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Marshall JCM800 50W Combo

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  • #16
    Agree, it must be the "good" one
    Voltages now make sense, specially around V1b.
    I guess they wanted "just a little more gain" in the dirt channel but without using an extra valve, so they modded V1b gain stage into a "starved plate" design: as large a plate resistor as can be, accept huge voltage drop across it so low plate voltage, problem is that stage is anemic, dull, all for very little extra gain.
    I suggest you turn *that* gain stage into a normal one: 100k plate, 1k5 cathode, bypassed with .47 or 1uF electrolytic.
    Ditch the cathode diode of course.
    In any case that channel is a fraud: being a gain block followed by clipping diodes (W005+1N4007) , itīs not more than a glorified distortion pedal.
    Going any further would mean ripping entire sections, full rebuilds, way beyond the call of duty.
    Try turning the starved plate stage into a regular one, it should improve sound, not sure about that channel "lower volume at the same setting" but it might improve that too.
    I donīt suggest pulling the clipping diodes, because switching here is done by very weak transistors inside the chip, which is just a transistor array, faintly remember they stand 20V or so.
    Clipping diodes keep peaks at 2.1V ; without them you could easily have 30 or 40V RMS, not good.
    Ok, try it and post results.
    Good luck.
    Juan Manuel Fahey

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    • #17
      FWIW I had one of these in earlier this year and noticed the Boost volume needed turning up a lot more than the Normal to give an appreciable boost. The owner had it from new and said it was always like that so I didn't pursue it as a problem. So either there was a problem and it was faulty from new, or it was fine. I can't recall having another of this specific design for comparison.

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      • #18
        Maybe the boost volume knob has shifted and needs re-adjusting/aligning to the scale?
        Last edited by Helmholtz; 06-05-2018, 10:46 PM.
        - Own Opinions Only -

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        • #19
          I'm returning this to it's owner after a regular service (clean up and check out). The reverb and master volume which were noisy have been fixed with some DeOxit. As far as it's other "issues"....it is what it is. I sent the amp's owner to read these posts and he now understands what he has.

          Thanks for your help everyone!

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