Marshall 2203 MK2 LEAD

MY MKII100 2230 100 WATT LEAD COMBO IS A 1975, I PLAY A VARIETY OF STYLES BLUES ROCK COUNTRY AND I USE IT FOR ALL, I YET TO HAVE A BRAKE WITH IT BUT THAT WILL COME...THE KILLER OF A DEAL WAS THAT I BOUGHT A HOME WITH A WOOD BURNING STOVE IN IT THAT I DIDN'T WANT ANYWAY SO I TRADED EVEN FOR THIS AMP THAT HAD BEEN SITTING IN A BASEMENT FOR 10 YEARS. I PUT NEW TUBES AND REPLACED THE CAPS PLUGGED IT IN AND IT HAS BEEN WOWING EVERYONE SINCE. I DON'T MEAN TO RUB IT IN GUYS BUT I JUST LUCKED OUT.

I'M USING A REISSUE 1959 LESPAUL AND A REISSUE '54 STRAT, 60 STRAT A COUPLE OF GRETSCH A DAN ELECTRO AND A TIESCO DEL RAY, '52TELE B-BENDER TELE A BOUND 67 TELE AND A ESQUIRE . THE AMP IS EXTREMELY QUIET , IT BREAKS UP GREAT IN THE MASTER VOL SETTING AND IS REALLY CLEAN IN THE CLEAN SETTING , I'VE USED A MESA BOOGIE AND A VOX AC30 AND A FENDER BLUES DELUXE ...BUTR I LOVE THIS MARSHALL...I DON'T EVEN MIND LUGGING IT AROUND

I'VE USED IT ON THE ROAD WITH NO BACKUP FOR THREE MTHS NO BREAK DOWN. I DON'T HAVE A FLIGHT CASE AS OF YET BUT I MAY GET A GATOR AS I HAVE ONE FOR THE VOX AND I LOVE IT WHEELS HANDLE AND PADDING

AS I SAID I REPLACED ALL THE TUBES AND CAPS AND HAD IT GONE OVER WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB...SO FAR IT HAS COST ME ~$250.00 IN PARTS AND LABOUR. i HAVE NEVER DEALT WITH THE COMPANY SO I HAVE NO OPINION ON HELPFULL OR NOT. I DON'T CARE IT SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ANYTHING

I HAVE COMPARED IT TO THE REISSUE 2203

JCM 800.....3 12AX7's, 4 6550's...simple.....presence,bass,middle,treble,master,gain,two inputs......best amp ever made. Any features it doesn't have I won't need. I use my hands and a few stompboxes and don't worry about it. Does any style I need with some knob turning or using a different input. Did I mention it's THE BEST AMP EVER MADE?

Using a Gibson Explorer in white tuned to e-flat with Seymour Duncan Distortion/jazz set thrown in there, tuned to e-flat,with these pedals: Peterson Strobostomp>MXR Blue Box>Fulltone OCD>Boss SD-1>Boss CE-3>DOD Bass Flanger>Line 6 Echo Park>high input on amp. I play death/thrash with rock 'n' roll style with that setup. My "swedish death metal" setup is a Schecter Hellraiser FR w/ EMG 81/85 combo tuned to B and I take out the SD-1 and CE-3 and put my Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal distortion on there and use the low input. this amp is REALLY LOUD. But it has so much tone that the loudness is tolerable. Harmonics literally FLY off my fingerboard..I like standing in front of it and letting it get feedback harmonics. So f%%kin' good. The distortion is the MOST BRUTAL of them all, but in a good way. If you can't get monster tone with this amp, you better learn how to play that f$#kin' guitar of yours! This amp is all I need. It even gets a killer clean tone using the low input, and by turning your guitar down it cleans right up. That's why these need to run 6550's.......louder, cleaner and more crunch then a freight train running over a drunken hobo! Uh.yeah......so.....best amp ever.

This amp is a tank. It WILL outlive me, and many others. I keep it in a roadcase so it's fine, but even if it dropped off a tall building I'm sure it'll still fire right up.

Never dealt with 'em.

Playing for about 10 years. If it gets taken.well I'll have to get the cash together for another. I love everything about it and hate nothing. Did not compare it to anything else becuase there is NOTHING else after using it. If you want to sound WAY better than everyone, use it. I know my tone will always be great with it backing me up. Remember kids: simple=better!

Mine is a one channel Marshall JCM 800 100W with two vertical inputs (lo, high). It was made in 1982.
The controls are pretty basic: Pre-Amp Volume (Gain), Master Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence.
No fancy channel switching, no fx-loop...

This amp may not appear versatile regarding the actual controls but since it reacts nicely to your playing and the guitar (volume/tone) controls, you can still get some versatility out of it.

But...more versatility would affect the great sound of the amp...so it's better this way...

This amp was the industry standard of ANY hard rock/metal band in the 80s (just listen to some of the records, e.g. "Shout At The Devil" (album) by M??tley Cr??e or "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" by Helloween, then you get the idea).
You can actually get a great dynamic clean sound when using the lo-input and/or single coil-equipped guitars. It goes without saying that you should keep the pre-amp volume at low settings...
The distorted sound is punchy, meaty and aggressive (not brutal!) with almost no compression to it (think of a punching ball that immediately bounces back). This wide dynamic range is what amazes me most.
You can't get a modern, heavily "mid-scooped" sound...
(If this amp sounds bad, you should better learn how to play the guitar!)

The amp workes great with either Strat-style or Les-Paul-style guitars (depends on how much gain you "desire").

All in all a great amp for blues-hard rock. If you want more gain, use your favorite overdrive pedal (works great with almost any overdrive stomp box - Ibanez Tubescreamer or Boss SD-1 recommended!) in front for that little extra "kick" and sustain.
I personally can't imagine a better crunch sound for playing hard rock and classic metal.

(By the way, don't forget putting in your earplugs...and don't say you weren't warned...! Since the amp doesn't "compress" your sound it's actually "louder" than other amps with more compression.)
An amp to blow your speakers!


I use it with (Floyd Rose and non-Floyd Rose equipped) Strats as well as Les Pauls (with passive or active pickups). The (4x12'' - the only choice for that kind of head!) cabinet is either a Marshall 1960-AV or a Hughes & Kettner Custom Cabinet, both of which are loaded with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers. In my opinion, it fits just perfectly.

Just bought the amp (mint condition!) but since it was made in 1982...speaks for itself...

Never dealt with Marshall, see above...

I own two other heads (Engl Fireball and Hughes & Kettner TriAmp Mk. II) and some combos (Hughes & Kettner Tube 50, Hughes & Kettner Tube 20, Fender Pro Junior) and have been playing for almost 10 years now.

I've been looking for a good JCM 800 one-channel head for years, and now I finally found one...so there really wasn't an "alternative".

Since I'm going to bi-amp it (with my Engl Fireball), the JCM 800 fits perfectly. I don't plan to modify it in any way because I don't need an fx-loop...or 2nd master volume...or "more" gain...or whatever!

I wouldn't dare to say that one (good sounding) amp is better than the other, since it depends on the actual situation (you can't run a JCM 800 at volumes that don't annoy your neighbors).
If you want a typical Marshall crunch, then you have to go out and buy a great sounding Marshall (JCM 800). The only way to get a similar sounding amp is (obviously) to exactly copy the circuit of the JCM 800...
If you play in cover bands that require many different sounds a Hughes & Kettner TriAmp might be the obvious (and i.m.h.o. best) choice. If you need a crystal clear clean channel at high volumes combined with a more brutal sounding distortion you should consider playing an Engl Fireball, for instance.
(...and, you know, sometimes you just feel like: "well, I think today I'll play my Marshall...and tomorrow the Fireball...and the day after...etc."! ;-))))

It's great for what it's supposed to do - giving you the best and rawest Marshall crunch in the world.

If it was stolen, I'd strongly consider getting the reissue model (with fx-loop).

This is a 100 watt 1979 JMP MkII Super Lead. High and low channel inputs, master volume, no loops or any other features other than EQ treble, mid, bass, presence. Came with 6550s and was converted to EL34s. At 100 watts, stage coverage is hardly an issue. For most purposes it makes sense to pull out the two outer power tubes, leaving in the middle two. This drops the amp to 50 watts and allows you to crank it up to achieve the right tone at less than arena loudness. Trust me, 50 watts is plenty, and since the objective is to get this amp to "breath", lowering the wattage gets you there with ease.

I run the guitar through a distortion unit into a Boss 300 chorus rack unit and Korg SDD 2000 then into front of amp. Even with the amp cranked and no effects loop the sound is great; Eric Johnson meets Robin Trower.

This amp, as with most older Marshalls, does one thing well: overdrive. Problem for many players and venues is the amp needs to be played at almost full tilt to get "the" sound. So this isn't the amp you want if versatility is important.

Even if you play under ideal conditions (huge auditoriums) some modification (shudder) can be helpful to get this amp sounding it's best. Here I offer a short guide to what I did to get the sound smokin' beautifully and with the kind of soul healing tone all us guitarists are aiming for. I offer this only as an example of what you can do as an alternative to major modding of a vintage amp:
1) Pulled the EL34 power tubes and replaced the two center tubes with Groove Tubes EL84 adapters. Drops Marshall to 20 watts. You may not think this is loud enough. It is. Most importantly, the tone you achieve by now being able to crank the master and preamp past 3 o'clock is well worth any volume worries.
2) Minor mods to preamp: modify the two treble peak components. One is a capacitor attached to the master volume and one is on the PCB board.
Also replace resistors on PCB board to improve gain at lower volumes. Here's what I used as a guide, good pictures for all us non-engineers. Be carefull about working on a high voltage amp. I let mine sit idle and unplugged for three days before opening up.
http://tone-lizard.com/Ultimate_JCM800.htm
3) Distortion/Overdrive pedal into front end: some tone experts suggest using a "clean boost" to overdrive the first stage of the preamp. I've used this approach with good results. But you can also use just about any good sounding overdrive pedal. I'd suggest keeping the distortion low on the pedal and work to get most of the tone from the amp itself. I'm currently using a Line6 DM4 tweaked endlessly to get the sounds that don't detract from the Marshall sound... please don't get all religious on me.... the DM4 sounded better than my Keeley Boss Overdrive and provides four different programmed sounds. And get this my fellow guitarists - the amp sounded so good at my last gig that members of the band were telling me to "turn up" !!!!

Never had a problem. Checked out amp recently with a pro vintage amp tech and it came through with a clean bill of health. I one of the keys is to not overmodify this amp. The mods that I mentioned above are completely reversable.

Never needed

With a little help, and possibly the use of an overdrive/distortion pedal on the front end this amp is a fire breathing tone demon. I use other amps for clean tones. This one is for mondo-crunch and leads only. Very very very happy with this amp.

If lost would replace with one of Marshall's JCM800 reissues and do the same mods as described above.

My amp is a JCM800 1981 2203 MK2 with vertical imputs, high and low. This amp suits me to a T. I have been playing guitar for over thirty years. I play blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal,etc. With this amp I can nail hendrix, zepplin, jeff beck, black sabbath, ZZ top, AC/DC, and the list goes on. This amp is not lacking in any department. I got this amp on 2/11/05 from a rehearsal studio on long island that was switching to mesa boogies. I payed $800.00 for the head and the matching 1960a cabinet,right time right place.The only mod I have done was a 50/100 watt switch, and retubed with EL 34 Mullard platinums. That makes it good for home and playing out.

I have a 1961 SG with original pickups, a Koa wood Destroyer with original neck and a super distortion tail, and three high end Ibanez guitars, because I love using the floyd rose.The amp is not noisy at all, but I still have not had a chance to push it past 7.The distortion is huge, and I lower the volume on my guitar to 7or 8 to get my clean sound, I only plugged in to the clean channel once just to make sure it worked. I am able to do all I need to on the high imput.My other amps are a 1975 JMP 2104 50 watt combo and a 1964 mint fender bandmaster.

This amp had spent 24 years in a rehearsal studio when I got it, it sounded awesome the night I played it in the studio so I bought it on the spot. The next day I took it to my authorized Marshall guy at Davidson Electronics and had him completely disassemble the entire unit, refurbish all connections, tube sockets and controls, install a 50/100 watt switch, rebiased and driven, installed Mullard platinum EL34's. If anyone told me that this amp probably sounded better when it was new, I would call them A damn liar, And in my life I have owned quite a few new and used marshall. Im sure i'll be annoying my neighbors with this amp 25 years from now.

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When I took this amp to my amp tech he smiled and told me that it was one of the last of the truly great marshalls. I asked him about dialing in the marshall sound because I had read so many reviews on this site where people had said it took 3 months to dial in their sound. He laughed, a lot, and said that has never been a problem with any of the great marshalls.

1986 is the year of my amp. Simple bare bones that sounds absolutely awesome. So Loud, I use with a quad box fitted with Vintage 30 Celestions....MMMMmmmmmmmmmWOW kinda sound!

Very versatile amp for its simplicity, you put a great guitar into it and it sounds the best. There are no fancy bells like reverb or channel switching but that also means NO COMPROMISE in sound.

I use a LP Classic re 1960, LP Special 50 (1977) and the Classic screams whilst the Special rocks!

I like this amp cause it KICKS arse, it's loud, has punch and can play really clean too. I like sustain and there's plenty of that.

The only noise from this amp is when the LP is howling.

This amp with the celestions sounds raw and a little old school. Page, Hendrix, Clapton, Slash......

When this amp is overdriven, it's fantastic.

I've gigged with this amp for 15 years and it has never let me down. Only once did the high input stop working, but this was due to the head crashing on the floor off the head during a gig, I had to plug into the PA for the rest of the song ang yuk. But someone in the audience had a soldering iron (yes, I asked over the mic), and I borrowed a bit of solder from another joint and finished the gig kicking arse again.
100% say no more just hear it!

Never had to!

I've been playing for over 20 years, Marshall all the way. I also have a Marshall JTM30 (turn this one up and it's the best ever 30 watt I have ever heard, sounds like the 100 watter but better at low volumes). And a Marshall 1 watter, obviously the 1 watter is a tranny type that clips onto my belt.

I would get another (2203)if this one was not around.

1987 Mk 2
I was looking to create a mixture of Slash, Hendrix, Angus Young and Zakk Wylde. THIS AMP DOES IT ALL.
I use this as my main stage and studio amp through a GIbson LEs Paul Standard with 1959 pickup and Alnico Pro 2 and via a Jim Dunlop Wah with Boss GT-5 for reverb, slight corus and any extra gain i need for solos.
I also have a TSL 100w with 6550's which i sometimes use for cleaner tones.

My main guitars are a Gibson SG 12-75 with standard pickups and a Gibson Les Paul Standard with Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro 2 humbucker on the bridge and 1959 hunbucker on the neck.
The clean channel is perfect i use my volume on my Les Paul with the 1959 humbucker and using the Boss GT-5 to clean up the sound if very soft acoustic sound needed.
But with 2 clicks i am in full Zakk Wylde / Angus Young sound

Not had her long but so far no problems. My tech has re tubed her with EH's EL34's and sounds great.

My tech has dealt with Marshall a few times as well as myself and found themn to be very helpfull and friendly and they know there stuff!!!

I have been playing for 5 years have got many amps and guitars but always end up using my les paul through this amp.
If it was lost or stolen and i was not able to find the git! I woudl deffinatly replace. I am looking at the re-issues but they just dont capture the originals.
Haze
www.haze-uk.com