Does running a Marshall designed for 110 V into a 120 volt outlet really make a difference?

Justy wondering if the difference of 10 volts make any difference on tone. I noticed on my Reissue JCM 800 2203x it is designed to run at 110 volts and my wall outlets are running at 120 and sometimes a couple volts over. Would that make any difference tone wise. I know they make the Brown Box which regulates voltage coming out of the wall. Just curious. Thanks

 

I know the old amps were designed to run at 110v I say it should sound a bit smoother. I use a voltage regulator now from Apec.

 

From Wikipedia:

"In the United States and Canada, national standards specify that the nominal voltage at the source should be 120 V and allow a range of 114 V to 126 V (RMS) (−5% to +5%). Historically 110 V, 115 V and 117 V have been used at different times and places in North America."

In Britain, where your amp is made, their voltage is 230V, and they are aware what our voltage is and probably designed the amp to run at that voltage. Probably just copied over the nameplate rating (110 V) from the original without even thinking about it.

 

All the voltages in the amp track with the line voltages. (Since there are no voltage regulators in the "classic" JMP models.) So the whole amp and all its voltages are running
almost 10 percent over their optimal values. This is probably why many Marshalls have a reputation for blowing up during a gig.

Get a variac and set the voltage to 110v and the amp is likely to have fewer problems and longer tube life.

 

Thats what is kinda strange. So my 1985 JCM 800 2204 is labeled to run at 120 volts on the back and then my 2016 JCM 800 22.3x which is 36 years newer is made to run at 110 volts. Why would they just make newer amps to run at 120 which is standard.

 

No

 

Electricity in the US in notoriously dirty (plagued by ripples, spikes, and noise). A lot of EMF is wasted, but that's fine with your electric company because we pay for what we waste. Its amazing that appliances, especially those with electric motors or microchips, last as long as they do. 110, 117, 120? It really doesn't matter what it's called because unless you have installed corrective measures, it's not consistent anyway.

 

I think @Old Punker has it there. They just converted from 230. Don't worry about it IMO.
Plug n play.

 

Never blew up a Marshall (or any other for that matter) before, during or after a gig.
Jethro Rocker has the winning entry today...Plug-n-Play!

 

Lost a tube in the TSL last song in a gig. Air guitared the last song. Otherwise lucked out. And yes, i bring a spare.

 

It seems unlikely that Marshall is selling a new amp to US consumers that is designed to run at 110v.

 

When I started using a regulator (FURMAN) P 1800 AR. All my amps became dead quiet.
First time I put it in line. I was doing a show at a memorial building in CA. Notorious for crappy power. When I first flipped the standby switch on my JTM 45. I thought I had forgotten to plug in the speaker cab. Instant panic. Oh shit, chasing wires at a gig sucks. Everything looked good. Tuned it back on. Raised the volume on my Lester and struck. Instant bliss. Put together a DISTO rig. From then on the whole rig was plugged into the regulator. Bought one for the studio and ran the whole place on it. Peace of mind.

 

Wouldn't this be designed to run at 110v? This is a 2016 2203x reissue

 

No not really.

 

Ok. Then all is good. Just was wondering. Thanks

 

It possiblly could have a small affect on the bias but if your amp was biased properly that affect is very minimal.

 

I have been using a regulator (power line conditioner) for many years. I agree with you, I too enjoy the peace of mind it brings.

 

One day I'd like to try my Marshalls on Euro power. Maybe around 236 volt. I hear they are a different animal running big power.

 

It's quasi-semantics. If it's labeled 110~120V/60 Hz, it simply means that it was designed to operate in the US. Originally, the standard here was 110 V, then it was increased to 112 V, later to 115 V and then 117 V, until finally arriving at 120 V. The standard could change at anytime. Being standards, they don't necessarily equate to the potential available in your outlets. I just checked one of my outlets with a DMM and it read 117 V. Should I file a complaint? I consider myself to be lucky if I get somewhere between 110 and 120 V at all times.

 

I run mine at 120, 121, whatever it takes