Thank you Johan for inviting me to comment! All amps are different! But black flags stand out and are my favorite plexi. Brown to begin with. Main difference between a JTM50 and an JMP50 are the transformers. We are talking all Drake transformers here. The Black flag combos seems to be a bit Eddie Brown sounding to begin with. The most a JTM50 watt black flag comes with a 1202-118 PT and 784-128 OT (Some early ones come with 1202-133 PT those can have tube rectifiers but most JTM black flags have solid state rectifier. Tube rectifier have a bit more sag often and also even easier to oscillate when pushed real hard. The JMP50 plexi usually have the 1202-118 and then the 784-139 Output transformer We can find quite different specs within the same transformer models the 118 is often a bit “fluffier” browner in sound and the 139 is more direct and “plexi on” as this is what most people have as reference for a real plexi. However the 139 evolved over time. Sound wise The black flag in Johan´s demo sounds like a black flag, and the JMP sounds as a JMP. One can always fool around bias and voltages 1202 133 PT it delivers less power than the 118 it will be a bit like using a variac here and oscillation is even more easy to obtain. Does the have a valve rectifier or not? OH as I was writing II saw the transformer differences in the clip now. Both have 139 out put transformers . Cool! JTM 1967 133 MT, 139 OT, Open choke often less Hendry than the later closed one less filtering not as stiff. A 139 could not have a tube rectifier in my opinion so Ill guess solid state JMP 1970 118 MT, 139 OT, Closed choke In 1970 the parts manufacturer and some values also started to be increasingly different from the choices 4 years before and that are often felt more tight and “more modern” Both amps sounds great and are demoed excellent as always by Johan!
@@huangallen8679 We are talking about laydown and stand up mains transformers. Both amps have laydown MTs (but different models.) and stand up OTs. The benefit of this combo is that the transformers cores comes further aparts and interfere with each other less - less noice. However from a safety perspective it is better to have fully encapsulated Main Transformers (Stand up) and authorities in some countries started to demand stand up transformers...Hense the change in the seventies
Absolutely agree. JTM is my favourite Marshall tone by a long way. I prefer the heavier, more scooped, smoother JCM800 harder drive tone to that edgier bitier JMP tone. I think it's what type of music your into. But for me, it's Jimi ... then I'd prefer the wall of noise early 90s guitar tones of say Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr, Pixies, Fugazi etc... over 70s stadium rock tones like Van Halen, AC/DC, Zeppelin, ZZ Top (maybe Allman Brothers, and some others withstanding). Plus the JCM800 is an important amp in early heavy metal (Slayer, Metallica, Guns n' Roses etc...) ... and even if that's not exactly my music, it's still such a classic Marshall huge sounding amp. That I think is more pleasant on the ears at higher gain and volume than the harsher, screamier, edgier JMP.
My main amp is a 1970 JMP50, which I bought new and have recently restored to museum quality, just because. It has been with me through a dozen bands, even more girlfriends, a marriage and the growth of my angel daughter to the age of 21. She will inherit it. It sounds spectacular. I sorely regret selling a 1975 JTM100, also purchased new, as it may have even sounded better, though very different, with a smack-in-the-face spanky clean tone to die for. Kicking myself.
Your description of both amps before the sound demo is spot on. I'd say the JMP is the most useable, but that JTM is glorious. If I had the kind of studio for recording a big, loud amp then I'd choose the JTM over the JMP. The JMP screams, the JTM roars.
I was surprised how much more I preferred the JMP to the Black Flag. The JTM seemed to be kind of a fart machine, but huge. The JMP had more of what I love about Marshalls. That kerrang and concussive quality without losing the bottom tightness. Then again things might sound much different in the room. Both are awesome though.
@@CharlieMoney777 Yep, they are gems. To me they're the ultimate rock and roll amp. Well, maybe Rock amp. Fenders are more rock and roll in a way. Definitely want to keep the bass down on those amps, right?!
Cranking the bass on a JTM will always fart it out. SOP on those amps for an aggressive rock tone (well 100watt versions anyhow) are: Bass 0ish, Mid Full, Treble and Presence to taste.
They definitely sound different, and I loved them both. I own a 1975 Super Lead that thankfully has a master volume mod. And it's a beast. It's got more sizzle than frying bacon in a pan.
I have a JMP and have always liked the JTM sound. After watching this, I'm certain I need at least one of each. Great video, as always! I appreciate your work!
As a proud owner of a 78 JMP 4 holer, I appreciate the the JTM & would love to own one. However this reconfirmed that my JMP is still a beast & a classic.
Excellent idea for a comparison. I think the JTM is a perfect amp for making a single coil/ p-90 guitar snarl. For a humbucker the JMP is champ. Cool video, Thanks!
@@JohanSegeborn Also depends on the EQ settings... JTM50 needs bass set to minimum and it will tighten up but remain that low-mid growl. Think of 1979 to 1980 ACDC.
Man, they both have this wild stingy 🐝 🔥 tubey burn sound when cranked. Just fantastic. Some of the most sought after tones are the ones that sound like they were mistakes. Love both.
Great stuff as usual Johan. I enjoyed reading Pleximaster's comment about the amps. Both were great. The Black Flag sounded like it had a mild fuzz face on. Hard to choose between the 2, but JMP for me and the styles I play most. Great riffage on the demo 😎 God bless and rock on 🎸👍
Rockin' man! I think I would enjoy playing the jtm 50 more. My 66-year-old ears like the Vintage sound. Only Marshall I have is a DSL 40 CR and I love it.
The JMP is brighter and has more mids. Listening on the phone, the difference is slight. I listened again through quality monitor speakers and they sound totally different in lows, mids, highs and gain. Both still sound great. If you want flabby vintage then the Black flag is king, tighter, punchier classic then the JMP. Great Demo 👍
Thanks Johan for playing these gems and thank you Pleximaster for the comments. I really enjoy listening to this kind of A/B because I can actually compare the sounds when they are played back to back. Maybe it is because my jtm45 is a clone, my PT is a lay down Dagnall and the OT is standing Dagnall too. Could it be due to using KT66 power tubes that Dagnall is used? It's a 1964 with rectification tube; I modified it for both SS and GZ34 and a toogle between sharing and split cathode. I never (dared) tried to play it on full output. I must say the best addition I made was a 10 band eq. God sommer til begge!
How did I missed this video? Shame on me :) Excellent demo as always. I haven't had a chance to see/play many of those elusive Black Flag Marshalls sadly. Though when I've seen toggle switches and old boxes I know there is tone to be enjoyed. Going to the middle of the 70-ies Marshall started changing amplifiers to rocking switches and ST-I PCB. 1980 they changed cabinet and went with the JCM name. From 1975 amplifiers started being easer to make and later the circuit changed as well. But for a long time circuit with 4 inputs and cathode follower was holding on strongly. Marshall history is something that I just understood as good as I do now. I knew the things and facts but until I have started making amplifiers I couldn't understand few things. Marshall beginnings is a story of practically what we call boutique maker. Business man wanted to provide musicians and option and what they were asking for. There was no production line it was done by two man and their families helping them. Marshall did not just became industry giant over night. JTM45 history is fascinating to me. There were so many changes and Marshall did made most of the progress to it's own sound during redesigns of the JTM45/ JTM45 used 5881, KT66 and EL34 tubes originally. It used GZ34 rectifier tube and it was the first model to sport the solid state/diode rectifier. It grew from two tubes and 30-ish Watts to very loud 4 tubes and 100 Watt power. It went from low filtering capacitance to a few times that value. Early JTM45-100 used to have 4 KT66 tubes and two output transformers!?? Development of transitional JTM45 models actually developed Plexi amplifiers and JMP era. Black Flag amplifiers are exactly that transitional models from JTM45 to Plexi. Basic schematics and 4 inputs stayed even in the JCM800 era. JCM800 was the series that got rid of the 4 inputs. JCM800 development has introduced redesign of the preamp gain stages and later brought first master volume models. second input channel was dropped and ti's triode was sud to stack gain stages. Voltage splitter was needed as well. Back to the moment when Marshall has decided that they are going to solid state rectification. Early models of JTM45 have used beaming tetrodes of the 6L6 family. 5881 is very similar to 6L6 or 6L6G but is much weaker than 6L6GC. When we talk about 6L6 we mostly think of the glass bottle high power 6L6GC. But those weaker tube variants have like 20-ish Watt plate dissipation while full 6L6GC has 30 Watt plate dissipation. Early 6L6 models were coming in the metal grounded cap even. With same power transformer using different rectifier tube will change the available voltage. For example 5U4 will make less voltage than 5AR4/GZ34 because it is less efficient tube. Solid state rectifier will add even more "free" Volts because they are more efficient than any tube rectifier. You will find diode in many old Fender amplifiers that use rectifying tube for B+ but it was used for negative bias supply. Diodes were not that great. But at the time Marshall started switching to diode rectifiers for B+ didoes were way better. With fixed bias and two KT66 tubes and tube rectifier, early JTM45 was only 30-ish watts. Plate dissipation of KT66 is 25 Watt so 50 Watt amplifier is very possible design with two KT66 tubes. Suddenly they get way higher voltage with same transformer and boom you got Black Flag 50 Watt JTM45. Filtering was stiffer with more capacity as well. Capacity just grew from that moment. Super Lead grew to 6 double filtering capacitors even. As story is told they haven't changed anything just got more power by using higher B+ voltage that they have gained from diode rectification. Later on you can see different values of the nodal resistors somewhat lowering down preamp voltage. But bit higher preamp voltage gave the amplifier more gain. So yeah stiffer power section feels different under the fingers and does not have same sag. But it makes amplifier stronger. With increased voltage and power amplifier started to sound different as well. So late JTM45 models are similar to early Plexies because Plexies became from the JTM45 series. Same thing happened with late JMP and early JCM series. Some models of JCM800 were Plexi with metal front plate and new cabinet. The biggest difference from early 5881 or KT66 JTM45 and late solid state rectifier EL34 amplifiers came from the solid state rectification and increased power and gain. Sure they have then developed different transformers eventually. Placing two output transformers in JTM45-100 was expensive so they have ordered monster output transformers made for 4 power tubes. They changed Power transformers as well. Ditching 5 Volt winding needed for the heating of the rectifier tube made same size transformer more powerful with same size. More energy could be transferred to high voltage with same amount of iron. Even on old original Power transformers not using that 5V tap made those transformers more powerful as well. There was more energy reserve for the windings that were used actually. So diode rectification was the thing to do. Marshall as the company just proclaimed one day we are doing just diode rectification now. You can hear that in their own video. Later on they were still making some amplifiers with the tube rectifiers though :P Anyhow all the Marshall good tone and roadworthiness and professional amplifier name was deserved by old cabinet toggle switches JTM and JMP amplifiers. Ask any guitar player and they will know Plexi even if most of the people have never played them. By the end of the 70-ies Marshall could not deliver amounts of amplifiers needed. Demand was huge. Hair Metal kicked in and everyone wanted high gain Marshalls. Marshall have had to provide. So we got new design cabinets. Black cloth on the speaker cabinets. Bigger logos. Rocking switches with built in power indicator light. We got ST-I and suddenly those measures made amplifiers even more desirable and easier and faster to make. in 80-ies and 90-ies there was no end to Marshall. They made silly amounts of money. Marshall stayed the company that has listened to the people who want to buy their products. But now you have had everyone wanting toi have them even if they were not professionals. Hobby players with enough money wanted at least 100 Watt amplifiers to play at home at the low volume. So Marshall made it possible. People wanted more channels and more features and knobs. Marshall made it possible. People wanted it cheaper and faster produced. Marshall made it possible and suddenly pots are on the print board and very small and break off the board easy and break them self easy. But people got more options for not that much more money. Even for the same or in some cases less money. At least Marshall kept some models for real musicians as well. Even made small amplifiers to make everyone happy. Marshall covered all market segments. I will always keep on loving JTM45 and all early turret board Marshall amplifiers. Made to be repaired easier. Made to withstand the road conditions. Powerful and good sounding monsters. BTW that amp was recapped. I would not go with those orange drops. They look like cheaper version as well. Namely there a PP and I believe PS orange drops. They use different film/plastic between the foils. PP are darker sounding and overall cheaper once if I am not wrong. The other once have more details. I would consider Orange drops just for certain Fender amplifiers. I do not find them fitting in the Marshall amplifiers. Even optically they hurt my OCD :) Many companies make caps that are mustard alike and they place them in yellow color as well. Those mustards on the other amp just look as the Marshall should. BTW Even in metal face plate Plexies with the ST-I PCB they have used mustard caps until they run out.
Johan, thanks so much for this video and comparison! The JTM looks basically stock, while the JMP has had the caps replaced with orange drops and WIMA and electrolytic replaced. Funny yo see the 556p instead of typical 470p bypass cap in the JTM and also note both bright caps across the pot at 100p and 470p, but nothing too radical like 1000p or 4700p. I like both amps. They both sound great at what they do. If you want classic rock tone with a little more grit and definition, the JTM is is. If you want more classic Hendrix and fuzzy and muffled tone, JTM sounds like it to me! Very cool! :)
Mmm... delicious! Friday evening, warm summer weather, and Johan demos Plexis. Can't be better. In the beginning the JTM seemed "more difficult to tame", and in direct comparison JMP seemed "held back". Interesting comparison when you stepwise increased the volume. JMP had nicest "cleans". Moving into cranked JTM took over, definitely. High gain JMP had more defined sound. Volume 8-10 JTM sounded "blurred", but I liked it (guitar on Disraeli Gears is not always clean or well defined). Thanks Johan, and have a nice weekend!
Jimmy pages Marshall was an early 69 model and iits from a transition period and it was only made that way for a couple of months so it's actually quite different from a 1970 model .. it's one reason why page tone is so hard to copy. You need a very specific Marshall from ralru 69 and then you need to mod it for for headroom and KT88 tubes . Page only used it s stock form for a few months. He used it for a couple of months in the spring of 69 then switched to custom hiwatts for 2 and half years then started using the Marshall again in Febrrary 72 and used it in stock form until late June 72 . By the fall of 72 it had been modified and the deem gets cleaner with alot more top end sparkle .
I may not get many friends for saying this but, I prefer the JMP50. My feeling is there are two kinds of distorted tone, good and bad. There is nice harmonic distortion and over the top muddy noise. I always prefer up to as much as you can before saturation occurs and note definition is lost. It's a fine line, and to me the JTM50 flies right by it into muddyville.
JMP for me. The JTM has that fuzz-like sound. I don't dig that as much as the brighter, more mid-rangey JMP grind. That's for _me._ What _I_ like. If you like the JTM better, more power to you. And if you jam with someone who has a JMP your combined tones will doubtless sound fantastic. _Vive la différence._ (I will say, though, that the JTM often got a tone very reminiscent of the solo tone which Billy Gibbons achieved on _Sure Got Cold After The Rain Fell,_ one of my very favorites of his lead tones ever.)
Great comparison video and playing! very educational! They sounded similar but it was almost like you were just switching between neck and bridge pickups. It would be interesting to hear the JTM with a strat vs JMP with a Tele and Les Paul.
The JTM seems to be almost stock but the JMP was "restored" and all the Mustard cap have gone... It's a pity to put Orange drop when you could find original Mustard for little more bucks ! Does this change the sound ? Purists with ultrasonic ears will tell ! Comparing the 1202-133 and 1202-118, it seems that the 133 gives some 20 Vdc more on the HV rectified...
The cap myth is just that, a myth. Same-spec passives do not have ‘a sound’. They may have different lifespans which would explain the assumption as orange drops are always going to be new.
Funny how tastes differ. I'm more of a fender amp kinda guy, so the JMP wins this for me - hands down. It sounds so much more defined. The JTM sounds a bit mushy to me. More Hendrix like for sure, but then again, I always enjoyed Jimi's playing way more than his actual guitar sound. All a matter of taste of course. Great vid btw!
I always say the BlackFlags sound kinds "spitty" and "splattery". I know these are not common adjectives used when describing amplifiers but they are fitting for me.
Interesting the JMP sounds a bit tighter, but both are lovely. I was surprised that both break up so early, like even on 2 there you start to get some grit.
That JMP had a few mods in its day, eh? I wonder if replacing the orange drops with the correct era mustards would make much difference? Fantastic job comparing the two Johan, now I need both!
Judging from the 4 plugged holes in the back and the hole for an extra pre-amp tube I suspect that JMP once could've had an old Tommy Folkesson mod; maybe you could ask him Johan? Another thing I find strange is that it seems to lack the 2,7kOhm bright channel cathode resistor; I can't find it, and it doesn't seem hidden under the red cathode cap. I think that maybe when it was "restored" the amp was tweaked to be less bright and changed from split cathode to 'old style' shared cathode but the original cap is still in place. The "101" 100pF bright cap instead of 4,7nF also suggests wanting less brightness. Bright channel seems to have ceramic 2,2nF coupling cap though, making it tighter than with 22nF. I much prefer the JMP in this video!
I built the 50 watters, jtm45,Jtm50, Jmp50 metal panel, split cathode with gz34 rectifier. Unique. I am satisfied. I build 60's pre amp pedals also. Love mojotone bv25 . 4x12 . When you have those speakers broke in. Your there if you have a great guitar and great pickups. Special order Fralins to complement the guitar ,for me. I play it all. Paul,Tele and Strat. And yes I am into tubes and voltages...my ears a be ringing. And it sounds like you have a microphonic tube.
Both really cool, probably couldn't pick them out blindfolded but I feel the JMP has a more balanced spectrum and the JTM is a bit hefty on the low mids in a cool way but not my fave thing.
That Black Flag would be perfect for big stoner doom metal riffs. Whereas the JMP is much better for the tighter 80's style riffs. Black Flag = big fuzzed out low mids; JMP = tight upper midrange focused.
Great stuff, the ”bright riff” with the black flag is the money shot for me! The black flag amps are probably my favorites but the bass needs to be dialed way down when the volume goes up on those, it took a while for me to find the sweet spots on my Super PA. 🙂
Hi, Johan! JTM50 is really universal. JMP is more "lite' version. I am waiting for the hand-made-hard-tale stratocaster from "Big Ed", Australian luthier made it with Texas Blues, and its gonna be awesome with JMP, but it will be not so soon. We know each other since the school, but over the years I am in Asia and he is in Australia, so I see him rarely. But my last word is JTM50 is good! Have a great weekend, and see you a little more!😏 Siegfried
JTM has more dirty crunches, more wild and uncontrolled tones and the JMP is just the other way Both are super nice but I pick the JTM for the uncontrolled life it lives
Interesting… at lower volumes I prefer the JTM50 because I like how the eq sounds more full and has more bass compared to the JMP50 that sounds a little too bright. However, at higher volumes above 5 I feel like the bass is way too much on the jtm50 and it starts to flub out and gets loose. At higher volumes I prefer the JMP50 because it stays tighter.
J M P brighter and tighter but the black flag has more balls. Matter of fact I loved the black flag so much I built one for myself.Great comparison. Thanks Johan
Funny how some dissect the tone of amps like tasting fine wine which is cool but in a good mix with the right engineer most amps can sound great in the right context
Great comparison. The JTM is more raw, organic, edgy, splashier and not knowing what's going to happen next. The JMP is smoother, sweeter, more refined and "predictable". These descriptive words are all relatively speaking of course. Both sound amazing and I want both of them!
I've owned many Marshalls and it's to the point that you're cutting hairs with the difference in sound. Then, if you put different brands of tubes in you get more differences. They both sound good but not a big difference.....and I'm listening close.
I have a JTM45 and use it for my Angus tone in the tribute band I play in. I'd love a Black Flag, so many different sounds in one amp that is, apparently, "basic".
I like the JMP most. I had the 2104 combo many years ago. Bought it with my summer job salary 1986. It sounded cracked on the High input, so I used the low input with the beloved Boss ds-1. Now it's also Boss always on but sd-1 instead. Maybe I need the Distortion on Nirvana smells like😊
I think the JTM50 is really special sounding! It has a very distinct and different sound from the the JMP. Raising the Black Flag in favor of the JTM 50 sound in this video. Thank you Johan!
Those early JTM 1987 lead heads still had the bass circuit. When they started calling these amps lead vs bass? The only difference was a bright cap on the channel 1 volume. But if you look at the amps interior pictures? You can see bass cap values like the .1uf caps in the output stage. That's why it sounds muddy. Those bass heads you can't really go above 2 on the bass control with a humbucker Gibson style guitar. Up to about 4 with a strat. Great amps!
It's extremely interesting how one component like a Transformer can completely alter and shape the characteristics of a tube amp in conjunction with their EQ's. When you turned the bass all the way down on the JMP it sounded extremely similar to the JTM at around 06:38 in the video. Before you play, how long do you allow the tubes to warm up? As always thanks for being the Legend that you are brother!
Johan is Marshall making either of these, or any amps that get the classic plexi sound? I want to get one, but I cant afford the older ones and it is very rare to find one for sale now anyway. If someone wanted to get a plexi tone amp now, what would be the ones to get?
pleximaster, can you shed any light on when Dagnall transformers entered the picture and how they compare to the Drakes?I have a 100W head with the Dagnalls and it's tremendous. I would enjoy your take on the differences between them. With thanks!
Thank you Johan for inviting me to comment!
All amps are different! But black flags stand out and are my favorite plexi. Brown to begin with.
Main difference between a JTM50 and an JMP50 are the transformers. We are talking all Drake transformers here. The Black flag combos seems to be a bit Eddie Brown sounding to begin with.
The most a JTM50 watt black flag comes with a 1202-118 PT and 784-128 OT (Some early ones come with 1202-133 PT those can have tube rectifiers but most JTM black flags have solid state rectifier. Tube rectifier have a bit more sag often and also even easier to oscillate when pushed real hard.
The JMP50 plexi usually have the 1202-118 and then the 784-139 Output transformer
We can find quite different specs within the same transformer models the 118 is often a bit “fluffier” browner in sound and the 139 is more direct and “plexi on” as this is what most people have as reference for a real plexi.
However the 139 evolved over time. Sound wise The black flag in Johan´s demo sounds like a black flag, and the JMP sounds as a JMP. One can always fool around bias and voltages
1202 133 PT it delivers less power than the 118 it will be a bit like using a variac here and oscillation is even more easy to obtain. Does the have a valve rectifier or not? OH as I was writing II saw the transformer differences in the clip now. Both have 139 out put transformers . Cool!
JTM 1967 133 MT, 139 OT, Open choke often less Hendry than the later closed one less filtering not as stiff. A 139 could not have a tube rectifier in my opinion so Ill guess solid state
JMP 1970 118 MT, 139 OT, Closed choke In 1970 the parts manufacturer and some values also started to be increasingly different from the choices 4 years before and that are often felt more tight and “more modern” Both amps sounds great and are demoed excellent as always by Johan!
Some stats
Power Transfomers
Drake 1202-133 JMP 50 (Laydown style, 1967)
Drake 1202-118 JMP 50 (Laydown style, 1967 - 69)
Drake 1202-164 JMP 50 (Upright style, 1969 and after)
Output Transformers
Drake 784-128 (Primary: 3,5k ohm, Secondary: 4, 8, 16 ohm, buried 100V winding) JTM 50
Drake 784-139 (Primary: 3,5k ohm, Secondary: 4, 8, 16 ohm) JMP 50
The very best regards pleximaster
Thanks man! It’s highly appreciated!
Yes, thanks for details!
Mister pleximaster, I got a question :) So which of these is the famous laydown transformer? Why it is regarded better?
@@huangallen8679
We are talking about laydown and stand up mains transformers. Both amps have laydown MTs (but different models.) and stand up OTs. The benefit of this combo is that the transformers cores comes further aparts and interfere with each other less - less noice. However from a safety perspective it is better to have fully encapsulated Main Transformers (Stand up) and authorities in some countries started to demand stand up transformers...Hense the change in the seventies
what do you mean by brown to begin with?
JTM all the way! Reminded me of that gnarly, amp about to explode tone Jimi had at Monterey... The best guitar tone ever imo.
This is literally the tone I’ve been searching for
Absolutely agree. JTM is my favourite Marshall tone by a long way. I prefer the heavier, more scooped, smoother JCM800 harder drive tone to that edgier bitier JMP tone. I think it's what type of music your into. But for me, it's Jimi ... then I'd prefer the wall of noise early 90s guitar tones of say Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr, Pixies, Fugazi etc... over 70s stadium rock tones like Van Halen, AC/DC, Zeppelin, ZZ Top (maybe Allman Brothers, and some others withstanding). Plus the JCM800 is an important amp in early heavy metal (Slayer, Metallica, Guns n' Roses etc...) ... and even if that's not exactly my music, it's still such a classic Marshall huge sounding amp. That I think is more pleasant on the ears at higher gain and volume than the harsher, screamier, edgier JMP.
Need a fuzz too
My main amp is a 1970 JMP50, which I bought new and have recently restored to museum quality, just because. It has been with me through a dozen bands, even more girlfriends, a marriage and the growth of my angel daughter to the age of 21. She will inherit it. It sounds spectacular. I sorely regret selling a 1975 JTM100, also purchased new, as it may have even sounded better, though very different, with a smack-in-the-face spanky clean tone to die for. Kicking myself.
What a f*****g great channel this is, honestly I've been here for years but you are doing gods work Johan. Thank the lord for loud amps 🤘🙏🤘
Your description of both amps before the sound demo is spot on. I'd say the JMP is the most useable, but that JTM is glorious. If I had the kind of studio for recording a big, loud amp then I'd choose the JTM over the JMP.
The JMP screams, the JTM roars.
I was surprised how much more I preferred the JMP to the Black Flag. The JTM seemed to be kind of a fart machine, but huge. The JMP had more of what I love about Marshalls. That kerrang and concussive quality without losing the bottom tightness. Then again things might sound much different in the room. Both are awesome though.
Thanks Steve!
@@JohanSegeborn Thank YOU Johan, for continuing to bring so many amazing amps!
@@CharlieMoney777 Yep, they are gems. To me they're the ultimate rock and roll amp. Well, maybe Rock amp. Fenders are more rock and roll in a way. Definitely want to keep the bass down on those amps, right?!
Cranking the bass on a JTM will always fart it out. SOP on those amps for an aggressive rock tone (well 100watt versions anyhow) are: Bass 0ish, Mid Full, Treble and Presence to taste.
I agree.
They definitely sound different, and I loved them both. I own a 1975 Super Lead that thankfully has a master volume mod. And it's a beast. It's got more sizzle than frying bacon in a pan.
Johan, thanks for this, I have been debating on trying to find a Black Flag. I now realize I'm happy with my JMP for my taste. Great video as always
Thanks, yeah both are great
I have a JMP and have always liked the JTM sound. After watching this, I'm certain I need at least one of each. Great video, as always! I appreciate your work!
Thanks, glad to hear it!
As a proud owner of a 78 JMP 4 holer, I appreciate the the JTM & would love to own one. However this reconfirmed that my JMP is still a beast & a classic.
Excellent idea for a comparison. I think the JTM is a perfect amp for making a single coil/ p-90 guitar snarl. For a humbucker the JMP is champ. Cool video, Thanks!
Thanks!
Another great comparison and tone test. Bravo again my brother
Always appreciate this kind of content Johan! I really liked the weight of the JTM up until 6.5 where it got squishy. Awesome tones all around!!
Thanks Andy! Yeah after 6.5 it’s mostly useful as a cool effect. Cheers!
@@JohanSegeborn Also depends on the EQ settings... JTM50 needs bass set to minimum and it will tighten up but remain that low-mid growl. Think of 1979 to 1980 ACDC.
Great playing johan i was thinkn this was an isolated track from 1972 man !!! Lets go cheers 🤟🤟
As always great effort. Many of us Appreciate ur spirit Of the sound of real classic rock. Billy
Man, they both have this wild stingy 🐝 🔥 tubey burn sound when cranked. Just fantastic. Some of the most sought after tones are the ones that sound like they were mistakes. Love both.
Wow, I can’t pick!! They’re both too awesome... great video Johan!!
Awesome comparison!!! Thrilling sounds, that’s the sound of masterpieces ❤
Great stuff as usual Johan. I enjoyed reading Pleximaster's comment about the amps. Both were great. The Black Flag sounded like it had a mild fuzz face on. Hard to choose between the 2, but JMP for me and the styles I play most. Great riffage on the demo 😎 God bless and rock on 🎸👍
Fantastic video as always. Both sensational sounding amps. Far prefer the JMP here. Cheers from Australia.
JMP for me. Cheers!
Cheers Erik!
Rockin' man! I think I would enjoy playing the jtm 50 more. My 66-year-old ears like the Vintage sound. Only Marshall I have is a DSL 40 CR and I love it.
JTM - Maid in England
JMP - MAIDEN, ENGLAND!
I love the JMP! I'm so happy with mine! I'm glad I made the right choice in buying my 2204 in 2014. It's perfect for me :)
Excellent comparison, Johan. I love how the camera shakes when you are playing, must have been extremely loud..!
That's from him stomping of the floor to keep time.
Around 7:40 I had to wipe tears of joy from my eyes. Damn. That is something. A dream.
The JMP is brighter and has more mids. Listening on the phone, the difference is slight. I listened again through quality monitor speakers and they sound totally different in lows, mids, highs and gain. Both still sound great. If you want flabby vintage then the Black flag is king, tighter, punchier classic then the JMP. Great Demo 👍
Thanks Richard!
Thanks Johan for playing these gems and thank you Pleximaster for the comments. I really enjoy listening to this kind of A/B because I can actually compare the sounds when they are played back to back. Maybe it is because my jtm45 is a clone, my PT is a lay down Dagnall and the OT is standing Dagnall too. Could it be due to using KT66 power tubes that Dagnall is used?
It's a 1964 with rectification tube; I modified it for both SS and GZ34 and a toogle between sharing and split cathode.
I never (dared) tried to play it on full output. I must say the best addition I made was a 10 band eq.
God sommer til begge!
How did I missed this video? Shame on me :)
Excellent demo as always.
I haven't had a chance to see/play many of those elusive Black Flag Marshalls sadly.
Though when I've seen toggle switches and old boxes I know there is tone to be enjoyed.
Going to the middle of the 70-ies Marshall started changing amplifiers to rocking switches and ST-I PCB. 1980 they changed cabinet and went with the JCM name. From 1975 amplifiers started being easer to make and later the circuit changed as well. But for a long time circuit with 4 inputs and cathode follower was holding on strongly.
Marshall history is something that I just understood as good as I do now. I knew the things and facts but until I have started making amplifiers I couldn't understand few things.
Marshall beginnings is a story of practically what we call boutique maker. Business man wanted to provide musicians and option and what they were asking for. There was no production line it was done by two man and their families helping them. Marshall did not just became industry giant over night.
JTM45 history is fascinating to me. There were so many changes and Marshall did made most of the progress to it's own sound during redesigns of the JTM45/
JTM45 used 5881, KT66 and EL34 tubes originally. It used GZ34 rectifier tube and it was the first model to sport the solid state/diode rectifier. It grew from two tubes and 30-ish Watts to very loud 4 tubes and 100 Watt power. It went from low filtering capacitance to a few times that value. Early JTM45-100 used to have 4 KT66 tubes and two output transformers!?? Development of transitional JTM45 models actually developed Plexi amplifiers and JMP era. Black Flag amplifiers are exactly that transitional models from JTM45
to Plexi.
Basic schematics and 4 inputs stayed even in the JCM800 era. JCM800 was the series that got rid of the 4 inputs. JCM800 development has introduced redesign of the preamp gain stages and later brought first master volume models. second input channel was dropped and ti's triode was sud to stack gain stages. Voltage splitter was needed as well.
Back to the moment when Marshall has decided that they are going to solid state rectification.
Early models of JTM45 have used beaming tetrodes of the 6L6 family. 5881 is very similar to 6L6 or 6L6G but is much weaker than 6L6GC. When we talk about 6L6 we mostly think of the glass bottle high power 6L6GC. But those weaker tube variants have like 20-ish Watt plate dissipation while full 6L6GC has 30 Watt plate dissipation. Early 6L6 models were coming in the metal grounded cap even.
With same power transformer using different rectifier tube will change the available voltage. For example 5U4 will make less voltage than 5AR4/GZ34 because it is less efficient tube. Solid state rectifier will add even more "free" Volts because they are more efficient than any tube rectifier.
You will find diode in many old Fender amplifiers that use rectifying tube for B+ but it was used for negative bias supply. Diodes were not that great.
But at the time Marshall started switching to diode rectifiers for B+ didoes were way better.
With fixed bias and two KT66 tubes and tube rectifier, early JTM45 was only 30-ish watts. Plate dissipation of KT66 is 25 Watt so 50 Watt amplifier is very possible design with two KT66 tubes.
Suddenly they get way higher voltage with same transformer and boom you got Black Flag 50 Watt JTM45. Filtering was stiffer with more capacity as well. Capacity just grew from that moment. Super Lead grew to 6 double filtering capacitors even.
As story is told they haven't changed anything just got more power by using higher B+ voltage that they have gained from diode rectification.
Later on you can see different values of the nodal resistors somewhat lowering down preamp voltage.
But bit higher preamp voltage gave the amplifier more gain.
So yeah stiffer power section feels different under the fingers and does not have same sag. But it makes amplifier stronger. With increased voltage and power amplifier started to sound different as well.
So late JTM45 models are similar to early Plexies because Plexies became from the JTM45 series. Same thing happened with late JMP and early JCM series. Some models of JCM800 were Plexi with metal front plate and new cabinet.
The biggest difference from early 5881 or KT66 JTM45 and late solid state rectifier EL34 amplifiers came from the solid state rectification and increased power and gain. Sure they have then developed different transformers eventually. Placing two output transformers in JTM45-100 was expensive so they have ordered monster output transformers made for 4 power tubes. They changed Power transformers as well. Ditching 5 Volt winding needed for the heating of the rectifier tube made same size transformer more powerful with same size. More energy could be transferred to high voltage with same amount of iron. Even on old original Power transformers not using that 5V tap made those transformers more powerful as well. There was more energy reserve for the windings that were used actually.
So diode rectification was the thing to do.
Marshall as the company just proclaimed one day we are doing just diode rectification now. You can hear that in their own video. Later on they were still making some amplifiers with the tube rectifiers though :P
Anyhow all the Marshall good tone and roadworthiness and professional amplifier name was deserved by old cabinet toggle switches JTM and JMP amplifiers. Ask any guitar player and they will know Plexi even if most of the people have never played them.
By the end of the 70-ies Marshall could not deliver amounts of amplifiers needed. Demand was huge. Hair Metal kicked in and everyone wanted high gain Marshalls.
Marshall have had to provide. So we got new design cabinets. Black cloth on the speaker cabinets. Bigger logos. Rocking switches with built in power indicator light.
We got ST-I and suddenly those measures made amplifiers even more desirable and easier and faster to make.
in 80-ies and 90-ies there was no end to Marshall. They made silly amounts of money.
Marshall stayed the company that has listened to the people who want to buy their products. But now you have had everyone wanting toi have them even if they were not professionals. Hobby players with enough money wanted at least 100 Watt amplifiers to play at home at the low volume.
So Marshall made it possible.
People wanted more channels and more features and knobs. Marshall made it possible.
People wanted it cheaper and faster produced. Marshall made it possible and suddenly pots are on the print board and very small and break off the board easy and break them self easy. But people got more options for not that much more money. Even for the same or in some cases less money.
At least Marshall kept some models for real musicians as well. Even made small amplifiers to make everyone happy.
Marshall covered all market segments.
I will always keep on loving JTM45 and all early turret board Marshall amplifiers. Made to be repaired easier. Made to withstand the road conditions. Powerful and good sounding monsters.
BTW that amp was recapped. I would not go with those orange drops. They look like cheaper version as well. Namely there a PP and I believe PS orange drops. They use different film/plastic between the foils. PP are darker sounding and overall cheaper once if I am not wrong. The other once have more details. I would consider Orange drops just for certain Fender amplifiers. I do not find them fitting in the Marshall amplifiers. Even optically they hurt my OCD :) Many companies make caps that are mustard alike and they place them in yellow color as well. Those mustards on the other amp just look as the Marshall should. BTW Even in metal face plate Plexies with the ST-I PCB they have used mustard caps until they run out.
Great video Johan! Both amps are really cool
Thanks, glad to hear it!
Love the sparkly top end of the JMP. Plexi heaven!!!
Johan you the man! Some tasty licks indeed!! Thanks for the gift of rock!!
JMP is the best for my ears
Cheers Johan
JMP FTW.
Doesn’t fart out when pushed and stays tight all the way up.
Damn! These amps sound awesome.
Love how at 7:45 the volume causes the input ring of the right marshall to fall off hahaha
Hahahaha! I didn’t realize that happened then! 🤣
Johan, thanks so much for this video and comparison!
The JTM looks basically stock, while the JMP has had the caps replaced with orange drops and WIMA and electrolytic replaced.
Funny yo see the 556p instead of typical 470p bypass cap in the JTM and also note both bright caps across the pot at 100p and 470p, but nothing too radical like 1000p or 4700p.
I like both amps. They both sound great at what they do. If you want classic rock tone with a little more grit and definition, the JTM is is. If you want more classic Hendrix and fuzzy and muffled tone, JTM sounds like it to me!
Very cool! :)
Mmm... delicious! Friday evening, warm summer weather, and Johan demos Plexis. Can't be better.
In the beginning the JTM seemed "more difficult to tame", and in direct comparison JMP seemed "held back".
Interesting comparison when you stepwise increased the volume. JMP had nicest "cleans". Moving into cranked JTM took over, definitely. High gain JMP had more defined sound. Volume 8-10 JTM sounded "blurred", but I liked it (guitar on Disraeli Gears is not always clean or well defined). Thanks Johan, and have a nice weekend!
Thanks Bengt! Great to hear that. Have a great weekend you too!
Jimmy pages Marshall was an early 69 model and iits from a transition period and it was only made that way for a couple of months so it's actually quite different from a 1970 model .. it's one reason why page tone is so hard to copy. You need a very specific Marshall from ralru 69 and then you need to mod it for for headroom and KT88 tubes . Page only used it s stock form for a few months. He used it for a couple of months in the spring of 69 then switched to custom hiwatts for 2 and half years then started using the Marshall again in Febrrary 72 and used it in stock form until late June 72 . By the fall of 72 it had been modified and the deem gets cleaner with alot more top end sparkle .
I think the KT88’s gave it the extra headroom and the extra sparkle came from it being modded with a Superlead 4700pf brightcap
The one best thing, besides all the incredible amps, riffs and great no nonesense information.
Is that Johan uses an SG predominantly, class ⚡
Further, that JTM at 10 is like Thor's backside after a curry. Incredible 😅
I may not get many friends for saying this but, I prefer the JMP50. My feeling is there are two kinds of distorted tone, good and bad. There is nice harmonic distortion and over the top muddy noise. I always prefer up to as much as you can before saturation occurs and note definition is lost. It's a fine line, and to me the JTM50 flies right by it into muddyville.
Marshalls are CRAZY!! I love em!!!
JMP for me. The JTM has that fuzz-like sound. I don't dig that as much as the brighter, more mid-rangey JMP grind.
That's for _me._ What _I_ like. If you like the JTM better, more power to you. And if you jam with someone who has a JMP your combined tones will doubtless sound fantastic. _Vive la différence._
(I will say, though, that the JTM often got a tone very reminiscent of the solo tone which Billy Gibbons achieved on _Sure Got Cold After The Rain Fell,_ one of my very favorites of his lead tones ever.)
Great comparison video and playing! very educational! They sounded similar but it was almost like you were just switching between neck and bridge pickups. It would be interesting to hear the JTM with a strat vs JMP with a Tele and Les Paul.
The JTM seems to be almost stock but the JMP was "restored" and all the Mustard cap have gone... It's a pity to put Orange drop when you could find original Mustard for little more bucks ! Does this change the sound ? Purists with ultrasonic ears will tell ! Comparing the 1202-133 and 1202-118, it seems that the 133 gives some 20 Vdc more on the HV rectified...
The cap myth is just that, a myth. Same-spec passives do not have ‘a sound’. They may have different lifespans which would explain the assumption as orange drops are always going to be new.
Damn, I didn't expect such a sound from an amp that has JTM stamped on the front!
Edit: It has Free and AC/DC all over it (as to be expected)
Thanks Sem!
Angus records with the JTM 50 with The Schaffer Tower (and Replica Tower last two ACDC records)
Those who own early JTM’s have no doubts...
Funny how tastes differ. I'm more of a fender amp kinda guy, so the JMP wins this for me - hands down. It sounds so much more defined. The JTM sounds a bit mushy to me. More Hendrix like for sure, but then again, I always enjoyed Jimi's playing way more than his actual guitar sound.
All a matter of taste of course. Great vid btw!
I always say the BlackFlags sound kinds "spitty" and "splattery". I know these are not common adjectives used when describing amplifiers but they are fitting for me.
JMP 50 all day
Interesting the JMP sounds a bit tighter, but both are lovely. I was surprised that both break up so early, like even on 2 there you start to get some grit.
Both sound amazing, although I prefer the slightly tougher sound of the JMP.
This is the Marshall sound! Totally killer & you need both. Enjoy the weekend! Skol
It would be awesome to see these tested with a Stratocaster and Mosrite MK I guitar!
Black Flag is the clear winner here. It's like a plexi with anger issues
Hahaha! Indeed
JMP......baby
That JMP had a few mods in its day, eh? I wonder if replacing the orange drops with the correct era mustards would make much difference? Fantastic job comparing the two Johan, now I need both!
would make a great difference for sure
Judging from the 4 plugged holes in the back and the hole for an extra pre-amp tube I suspect that JMP once could've had an old Tommy Folkesson mod; maybe you could ask him Johan? Another thing I find strange is that it seems to lack the 2,7kOhm bright channel cathode resistor; I can't find it, and it doesn't seem hidden under the red cathode cap. I think that maybe when it was "restored" the amp was tweaked to be less bright and changed from split cathode to 'old style' shared cathode but the original cap is still in place. The "101" 100pF bright cap instead of 4,7nF also suggests wanting less brightness. Bright channel seems to have ceramic 2,2nF coupling cap though, making it tighter than with 22nF. I much prefer the JMP in this video!
Clearly between the different heads, you are the winner 🤣🤘
Interesting, I think I prefer listening to the sound of the JMP, but I would definitely prefer playing the JTM.
Göteborgsdialekten är fantastisk 🙂 intressant video, tack.
I built the 50 watters, jtm45,Jtm50, Jmp50 metal panel, split cathode with gz34 rectifier. Unique. I am satisfied. I build 60's pre amp pedals also. Love mojotone bv25 . 4x12 . When you have those speakers broke in. Your there if you have a great guitar and great pickups. Special order Fralins to complement the guitar ,for me. I play it all. Paul,Tele and Strat. And yes I am into tubes and voltages...my ears a be ringing. And it sounds like you have a microphonic tube.
Just pure heaven… what a push!!!
Both really cool, probably couldn't pick them out blindfolded but I feel the JMP has a more balanced spectrum and the JTM is a bit hefty on the low mids in a cool way but not my fave thing.
Thanks!
The Jtm 50 does it for me although your Vox ac10 video was awesome. I’m normally not a Marshall guy typically. Great playing. :)
Love them. Thank you.
That Black Flag would be perfect for big stoner doom metal riffs. Whereas the JMP is much better for the tighter 80's style riffs. Black Flag = big fuzzed out low mids; JMP = tight upper midrange focused.
Indeed
Thanks for this great comparison. Now I can stop looking for a Black flag and will probably buy another three or four JMPs with that money😉
Thanks Stefan!
I prefer the JMP, I love the clarity!
Great stuff, the ”bright riff” with the black flag is the money shot for me!
The black flag amps are probably my favorites but the bass needs to be dialed way down when the volume goes up on those, it took a while for me to find the sweet spots on my Super PA. 🙂
Thanks Emil! Yeah your Black Flag Suer PA is an amazing amp.
I'm surprised that I prefer the JMP. Cool comparison!
Thanks!
Hi, Johan!
JTM50 is really universal. JMP is more "lite' version. I am waiting for the hand-made-hard-tale stratocaster from "Big Ed", Australian luthier made it with Texas Blues, and its gonna be awesome with JMP, but it will be not so soon. We know each other since the school, but over the years I am in Asia and he is in Australia, so I see him rarely. But my last word is JTM50 is good! Have a great weekend, and see you a little more!😏
Siegfried
Have a great weekend!
JTM has more dirty crunches, more wild and uncontrolled tones and the JMP is just the other way
Both are super nice but I pick the JTM for the uncontrolled life it lives
Interesting… at lower volumes I prefer the JTM50 because I like how the eq sounds more full and has more bass compared to the JMP50 that sounds a little too bright. However, at higher volumes above 5 I feel like the bass is way too much on the jtm50 and it starts to flub out and gets loose. At higher volumes I prefer the JMP50 because it stays tighter.
J M P brighter and tighter but the black flag has more balls. Matter of fact I loved the black flag so much I built one for myself.Great comparison. Thanks Johan
SLAMMIN'!!
Funny how some dissect the tone of amps like tasting fine wine which is cool but in a good mix with the right engineer most amps can sound great in the right context
Still how many legendary records used a JTM or JMP? 2/3 of them?
JMP forever!
Both@10 will work🔥🤘🏽🔥
Marshall flick of the switch
Iskra resistors in both.hard to find but that's the stuff.Thanks again Johan!
Great comparison. The JTM is more raw, organic, edgy, splashier and not knowing what's going to happen next. The JMP is smoother, sweeter, more refined and "predictable". These descriptive words are all relatively speaking of course. Both sound amazing and I want both of them!
Thanks Mark, that’s well put!
Thanks for share Johan, excellent work… for me jtm feels less detailed and “fuzzy” tones, jmp more detailed and mid range boost
I've owned many Marshalls and it's to the point that you're cutting hairs with the difference in sound. Then, if you put different brands of tubes in you get more differences. They both sound good but not a big difference.....and I'm listening close.
I have a JTM45 and use it for my Angus tone in the tribute band I play in. I'd love a Black Flag, so many different sounds in one amp that is, apparently, "basic".
I like the JMP most. I had the 2104 combo many years ago. Bought it with my summer job salary 1986. It sounded cracked on the High input, so I used the low input with the beloved Boss ds-1. Now it's also Boss always on but sd-1 instead. Maybe I need the Distortion on Nirvana smells like😊
Is their different power tubes in each one????
I think the JTM50 is really special sounding! It has a very distinct and different sound from the the JMP. Raising the Black Flag in favor of the JTM 50 sound in this video. Thank you Johan!
Those early JTM 1987 lead heads still had the bass circuit. When they started calling these amps lead vs bass? The only difference was a bright cap on the channel 1 volume. But if you look at the amps interior pictures? You can see bass cap values like the .1uf caps in the output stage. That's why it sounds muddy. Those bass heads you can't really go above 2 on the bass control with a humbucker Gibson style guitar. Up to about 4 with a strat. Great amps!
Interesting comparison. I will go for the JMP ✌🏼
Hi Johan! Do you have any idea what amp Alex Lifeson used on Rush’s first Album? Could it be a 1967 Marshall Super Bass? Let me know your thoughts!
I'd like to know to. I saw it live, but who knows..Look at Alex's rig at the St Louis Kite Festival
It's extremely interesting how one component like a Transformer can completely alter and shape the characteristics of a tube amp in conjunction with their EQ's. When you turned the bass all the way down on the JMP it sounded extremely similar to the JTM at around 06:38 in the video. Before you play, how long do you allow the tubes to warm up?
As always thanks for being the Legend that you are brother!
Awesome thank you my friend
JMP more pleasant sounding for me but with some setting JTM sound great too.
Thanks!
wow !!!!!
Amazing !!!!!!
great Job !!!!!!!! (Always thank You~~~)
JMP for me, thank you.
Johan is Marshall making either of these, or any amps that get the classic plexi sound? I want to get one, but I cant afford the older ones and it is very rare to find one for sale now anyway. If someone wanted to get a plexi tone amp now, what would be the ones to get?
Maybe a Ceriatone. They have all the different model you can think of.
Nice, good job.
Johan, you should do a video comparing blonde Bassman heads with a 2x12 cab (1961 6G6, 1962 6G6-A and 1963 6G6-B).
I love the sound of that JMP! I can see its got a bright cap on the volume pot, do you know what value it is Johan?
pleximaster, can you shed any light on when Dagnall transformers entered the picture and how they compare to the Drakes?I have a 100W head with the Dagnalls and it's tremendous. I would enjoy your take on the differences between them. With thanks!
I'll have one of each please.