Whats The Best JCM900

[pedecamp]

And why...

 

[mrjones2004x]

Mk3 because I got one! Only amp I never sold as I just get on with it. No other reasons. It’s a beauty.
Didn’t like the dual reverb haven’t tried any others mind

just my two pennies worth

 

[Deftone]

SL-X not XLS

 

[solarburnDSL50]

Bugera 1990I.(DR)

Self biasing. Can mix and match same pin out powertubes.

Red side needs no pedals in front. At all. Green side takes OD's like a Marshall should.

Loud as fuck at 120 watts. 120/60 watt pentode/triode switch.

Effects loop with level pot.

Been beating the shit out of mine for years and it keeps ripping. Got mine $400 new. I see quite some time ago the price increased. They realized what the amp offered, practical application and most importantly Marshall tone. Peeps can write it off I don't care. I enjoy the shit out of mine.

I've used 6550's, 6L6's, EL34's, 6CA7's, 6V6's, 5881's and mixed combinations of them as well. Can the Marshall do that plug and play? I think not.

Tone. It's everwhere.

 

[PelliX]

I've used 6550's, 6L6's, EL34's, 6CA7's, 6V6's, 5881's and mixed combinations of them as well. Can the Marshall do that plug and play? I think not.

It's amazing what people get away with sometimes... The level pot on the FX loop is a welcome addition I 'miss' on a lot of Marshall amps, though, that's for sure.

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

The only 900 I have had any time on was the DR but I don’t have very much experience with any of the others.
But I was able to get some good tones out of it ..

 

[Drinkingdeath01]

Why pick one ? I'd vote for all three if I could. I enjoy all of them. They each have their own character.

 

[Deftone]

Never tried an MKIII so I can't answer. I have an SL-X and a DR and I love them both.

 

[Silverdome]

Lots of 900 love on here these days. Makes me realize I haven't plugged mine in since my last gig this summer and that's too long. Going to set it up and do some riffing here in a little bit. My vote of the three is pretty much which ever one you love. If an amp you plug into inspires you that's the best amp.

 

[Tatzmann]

900DR, because its very easy to convert
to an 800

 

[Deftone]

900DR, because its very easy to convert
to an 800

I thought the SL-X was closest to an 800?

 

[gregr]

Hopefully he’s just taking the piss. If he wanted to convert a JCM900 into a JCM800 (220X?) he picked the wrong one.

 

[Tatzmann]

I actually took the piss when i traded
one of my 3203s for a 900DR. Which
is now an 800 and 900 in one head.

 

[pedecamp]

I listened to a bunch of videos and they all sound good! I was leaning towards the MKIII cuz its been described several times as sounding like an 800 but with more gain.

 

[PelliX]

I actually took the piss when i traded
one of my 3203s for a 900DR. Which
is now an 800 and 900 in one head.

Got some gutshots for us?

I see you're still working on letting your device handle the linebreaks for ya...

 

[marshallmellowed]

I listened to a bunch of videos and they all sound good! I was leaning towards the MKIII cuz its been described several times as sounding like an 800 but with more gain.

I don't think they sound like an 800, and they don't have more gain, just more distortion (via diode clipping).

 

[pedecamp]

I don't think they sound like an 800, and they don't have more gain, just more distortion (via diode clipping).

Which is your favorite if you have one

 

[gregr]

I don't think they sound like an 800, and they don't have more gain, just more distortion (via diode clipping).

Yes and no.

V1b is configured to give a lot more gain than the cold clipper on the 2203/4. The trouble is that it’s wasted driving the diode/bridge rectifier into clipping. V2a is about a wash with 150k/1.5k on the Mk III and 100k/820 on the 2203/4.

 

[Neptical]

True story...my SL-X 2500 shares a space with one of my Marshall MOSFET Lead 100s (3210) which both share one of my favorite cabs loaded with G12K85s. The 3210 gets an MXR 10 Band EQ in the loop. THUNDEROUS.

Meanwhile, both these amps sit next to a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Rev G through an old Soldano 4x12. Tight, BOLD and PUNCHY. ( Vintage Orange Silicone Diode...+ Clean SD-1 Boost). Absolutely CRUSHINGLY, FAT.

Would you believe that the 3210 gets the plug almost exclusively....? Yeah, old SS are still super underrated. I'm a fan of how tight, articulate and immediate the response is of those older amps - especially with the right speakers.

 

[MKIII900]

I voted MKIII since that's what I own. Compared to a DR I prefer the simplicity of the MKIII. The single channel design with a with a built in volume boost for leads is something I'm surprised I don't see more often on amps in general. It works very well and negates the need for a clean boost or eq in the loop set for a volume jump.

The interactivity of the gain sensitivity and preamp volume and presence control is great too. With the sensitivity off and preamp/master set high it does a very convincing 800 sound. When you set the presence and gain sensitivity higher it can easily do old school thrash metal with no boost. For modern metal tones I use an SD-1 out front and an boss eq in the loop for a more distorted scooped sound.

Wide range of sounds available for an amp with only one channel and 8 knobs.
Mine is a very early 2501 combo that came stock with EL34's.
I still want to try a healthy SLX one day but they are pretty rare around here.