Reasonably priced JCM900-alikes?

[Mr Ed]

Ok, I've been having major problems with getting my amp sorted lately. I took it to a local guy who turned out to be a major tool - it took him 6-8 weeks to $%&#ing retube and bias my amp. Firstly, he'd just gotten divorced and so was moving, then he was on holiday, then the postal strike screwed everything up and blah blah blah.

Anyway, I have it back now but it got me thinking... it would be SO much easier if I had an amp that didn't need to be biased so I could just buy tubes myself and pop them in and bam, away I go.

Can anyone recommend any amps that are very much along the same sound-lines as a 900?! I adore the high gain sounds and it has very useable but not sparkly, pristine cleans.

Most of the time, I'm using my Fernandes Ravelle through it but I'm leaning more at the moment towards my Lace Sensored Fender MIJ 1957 Strat... if that's of any use whatsoever.

I need a proper dual channel amp, I'm not arsed about having to share an EQ - I've managed fine with the 900 so far. As for price, I'm not gonna lie and say I have megabucks to spend - I don't - I'd be looking at about £500 absolute top end maximum price. Preferably closer to £400. If not possible then I'll just carry on for a year or so until I can afford a bit more, it's no problem as I simply love the sound.

Any suggestions would be greatfully received, chaps and chapesses.

 :D

[_tom_]

Wouldnt it be easier to learn how to bias yourself?  :)

[Twinfan]

Exactly what I was thinking!  Having seen it done, it seems simple enough.  I think your JCM900 has an adjustable bias pot making it very, very straightforward.

[gwEm]

in anycase, i thought only Class A amps didn't need biasing.

[FELINEGUITARS]

There are many amps that have a fixed bias like most of the Mesa amps
You have to be careful which tubes to buy

An alternative is to have the amp set up with one of the graded sets of tubes like you get from Groove tubes and then you can just buy replacements with a similar grading on them and pop them in with no ill effects at all

third option is to read up and get a bias probe and learn to do that job yourself as the other guys have suggested - although I should add one caveat - Tube amps contain high voltages that can kill.

Some people simply are not well suited to that kind of techie work even though they may be great musicians and should just allow a qualified/experienced tech to do the work

[Mr Ed]

That's my perspective, I don't feel confident messing around with it and so don't wanna risk my health (or my amp for that matter).

An alternative is to have the amp set up with one of the graded sets of tubes like you get from Groove tubes and then you can just buy replacements with a similar grading on them and pop them in with no ill effects at all.

Sorry, that's French to me.  :lol: The technical side of amps is my weak point.

[gwEm]

There are many amps that have a fixed bias like most of the Mesa amps
You have to be careful which tubes to buy

An alternative is to have the amp set up with one of the graded sets of tubes like you get from Groove tubes and then you can just buy replacements with a similar grading on them and pop them in with no ill effects at all

thanks for this clarification feline

[Mr Ed]

I got it back a week ago and tonight was the first practise we had together. It had a 15-20 minute warmup and all was sounding good... real good... better than before in fact, a little warmer, a little louder and we were happy.

We started our first song - "When I Sleep".

Halfway through, $%&#ing kaputsville again. I'm the Mayor of this town once more.

Popped the back off, the first pre-amp tube (the same as last time) has cr@pped out.

To say I'm not happy would be a $%&#ing understatement. I've not bought him home with me, I'm in too foul a mood to do anything about it and I've got a pretty full on week that I can't afford the time to $%&# with this. Here's the plan:

1. Next week, take it to the shop and tell them to get it back to that useless ####!! and fix it... for free... within a week.
2. Get it back and $%&#ing sell it. :(

As much as I love it, and I do LOVE the sound, the well-known Marshall unreliability factor is rearing it's ugly head and I can't stand it. I don't know what to do. I dunno where to turn...

Two true channels with separate EQ.
FX loop.
Master volume preferable.
Reasonably high gain.

Laney TT? Rivera Knucklehead? I just don't know.

I'm so amp-depressed right now, back to using Pete's turdy AVT> :(

[Will]

Bad luck there. Is it Dual Reverb then?
I have no serious problems with my dual master volume.

The shop should replace it anyway, as tubes are usually covered by a 3 month warranty?

[Mr Ed]

Yeah, it's the 4100 100w dual reverb.

They better had sodding fix it under the original price - as far as I'm concerned the work hasn't been chuffing finished.

[HTH AMPS]

If it's a new 'applience', I think you need to give them three opportunties to try and fix it then you're within your rights to demand a replacement.

If it were me I'd be wanting a replacement after the first f*cked up repair attempt.

I'm trying to think why the first preamp valve would keep burning out - very odd.  I've never seen that happen EVER.

I'm very not familiar with that amp, but I seem to recall Marshall using a DC heater circuit on V1 ONLY with the JCM900s.  My gut feeling is that there is something up with that section.

Plug the V1 valve in the V2 slot - if it lights up, chances are that the valve is fine and my hunch is correct.

 :twisted:

[HTH AMPS]

Just found a dual reverb schematic, no DC heater circuit, just straight-forward AC heaters like all old Marshalls since day one.

Maybe it IS just a dodgy preamp valve, or could be a cracked/intermittent joint on the valve base - assuming they're pcb-mounted valve bases.

 :twisted:

[_tom_]

Two true channels with separate EQ.
FX loop.
Master volume preferable.
Reasonably high gain.

Laney TT? Rivera Knucklehead? I just don't know.

If you're going down the Laney route, I guess the VH100R or similar would be a good idea, and I think it does everything you want it to. Not sure if it'll have quite the same tone as Laneys seem to be a bit more lower-mid voiced, but I've had my GH almost a year now and have had no reliability problems, in fact I still have the stock valves in and it sounds great. Heres a pretty nice clip someone on HC did of their VH100R into a Framus 2x12 (V30s):

http://lucaonida.googlepages.com/Rock185.mp3

And thats with stock Ibanez pickups  :o

[Mr Ed]

If you're going down the Laney route, I guess the VH100R or similar would be a good idea, and I think it does everything you want it to. Not sure if it'll have quite the same tone as Laneys seem to be a bit more lower-mid voiced, but I've had my GH almost a year now and have had no reliability problems, in fact I still have the stock valves in and it sounds great. Heres a pretty nice clip someone on HC did of their VH100R into a Framus 2x12 (V30s):

http://lucaonida.googlepages.com/Rock185.mp3

And thats with stock Ibanez pickups  :o

Nice one mate, I dunno which route I'd go down IF I decide to get rid... watching the Rivera Fandango videos has made me too damp to sleep!  :D

FOOK ME! That clip sounds grand!!  :o

[Oli]

Just found a dual reverb schematic, no DC heater circuit, just straight-forward AC heaters like all old Marshalls since day one.

Maybe it IS just a dodgy preamp valve, or could be a cracked/intermittent joint on the valve base - assuming they're pcb-mounted valve bases.

 :twisted:

I'm pretty sure they're chassic mount sockets- they are on my 50w, haven't opened my 4100 up to have a look under the bonnet yet though.