Marshall JTM 30 2x10

rolls1392

Enquiring on behalf of a mate

Opinions on this amp please for general rock/blues with a bit metal on the side.

Ta

EricTheWeary

Notoriously unreliable. Sound nice though so if he can find one with all the faults fixed.

ICBM

Not good for metal. It's more of an attempt at a vintage-style sound with a few modern features - it won't have enough chunk and probably not enough gain for anything approaching heavier rock styles. I think it's quite a thin, weak sound really - although I've heard people get reasonable clean and light bluesy overdrive sounds out of them.

And as Eric says they're poorly designed and built, and unreliable. It's difficult to completely fix the faults too.

impmann

+1 on the unreliable bit... one of these sealed my feelings toward Marshall sadly. When they work, they are OK, but tbh 10in speakers rarely sound good with "the Marshall sound", as you need a 12in driver to bring in the bottom end to add to the 'brrrrraaaaaannnnnggg'. But as ICBM says, these are a bit "polite" anyway...

They are inexpensive for a reason, IMHO.

martinw

The mains transformer *will* overheat and fail. They run ferociously hot. The output transformer may pack up too. New spares from Marshall are laughably cheap (about a tenner each IIRC) which shows how cheap they were to make. No point fitting one though, as they'll fail again.

I had one of these amps and made it reliable by fitting a non-Marshall OT, and a mains fan to cool the new Power Tx. I also cut a hole in the top of the cab and fitted a grill to let the heat from the valves out of the chassis. (yes, Marshall designers, to get a flow of hot fluid you need an inny and an outy).

With this done, it was reliable. The valves are biased verrry hot, and it's not adjustable, so only use the Sovtek 5881WXT, which are tough as old boots and will hack it.

Was it worth it? Dunno. The sound wasn't bad actually. Not classic Marshall, but I gigged it a few times (with a 1x12 extension cab) and at gig volumes, it came to life a bit. So, not a bedroom amp, but unreliable to gig without mods!

ICBM

martinw said:

New spares from Marshall are laughably cheap (about a tenner each IIRC) which shows how cheap they were to make.

If they have them in stock… I've had to wait a couple of times, up to a month once. "We go through quite a lot" says the girl at Marshall.

martinw said:

I also cut a hole in the top of the cab and fitted a grill to let the heat from the valves out of the chassis. (yes, Marshall designers, to get a flow of hot fluid you need an inny and an outy).

They did leave an 'outy', it's the slot about an eighth of an inch high above the chassis where the 'bumps' around the bolt holes stop it closing up completely . Or at least that's what they must have been hoping… until the heat softens the glue and the vinyl peels off and blocks it. Woefully inadequate in the first place anyway.

They did the same thing on the DSL201/401 - I always increase it by putting grommets around the bolts so the gap increases to a whole quarter inch! It does seem to help.

martinw said:

With this done, it was reliable.

Until the plastic preamp valve sockets melt, or the screen resistors desolder themselves, or random bad solder joints fail, or the speaker socket breaks, or that horrible nasty speaker cable does, or some other fault… pretty much anything that can go wrong will, really!

martinw said:

Was it worth it? Dunno.

Only because you were able to do the work yourself. If you'd had to pay someone else to, a definite no! And it sounds like you were luckier than many with the minor faults as well.

Probably the low point of Marshall's valve amp design and quality in my opinion… although I've heard bad things about the Haze too, but I haven't seen one yet.

martinw

ICBM said:

Until the plastic preamp valve sockets melt, or the screen resistors desolder themselves, or random bad solder joints fail, or the speaker socket breaks, or that horrible nasty speaker cable does, or some other fault… pretty much anything that can go wrong will, really!

Never had any of those (on my amps anyway - I've had 2 other JTM60s as well!!) I think those sound like mainly heat-related issues, and once you've got the fan in the back, the amp becomes no less reliable than other Marshalls of the same era. So yes, all the faults you mentioned!

bertie

is that a cooling fan on the LHS ?   

martinw

bertie;139201" said:

is that a cooling fan on the LHS ?   

Yes that's it.

rolls1392

Big fat pass from me then!!

ICBM

rolls1392 said:

Big fat pass from me then!!

And while you're at it, avoid the JTM60 (which is just a bigger version of the same thing) and the JCM600 (which is just a cosmetic revamp of the JTM60, although it does have slightly more ventilation - they were learning).

The DSL401 isn't actually too bad with a couple of minor fixes, but the DSL201 tends to blow output transformers and has a speaker best used as a frisbee.

And whatever you don't don't buy a MG100DFX. Or a Mode Four. Or probably not an AVT… in fact, best to avoid anything Marshall with a cooling fan. (That wasn't fitted after the fact by martinw or someone else!) If Marshall fitted a fan, the amp *will* overheat and die at some point… if the fan doesn't just become irritatingly noisy first.

Phil_aka_Pip

I grieves me to see so many products being design-wise (not just production-wise, although that would be bad in itself) being a slander on the name of Marshall. Didn't a certain Mr Hendrix test his amplifiers by throwing them down the stairs and if they still worked afterwards they were fit for gigging?

ICBM

Phil_aka_Pip said:

I grieves me to see so many products being design-wise (not just production-wise, although that would be bad in itself) being a slander on the name of Marshall.

I agree. I started playing in the mid-80s, and back then Marshall made some of the best production amps in the world. The build quality on the JCM800s and even the solid-state versions of them is outstanding. Sadly after the Jubilee series they started on a downhill path, cutting costs and corners at every new generation. OK, they've become hugely successful and no doubt highly profitable, but it still saddens me that a company I almost worshipped as a teenager is now making products that are in some ways inferior to things like Chinese Peaveys and even Bugera (Behringer's 'posh' brand).

In many cases some of the things they get wrong should be obvious to anyone with actual field knowledge of repairing amps before they even start failing, so either they don't employ anyone like that in R&D now or the bean-counters have too much input into the spec. The ventilation (or lack of) of the 90s JTM series is a case in point.

ThePrettyDamned

ICBM;139581" said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

I grieves me to see so many products being design-wise (not just production-wise, although that would be bad in itself) being a slander on the name of Marshall.










I agree. I started playing in the mid-80s, and back then Marshall made some of the best production amps in the world. The build quality on the JCM800s and even the solid-state versions of them is outstanding. Sadly after the Jubilee series they started on a downhill path, cutting costs and corners at every new generation. OK, they've become hugely successful and no doubt highly profitable, but it still saddens me that a company I almost worshipped as a teenager is now making products that are in some ways inferior to things like Chinese Peaveys and even Bugera (Behringer's 'posh' brand).

In many cases some of the things they get wrong should be obvious to anyone with actual field knowledge of repairing amps before they even start failing, so either they don't employ anyone like that in R&D now or the bean-counters have too much input into the spec. The ventilation (or lack of) of the 90s JTM series is a case in point.

I've often wondered about bugera amps. They've done a 5150 clone, but the 6505+ combo is already not that expensive... And I'd rather go for the real deal.

But they seem to have a lot of inspired by circuits of Marshall and... Well, loads of brands. Are they actually any good? I have to admit, I heard a high gain Marshall style they did and thought it sounded a bit dead (jcm 900 clone - I quite like the sound of the 900 sl-x), which I assumed was down to corner cutting for the circuit and using really cheap parts.

impmann

ICBM said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

I grieves me to see so many products being design-wise (not just production-wise, although that would be bad in itself) being a slander on the name of Marshall.

I agree. I started playing in the mid-80s, and back then Marshall made some of the best production amps in the world. The build quality on the JCM800s and even the solid-state versions of them is outstanding. Sadly after the Jubilee series they started on a downhill path, cutting costs and corners at every new generation. OK, they've become hugely successful and no doubt highly profitable, but it still saddens me that a company I almost worshipped as a teenager is now making products that are in some ways inferior to things like Chinese Peaveys and even Bugera (Behringer's 'posh' brand).

Wow...

That is almost verbatim what I said to someone today about Marshall... An original 800, without all the bells and whistles of the later amps, is a fantastic amplifier. It doesn't pretend to be anything its not - and it has a proper character, something missing from later Marshalls. Plus they were brilliantly well made. Shame they weigh a ton, otherwise I'd gig one.

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

I've often wondered about bugera amps. They've done a 5150 clone, but the 6505+ combo is already not that expensive... And I'd rather go for the real deal.

But they seem to have a lot of inspired by circuits of Marshall and... Well, loads of brands. Are they actually any good? I have to admit, I heard a high gain Marshall style they did and thought it sounded a bit dead (jcm 900 clone - I quite like the sound of the 900 sl-x), which I assumed was down to corner cutting for the circuit and using really cheap parts.

They're OK. I know what you mean about the sound, I was talking more about the build quality. With a couple of fairly well-known exceptions early on (a PCB connector which was under-rated for the job and often burnt out, for example) the few I've seen have been generally well-made, and I don't see many of them.

Behringer are quite skilful at cutting component cost to the bone, but they seem to mostly get it right. The downside is that when they don't, the gear is so cheap it's often borderline uneconomical to repair.

shady

I have a JTM60, the 3x10 combo.  Great home amp with a surprisingly bassy clean sound but I certainly wouldn't have the confidence to play it in anger - saying that I've had no real issues other than one blown output valve.

Shit cab, meh drive (I've had better sounding mediocre dirt pedals), passable reverb, good makey-loudy box for pedals.

I like it...

...I'll get me coat... 

ThePrettyDamned

ICBM;139866" said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

I've often wondered about bugera amps. They've done a 5150 clone, but the 6505+ combo is already not that expensive... And I'd rather go for the real deal.



But they seem to have a lot of inspired by circuits of Marshall and... Well, loads of brands. Are they actually any good? I have to admit, I heard a high gain Marshall style they did and thought it sounded a bit dead (jcm 900 clone - I quite like the sound of the 900 sl-x), which I assumed was down to corner cutting for the circuit and using really cheap parts.





They're OK. I know what you mean about the sound, I was talking more about the build quality. With a couple of fairly well-known exceptions early on (a PCB connector which was under-rated for the job and often burnt out, for example) the few I've seen have been generally well-made, and I don't see many of them.

Behringer are quite skilful at cutting component cost to the bone, but they seem to mostly get it right. The downside is that when they don't, the gear is so cheap it's often borderline uneconomical to repair.

Yeah, especially as it was going into a v30 loaded 2x12 at the time, it sounded like it had a blanket over it.

Like I said, the 6505+ combo is priced well enough to make that clone close to pointless.

They have other interesting stuff though, and it is dead cheap. I'll need to look into them more. Then again, jet city stuff isn't expensive and they're supposed to be great.

Bugera overpriced?

thermionic

A guy at work is selling one of these (2x10") for what seems like little money. I don't need a Marshall amp... but it's a MARSHALL AMP! And I've just been paid my annual bonus...

I think I've talked myself out of it after reading the above comments though.

ICBM

I would buy it if it's working, in good physical condition and is no more than £150. More and I would think twice since they can start to cost money if they go wrong.

thermionic

He's asking £225 and it's definitely working - no idea of condition but there are photos if I ask for them. I wouldn't be hammering it in terms of volume or reliability as I don't gig... Which is exactly why I don't need a 30W Marshall in the first place! I'd love another Marshall valve combo some day, but it's probably not this one.