Are Marshall really that crap

[hatori]

I have a Marshall JCM800 superlead mk2 and a JCM800 superbass. Both are awesome and have character. Both made within two months of one another in 1981. Brutally loud and tone to die for.

Yes I like em !

[Jobiebass]

VBA400 owner here.
Cant say ive played many amps for comparison, but I get along with it! HEAVY AS sh*t THOUGH! head in the flight case is pushing 7 stone. But I do love the full valve, just dont get that tone with solid states (IMHO, baring in mind I bet ive only played 4-5 amps mainly Ashdown and a old battered trace in Yellow Arch practice rooms)

if anyones knocking round my area (Doncaster) and fancys a play and a cup of tea, your more then welcome to try it out. I will probably wanna bash on your bass tho, but I have a few too

[The Funk]

[quote name='Jobiebass' post='487325' date='May 13 2009, 09:48 PM']HEAVY AS sh*t THOUGH! head in the flight case is pushing 7 stone.[/quote]

Sheesh. That's more than some groupies!

[alexclaber]

I think Marshall have just been rather inconsistent with their bass amps over the years. Then again the same could be said of Ampeg - but Ampeg are the bass player's brand, whilst Marshall are the guitarist's brand and we don't want to be assimilated.

The dynamic bass range they did about 10-15 years ago which had huge burst power capability were a really bright idea, shame they were discontinued so soon.

Alex

[Jobiebass]

[quote name='The Funk' post='487420' date='May 13 2009, 11:04 PM']Sheesh. That's more than some groupies![/quote]

FLight case weighs just over a stone tho.

.....I wish I had groupies

[lucky]

and yet another JCM user... i love the noise from mine and the way it looks, but maybe that just me. i cant comment on the recent amps though the MB series seems to me like the AVT's, which were good for guitars from all the ones i've heard.

when are the QC issues for marshall's meant to range from (roughly)?

maybe the key to a winning marshall is to weigh it down?

[TGEvans]

I have just become the owner of a marshall 2 x 15. I am very surprised with it. Gutted that I have spent time and money on other cabs in the main. It does what it sets out too. Big, loud, in your face, but works well at quiet levels too. As far as brands being crap I am going to make some people laugh here..... About 7 years ago a band I was with at the time were selected through a tv company to have the welsh national orchestra record one of our songs with us at their studio in Cardiff. We were told all amps would be provided. I turn up,no bass amp. Few phone calls later, someones friend's nephew had a Carlsbro Bass beaver combo. I pissed myself. Plugged in and away we went. It was without a doubt the BEST recorded sound I ever managed to get! Seriously. So, if something works,it WORKS! end of.

[thumperbob 2002]

I have the VBA 400 and the matching 4 X 12 - I play through a Marcus MillerJazz and Warwick nT5 I`ve been playing for over 30 years- in mostly funk and soul groups. Whilst the gear is terribly old fashioned ( heavy!! ) it is very powerful and warm- suits my style perfectly. The EQ is not that great but all I want is a warm tone with power- I use the EQ flat anyway. I`ll be keeping this forever!!

[chris_b]

As a Marshall player for most of the 70's I think they were the only brand to own. You could do anything with a 100 watt amp and a 4x12 cab but times moved on and Marshall didn't! These days they don't seem to be "all rounder’s". For me they don't work when you need anything remotely "subtle" but for "battering down doors" they are still great.

[hatori]

[quote name='chris_b' post='487619' date='May 14 2009, 09:54 AM']As a Marshall player for most of the 70's I think they were the only brand to own. You could do anything with a 100 watt amp and a 4x12 cab but times moved on and Marshall didn't! These days they don't seem to be "all rounder’s". For me they don't work when you need anything remotely "subtle" but for "battering down doors" they are still great.[/quote]
I think thats spot on.
I did a gig in wales last week where a guy came up to me afterwards and said 'F**k**g awesome sound man not like these piddly modern things.I could feel the hurt'.
For subtle I have my Markbass lm2 and 2x10,1x12 cabs Tobias sixxer and fretless Jazz.
For 'saw your face off ' I have my Thunderbird/Marshall rig.

Oh happy day!

[thumperbob 2002]

you know the Marcus Miller tone/ sound on Jean Pierre? Thats me that is- as subtle as it gets ( or as subtle as I get!! )

Bob

[bassmachine2112]

hiho,I used to be a peg man but changed over to a roland.Tone to die for and excellent for practice and small/medium gigs but for the full monty I use a mb450 head with 2 2x10 cabs and prefer the sound and volume.My ricky just sings through the marshall.I had a not very good sound and changed the pre amp valve to a mullard ecc 83 and away we go.
I think that any decent valve would have done the trick.
Anyway you could do without an amp if your in the PA but that is another story.Geddy Lee doesn,t use one live and he doesn,t sound shabby.It is handy to blame the tools for not sounding good.
keep on.

[umph]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='486565' date='May 13 2009, 02:27 AM']I've played through a few VBA's and always thought the tone to be a bit woolly.

I saw a guy gigging with a stack, looks of valves lit up in the head (can't remember which model), only 300w and sounded awesome.[/quote]
only 300 watts of valvey goodness ;o

i'm going to have to make a 1000watt valve head and show you guys how ridiciously loud that would be ;<


also marshall made alot of bad bass heads but alot of good ones aswell i don't think their speciality lies with SS equipment