Members Meowy Posted January 25, 2012 Members Share Posted January 25, 2012 To be perfectly honest, bedroom volume is the realm where SS rule. They can sound the same with a Master turned up or down. You make some major compromises when you get into low-wattage amps, there really isn't any available, full-sounding headroom, that's why most are or sound like hi-gain machines. Even the videos of the JTM1 are more '80's metal and less Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms" (which to me is the quintessential JTM45 tone).The key to big amp sound at little amp volume is emulation. This is so true. I do 100% of my playing at home, often with family at home. I have yet to find a tube amp that is more suitable to my needs than a SS or hybrid. By far the most usable amps I have owned are my Vox VT15 followed cloesely by my SCXD. And I'll say it again, I cannot wait to get my hands on the new Yamaha THR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oates Posted January 25, 2012 Members Share Posted January 25, 2012 This is so true. I do 100% of my playing at home, often with family at home. I have yet to find a tube amp that is more suitable to my needs than a SS or hybrid. By far the most usable amps I have owned are my Vox VT15 followed cloesely by my SCXD.And I'll say it again, I cannot wait to get my hands on the new Yamaha THR I have a Vox ac15 and love it. It just doesn't get that Marshall tone. I love the sound of my Class 5 and think I just want another Marshall. Most of my gigs will be mic'd so does it make more sense to get a used full size or one of these? Can I get the true sound from 1 watt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted January 25, 2012 Members Share Posted January 25, 2012 I have a Vox ac15 and love it. It just doesn't get that Marshall tone. I love the sound of my Class 5 and think I just want another Marshall. Most of my gigs will be mic'd so does it make more sense to get a used full size or one of these? Can I get the true sound from 1 watt? Well, what you want is the JMP1, but that's now confusing because they are releasing is a 50th head/combo named the JMP1 as shown in the first post, but I mean the old preamp... This preamp has been the heart of Billy Gibbon's live Marshall tones for decades now, and was good enough for Angus Young and many, many others. Since it's a preamp, you can use it with whatever power amp or direct box you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Songwriter Posted January 25, 2012 Members Share Posted January 25, 2012 Yeas, the 12AU7 and its octal predecessor, the 6SN7, have both been used as low-wattage power tubes in various applications for decades, especially in hi-fi. There just haven't been a lot of 1-watt guitar amps until the last decade or so, but if you look around at the boutique or kit offerings, you'll find some. Cheers for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bsman Posted January 25, 2012 Members Share Posted January 25, 2012 The little lanilei 1/4 watt amp uses ECC82 and 83 toobz! I've always thought THOSE were cool-but-overpriced amps, but they're a downright bargain compared to the Marshalls!!! Little Lanilei Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jimash Posted January 25, 2012 Members Share Posted January 25, 2012 I've just noticed they're using an ECC82 in the power stage...are there any other amps that do that? - the only one I'm aware of is the Blackstar HT1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Songwriter Posted January 25, 2012 Members Share Posted January 25, 2012 Cheers Jimash and BSman, I like the sound of the Little Lanelei, it sounds as though those ECC82's break up more smoothly than the usual tube types they use in other low watt amps (EL84's/6L6's)...I wouldn't mind having a go at building an ECC82-based amp but a) the only schematic I could find was for a hi-fi preamp and b) it might require a special output transformer....it also looks as though NOS ECC82's are available for reasonable prices...interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackCustom Posted January 25, 2012 Members Share Posted January 25, 2012 I'm interested in these amps as well, but the proof will be in the sound. The price seems high, but I'd gladly pay it if I could get a genuine NMV Marshall tone at lower levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hrafnkel Posted January 26, 2012 Members Share Posted January 26, 2012 I noticed Sweetwater has the head listed as $749, combo as $800. Wonder if the whole series will be at that price point, or if the ones with additional features will be higher. Hopefully the former, if so, I might be able to justify the DSL1... Was there ever any word on just how limited the run would be on them? I heard numbers like 150 of each one being tossed around, but never heard anything solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dsquared Posted January 26, 2012 Members Share Posted January 26, 2012 and b) it might require a special output transformer.... Just smaller. Hammond makes 'em. Super common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oates Posted January 26, 2012 Members Share Posted January 26, 2012 Why is Marshall putting 10" speakers in te combo? http://www.marshallamps.com/product.asp?productCode=1960s%20JTM1 For $800 that seems small.... Maybe 12 would be overkill for 1 watt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sxyryan Posted January 26, 2012 Members Share Posted January 26, 2012 Why is Marshall putting 10" speakers in te combo?http://www.marshallamps.com/product.asp?productCode=1960s%20JTM1For $800 that seems small.... Maybe 12 would be overkill for 1 watt? Could be a size constraint. I don't know the dimensions of those little combos but they look quite small. I would have been happier to see them in something about the size of a Class 5 (which could fit a 12 inch speaker) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Songwriter Posted January 26, 2012 Members Share Posted January 26, 2012 Google "firefly", and "ax84", go poke about their forums for a bit. Lots of ideas on the little guys. Just smaller. Hammond makes 'em. Super common. Brilliant, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members =JL= Posted January 26, 2012 Members Share Posted January 26, 2012 I'm interested in these amps as well, but the proof will be in the sound. The price seems high, but I'd gladly pay it if I could get a genuine NMV Marshall tone at lower levels. You won't get that sound, believe me. Having a tiny box with a Marshall badge and the wrong tubes will not get you any closer to a roaring plexi than any number of cheap SS practice amps. Analog solid state just WORKS better for smooth, controllable break-up at low volume, hence the lack of popularity of real-tube overdrive pedals. We're all guilty of listening with our eyes to a greater or lesser extent, but a big clean tube amp with a nice pedal in front of it sounds MUCH better than all the small tube amps I've suckered myself into buying over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackCustom Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 You won't get that sound, believe me. Having a tiny box with a Marshall badge and the wrong tubes will not get you any closer to a roaring plexi than any number of cheap SS practice amps. Analog solid state just WORKS better for smooth, controllable break-up at low volume, hence the lack of popularity of real-tube overdrive pedals. We're all guilty of listening with our eyes to a greater or lesser extent, but a big clean tube amp with a nice pedal in front of it sounds MUCH better than all the small tube amps I've suckered myself into buying over the years. I respectfully disagree. The Marshall 2061x (another tiny box with a Marshall badge and the wrong tubes) sounds glorious and and every bit a NMV Marshall. Some will argue it doesn't sound exactly like a Plexi, and they're right - it isn't a Plexi. But few would say that they don't sound awesome and are significantly superior (and MUCH closer to a Plexi) than any number of cheap SS practice amps. Marshall afficianados readily pay nearly the same prices for original 18 watt and 20 watt Marshalls as original Plexis. I'm not a modeler hater, I think they have their applications, and low volume performance is one of their strengths. My problem with them is that I like the feel of proper amp and can tell the difference. For me, NMV Marshall tone is a bit of a holy grail, and I haven't heard anything that sounds like it except from NMV Marshalls. Some may get it from pedals, some from modelers, but I have tried both and found them lacking. It may work for other folks, but I'm still looking. On the other hand, the 2061x is a satisfactory substitute for a Plexi for my needs, except I can't crank it at home. The Class 5 sounds good and does sound like a NMV Marshall, but has too many compromises in the circuit (mostly to meet a price point) and is still too loud for me to use at home. I think a lot of people get caught up in the idea that because an amp comes in a smaller box or has less power, it should be correspondingly less expensive. This is actually a little surprising, since you don't hear a lot of complaints that a 50W head is nearly as expensive a similar 100W head - shouldn't they cost half as much? The Class 5 head bears this perception out and shows Marshall understands it. The Class has a price tag to match it's physical size. IMHO they could have made that amp a lot better, but it would have been more expensive and not have sold nearly as well. That's why I have some hopes for these "expensive" 1 watters. But I will continue to withhold judgement until I can hear one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oates Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 I respectfully disagree. The Marshall 2061x (another tiny box with a Marxhall badge and the wrong tubes) sounds glorious and and every bit a NMV Marshall. Some will argue it doesn't sound exactly like a Plexi, and they're right - it isn't a Plexi. But few would say that they don't sound awesome and are significantly superior (and MUCH closer to a Plexi) than any number of cheap SS practice amps. Marshall afficianados readily pay nearly the same prices for original 18 watt and 20 watt Marshalls as original Plexis.I'm not a modeler hater, I think they have their applications, and low volume performance is one of their strengths. My problem with them is that I like the feel of proper amp and can tell the difference. For me, NMV Marshall tone is a bit of a holy grail, and I haven't heard anything that sounds like it except from NMV Marshalls. Some may get it from pedals, some from modelers, but I have tried both and found them lacking. It may work for other folks, but I'm still looking.On the other hand, the 2061x is a satisfactory substitute for a Plexi for my needs, except I can't crank it at home. The Class 5 sounds good and does sound like a NMV Marshall, but has too many compromises in the circuit (mostly to meet a price point) and is still too loud for me to use at home.I think a lot of people get caught up in the idea that because an amp comes in a smaller box or has less power, it should be correspondingly less expensive. This is actually a little surprising, since you don't hear a lot of complaints that a 50W head is nearly as expensive a similar 100W head - shouldn't they cost half as much?The Class 5 head bears this perception out and shows Marshall understands it. The Class has a price tag to match it's physical size. IMHO they could have made that amp a lot better, but it would have been more expensive and not have sold nearly as well. That's why I have some hopes for these "expensive" 1 watters. But I will continue to withhold judgement until I can hear one. Have to say that the class 5 is my first Marshall and I love it. Looking for my nextMarshall and it may be one of the 1 watts. You seem to have tried a few... What's your fave small Marshall? Also - what is nmv? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackCustom Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 Have to say that the class 5 is my first Marshall and I love it. Looking for my nextMarshall and it may be one of the 1 watts.You seem to have tried a few... What's your fave small Marshall?Also - what is nmv? NMV is Non Master Volume. A lot of modern amps get a lot their tone from the preamp, where NMV amps work the whole amp to get their tone. Neither is neccesarily better, but there are differences. The downside of NMV is all of the action is above 5 on the volume knob, which can get pretty loud. Marshall doesn't have much of a history of small amps. My favorite is the 2061x, and even though it's small it's quite loud. They've made more mediocre small amps than good ones. The class 5 IMHO is a good ~$300 amp. But if they had charged more, I think it could have been much better. I'm hoping the higher price on these 1 watt amps is going into higher quality as opposed to a 50th anniversary badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 OVERPRICED...really cool, but not worth the cash, imo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lealand987 Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 [video=youtube;Mo2TDwMN7Tg] as soon as the schematic for the 800 one is avaliable i'm gonna see if one could be built for $200~cause it sounds {censored}ing awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lealand987 Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 that said, if the handwired ac4 is more cost effective i'd way rather have it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 no idea why these would be that expensive, when you can get a Class 5 much cheaper... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members =JL= Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 For me, NMV Marshall tone is a bit of a holy grail, and I haven't heard anything that sounds like it except from NMV Marshalls. Some may get it from pedals, some from modelers, but I have tried both and found them lacking. It may work for other folks, but I'm still looking. Me too, believe me. Live, I use a pair of JTM45 half stacks exclusively and have done for 10 years - for 20 years before that it was 50w Superleads.In the studio I'll happily use whatever works, tube, solid state, or digital. I do like small tube amps too, I just personally find that the classic NMV Marshall thing is the hardest to get right in a small amp. What we think of as classic Fender clean sounds seem to work over a wide range of different outputs, but the pushed Marshall thing seems SO dependent on output tube type to me.I'm not knocking smaller Marshalls, some are as good as their bigger brothers, but they're a different sound (to me, anyway). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted January 27, 2012 Author Moderators Share Posted January 27, 2012 OVERPRICED...really cool, but not worth the cash, imo... Why would you say they are overpriced? Made in the UK Marshall for less than a grand.......Mesa can't say that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted January 27, 2012 Author Moderators Share Posted January 27, 2012 no idea why these would be that expensive, when you can get a Class 5 much cheaper... Class 5 is a high production turnover amp, these aren't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Willyguitar Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 The concept of a very low wattage Marshall seems a contradiction in terms somehow. Surely the beauty of Marshall is that they are meant to create a huge sound, to be played very LOUD! The EL34 thang. You might as well get a good modelling amp, that emulates some of these so called models well... And these are obscenely expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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