Marshall JVM 50w vs 100w combo

[Amrflyingdude]

Wow thank you so much for thr responses, you guys are fantastic and I will keep you all posted.

 

[deee]

Hello everyone.

I apologize in advance as I am a first timer and an old fella here, so if this has been asked or I am asking a stupid question please excuse my lack of knowledge.

I was about to buy my second solid state amp (Boss Katana 100) and thought it might be time to get my first ever tube amp instead, i have never played through a tube amp and have been a loyal user of a Roland JC120 for decades, great amp and will keep it for sure but the overdrives/distortions on that amp regardless of what pedals i use are not really pleasing. Also, lately i seem to be drifting from the classic rock tones to the more metal/shredding tones. So after some research I really like the JVM combos and is the amp i really would like to get. I will be buying used or open box or whatever can shave off a few bucks and I would like to use itt for gigging, however, coming from a Roland JC120 I really don't know if the 50w would do just fine or I need to go for the 100 watt instead. Because never played a tube amp I am not sure how loud these combos can get so I was hoping someone can help me decide.

Thanks a lot in advance for the help!

as someone who plays at normal home volumes i don't see an advantage with a 100 w over a 50 w on the same circuit design. as tone goes. the extra 50 watts gets +3 db. volume over a 50-and that's heard by a human brain as twice as loud, so it's not insignificant-but the 50's already very loud. you can argue the 100 has a bigger output transformer and more capacitance, so there's maybe something in that. since these are a-b amps you can take out a pair of the output tubes on a 100 watt and that gets down to 50 watts. what's the price difference of a 100 watt over a 50 watt? 100 or 200 dollars? as an investment over years of use that's really not much. some people like the look of the cabinet venting and glow of the 2 extra output tubes...from what i've read, jimi hendrix recorded on a 50 watt plexi lead head. he actually liked fender amps too, though.

 

[Dale Faulkner]

I own the jvm 50

 

[Dale Faulkner]

I own the JVM 50 watt combo and love it. Sounds awesome. Put in a creamback speaker and it gives you such a tonal range from AC/DC crunch to heavy metal. The clean is gorgeous as well. A pleasant surprise as you typically think of fender when it comes to clean. It’s also extremely versatile for gigging with the programable foot switch. I love this amp!

 

[deee]

Hello everyone.

I apologize in advance as I am a first timer and an old fella here, so if this has been asked or I am asking a stupid question please excuse my lack of knowledge.

I was about to buy my second solid state amp (Boss Katana 100) and thought it might be time to get my first ever tube amp instead, i have never played through a tube amp and have been a loyal user of a Roland JC120 for decades, great amp and will keep it for sure but the overdrives/distortions on that amp regardless of what pedals i use are not really pleasing. Also, lately i seem to be drifting from the classic rock tones to the more metal/shredding tones. So after some research I really like the JVM combos and is the amp i really would like to get. I will be buying used or open box or whatever can shave off a few bucks and I would like to use itt for gigging, however, coming from a Roland JC120 I really don't know if the 50w would do just fine or I need to go for the 100 watt instead. Because never played a tube amp I am not sure how loud these combos can get so I was hoping someone can help me decide.

Thanks a lot in advance for the help!

i left out the most obvious thing-the 100 watt marshall heads were introduced to drive two 4 x 12 cabinets to high volume at live shows.

 

[Ken Ops]

I’ve played both, 50w and 100w. To my ears, there is a difference, and I prefer the 100w for what it’s worth.

In the end though, they’re both pretty solid amps, fairly well built, and can sound good if you get to know them.

 

[scozz]

Prob not and that's ok. Hey I am all for companies putting out great sounding gear at reasonable prices. I can't see me buying one new cause I don't 'need' one but I'll try one once they start popping up used.

To my old ears these high gain amps kind of all sound the same to me--narrow and compressed. You play Zep, AC/DC or GnR on them and it sounds cool--I really like the Orange JVM and as you mentioned the Blue EVH--but then you plug into an older Marshall and you hear the dynamics the gainy stuff just doesn't have. Different tools is all

Absolutely on the high gain amps in my experience bud, thick compressed mush from some of them.

They just don’t fit my ear or my style, maybe if I was a Metal player maybe I’d have a different opinion.

 

[RichardDM]

Just grab the JVM410C or 410H, you get all 4 channels and modes with separate EQ for all channels. Unlike the 2 channel JVM where you only get 1 of the Clean modes & only two of the crunch modes & the Clean/Crunch modes share there EQ. Also the OD channel on the 2 channel is OD2 on the 4 channel JVM so you don't get OD1 from the 4 channel. Only downsides to the 4 channel JVMs are there only ether a 100watt Head or 100watt 2x12 combo & the most expensive of all the JVM. So no 50 watt or 1x12 option. But you could easily pull two of the Power tubes and essentially make it a 50 watt. The 2 channel JVM are not worth it to me as your not paying that much less & loosing out on half the Modes.

 

[sir axeman]

^^^As I read thru this thread I was going to say this! Now someone has already said it I'll just agree!!

But whilst I've got a JVM410C (had the 410 head...but for pub gigs prefer a 2x12) combo i have had the 2 channel 100w combo as well...I prefer the 4 channel OD1...its more Van Halen esque ie classic - hard rock, whereas the OD2 is more metal in the mids. I guess you can mod thus channel to be more classic voiced....but to throw in a curved ball i actually prefer my 1923C which is a limited edition 50w 2x12 version of the old UK made DSL50...this sounds better than the JVM to me! So if not opposed to a head n cab I'd personally recommend the DSL50.

 

[LeftyGtrPlr]

Just grab the JVM410C or 410H, you get all 4 channels and modes with separate EQ for all channels. Unlike the 2 channel JVM where you only get 1 of the Clean modes & only two of the crunch modes & the Clean/Crunch modes share there EQ. Also the OD channel on the 2 channel is OD2 on the 4 channel JVM so you don't get OD1 from the 4 channel. Only downsides to the 4 channel JVMs are there only ether a 100watt Head or 100watt 2x12 combo & the most expensive of all the JVM. So no 50 watt or 1x12 option. But you could easily pull two of the Power tubes and essentially make it a 50 watt. The 2 channel JVM are not worth it to me as your not paying that much less & loosing out on half the Modes.

I also came to say this. I had the JVM410 combo and loved it, but sold it to purchase the head & cab. I prefer that better than a combo.
Love the channel switching and versatility of the JVM410, either head or combo!

 

[Justin Whitstine]

I have good luck with the dsl40cr. Go demo one, if it's not enough then try the JVM. Personally, I wouldn't get any additional benefit from a JVM and I like the more classic/less modern tones from the DSL.

 

[peterplexi]

Hello everyone.

I apologize in advance as I am a first timer and an old fella here, so if this has been asked or I am asking a stupid question please excuse my lack of knowledge.

I was about to buy my second solid state amp (Boss Katana 100) and thought it might be time to get my first ever tube amp instead, i have never played through a tube amp and have been a loyal user of a Roland JC120 for decades, great amp and will keep it for sure but the overdrives/distortions on that amp regardless of what pedals i use are not really pleasing. Also, lately i seem to be drifting from the classic rock tones to the more metal/shredding tones. So after some research I really like the JVM combos and is the amp i really would like to get. I will be buying used or open box or whatever can shave off a few bucks and I would like to use itt for gigging, however, coming from a Roland JC120 I really don't know if the 50w would do just fine or I need to go for the 100 watt instead. Because never played a tube amp I am not sure how loud these combos can get so I was hoping someone can help me decide.

Thanks a lot in advance for the help!

The 50 watt JVM would be plenty, love the Tremonty head and the gt1000core is unbelievable.!

 

[danteschall]

Hello everyone.

I apologize in advance as I am a first timer and an old fella here, so if this has been asked or I am asking a stupid question please excuse my lack of knowledge.

I was about to buy my second solid state amp (Boss Katana 100) and thought it might be time to get my first ever tube amp instead, i have never played through a tube amp and have been a loyal user of a Roland JC120 for decades, great amp and will keep it for sure but the overdrives/distortions on that amp regardless of what pedals i use are not really pleasing. Also, lately i seem to be drifting from the classic rock tones to the more metal/shredding tones. So after some research I really like the JVM combos and is the amp i really would like to get. I will be buying used or open box or whatever can shave off a few bucks and I would like to use itt for gigging, however, coming from a Roland JC120 I really don't know if the 50w would do just fine or I need to go for the 100 watt instead. Because never played a tube amp I am not sure how loud these combos can get so I was hoping someone can help me decide.

Thanks a lot in advance for the help!

I have a DSL 100H head and have that switched down to the 50W setting it SCREAMS. But I am playing through a vintage 4x10 Cabinet. The other guitar player routinely rehearses with a Marshall DLS40CR which is plenty loud.

 

[Dale Faulkner]

Solid state input, solid state phase inverter, solid state gainstage - the rest are gainstages from 2 tubes.



Are you serious?
I've worked on quite a few JVMs and EVH 5150s - the built quality of Marshall is clearly better than of those EVH (and also newer Fender) amps.
It's a different scenario, if you look inside the amps and see the pcbs, components etc. than just using it and judge by the torque of the pots.

I'm not saying that EVH amps are trash - of course they are not.
And I was debating with myself quite a bit if I should keep a JVM2 or the EVH 5150III for myself a few years ago, because I really enjoyed playing the blue channel of the EVH.
But it's a one trick pony and it doesn't deliver the tyoical Marshall crunch and therefore these classic rock tones everybody grew up with.

I agree with everything you said but the one trick pony bit. I own the EVH 5150 iii and I live on the blue channel but I can get a wide range of tones from this amp from crunch to metal to pristine cleans. My marshall on the other hand has a killer crunch tone but I world say that is more the one trick pony but does it very well.

 

[Trem man]

If you're talking clean enough to play jazz standards then no Marshall will work. If you're talking "dirty clean" rock sound with a bit of hair on it that you can back off your guitar volume and clean it up then any of the older JCM 800, JMP or plexi 50 to 100 watters will keep up with a loud drummer. The newer cheap high gain stuff with no headroom - meh. To me they sound like an old Rockman.

 

[dimbulb]

as someone who plays at normal home volumes i don't see an advantage with a 100 w over a 50 w on the same circuit design. as tone goes. the extra 50 watts gets +3 db. volume over a 50-and that's heard by a human brain as twice as loud

Sorry, but to quote LL Cool J: "Excuse me, I don't think so"

quick search pulls up buncha references saying 10db is required for "twice as loud" and that 3db is perceived as "about 12% louder"

I can't post links, but keyword search for these phrases:

Is 3 dB twice as loud?​

3 dB means twice intense sound. What does an increase of 6 dB mean?

 

[crossroadsnyc]

Sorry, but to quote LL Cool J: "Excuse me, I don't think so"

quick search pulls up buncha references saying 10db is required for "twice as loud" and that 3db is perceived as "about 12% louder"

I can't post links, but keyword search for these phrases:

Is 3 dB twice as loud?​

3 dB means twice intense sound. What does an increase of 6 dB mean?

The difference between a 50W vs 100W amp is 3db. It’s barely perceptible to the human ear. It’s not nearly twice as loud. To achieve “twice as loud”, you just have to do the math. If you have a 1W amp, and want it to be “twice as loud”, then you get a 10W amp. If you have a 5W amp, and want it to be ”twice as loud”, then you get a 50W amp. If you have a 10W amp, and want it to be “twice as loud”, then you get a 100W amp. It’s all about the power of 10. Well, at leas that’s how I’ve always understood it, but maybe I’m wrong? I think you kinda have to take into consideration various manufacturers (Marshall, Fender, MESA, etc.)

 

[jimmyo]

Fortunate to have some 50w and 100w versions of the same amps and the main difference to me isn’t so much absolute volume. They will both be loud.

It is more that the 100watt will generally have a bit more balls and weight to the tone, and also more headroom. This is important for an amp like the JVM, as it gets most of its higher gain tones more from the pre-amp than the power amp. So for a tight higher gain tone you’ll want the power section to stay clean and have a high headroom so the tone doesn’t get compressed and flubby. The higher headroom also helps the master volume 2 have a higher volume than master volume 1 for more of its range (ie before the power tubes start to run out of headroom) if you use that feature as a volume boost for solos. If you are playing with a loud band or bigger venues that allow for higher stage volume, or if you like the extra thump a bigger transformer can give, I’d go for the 100w.

However if you are playing more classic rock and blues etc, and want to get your tones from the power tubes getting pushed then maybe the 50watt. Also if you mic your amp at shows or rehearsals so don’t need a high clean headroom. Also the extra weight of the 100w vs the 50w as a combo is a practical consideration. For me I prefer a separate head and cab for this reason. 100watt combo can be heavy.

Best of luck, the JVMs are great amps. DSLs also as suggested by some other folks.

 

[masher_uk]

Hello everyone.

I apologize in advance as I am a first timer and an old fella here, so if this has been asked or I am asking a stupid question please excuse my lack of knowledge.

I was about to buy my second solid state amp (Boss Katana 100) and thought it might be time to get my first ever tube amp instead, i have never played through a tube amp and have been a loyal user of a Roland JC120 for decades, great amp and will keep it for sure but the overdrives/distortions on that amp regardless of what pedals i use are not really pleasing. Also, lately i seem to be drifting from the classic rock tones to the more metal/shredding tones. So after some research I really like the JVM combos and is the amp i really would like to get. I will be buying used or open box or whatever can shave off a few bucks and I would like to use itt for gigging, however, coming from a Roland JC120 I really don't know if the 50w would do just fine or I need to go for the 100 watt instead. Because never played a tube amp I am not sure how loud these combos can get so I was hoping someone can help me decide.

Thanks a lot in advance for the help!

I have both a 205H and a 410H. Whilst I occasionally use the 410 outdoors, I predominantly take the 205 for pub and club gigs, etc. A word of warning though, the combo versions are heavy which is why I went the head route.

 

[Karl Brake]

I have giggef for about the past 10 years with a 215c and a 410hjs. If you're going to go with a combo, the size and weight of a 2×12 over a 1×12 is significant. I like to use my half stack when I can, but the 215c is plenty powerful for any club...and you can always add a 2×12 or 4×12 extension cab in bigger venues. The 50 watt has plenty of ooomph to drive a full stack (bypassing the cab speaker) if you do desire.

I've seen more than one player using the 215c and adding a 4x12 when needed. The extra channels are useful in the 410, but honestly, just adding an overdrive pedal in front covers that territory quite well.
Having lugged around a Twin Reverb far and wide for gigs in my youth just makes want to tell anyone starting down this road just, don't! The point of a combo is portability. The 215c is a sonic giant.