What Is Wrong With Me?

[willo]

Well, apart from the obvious! :D

Basically, I went back to my parents house for Christmas, with my 1987 JCM800 in hand. Anyway, rooting around I found my old practice amp from my teenage  years, a 10 year old Marshall Valvestate VS15R. On the back it says 'Made In Great Britain' (?). Anyway, I found myself preferring the overdrive sounds on this than on my JCM800. At full tilt, it was just much thicker, a bit like a fuzz in a way.

I have used my JCM800 with an attenuator (although it was a slightly incorrect ohmage), but even then, the distortion was good for chords but I just am not in love with the tone when soloing. Nowadays I just set the pre-amp low and use a fuzz when I need dirtiness.

Basically, how come?? I thought when I bought my JCM800 I was heading to the holy grail, and I do like it - its a damn fine amp - but I still preferred the gain tones on a 10 year old Valvestate amp?? :?

[HJM]

You'll find the JCM800 comes into it's own in a band, the frequencies it works at cut through. The big problem is that what sounds great in isolation usually sucks in a band - you need lots of mid and high mid in a band, but bass and treble sounds great at home.

Don't judge the JCM until you've gigged it a bit, and everyone tends to use a boost to thicken it up for solos, that part is taken for granted!!

When the gain is on less than max it tends to be a bit brittle, that's because of a treble bypass cap on the volume control, it bleeds through treble when the pot is on less than full. So low gain tones have more treble content. Lots of people like to run the single channel JCM800s on full to avoid the brittle tone. (twin channel JCM800s are different).

[willo]

ok cool, cheers for that Hayden! Now I just need a band....

[willo]

Hey, I just wanted to say that today was the first chance I've really had to crank my JCM in a band situation, and whoah - much enjoyment. I had my LP with VHII's, a Catalinbread Fuzz, Keeley comp and Cyrbaby Classic, and the tone was spot on! For solo's I still stuck the fuzz on, but it really cut through nicely, without being too sharp. It was smooth yet defined.

I appear to be starting some kind of psychdelic/jazz/improv instrumental thing... :)

[carlaz]

I appear to be starting some kind of psychdelic/jazz/improv instrumental thing... :)

Good!  Britain needs more of those.  :) Why should American neo-hippys have all the fun? :)