Still trying to figure out my 6100LM

VHFreak · 06-29-2009, 10:28 AM

Ok here we go,

I have posted here a few times with questions about my 6100lm and have had great feedback. I am still unhappy with the sound. I had new power tubes put in and biased and had a tech go through the amp a few weeks later and replaced a couple of the pre-amp tubes. I am running a 1960a cab with the 75 watt celestions. This thing sounds so sterile to me. The only way I can describe it is there is no give. I have a 5150 combo that I played this weekend and had my 6100 next to me with my twin brother playing it and it was scary. The combo with two speakers had more lows more sustain and more usable gain. The low end on the marshall sounds flubby to me and there is a noticeable lack of sustain.I have been running channel two with the right button pushed in with the gain around 6 and on pentode mode at 100 watts when playing outside and 50 watts inside. What am I doing wrong? I am very close to putting it on craigslist or ebay and trying to get my money back out of it and going for an 800. I play mostly 80's type rock Dokken, VanHalen, Tesla, Ratt those type of tones. I thought this amp would nail those tones. HELP!!!

HOT TUBES 70 · 06-29-2009, 12:13 PM

trust me !! somthing is wrong with your 6100 , i used play with a guy who had a 5150
combo , it was my 6100 that made him come over to marshall amps . these amps are
very fussy with tubes etc , don't sell this amp !!

also be carefull with the channel volumes they need to be past half at least and
about 3- 4 on the master , 100 watt / pentode mode .

VHFreak · 06-29-2009, 12:20 PM

Do you think it may be the 75 watt celestions? Maybe I should try this thing through a cab with vintage 30's. Do you think I should drop the money on a set of JJ's and go from there? I guess I would love someone to post a GOOD video of a 6100lm on youtube or here so I can hear what I am missing on this thing before I off it to someone else.

HOT TUBES 70 · 06-29-2009, 12:36 PM

imo , the 75's watters are not helping but tubes make a big difference on this head .
and yes v30's sound great with this head , double check your preamp tubes , i had
3 preamp tubes that checked out about 75% , so i decided to replace them , it made
a huge difference after ! these amps like alot of master volume !!!!!

also for the output tubes , TAD 6L6GC-STR BLACK PLATES , the best sounding tube
i have put in my 6100 , and i play the exact same type music as you !!!

VHFreak · 06-29-2009, 12:43 PM

I will for sure mess around with some different preamp tubes tonight. What do you set that switch on the back to low auto or high. I heard this is sorta like a resonance control. Ok good analogy here. Take my 5150 turn the resonance down all the way. This is close to what I am hearing. Just thin! I had to laugh, my twin is in a country band and his fender died this past week. He used "much to the dismay of his bandmates" my 6100 and it sounded pretty darn good. But only the clean channel. He boosted it with a tubescreamer for leads and it sounded better than the crunch channel! See where I am going nuts here! I appreciate all the advise you have given me Hot Tubes. I will conquer this thing one day!

HOT TUBES 70 · 06-29-2009, 12:57 PM

i run mine on low damping , just a little more bottom that way !!
don't give up on this amp , they are a killer amp imo !!!!

PaoloJM · 06-29-2009, 04:12 PM

It almost sounds like your filter caps are starting to give in.
Flubby bass and little sustain can be caused by this.
Did your tech check them out?
Is the amp a bit noisier than it used to be?

VHFreak · 06-30-2009, 12:47 PM

I do not know if he checked them out or not. It has been like this since I bought it back in March. I will take it to him this week and have him go through it top to bottom.

VHFreak · 07-01-2009, 10:34 AM

Now you guys have me thinking about this. Is it expensive to have the filtercaps replaced? I read that they should be replaced every 10 years and this amp is 12 years old.

MartyStrat54 · 07-03-2009, 09:55 PM

Depends on the skill level of the tech. A good tube amp tech can do the job for a reasonable amount. Most people just blow off filter cap replacement and then something worse happens like a burned up power tranny. Then they have to pay for a bunch of stuff to be replaced.

I try to tell people that tube amps need to be maintained. There are a lot of guys playing 800's with the original caps and they are asking for it. The quality of a power filter cap is much better today than back in 1981 when the 800 came out. They last a lot longer as well.

Bottom line is there are several things that can cause the problems you are describing. However, based on the age of the amp I would recommend that the filter caps be replaced.

Marty

rockinr0ll · 07-03-2009, 11:17 PM

Try this:

1. Get some Groove Tube pre-amps.
2. Replace with V30's.

I thought an amp I owned wasn't that great until this change.

MartyStrat54 · 07-04-2009, 03:36 PM

And if the filter caps are still bad, then what?

Marty

rockinr0ll · 07-04-2009, 05:30 PM

Also keep the Eq around 5, don't drop the mids!

VHFreak · 07-06-2009, 07:25 AM

I am taking it to my tech tonight after work. We will see what is really going on. I would love to swap out the 75's for the v30's but that is quite a bit of money to shell out at the moment. Maybe a 2x12 with 30's would be a better option. I was thinking about doing that anyways.

VHFreak · 07-08-2009, 08:46 AM

Well the amp is in the hands of my amp tech now. I plugged it in at the shop and I think he knows what I am talking about. The only way I can explain it now is on channel 2 and 3 it sounds like a solid state amp. Distorted undertones and no clarity on the low end. So hopefully he can work his magic and get this thing to rage like it should. I will let you guys know the progress.

HOT TUBES 70 · 07-09-2009, 02:22 PM

i still am thinking its tubes , my amp sounds like crap when the tubes go south !!!!!!!
as do they all !!!

VHFreak · 07-10-2009, 08:19 AM

I would still love it if someone could post some sound recordings of this amp so I can hear what it is supposed to sound like. All of the youtube videos sound terrible to me as far as recording quality.

VHFreak · 07-14-2009, 11:11 AM

Got some news from my amp guy. He said I had 3 bad preamp tubes. I went down to his shop this weekend to check it out and it still sounds weird to me. Real fizzy and lacking bottom end still. I could not really get it cranked in the shop though. He said he had some more tweaking to do on it. I do not have any shows until September so I told him to take his time and just make it "Right". Probably a mistake because he will probably take forever now. So just an update as far as my 6100 goes.

06-29-2009, 10:28 AM	#1 (permalink)
VHFreak Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 43	Still trying to figure out my 6100LM Ok here we go, I have posted here a few times with questions about my 6100lm and have had great feedback. I am still unhappy with the sound. I had new power tubes put in and biased and had a tech go through the amp a few weeks later and replaced a couple of the pre-amp tubes. I am running a 1960a cab with the 75 watt celestions. This thing sounds so sterile to me. The only way I can describe it is there is no give. I have a 5150 combo that I played this weekend and had my 6100 next to me with my twin brother playing it and it was scary. The combo with two speakers had more lows more sustain and more usable gain. The low end on the marshall sounds flubby to me and there is a noticeable lack of sustain.I have been running channel two with the right button pushed in with the gain around 6 and on pentode mode at 100 watts when playing outside and 50 watts inside. What am I doing wrong? I am very close to putting it on craigslist or ebay and trying to get my money back out of it and going for an 800. I play mostly 80's type rock Dokken, VanHalen, Tesla, Ratt those type of tones. I thought this amp would nail those tones. HELP!!!

06-29-2009, 12:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
HOT TUBES 70 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SASKATOON Posts: 1,675	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM trust me !! somthing is wrong with your 6100 , i used play with a guy who had a 5150 combo , it was my 6100 that made him come over to marshall amps . these amps are very fussy with tubes etc , don't sell this amp !! also be carefull with the channel volumes they need to be past half at least and about 3- 4 on the master , 100 watt / pentode mode . __________________ MARSHALL 6100LM MARSHALL 1960A W/-G12H 30's CUSTOM BUILT 2X12 W/-V30's "MARSHALL" - only the best will do !

06-29-2009, 12:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
VHFreak Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 43	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM Do you think it may be the 75 watt celestions? Maybe I should try this thing through a cab with vintage 30's. Do you think I should drop the money on a set of JJ's and go from there? I guess I would love someone to post a GOOD video of a 6100lm on youtube or here so I can hear what I am missing on this thing before I off it to someone else.

06-29-2009, 12:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
HOT TUBES 70 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SASKATOON Posts: 1,675	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM imo , the 75's watters are not helping but tubes make a big difference on this head . and yes v30's sound great with this head , double check your preamp tubes , i had 3 preamp tubes that checked out about 75% , so i decided to replace them , it made a huge difference after ! these amps like alot of master volume !!!!! also for the output tubes , TAD 6L6GC-STR BLACK PLATES , the best sounding tube i have put in my 6100 , and i play the exact same type music as you !!! __________________ MARSHALL 6100LM MARSHALL 1960A W/-G12H 30's CUSTOM BUILT 2X12 W/-V30's "MARSHALL" - only the best will do !

06-29-2009, 12:43 PM	#5 (permalink)
VHFreak Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 43	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM I will for sure mess around with some different preamp tubes tonight. What do you set that switch on the back to low auto or high. I heard this is sorta like a resonance control. Ok good analogy here. Take my 5150 turn the resonance down all the way. This is close to what I am hearing. Just thin! I had to laugh, my twin is in a country band and his fender died this past week. He used "much to the dismay of his bandmates" my 6100 and it sounded pretty darn good. But only the clean channel. He boosted it with a tubescreamer for leads and it sounded better than the crunch channel! See where I am going nuts here! I appreciate all the advise you have given me Hot Tubes. I will conquer this thing one day!

06-29-2009, 12:57 PM	#6 (permalink)
HOT TUBES 70 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SASKATOON Posts: 1,675	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM i run mine on low damping , just a little more bottom that way !! don't give up on this amp , they are a killer amp imo !!!! __________________ MARSHALL 6100LM MARSHALL 1960A W/-G12H 30's CUSTOM BUILT 2X12 W/-V30's "MARSHALL" - only the best will do !

06-29-2009, 04:12 PM	#7 (permalink)
PaoloJM Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cork, Ireland Posts: 534	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM It almost sounds like your filter caps are starting to give in. Flubby bass and little sustain can be caused by this. Did your tech check them out? Is the amp a bit noisier than it used to be? __________________ www.youtube.com/paolojm

06-30-2009, 12:47 PM	#8 (permalink)
VHFreak Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 43	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM I do not know if he checked them out or not. It has been like this since I bought it back in March. I will take it to him this week and have him go through it top to bottom.

07-01-2009, 10:34 AM	#9 (permalink)
VHFreak Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 43	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM Now you guys have me thinking about this. Is it expensive to have the filtercaps replaced? I read that they should be replaced every 10 years and this amp is 12 years old.

07-03-2009, 09:55 PM	#10 (permalink)
MartyStrat54 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Formerly Phoenix, now north of KC Posts: 2,583	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM Depends on the skill level of the tech. A good tube amp tech can do the job for a reasonable amount. Most people just blow off filter cap replacement and then something worse happens like a burned up power tranny. Then they have to pay for a bunch of stuff to be replaced. I try to tell people that tube amps need to be maintained. There are a lot of guys playing 800's with the original caps and they are asking for it. The quality of a power filter cap is much better today than back in 1981 when the 800 came out. They last a lot longer as well. Bottom line is there are several things that can cause the problems you are describing. However, based on the age of the amp I would recommend that the filter caps be replaced. Marty __________________ MARTY 2009 Gibson Explorer-Hell Raising Machine 1989 Fender Strat Plus USA 2008 Fender Tele USA 2004 Schecter Elite w/DiMarzio's TSL100 with custom 4x12 cab. TSL122 with Man 'O War Speakers. TSL602 #1 with JBL D123 Speakers and 602 #2 with Altec 417 Speakers. "Oh so sweet my friends." DSL401 #1 with Red Fang Speaker and 401 #2 with JBL D123 Speaker. Tubes: Let's just say they are NOS that kick ass.

07-03-2009, 11:17 PM	#11 (permalink)
rockinr0ll Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,340	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM Try this: 1. Get some Groove Tube pre-amps. 2. Replace with V30's. I thought an amp I owned wasn't that great until this change.

07-04-2009, 03:36 PM	#12 (permalink)
MartyStrat54 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Formerly Phoenix, now north of KC Posts: 2,583	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM And if the filter caps are still bad, then what? Marty __________________ MARTY 2009 Gibson Explorer-Hell Raising Machine 1989 Fender Strat Plus USA 2008 Fender Tele USA 2004 Schecter Elite w/DiMarzio's TSL100 with custom 4x12 cab. TSL122 with Man 'O War Speakers. TSL602 #1 with JBL D123 Speakers and 602 #2 with Altec 417 Speakers. "Oh so sweet my friends." DSL401 #1 with Red Fang Speaker and 401 #2 with JBL D123 Speaker. Tubes: Let's just say they are NOS that kick ass.

07-04-2009, 05:30 PM	#13 (permalink)
rockinr0ll Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,340	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM Also keep the Eq around 5, don't drop the mids!

07-06-2009, 07:25 AM	#14 (permalink)
VHFreak Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 43	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM I am taking it to my tech tonight after work. We will see what is really going on. I would love to swap out the 75's for the v30's but that is quite a bit of money to shell out at the moment. Maybe a 2x12 with 30's would be a better option. I was thinking about doing that anyways.

07-08-2009, 08:46 AM	#15 (permalink)
VHFreak Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 43	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM Well the amp is in the hands of my amp tech now. I plugged it in at the shop and I think he knows what I am talking about. The only way I can explain it now is on channel 2 and 3 it sounds like a solid state amp. Distorted undertones and no clarity on the low end. So hopefully he can work his magic and get this thing to rage like it should. I will let you guys know the progress.

07-09-2009, 02:22 PM	#16 (permalink)
HOT TUBES 70 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SASKATOON Posts: 1,675	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM i still am thinking its tubes , my amp sounds like crap when the tubes go south !!!!!!! as do they all !!! __________________ MARSHALL 6100LM MARSHALL 1960A W/-G12H 30's CUSTOM BUILT 2X12 W/-V30's "MARSHALL" - only the best will do !

07-10-2009, 08:19 AM	#17 (permalink)
VHFreak Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 43	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM I would still love it if someone could post some sound recordings of this amp so I can hear what it is supposed to sound like. All of the youtube videos sound terrible to me as far as recording quality.

07-14-2009, 11:11 AM	#18 (permalink)
VHFreak Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 43	Re: Still trying to figure out my 6100LM Got some news from my amp guy. He said I had 3 bad preamp tubes. I went down to his shop this weekend to check it out and it still sounds weird to me. Real fizzy and lacking bottom end still. I could not really get it cranked in the shop though. He said he had some more tweaking to do on it. I do not have any shows until September so I told him to take his time and just make it "Right". Probably a mistake because he will probably take forever now. So just an update as far as my 6100 goes.

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