JCM800 Build Questions

[selloutrr]

http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi?c ... mit=++++go++++


you should be able to find a working Marshall 2204 for $600
sorry i come off as an asshole i just don't like to see people get burned or throw away time and or money. if you choose to build your 2204 happy building and best of luck!

[collinsamps]

The 2204 is a great amp but far from optimized in stock form. The input jack routing which forces the low Z to miss a gian stage while shunting the High Z to ground is not necessary and does nothing to help the sound of the amp. The numerous treble peaking R/C components on and off the board in the signal path give you near uncontrollable ice pick treble at the weirdest points during the master volume sweep. The gain structure of V1 isn't really that much gain for someone seeking it(what most want them for anyway). Tossing this and other not so tone friendly topology and building one for what you want it for is the only way to go in my book. Modding and modding and modding a pcb amp that's over 20 years old will eventually lead to an empty wallet and a near worthless amp that was destined to be a collectable classic regardless of it's cheap build quality.

[azrael]

I may have found a JCM800 2204 for $450 on my local CL. Just went up for sale! I emailed the guy immediately. This may all be moot in a bit, hahaha.

I'll just do the mods I planned, and maybe upgrade to Zoso caps.

[John_P_WI]

Zoso Caps, do they make your amp sound more like Led Zepp??

Good luck with the amp,

John

[C Moore]

When compared to trannies from Heyboer, Triode, Hammond, Metro, Edcor, et.c etc. can somebody tell me what they did not like about the OT's they got from Ceriatone? I often hear vague complaints about Ceriatone transformers, but never anything conclusive or specific.
We have two Ceriatone "plexi" clones. When we bought them I had several people suggest that I should not use their iron, but I did. We have had a lot of players use our heads in many different situations, such as backline support at several different live venues, recording studio rentals, amp "shoot outs" that have become so popular on many guitar/amp forums, etc. I never heard any of these guys complain that the OT was lacking in some way. Nor am I saying everybody begged to take our Ceriatone heads home with them.
We have a lot of different amps, from many different manufactures, using many different brands of OT's. So I am not defending or promoting Ceriatone. But there seems to be a blanket, dissenting, opinion regarding their iron that gets repeated without much explanation. Have there been honest, blind, A/B comparison tests that showed players repeatedly choosing all other OT's above those from Ceriatone? With most components, there is usually some type of "tone is subjective" stipulation that most of us are willing to accept. So what is it about Ceriatone transformers that puts them at the bottom of everybody's list? Here is a link to what they use.
Thank You

http://www.promitheusaudio.com/transformers.html

[gldtp99]

I don't know if there's anything at all wrong with the iron that Cieratone provides---- i haven't used any.
But i do like the Magnetic Components Marshall 50 watt OT's -- http://www.magneticcomponents.net/Ampli ... rmers.html -- these are the "House/USA" trannies sold by AES and Triode---they are also available from a new distributor on ebay for less $$$: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Style-Outpu ... .m20.l1116--
Watts Tube Audio has some nice 2204 turret boards for those that enjoy building 2204-type amps that are easier to mod than the stock Marshall PCB--- they also have different sized blank chassis that will fit Marshall-type head cabs--- http://www.turretboards.com/


Here's some amp demo clips of some of my builds--- 2204's and others---the 14/7 and 25 watt 2204-types don't have 50 watt iron, of course----- the Mule M50 is built from a guide to mod a 2204 to a well known hi-$$$ current production amp (lead channel only)---- see SLOClones forum for the schematic------ the M50 is built from a schematic there that's supposed to be a JCM 800-to-Bog....... Sh...--------i don't know if it really is anything like a real one in terms of circuit or tone--- but it's a cool amp to play----- Clips: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default ... dID=741589

[jaysg]

I would guess that two things are going on. First, if you want that last 2%, you're going to want the OT to be Marstrans, MM or a specific Heyboer model you might be into. The second issue, is that the whole package weighs less if you delete Ceriatone's iron, and that should transfer to some initial savings.

My logic suggests that some Ceriatone output transformers are very good copies of what their intended targets. It's also likely that some are not so good. I'm not sure there's enough information on the net to determine which is which. I try to take mental notes when I hear opinions and stories of failures of everyone's iron.

[selloutrr]

is it not the DRAKE transformer that gives the marshall it's signature voice?

[paulster]

is it not the DRAKE transformer that gives the marshall it's signature voice?

Drake or Dagnall dependent on the particular voice you're looking for.

And Heyboer these days, which is a little annoying when you're based in the land of Drake and Dagnall!