Marshall Amp Gurus please help!

[Muso]

Basically Im looking into buying a 1x12 JCM800

I'm looking at the 50W 4210 which is a combo version of the 2205 head

I realise that the jcm800 2210 is the best jcm800 head for metal and the combo version is the 4211 but these seem rare as to find.

Is there much different between these amps? I realise 1st one is 50W and the 2nd 100W, but apart from this they are both dual channel.

I'm pretty sure Im gonna get a 2210 head for my main rig but i need something smallish and portable, is the 4210 still very good?

Anyway any advice would be good, cheers

[FELINEGUITARS]

Sean
I have the 2205 and I love it
OK - I cheat and have an ADA graphic in the loop as well as a BBE sonic maximiser and it kills.
The combo version should be good though

Did you sell the 5150 yet

[HJM]

You might find the combos lack bass compared to the heads+4x12s, so the tone will be quite different, sill good.

For my money the single channels always have better tone and  are more metal!

The some of twin channels have a diode clipping circuit, ie not all valve. They also aren't as loud as the single channels when you measure them on a test bench - weird!

[Skybone]

I'd agree with Hayden and say that the single channel 800's (2203/2204) are the best for rock/metal, purely down to the "plug and play" nature of the amp. No channel switching, no FX loop, no reverb, just a straight ahead valve amp that rocks.

The combo's do lack in bass, but I'd put that down to them being open backed cabs instead of using closed backs like the heads. The only thing I'd change on my 4104 (2204 combo) is giving it a reverb tank, other than that it's great, and apart from going down the head/cab route, it's a keeper. I even like it's tone with the 5881's it's running, where I've hated every 900 I've heard running that used the same power valves.

[Muso]

thanks for the replies

Johnathan nah I've not sold it yet, I'm gonna wack it on Ebay I think.

Thing is I really want a combo as something portable to take round someones house for a quick jam, and the band im currently forming will be playing songs with quite a lot of clean parts in it. First song we are doing is White Wedding by Billy Idol hehe

do you think this is worth bidding on or is it already too much:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/marshall-jcm-800-lead-series-50-watt-combo-amp-rare_W0QQitemZ7394246082QQcategoryZ10171QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

cheers

[monkeywalker]

the AVT 50's are quite good,though they aren't full valve they're closed back and have a good overdrive channel as well as a clean channel that gives good clarity when set up right.

on the overdrive channel with the gain turned up you can get a very saturated crunchy gain sound, i really like mine.

don't know if that helps at all.

[HTH AMPS]

The dual-channel JCM800s have more gain 'as is', BUT I would get a single channel version (2204/2203) then put a SD-1 in the front end.  

You'll get more than enough gain for metal this way if you use hot pickups and the tone is to die for.  My mate uses this rig and his tone is evil  :twisted:

[tewboss]

I've got the 2204 and it just needs a distortion pedal in front of it for huge amounts of gain. It's never going to sound like a dual rectifier mind.

[HJM]

It's never going to sound like a dual rectifier mind.

And thank god for it... :lol:

[indysmith]

It's never going to sound like a dual rectifier mind.

And thank god for it... :lol:

haha nicely said man! +1

[Tinus]

It's never going to sound like a dual rectifier mind.

And thank god for it... :lol:

I'm with you here man, the DR's just seem like a senseless waste of perfect good rectifier valves to me  :twisted: