Members slicepaperdavid Posted November 2, 2011 Members Share Posted November 2, 2011 Thinking of trading my Matchless clone for a Marshall. Everything I have heard and read about them sounds great but I want to be sure before I pull the trigger. How is it for higher gain stuff? Can it get close to the JCM 800 sound? Is it loud enough for mid sized gigs without a PA? Thanks in advance for the help. If I do get it Im thinking of pairing it with a Framus Dragon cab or a Marhall JCM 800 Lead 1960 cab, we shall see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dughaze Posted November 2, 2011 Members Share Posted November 2, 2011 I'm not much help with your questions but I have one and I like it. The boost channel is my favorite and I believe it is supposed to sound like the JCM800, whatever, it sounds Marshall good when you hit the sweet spot. The sweet spot is using a tube screamer type overdrive to push the amps boost channel into a good crunch. Some people get caught up in trying to set it up to switch between the clean side and the distortion side on the fly and it gets tricky when you try to do that. The boost or dirty channel is the sweet spot and it has a great crunch that can get heavy. It sounds good with your standard Marshall type speakers but the real surprise for me is that it sounds best with my Mesa Recto 2x12 cabinet...but then...evrything sounds good with that cab. The efficiency of those V30's helps the amp to cut better too. One thing that I keep reading is there's a mod to clip a cap or resistor to help with the thinness of the amp but I found that if you set it up right and don't try to switch between a clean channel and a dirty channel the amp is anything but thin. I haven't gigged mine but it's loud as hell and records really well with the Mesa cab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fatcat Posted November 2, 2011 Members Share Posted November 2, 2011 I have 2 of them. The boost channel is total hot rodded Marshall roar. The clean channel is very usable after the c13 mod(very easy to do). Great reverb, effects loop, lightweight and 30watts makes you the soundmans best friend. Mid size gigs you should be fine. I think its a pretty high gain amp, it can do early metallica, alice in chains etc. i have the matching 4x10 cab but it sounds excellent through a 1960, especially if it has v30s in it. I'm happen to be selling one of mine now, but I'll always keep one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NixerX Posted November 2, 2011 Members Share Posted November 2, 2011 I had one for 20 years. I loved it. I just out grew the sound for what Im wanting to to. Solid as a rock, takes pedals like a dream, and tone for days...what more could you ask for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members facefirst Posted November 2, 2011 Members Share Posted November 2, 2011 I own 2 of them. They're great amps. The have THE Marshall sound at a manageable volume. I did the C13 mod to both amps and it makes a world of difference to the clean channel. I think the 3203 is a very underrated Marshall amp. I'm still confused why Marshall didn't stick with the SS preamp and tube power amp instead of the other way around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mhr74 Posted November 2, 2011 Members Share Posted November 2, 2011 all of the above. just boost for extra brutal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boonestunes Posted November 2, 2011 Members Share Posted November 2, 2011 I've had a few, still have my number one. If you can get two and run them in stereo its amazing. I used both channels, haven't done any of the mods.....need to as the clean is just a little too rough for my tastes now. At one time, I had two heads and two full stacks of the 1966 2x12 cabs....fun times. You can really crank them without killing yourself on volume. I moved on to a JCM800 2210 head a few years ago and still run the 3203 in stereo with the 2210 when I can turn up that loud.... for smaller gigs I still take the 3203 and a 4x12 cab with T75's. Classic marshall sound.......and with a tubescreamer in front......wow. Only prob I ever had was that the head cab is pretty small and there's no vent on the top so tubes can get pretty hot. Put mine in a bigger headcab with vents and it was fine, didn't go through tubes quite so fast. It was rough on tubes for me when I played with a LOUD drummer and ran it pretty much wide open all the time. That's why I switched to the 2210 somebody that's done it.....can you make the C13mod switchable? mini-switch on the back of the chassis or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ***1776*** Posted November 2, 2011 Members Share Posted November 2, 2011 Great amp and a underrated tube type amp, BTW Anyone do any minor mods to the OD channel? I love the tone of them but just curious if theres any minor mods that people have done to the OD channel? Maybe change the bass or freqencies, just wondering? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricJohn Posted November 3, 2011 Members Share Posted November 3, 2011 One of the HUGE mistakes I have made in my guitar playing life...trading the 3203 that I had. Such a fantastic amp with THAT Marshall sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members buddhapaugh Posted November 3, 2011 Members Share Posted November 3, 2011 I have had one since the late 80's. Pretty much what everyone said above applies. You can still set up the clean channel to sound decent without the C13 mod. It just has some grit to it. Anyone want to make me an offer on mine? Has original footswitch and amp cover that come with it. Well??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members facefirst Posted November 3, 2011 Members Share Posted November 3, 2011 I'm thinking of getting rid of one of mine too. I tend to buy backups of the same amp. Did that with a Bassman (which I'm selling one of them). I really have no need for 2 3203s. That said, they're phenomenal amps, especially for the money. I wish Marshall would get their {censored} together and make more amps in that vein. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slicepaperdavid Posted November 8, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'm thinking of getting rid of one of mine too. I tend to buy backups of the same amp. Did that with a Bassman (which I'm selling one of them). I really have no need for 2 3203s. That said, they're phenomenal amps, especially for the money. I wish Marshall would get their {censored} together and make more amps in that vein. nice booty in your av. Can it get a good doom/stoner sound to it? A la Sleep/High On Fire/Sabbath/Boris? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slicepaperdavid Posted November 8, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2011 [video=youtube;KkA1HV9cN0M] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members facefirst Posted November 8, 2011 Members Share Posted November 8, 2011 nice booty in your av. Can it get a good doom/stoner sound to it? A la Sleep/High On Fire/Sabbath/Boris? With a fuzz pedal, yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NixerX Posted November 8, 2011 Members Share Posted November 8, 2011 nice booty in your av. Can it get a good doom/stoner sound to it? A la Sleep/High On Fire/Sabbath/Boris? Hell yea it can man! Id reccomend a good 4x12 and an EQ in the loop to bring out the lows more too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slicepaperdavid Posted November 8, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2011 Hell yea it can man!Id reccomend a good 4x12 and an EQ in the loop to bring out the lows more too. What about using a Rat as an EQ and primarily a boost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slicepaperdavid Posted November 8, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2011 BTW I'll be running it through a JCM 800 1960 Lead cab, so I have a feeling it will have great low end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NixerX Posted November 8, 2011 Members Share Posted November 8, 2011 What about using a Rat as an EQ and primarily a boost? Sure man that would be great I bet!Plenty of people boosted JCM900's and 800's back in the day with a rat.....the 3203 would be similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diocide Posted November 9, 2011 Members Share Posted November 9, 2011 I agree with everything said here. It's gets plenty loud and is a great amp. The only complaint I have about it was the lack of bass that was just mentioned by nixerX. It's not that it sounds thin, but the bass is extremely tight. The C13 is a must do mod as far as I'm concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ***1776*** Posted November 9, 2011 Members Share Posted November 9, 2011 I agree with everything said here. It's gets plenty loud and is a great amp. The only complaint I have about it was the lack of bass that was just mentioned by nixerX. It's not that it sounds thin, but the bass is extremely tight. The C13 is a must do mod as far as I'm concerned. Does this mod affect the bass at all on the OD channel? The EQing on the OD is mostly in the tone and gain knobs, a lil more bass would be great imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diocide Posted November 9, 2011 Members Share Posted November 9, 2011 Does this mod affect the bass at all on the OD channel? The EQing on the OD is mostly in the tone and gain knobs, a lil more bass would be great imo Some people say it does, but I dont remember noticing a difference in the OD channell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BerkleeBill Posted November 9, 2011 Members Share Posted November 9, 2011 mid-80s - played a Les Paul through one into an old 70s marshall cab. Tone for days - people used comment on it all the time!! Sold it like a dolt to go "rack" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Northstar Posted November 9, 2011 Members Share Posted November 9, 2011 I have the 4203 combo. I bought it new 21 years ago. What does it tell you when people say they've kept an amp for 20+ years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zeppelin Rules Posted November 9, 2011 Members Share Posted November 9, 2011 I want one to go with my 4x10 Marshall cab. This guy seems to be getting pretty good toanz out of his [video=youtube;vW0HAKstLk4] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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