound, anyone who's seen Lizzy recently will know what I mean.

Cheers guys, big help.

Jake

Twinfan · « **Reply #18 on:** May 24, 2006, 01:40:05 PM »

Isn't he using a Strat live now? Or is that Scott Gorham?

JakeLeigh1986 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 24, 2006, 01:46:31 PM »

Nah thats Scott. Johns still using his Black Les Paul Custom

_tom_ · « **Reply #20 on:** May 24, 2006, 02:56:29 PM »

Dont you find Sykes' live tone a bit too high gain and muddy? I thought Gorham had much better tone when I went to see em, sounded so perfect!

JakeLeigh1986 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 24, 2006, 08:38:25 PM »

ahhh no way!!! haha. I do kinda know what you mean about being too high gain, well def too high gain for Lizzy but, I thought it was pretty cool!

fps_dean · « **Reply #22 on:** May 25, 2006, 12:49:58 AM »

Quote from: indysmith

I'd considered the Java boost in the past, but the clips on the Keeley website sound really harsh, solid state, and cr@p. Kinda like if put a booster in front of my marshall microstack...
Can you confirm that the pedal sounds nothing like this in real life? :lol:

Those clips are pretty bad. Either he's not using it properly or using it with a solid state amp. The full and mid boost clips sound like a solid state amp....

I have used it with my Major, Studio 15 and AC30 (never the SL-X because that has more than enough gain). I have the one with the military version of the transformer in it, not that it should really matter. It does add a small amount of solid state distortion, but the goal in its proper usage is to boost the tube distortion of the amp. Full boost seems to boost the bass way too much and I find myself turning the bass to 0 if I use that. Mid boost provides and old school tone and treble boost can provide and old school tone but can also boost the gain way up. These things provide a significant amount of boost - probably more than all of the other treble boosters and OD pedals.

keano · « **Reply #23 on:** August 09, 2006, 01:52:17 AM »

I have JCM800 2203 EL3 and love the sound as it is. Very AC/DC like but heavier. for something extra I add a touch (9'o clock) of OD pedal.

indysmith · « **Reply #24 on:** August 09, 2006, 10:15:54 AM »

Quote from: keano

I have JCM800 2203 EL3 and love the sound as it is. Very AC/DC like but heavier. for something extra I add a touch (9'o clock) of OD pedal.

i do that too. for a really phat sound i combine this with my e.q. It turns a jcm800 into a monster.

guitar -> e.q. -> overdrive of your taste with level cranked, and drive on 9o'clock -> slightly overdriven jcm800 -> hotplate -> yum.

a winning combo for sure.

Bainzy · « **Reply #25 on:** August 12, 2006, 09:14:39 PM »

Quote from: JakeLeigh1986

Quote from: Bainzy
Although you can get a fantastic sound with an extra preamp tube, it shouldn't be necessary to get John Sykes style gain with a JCM800. If you can't get it by driving the amp hard with the preamp on 10 and using the hotplate, you still can mod the existing components in the preamp to squeeze more gain out of the amp.

Bainzy, where do I find out about this? Would it be hard to do myself?

Also a question about the cold sweats. I'm not looking for his 80s tone or recorded stuff, its mainly for his live sound, anyone who's seen Lizzy recently will know what I mean.

Cheers guys, big help.

Jake

It wouldn't be that hard to do yourself, provided you can follow instructions and solder. I've put some JCM800 mods on PTPCircuits.com in case you're interested, make sure you read the information about discharging the amp's capacitors first before you start messing with the PCB though.