Marshall JCM 900 4100 Dual Reverb

This review is for a '96 model. two channels, 4x 6L6's (stock anyway), 3x 12AX7's/ECC83's, dual reverb, effects loop, pentode triode switch, pretty good features, I just wish it had seperate eq's for each channel, but can I get by with it being shared.

It sounds pretty good with the stock 6L6's but they just weren't cutting it for me so I modded it for EL34's now it's a 10 easily now!
the mod only takes 20 minutes (even for a newbie tech) and makes a world of differance. I've got all jj/tesla tubes and they are the best without going nos. the clean channel isn't the best, but it's a marshall not a fender. For guitars I have a dean evo premium with seymour duncan pups (jb and pearly gates), a prs tremonti se with u.s. tremonti model pickups, and a fender american series ash tele (completely stock).

I've had to replace tubes and fuses a few times, normal stuff for tube amps. I don't think there is a tube amp in existance that deserves a 10 for reliability.

n/a, haven't dealt with them, I bought it used so there was no warantee

I've had the amp for two years and I still am in love with it, I've tried out other amps (mesa, peavey, crate blue voodoo's etc etc...) and none of them were as good as this, imo. I can really cut through the mix with the added mids of the EL34's, and they break up so much earlier then 6L6/5881's do so I can get alot more power tube saturation at lower volumes. I'm happy with my setup now, and that's hard for me cause everytime I hear somebody on mtv or fuse with a really good tone I usually wish I could have that amp, and that hasn't happened with this setup. If you need an amp that has enough gain to do modern styles, yet don't want a toneless gain machine that can't cut through a piece of paper, much less bass and drums, then this amp is for you. I highly highly reccomend doing the EL34 mod for this amp, and find out what marshalls are all about. If you have no prior experiance with electronics I would NOT reccomend you doing it yourself, don't risk your life to save the extra $20-$30 it would cost you to have it done at your local music store for you!

I'm the second owner of this amp head, reissued... I believe it was
a 96' or 97' model...judging by the stupid little "5881" sticker I tore off it. This amp has all the feature that I need, eq w/presence, fx loop and indipendant reverb for both clean and crunch. I give it an 8 because it a lot of other guitarists would appreciate a separate eq for the dirt channel... doesn't bother me cause I always use a Boss GE-7.

This was my first choice after selling my p.o.s peavey supreme, and I am really pleased with it. It was shippid to me fitted with svetlana 6L6GC tubes, sound great, I think they are similar to 5881's.

I'm into rock/emo/hardcore. I play a strat w/Duncan SH-6 in bridge. I plan on getting a custom cabinet from www.avatarspeakers.com... most likely the cool vintagey looking one with vintage 30's.

The first thing I noticed with this baby is the warmth, Its such a drastic change from my last amp, a punchy powerful clean. The overdrive thoroughly impressed me as well, a little lacking in the bass department, but if you run an equalizer thru the FX loop, it just GRINDS!

I will still use my ibanez SM-7 distortion for over-the-top gain.
But this amps drive cuts through so well and is so loud, I just wish it had a little more sustain and saturation!

I havent owned this for a month yet so I'm not sure... The inputs are extra sturdy and it has valve failure LED lights. solid construction

Marshall would retube me right or rebias if i need it...

I love this amp, it suits me perfectly. I
f you want a crystal or glassy clean just don't buy it.

made in 1998. 2 channels and a switch (Low 50Watt- High 100Watt) wich is pretty usefull. This amp suits me well to play punk and rock.

I use a fender strat signature series on it with Seymour Duncan pickups. The clean channel does sound really clean, even at high volumes. Distortion: good for rock and punk but do not touch this to play metal on it.

Many Marshalls I played do have problems with the buttons on it. They easily fall off. So be carefull with them (transport etc) ! No other complains about it!

A year ago my amp had a backup. Marshall customer service replaced all tubes for +-?150. They handled fast, good en friendly !

If I would lose this amp for some reason I would truely buy it again ! This amp has balls on it!!

Mine is a Re-issue model, made in 2003. All the features are exactly the same as the original 4100's. A third channel would be nice, simply for a boost for solos. This amp is good for what it is, if you want a heap of channels & modes, but a TSL.

I use an Ibanez RG270 with a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge, straight in, no effects, most o fthe time. The clean channel is nothing special, its by no means bad, just not great. I like a really glassy clean tone, and this cannot really be acheived. The dirty channel does lack a little in the bottem end department, but this amp does produce that classic, agressive marshall raw. I would prefer a little more gain, as for newer styles of music, and even some slighty older hard rock/metal styles, there is only just enough gain in there. If you spend a bit of time, it is quite easy to get a chunky-ish rock guitar sound, if you play nu-metal, dont bother with this amp. I give it a 7 because of, to me anyway, a slight lack of bottem end and gain. Dont get me wrong, this is a great amp, good bang for your buck.

I would rely on this amp without a back up, i would confident that it would get me through a show, even with a valve failure. when i got it (used) i had to get a resistor in the power switch replaced, but it was still under warranty, so there was no charge. However i am planning to have my amp modified, for more gain and punch.

I got the warranty repair through the store where my mate bought it from.

overall, this is quite a good amp. Its very good value, particulary if you can pick up a good second hand one. Ijust wish it had a bit more bottom end & a touch more gain. Comparing it to the DSL & TSL , although they have more bottem end & features, in a good mix, live a JCM 900 sounds better. A raw, agressive marshall rock tone.

just an update. If you have one of these, load your cab with V30's. I use no effects at all and I just biased it up a little on the hot side and with the Celestion V30's it just screams. Cheers!!

I don't reallyknow when this amp was made, but I do know that it is a great & very versitile piece of gear! I am thoroughly convinced that anyone that can't get a good sound out of this thing is either tone-deaf or just inexperienced. I'm not much for bells & whistles so this amp suits me just fine. I play everything from clean blues/jazz, rock to extreme black metal and have not had any problem finding usable tones for any of it. Marshall's hallmark has always been their midrange, so scooped mids don't find their way in my musical vocabulary anyway (hate scooped mids)! My only complaint would be lack of volume. This thing on 7 or 8(with gain @ 3 o'clock) is about as loud as my 5150 or my Laney GH50L on 4.

My guitars are mostly Charvel/Jackson(DiMarzio's), but I also have a Les Paul and a very modified Epiphone flying V w/EMG 81/85. Depending on what I am playing, I can get great shredder tones or an all-out screaming metal tone. Hint-if using this head with a 1960 cab(stock), use a Boss EQ in the effects loop to kill some of the hi's and this amp sounds great! Otherwise, I use a Johnson 4x12 w/Vintage 30s. The clean channel with the right speakers sounds pretty damned good for a non-Fender! Just kidding, but it was way better than I had expected.

Although I have only had this amp for a couple f weeks, I know the previous owner and know that it has never given any major problems. I have the atvantage of working at a repair shop, so, maintenance is no problem. ANY amp will have problems if not properly cared for.

I have absolutely no clue!

Overall I would have to say that this amp has become one my favorites. Definitely way more versitile than I had expected. I've been playing for about 18 years and really there are so many good amps out there. Besides a Soldano SLO 100, I can't think of much more I would want from an amp. I have owned Ampegs(VL1002 & V60 Tri-ax) a Marshall JCM 800 2205, a '74 Fender Pro Reverb, Peavey 5150, Laney AOR 100 & GH50L(SUPER BADASS!!) and a handful of others, and this one fits nicely! For those of you who just can't get good sound, try talking to the Old Cats around town, as they can offer a wealth of tone info. Also MIDS and speakers along with proper use of pre-amp gain are the secret to screaming metal sounds! Ask Zakk or K. King/J. Hanneman(Slayer)! Friends don't let friends scoop their mids! Great amp!

Discontinued amp made in 1992. 100 watt EL34 2 channels, shared tone controls, effect loop. These are the ones that are notorious for having clipping diodes in the distortion circuit. Has a dial that goes up to 20 that results in a cheap fuzzbox, buzzsaw sound with no dynamics. I was looking for a classic rock/80's metal kind of sound. No scooped-mid thrash or grunge for me, thank you. I nearly regretted purchasing this amp untill I heard the MP3's on the Voodoo Amps website & contacted them.

I have around 20 guitars & basses. Gibson Les Pauls,Tokai Love Rocks, Fender Strats & lots of Frankenstrats. Various single coil pickups, but all my humbuckers MUST be Seymour Duncan. I don't like Dimarzio or EMG pickups. I have only scratched the surface of the sounds I can achieve with this amp since it's return from Voodoo

I have not had it long enough to have an opinion. I hope to use it in a band situation. I'm gearing up to hopefully play out again.

Trace Davis is the man. That's all there is to it. He will work with you to make the kind of sound that YOU hope to achieve--within reason, of course. I give him a 10 only because I can't give him 10,000. These amps look nice & say MARSHALL on them, but sound like crap unmodified. You can buy these amps on Ebay & send them directly to him. Don't even bother to take them home.

I had my first guitar lessons in 1968 when I was 9. I have a rack head I assembled with a JMP-1 preamp & also a 4 input 100 watt Marshall MKII Super Lead. I might buy a Metaltronix head for a good price. I used to have an unmodified Marshall Major 200 watt head. It sounded awesome but was just too damn loud & heavy. If my JCM900 were stolen, I have other amps, but this amp is growing on me every time I turn it on & plug different things into it. It's not a Plexi but the sound is in the ballpark. I just found a brown sound very similar to early VH & some George Lynch sounds. One other thing: Since these amps have silicon in them, they DO NOT LIKE effects pedals at the input. You MUST use the effects send & return to get a good sound.

Discontinued amp made in 1992. 100 watt EL34 2 channels, shared tone controls, effect loop. These are the ones that are notorious for having clipping diodes in the distortion circuit. Has a dial that goes up to 20 that results in a cheap fuzzbox, buzzsaw sound with no dynamics. I was looking for a classic rock/80's metal kind of sound. No scooped-mid thrash or grunge for me, thank you. I nearly regretted purchasing this amp untill I heard the MP3's on the Voodoo Amps website & contacted them.

I have around 20 guitars & basses. Gibson Les Pauls,Tokai Love Rocks, Fender Strats & lots of Frankenstrats. Various single coil pickups, but all my humbuckers MUST be Seymour Duncan. I don't like Dimarzio or EMG pickups. I have only scratched the surface of the sounds I can achieve with this amp since it's return from Voodoo.

I have not had it long enough to have an opinion. I hope to use it in a band situation. I'm gearing up to hopefully play out again.

Trace Davis is the man. That's all there is to it. He will work with you to make the kind of sound that YOU hope to achieve--within reason, of course. I give him a 10 only because I can't give him 10,000. These amps look nice & say MARSHALL on them, but sound like crap unmodified. You can buy these amps on Ebay & send them directly to him. Don't even bother to take them home.

I had my first guitar lessons in 1968 when I was 9. I have a rack head I assembled with a JMP-1 preamp & a 100 watt Marshall MKII Super Lead. I might buy a Metaltronix head for a good price. I used to have an unmodified Marshall Major 200 watt head. It sounded awesome but was just too damn loud & heavy. If my JCM900 were stolen, I have other amps, but this amp is growing on me every time I turn it on & plug different things into it. It's not a Plexi but the sound is in the ballpark. I just found a brown sound very similar to early VH & some George Lynch sounds. One other thing: Since these amps have silicon in them, they DO NOT LIKE effects pedals at the input. You MUST use the effects send & return to get a good sound.

I got an early 90's JCM900 4100 head, 100 all-tube class AB-watts. It's got the standard amp knobs, Presence, Treble, Mid, Bass plus individual gain, reverb and volume for channels A & B. On the back, you got "compensated recording out," line out, two parrelel speaker outs, a power switch (hi and lo) a resistance switch (16 and 8 ohms) effects loops in and out, a fuse and a failed tube LED. The front has a footswitch in and instrument in. It's a pretty basic amp.

The clean channel is pretty useless, to me. It sounds thin and strangely, I like my cleans to sound full and fill out the room, so I got an AC-30 for that. The distortion is amazing. It doesn't do a lot, but what it does, it does well. It sounds very Marshall-y and gets pretty loud. I play music like Fall Out Boy and Thursday (two completely differant artists) and this amp works well for both.

I would bet my life on this thing. I've yet to have any problems at all out of the head, the cab on the other hand, has given me a bit of trouble. (always check the inside of a cab, when buying used) I got my cab replaced and since then, no problems what-so-ever.

never dealt with them.

This is an intensely amazing amp for the cash. Sure, you can get a Sovtek Mig-100 or something like that for less, but, it's just not the same. I love my JCM900 and wouldn't trade it for the world. It's the cheapest all tube Marshall head out there and in my opinion, the best sounding distorted head. The TSL & DSL's sound too brittle, the JCM800, not harsh enough.

Everyone knows the features of this baby!

Before buying this amp, I was lucky enough to use the same model at a rehearsal studio, at high volume (when any amp should sound its best) and I instantly fell in love with it.

The only thing that worried me was the shared EQ. I like to play with a fairly "middly" overdrive, yet a fairly "trebbly" clean. So I have had to find comprimises inbetween...

The amp came with a footswitch (two way one, with no LEDS). I loved the fact that my previous amp (Marshall VS100H) had LEDS in its footswitch. So, I got out the old drill, and took a trip to the electronics store and bought myself some blue LEDS and clips. My switch is the coolest looking switch I have seen!

I love how this amp, when pushed to its limit, seems to have a compression effect on your rib cage! It lets me know its being pushed hard.

I play an Epiphone SG, and a Jackson PS4. The SG with Invader and JB in bridge and neck respectively, and stocks in the Jackson. Both guitars sound totally different through this amp, unlike they did throuh my valvestate. The amp has opened new sounds to me, which I love!

The distortion is better than any valvestate or transistor amp I have played with (as you'd expect). Its just perfect for me, as I play ska-punk. Still, however I would have preffered separate EQs for each channel, oh well.

I've only had the amp a week or so, but I think it will be very reliabe. It's lasted this long all ready with no faults that are evident. IT'S A MARSHALL!!! BUILT LIKE A TANK

Marshall is only down the road from me in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK, so I'm sure I'd have no problem obtaining spare parts etc.

I love this amp, but I am yet to gig with it, although I'm sure it'll sound great.

Through the 1960a cab it sounds wonderful - very full. And through my homemade 4x10" cab, it sounds a lot more trebbly, completely changing the sound of the amp. So with a simple change of speakers, you have a whole new amp!!!

I was either going to buy this or the JCM2000 DSL, but that turned out to be too expensive, and nevertheless I am very happy with my purchase and I think it was a steal!