Pick a Marshall Amp for me (or clone)

[Blues Rocker]

Gents,
Here's the deal. Play in 1,000 seat venue (church with balcony), amp is mic'd. 7-8 piece band with choral back-up. ES-335 Fat Neck Dot>Korg Pitchblack tuner>OCD>Box of Rock>Fulltone Deluxe Wah>Boss DD-7>Victoria 45410 Bassman.

After many years, I couldn't be happier with my set-up. BUT, I have never owned a Marshall (or clone) and would like to add that (and a 2x12 cab to my Marshall Amp (or clone). I love that chunky, ballsy bluesy/rock rhythm and leads from the late '60's/early '70's as that's the era in which I grew up.

 

[Shiny McShine]

The 1974x is pretty cool. It overpowers the church I play at (about 190 seats) when turned up past about 3. Very full and cutting tone. Tremolo is very good. A lot of guys love this little combo with it's 12" special Celestion, beautiful styling and great sound.

 

[XmasTree]

OH WAIT I take that back!!! 50w plexi87!!!!

 

[DICKIE C]

I voted for the 50 watt plexi but I bet you'd be happy w/ the jtm-45 as well. To me, if you really want chunky and fat, you have to go w/ the bigger bottles. Besides, the plexis are right in your era!

 

[QRSS]

get the 50. you already got the 45 thing covered with the victoria.

 

[NFB]

Marshall 2210, with EL-34's

 

[HeeHaw]

I used a 50 watt plexi clone and an attenuator for years at my church. I loved that full tilt marshall sound, but even attenuated it was loud for a 1200 seat church. Reinhardt finally built a 30 watt plexi style combo with power scaling. It serves me well at church and elsewhere.

 

[m1911]

I'm NOT being a wise-guy saying you should simply keep using your Victoria Bassman.
I don't know anything about a "Box-of-Rocks" pedals, but you may want to try a Fulltone Fatboost or Fulldrive which includes a Fatboost within the pedal itself.

If you are truely set on buying a Marshall...then get a Germino.
Either a Classic-45 or a Club-40 in a 2x12 Combo, or a Head & Matching 2x12 Cabinet.
I'm surprised you can use a Bassman or any Marshall in any Church setting.....lucky guy...
http://www.germinoamps.com/

I'm guessing you sound great with your 335 into the Victoria!
Mark

 

[jackaroo]

I like the 45/100 the most. Lots of great sounds in those heads. I think you'll want a good attenuator as they're pretty loud (70-80 watts clean headroom 120 or so cranked up). The "100" is a misnomer 4 KT66s are a great pedal platform, and the voice of the Box of Rock is already based on the 45/100s cranked sound so your rig would sound consistent. The clean to mild break up on those amps is where it's at. My favorite sound by far. The 50 watter is a good choice too, but I'd get a "bass" voiced (1986x) head if the plan is to access several levels of dirt and volume off your pedalboard.

Germino and Mertro make great versions of this head as does Marshall.

Best of luck-

JD

 

[Roe]

for decent bass response and some punch with a 335, I'd say a 45/100 or a jmp50, certainly not a el84 amps or a jtm45

 

[deluxeman]

Buy a Reinhardt 18 with Power Scaling. You will never be able to even use 18 watts in a 1000 seat church. I use one in a venue about the same size and you run the thing on 2 tops, mine has no power scaling. If you need some amp crunch get a scaled amp. If you can get away with some volume I would look at the Reinhardt Sentinal, that thing is a killer tone machine. Jtm 45 meets Bob Reinhardt, customer service is the best in the biz, period.

 

[Shiny McShine]

He's in a church guys. 18 watts is more than enough. In fact, it's way too much still even for a 1000 seat hall. It's likely that they're all in Avioms and the drummer is playing on plastic and rubber. A 5 watt champ is about right for this gig.

 

[Hacksaw]

He's in a church guys. 18 watts is more than enough. In fact, it's way too much still even for a 1000 seat hall. It's likely that they're all in Avioms and the drummer is playing on plastic and rubber. A 5 watt champ is about right for this gig.

This is what I was thinking as well.

I tried (and voted 18 watt) a 18 tmb and it's much better, it still was quite loud though. The 5E3 was better than the TMB.

Most settings like this have a really live room and a little goes a long ways.

 

[Blues Rocker]

He's in a church guys. 18 watts is more than enough. In fact, it's way too much still even for a 1000 seat hall. It's likely that they're all in Avioms and the drummer is playing on plastic and rubber. A 5 watt champ is about right for this gig.

Interesting you should say 5 watt champ. This weekend we have 7 instruments in the band. I'm playing acoustic this time and the lead (a touring pro) is playing a Victoria 5w Champ, and it sounds very good.
To reiterate, we mic our amps. I am playing a 35w Victoria Bassman. It is not too much amp as it sounds good at any volume. I usually wind up with the Vol=4. Our drummers play acoustic drums, not electronic.

If you want to be technical, 5 watts is too loud for an 1,000 church (mic'd)!
I am talking more tone though, not "which amp has the right amount of watts."

 

[puddinstone]

don't forget about the 2061x... I've got one that I love! Might have to look into an attenuator depending on how much break up you want from the amp though..

 

[DICKIE C]

He's in a church guys. 18 watts is more than enough. In fact, it's way too much still even for a 1000 seat hall. It's likely that they're all in Avioms and the drummer is playing on plastic and rubber. A 5 watt champ is about right for this gig.

I thought we were talking tone here, not wattage. He says he wants "chunky, ballsy" blues tone. With a 5-watt amp? Yes there are 5-watt amps that sound great but not chunky and ballsy. A 50-watt plexi can be tamed any Number of ways, all of which I think we all know. But no matter how you attenuate them, they will always sound chunky and ballsy.

 

[Roe]

I thought we were talking tone here, not wattage. He says he wants "chunky, ballsy" blues tone. With a 5-watt amp? Yes there are 5-watt amps that sound great but not chunky and ballsy. A 50-watt plexi can be tamed any Number of ways, all of which I think we all know. But no matter how you attenuate them, they will always sound chunky and ballsy.

agree a 18w or a jtm45 will have muddy lows with a 335. also it will lack punch.

 

[skhan007]

I thought we were talking tone here, not wattage. He says he wants "chunky, ballsy" blues tone. With a 5-watt amp? Yes there are 5-watt amps that sound great but not chunky and ballsy. A 50-watt plexi can be tamed any Number of ways, all of which I think we all know. But no matter how you attenuate them, they will always sound chunky and ballsy.

What he said.

Can't go wrong with the 50 watt plexi platform. That is THE sound of classic rock and you can tame it and mellow it if you want less gain and turn it up for soaring rock leads. I have one and love it. You can get a 1987x reissue Marshall plexi for less than a grand used.

Here's mine on a youtube clip. This amp has balls like a fully matured Canadian bison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6z4X8_xxMw

 

[Hacksaw]

335 and a 18 watt, Tone, ballsy, the sound of rock. This got me to thinking about the Suhr badger 18. Pete Thorn did a few segments with a 335.

http://www.youtube.com/user/sinasl1?blend=2&ob=1#p/u/16/HBUxUB-6qjw

let me know if this is OK.. Or if its muddy or lacks punch. On my speakers it has punch and keeps it together.

 

[Roe]

335 and a 18 watt, Tone, ballsy, the sound of rock. This got me to thinking about the Suhr badger 18. Pete Thorn did a few segments with a 335.

http://www.youtube.com/user/sinasl1?blend=2&ob=1#p/u/16/HBUxUB-6qjw

let me know if this is OK.. Or if its muddy or lacks punch. On my speakers it has punch and keeps it together.

not even the suhr, a good 335 and a good player sounded really punchy