I wish Marshall would do reissues of those JMPs

I really enjoy when Steve the engineer is there, THAT is the info I want. He was the first person that made me really understand the Vintage-Modern....15 years later...🙄 I wish Marshall would put that tech info in the amp descriptions rather than descriptive 'ad-speak'. Have a tech description under the normal copy. It's only going to help get the best out of an amp. 👍

Love my 77 JMP 2204, great with a boost as recommended in the video

If Marshall had done this sort of in-depth discussion of the amps and how to use them, I think certain models (the Vintage Modern, the JCM2000 DSL, the modern DSL, and the JVM410 line) would have done better from their introduction, rather than having to wait for up to two decades for each line to go from misunderstood to modern classics. Lovely elucidation by Mr. Dawson. Thank you, Marshall!

Great video and tremendous technical details and memories provided by Steve Dawson. More please.

God I wish they would reissue these! The best sounding Marshall in my opinion.

I have a JMP 2203. Mine says "Marsnali" on the front. Some people have emotional support pets. I have an emotional support amplifier. 😁

What a great video, chaps!

This is GREAT content guys! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep Marshall history alive with more videos like this! Rock on!

Awesome stuff love Red Marshalls and White. Nice playing. Marshalls Forever 🔥🤘🤘

I love my good old JMP. I have some videos on my channel about it :)

Never forget my JMP 50 Watt combo with Master volume, which I bought in 1979. From the moment I played this amp for the first time, I got a Marshall player until today. 2 by 12 now is too large for me today, but the sound of this amp was unmatched. Very interesting to hear the differences between the JMP and the JCM 800, especially for the Strat players. I can confirm that the JMP was the ideal amp for the Strat.

Great demo with strat, classic tones rules!

Very cool series. We want more of this!

I had a 2203, in 1978, I used a Yamaha SG2000, and was lead guitarist with Dave Berry and the Cruisers. We were quite loud, and covered clubs ,night clubs, theatre's and festivals. I remember having a really big clean sound, and just dug in for lead breaks. No pedals, except for a way wah. People always talk about overdrive sounds, but Marshall was used by many genres.

Great playing and info! Nothing beats a Marshall 🤘!!

I love my '79 JMP 2203 full stack. Nothing barks louder!! I got a Legendary Tones Hot Mod in it now and it's as pissed off as can be. But without it's already glorious, and also on the low input. Beautiful cleans to be found there. I'll never sell it.

I have a 2204 since 1978 and a vintage modern. Happy days

Did I hear a Studio JMP coming up…? 😅🎉❤

We need a reissue 🤘🏼

Great episode.I had the pleasure of meeting Steve as he has his own business and I've become a customer of his. Thoroughly knowledgeable and genuinely nice bloke. 👍

I’ve been playing guitar now for 24 years. And only in the last few years have I been getting hip to Marshalls…now I’m in love with the old custom color Marshall’s. I still love Fender amps, but my Bluesbreaker, and Class 5 running through a 1989 Marshall 4x12 1960a have really become my two go to amps.

Aaah at least! There are differences between the JCM 800 und the JMP 220Xs. So many guys called me nuts about this, but here it is!

Can’t believe there’s not a version of this in the studio series yet. Dream amp. To my ears, the JCM 800 isn’t the same as these short lived Master Series amps at all. They’re much more articulate, warm and squishy (if that makes sense lol). My Brent Hinds Terror is supposedly based on these and comes super close through Greenbacks, but it’d be a dream come true if Marshall themselves did a 20 watt reissue of these.

Oh dear these sound good!!! 😲

I definitely agree with Steve Smith, because I play a lot more Fender style guitars, that I like the JMPs better than the JCMs. I actually tend to prefer the Bass models over the Lead models, or a JTM45.

Marshall company went from what could be best described as boutique company to international industry giant. Their amplifiers defined man genres of music. Marshall leaders, true the years were changing amplifiers and company to fit the current player's needs as well as to ensure company growth. Middle 70's and then in 80's, Marshall switched into the fifth gear. They were already established as iconic companies, and demand for their amplifiers were huge. They have established them self with awesome turret board based amplifiers with toggle switches. Bulletproof design that can be repaired forever. When the ST-I board came in, it was the best PCB quality you could see in the consumer market. It was a modern thing that allowed faster production. Rocker switches and cabinet redisgn made them look contemporary. Everyone wanted a Marshall amplifier. Hair metal kicked in. Girls loved it, so boys went after the girls, and it became huge. Meanwhile, hard-core bands also went up with the gain. So win-win for Marshall. 80-ies and 90-ies made huge money for Marshall company. I was always into electronics, starting with building HiFi amplifiers when I was a kid. I have always loved music. Always wanted to play electric guitars loud. No wonder I loved Marshall amplifiers. ST-I PCB was really good. They kept chassis mounted potentiometers and tube sockets. That was very clever. They kept decent size components, and that was awesome as well. They kept using mustered caps until those ran out. Amplifiers were really good despite using PCB and cheaper components like rock switches. These switches made it possible to reduce one hole, and they looked modern and awesome at that time. To mount those you needed just to push them in. First, they were soldered as well. I personally thought that ST-I PCB was bulletproof. Though nowadays, after up to 50 years of lifetime and possible modifications done by people and everyone who was preparing them in the meantime, those ST-I PCB's are just nightmare for me. They are still better than more modern ones, though. Heat from working hard doesn't help. Heat from being repaired doesn't help either. Traces separate. Cables break. Components reach the end of life. I have shipped a repaired amplifier, and it came in broken after 500 miles of transport despite being packed well. Amp came in, and first, I did was to check my work. Everything was still good. Took me longer than I would like to admit just to find out that two wires broke. One ground wire and that introduced noise, easier to find. The second wire was way harder to find, and it looked OK. I have had to pull every wire hard to make sure it will stay on. I hit nightmares from that amplifier. So nowadays, I really do not want to repair these amplifiers because something new can happen, and it's always your fault because you were the last man in. They are simply old. They are not designed to be repaired forever. Once potentiometers came to the PCB, it was game over. It sped up production but lowered quality a lot. Sound was almost the same, but amplifiers became even more fragile. In 90-ies, I would have taken JCM over "old" Marshall amplifiers. I was a young man. Nowadays, anything with the turret board is a real deal for me. The funny thing is that those amplifiers sound better as well for me. There is no need for high gain over here. Even as clean amplifiers, early Marshall amplifiers are awesome. Though these amplifiers are often misunderstood. People expect that epic sound at room level. But those old JTM45 and Plexi amplifiers require full blast to overdrive. Those were amplifiers for professional musicians. Made to sound best at the venue sound levels without going true the PA. The same stayed true for all Marshall non master volume amplifiers. Even later, models sound better at full blast. They are made to cut truecthe mix and sound better at the full volume. The power stage starts to overdrive as well. That part is an important part of the Marshall sound. Those brighter amplifiers smooth out when pushed hard. Bright caps are not in the circuit when the potentiometer is at 11. The Treble part is already compressing, like there was a built-in treble booster. Amplifiers just cut true the mix no matter what. Then they have understood that there is a huge market of the people who want 1 million options on the amplifier. They wanted a 100-watt tube amplifier with fullstack that can be displayed and played in their living room. 100 tube Watt's while at 10 Watt volume level was too loud but impressing guests. They understood that people with money and even no time for hobbies like to have stuff. So amplifiers became designed for buyers, not necessarily for the musicians. They kept the possibility of playing loud. They are not as robust and roadworthy as they were. But now they are in the living room or music room. They do not travel. So why overbuilding them? Marshall is a company that, as any other company, is in business of making money. They are not charity for musician's. They tend to their buyers and their wishes. They still listen to real musician's as well. They try to cover every angle and every market they can. Some could say they are victim of their own success. To be able to sell millions of amplifiers and cabinets, you can be handwiring them one buy one. You need a high efficiency China factory to make/meet numbers and price. Hand wiring costs more time, and that means more money. All my own amplifier designs are point to point. I do not want to be Marshall. One man operation with full control. Making amplifiers for people who live music. There is no need for mass production and profit by numbers. I do not do it to get rich. I just love music, that's it. My love to Marshall amplifiers will stay forever, though.

That 70s strat (judging by the headstock) sounds INCREDIBLE. And on the bridge pickup even!

Blues,rock,metal Marshall has an amp for that.

We need a Reissue of these amps. ;-)

Still got my 2203 1979 in great shape - home use in perfect condition ... As my other modern JCM Slash

For me the best marshalls ever made… there are differences with jcm800 series… please reissue!!!! I missed “the cascade mod” explanation… Really good video, and tones!!!

Fantastic! Steve Dawson belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of amp designers along with Dudley and a couple others.

JMP and JCM800 the best in Rock Tones!!!

That Anderson sounds amazing!

These sound lovely

Would be nice to see some re-issues of a lot of these heads in affordable combos sizes. Instead of gatekeeping these amps for doctors and rock stars. JCM 900 would be a nice start!

Love the white!!

Will never understand why these haven't been reissued. An exact reproduction of a '79 JMP 2203 would be gold. One of my favourites. The JCM800 cosmetics aren't to my taste.

3:06 the gentleman on the left explains "how" a treble booster pedal actually works when hammering the front end of these older amps. Not so much treble really, instead it would compress the amp tone. I never knew that and would stay away from any pedal with Treble in the name. Cool tip!

I was at The Winery Dogs at The Belly Up tavern in San Diego. Ritchie Kotzen played through a vintage 100w plexi full stack. I was deafened.

the only Marshall amp I need, Marshall please reissue this

Wow, that's one of the best bridge strat tones I've ever heard at 4:55. I'd love to know what those pickups are.

Steve Grindrod designed the 2203/2204 in 1975. It utilizes a cathode-follower style Master Volume to isolate the pre-amp.

The red levant on the JMP2203 is iconic and super sexy.

I bet these amps would sell like hotcakes if Marshall reissued them. I’ve got a JCM800 4104 which is basically a 2204 in a 2x12 combo. The JMP combos and heads just sound a little more forgiving as they’ve got a bit more low end than the JCM800 era amps. I play strats and telecasters so the extra high end of a JCM800 is a bit much at times. I’d sell my JCM800 for a reissue JMP I’ve got a Marshall 2150 from 1978 I use way more than the 800. It’s an oddball amp very few have heard of that also has a master volume but 4 inputs like an older JMP. Marshall only made them for a year or two in 1978 and 1979. Kind of a shame when it was also a pleasant sounding amp

I have a JMP and can confirm they are brilliant. Only thing is mine is missing its Marshall badge, do you sell them?

so cool somebody give the to greatest marshall ever made 2204 100w master..dont be fooled kids jmt are cool and who dosent love 80's metal jmc 800...but the cream tone with over drive this is the amp too own..great job

I still have my 1977 JMP 2204 and still my favorite. What speakers where in that cabinet?

What about also using single cut, mahagohny body, rosewood fingerboard, humbucker guitars? what was the brand again?

Reissue !

They didn't mention that they used a transistor gain as well as Valves on the second channel to get more high gain as an amp Tech who worked on my JCM 800.

Vintage Modern 🤘❤️🇵🇭

The key to these vintage Marshall amps is their ability to work with your favorite boost pedal without it sounding raspy or brittle Small changes yield massive results, surprisingly the 4holer heads yield substantial amounts of gain with said pedal Test both low gain/ high gain and normal/Bright channel Remove bright cap and test. prefer the boost pedal over having a stand alone Marshall that sounds like a fuzz box If it takes a boost pedal well you are on to something!!

Hi, I would like to know why the JCM 800 2203x is so expensive in USA and Canada ? Thanks.

I have a 1977 2203 and it is an incredible monster. Love it! But it is damn loud. Lol

You all thinking of doing any future commercial amp models with the #34, #36, and #39 modifications?

have mercy!

Weird hearing these without Gallows riffs blaring from them 😉

Do more Tone Tutorials for Studio Vintage

Seriously Marshalls, please reissue these!

are the frets scalloped on that strat?

Mmmm... I still hold a torch for the Super Lead non master volume. The Holy Grail is still output tubes being pushed into oblivion. Preamp gain is good for some, but the breakup is totally different. Long live the #1959 and #1987 JMP Super Leads.

JMP 2204 should be reissued.

I've got a 1976 1959 that's a little strange. It has three toggle switches still, no JMP or MKII labeling, gold piping still, and I think the bigger logo. I've read 76 was kinda transitional and that old parts were getting used up around that time. The coolest part about it, though, is that it has a Nippon Gakki (yamaha) sticker on the back displaying the hz, wattage, and voltage. It's US spec in that regard but I think it was made for import to Japan via Yamaha based on an old Nippon Gakki ad I found from the late 70's. They were clearly selling 1959's at the time over there. I've spoken with someone in Japan who has the same amp and they say they just run it off their 100v wall outlets instead up using a stepping transformer. Half of Japan is on 60hz so on that side it would safely work like a variac I suppose. The amp had a Japanese toggle switch that acted as a 50w switch installed in a non original hole in the back. I've kept the switch but have not yet dated it. Marshall, if you know anything about the anachronistic stuff or the Yamaha connection, I would love to hear about it.

They keep referring to the JMP Marshall of the 60s and 70s and how people mistakenly call the 2203s of the mid70s JMPs…I think this further confuses. Why not just refer to these big logo, master volume amps by their real name? The first 2203s were called: Mk2. Master Model 100w Lead And the first 2204s were called: Mk2. Master Model 50w Lead

😎👍

You guys failed to mention the big difference between the 2203 2204 as opposed to the older designs. It had a cascading preamp section. This did not exist on the old Plexi designs the old plexis had four inputs and they were going into two different halves of the 12 AX 7 in parallel the 2203 and 4 have an extra gain stage in the preamp because they cascaded one into the other. This gave it more gain.

Release a Studio Classic with JMP styling.

Hard to believe the interviewer didn't know that Marshall made 4-hole amps all throughout the 1970's.

I have been using a 1977 2203 in my studio and live since decades….a grrrreat amp…..I have a halfstack…..

So what are the real differences between a Master Model 2203 and a JCM800 ? Because by looking at the schematics available online they seem the same. How is it possible that Mr Dawson says the 2203 were less brilliant?

JMP master leads had lower plate voltages than the JCMs.

Can someone explain why people say the jcm800 is the same amp to me the 2203 sounds so much better. Circuit is the same is it the components ?

Only difference between jmp and jcm is slighty higher plate voltage and Nfb tied to the 4 ohms tap instead of the 8 ohms

I inherited a 1977 100 W super lead that just sits in my room inoperable. I live nowhere near any place that seems to be able to restore it 😢

So much incomplete information here. There was a huge difference between the 2203 and 2204 in the beginning since the 2204 didn’t have the cascaded gain stage in the beginning. Also the jcm800 was introduced in 1981 and jmps were still sold in 81 as well. Also the jcm800 in the first years were just JMP amps with another housing, although I believe transformers changed as well at some point. Later jcm series were quite different from the early ones. I have bought my JMP2204 brand new in 1980. I still have that amp and today I also have a JMP 1987 ( 1979) and a JMP 2104 combo from 1980.

Sounds like early KIZZ ⭐

I want a jcm 800 2204 50w reissue

Oh and a also have hearing aids!

First amps to have master volumes were not Marshalls. Matamp and Orange had master volumes first.

People clamoring for a re-issue..lol you know what Marshall would charge, right? Plus they would use Vietnamese transformers.

What???

JMP > JCM 800

Les Paul and Marshall, not Strats…

Dawson strat sounded better than Smith strat copy, more bite and clarity.

Real Men don't need a Master Volume!!! #Marshall 100W #1959SLP Plexi or Bust

All Marshalls sound the same.