Hi there . . . . . . new guy here. Just a quick question (to start with) : I have a 50W (KT66) VintageModern head. Some folk say that is is the best modern era Marshall that the Co. has build in a very long time (also a very underrated Marshall product) Just how 'vintage' can the VintageModern get ? For those who own(ed) a VinatageModern, and have some JTM-45 experience, what would you suggest for knob settings to get the VM as close to JTM-45 tone/feel as possible ? Thank you very much.
I own both a JTM45 ant the 50W VM combo. If you're using the VM in the low dynamic range, you're pretty much in JTM45 territory. I could get a decent JTM45 tone running the following settings: Bass: 3.5-4. Middle: 7 treble: 6-7 Presence: 3-5 (depending on room) Body: 5 Detail: 8-9 Mid boost on. Master volume about 5 (The higher the better but works well at low volume too, just adjust the body and low end a bit) These are settings on the dials. Not clock face settings. Again, I wasn't trying to sound like a JTM45 on the VM. I just found these setting to give a nice old school kind of tone and I'd hit with a drive for more. I was able to get a nice Gary Moore Still Got The Blues tone with these. But if you're in LDR, you're in the right ballpark.
Welcome to the forum! You can go here below , there is 11 pages of VM settings to achieve different Artist tones ,...have fun ! http://marshallroadhouse.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=451&sid=f3f37a2fead39a5718150c6965680e2d
Welcome! Here is a qoute of Steve Dawson, the designer of the Vintage Modern. Quote: "The Vintage Modern is basically a JTM45 with some hot rodding. For a JTM 45 tone select the low dynamic range, master volume on full, mid boost out, Detail at 2 -4 o'clock. Body at 1 - 3 o'clock and then dime the tones. This should be very close. The vintage Modern is essentially a Plexi with some bells and whistles. Its foundation is the 'JTM 45 Super 100's' as championed by Hendrix, Clapton in Cream and several others." -SteveD
to The Marshall Forum @TheGuyWhoInventedFuzz! Lots of great information here on all things Marshall and other gear too.
The vintage modern is closer to the jtm 45/100 than to the jtm 45. Vintage modern is not tube rectified like a jtm 45.
Also experiment with only using the Detail knob and Body at 0... I find this sounds best at replicating the High input of the JTM45/100... Using Detail and Body is similar to having the channels jumped on the 4 holer and equate to Loudness I and Loudness II.
How is that.. I figured the JTM being rectified would make it more desirable. So the VM is a JTM and Plexi?
Because a 100watt amp would need two tubes to be rectified so that's why they say it's based on a JTM45/100
The vintage modern has solid state rectification so it is different than the jtm 45 which uses a tube rectifier and is only about 30 watts.
So did Marshall start using solid state rectifiers because they increased the wattage or because they didn't want all the sag? If the JTM is a plexi can you mod it to be a 30 watt 2203?
I'd imagine they started using solid-state rectifiers because it made the amps cheaper and easier to build. I'd never mod any classic Marshall, especially since there are plenty of reissues of all kinds floating around out there....not to mention the fact that a Vintage Modern is basically a JTM45 with a solid state recto and master volume, which answers your last question. As a side note, I'd never trade my VM for a JTM. Someday the VM is going to be one of the most sought-after amps out there. The rumblings have already begun to echo off the distant beer bellies of aging axe slingers across the globe
Its ok, with the way society is headed we are all doomed, young and old alike... Better enjoy your vM while you can.