# Marshall for Modern Metal



## cGoEcYk (Sep 24, 2013)

What's the deal with Marshall for modern metal? Seems like people rarely bring up Marshall around here. I've never owned one of their serious heads but from what I understand they have a lot of midrange. Is their gain too smooth or something?

On a funny note, years ago my band had an album professionally recorded and my guitarist used his Marshall. MG Series


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## GizmoGardens (Sep 24, 2013)

I used to have a DSL100 and yeah, I'd say it was too smooth. There was plenty of distortion available, but I couldn't get a tone I was happy with 

I know there are metal bands out there that use/used Marshall amps. Skeletonwitch (JCM2000), Slayer (KK sig?), Death (8100) are a few. Whether you like their tone, or not, is your call, but I'm sure it can be done.

EDIT: I played a VS100 combo in a music store about a week ago and I thought it sounded pretty damn good, but it was in really bad shape as far as the cosmetics and the pots were concerned though.


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## WarMachine (Sep 24, 2013)

^ This. There's just so much damn crunch its not even funny. One thing that i never got tho is a LOT of people use clean boosts on their rigs (usually 5150) and to me when they do that and crank the tone on the OD and boost the mids it puts you in overdriven marshall territory  If i were to get one and cash was no issue id snag one of the JVM's. Those things scream! But the old school metal head in me probably wouldn't let me get anything other than a JCM 800 and an OD out front  They can EASILY do modern metal IMO.


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## ghostred7 (Sep 24, 2013)

Yup. They are beasts, but for the modern sound, you'd probably need a pedal out in front to shape the sound.

They have tons of warmth. I **really** love the clean Marshall sound. If I didn't have a head already, i'd probably get one to run my PodPro into.


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## will_shred (Sep 24, 2013)

I've just never really played a Marshall. From what I've heard, the JVM410H sounds AMAZING. I've just never been able to play one to tell for myself. Personally I really don't like the JCM 800 sound.


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## TemjinStrife (Sep 24, 2013)

JCM800 > *

Seriously. Beastly heads both live and layered for recording.

Also, the JVMs aren't bad for a more modern sound.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 24, 2013)

will_shred said:


> Angus Young and Jimmy Page used 800's right?



Nope, and nor did Slash, I believe. AFD was a Tim Caswell-modded Marshall '59 and UYI was a Silver Jubilee. Page used... whatever was available in the '70s. He used a shitload of different brands. and Angus used pre-1981 Marshalls, but never a JCM800. I think the only post-1980 amps he used were Mesa Boogie Quad pres and Marshall JMP-1 pres. 

But yeah, with enough tweaking and with a boost, you can get a non-JVM Marshall like a JCM900 or JCM2000 (TSL or DSL) to do modern stuff. A stock JCM800 2203KK can probably do it stock and a JVM definitely can.


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## MrPowers (Sep 24, 2013)

Am I the only Marshall fan that really hated the JVM410? I demoed one and it was just terrible. It was extremely loose and sounded grainy and fizzy. It felt like it had no balls.

I love the DSL and JCM 800 for modern metal though.


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## metaljohn (Sep 24, 2013)

The DSL. Learn how to eq that thing and you'll have the best amp ever.


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## Chuck (Sep 24, 2013)

Check out the band Every Time I Die. They use JCM800's a lot in the studio and exclusively live. Their tone is awesome.


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## Alphanumeric (Sep 24, 2013)

Depends what time of modern metal.

Modern prog or core, tech, no, just doesn't cut it, low end not big and/or tight enough, mids too smooth not grinding, and the gain completely different in character, works better for leads here.

Modern versions of already established genres, nwoahm, Marshalls are used a LOT for Melodeth and death metal, thrash which are all experiencing a kind of revival.


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## MaxSwagger (Sep 24, 2013)

One of the best live guitar tones I've ever heard was Arsis using JCM900 SL-X's through Vader 4x12's, boosted with a TS9. One thick bitch.


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## VBCheeseGrater (Sep 24, 2013)

Hatebreed used Marshalls when i saw them a few times back in 2007ish, not sure if they were JCM800 or DSL/TSL though. I remember during soundcheck i was blown away, sounded absolutely bad ass.

I personally dig the DSL, my other guitarist has a Jubilee (silver??), JCM800 and sold a DSL, I used to play though the DSL alot and really dug the tone, plenty of gain for my needs.


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## Sdrizis89 (Sep 24, 2013)

I have a jcm900 at home (my fathers) and with an EQ in the loop and an OD808 in front i was able to get some very good tones out of it. Now when i compare that to my engl savage i much prefer the engl but still the JCM 900 is usable, but maybe not a first choice for some people.


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## cGoEcYk (Sep 24, 2013)

StateOfSerenity said:


> Modern prog or core, tech, no, just doesn't cut it, low end not big and/or tight enough, mids too smooth not grinding, and the gain completely different in character, works better for leads here.


Thanks, this was exactly what I was wondering.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Sep 24, 2013)

The JVM410 does modern metal for days


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 24, 2013)

Plus, this guy has a lot of videos of him doing metal with a DSL and a VS100.

surfacexmusic - YouTube


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## op1e (Sep 24, 2013)

I've been trying like hell to get my old JCM900 mkIII back from a guy at work. He's just a hobbyist and it sits dusty. That and the SLX are the heads to have. High gain and you can leave the diode shit out.


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## kamello (Sep 25, 2013)

JVM, or a KK if you give a shit about versatility  

here you can hear the KK in a more modern context than Slayer




also, anybody knows wich Marshall is this?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 25, 2013)

A TSL100.












Oh, I think the Marshall 6100 can also do modern metal, too.


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## kamello (Sep 25, 2013)

I tried a JCM 2000 and I just couldn't justify the price, although the employees at the store where I was trying it didn't let me crank it...probably one of the worst sounding amps I've heard at low volumes


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## Sinborn (Sep 25, 2013)

a JCM800 with a CLEAN BOOST (no overdrive) in the front is a fun dirty old-school formula for killer metal tone. An old bandmate from a lame cover band had an old 50 watter he was running a dumb mesa tube pedal for the distortion. I ditched it and used a Boss 10 band EQ (like Jeff Hanneman I think) in the high gain input and let me say, you could saw china cymbals in half with that sound. Loudest 50 watts I ever heard. It just sounded better the more you turned it up. My buddy tried to get him up off it with zero luck. I know that amp is rotting in his basement...


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## iron blast (Sep 25, 2013)

My jvm 210 is insane its even got an edge over my mesa triple rectifier. It will play black metal, thrash, 80's, death metal prog you name it. You just need a boost and a gate


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## kiyomorayodo (Sep 25, 2013)

Interesting how Marshalls are experienced.
JVM 410 OD2 or JVM 210 OD have a relatively modern voicing.
I would never think of a loose/warm tone, when I play my 410.
Crunch? OK, that's a warm thing. But not in the higher gain channels.
Imo it's pretty tight and, if treble knob is set too high, harsh.
You have to be careful with the gain knob - too much and it will sound muddy.
You can dial in for month and u will still get new sounds - including modern metal.


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## casketshrine (Sep 25, 2013)

If one is after highly compressed tones, most Marshalls apart from JVM won't cut it. Even with JVM that sort of compressed saturation can be achieved on OD channels. 

It really depends on your definition of 'modern tone'. 

I own a 410H and in my experience, there are rarely any tones which 410H isn't capable of. I mostly play death/doom metal and I can always find ways to come up with different tones if the need be.


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## danresn (Sep 25, 2013)

The guitarist in one of my bands with a JCM2000. With a TS it definitely has definitely has the grind needed for modern metal. But it depends on your definition of a modern tone too.


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## JMP2203 (Sep 25, 2013)




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## Mega-Mads (Sep 25, 2013)

I love the Jcm 2000 series.


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## ShadyDavey (Sep 25, 2013)

I've got a Valvestate 8080 sat here (Which is essentially the same amp as the 8100 head without of course the extra 20 watts but with a Celestion G 12T-75) and the previous owner had a CVC Chelmer valve in it for a more modern tone.

Totally worked - and most especially worked with a boost or EQ pedal. It's not perfect but it really isn't a bad little amp which has the added bonus of being relatively cheap and common. 

Believe it or not the little MG10KK absolutely slays!


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## Mike (Sep 25, 2013)

sylosis


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## bouVIP (Sep 25, 2013)

mracz said:


> sylosis



But Josh uses an Orange Rockerverb at the same time with his Marshall


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## Mike (Sep 25, 2013)

They used Marshall's on Conclusion of an Age and they sounded great. Don't know what mics or other pedals, but its still a great tone.


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## Sepultorture (Sep 25, 2013)

I actually quite liked the JVM heads for metal, i'd still a throw a boost out front just for some slight character change, but it was by no means a slouch of an amp, throw that beast on top of a mesa stiletto/tradictional cab, and you got some nasty metal tones at your finger tips, you can get smooth and agresive

the price though for what i want out of an amp is a massive deterent, that's why i won't be jumping off the 6505 train unless i find something that does that tone but much better (with or without boost)


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## bouVIP (Sep 25, 2013)

mracz said:


> They used Marshall's on Conclusion of an Age and they sounded great. Don't know what mics or other pedals, but its still a great tone.



Oh ok. I think he used a Maxon OD808 pedal for it (he said he always used it in the Empyreal video, but i don't know if that predates the 2nd album)


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## ellengtrgrl (Sep 25, 2013)

Marshalls not capable of modern metal tones? Hmm, that's news to me. EQ them right (go easy on the mids - Marshalls have a tendency to have a lot of midrange), and if they don't grind enough for you, slam the front end with an EQ, or clean boost (I use a re-issue DOD 250 overdrive pre-amp), and it'll take your head off, and grind with the best of them. Part of the problem comes from the fact that while they've gotten better, Marshalls still are amps that seem to sound better, the louder you run them. Back in the day, it was common for us guitar players to say that your most important tone control on a Marshall, was its volume, or (if it had one) its Master Volume control.

Also, don't forget the discontinued MF350 Mode 4. Both Daron Malakian of System of A Down, and Alex Skolnick of Testament, are big fans of this amp, and both get some pretty aggressive tones out of it.


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## Leveebreaks (Sep 25, 2013)

The 30th Anniversary (6100) head was used to build half of the tone on Heartwork, and Carcass still used them live right up until 2010ish...not sure what they are using live now (they may still?) but the JCM series with an OD in front is still an absolute beast as well. They may not be flavour of the month but they are still being used.


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## The Scenic View (Sep 25, 2013)

I found the JVM with a v30 cab sounded excellent for metal. Not a fan of the t75's and their tonal characteristics weren't for me, but they could be for you!


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## Carl Kolchak (Sep 25, 2013)

TemjinStrife said:


> JCM800 > *
> 
> Seriously. Beastly heads both live and layered for recording.
> 
> Also, the JVMs aren't bad for a more modern sound.



I haven't heard anything heavier than the JCM800


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## Wookieslayer (Sep 25, 2013)

Last Arch Enemy was all JVM


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## noob_pwn (Sep 25, 2013)

I've owned a few marshalls and played quite a few more, I am a huge fan.
My opinion is their best "metal" amp is the JCM 900 SLX. It sounds similar to the JCM800 2204 but with an added gain stage and effects loop. Very popular studio amp, really really strong mids but not a huge low end. I've seen both 6L6 and EL34 variants of this amp (not sure if that's factory) but only had experience with the EL34. A few people have modded the SLX to take KT77's and apparently that's pretty unreal.

If you can deal without an effects loop and less preamp gain the JCM 800 2203 is the "biggest" sounding one, the KFK variant being a real screamer but i still prefer the mids of the SLX for higher gain applications.

I owned a JVM410 for a while when they first came out but was never really satisfied by it, just didn't have the same sort of midrange girth to the tone that the older builds have. The DSL's aren't bad for those 80's metal tones and the TSL's make for a great doorstopper.


edit: just some extra shinfo - 7 out of the 10 tones that I use for northlane are using a kemper 2204 profile. "Gain" isn't what you need, preamp compression and midrange girth is what you need for a huge metal tone.


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## VESmedic (Sep 25, 2013)

bteband said:


> The 30th Anniversary (6100) head was used to build half of the tone on Heartwork, and Carcass still used them live right up until 2010ish...not sure what they are using live now (they may still?) but the JCM series with an OD in front is still an absolute beast as well. They may not be flavour of the month but they are still being used.



This is a myth, and completely false...Keith andrews, the man who was responsible for getting the tone on heartwork, is a personnal friend of mine, and lives here in Central Florida (orlando, fl). The tone was a 5150, with maybe one track according to him, of a Soldano. Sounds strange, but this is straight from the horses mouth. Even more strange, is how they got that tone. They used 2 4x12s that were connected. One was hollowed out the back, with a stool placed between them, and put them back to back: thus increasing the resounance of the cabinet: pretty weird stuff. He even has an interview about it. You can read it here:

Carcass HEartwork: the recording process by Keith andrews - Ultimate Metal Forum


As far as modern marshalls: The JVM is an amazing amp through and through. This board apparently is mostly "djent" style players or whatever, where marshalls are not that popular apparently. They do modern metal just fine, and their midrange grind is hard to beat. The name is still around for over 50 years for a reason.

EDIT: 
The guitars were recorded almost entirely with the 5150, though I recall &#8220;book him Dano!&#8221; being used, perhaps for one track. There were four tracks of rhythm guitars on each tune: two of Bill and two of Mike, panned in pairs, with the two Bill tracks together and the two Mike tracks together. We decided that we wanted to &#8216;treat&#8217; the guitar sounds slightly different to help differentiate them from one another in the mix, and so we &#8216;borrowed&#8217; one piece of gear from the big room which we&#8217;d just vacated downstairs: a 2-channel GML equalizer. The two channels were wired in &#8216;cascade&#8217; so that the signal went through the left channel first and then back through the right channel. We bypassed the right channel and used the left channel for Bill, then bypassed the left channel and set up the right channel for Mike."




And this is how I personally found out, personnal friends of mine at this studio...If you know some modern metal producers in Florida, pretty easy to figure out who he is referring to 


"About 2½ years ago a producer who lives close to me (about 1½ miles from my house) decided to put an SSL mix room in his house, to go with the Amek tracking room at the far end of his yard. &#8211;Colin had just mixed his last project, and he was by now doing LOTS of this kind of music, and wanted to start mixing it as well. &#8211;While I was putting the SSL in for him, and commissioning it, he was working with Trivium in the other room, then Chimera, and they found out that I&#8217;d engineered Heartwork. &#8211;The guitarists were all over me with questions about the guitar sound, and how those guys were to work with&#8230; It seems that the &#8216;effect&#8217; of that project has actually &#8216;increased&#8217; over time. &#8211;I liked it then, and I certainly believe that it stands up VERY well today, over 15 years after we did it&#8230; -but the number of people who tell me how important they think it was&#8230;never fails to astonish me."


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## Dawn of the Shred (Sep 25, 2013)

I played a marshall jcm800 zakk wylde boosted with an 808 and it sounded really good. Im trying to get it now!


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