the 2205 is the amp of Michael Schenker, John Norum, Tom Morello and many others. I wouldn't say that it's an overlooked amp. Dave Amato uses the 2210. I have 2 stacks and a combo 2205. Incredible amp
Same here. I have a 1986 2205 Original Classic Limited Edition stack w/2 heads, in green with a 2 tone, small basket weave grill, and gold piping. They are still stock and not a scratch on them. They kick ass!
I have a 2205 from 1987 , combined with a 4×12 1960 lead marshall. Plugging my gibson straight in and cranking it is basically unbeatable. I used to play live with this, only using a boss digital delay, boss Distortion pedal for extra punch during solos and the footswitch to change channels. I played full sets with songs like killer of giants, over the mountain, Mr Crowley, bark at the moon etc. No problem 😃👍🤘
I've had the exact same one, on top of Orange 4x12 cab..sound to die for. Boost channel on low gain stacked with drive or fuzz, it just sings. A true friend it was:)
The cleaner channel is definitely my preference! I think the lead channel sounds great too though. …and through an orange 4x12? I bet that sounded amazing!
@@EricMerrow As I can remember the only 'problem' with clean channel, it still had huge headroom for 50w, so it was a bit harsh for me, until cranked to ear bleed levels. Oh yeah man..I did a lot of research and most of tone chasing guys said that even two orange 2x12 cabinets can't match 4x12. It really drastically changed the whole chain BUT, good luck carrying that f**** CLOSET around:P
Nice Job! Back in the day, the key to getting a good JCM800 was looking in the back to be sure the ones you were buying had the Drake Transformer; and not, the later OEM replacement transformers - I forget the brand - which Marshall was forced to switch to later on in the series run when Drake could no longer supply Marshall with inventory. The 2205 was my favorite Marshall head of all time. I have never found an on-board reverb as good as the one created by the reverb tank in the 2205. The power tubes of 50-watt 2205 broke much hotter, much earlier than the 100-watt 2210; however, as you pointed out, the 2205's were darker and offered less headroom than the 2210 - but when you play mostly full-on high-gain saturation style music..... The foot-switch for the 2205 was a dual switch, which allowed you to select between the 2 channels, and/or, turned the reverb on/off. To me, the 2205 head and 4x12 30w Celestian loaded cabinet was the perfect hi-gain 80s rock rig in one set-up.
Really cool demo! I love the faded cloth of the mid-80s 800s. I have a 2203 and JCM 900 4100 and this definitely sounds like the stepping stone in between.
Great demo and great playing! I have a 2205, it’s absolutely glorious when you’re in the room with it roaring. For me, the 50 watts is plenty of headroom and it’s just the way the amp is voiced, it’s kinda perfect. It’s really a cliche but it sounds and feels like a blanket is being taken off of the speaker cab. Truly awesome😎
I have a 2204 and absolutely love it! Before that I had a JCM 900 4100. The 2205 reminds me of some of those 900 tones and strikes a middle ground between those two... great tones though!
I have had a Marshall JCM800 2205 since the mid 90s I think. As you can hear on this guys great demo, how you can do so much with it. I’ve played funk, jazz vibes, different kinds of rock, psychedelic music, you can do so much with it when you work with it. I love my amp, it really is a brilliant amp with soul. I wanted a Marshal that could sound like the late 60s Marshall players and this amp can do that. I don’t like the later fuzzier distortion Marshall developed. This amp is classic and soulful.
Thank you very much for your video. It's amazing how you explain everything and thank you very much for all the work you did. From guitar player to guitar player, RESPECT!!! Well done. Thanx a lot! 👍🏼🤘🏽
The decision for me is easy because I've owned a 2210 since I bought it new back in the 80s (yes, I'm that old) and never considered getting rid of it (though these days it's hard to find a place where I can use it, let alone any amp). It had a few bugs when I first got it but once a tech fixed it, it was golden. I got a pair of cabinets with 40 watt greenbacks inside instead of the traditional 25 watters because bigger is better, right? I actually like to play loud but not necessarily always distorted so higher watt speakers help me to stay cleaner. I'm not saying Angus uses 40 watt speakers but a lot of his sound is not that it is so distorted but it is just so freakin' loud with his baker's dozen of heads and cabinets that the tone, sustain and compression comes from that. I'd just run mine really loud and clean (as much the venue would allow without firing me) through the normal channel and use a Boss Super Overdrive and a Rat pedal with a Les Paul. A few years ago I finally started using the drive channel and wished I'd done it sooner because it is different than what you get from pedals. By the way, that's a stereo footswitch jack for the channel switching and reverb and you can use any two-button latched footswitch with a stereo (ring-tip-sleeve) cable.
A 2203 is my dream amp as well buddy. Great demo of this lesser known amp. It really delivers in your effect pedal demo videos too. Thanks for the video!
I have a 2204 and it’s a little bit of a pain: single channel, no reverb, no effects loop, you have to use a Tube Screamer, etc., etc. I love it, but I wish I had something modern like a Rockerverb, too.
Had one from the early 90s until around 2008. I just couldn't get it to cooperate with me. Yes, of course, it improved at high volume, but it was just, miles apart from my JVM210, but that amp was an exercise in frustration for me. Ultimately, I landed on a JTM45 ri. Oh man, THAT is the one for me!. Magnificent! For classic and blues rock.
I also have 2 1986 jcm 800 2210's and I use to have a 86 2205 that I sold to a guy who has his own recording studio recording local bands. The first guitarist that saw the amp used it on his recording and bands use it over there own newer amps all the time. So maybe its an unpopular amp because it not very well known. I use mine with a Maxon 0d808 into a Peavey 5150 cab and it sounds fantastic, also I call the grill cloth the gold front Marshall because it looks and sounds gold.
@@EricMerrow in some interview he even says he kind of invented it. He told Marshall what their amps should be like and then they came with this model. This is the one with diode clipping, right?
@@reneotten7376 yes! On the lead channel, I believe there is diode clipping introduced. Definitely cool to be able to get different types of sounds in the 2 channels
Owning 2, 2205s, and 1 2204 i can say the "normal" channel is basically the single channel version. I had the 2205 first, and it was amazing! Then I went with hype and went for the single channel and it sounded the same. The 2205 i had actually sounded a bit better because it had fresh caps, and tubes.
@@EricMerrow ya man! The 2205 is "hated" on by purists but they sound the same. Plus you get the added high gain channel. Hey it was good enough for Bill K, Tom Morello, and underoath then its a good amp
I've got the same amp. Exact same fabric color though I was told mine was an 82'. I had it upgraded. Replaced with Mercury transformers and choke, Fred diodes. I use the gain channel with an overdrive pedal. Similar settings as you have except I dial back the treble and gain to around 4. Serves me well.
Thanks - I have the combo version - mine is a 1983 - has the 6550 power amp tubes and the 7025 pre amp tubes - it's a great amp - mine does have the channel bleed issue though. Still never getting rid of it. All original. Sounds good with an overdrive boost. Appreciate the demo - thinking about getting the head version.
Buzzy diodes for clipping the signal in a Marshall - biggest mistake they ever made considering it already has enough gain stages. That's why Schenker keeps the treble at 1 or less.
I have a 2205, 2204, and JTM45. With Single coils, the JTM45 has glorious cleans/great crunch. The 2204 a nice organic distortion. The 2205? It has a nice mid bump that plumps up a strat. While the others are a little more organic? Its the 2205 I reach for almost EVERY time.
@@EricMerrow LOL. If you're old enough.. We could walk into a shop with 30 4 holers, and Jcm800's stacked up. Walk out with a tweed for $400. They were all pretty cheap.. New, I think I paid $800? For the 2205. I have tweeds, and other old Fenders, as well, but the amp I grab is the 2205. If I played Humbuckers, I might grab the 2204. SC's pair very well with a 2205. Morello lacked nothing with a 2205 and a Tele in drop D. Enjoy the 2205. ;-) If you have SC's? Pre gain/volume on 10- mids on TEN. Strat/tele sounds Huge. Some turn down those mids. Heck no. In a 2 amp setup, the 2205 is ALWAYs there. If I want a cleaner edge, the jtm45, super big, the 2204, more squish the 5E3... 2205 is my #1.
Just fixed up an ‘89 2205 that my dad used to use. He used a 9200 mono block now, (I stole it from him and now he’s stealing it back to get back into music). Not sure what the future holds for it but I literally just got it working tonight so we shall see where it takes me.
Well, let's see... what do I think about the 2205? IT'S AWESOME, that's what! Mine's parked on top of a Silver Jubilee (2555) and right next to a 30th Anniversary (6100) and usually runs into the Silver Jubilee's cab. Right out of the box it sounds great. I run mine into a DBX 231 31 band EQ for some really specific tweaking at low volumes... which means barely above idle (9 o'clock) on the master because even at 50 watts it's thunderously loud and like all 80's Marshalls, to really make it come alive you have to turn it up to "Global Thermonuclear War". Anyone who slags this amp for not being like the 2203/2204 is missing a fantastic amp.
The 2205 and 2210 were more popular than the single channel version in the 80's. They outsold the 2204. You want to turn the treble up to almost full though, and precense over 12 o clock - as these can be quite dark. If you want to get into 2204/Silver Jub territory, turn up the treble, and never set the Bass above 2. And the Gain knob should never be above 7 on the dial. Set the gain with the Volume instead, and then adjust with the Master Volume. Normal channel sound great with the treble and volume almost dimed. The pre 1988 modells had a bigger reverb tank that sounds good. From around 1988 and on they got a much smaller reverb tank that sounds very thin.
I owned a 2205 in the late 80ties/ early 90ties for two years. Then it was stolen out of my rehearsal room. For me the amp was a great disappointment, because it was my first Marshall - i was very proud of it and I projected big hopes into it, but sadly must confess, that i never was able to get the tone out of it, that I expected and hoped to hear! - Today I think, a big part of the problem was the box, that I used to have by that times. It was not the common Marshall half stack, it was a 4x12" box with four 25 Watt speakers of unknown origin built by "Equipment Pro Sound" - a big music instrument dealer in Koblenz/Germany who also built own box cabinets for guitar players - i don' t remember what speakers they used. - So I think today, it was MY problem, not the problem of the 2205! - However - it was "solved", because one night some bad guys stole most of my equipment including the 2205 right out of the rehearsal room, and i never heared again about what happened to my equipment. - I was a poor student by that time and didn' t have much money, and no assurance, so I had to sell my car to buy a new amp and gear to carry on making music. That was not easy for me ... To bring the "catastrophe" to the top, I also lost my girlfriend, because she refused to understand why i sacrified my car just to carry on making music, that in her eyes no one liked to hear!! .... Today I sometimes wish to have the amp back and give it a second chance with a fitting 12" Celestion Cabinet - i' m sure, the 2205 wasn' t really that bad ... i just hadn' t been ready for it by that times.... That's my sad story of my short time with a Marshall JCM 800 2205 .... Bad luck..... perhaps inspiring for blues players...😉 *God damn rehearsal room breakers, gear burglars and equipment thiefs !! - One million years in hell for you @@$$#$$%😡☠!!* Lincoln Six Echo
Stolen gear is such a bummer! I'm sorry to hear about that. Also, I think you're right about speakers and speaker cabs. The cabinet can make such a world of difference for all amps!
So strange sometimes the nostalgia or mythos of gear. I had a 1983 JMP 2203 Master Volume (Pre JCM 800). I paid $400 Canadian around 1993/ I sold it by 1995 for the same $ lol. Around 98 a friend got a this 2205 and a 4x12 1960B cab. Traded for a 1990's era american telecaster lol. Yes, he sold the 2205 and cab a few years later. Keep in mind we had no cab sim impulse trickery back but in person both amps were a bit of a let down. The cost of these today is rather nutty. 🍻
Thanks for checking out the video! Yeah it’s crazy how good of deals you could score even 10 years ago by trading and selling. Used prices overall are totally nutty these days
Although it’s true this was less popular than say 2203 or 2204 in the, this was a super popular amp. The is THE Tom Morello amp. He didn’t use much else if at all through the prime of his career.
Thanks so much for watching! In this video, I was running the 2205 into the universal audio ox then into the computer which means I had virtual speaker and mic emulation. I believe I was using the greenback 4x12 in the ox. 🤘🤘🤘
Apparently the early versions had problems with channel bleed between the clean and od channel. This was eliminated in later versions. I have a 1986 version that I bought in the late 90s. There is no bleed between channels. The diode clipping only really becomes an issue at very high gain and it gets a bit fizzy. But there’s no need to go that high as you’re getting beyond the tone of the single channel JCM800 at that point. People have a habit of setting controls where they think they should be and not using their ears. Someone familiar with the single channel version who always set the gain to 9 suddenly found the new version fizzy. Dial it back to 7 and it’s not far off the single channel version. Also, the fact that Slash used the single channel version has led to a cottage industry of sh1tting on the two channel version, sometimes by people who’ve never played through either version.
I’ve got 2 800 50 watt, when I use the 2 channel one, I keep it on the normal channel and run a ocd pedal for gain, not big on the boost channel of this amp, my other one is the single channel, which sounds great on its own, run reverb,and delay, good amps
cool vid. I have many amps and 4 marshalls and the jcm 800 is one of the best Marshall's imo. Hype is exactly that, it;s just hype!!!! If you want the single channel marshall go with an older 70's one. Cool channel i just subbed and good luck you seem like a cool guy so it's refreshing to see nice people on the tube. Michael
The Marshall 2205 and 2210 heads are versatile 800s. if I were to own one? I would mod the clean channel and separate it from the boost channel to make it cleaner sounding. then I would take the diodes out of the front end to make the boost channel sound like a 2204.
The pedal switch actually has two switches, it uses a stereo jack. I think the second one is for the reverb, can't remember. Great rich sound, should really use it with a Marshall cabinet.
That makes sense that you’d be able to turn the reverb on and off. My switch is working really well to change channels. I was using the Marshall greenback cab in my ox. Thanks for watching!
I just got one 4 days ago and I'm waiting for the channel selector to arrive. I noticed the reverb channel potts sound dirty and I get a loud him when the reverb is turned to 10.
I bought a Marshall 2205 head in 1985,(My first Marshall amp) had it for many years, and I regret selling it in the early 2000s. Excellent amp! I now have a 1980 JMP 50 watt head(6550 power tubes) and a JCM 800 2204 reissue(EL-34 power tubes). I'm running out of the DI of the 800, and slaving it into the JMP. Both amps are just incredible sounding. but, there are things about the 2205 I really miss. Effects loop, channel switching, and the tone. The 2205 I owned had 6550 tubes. What type of tubes are in this 2205 you are demonstrating ?
I've got the 4212 combo version, I found the boost channel a bit harsh and too much, changed the V1b 470K plate resistor (R7) to 100K (or you can bridge it with a 120K) and it is way smoother. Also deleted C40 so instead of either/or channel it switches between normal/both.
I have listened do. What seems like every jtm45, Plexi, and everything up to 1973. Any lover of JCMs up to that point in time prefered the 100w ear bleeders and was all about the power tube saturation. The amp in this video is a killer and validated. By Mr Marshall him self Johan Segeborn and Hellfukinyes. Get this amp
Nobody demos this amp right. The boost channel was meant to be a "lead boost channel" with extra sustain and mids. Just crank up the gain and solo. The normal channel was voiced darker to lay back in the mix for rhythms. It has a nice reverb and an effects loop. It was Marshall's first channel-switcher for gigging musicians , it was a 6-year tinkering experiment, they all sound different, some amazing and some are dogs, and many have been butchered by techs. After '87, they got gainer and started to sound more "metal" because that was the trend in the late '80's.
Great vid! I have a JCM 800 2205 that I bought like 6 months ago... It ''broke'' due to the lack of care of the previous owner, but now it's in the repair shop waiting for me to go pick it up and i'm so excited to play on it again! It's so mean yet so clean! My preferred settings are super low bass and a little more treble with low volume on the clean channel (to get a really nice bright clean) and like Bass and mids on 6 and treble on 7/8. Gain turned on max and presence as well and the volume is at 8 or so (I love treble if you didn't notice)... I adore this amp and i love the fell of it! It's great and I can't wait to plug into it again!
Do you have straight up videos without any power soak? Very cool video! I ran across this by accident. Michael Schenker loves these amps. He says they were based from his tone. That, I do not know.
The 2205 is a great amp. I've never played one personally but owned the 112 combo version, the 4210, for years. That amp had such a classic tone. Everyone noticed that as soon as they heard it, me included. I finally found a 2210 in mint condition after years of searching, and am so stoked for it.
I like all Marshall JCM 800s because they're the amps that a lot of my favorite guitarists have used and plus they're louder and dirtier sounding than Fender amps
Hi Eric, I immediately bought a JCM800 2205, of course. I am in the process of refurbishing it, new tubes and so on. What is a pity is that the Marshall logo was not included. Do you know where I can order it? Rock n Roll greetings, Bamarai
Oh woah cool! I bet that’s a really cool project! I don’t know exactly where you could get a logo, but I would definitely check eBay and reverb.com - if those don’t produce any results, I’d just try searching for “Marshall logo” in google. Good luck!
@@EricMerrow Hi Eric, yes, it's really a very cool project. Thanks for the tip for the Marshall logo. Otherwise I'll try to order it directly from Marshall. Rock on, Bamarai 🤘🏽
I've got a 4010 / 2203. This sounds nothing like it - far too thin and buzzy. I've also got the 5010, the solid state version, which is similar to the boost channel on the 4210.
This is Michael Schenkers favourite Marshall amp. In fact, he was involved in the development of the 2205 and it was supposed to be his signature amp, but the deal fell through (according to him) but Marshall basically kept the changes that he had requested, which is why he basically uses it exclusively today. If it's good enough for Schenker, it's good enough for the lot of us I think, lol!
Michael collects these personally, I played a nice 2205 which had just been sold to a 'guy from ebay' , I liked it so much I said if this buyer doesn't turn up then I'll buy it...I was playing some old UFO licks on it. A couple of weeks later and much to the sellers amazement Mr Schenker knocked on the door with a wedge of cash in his hand! He was touring in the uk at the time.
Great amp. I bought one in the early 90s when I played death metal and later one more hardcore orientated stuff. Then it broke and collected dust for decades - until last year. Still love it, but do miss some low end punch and have I to push the bass basically all the way up to ten. Might it be the tubes? Don't know too much about tubes, but I do know that they are not the same (one of them broke, so had to use the last one I had laying around which is another brand). I use Fender guitars: a Deluxe 72, a strat and a Jazzmaster. When rehearsing with the band it's also hard for the lighter strings to cut through, competing with a Gibson, but that might (too) be a guitar problem - and not necessarily the amp. Anyway, great video Eric, and nice to nerd about the JCM800. :) Oh, by the way, I tried it with my Fender Bass VI and it sounded absolutely monstrous.
This amp is great, but you have to tame the high end, the knobs on the EQ don’t add or subtract much, I usually have to roll the treble off the guitar about half otherwise it can get ear piercing.
Sounds like the tubes. Bad tubes can show up in many ways. Decreased volume, volume going up and down in waves and a loss of low end punch. It’s worth trying a set and even if it doesn’t fix it, you’ll have the old ones as spares. And if you bring it to an amp tech, the first thing he’d do is replace the tubes anyway. Just be careful and plug it out and let it sit for a few days. The capacitors in an amp can retain enough voltage to kill you for some time after being disconnected. Replacing valves is pretty safe but better safe than sorry.
Great video! Your content is awesome. The amp sounds bad ass. I have an opportunity to pick one of these up for $600 but it needs to be re-tube and doesn’t have the foot pedal ,Is that a good deal? I wonder if I should pull the trigger. Does it take pedals well? Fuzz pedals? Any advice would be great.
I would say that is a pretty good deal, especially if it ONLY needs tubes and a bias. Used prices have gone crazy for everything these days. As far as pedals, I think it’s a pretty good platform. The 800 was made famous by people running a maxed tube screamer into the front. 🤘🤘🤘🤘
All the clips in the video were recorded using the Universal Audio OX, so not the DI from the amp. I'll have to test out the DI soon! Thanks for watching
Great video. I've owned one for over 20 years. This may hurt some feelings but I'm going to give you an unbiased opinion on this amp... It's a one trick noisy pony that's completely in its element for punk and metal. As soon as you dial back the gain it falls on its face. The clean channel and reverb are unusable in the real world. I was actually surprised how the verb sounded in your video and wondered if yours has been swapped out. These amps are also known for bad cross talk between channels so I've found that if you leave the 3 knobs on the normal channel all the way off, you don't hear them bleed into the high gain channel. Now that I've totally trashed this thing.... It's absolutely still my favourite amp I own and for a few reasons. 1: when the gain is cranked and you've got it plugged into a 4x12 with 80's 65 watt celestions, it just slays. Hard. For heavy music it's nearly unbeatable on stage. And 2: It's been the most reliable amp I've ever toured with. It failed ONCE and was a simple $5 dollar 1k resistor that died. Recording this beast can be often times difficult because as you noticed, it's a bit dark sounding so it's a bit of work to get it to sit in a mix without disappearing and truthfully it's got a high noise floor. When this thing is in its element, it's I comparably perfect. There's nothing out there that sounds like it. I've had a 2210 and it was just brutally loud. Unnecessarily. I'd say if anyone out there wants one of these, you should know it's quite unique and probably won't cover as much ground as many other amps available nowadays. But if you love really high gain music- you're gonna love it. Cheers!
Glad you dig yours!! Thanks for watching! I really love this 2205 - it’s definitely a bit on the noisy side but it sounds so good on both channels. I think I prefer the lower gain “clean” channel myself but it’s an awesome amp 🤘🤘
Great video, thank you. I have been contemplating getting a Marshall as of late. I need two tonal options from it: One fairly clean, the other some kind of AC/DC growl (which some people still consider "fairly clean"). No use of the volume poti on the guitar (hate that). I am using the Vintage Studio MKII already at home, but need something with more headroom and options for Live. I would then use a boost for solos and that's it. Would you recommend the amp for something like that? I dig that you have all these options on it. I know it might sound weird to go for a Marshall JCM and then use it mostly "cleanish", but I like exactly that - making it sound like on the "edge of danger", if you know what I mean. Like "Danzig clean tone".
I think this amp could definitely work for you in that description. I'd definitely recommend trying one before you buy - if you can - the 800 is a pretty versatile amp!
@@EricMerrow I bought a Marshall 2210 eventually, also brown cloth and from 1986. It does exactly what I intended it to do (see above) and I am very happy. Your video helped a lot! Thanks again!
I bought a brand new JCM-800 in late 1985 .It was a combo with 2x12's and 2 channels but mine had a volume ,gain and master volume on the lead channel .I don't know what model # it was but it was very high gain .Has anyone seen one of those ?
That’s a mighty nice amp you’ve got there Eric. My dream amp personally is the Orange Thunderverb 200. Loud is kind of my thing, I can hide my below average ability behind walls of noise!!! 😂😂😂 I do however like a lot of players that use Marshall’s, Slash for one. He is probably my favorite guitar player, non-Doom style anyway. Great video though, Marshall makes a quality amp fore sure. Keep up the great work brother!!!🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
hello thanks for this video, really useful. =) I would ask you what do you think about the new JCM800 20w/5w version (SC20C)? Another question, is it true that JMP 2 holes and JCM800 are the same amp? My dream is a 2holes JMP but I can't find it and also I have to play in a neighborhood so for this I'm thinking to buy the SC20C, what do you think about?
The 2 hole JMP’s (which are referred to as 2203/2204 sometimes) are similar amps for sure - but I don’t think they’re identical. I’m not 100% sure. I used to have an 81 JMP 2203 that I very stupidly sold - totally regret that decision
IN YOUR OPINION : Is there an agreed upon within the MARSHALL Nation of which is the all time Grand Daddy go to "Lord High Commander" Marshall Head to save when the Apocalypses were to arrive. "Knock knock", (who issss it) "It's the Apocalypses" (one minute, I have a roast in the oven) "Knock knock", (who issss it) "I told you it's the Apocalypses" (I told you one minute, my potatoes are at boil" ) then theres a mild boom and the potatoes are no longer at the boil. The end.
😂😂😂😂 I love this scenario! In my mind, I think the 2203 100 watt JCM800 answers the door and is not even phased by the apocalypse. I’m not sure everyone would agree but to me the 2203 is the most powerful and versatile version of the amp🤘🤘🤘
@@EricMerrow Possible, yes, maybe just that, - BUT, if the Big "A" is a not a 9-5 End of Worlds kind of bloke. Maybe, just maybe he gets a 30 min lunch break and 2 (15's) to spread mayhem locally before missed from his day job. Perhaps he's a trash sorter or maybe a derailed politician following the heard wrecking his once respected homeland. In this case the Marshall would most certainly rear up its super secret energy reserves and hit critical mass with a kill shot right thru the middle of good Old Apoco with only ashes and rags drift to the floor where he stood. & on the note , have a nice day. LOL
No, the 2205/2210 was the most popular JCM800 that everybody had and should have, it was on every stage and video! The 2203/04 was just the same as the JMP from the 1970s while the least popular were the 1959/1987 Super Lead 60s style
There is a 1/4” footswitch jack on the back of the amp. You can hook up a 1 or 2 button footswitch to change the channel. Or if you don’t have a footswitch and you’re in a pinch, you can plug in a patch cable then take an alligator clip and connect the tip to the sleeve. That will change the channel.
Thanks for watching! Speaker selection is such an important part of an amp’s sound so maybe a different speaker type would be more suited to your ears 👍
Bought my 2205 in 1984 and still use it to this day. Love these things. 🇨🇦🤘🏼
🤘🤘🤘
the 2205 is the amp of Michael Schenker, John Norum, Tom Morello and many others. I wouldn't say that it's an overlooked amp. Dave Amato uses the 2210. I have 2 stacks and a combo 2205. Incredible amp
It’s a pretty sweet amp! Thanks for watching
Bought mine in 1987 wouldn't swap it for anything!
Michael Amott uses one as well. I have a 2204 and a 4104 but I've never tried a 2205
Same here. I have a 1986 2205 Original Classic Limited Edition stack w/2 heads, in green with a 2 tone, small basket weave grill, and gold piping. They are still stock and not a scratch on them. They kick ass!
I have a 2205 from 1987 , combined with a 4×12 1960 lead marshall. Plugging my gibson straight in and cranking it is basically unbeatable. I used to play live with this, only using a boss digital delay, boss Distortion pedal for extra punch during solos and the footswitch to change channels. I played full sets with songs like killer of giants, over the mountain, Mr Crowley, bark at the moon etc. No problem 😃👍🤘
🤘🤘🤘🤘
2205 is a great amp and very versatile. I bought mine in 83 and still use it.
I recently bought a 2205, and didn’t really know how to use it to get “crunch” until I watched your video. Very helpful, thank you!
So glad the video helped!!!!
I've had the exact same one, on top of Orange 4x12 cab..sound to die for. Boost channel on low gain stacked with drive or fuzz, it just sings. A true friend it was:)
The cleaner channel is definitely my preference! I think the lead channel sounds great too though. …and through an orange 4x12? I bet that sounded amazing!
@@EricMerrow As I can remember the only 'problem' with clean channel, it still had huge headroom for 50w, so it was a bit harsh for me, until cranked to ear bleed levels.
Oh yeah man..I did a lot of research and most of tone chasing guys said that even two orange 2x12 cabinets can't match 4x12. It really drastically changed the whole chain
BUT, good luck carrying that f**** CLOSET around:P
😂😂 yeah, I used to have a Marshall 4x12 and I ended up taking 2 of the speakers out of it so it was lighter 😂😂
Nice Job! Back in the day, the key to getting a good JCM800 was looking in the back to be sure the ones you were buying had the Drake Transformer; and not, the later OEM replacement transformers - I forget the brand - which Marshall was forced to switch to later on in the series run when Drake could no longer supply Marshall with inventory. The 2205 was my favorite Marshall head of all time. I have never found an on-board reverb as good as the one created by the reverb tank in the 2205. The power tubes of 50-watt 2205 broke much hotter, much earlier than the 100-watt 2210; however, as you pointed out, the 2205's were darker and offered less headroom than the 2210 - but when you play mostly full-on high-gain saturation style music..... The foot-switch for the 2205 was a dual switch, which allowed you to select between the 2 channels, and/or, turned the reverb on/off. To me, the 2205 head and 4x12 30w Celestian loaded cabinet was the perfect hi-gain 80s rock rig in one set-up.
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing! The 2205 is absolutely awesome!!
great info Baron, my guitarist loved his 100 waters. even bought a Major in 78 I think that gave me permanent tennitus
Really cool demo! I love the faded cloth of the mid-80s 800s. I have a 2203 and JCM 900 4100 and this definitely sounds like the stepping stone in between.
Thanks so much for watching!
Great demo and great playing! I have a 2205, it’s absolutely glorious when you’re in the room with it roaring. For me, the 50 watts is plenty of headroom and it’s just the way the amp is voiced, it’s kinda perfect. It’s really a cliche but it sounds and feels like a blanket is being taken off of the speaker cab. Truly awesome😎
So glad you liked the video! And I’m glad to hear you’ve got a 2205!! 🤘🤘
I have a 2204 and absolutely love it! Before that I had a JCM 900 4100. The 2205 reminds me of some of those 900 tones and strikes a middle ground between those two... great tones though!
Thanks for watching!! I bet the 900 is super cool!! I’ve been such a big Marshall fan over the years. I’d love to check out a 900 someday
I have had a Marshall JCM800 2205 since the mid 90s I think.
As you can hear on this guys great demo, how you can do so much with it. I’ve played funk, jazz vibes, different kinds of rock, psychedelic music, you can do so much with it when you work with it. I love my amp, it really is a brilliant amp with soul. I wanted a Marshal that could sound like the late 60s Marshall players and this amp can do that. I don’t like the later fuzzier distortion Marshall developed. This amp is classic and soulful.
Well said! Definitely a great amp!
Thank you very much for your video. It's amazing how you explain everything and thank you very much for all the work you did. From guitar player to guitar player, RESPECT!!! Well done. Thanx a lot! 👍🏼🤘🏽
Thanks for watching! 🤘🤘🤘
The decision for me is easy because I've owned a 2210 since I bought it new back in the 80s (yes, I'm that old) and never considered getting rid of it (though these days it's hard to find a place where I can use it, let alone any amp). It had a few bugs when I first got it but once a tech fixed it, it was golden. I got a pair of cabinets with 40 watt greenbacks inside instead of the traditional 25 watters because bigger is better, right? I actually like to play loud but not necessarily always distorted so higher watt speakers help me to stay cleaner. I'm not saying Angus uses 40 watt speakers but a lot of his sound is not that it is so distorted but it is just so freakin' loud with his baker's dozen of heads and cabinets that the tone, sustain and compression comes from that. I'd just run mine really loud and clean (as much the venue would allow without firing me) through the normal channel and use a Boss Super Overdrive and a Rat pedal with a Les Paul. A few years ago I finally started using the drive channel and wished I'd done it sooner because it is different than what you get from pedals. By the way, that's a stereo footswitch jack for the channel switching and reverb and you can use any two-button latched footswitch with a stereo (ring-tip-sleeve) cable.
Right on! I bet the 2210 sounds amazing! I’ll have to find a footswitch in the near future. I’m glad you still have and enjoy your amp!!
A 2203 is my dream amp as well buddy. Great demo of this lesser known amp. It really delivers in your effect pedal demo videos too. Thanks for the video!
Thanks so much for watching!
I have a 2204 and it’s a little bit of a pain: single channel, no reverb, no effects loop, you have to use a Tube Screamer, etc., etc.
I love it, but I wish I had something modern like a Rockerverb, too.
@@RobbyKing very cool! I dig the simplistic approach to the single channel versions of the 800
Great video, Eric! I’ve had my 2205 for a little while now and I love it!
I'm glad you're enjoying the 2205! I'm really digging the sounds I'm getting out of mine! Thanks for watching
Excelente Review! Congratulations
Thanks a lot!
Had one from the early 90s until around 2008. I just couldn't get it to cooperate with me. Yes, of course, it improved at high volume, but it was just, miles apart from my JVM210, but that amp was an exercise in frustration for me. Ultimately, I landed on a JTM45 ri. Oh man, THAT is the one for me!. Magnificent! For classic and blues rock.
Right on! 🤘🤘🤘
I also have 2 1986 jcm 800 2210's and I use to have a 86 2205 that I sold to a guy who has his own recording studio recording local bands. The first guitarist that saw the amp used it on his recording and bands use it over there own newer amps all the time. So maybe its an unpopular amp because it not very well known. I use mine with a Maxon 0d808 into a Peavey 5150 cab and it sounds fantastic, also I call the grill cloth the gold front Marshall because it looks and sounds gold.
Love it! Thanks for sharing!
If its good enough for Schenker, its definitely good enough for me, I've got a 1987 2205 and love it (my neighbors, not so much).
🤘🤘🤘🤘
If you look up the most recent Michael Schenker live gigs you'll notice these amps behind him.
Right on!!!
@@EricMerrow in some interview he even says he kind of invented it. He told Marshall what their amps should be like and then they came with this model. This is the one with diode clipping, right?
@@reneotten7376 yes! On the lead channel, I believe there is diode clipping introduced. Definitely cool to be able to get different types of sounds in the 2 channels
@@EricMerrow and reverb too, right?
Owning 2, 2205s, and 1 2204 i can say the "normal" channel is basically the single channel version. I had the 2205 first, and it was amazing! Then I went with hype and went for the single channel and it sounded the same. The 2205 i had actually sounded a bit better because it had fresh caps, and tubes.
Dude, I'm glad I was on the right track with the normal channel! I really dig the 2205! Thanks for watching!
@@EricMerrow ya man! The 2205 is "hated" on by purists but they sound the same. Plus you get the added high gain channel. Hey it was good enough for Bill K, Tom Morello, and underoath then its a good amp
@@johnathan.jerusik Totally with you!
I've got the same amp. Exact same fabric color though I was told mine was an 82'.
I had it upgraded. Replaced with Mercury transformers and choke, Fred diodes. I use the gain channel with an overdrive pedal. Similar settings as you have except I dial back the treble and gain to around 4. Serves me well.
Thanks - I have the combo version - mine is a 1983 - has the 6550 power amp tubes and the 7025 pre amp tubes - it's a great amp - mine does have the channel bleed issue though. Still never getting rid of it. All original. Sounds good with an overdrive boost. Appreciate the demo - thinking about getting the head version.
I bet it sounds amazing!!! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the excellent overview! If it's good enough for Tom Morello, it's good enough for me! Sounds great.
Buzzy diodes for clipping the signal in a Marshall - biggest mistake they ever made considering it already has enough gain stages. That's why Schenker keeps the treble at 1 or less.
Swap R7 (470k) for 100k and it's all good
Hey man, nice production quality on this! I respect the effort. Also a great thorough review.
Thanks for watching!
I have a 2205, 2204, and JTM45. With Single coils, the JTM45 has glorious cleans/great crunch. The 2204 a nice organic distortion. The 2205? It has a nice mid bump that plumps up a strat. While the others are a little more organic? Its the 2205 I reach for almost EVERY time.
Nice!! That’s a heck of a collection!
@@EricMerrow LOL. If you're old enough.. We could walk into a shop with 30 4 holers, and Jcm800's stacked up. Walk out with a tweed for $400. They were all pretty cheap.. New, I think I paid $800? For the 2205. I have tweeds, and other old Fenders, as well, but the amp I grab is the 2205. If I played Humbuckers, I might grab the 2204. SC's pair very well with a 2205. Morello lacked nothing with a 2205 and a Tele in drop D. Enjoy the 2205. ;-)
If you have SC's? Pre gain/volume on 10- mids on TEN. Strat/tele sounds Huge. Some turn down those mids. Heck no. In a 2 amp setup, the 2205 is ALWAYs there. If I want a cleaner edge, the jtm45, super big, the 2204, more squish the 5E3... 2205 is my #1.
Been using the 2205 for years. Put a voodoo labs sparkle drive all set to noon always on and the thing sounds huge and sings
Heck yeah!!!
Just fixed up an ‘89 2205 that my dad used to use. He used a 9200 mono block now, (I stole it from him and now he’s stealing it back to get back into music). Not sure what the future holds for it but I literally just got it working tonight so we shall see where it takes me.
Heck yeah!
I’ve 1986 one and it’s Awesome 😍😍😍
Right on!!
Cool riffs Eric ! :)
Thanks so much!
Literally the best one If you’re a metal head. Especially the later years 87,88,89 (they sound close to the silver jubilee)
So good! 🤘🤘🤘
Well, let's see... what do I think about the 2205?
IT'S AWESOME, that's what! Mine's parked on top of a Silver Jubilee (2555) and right next to a 30th Anniversary (6100) and usually runs into the Silver Jubilee's cab. Right out of the box it sounds great. I run mine into a DBX 231 31 band EQ for some really specific tweaking at low volumes... which means barely above idle (9 o'clock) on the master because even at 50 watts it's thunderously loud and like all 80's Marshalls, to really make it come alive you have to turn it up to "Global Thermonuclear War".
Anyone who slags this amp for not being like the 2203/2204 is missing a fantastic amp.
Thanksgiving or watching! I’m glad you dig your 800!!
The 2205 and 2210 were more popular than the single channel version in the 80's. They outsold the 2204.
You want to turn the treble up to almost full though, and precense over 12 o clock - as these can be quite dark. If you want to get into 2204/Silver Jub territory, turn up the treble, and never set the Bass above 2. And the Gain knob should never be above 7 on the dial. Set the gain with the Volume instead, and then adjust with the Master Volume. Normal channel sound great with the treble and volume almost dimed.
The pre 1988 modells had a bigger reverb tank that sounds good. From around 1988 and on they got a much smaller reverb tank that sounds very thin.
Thanks for watching and sharing!!!
the plus of 2210 and 2205 is that has reverb built-in I own 2210 and I will never sell it...it can do anything
My all time favorite Marshall.
Right on!!! Thanks for watching!
Owning three 2204 JMP amps there is nothing about this amp that I like sound wise. I’m missing that open Marshall kerrang in this
That amp sounds fantastic!
Thanks so much for watching 🤘🤘
I owned a 2205 in the late 80ties/ early 90ties for two years. Then it was stolen out of my rehearsal room. For me the amp was a great disappointment, because it was my first Marshall - i was very proud of it and I projected big hopes into it, but sadly must confess, that i never was able to get the tone out of it, that I expected and hoped to hear! - Today I think, a big part of the problem was the box, that I used to have by that times. It was not the common Marshall half stack, it was a 4x12" box with four 25 Watt speakers of unknown origin built by "Equipment Pro Sound" - a big music instrument dealer in Koblenz/Germany who also built own box cabinets for guitar players - i don' t remember what speakers they used. - So I think today, it was MY problem, not the problem of the 2205! - However - it was "solved", because one night some bad guys stole most of my equipment including the 2205 right out of the rehearsal room, and i never heared again about what happened to my equipment. -
I was a poor student by that time and didn' t have much money, and no assurance, so I had to sell my car to buy a new amp and gear to carry on making music. That was not easy for me ... To bring the "catastrophe" to the top, I also lost my girlfriend, because she refused to understand why i sacrified my car just to carry on making music, that in her eyes no one liked to hear!!
.... Today I sometimes wish to have the amp back and give it a second chance with a fitting 12" Celestion Cabinet - i' m sure, the 2205
wasn' t really that bad ... i just hadn' t been ready for it by that times....
That's my sad story of my short time with a Marshall JCM 800 2205 .... Bad luck..... perhaps inspiring for blues players...😉
*God damn rehearsal room breakers, gear burglars and equipment thiefs !! - One million years in hell for you @@$$#$$%😡☠!!*
Lincoln Six Echo
Stolen gear is such a bummer! I'm sorry to hear about that.
Also, I think you're right about speakers and speaker cabs. The cabinet can make such a world of difference for all amps!
same experience. so what did I do? Got rid of the PCB and wired it to an 2204. Great Amp then...
So strange sometimes the nostalgia or mythos of gear. I had a 1983 JMP 2203 Master Volume (Pre JCM 800). I paid $400 Canadian around 1993/ I sold it by 1995 for the same $ lol. Around 98 a friend got a this 2205 and a 4x12 1960B cab. Traded for a 1990's era american telecaster lol. Yes, he sold the 2205 and cab a few years later. Keep in mind we had no cab sim impulse trickery back but in person both amps were a bit of a let down. The cost of these today is rather nutty. 🍻
Thanks for checking out the video! Yeah it’s crazy how good of deals you could score even 10 years ago by trading and selling. Used prices overall are totally nutty these days
Although it’s true this was less popular than say 2203 or 2204 in the, this was a super popular amp. The is THE Tom Morello amp. He didn’t use much else if at all through the prime of his career.
Oh really?! I didn’t know that Tom used this specific amp. So cool!!
Nice demo. You really took the time to showcase the settings. I have a better appreciation of this amp. What cabinet and speakers did you use?
Thanks so much for watching! In this video, I was running the 2205 into the universal audio ox then into the computer which means I had virtual speaker and mic emulation. I believe I was using the greenback 4x12 in the ox. 🤘🤘🤘
Don’t forget there was the 1959 (100 watt) and 1987 (50 watt) 4 input circuits available with JCM800 models also.
Apparently the early versions had problems with channel bleed between the clean and od channel. This was eliminated in later versions. I have a 1986 version that I bought in the late 90s. There is no bleed between channels.
The diode clipping only really becomes an issue at very high gain and it gets a bit fizzy. But there’s no need to go that high as you’re getting beyond the tone of the single channel JCM800 at that point. People have a habit of setting controls where they think they should be and not using their ears. Someone familiar with the single channel version who always set the gain to 9 suddenly found the new version fizzy. Dial it back to 7 and it’s not far off the single channel version.
Also, the fact that Slash used the single channel version has led to a cottage industry of sh1tting on the two channel version, sometimes by people who’ve never played through either version.
Thanks for watching and sharing!
Michael Schenker model....I have the 89 2205.... kick ass amp
It really is! 🤘🤘🤘
sounds pretty great
I totally agree!! Thanks for watching!
I’ve got 2 800 50 watt, when I use the 2 channel one, I keep it on the normal channel and run a ocd pedal for gain, not big on the boost channel of this amp, my other one is the single channel, which sounds great on its own, run reverb,and delay, good amps
Thanks for watching!!!
cool vid. I have many amps and 4 marshalls and the jcm 800 is one of the best Marshall's imo. Hype is exactly that, it;s just hype!!!! If you want the single channel marshall go with an older 70's one. Cool channel i just subbed and good luck you seem like a cool guy so it's refreshing to see nice people on the tube. Michael
Thanks so much for watching, Michael!
The Marshall 2205 and 2210 heads are versatile 800s. if I were to own one? I would mod the clean channel and separate it from the boost channel to make it cleaner sounding. then I would take the diodes out of the front end to make the boost channel sound like a 2204.
Thanks for watching!!
I bet those mods would be super cool!
Ohh..thats sounds very interesting. Great idea🤘🤔
The pedal switch actually has two switches, it uses a stereo jack. I think the second one is for the reverb, can't remember. Great rich sound, should really use it with a Marshall cabinet.
That makes sense that you’d be able to turn the reverb on and off. My switch is working really well to change channels. I was using the Marshall greenback cab in my ox. Thanks for watching!
I just got one 4 days ago and I'm waiting for the channel selector to arrive. I noticed the reverb channel potts sound dirty and I get a loud him when the reverb is turned to 10.
I bought a Marshall 2205 head in 1985,(My first Marshall amp) had it for many years, and I regret selling it in the early 2000s. Excellent amp! I now have a 1980 JMP 50 watt head(6550 power tubes) and a JCM 800 2204 reissue(EL-34 power tubes). I'm running out of the DI of the 800, and slaving it into the JMP. Both amps are just incredible sounding. but, there are things about the 2205 I really miss. Effects loop, channel switching, and the tone. The 2205 I owned had 6550 tubes. What type of tubes are in this 2205 you are demonstrating ?
Great amps.
Good enough for Joey Santiago (Pixies), and Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr- used as his main bass amp).
🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
I've got the 4212 combo version, I found the boost channel a bit harsh and too much, changed the V1b 470K plate resistor (R7) to 100K (or you can bridge it with a 120K) and it is way smoother. Also deleted C40 so instead of either/or channel it switches between normal/both.
I’ve been very curious about mods for this one! Thanks for sharing!
I have listened do. What seems like every jtm45, Plexi, and everything up to 1973. Any lover of JCMs up to that point in time prefered the 100w ear bleeders and was all about the power tube saturation.
The amp in this video is a killer and validated. By Mr Marshall him self Johan Segeborn and Hellfukinyes. Get this amp
Ps outstanding overview of this killer amp
Sounds like a behringer overdrive
Fun amp! I've got a 2205 with Mercury Magnetic guts, currently running KT77s. It will cut yer head off thru a 4x12.
Very cool!!!
love cranking the master and controlling the volume with the preamp. wayy thicker sound especially at lower volume. ever experiment with that?
That’s actually how I prefer to run my amps as well. Lots more clean headroom that way!
Nobody demos this amp right. The boost channel was meant to be a "lead boost channel" with extra sustain and mids. Just crank up the gain and solo. The normal channel was voiced darker to lay back in the mix for rhythms. It has a nice reverb and an effects loop. It was Marshall's first channel-switcher for gigging musicians , it was a 6-year tinkering experiment, they all sound different, some amazing and some are dogs, and many have been butchered by techs. After '87, they got gainer and started to sound more "metal" because that was the trend in the late '80's.
Thanks for watching and sharing
Use an Xotic EP Booster and it solves all the problems you ever thought you had with this amp.
Bet it sounds awesome!
@@EricMerrow It does! Try it out with these amps - I was amazed.
Great vid! I have a JCM 800 2205 that I bought like 6 months ago... It ''broke'' due to the lack of care of the previous owner, but now it's in the repair shop waiting for me to go pick it up and i'm so excited to play on it again! It's so mean yet so clean! My preferred settings are super low bass and a little more treble with low volume on the clean channel (to get a really nice bright clean) and like Bass and mids on 6 and treble on 7/8. Gain turned on max and presence as well and the volume is at 8 or so (I love treble if you didn't notice)... I adore this amp and i love the fell of it! It's great and I can't wait to plug into it again!
I can’t wait for you to get it back! Such a great amp!!!
Y e s !! I love it so much! My first tube amp and I’m gonna keep it til it dies completely! Such a beast!
Do you have straight up videos without any power soak? Very cool video! I ran across this by accident. Michael Schenker loves these amps. He says they were based from his tone. That, I do not know.
I don’t have any recordings without using the OX. I used it to load down the amp and apply the universal audio cabinet simulation.
Michael Schenker amp! Great!
Thanks for watching!!
The 2205 is a great amp. I've never played one personally but owned the 112 combo version, the 4210, for years. That amp had such a classic tone. Everyone noticed that as soon as they heard it, me included. I finally found a 2210 in mint condition after years of searching, and am so stoked for it.
Heck yeah!!!!
I like all Marshall JCM 800s because they're the amps that a lot of my favorite guitarists have used and plus they're louder and dirtier sounding than Fender amps
Heck yeah!
Hi Eric,
I immediately bought a JCM800 2205, of course. I am in the process of refurbishing it, new tubes and so on. What is a pity is that the Marshall logo was not included. Do you know where I can order it?
Rock n Roll greetings, Bamarai
Oh woah cool! I bet that’s a really cool project! I don’t know exactly where you could get a logo, but I would definitely check eBay and reverb.com - if those don’t produce any results, I’d just try searching for “Marshall logo” in google. Good luck!
@@EricMerrow Hi Eric, yes, it's really a very cool project. Thanks for the tip for the Marshall logo. Otherwise I'll try to order it directly from Marshall.
Rock on, Bamarai 🤘🏽
Marshal JCM800 🤤
Thanks for watching!
I've got a 4010 / 2203. This sounds nothing like it - far too thin and buzzy. I've also got the 5010, the solid state version, which is similar to the boost channel on the 4210.
Thanks for watching and sharing!
This is Michael Schenkers favourite Marshall amp. In fact, he was involved in the development of the 2205 and it was supposed to be his signature amp, but the deal fell through (according to him) but Marshall basically kept the changes that he had requested, which is why he basically uses it exclusively today.
If it's good enough for Schenker, it's good enough for the lot of us I think, lol!
Right on! Thanks for watching!!!
Michael collects these personally, I played a nice 2205 which had just been sold to a 'guy from ebay' , I liked it so much I said if this buyer doesn't turn up then I'll buy it...I was playing some old UFO licks on it. A couple of weeks later and much to the sellers amazement Mr Schenker knocked on the door with a wedge of cash in his hand! He was touring in the uk at the time.
Great amp. I bought one in the early 90s when I played death metal and later one more hardcore orientated stuff. Then it broke and collected dust for decades - until last year. Still love it, but do miss some low end punch and have I to push the bass basically all the way up to ten. Might it be the tubes? Don't know too much about tubes, but I do know that they are not the same (one of them broke, so had to use the last one I had laying around which is another brand). I use Fender guitars: a Deluxe 72, a strat and a Jazzmaster. When rehearsing with the band it's also hard for the lighter strings to cut through, competing with a Gibson, but that might (too) be a guitar problem - and not necessarily the amp. Anyway, great video Eric, and nice to nerd about the JCM800. :) Oh, by the way, I tried it with my Fender Bass VI and it sounded absolutely monstrous.
Thanks for watching and sharing!!
This amp is great, but you have to tame the high end, the knobs on the EQ don’t add or subtract much, I usually have to roll the treble off the guitar about half otherwise it can get ear piercing.
Sounds like the tubes. Bad tubes can show up in many ways. Decreased volume, volume going up and down in waves and a loss of low end punch. It’s worth trying a set and even if it doesn’t fix it, you’ll have the old ones as spares. And if you bring it to an amp tech, the first thing he’d do is replace the tubes anyway.
Just be careful and plug it out and let it sit for a few days. The capacitors in an amp can retain enough voltage to kill you for some time after being disconnected. Replacing valves is pretty safe but better safe than sorry.
Great video! Your content is awesome. The amp sounds bad ass. I have an opportunity to pick one of these up for $600 but it needs to be re-tube and doesn’t have the foot pedal ,Is that a good deal? I wonder if I should pull the trigger. Does it take pedals well? Fuzz pedals? Any advice would be great.
I would say that is a pretty good deal, especially if it ONLY needs tubes and a bias. Used prices have gone crazy for everything these days. As far as pedals, I think it’s a pretty good platform. The 800 was made famous by people running a maxed tube screamer into the front. 🤘🤘🤘🤘
@@EricMerrow thanks man! 😎I’ll let you know if it all goes through🤘
Is the clip around 4:00 through the DI? Very nice!
All the clips in the video were recorded using the Universal Audio OX, so not the DI from the amp. I'll have to test out the DI soon! Thanks for watching
Great video. I've owned one for over 20 years. This may hurt some feelings but I'm going to give you an unbiased opinion on this amp... It's a one trick noisy pony that's completely in its element for punk and metal. As soon as you dial back the gain it falls on its face. The clean channel and reverb are unusable in the real world. I was actually surprised how the verb sounded in your video and wondered if yours has been swapped out. These amps are also known for bad cross talk between channels so I've found that if you leave the 3 knobs on the normal channel all the way off, you don't hear them bleed into the high gain channel. Now that I've totally trashed this thing.... It's absolutely still my favourite amp I own and for a few reasons. 1: when the gain is cranked and you've got it plugged into a 4x12 with 80's 65 watt celestions, it just slays. Hard. For heavy music it's nearly unbeatable on stage. And 2: It's been the most reliable amp I've ever toured with. It failed ONCE and was a simple $5 dollar 1k resistor that died. Recording this beast can be often times difficult because as you noticed, it's a bit dark sounding so it's a bit of work to get it to sit in a mix without disappearing and truthfully it's got a high noise floor. When this thing is in its element, it's I comparably perfect. There's nothing out there that sounds like it. I've had a 2210 and it was just brutally loud. Unnecessarily. I'd say if anyone out there wants one of these, you should know it's quite unique and probably won't cover as much ground as many other amps available nowadays. But if you love really high gain music- you're gonna love it.
Cheers!
Glad you dig yours!! Thanks for watching! I really love this 2205 - it’s definitely a bit on the noisy side but it sounds so good on both channels. I think I prefer the lower gain “clean” channel myself but it’s an awesome amp 🤘🤘
Great video, thank you. I have been contemplating getting a Marshall as of late. I need two tonal options from it: One fairly clean, the other some kind of AC/DC growl (which some people still consider "fairly clean"). No use of the volume poti on the guitar (hate that). I am using the Vintage Studio MKII already at home, but need something with more headroom and options for Live.
I would then use a boost for solos and that's it. Would you recommend the amp for something like that? I dig that you have all these options on it. I know it might sound weird to go for a Marshall JCM and then use it mostly "cleanish", but I like exactly that - making it sound like on the "edge of danger", if you know what I mean. Like "Danzig clean tone".
I think this amp could definitely work for you in that description. I'd definitely recommend trying one before you buy - if you can - the 800 is a pretty versatile amp!
@@EricMerrow Thank you!
@@EricMerrow I bought a Marshall 2210 eventually, also brown cloth and from 1986. It does exactly what I intended it to do (see above) and I am very happy. Your video helped a lot! Thanks again!
Is the real recording by mike? Sounds like volume knob was broken.
I had the amp hooked up to a load box so you’re hearing a direct signal with speaker modeling
I bought a brand new JCM-800 in late 1985 .It was a combo with 2x12's and 2 channels but mine had a volume ,gain and master volume on the lead channel .I don't know what model # it was but it was very high gain .Has anyone seen one of those ?
Might have been a 4210? I’m not as familiar with the combo versions of the amp
Ox box to the rescue! Just picked up a Two Notes Torpedo Captor X about 1/2 the bread but the UA is the better sounding
I'm glad you got a Captor X!! They are both absolutely great units. "better" is a very subjective term but I'm super happy to hear you're digging it!
Have a 2205 and love it. I have one technical question...
What is the purpose of the "LEAD" knob on the back panel?
Thank you.
Thanks for watching! If I remember correctly, I think the knob on the back panel is for the DI level. Unless yours has been modded
That’s a mighty nice amp you’ve got there Eric. My dream amp personally is the Orange Thunderverb 200. Loud is kind of my thing, I can hide my below average ability behind walls of noise!!! 😂😂😂 I do however like a lot of players that use Marshall’s, Slash for one. He is probably my favorite guitar player, non-Doom style anyway. Great video though, Marshall makes a quality amp fore sure. Keep up the great work brother!!!🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
I bet the Thunderverb would sound huge!!! Thanks for watching, Chris!
Where do you play that you're able to crank a 200 watt tube amp?
@@timbuk1126 Mostly just at home, not a big surprise right now, right? But let’s just say that I’m a big believer in more is better!!! 😂😂😂🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
@@chriscurran1967 That's awesome. Do you run an attenuator? I know they can wear tubes faster but some guys like em.
@@timbuk1126 Oh no, I think you misunderstood. I don’t have an Orange Thunderverb 200, I just wish I did!!! 😂😂😂
hello thanks for this video, really useful. =)
I would ask you what do you think about the new JCM800 20w/5w version (SC20C)?
Another question, is it true that JMP 2 holes and JCM800 are the same amp?
My dream is a 2holes JMP but I can't find it and also I have to play in a neighborhood so for this I'm thinking to buy the SC20C, what do you think about?
The 2 hole JMP’s (which are referred to as 2203/2204 sometimes) are similar amps for sure - but I don’t think they’re identical. I’m not 100% sure. I used to have an 81 JMP 2203 that I very stupidly sold - totally regret that decision
@@EricMerrow yeah I can feel your pain man! ;)
IN YOUR OPINION : Is there an agreed upon within the MARSHALL Nation of which is the all time Grand Daddy go to "Lord High Commander" Marshall Head to save when the Apocalypses were to arrive. "Knock knock", (who issss it)
"It's the Apocalypses" (one minute, I have a roast in the oven) "Knock knock", (who issss it) "I told you it's the Apocalypses" (I told you one minute, my potatoes are at boil" ) then theres a mild boom and the potatoes are no longer at the boil. The end.
😂😂😂😂 I love this scenario! In my mind, I think the 2203 100 watt JCM800 answers the door and is not even phased by the apocalypse. I’m not sure everyone would agree but to me the 2203 is the most powerful and versatile version of the amp🤘🤘🤘
@@EricMerrow Possible, yes, maybe just that, - BUT, if the Big "A" is a not a 9-5 End of Worlds kind of bloke. Maybe, just maybe he gets a 30 min lunch break and 2 (15's) to spread mayhem locally before missed from his day job. Perhaps he's a trash sorter or maybe a derailed politician following the heard wrecking his once respected homeland.
In this case the Marshall would most certainly rear up its super secret energy reserves and hit critical mass with a kill shot right thru the middle of good Old Apoco with only ashes and rags drift to the floor where he stood. & on the note , have a nice day. LOL
No, the 2205/2210 was the most popular JCM800 that everybody had and should have, it was on every stage and video! The 2203/04 was just the same as the JMP from the 1970s while the least popular were the 1959/1987 Super Lead 60s style
Thanks for watching and sharing!
What year is this 2205 ? 86 ?
86 indeed!
I could tell by the brown coloring. Have you tried one that was ‘87 or later ? I think they sound better......my $.02. They changed the circuit.
@@Burkhimself This is the only 800 i've played. What did they change in the circuit?
@@EricMerrow they fixed the clean channel bleed and I think it’s slightly hotter on the gain channel....
@@Burkhimself I'll have to listen a bit closer on mine. I'm not sure if I was hearing any channel bleed.
Yep, and I just got one lol
Nice!!! 2205?
@@EricMerrow yep
Right on!!🤘🤘🤘
I think i am and idiot but how you change the channel?
There is a 1/4” footswitch jack on the back of the amp. You can hook up a 1 or 2 button footswitch to change the channel. Or if you don’t have a footswitch and you’re in a pinch, you can plug in a patch cable then take an alligator clip and connect the tip to the sleeve. That will change the channel.
I've got the hundred watt, two channel and thinking about selling.. anyone interested?
Oh man, I bet that amp screams!!
I wouldn't get it, I would get a Ceriatone and use pedals.
I’ve always wanted to try a Ceriatone amp!
Honestly, I’m not liking the tone a lot. Sounds a bit Vox like and thin
Thanks for watching! Speaker selection is such an important part of an amp’s sound so maybe a different speaker type would be more suited to your ears 👍