ROBERTLATHAM1 Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 HELLO, I AM NEW TO THE BOARD HERE! SO HELLO ALL! ALRIGHT ON WITH IT. I AM AN ELECTRICIAN NJOT ELECTRONIC TECH SO IM LIMITED. WHAT I WANT TO DO IS UPGRADE/MODIFY MY MARSHAAL 8100 VALVESTATE HEAD TO A MARSHALL JCM 800 HEAD. FIRST IS THIS POSSABLE AND SECOND WHERE CAN I FIND THE WIREING DIAGRAMS TO DO SO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 Dont post in capitals, that is seen as shouting. Sorry i cant help you with that question but it sounds cool non the less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBERTLATHAM1 Posted March 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 JTM 45 thanks for the reply. and as i stated iam an electrician not a tech so please excuse me for my ignorance. is there a site where i can get the schematics for a jcm 800 head? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBERTLATHAM1 Posted March 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 jtm 45 thanx again man i got the schematic's i need my brother is a tech ans feels he can build the head fairly easy but the price is what he said mught concern me it got to be cheaper than $1600 which is price for re-issue of the jcm 800! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Just a suggestion, but it might be cheaper to find a used "donor" amp and mod it into shape - lots of used 50 watt amps out there you can pick up cheap, and you'll have a chassis w/sockets, pots, etc. and transformers for probably less than you can buythe trannies new! Just gut it and build a JCM800 in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBERTLATHAM1 Posted March 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 yeah thats a good idea i was talking to my brother who is a electronics tech and he said that the parts were going to be costly , but i still believe that i can build the jcm cheaper than buying one used ofcourse. thanx for the suggestion that is prob the direction i will go. i was hopeing i could have did mods to the 8100, but i dont know electronics well enough to know if that was posable. jtm45 says no way anyways thanx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 I can almost guarantee that buying a used JCM800 is going to be cheaper, easier, and more reliable than attempting to convert the 8100 box into a completely different amp. Seriously, if you want to learn how to build an amp, cool. But unless your brother is going to be there to rip into the box every time it cuts out on you on stage or wherever, it's going to be a major PITA. Before everyone rips into me about discouraging you, let me just say that I think it's cool to learn how to build amps that way. That's how Leo Fender and Jim Marshall did it, too. But if you want a solid, reliable amp that's even close to the JCM800, it's going to take a lot more time, energy, and money than what a used JCM800 will cost you in the first place. My advice would be to take the 8100 and trade it in on the JCM800 if that's what you really want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 You're never going to get anywhere trying to convert the Valvestate (or any other solid state amp) to a JCM800 - there are simply too many differences! However, there are plenty of inexpensive tube amps patterned after the classic Marshall circuit architecture that would make an excellent starting point - Laney, Traynor and even the Pignose G40V spring to mind as possible candidates. As for the reliability issue, as inconsistent as Marshalls have been over the years, especially since they started using printed circuit boards, I'm not sure I wouldn't prefer a well-made homebrew. Remember, one man's "homemade" is another's "handmade custom"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 Well, well ,well! Another electrolytic-blowing, Marshal-hating, point-to-point-wiring fanatic! I do not feel nearly as lonesome, now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 ...Another electrolytic-blowing, Marshal-hating, point-to-point-wiring fanatic... Not a hater, but they sure don't hold up like they used to, and I've really got nothing against pcboards, so long as they aren't badly-designed, impossible-to-repair rubbish..., I guess I just expect too much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 I will just bet you are in love with SMT also! That and double-sided PCB tracks! If it weren't for real good desoldering irons, I would be out of business. SMTs aren't as bad as I first thought they would be but you don't troubleshoot the little boogers. Just pull and replace. 63 year old eyes don't do too good at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 I hate SMT now that I don't have access to a Pace rework station I still like Marshalls, but like everything else, you gotta be choosy about which ones you buy and how you take care of 'em. Mesa, Soldano, Genz Benz, and Rivera kick a$$, but sooner or later they're going to be like Marshall and set up everything for massive mass production and endorsement deals rather than quality sound and legendary reliability. But give me an old JCMSlash or 1987 Silver Jubilee and I'll rebuild it as often as necessary to keep it going... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 To each his own, I suppose - I personally thought the Jubilee was pretty near horrendous (like all JCM900s, it has more silicon diodes in it than an Ibamez Tube Screamer! ), but if that's what you like, cool. It just doesn't sound anything like a classic Marshall. Yeah, doc, SMT sucks, but my least fav'rite initials right now are DSP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willliam_q Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 I would say to try ebay for a cheap used amp. I got a Laney Supergroup for £140 including p&p. It needs all new valves but sounds great. It's a 1970's amp and has a great classic tone. If you want to build an amp you could try www.18watt.com. It is a site dedicated to building marshall's 18 watt amp from the 60's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBERTLATHAM1 Posted March 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2005 (edited) wow ok opened up a can of worms here lmao! i really like the brown sound i.e eddie vanhalen marshall years. but i dont know enough about electronics to know good from bad i hear hard wired amps over board amps , carbon filled caps over silica honestly i dont know the difference. all i do know is that i really like the jcm 800 sound and the new triple lead 2000 is pretty sweet too! but being apoor broke electrician i guess my dreams of ever haveing a jcm 800 are just that! boo hoo lmao! Edited March 28, 2005 by ROBERTLATHAM1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.