Hair Splitting Marshalls

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2002 8:09 pm

Question for you guys who have experience with Marshalls. (Heavy Rock)

I’m just beginning to mess around with a 50 watt JCM DSL 2000 my friend loaned me. I’m wondering, since the modern Marshall heads have master volume’s, do people still crank them wide open like they did with the old plexis? Or do they just dial in the tone they want, and crank it enough to get some air movement and pressure off the cabinet?

<img border="0" alt="[retard]" title="" src="graemlins/retard.gif" />

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2002 10:03 pm

All master volume controls have some tonal effect. With a moderate gain setting, get a feel for where you still have most of the output tube tone you want, and keep the master there or higher to maximize the output stage sound. The preamp distortion tones tend to benefit from a low-mid thump and some rounding off of buzzy distortion character. Sometimes a small turn on the master volume knob is a night and day difference. Some of the wide-open thing is pushing the speakers, but I've done enought testing to say with conviction that the output section is a big part of the equation, and you want to get your muscle there.

Bear

This topic sponsored by: