Marshall JCM 900 2100

This review is for the JCM 900 2100 High Gain Master Volume MkIII 100 Watt model that Marshall launched in the late '80s/early '90s - not to be confused with the later 2100 SL-X model.
Also, this amp has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in common with the dreadful Dual Reverb models (aside from sharing the "JCM 900" name).

Basically, this is a straight forward, no frills 1-channel amp in the 2203 tradition, but with two selectable and footswitchable Master Volume controls (i.e. volume levels), the usual Marshall EQ - Presence/Bass/Mid/Treble and both a control for "Preamp" and "Gain", effects loop, pentode/triode switch etc.

Sound quality is really good - no matter what guitar/pickup. Sounds also very good with all kinds of pedals.

2100 vs 4100

The 2100 has more than enough gain for even the weakest single coil PU's and I disagree with prior poster "danny" - the 2100 has way more gain than any unmodded 4100 DR POS will ever have, and most of all, actual TONE.

2100 vs. 2100 SL-X

The biggest difference between the 2100 and the 2100 SL-X is the noise. The 2100 is very quiet for its amount of gain. On the other hand, the 2100 SL-X doesn't have that much more gain, but a whole lot more noise. Also, the 2100 can easily be dialed in to have a great, dynamic "cleanish" sound with a touch of "hair", while still having plenty of volume, something you won't get with a 2100 SL-X.


To sum it up - if you always thought that the 2100, bearing the JCM 900 name, sounds lame or has the same type of distortion as the 4100, then you owe it yourself to check one out if you happen to get the opportunity. For me, the 2100 is pretty much an evolution of the 2203 model. But contrary to the 2203, you won't need the use of a stompbox to push it to heavier overdrive/distortion, especially with SC pickups.

Except for some basic maintenance (cleaning pots, replace tubes etc.), zero problems in 19 years.

Great amp. Period. If you can find one in good shape, get it. Aside that they sound great, these models will definitely go up in value in the long run.

The Marshall Jcm900SL-X Model 2100 Mk.IV is the 100 watt master Volume 2 channel model with a High Low Mode switch to choose between 50&100 watts.Direct in, effects loop, valve failure fuses with LED's,This is the metal or thrash model with 4 12AX7's and 4 EL34's front panel has of course an "On" button next to the standby button next comes foot switch input with LED.Then the EQ Presence,Bass,Middel,Treble. Then 2 volumes (B) & (A)then Gain then Preamp Volume and then the input.I mostly play metal or rock so this is why I picked this amp.This is not a Jazz or country amp unless you like a lot of overdrive as you do some chicken pick'in.

If your looking for say a KIss sound this is the amp for you.This is the same amp that KISS used (with 1960BV Cabs) for thier reunion tour in the late 90's.If you like the sound of early Slash then your in luck.This is one of the amps he used.With this said.This amp is made for Rock-N-Roll,Metal or Blues Rock.True Marshall Tone.I play a PRS 513 Rosewood through mine.oh! Clean this is not this amp is mainly for overdrive.

I've never had any problems with this amp.I would depend on it for any gig in the future.Don't forget you can switch between 50&100 watts.beside you'd most likely mic it anyway.

The little I've dealt with them they where very friendly and professional.By the way it wasn't for this amp.But an Early JCM800 combo I had.

The only reason I don't rate it as a perfect ten is that I need another amp for a good clean channel.Good for me I own a TSL100 & a VHT Deliverance120.Both have a super Clean sound. so I a/b them when I need to.Matters on the music I'm playing at the moment.But if all I play is dirty I don't even have a backup.Just this.It's become my main amp.

i have a marshall jcm 900 2100 mkIII. its a 1990 model(one of the first friggin a). if you want a good clean channel stop reading, an "acceptable" clean channel does not exist in this beast. but thats fine if you have an a/b box and another amp with a dedicated clean channel. features are pretty well covered in previous reviews.

i beleive henry ford said it best "you can have it in any color you want as long as its black". that rings true hear as well. you can have any tone you want as long as its distorted marshall tone. one thing id like to make clear how ever is all the reviews ive seen around comparing this model to the dual reverb models. thats comparing apples to oranges folks. the 2100 series and the 4100 series are two completely different pre amp circuits. the 2100 series pre amps read as follows in--v1 stage1--vi stage2--v2 stage1and 2 tied together--diode clipping

the 4100 preamp reads as follows in--ic gain boost--same as 2100 series exceppt diff plate rest. values
so with that cleared up yes the 4100s have more gain out of the box but most of it is not tube gain rather s.s. gain. the 2100 series are more traditional marshall sounding but less gain than the 4100s.

which brings us to "How brutal is the distortion?". stock, its not brutal distortion its crunch, however ive modded my entire pre gain structure and has seemed to do the trick. it added more pregain distortion and a little more low end response. DONT TRY TO PERFORM ANY MOD TO A TUBE AMP IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOURE DOING!!!! there is hazardous voltage inside that could kill you and must be properly discharged before repairs or mods.

it is one of the quitest amps ive ever owned in reference to hum and feedback at high volumes. i play metal and it suits it even left stock.

reliability is yet to be seen. havent had it very long and have modified marshalls tested and proven circuit design(if it had a warranty still it would so be voided) NEVER GIG A TUBE AMP WITH OUT A BACKUP OR AT LEAST EXTRA TUBES!! tubes like light bulbs have a varied life time. you never know when theyre gonna fry.

called them for owners manual info and they sent a copy for free!! i give them an 100 for this

ive benn playing for eight years and own countless other pieces of equimpent. if it were stolen id cry then wipe my tears and go hunting for c$%# suckers with sticky fingers and taking no prisoners. i still wish even after mods that it had more distortion. i knew imediately that this was the marshall model i wanted.

This is a marshall 2100 made in 1991. The amp is not versatile but works perfectly for the the type of music that I play (metal). There's two channels, but the second channel, B, is essentially just a volume boost - very cool for solos. The gain goes to 20. This amp is extremely loud. It has an option in the back to change from 100 watts to 50 watts. I always keep it on 100 watts.

I'm using the 2100 in conjuction with a 1974 Les Paul Standard with two seth lover pickups. I'm also using the 2100 with a model 5A Charvel with a J95 in the bridge. The les paul and charvel sounds glorious through it. While I love playing metal with this bad boy, it can also do rock music to a tee. By playing around with the gain and preamp controls, one is able to go from playing SRV to Emperor. If you want fender cleans, this is the wrong amp for you. I on the other hand love the dirty cleans which is achievable by turning your volume down; it provides a dirty clean which Marshall is renowned for. The distortion can get pretty brutal ala Slayer when both gain and preamp knobs are dimed. I like to keep the gain on at around 18 and the preamp volume at around 8. When boosting with a ts-9 or sd-1, one can achieve a brutal crunch that's not over the top, just perfect.

I've owned the amp for about 5 months now and there's been no problems whatsoever. I would definitely use it on a gig without a backup.

I bought it used so I wouldn't know.

I've been playing for roughly 10 years and I have tons of gear. I own a Traynor YBA-1, Marshall 8100, various fenders etc. If it was stolen I would search the world over for another one. Unfortunately, they're not too easy to find. They only made them from 90-92. I love the fact that the amp is simple. I don't find myself screwing around for hours on end trying the find a sound that I'm confortable with. I love one channel amps and guitars, they fail to give me a headache - which is a mighty good thing since I hate headaches.

This one is the MkIII-edition of the 2100-head.
Features - very simple, don't think I have to go through it again, read below.
This is a high-gain amp, don't even try to get a more clean sound, it sounds like shit then. I would like a clean channel aswell.

The sound is crunchy, very crunchy. I think it could be cool to play 80's thrash-metal with, maybee stoner-rock or old hardrock like Black Sabbath from the seventies could work aswell with this amp. That's about it, this is a high-gain amp with a very crunchy sound, not the thick and warm marshall sound I am looking for. With little gain it sounds like crap I think, not good at all, so if you want this one to sound ok you have to play it with a lot of gain, and if you want brutal marshall-gain I think the SL-X sounds much better.
I use a Gibson SG standard.

Acted a little weird when the first week I had it, but after that I didn't have any problems with it. Had it for 8-9 months and I never switched the tubes.

Never tried to gig with it. Tried to record with it once but it sounded like crap so I used a jcm800-2210-head instead. I love the marshall-sound but there are many marshall-amps who is better than this one. Although I think it sounds better than marshall-amps like dsl, tsl, valvestate, 6100LM... I had this one for 8-9 months, then sold it and bought the SL-X instead.
If you want the thick and warm marshall-sound, buy the jcm800-2210. If you want brutal marshall-gain, buy the Sl-x. Check out www.erikhansen.net for sound-samples, yet I think his amp sounds better than mine did.

I was told by another guitarist, whose sound I admire, to look for the early production runs on this particular model, specifically, mine was manufactured in the last quarter of 1989, so it was one of the very first 2100's made. This model represents Marshall getting back to the basics, which dictates no need for features. The simplicity of rock guitar was born from the elder siblings of the Marshall family of old, none of which duanted a behemouth list of features. If you want features, go car shopping. If you want ear bleeding tube saturation, buy this head. The versatility should come from the artist, not his equipment.

I play a Ibanez JPM 100 that has a Dimarzio Air Norton at the neck and Dimarzio Steve's special at the bridge, and I also play a PRS SE Soapbar with true P-90's, and a Fender Strat (Eric Johnson sign.) with Texas Specials. My choice in guitars are specific to my choice's in music genre. The only effects I loop in front of the pre-amp are a TubeScreamer, a compressor, a digital chorus, a crybaby wah, and a digital delay. I've been a working guitarist for over 30 years, and can manage the sound of every guitarist I cover with this configuration. My settings on the head are standardized (L-7, M-scouped, H-8, P-7, G-Full, MV-Full) and the same for every guitar. The shape and modeling come from the effects, and the guitar levels. I've covered everyone from Tony Iomi, to Randy Rhodes, Zak Wylde, Glen Tipton, George Lynch, SRV, Jeff Petrucci, Neal Schon, Alex Lifeson, Ronnie Montrose, Jake E. Lee, David Gilmore...goddamn I'm an old fucker. You get the point, this head puts whatever sound I need, at MY fingertips.

I've been gigging with this particular head for 15 years, and have replaced the tubes and rebiased 5 times, but I'm talking MANY hours of club abuse here, in addition to roasting the last 3 sets of tubes through a power soak every night, so they have melted down quicker than the previous 2 sets, but that's okay. I dig the growl. I'm only giving it an 8 because of the goddamn tubes, although I love the goddamn tubes, and if it didn't have them, I wouldn't even own the goddamn thing. It still just gets an 8.

Haven't needed it. I have the best tech in the midwest. Marshall hooked me up with a manufacture date from the serial no.when I called them in 1991, since then, I haven't needed them.

I'm an old man that still shred's daily, but don't let my age fool you. The poor bastard that decides to steal my gear will be found, and then shot and given a severe limp for life. If he shoots back, he dies.

The tone is unequaled if your heroes played rock guitar from 1967 to present day. Damn things a bit heavy, but that's the roadies prob.

I've played them all...there is no other choice for me.

This amp is pretty much as simple as anything gets, no Mesa/Boogie gadgetry here. To sum this section up quickly if you want to rock and if you cannot be bothered with endless knob-turning this amp is definately for you. Maybe an extra gain knob to go with the two master-volumes would have provided a little more versatility but it's no problem for me. I'll get back to this however.
I'll give it a nine because as good as I think this amp is(rock of all kinds and agas),it is hardly appropriate to call it versatile. On the other hand it's a Marshall! They invented the sound of rock, others are just imitators (some good, some bad).

As mentioned elsewhere on this page this is essentially a one channel amplifier with two master-volumes and a switch. I mentioned above that I would like an extra gain knob because when I hit the lead channel the sound gets a little too dry and I really lack that last bit of saturation of my sound. However, I effectively solved the problem by using a Boss Bluesdriver(any overdrive unit with a simple layout will do), and engaging it with it's level fully cranked and it's gain completely off. This will drive the pre-amp section of the amp harder without coloring or compressing the sound significantly, resulting in classic 80'ies screaming lead. By this simple addition you have four very useful sound to choose from crunch to screaming leads worthy of Eddie or Slash. I'll award it with a ten because if you do not like this amp's sound you aren't likely to be in the market for a Marshall anyway. Remember freinds: There is no such thing as the perfect amp. Every guitarist has a different set of ears so try as many amps as you possibly can.

Things eventually break if you use them often enough. So what!? That's why they have repair tech's.

I have my own technician.

I work in a guitar store so I've had the opportunity to try out a lot of amps. I think what puzzles people is that the Marshalls are so much cheaper than say: Orange, Mesa/Boogie, Fenders. I have so many customers who ask for a lead tone "like on the album (with whatever artist)". These guys spend tons of money on little stomp-boxes without realizing that most of the solos they hear on their records are made with Marshall equipment and that it is stupid to think that you can believably replace a fullblown Marshall with a stupid little transistor box. Why haven't people figured this out yet?!
I've tried this amp alongside the so-called Orange 140 watts dual lead. The Orange costs six times the price of the Marshall because it's hand-wired. I don't give a rat's ass about this, the Orange when comparing sound and price has appallingly little "muscle" despite its 140 watt tag and compared to the Marshall it sounds like a bad plagiate. The morale? Buy with your ears! Don't assume that just because you buy expensive equipment you buy the best. Good luck!

Made in 1990. Single channel with 2 master volumes, switchable, effects loop, 2 speaker outs 8 and 16(4) ohm, standard Marshall fare. This amp has never let me down. Bought it back in the mid 1990's used. Loved it from the first time I plugged in to it. I've used it gigging and just messing around at home. Fits my style perfectly. This amp was pretty much the next generation of the JCM900 2203 with the addition of some preamp clipping diodes and few resistor changes (2 or 3 positions).

I can go from nice JCM800 type tone to screaming overdrive just by turning up the gain. It sounds great with all of my guitars, Fender Strat, Kramer Baretta, homemade dual humbucker strat, Epiphone LP. It started to get noisy recently so I took it in for service. New tubes and a rebias took care of that. Sounds SWEET now. The guy who serviced it complimented on it as well. He said this is a very good amp.

It's a tank. Has never broken down on me at all. I gigged with it for several years without a backup and would do it again in a drop of a hat. All of the tube sockets are hardwired, not PCB mounted (saw this myself) so I have no worries about a PCB melting due to too much heat.

Only dealt with them once trying to find out when in 1990 it was made. Got a reply within 2 days via email. Unfortunately there isn't a way to tell the month. That's OK with me. At least I know I have a first year run of this baby.

Been playing for almost 20 years. I also own a Crate GX-15 practice amp, a few BOSS Pedals, Fulltone DP-1, Rocktron Intellifex rack processor, Crybaby Wah, Phase 90, and a sure wireless. I'm sure I'm missing something. I mostly play this at home from time to time. I plan on taking care of this amp for a long time. I'll take this over the new JCM2000 or a 5150 (had one of those too) any day of the week. The tone is just wonderful. Put a SD-1 in front of it and it screams. This is the perfect amp for my style (EVH, Zakk Wylde, Great White, etc). It covers all the bases. I don't care that there is no reverb. I've gotten used to playing dry. If anything it makes me clean up my picking. If you find one of these models used, snag it. You won't be sorry.

Standard fare as with the other comments made, but will blow the 4100 away without a problem. I've ran both in a stereo configuration and the 4100 just can't hold the mustard. Run it pumped and clean with an effects system and you'll never have any trouble, once you've dialed it in.

I've used Gibson and Jackson guitar's and both have humbuckers. I don't use single coil, so you're on your own in that area. It's a very metal amp and if you want vintage Sabbath tone, it's able to deal with that and then some.

I've gigged with it and no trouble. Had to replace and bias the thing once, but after punishing it for a long time.

Haven't had the need to deal with them.

I've been playing for over 15 years now and want another 2100 to replace that 4100 for stereo stacks. Wouldn't matter if I had to have it overhauled a bit, because it's worth it. If it were stolen, I'd have to kick myself in the teeth for not being able to catch the guy trying to run with a 50 lb. head in his hands.

This rig has the benefit of two completely separate channels for volume; One for "rythm" or accompaniment and the other for solos. It is all very basic withing itself (a separate effects unit is required for color, etc. but has the benefits of cutting out a second Marshall head (via A/B switching) for this purpose. It also has the switching between 50/100 watts.

For my particular sound/style I prefer to run the amp as clean as possible while simultaneously running separate effects through it as the amp itself is designed for classic Marshall sound/voicing and straight up volume... which is fine with me.
It is a very quiet tube unit compared to many other brands I have plugged into since the mid-seventies.
It has CLASSIC Marshall tone, that great "brown sound" with brilliance and excellant voicing; To get an idea of it's overall tone listen to LADY RED LIGHT by Great White, or Ronnie James Dio solo stuff.
I LOVE this amp and will NEVER part with it!
It goes from chrystal clear sweet-to-bad-assed mean and nasty in no time flat. The tube-quality just makes my sound LITERALLY sizzle and burn.

I have been playing for over 30 years. It blows All of the competition away. Period.

It's a f*#kin' 100 watt Marshall tube head.

Need I say more?

I believe this amp was made in the early 90's(I have not looked up the serial #) and basically,it replace a 6-space rack of all tube Mesa/Peavey gear!! This amp is not versatile,which I LIKE,because I can get all my different tones from my hands and guitar,instead of playing with knobs all day haha!! This has an effects loop,half-power switch(very handy),and the normal 3-band EQ,gain and volume controls.
This is a one-channel amp with a boost option via a footswitch,with 3 12ax7 and 4 EL-34 power tubes for tone/power.

I use a Ibanez RG-570 with a Dimarzio X2N in the bridge with this amp,and it sounds great for metal/rock.I boost this amp a little with a Boss SD-1 Overdrive pedal,which is the magic box for ANY Marshall! I turn the preamp gain up all the way,and turn the other fuzzy gain to around 12:00 or so(I like tight distortion,like old Metallica),and the pedal just has the volume and tone all the way up,but no drive.This is TONE from hell,literally! It's the haeviest,gnarliest amp I've ever had.Sounds close to the sound on Ride The Lightning!! I have found that Marshalls clean up better than any amp,so I turn my volume to half on my neck pickup,turn off the pedal and turn on some chorus....wow,sounds better than my last amps clean channel.This is a great amp,and they are cheap....so buy 3!!!!

Well,when I bought this,the guy who I got it from said he just got it out of the shop.At band practice,I fired it up and it sounded killer for 30 minutes,then just started losing volume.Turns out the tech did'nt bias the tubes correctly,and it had a crap output transformer.I'm glad I took it to a GOOD amp tech,because when I got it back it sounded unbelievable! I just used it on a 5 week tour,no problems! This thing is simple,so it's hard to kill it haha! Seems reliable to me,should be fine!

Never talked to Marshall dudes....

I've been playin' about 9 years and have owned lots of amps...solid state and tube(mostly tube though)and never could get the edge I wanted out of any of them.I tried Marshalls before but they never had enough gain,unless they were modified....and they were always expensive if you wanted a REAL one.Well,this sounds pretty close to a JCM 800(the holy grail metal amp)and no one cares about these!Also,once I discovered the Boss SD-1 overdrive pedal,I realized you can take the fuzz out of this amp and replace with bone-dry crunch....so...HELL YEAH!This is the best version of the 900 series because it is simple(no reverb,dual channels)and everyone knows that with Marshalls,the less crap in the circuitry the better.If you like the tone of old Slayer,Sepultura,Metallica and Anthrax you need this,straight up!This also is very death metal too,and you can get a great clean tone out of it by resetting the controls.If someone stole it I would beat some ass and then get it back,and get one more too haha!I have found the dream amp for me...get this! Oh yeah,I run this into an old JCM 800 4X12 w/vintage 30's in it.Make sure you use one of these cabs or a Mesa Rectifier cab,or the tone is less impressive haha.Great stuff!!

My amp was made December 1990. It is a "100W Hi Gain Master Volume MkIII", not the SLX. Fitted with four EL34 output valves.
It is basically an one channel amp but you can switch between two master volume settings. I never used the switch however.
I used the amp a short time when I had a band, now it sits in my bedroom decorating the wall along with a 4x12 cabinet. An eye catcher aye. Yes it has enough power for a bedroom :P
I rate it's features 10 out of 10, because I don't want anything else than a one channel amp. It's nice that it has an effects loop, recording out, and a triode/pentode switcher for the power stage but I don't need anything from it. All I want is to plug my guitar straight in and play.

Using strat with humbuckers. My style ranges from slow blues to sepultura riffs - well this means no particular style at all, another would say.
What kind of sounds can this amp make? Well. The JCM 800 series were somewhat limited in their spectrum of sounds already, and the 900er is a high gain modding of it. So you could say. You can play any sort of 80's metal with it very allright. From Motorhead style up to Metallica riffs, whatever... it is for metal. That it does good and needs to pedals or what in first instance. You can play your blues with it too, it can be even pretty clean, but - the preamp stage is made for the high gain type of sound no matter what you want.

Well one problem is the potis - my master volume A poti was worn off pretty soon, but I live with it for many years now. The rest is very sturdy and well made. Haven't had a major problem with it the past fourteen years.

I lost my Marshall logo and a new one did cost $25. Considering it is simple plastic it is too much. Thumbs down, and a 0 out of 10 for the marshall service centers. Should have been pennies.

Have been playing this one for fourteen years. My guitar is the same all the time also.
If it were stolen I'd try a 2204 but I'd stay with Marshall.
What I love about it that it can be played at bedroom levels well.
What I hate about it is it's solid state components in the preamp section. You see, the 900'er series, as successors to the 800'ers - you can view them as modded 800'ers. Power section is identical, but solid state components were introduced into the preamp section (infamous diode clipping) to make it have more gain. Pretty much like a built-in fuzz pedal. Here's the unfortunity, you can't remove the fuzz from this amp. If I was to buy another one (I wouldn't sell this one), I'd try to get a 2204. It's circuit is simple and lovely. This one however... well I have it 14 years and I'm still not sure whether we're friends or not.
Oh it is a good amp though after all. Like I said good gain at bedroom volume level is something too. Driven at high volumes the additional preamp circuits don't help. Overall, I give it an 8.

My amp was made in 1992, it's made in England, it has 4 EL34 marshall tubes and 3 12ax7 chinese preamp tubes. And all the features you already know.

I play with an Ibanez JEM77FP wich has dimarzio evolution pickups. Damn this amp sounds great! I play Satriani Stuff and something of metal and it suits very good for both, this thing gives you alot of tone and its pretty loud! I cant get any clean sounds from this amp but it was not made for playing clean. I would like it had a clean channel, you can find other version of the jcm that has it.

This amp is a tank! I'm it's secon owner so the amp has about 8 years of age and nothing is wrong with it except for the dirty in the knobs.

I've been playing 4 years, I have owned a Marshall MG80 (crap solid state amp) and a Flextone Head (not bad but not good), as you can see i started playing with solid state amps so I changed to valves and the sound is a big diference, I prefer tubes and this is a great amp that when it gets the tubes overdriven sounds awsome. If it were stolen i would definitly buy another one but I would like to have the JCM hi gain dual reverb because of the clean channel.

The features fit the bill as far as I'm concerned. This is a no-nonsense, powerhose of an amplifier. Mine was made in 91 or 92, has groove tubes in it currently. LOUD. Plenty loud for bars and larger clubs.

I use a Gibson Gothic SG Special which has Gibson's 490 pickups in it. I'm running the amp into a late 90's 1960AC (25watt Greenback celestions) People talk about this amp being shrill or too much high end. I wonder if I get the warm crunchy tones out of it due to the cab? This amp is perfect for the stuff I'm doing. We play stoner rock / doom and this amp provides a very even distortion. Tons and tons of tone. The clarity that remains through the distortion is very nice as well. You can hear each note even in thick chords. We tune down to C and this amp has no problems handling the lower frequencies. Back off the volume on the guitar and flip to the neck pickup and the amp just sings. Beautiful. Clean channel is non-existant...

I've only had the thing for a few months, but I would deem it reliable. It's built like a tank, it's a Marshall for chrissakes! Hasn't broken down. When I got it, had it checked out by an amp tech and the tubes / bias was fine. Haven't put an additional dime into it, allthough I do need to clean the volume pot which is getting a bit scratchy.

Haven't dealt with them..

Yes, the price you see above is correct... The guy I got it from thought there was something wrong with it cause he couldn't play through it clean. I bought it without even hearing it figuring it would need some repairs. Amp tech checked it out with no problems. First time I plugged it in I was in LOVE! If it were stolen I'd likely hunt them down and kick their teeth in...

Listed below.............

Tested with a ESP Horizon with Dimarzio Tone Zone bridge pup. This amp was modded to except 6L6 tubes. This change made for a usually brittle sounding amp into a warm, full bodied crunchy beast. When played clean, it was full and rich, with lots of chime and nice mids and bottom. Complete 180 degree turn around compared to the EL34's. Overdriven, it still retained the Marshall vibe, but was clearer and more defined. The amp also was noticably quieter as well.

For owners of this amp, this could be a quick way to give your amp some character.

Using 6L6's is the way to go with this amp. It makes a good amp great. And just for the record, I'm EL34 freak and usually prefer them in most Marshalls. This amp is an exception.

I purchased my JCM900 - model 2100 - around about 1988-89, when they were first issued, some 15 years ago. It has very straight - up features effects loop,3 - band eq. etc.

I run a variety of guitars through this amp. and now base my purchases
of new instruments on their response in this amp. A les - paul is a shoo - in ,I currently utilize a Jackson custom shop SL-2 & a Fender Strat 1955 custom shop NOS With awesome, CONSISTANT results ! THE KEY is realizing that the EQ section is different than your traditional EQ
configuration. (This tip came from Marshall themselves!) ALL EQ SETTINGS SHOULD INITIALLY BE SET AT 12:00. SET THE CABINET ACROSS THE ROOM FROM YOU AND YOUR TONE CONTROLS ON THE GUITAR TO THEIR MID POINTS.TWEEK YOUR SOUND FROM THIS STARTING POINT!! I personally favor sending a little more low end from the guitar ..then using the mids and highs to DEFINE my tone. BEAUTIFUL !! to those who haven't received this amp. very well I say you missed your chance with a classic !! As far as versatility I can go from DEATH to BLUES easily.
HOW ?? I bought a second one !! These amps are The most widely simulated/emulated amps in the world for a GOOD reason..*(Meaning Marshall in General.) The tone is world class! and the sound pressure
they are capabel of ..in the right hands..leaves all other amps in your rear-view mirror!! MARSHALL RULES!!!

My amps have been work horses! yes I would..and have played heavily on this amp without a back - up!! The first one I bought came with TESLA tubes !! they lasted about 5 years and because the Tesla plant was then CLOSED..(pout) I replaced them with Groove - tubes and re-biased the heads,and THAT was around 1994-95 and they are still running strong. My only complaint is the pots should be sealed better.
They can get dirty fairly frequently and cleaning them has to be a regular maint. item.

I found Marshall setting standards for service after the sale as well!!

Lost or stolen...lets see...Well I have also developed a facination with GUN collecting..... I recommend you try one OF YOUR OWN !!
That way...when you're hooked you won't have to worry about looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life!

This is an early 1990's amp that is all tube - 4 EL34's and 3 12AX7's. It is a "modified: one channel amp that kicks in more gain on a second channel. In other words, the second channel really just adds gain 11-20 on the knob. It has a half power switch to go from 100 watts to 50 watts and two speaker extensions and effects loop.

I think the sound is incredible, despite what people say about the tone. The gain is the heart of this amp, BUT, the tone is simple and aggressive in that it has great treble and mid sounds and a tight bottom end. This also depends on what type of speaker cabinet you use. If you use the 1960AV or AX, it is alot more satisfying than going through the more modern 1960 cabinets. Those cabs use the vintage 30's and the Greenbacks, which gets you warmer sounds with lots of tone. But, lets be honest, this amp was made for the 80's metal and rock groups. It is a pure rock machine with very little versatility but just great sound.

So far so good after 9 years of having this amp. I have replaced the tubes 3 times and just as another tone note, Groove Tubes sound alot better than the traditional Svetlanas in this amp. Cosmetically, the tolex is rough but still clean.

I have called Marshall and have been able to talk to them about 75% of the time I have called them. Very friendly and helpful, even with "Mod" ideas, if you have them.

I slao have a 4100 from this series and love both. The 2100 is great for all rock venues. I would definitely get another from this early 90's Marshall line. It is definitely worth it. Everyone wants the versatility of two channels for certain types of music but not everyone gigs that way - the 2100 was made for them. It is also very good for instrumentalist like myself - or for those who play gigs with very little vocals like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Richie Kotzen, Greg Howe, Eric Johnson, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman or any Metal Bands.

I'm not sure what year this amp is. I bought it seven years ago used. As far as versatility of this amp, I've found it to be very versatile within 3 or 4 music genres. For rock, metal, blues, and a couple others, it's fantastic. This amp is made to play and sound heavy. If you plug a strat with single coils into it expecting Hank Williams Jr. you've got problems. The effects loop is something I don't use at all. I've realized the Marshall doesn't take to kindly to effects nor does it need the addition of any. I enjoy the single channel with volume switch. It's really all that I need.

I have a Dean Z XL and an Ibanez RG470 with black chrome hardware. Both are loaded with factory humbuckers. I used to have an older Ibanez with an EMG 81. My current guitars sound fantastic with this amp. The Dean especially. I also play the amp through a vintage Peavey 4X12 with old school Black Widows. With that setup, the amp is going to sound heavy regardless. Other than a general hum when the amp fires up I don't have any problems with noise. The amp has a very creamy low distortion. When you jack it up, the Marshall sound is unparalleled. I like to drop the mids out of the mix a little bit. That gives me a meaner sound. If I leave the preamp volume up and bring the gain back down to 11, the mild distortion and general tube warmth is fucking awesome.

The only things that have crapped out on me have been the fuses. No big deal. That and I need to rebias and replace my power tubes. I probably should do that since it hasn't been done in the existence of this particular amp.

I've been playing guitar for 13 years. I've owned Fender, Crate, Peavey, and Mesa Boogie amps. My 2100 is the best of all of them. I've found that My Dean sounds the best through the amp. I recently tuned it down to B flat and the sound is crushing.

If the amp were stolen, I would hunt down and kill the bastard who took it. Either that or I would buy another one.

The 2100 is a metal/punk machine. Pumping 100 watts it is a power maze. More than one channel would be a plus. Dealing with metal, death, punk, hardcore this one is for you! This amp has been a 5 year thing for me since I baught it from the recycler.com. It is great and reliable for live shows and sounds even better with gain on 10 (goes up to 20!) and even better than that in the studio. Overall I use this amp merely for the studio. I prefer a valvestate or mg for live shows, just beacuse the valvestates are lightweight and playing clubs the equiptment could get mest up pretty bad. It use el34's (compare to 5881's) with makes it a beast and a machine in it's own way. I've played dual rectifiers and this is better..

I use a schecter omen with humbuckers and this amp is made for humbuckers! This amp is my baby next to my real baby. I would cry if it dies or got lost or stolen.

The amp tends to get a bit noisy with the volume all the way up and sometimes I hear radio stations on it (very rarley)
It is a powerhouse of tones and it is very beefy and loud!
I guess thats what makes it cool!

No problems besides I had to change the tubes and get it biased ($50)

I guess I got a good one on a good day!
Haven't had to call.

Playing for 15 years (25) And I've played pignoses, to gorillas, to crates, to peavey's, to riverera's <--thats a different review! to mesa's finnaly to marshall and I choose marshall for the thick, warm, cruncy, heavy, brown sound that only a true marshall can produce!

The features are not very versatile as far as channel switching goes. One channel is Gain and the other is More Gain. The amp has four Power tubes and three Preamp tubes and 4 tone controls - Bass, Mid Treb & presence. Effects loop and two external speaker outputs for a total of 100 watts of pure rock.

The tone is tremendous. Not much of the clean sounds but THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS AMP WAS MADE FOR. Good tonal variety through many guitars - Ibanez, Gibson, Fender, Peavey, Kramer & ESP (yes, I own them all). Good lack of feedback and buzzing/hissing noise at high levels. With just three preamp tubes, the gain was smooth and plentiful. Good for Metal, Rock, Neo classical rock and Texas Blues.

Good after 5 and a half years with replacement of tubes once.

Haven't needed it.

I have been playing for 8 years and this is a great rock amp, all the way around. I would definitely buy another if it were stolen, or maybe the two channel 4100.

This is an early 90's amp. It has one channel with two master volumes, one is used for soloing. It has four power tubes and three pre amp tubes. 100 watts of power with a half power switch.

I use several guitars from Gibson to Fender to Ibanez to Peavey. The sound is made for the Hard Rock soloist. You get one sound at a time with a kick for solos on the second Master volume (foot switchable). Very good tone with or without gain. Not too much of a clean sound unless you turn the gain down below 3. All in all, great for classic rock, hard rock, metal, blues (good Stevie/Jimi sound). The gain is also very usable and it doesn't break up.

Good for 9 years so far. Changed the tubes twice in 9 years with four gigs - these were Classic rock mix gigs.

I would buy another one if it were stolen. This is the rock guitar soloist amp of amps. It is definitely one style/sound at a time type of amp. It is great compared to the other amps of this price range and they hold their value very well. Lots of power, sustain and tone.

I just read this other review - and I must agree - I bought it when i was about 15 years old too and what does anyone know about tone then, As far as features go - Whatever the amp was designed with doesnt seem to do much - I has two seperate channels but both sound like crap.

Have you ever heard a dying bird? Well i had a bird in college and when he died he made this terribly hi pitched shreik for about a week - You can mimick this sound with this amp. It really has no versatility - In fact the sound of this amp turned me off to electric guitar totally - I've been playing my taylor acoustic for the past three years -

I must say that it is a tank! It has lasted the last 10+ years without any problems - I think i may have to replace the input jack now but i am very happy with the build quality.

i;ve been playing for 15 years now - I use Les Paul, strat, tele, all sound bad through the amp. I have no other amps!!! Im a moron - what can I say - Im very happy now that I realized i was nuts bavk then - Look - If you want to re-create the Slash sound from GnR Sweet child o' mine, this amp can do that with a les paul in the Rythm mode - besides that - get something else

I bought this in 1993 when it had been discontinued. For features, same as the SL-X, only with one less 12ax7 and EL-34s instead of 5881s.

Just a one-channel rocker with FX loop, 4 band EQ, and footswitchable master volume levels.

Clean sounds are weak and one-dimensional. I was 15 years old when I bought this. I thought they were weak then, too. I saved up all summer from my first job for this. (?)

This amp has total painful icepick treble. This amp was designed for humbucking spandex metalheads. Don't even use a Strat unless you are some kind of treble masochist. I use this amp now (when I do pull it out) with treble and presence ALL THE WAY DOWN. Jesus GOD. The only nice thing I can say about the treble response is that it works well with bassy pedals like the Big Muff.

High gain- ok sounds, but sort of like a crappy digital preamp overall. This amp sounds cool with the preamp on ten, the gain on zero, the master above five, and a Rat pedal spanking the cheeze out of the input.

I'm considering some THD Yellowjackets to change the sound, but I'm scared of the possibility of MORE treble. Maybe I can swap a 5751 for one of the preamp tubes to get less treble and gain? Somebody PLEASE email me if they have any ideas.

I will never buy a Marshall product again. This was my first "tube" amp. I've since owned tube offerings from Hiwatt (80s), Fender (silverface), and Hughes + Kettner, all of which sound better.

It has blown some fuses, the FX loop fries when the amp heats up. Basically, I have to keep a 6" patch cord in the loop at all times or else the amp will cut out as the faulty component heats up.

There is a high-pitched squeak sound when the master is up high.

This turned me off to Marshalls. If it were stolen or lost, I wouldn't cry. I'd go play guitar using one of my other amps.

I wish this amp had smoother distortion and less treble.