marshall jmp mk2 superbass?

John_P

Just seen this for sale and very tempted...   I'd love to hear what anyone thinks of them, and what would be a fair price.   He has the amp head and cab.

pics:
http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w617/johnpinchin2/560202_569542706513193_5353764318692204214_n_zps4e7bb2de.jpg
http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w617/johnpinchin2/1460277_569542866513177_7854152402369126908_n_zpsf84fa569.jpg
http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w617/johnpinchin2/10805595_569542739846523_2344609284413267472_n_zps6116ab34.jpg
http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w617/johnpinchin2/10689623_569540436513420_1180105097910981018_n_zps634f8af5.jpg
http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w617/johnpinchin2/1383079_569540816513382_2840135650927093054_n_zps78026421.jpg

samzadgan

Not sure what year that is...but i have one from 1974...hands down the best amp i have heard, played and luckily own.

Antique_Guitars

Aye very nice sounding amp

John_P

Thanks chaps - not sure whether I can justify another amp when I'm looking for a guitar but I'm very tempted... any idea what they are worth?

cosmiccarrot

They don't seem to go for a lot.
There's an '81 800 bass one that's been for sale on ebay for months at 590, I bought the guys 2204 off him so it's probably a good one. I'd say more like 400, doesn't look as if it's been stored well with the rust!
I might come in with you on the cab if you want to cut down the cost?

samzadgan

@ICBM might have a wealth of knowledge on these and price...?

John_P

It's a chap local to me and he wants £300 for the head and £200 for the cab.     I'd only be buying as it looked a bit of a bargain rather than something I would gig so I was more curious to check it out really - I should save my cash towards a guitar or something I will use if I'm being sensible.

samzadgan

wow...£300 seems like a bargain to me...maybe I'm way out on pricing, but for reference my one was about 750...

and 200 for the cab is also a great price, those speakers are really nice. 

i would hit that...but thats me...

ICBM

That looks great and in very original condition. I wouldn't worry too much about the rust on the chassis - but do worry about the pull-out voltage and impedance selectors, they're notorious for failing and blowing transformers. Get them hardwired if you're intending to play the amp at any volume. I normally simply connect one speaker jack to the 8-ohm tap and one to the 16, which gives enough flexibility usually.

It looks like it has the original Mullard power valves too. They're actually less likely to need replacing than the filter caps, which might. (Probably should, but I would be inclined to Variac it up and see if they're ok first, unless there's already physical leakage.) Preamp valves will probably be RFTs.

It's a bargain at £300, if it just needs a cap job and the selectors fixed. The cab is cheap at £200 as well if all the speakers are OK - they are likely to be, 65s are from the first period where Celestion used modern glues and they don't tend to fall apart as much as the older ones.

Looks like about a '78 or '79 I think, since it has the older selectors but the modern IEC power socket. The cab is slightly more recent, probably '82-'83 I think.

John_P

I guess it can only go up in value and can sit used for recording etc until I have a use for it.   Very tempted now...  I might send him a cheeky offer.

samzadgan

John_P said:

I guess it can only go up in value and can sit used for recording etc until I have a use for it.   Very tempted now...  I might send him a cheeky offer.

do it!!!

57Deluxe

I actually think the super bass has a better range of tones than the JTM45

ICBM

Same here. I think the main reason they're not more popular is that people are scared of the 100W rating - it's true that they are *very* loud (particularly as they put out well over 100W even clean, let alone cranked), and they need a cab capable of taking that kind of power, which almost always means something fairly efficient.

But there are ways of reducing the volume - you can pull two power valves to give "only" 50W, you can use an attenuator (best if you also pull the valves, since otherwise you're stressing the amp and the attenuator more than necessary) and they take pedals extremely well.

Even if you don't want to do any of that, they're worth using for possibly the fullest, richest clean tone of any amp.

samzadgan

ICBM said:

Even if you don't want to do any of that, they're worth using for possibly the fullest, richest clean tone of any amp.

This!

John_A

If you don't buy it pass me his details . Bargain!

cosmiccarrot

ICBM said:

 you can pull two power valves to give "only" 50W, you can use an attenuator (best if you also pull the valves, since otherwise you're stressing the amp and the attenuator more than necessary)

You'd need to rebias though wouldn't you? oh and half spk ohm output.

I agree on the creamy cleans, a great combo with a strat. In fact didn't Guitarist mag do a feature with dvd thing showing the all time best vintage tones? I remember seeing something like a 71 superbass?
Found it... 2.30 start

ICBM

cosmiccarrot said:

ICBM said:

 you can pull two power valves to give "only" 50W, you can use an attenuator (best if you also pull the valves, since otherwise you're stressing the amp and the attenuator more than necessary)

You'd need to rebias though wouldn't you? oh and half spk ohm output.

Just reset the impedance, no need to rebias.

John_P

I thought I was buying it tonight but no more replies from the chap selling it.   Interesting discussion but it's looking like there won't be a NAD post. 

ICBM

Perhaps he's seen this thread and realises it was much too cheap...

Reverend

Buy it. I have one that sounds killer.


If you are unsure, listen to Free...

lespaulcustom68

I bought mine about 18 months ago - ICBM helped out with a suitable cab deal via sunny Glasgow and a thd hot plate. Its actually a newer example - the very last made before the redesign towards the less than popular JCM models (they're the ones that seem to hang around on ebay). I actually paid £500 - but got a Marshall 2x12 and a couple of Boss pedals thrown in all of which i sold on quickly to bring my final price down to about £250. Then had it serviced - biased / capped / tubed etc.

It gets more use than my Mesa rectifier or Marshall DSL - great cleans and an outstanding pedal platform. 

If the guy is dithering on selling as its undervalued - buy both as an incentive to him and sell on the cab if not needed.