Yeah, my buddy just bought a 5150 iii EL34 50-watt head and 2x12 cab to go along with his 6L6 combo. He says the blue channel on the EL34 amp really scratches that Marshall itch he'd been having, and I don't doubt it. The thing I find kind of funny when looking through this thread is how so much of the iconic "Marshall tone" is the result of a relatively low gain preamp running through a cranked EL34 power section, yet every single JCM800 variant in that list is using a 6550 or KT88, neither of which is known for ease of overdriving, with a boosted preamp. So the master volume winds up pretty much acting as a "dam" to allow the overdriving of a low-gain preamp via external booster pedals, and the power section is there to be loud and clean. That's basically the conceptual recipe for a high gain amp, just using pedals instead of built-in gain stages to saturate the signal.
Yeah, my buddy just bought a 5150 iii EL34 50-watt head and 2x12 cab to go along with his 6L6 combo. He says the blue channel on the EL34 amp really scratches that Marshall itch he'd been having, and I don't doubt it. The thing I find kind of funny when looking through this thread is how so much of the iconic "Marshall tone" is the result of a relatively low gain preamp running through a cranked EL34 power section, yet every single JCM800 variant in that list is using a 6550 or KT88, neither of which is known for ease of overdriving, with a boosted preamp. So the master volume winds up pretty much acting as a "dam" to allow the overdriving of a low-gain preamp via external booster pedals, and the power section is there to be loud and clean. That's basically the conceptual recipe for a high gain amp, just using pedals instead of built-in gain stages to saturate the signal.
I am pretty sure Sancho got both 50 watt versions, the EL34 and the 6L6, and he settled for the latter eventually. The EL34 wasn't totally there. I trust his judgement, that guy knows tone. I have tried the 6L6 and it was a glorious experience in that blue channel.
The Zakk and Kerry King versions of the JCM800 are not my cup of tea at all. What you says is right, they are doing some weird things. I myself are finding I tend to use less and less gain as I grow older anyway.
Ah cool. I get it, sometimes you just need a break from whatever.But it's cool he's doing well.I don't really do any social media beyond this, so I just wouldn't know....so thanks for the update.
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The Zakk and Kerry King versions of the JCM800 are not my cup of tea at all. What you says is right, they are doing some weird things. I myself are finding I tend to use less and less gain as I grow older anyway.