I had mentioned elsewhere that I just finished my homemade Marshall JCM800 amplifier.

This is a project I started in July 2008 and it was 100% finished on Christmas Day.

My friend Dave and I each built one. He built a JTM45 clone prior to this project and having already gotten one under his belt was confident to give it a second go. I followed his lead and pretty much did as he did. So a lot of the technical knowledge that goes into this escapes me. I have discovered the the internet houses a TON of info on making these homebrew clone amps. One such example of a place to get EVERYTHING you'd want/need to get this done is Ceria Tone Amplification.

http://www.ceriatone.com/

We went the more custom route and after deciding on our schematic ordered all out parts from either Tube Depot or Tubes & More


http://www.tubedepot.com/

http://www.tubesandmore.com/

A GREAT site that explains all of this kind of thing is Joe Popp's page. Check it here and follow his journey of buidling his own Marshall. http://www.joepopp.net/jcm800.htm

I tracked my journey (somewhat) at my site www.Metalfrets.com You can see that thread here. There are lots of pics.

http://www.metalfrets.com/fretboard/index....msg1642#msg1642

Anyway, this thread is for those whose interest has been piqued by the idea of building thier own amp. I'm now in the process of burning the amp in and getting some hours on it to make sure its stable and working properly at operating temperature.

I created a quick recording of the type of song that I'm targeting tone-wise. Any 80's metal head will recognize this clip. It was recorded with my Digitech GSP-1101 using a patch I made to emulate the Marshall JCM800 80's metal tone. Its ran direct into my PC and recorded in Sonar. Nothing was added in Sonar. Just the drums and bass of course. I use T-Racks 3 to master the mix. I'm no wiz here though. I chose a preset I liked and ran it through that. Anyway, this is the benchmark to compare the new amp to. Once I figure out how to mic it up correctly I'll re-record the clip using the new amp.

1 guitar in the clip is my Jackson DK2M. One is my Epi LP Standard. I used the same tone on the R and L. One thing I dont like about most modelers is that they dotn let each guitar keep their charactaristics. Does a Jackson sound just like a Les Paul? I dont think so... But this clip wouldnt say that. They sound remarkably similar.....


www.jershangout.com/files/uploads/temp/Balls-GSP.wav

Click to view attachment

Beautiful. It sounds kick ass!!!

I haven't recorded the new amp yet. What you are hearing is my Digitech GSP-1101.



http://www.digitech.com/products/multi-effects/gsp1101.php

Oh yea. You did say that! DOH!

Thanks though!

I am quite happy with the Digitech unit too. With the band I use it with a Carvin 50x2 EL34 based amp into a Peavey 5150 4x12 cab. Sounds great.

This new amp is a completely different animal. I hope I can capture is with mics. I'm a rookie of the highest order when it comes to micing cabs.

I think that amp looks beyond awesome mate! You really got some talent! Very neat indeed! I use 2 JJ E34L's as well in my TSL601, they sound very good, good choice. Can't wait for the samples !

Thanks Ivan,

It is fun to look at. Like a piece of art in a way.

Art that will MELT FACES!!!!

Mwuhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaa!!!!!

I share your excitement mate! I bet you can't wait to crank the beast!

Ahh that is a very cool project! Looks very cool. Congrats mate

You Digitech unit sounds really good.

I can't wait to hear what you head sounds like. Just curious if you have plains to build a case around it for protection?

Yeah, we'll be building a case at some point. If its gonna leave the house it needs a case!!!!

I can't imagine this not being a GMC wiki article?

I dont really know enough about it to pen anything educational.

Nice eddies on the background man - Iron Maiden rules!
The amp is nice and shiny, good job.

Thanks!!!

You cant see it in the pic but hanging from the ceiling above the amp is a 3'x4' tapestry of "The Trooper" too.

It's never wrong to blast some Accept!!!! Sweet sounding modeler though!

Thanks!

I love that Digitech unit.

I'll be using it into the fromt of the new amp too. Just without the modeling. Its got some nice stompbox effects in it.

Looks awesome, congratulations
Awesome Maiden figures as well

Awesome job! Congratulations. I can´t wait to hear the sample.

You mean you didn't build an effects loop into it? I am surprised

That would give you much better over your tone that way.

I definitely wanted to.

Very much so.

Dave didnt find a schematic that had one that didnt take the tone out of the path of the tubes though. I dont know a lot about it, but according to him, one dirty little secret about a lot of tube amps is that the FX loop is somehow put into the solid state realm.

He's a tube snob of the highest order so he wasnt having any of that.



(Dave is the brains behind this, I followed his lead. I know more than I did before building it though... And I'll know even more next time!)

Great job! building your own weapon makes you like a Jedi Master

I was just heading to Tashi Station to get some power converters....

Alright.

Here is my first take with the new amp.

I'm using my Digitech GSP-1101 in front of the amp for 2 things. Maxon 808 overdrive stompbox and Noise Gate. No modeling is being used. The OD helps push the amp a bit into higher gain territory. I'd like to push it a bit further than where we are with this clip but we are certainly heading towards the right thing!

I used the same guitars. Jackson DK2 and Epi LP. Same tone on both sides.

Man, the clarity is WAYYY improved. If I could crank it up louder I think our crunch factor would be improved as well. I'm not used to playing this loud at home. Neither are my wife, 4yr old daughter, or dog... I also need to look at compressors. Compressing it a bit would allow me to play more comfortably here. The amp really can tell how hard you pick. I'm not used to that....

So there is some tweaking to do to give it a bit more edge still. My target is that 80's metal tone and I think we're certainly heading in the right direction. Feedback, suggestions welcome.

www.jershangout.com/files/uploads/temp/Balls-JCM.wav

Attached is a pic of mic placement.

Click to view attachment

That sounded awesome! Well done mate

I thought it sounded great man. Your definitely on an 80's path with that tone. Nice craftsmanship as well. I would love to hear a lead take with a bit of delay... Those 80's leads were just awesome imo! One that comes to mind after hearing that is the opening solo of "House Of Broken Love".....

Ohhhhhh thats a great solo!!!!

Definitely! Mark Kendall could make that Kramer scream. I can't believe those guitars are practically extinct..

Here's another quick sample.

More gain this time. Used the GSP-1101's rendition of the Muff Pi pedal. Same amp settings. Same mic setting.

Same guitars. I used the DK2 for the solo.

A handful of errors in the playing. Just getting the tone down here. Not demoing guitar abilites right now... I havent played the solo on this song in wuite a while....

The drums I extracted from a guitar pro file. They could be a lot better....

www.jershangout.com/files/uploads/temp/Livin-JCM.wav

Honestly Jer, I think I liked the tone in your first upload a bit better. This one sounded a little to muddy, idk, maybe just me and my setup.

Sounds really good man

Yeah me too.

Something about this one doesnt sit right. I can't quite put my hands on it...

The heavier tone is a matter of preference of course. But something about the recording didnt quite come thru right. Like its not "live" enough... Maybe I need to use a different mic position with that setting...

Try backing the mic off the cab a bit and see how it sounds. It sounded muffed a bit to me. Do you have a gate or any compression? Maybe open those up a little too.

It's unreal how we are always searching for tone... I think it's all in our heads and not in our ears sometimes..

I think thats it. I was louder and I think th emic was just too close.

I didn't have any compression on. (except the solo track)

There is a gate bit there wasnt any time for it to kick on I dont think....

I'm gonna fool with the tone settings a bit and do another run with the mic backed upp a few inches. I might angle it a bit towards the cone too.

I have a pair of condensers I will set up as well and catch the room a little more. They'll be on a different channel.

I've been fooling around some more and I have dialed in a much better higher gain sound.

More clips to come. Then I need to work on some clean samples.

Here's a better High Gain clip.

This is some OD in front of the maxed out (gain wise) amp.

www.jershangout.com/files/uploads/temp/Jer-HolyD.wav

Now were talking!

here is a quick sample of some clean-ness....

Just noodling around.

www.jershangout.com/files/uploads/temp/Jer-Clean-Demo1.wav

1 SM57 on the cab. A touch of reverb/chorus/compression.

Holy Diver!! Now your rocking some 80's gain! Sounds great!

Clean sounds nice and crisp also. Maybe take out just a little mid or add a little more presence. Sounds nice man!

Thanks for the tips.

Ahh yeah. Gotta love DIO!!!!