Sound comparison: '69 JMP 50 vs '78 2204 vs '89 Jubilee

[LPman]

I had the option to keep one of these three great amps so I made a comparison for myself. All three of them are dimed in this recording, you can hear how the power tubes fully saturate. I owned the Jubilee for a long time but couldn't really bond with it so I had to decide between the 2204 and the JMP which wasn't easy. You can hear that the root characteristics of these two amps are incredibly similar. Both have the classic old school Marshall thing going on. Wish I could have kept both of these beasts!

 

[marshallmellowed]

Well, don't keep us in suspense, which did you keep?

 

[V-man]

The obvious answer (particularly w your style) is going to be the ‘69, regardless of how good the ’78 was.

 

[God of Thunder]

I liked the 69

 

[Dan myers]

Honestly, I don’t hear a huge difference between the 3 of them.They all sound good like Marshall’s do.I am interested in how low you set the gain on the jubilee to tame it that much.My jubilee sounds like a fire breathing dragon compared to yours.

 

[crossroadsnyc]

All three had something I like about them, so I’m glad I’m not in your shoes! Which one did you go with? Also, which of the ones you turned down, did you first think of and kind of regret not choosing?

 

[1234_thumbwar]

That ‘69 JMP just had something more going on in the upper mids that brought out a little extra sparkle for lack of a better word compared to the 2204 and the 2554

It’s definitely the most difficult to use having no master volume but if we’re talking about which one sounds best I’d be a liar if I said anything other than the JMP50. The 2204 is probably the best of both worlds being an amp you might get away with without an attenuator but with a sound that’s in the ballpark of the JMP50. The silver jubilee is a pleasant amp but it sounds even more compressed and tight than the 2204 which itself sounds just a bit more compressed and tight compared to the JMP50.

The silver jubilee seems to lean more towards hard rock and a more modern sound, the 2204 splits the difference, the JMP50 sounds like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, a bit of Hendrix’s later stuff, and it’s the closest of the three to a lot of the artists you covered. Paul Kossoff played a JTM45/100 like Hendrix did early on then went to a Superlead like Hendrix, and a Superbass or at least this is what I’ve read. You can’t go wrong with any of the three but even attenuated I think the JMP50 is hard to beat. The 2204 would be next up imo

 

[RCM 800]

that 69 sounds best. I would go with it and an attenuator if decibels are too crazy.

 

[scozz]

The Jubilee is obviously darker than the other two, and the other two, 69 Jmp50 and 78 2204 are very similar to each other.

Both of those sound great!

 

[TXOldRedRocker]

'69 is perfect! No MV is a pain. '78 sounds very good and I could absolutely live with it.

 

[Arrested Dev]

All about volume, and your hearing. '69 wins, BUT with a with a big B....

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

They all 3 sound solid.. but as others have said it’s the 69,, I am sure glad I didn’t have to do the picking.. I would have tried to keep all. 3
Cheers
Mitch

 

[LPman]

The '69 was the way to go.

I regret the '78 2204, it was a beast but the '69 has the same root tone characteristics -the same percussive attack, tightness and fast response but with a little extra sweetness and warmth. The 2204's highs were a little too piercing cormpared to the old metalface.

This '69 is not completely original btw, the trannies are from a '74 JMP (the choke is original) and there is a master volume installed but I don't need it. I play it at crazy loud volumes, I'm used to it.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I like the '69 better. I hear more grind and it just has more tone. The difference isn't huge but it's there.

 

[LPman]

I have a DSL 15 head as a practice amp at home and to my ear it souns similar to that Jubilee that I had in this clip. A more modern gainy tone with less of that organic percussivness of the JMPs. The notes just jump out from these amps with an agressive immediate attack that is incredible. The volume must be set to at least to noon though.

 

[Tatzmann]

The NMV Amps cannot be beaten.
Wise decision.

 

[Marcomel79]

I had the option to keep one of these three great amps so I made a comparison for myself. All three of them are dimed in this recording, you can hear how the power tubes fully saturate. I owned the Jubilee for a long time but couldn't really bond with it so I had to decide between the 2204 and the JMP which wasn't easy. You can hear that the root characteristics of these two amps are incredibly similar. Both have the classic old school Marshall thing going on. Wish I could have kept both of these beasts!

Love the tones from all three but i will go with the 69. What speakers did you use?

 

[dptone5]

They were all great, but the '69 is the greatest. Really thought it had "the sound"!!

 

[stickyfinger]

When you say all 3 were dimed what was the gain settings on the Jub and 2204?
I preferred the 69

 

[LPman]

Only the master were dimed. The preamp gain were about halfway up.